Biomedical subjects

Brian W Darvell

Publications and source records attributed to Brian W Darvell.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Mathematical modeling of flexural behavior of rotary nickel-titanium endodontic instruments.

The aim of the present study was to establish a mathematical model to characterize the flexural behavior of nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments. The bending behavior of ProFile (0.06 and 0.04 tapers), K-3 (0.06 taper), Quantec (0.04 taper) with tip size of ISO 25, was assessed by pressing the tip of the static rotary file against a smooth, freely movable, glass surface. The deflected instrument was photographed digitally, and the deflection path was digitized in software, to which data a function was fitted that best described the bending behavior of the instrument. It was found that all instruments deflected in a manner closely resembling a negative exponential function: y = A x e(-x/b). The present approach indicated that the analytical difficulties of handling the complex cross-section in tapering spirals in beam-bending theory may be circumvented by a practical and elementary curve-fitting method.

Dental High-Speed Equipment↗

PubMed2006

Preparation of hollow hydroxyapatite microspheres.

The preparation of hollow hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres as potential drug-delivery vehicles was investigated. A lithium-calcium-borate (10Li(2)O-15CaO-75B(2)O(3)) (mol%) glass, made by fusing the components at 1100 degrees C for 1 h, was ground to a powder and passed through a flame at approximately 1400 degrees Celsius to spheroidize the particles. The resulting glass microspheres (106-125 microm in diameter) were reacted in 0.25 M K(2)HPO(4) solution for 5 days at 37 degrees Celsius and pH 10-12, resulting in the formation of porous, hollow microspheres of a calcium phosphate (Ca-P) material with external diameters similar to those of the original glass particles. Heat treatment at 600 degrees Celsius for 4 h partially converted the Ca-P material to HA, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction, and also increased the strength of the hollow microspheres.

Borates↗

PubMed2004

Methyl methacrylate in poly(methyl methacrylate)--validation of direct injection gas chromatography.

Gas chromatography (GC) was investigated for the determination of residual methyl methacrylate (MMA) in heat-processed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) denture base material emphasizing recovery and validation. Standard solutions of MMA and emulsion-polymerized PMMA in dichloromethane were analysed, before and after distillation by a room-temperature air stream into a liquid nitrogen trap, and in the presence of PMMA by direct injection. Quantitative NMR analysis using dimethyl sulphoxide as internal calibration standard in deuterated chloroform solutions provided validation. Good concordance was observed between results under all conditions; no problems arose from direct injection of PMMA solution for GC. Good straight line responses in log-log plots were generally observed. For GC and MMA: log-log calibration curve (slope: 0.9552 +/- 0.0051, r2: 0.9992, n = 32) indicated some non-linearity (t = 8.875, p approximately 4 x 10(-10)). Distillation gave slope: 0.9751 +/- 0.0213 (NS versus unity; t = 1.172, p > 0.25). For PMMA solutions, distillation (r2: 0.9301) gave greater scatter than direct injection (r2: 0.9704). For NMR: log-log plot of calculated versus actual MMA (slope: 0.9363 +/- 0.0157, r2: 0.9969, n = 13) again indicated non-linearity (t = 4.0682, p = 0.0019). PMMA solutions gave slope: 0.9477 +/- 0.0328, r2 = 0.9858 (NS versus unity; t = 1.5941, p = 0.13). Determination of MMA in PMMA by GC is recommended.

Calibration↗

PubMed2003

Evolution and function of routine trichromatic vision in primates.

Evolution of the red-green visual subsystem in trichromatic primates has been linked to foraging advantages, namely the detection of either ripe fruits or young leaves amid mature foliage. We tested competing hypotheses globally for eight primate taxa: five with routine trichromatic vision, three without. Routinely trichromatic species ingested leaves that were "red shifted" compared to background foliage more frequently than species lacking this trait. Observed choices were not the reddest possible, suggesting a preference for optimal nutritive gain. There were no similar differences for fruits although red-greenness may sometimes be important in close-range fruit selection. These results suggest that routine trichromacy evolved in a context in which leaf consumption was critical.

Animals↗