Dark Shades Research Articles

Does luminosity and smear layer influence 810 nm laser energy transmission through human dentine?

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of luminosity values and smear layer on transmission characteristics of 810 nm near infrared laser energy through dentine, using extracted human teeth. MethodsA total of 200 teeth treated with endodontic medicaments to cause discolouration (Ledermix, Doxypaste or Odontopaste) were selected, to give a range of values for tooth shade (luminosity values). Sectioned teeth had smear layer created or removed. Near-infrared laser energy transmission was assessed using an 810 nm diode laser (90 mW, CW mode) with the tip placed at 2 mm and 4 mm from the external root surface, and a laser power metre. ResultsBoth tooth shade and smear layer had independent attenuating effects. Transmission of laser energy was significantly lower in teeth with darker shades. There was a strong positive correlation between relative luminosity (lighter tooth colour) and transmitted laser power (r = 0.9271 for the Spearman rank correlation, P = 0.0022). When a smear layer was present, this significantly reduced the transmission of laser energy through the sample, compared to when no smear layer was present. ConclusionThe results of this laboratory study highlight the attenuating influence of a darker tooth shade and the presence of smear layer on the transmission of 810 nm light when directed onto the surface of human dentine. Such effects may be relevant to photo biomodulation, Photodynamic Therapy and other dental laser treatments.

Evaluation of the Stripping Performance of Monochlorotriazine/Vinyl Sulphone Reactive Dyes with a Reductive Stripping Agent

The wet processing industry experiences various problems, such as the faulty and uneven shade of dyeing, colour patch formation on the surface of dyed fabric, etc. during the dyeing and subsequent processing of textile materials. Stripping is considered a process that helps to reuse faulty dyed fabrics by minimizing dyeing faults. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of stripping agents and the quality of stripped cotton knit fabrics that were coloured using bi-functional (monochlorotriazine/vinyl sulphone) reactive dyes. First, the trichromatic combination of Drimarene Yellow CL2R, Drimarene Red CL5B and Drimarene Blue HFRL dyes was used to dye fabrics in two different shade percentages, namely light shade (0.3% owf) and dark shade (3.0% owf). Consequently, stripping was carried out using varying concentrations of stripping chemicals (hydrose (Na2S2O4) and caustic soda (NaOH)) and process temperatures. Stripped fabrics were assessed after measuring the weight loss percentage, strength loss percentage, whiteness index and stripping efficiency. The results of that assessment showed a relatively better stripping performance with the chemical concentration of 5 g/L hydrose and 5 g/L caustic soda at 100 °C. Under this condition, the value of the whiteness index and stripping efficiency were adequate, with a minimum weight loss percentage and strength loss percentage. The stripping performance for the light shade (0.3% owf) fabric was deemed to be better than that for the dark shade (3.0% owf) fabric.

Свадебная обрядовая одежда как феномен духовной культуры в южнорусском селе XIX–XX вв.: семиотический аспект

Traditional clothing was an integral attribute of the spiritual and cultural space of a Russian village until the 20th century. In connection with the destruction of traditional and the subsequent resemanticisation of folk clothing in the 19th – 21th centuries, there was a need to clarify the main spiritual and cultural content of a traditional costume. Wedding ceremonial clothing was chosen as the object of research due to its high semiotic status and good preservation, which provides extensive research field. The empirical basis of the work consists of ethnographic descriptions of the studied origin regions of wedding suit, private collections, museum funds and the photo archive of the author, formed as a result of expeditions 2018–2019. The article considers the totality of all wedding sets of bride's clothes as a unified semiotic system. The context of this phenomenon is an entire syntagmatic sequence of wedding ceremonies, starting from matchmaking and ending with the last day of a wedding. The wedding in this case is considered as a rite of passage of a life cycle, the main leitmotif of which is the process of “dying-death-rebirth”. Special costume sets mark all stages of the passage (preliminary, liminary, postliminary): “sad” and “grief” clothes are gradually replaced by “kind”, “cheerful”, white and dark shades are replaced by bright, often in red, and, in general, the semantics of death is replaced by the semantics of life. The study also shows that wedding cultures of different villages represent different semiotic systems that function on the basis of a single principle of passage, but some of its aspects and symbolization may be different. At the same time, a complex relationship between the social and spiritual levels of passage is realized, the markers of which may be different characteristics of the same costume complex. In general, the semiotics of wedding ceremonial clothing testifies to the unity of the spiritual and social spheres of a Russian village in the 19th – 20th centuries.

Almanac 1941-1944: A chronicle and art collection of Osnabrück Oflag captives

After the April war defeat, almost 200.000 Serbian officers and soldiers were taken as POWs, and deported to numerous camps in Germany, including the Oflag VI C officer camp in Osnabr?ck. Soon after the large-scale uprising broke out in Nazi-occupied Serbia tensions and political divisions emerged among the captives. Antifascist and leftist captives were sub?jected to discrimination and repression. They responded by organizing an extensive and fruitful cultural activity, seeking to resolve inner dilemmas and reach catharses by writing, drawing, painting or educating other inmates. Over the course of time two art groups were formed to institutionalize captives? artistic aspirations: Association of Fine Artists and Literature group. On the eve of camp?s liberation, in early 1945, these two groups created a unique manuscript: Almanac 1941-1944, an impressive chronicle of camp?s history and a collection of the best literary and art works created by captured officers. Almanac has a great value as a historical source, as it contains detailed information on captives? cultural activity, but also on challenges of everyday life within barbwire and con?flicts with German administration and nationalist captives. Although some of the Almanac?s narrative is ideologically biased, it was confirmed that Almanac is a reliable historical source, by comparing the data with archival sources of different origin. Beautifully decorated by drawings and caricatures, written in calligraphy, the Almanac is a piece of art itself, but also a collection of published poems, essays, drawings and small paintings. Although most contributing officers didn?t have any art education at all, some of their works and contributions have high artistic value. Osnabr?ck Oflag poetry and prose evolves around the motives of captivity, hunger, nostalgia, uncertainty and antifascist struggle. Contributing authors were both the already established writers, such as Stanislav Vinaver, Svetozar Musulin, Oto Bihalji Merin, and the new ones, who never published before WW2, such as Petar Ivkovic or Solomon Conforti. Illustrations were mostly done by Vladeta Gajic, whose caricatures richly decorated numerous Almanac pages. Inmate?s portraits were usually made as graphite drawings and aquarelles, so were the drawings showing the captured officers eating, drinking, hanging together, resting or reading. Camp fences and objects were mostly painted as blurry contours, usually in dark shades. It is worth noticing that many contributors were Jews, who were not betrayed or discriminated by their Serbian colleagues, but treated as completely equal.

An investigation of the effects of topical sunscreen protection products under natural weather conditions on intrinsic color stability in maxillofacial silicones.

The relatively short lifespan of maxillofacial prostheses (ranging from 3-24 months) is mostly a result of colour instability of silicone elastomers caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, requiring frequent remakes. An improvement in colour preservation could result in fewer remakes, thus saving time and money for both clinician and patient. In the quest for a suitable colour protection method, sunscreen protection products were considered; the most recent study on this subject was carried out in 1994, albeit using a low protection factor. The aim of this research was to determine if there is value in using topical sun protection products on extraoral silicone prostheses to prevent colour degradation. This was an in vitro quantitative study. Three commercially available sunscreen products were studied, Riemann P20, Boots Soltan, and Garnier Ambre Solaire all with a sun protection factor of 50. A total of 144 silicone elastomer samples were produced using a Caucasian (light) shade 1.2 (n = 72) and dark skin shade 3.2 (n = 72) from the Technovent Ltd. Reality Shade range. Each shade group (n = 72) was divided into three groups to be subjected to outdoor weathering (n = 24), indoor (n = 24), and dark storage (n = 24). Within each environmental group, samples were divided into groups of six samples (n = 6) to receive the three sunscreens plus a control group with no sunscreen. The CIEL* a* b* formula was used to obtain the color measurements. One way ANOVA test and Tukey's HSD test for multiple comparisons was used to analyse the data. The ΔE values had changed for all samples throughout the aging process. Soltan showed promising results in protecting the dark-shaded samples in the outdoor environment only.

К ПОСТАНОВКЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ МАРКЕРОВ КАМЕННЫХ ИНДУСТРИЙ ЭПОХИ ЭНЕОЛИТА И БРОНЗЫ ГОРНО-ЛЕСНОГО ЗАУРАЛЬЯ

The authors propose to discuss the methodology of searching for the defi nitive indicators of flaking techniques of the Eneolithic — Bronze Age in the mountain-forest Trans-Urals. The methodology is based on a step-by-step cross-referencing analysis of raw materials, technological and morphological characteristics of stone artifacts. The multilayer settlement Shaitanskoe 4–6 stone tools assemblage (the Kirovgrad district, Sverdlovsk Oblast) served as the main resource for the analysis. Main stages of the site’s populating correlated with the Eneolithic and the Bronze Age (Cherkaskul culture). Arrowheads were chosen as the key category of artifacts. This choice was based on both the large number of these artifacts (more than 100 items) and their fairly reliable cultural and chronological verification by the well-known interments and single-layer sites of the Urals and the adjacent territories. The Eneolithic flaking technique demonstrated a pronounced variability of tools. Pressure flaking technique used for obtaining blanks of a certain type (blades, microblades, and flakes of preset shapes and sizes) formed the lithic industry basis. During the Bronze Age, the emphasis shifted towards biface-production-oriented striking and counter striking knapping techniques. One of the Bronze Age lithic industry markers was a significant amount of characteristic waste, defected and good blanks as opposed to a small group of two-sided retouched tools with a high level of standardization and manufacturing quality (arrowheads, knives of an asymmetrical triangular shape with an arc-shaped side blade, scrapers of geometric shapes, etc.). The Eneolithic population preferred siliceous and clay shales, high-quality homogeneous jaspers, some types of chalcedony of gray and yellow, homogeneous flint of greenish and greenish-gray shades, and rhyolites of similar colors. During the Bronze Age, most popular materials were mottled flint of mediocre quality, siliceous shales of dark shades, siliceous quartz and chalcedony of light tones, and some varieties of jasper.

An Approach for Predicting the Apparent Color of Carpets under Different Illuminants

The color appearance of residential carpets under different illuminants can influence the purchase decisions of consumers, visual merchandisers, and interior designers. This study was designed to investigate and characterize the color appearance of residential carpets under average Noon Daylight (D65), Incandescent (A), and Cool White Fluorescent (F02) illuminants commonly used in retail and household settings. The objective of this study was to identify the key features significantly affecting the apparent color of the carpets under those three illuminants. Four different carpets were dyed with light, medium, and dark shades of red and green colors to identify the difference in color perception when illuminated by different lighting arrangements. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the lightness, chroma, and hue of the carpets via the CIELAB scale developed by Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). Statistically significant differences among the L*, a*, and b* values of the carpets were evaluated using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Regression analyses were carried out to identify key parameters affecting the L*, a* and b* values. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to generate equations to predict L*, a* and b* values under different illuminant for different carpet features. A decreasing trend in the L*, a*, and b* values have been observed from lighter to darker shades under the illuminants for all the carpets. The deposition of dye molecules over the carpet surface had significant effects on the CIELAB values, and the distribution of dye molecules over the carpet surface was influenced by the constructional parameters of the carpets. The study provides an overview of the effects of carpet structures on color perception under different illuminants, which could help the researcher to determine the apparent color of different carpets under various illuminants.

The regulation of a pigmentation gene in the formation of complex color patterns in Drosophila abdomens.

Changes in the control of developmental gene expression patterns have been implicated in the evolution of animal morphology. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying complex morphological traits remain largely unknown. Here we investigated the molecular mechanisms that induce the pigmentation gene yellow in a complex color pattern on the abdomen of Drosophila guttifera. We show that at least five developmental genes may collectively activate one cis-regulatory module of yellow in distinct spot rows and a dark shade to assemble the complete abdominal pigment pattern of Drosophila guttifera. One of these genes, wingless, may play a conserved role in the early phase of spot pattern development in several species of the quinaria group. Our findings shed light on the evolution of complex animal color patterns through modular changes of gene expression patterns.

Translucency and Color Stability of a Simplified Shade Nanohybrid Composite after Ultrasonic Scaling and Air-Powder Polishing.

We aimed to assess the influence of professional dental prophylaxis on the translucency and color stability of a novel simplified shade nanohybrid composite material. Sixty composite disks (5 mm in diameter and 2 mm thick) of light (n = 30) and dark (n = 30) shades were prepared. The specimens were randomly divided into the following three groups (n = 10) according to the prophylaxis procedure used: ultrasonic scaling, air-powder polishing with sodium bicarbonate, and controls. The specimens were submitted to translucency and color analysis based on the CIELab system. Two measurements were performed before and after 48-h storage in coffee. Translucency values of untreated light and dark specimens were 9.15 ± 0.38 and 5.28 ± 1.10, respectively. Air-powder polishing decreased the translucency of the light composite specimens. Storage in coffee resulted in color changes (∆E) ranging between 2.69 and 12.05 and a mean translucency decrease ranging between -0.88 and -6.91. The samples in the light group tended to exhibit greater staining; the treatment method had no effect on ∆E. It can be concluded that light-shade composite restorations are more prone to translucency and color changes resulting from air-powder polishing and contact with staining media. However, further research using other composites and powders is required.

Applying mixed methods to explore lighter and darker shades in hybrid dark tourism experiences

Aplicación de métodos mixtos Para explorar los matices más claros y más oscuros en las experiencias híbridas de turismo oscuroDiseño/metodología/enfoqueEl propósito de este estudio es demostrar el encendedor (entretenimiento y estética) experiencias) y los lados más oscuros (experiencias educativas y escapistas) de las experiencias de turismo oscuro. Este El estudio también examina el efecto de los lados más claros y más oscuros de las experiencias de turismo oscuro en funcional y valor emocional.PropósitoPara investigar cómo y dónde los visitantes experimentan más claro y más oscuro lados del turismo oscuro, los autores realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a visitantes del desmilitarizado coreano zona desmilitarizada (DMZ). Demostrar las consecuencias de los lados más claros y más oscuros de las experiencias de turismo oscuro en valor funcional y emocional, los autores recopilaron datos de encuestas de campo. En conjunto, los autores utilizaron métodos mixtos con diseño secuencial exploratorio.HallazgosLos entrevistados describieron vívidamente su entretenimiento (cruzar el puente colgante) y Experiencias estéticas (ver una familia de pájaros grulla desde una corta distancia) en la DMZ coreana. Ellos también describió experiencias educativas (comprendiendo los antecedentes de la guerra civil) y escapistas (limitar las entradas diarias les hizo sentir como si estuvieran entrando en un lugar especial o incluso en un país extranjero). Los resultados de la encuesta mostraron que las experiencias educativas y estéticas aumentaron el valor emocional, mientras que Las experiencias educativas y escapistas mejoraron el valor funcional de un recorrido por la DMZ coreana.Originalidad/valorInvestigaciones anteriores operacionalizaron los lados más claros y más oscuros del turismo oscuro con base en Características de los sitios de turismo oscuro. Específicamente, los aspectos más oscuros y más claros del turismo oscuro fueron determinado, dependiendo de si tales sitios están directamente relacionados con la muerte humana o no. sin embargo, el El estudio actual se basa en las experiencias turísticas para operacionalizar los lados más claros y más oscuros del turismo oscuro. Si bien la investigación anterior se centró en el lado de la oferta, este estudio cambia el enfoque hacia el lado de la demanda, por lo que avanzar en el conocimiento de experiencias híbridas de turismo oscuro.

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Butterflies

Does age determine the lightness and darkness of tooth shades? A retrospective study.

The study aimed to analyze whether age determines the lightness and darkness of tooth shades. The demand for esthetics has soared to a next level progressively in many developing countries including India; the importance provided to match the tooth shade creates a great difference in the satisfactory outcome of the patient in the field of dentistry. Therefore, this particular study analyzed the differences in tooth shade values based on age factor among the Indian population. 238 individual's case sheets with the age between 18 and 65 years. 18-30 years of age were considered as group 1 (young adults), 31-45 years in group 2 (middle age), and above 45 years in group 3 (older age). The clinical intraoral pictures of the patients which were taken prior to the treatment were obtained and the shade of any one of the upper permanent central incisors was assessed using the Vitapan 3D-Master shade guide, especially the middle portion of the facial surface of the incisors. The collected data were imported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17 (IBM Corporation). Chi-square test was used to assess the significance. From the data, 17.2% showed A1 shade, 35.2% A2 shade, 7.5% A3 shade, 5% A4 shade, 7.1% B1 shade, 15.9% B2 shade, 7.1% B3 shade, 3.3% B4 shade, and 1.1% C1 shade. The individuals under the category of above 45 years showed darker tooth shade compared to young adults and middle age population (Chi-square test, P < 0.001). Significant association was established with darker tooth shades by increasing age and vice versa. The older age population showed a higher correlation for dark shade between teeth. The aging process significantly affects the teeth color. Hence, as a dentist, it is important to know about the distribution of tooth shade and its association with age to get an outcome with adequate patient satisfaction.

New Approaches for Textile Colouration and Surface Pattern Using Enzyme-based Biotechnology

The research presented in this paper gives an overview of a study which was undertaken to investigate the potential offered by the enzyme laccase (EC.1.10.3.2) as a creative design tool for innovative colouration and decorative surface pattern of textiles with a focus on providing sustainable alternatives to conventional processes used in industry. Research was conducted in two parts. The control (scientific) phase explored laccases potential for transforming a range of colourless aromatic compounds into coloured polymeric products via its reaction mechanism, and its ability to facilitate the colouration of most commonly used textile fibre types. Reaction processing parameters such as temperature, pH values, aromatic compound concentrations, and reaction times were investigated to achieve a diverse colour palette, ranging from light–medium to dark shades of blue, green, pink, purple, and yellow hues. Wool and nylon fibre types were found to be most suitable for laccase-catalyzed colouration. The creative phase investigated the design potential offered by the enzymatic colouration process developed; different and contrasting substantivity properties offered by various fibre types were exploited to produce shadow, reserve, and contrasting coloured effects on specially woven jacquard fabrics. The research demonstrates the potential offered by laccase as a transformative tool to replace conventional industrial colouration and surface pattern design processes with biological systems, which offer important advantages of simpler processing using milder conditions that eliminate additional chemical use and reduce energy consumption. The adoption of enzyme-based biotechnologies could help the textile industry transition towards a sustainable future.

Effectiveness of dental whitening in patients with active fixed orthodontic treatment: a narrative review.

Currently dental aesthetics during fixed orthodontic treatment is an option required by patients, due to the frequent pigmentations that can occur in tooth enamel as a result of inadequate oral hygiene and plaque retention caused by fixed appliances. To determine the effectiveness of dental whitening and its side effects during active fixed orthodontic treatment, as an alternative aesthetic treatment in certain cases that merit it. This narrative review evaluated 35 scientific articles from the Medline information sources (via PUBMED), EMBASE, SCOPUS, SCIELO and LILACS from the last 10 years, published in Spanish, Portuguese and English. We included 17 articles that met the selection criteria which were randomized clinical trials and observational studies, in vitro studies and in vivo studies that evaluated in-office dental clearance, performed on patients using fixed orthodontic treatment at that time. Systematic reviews, case reports and editorials were excluded. It was observed that dental whitening in patients with active orthodontic treatment minimally affects the adhesion of the orthodontic apparatus to the tooth surface. In addition, some studies observed that the brackets interfere with the extension of the dental lightening, evidencing slightly darker areas. Dental whitening during orthodontic treatment can be given efficiently in clinical practice, depending on the aesthetic requirement of the patient. However, it is a recommended procedure in certain cases of great need for immediate aesthetics, since, the material with which the brackets are installed on the dental surface, will interfere with the extension of the lightening material, resulting in a darker shade in that sector and different from the surrounding tissue. Likewise, it will intervene in the adhesion to the dental surface, having many probabilities that the orthodontic apparatus can detach.

Environmentally Friendly Reactive Washing Process: A Case Study

Available and clean water resources in the world are decreasing day by day. Textiles is one of the industries that are consuming the highest volumes of water. For this reason, it is necessary to develop environmentally friendly textile processes within the scope of sustainability. Reactive dyeing is followed by a washing process consisting of many steps to remove unfixed/hydrolyzed dyes, which is the most preferred dyeing in the coloring of cotton products. A high amount of water is consumed in these processes. In this study, an alternative washing process was developed instead of the conventional reactive washing process. The baths, which were decided to be used according to the transmittance values of the washing baths after dyeing in light, medium, and dark shades, were used again as the first two baths of the next washings. Alternative washing did not have a negative effect on the quality parameters, namely washing and rubbing fastnesses. As a result, it was observed that the last two baths of the washing cycle could be used as the first two baths of the next washing cycle. In this case, it was predicted that approximately 40%−50% water savings could be achieved.

The Caucasus Territory Hot-Cold Spots Determination and Description Using 2D Surface Waves Tomography

Many questions have been raised about the thermal-mechanical development of plate tectonics boundary interactions, lithospheric processes, mantle activity, movement of faults, continental thinning, and generally the heat beneath our feet. The earthquake waves are originating in the Earth’s crust or upper mantle, which ricochet around the earth's interior and traveling most rapidly through cold, dense regions, and more slowly through hotter rocks. In this paper, in order to identify and describe the Caucasus territory Hot-Cold spots and better understand the regional tectonic activities based on the fast and slow wave velocity anomalies, the 2D tomographic maps of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves were imaged. To obtain these maps in the ever-evolving collision zone of the Eurasian-Arabic plates, we performed a 2D-linear inversion procedure on the Rayleigh wave in a period ranging from 5 to 70 s (depth ~200 km). To conduct this, ~1500 local-regional earthquakes (M≥3.7) recorded by the 48 broadband-short period stations from 1999 to 2018 were used. In this study, we assumed that the low-velocity tomography images or dark red-orange shades indicate hot spots (slow-regions) and high-velocity or dark blue-green-yellow shades imply cold spots (fast-regions). Therefore, by using the technique of increasing-decreasing the velocity anomaly in a wide area with complicated tectonic units the hot-zones and extensive cold-aseismic areas were described and investigated. Hence, for short-periods (5≤T≤25 s; 6.6≤depth≤30.8 km) 15 hot spots were determined. The result for medium-periods (30≤T≤45 s) show two hot spots with a depth of ~108 km. In long-periods (depth ~200 km), most part of the study area has covered by ultra-low-velocity anomaly as a permanent hot spots.

BJT induced dark current in CMOS image sensors

This paper demonstrates that cut-off pnp Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs) can induce visible dark current to their nearby CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor pixels, supported with experimental results. Previously, it has been shown that active BJTs and forward-biased PN junctions can incur dark shading to nearby CMOS image sensor pixels through electroluminescence (EL). However, in our experiments, when the BJTs are in their cut-off region, they can induce dark current to nearby image pixels at a similar distance but the dark current level declines much faster. To figure out the causes of dark current induced by the cut-off BJTs, the thermal coefficient of their nearby image pixels has been measured and the current is found to double for every 5 °C temperature rise. This indicates the cut-off BJT induced dark current is mainly due to the diffusion current generated from the silicon neutral regions in the pinned photodiodes (PPDs). This is in contrast to the hot pixels’ dark current incurred by thermal generation, that doubles for every 10 °C increase in temperature, or EL that has a very small thermal coefficient.

The Blending Effect of Single-Shade Composite with Different Shades of Conventional Resin Composites-An In Vitro Study.

Single-shade composite systems are gaining popularity among clinicians due to the claimed potential of blending with different tooth structure shades while restoring the tooth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the blending effect of two single-shade composite with different shades of conventional resin composite systems. Seventy-two composite cylinders of B1, B2, A1, A2, A3, or A3.5 shade from CharmFil Plus (CP) and Filtek Universal Restorative (3M) were prepared using custom-made silicone mold. Single-shade composite OMNICHROMA (OC) or Beautifil II Enamel (BE) was placed in the center of each cylinder and polymerized. The color parameters, lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (H*) of each composite were measured using a color chronometer. Furthermore, color stability of the samples was evaluated after 1-week staining challenge. Multivariant analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of material and shade on the color parameters. Multiple comparisons of the data were performed using post hoc test. The staining challenge data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance and paired sample T-test. The multivariant analysis showed a statistically significant difference in color parameters among CP, 3M, OC, and BE (p = 0.001). Image analysis showed a visual blending effect for both OC and BE for certain shades; however, some color contrast with the darker shades was observed. The C* value of OC showed a similar pattern to CP; however, the H* of the latter was closely followed by BE. The L* value showed statistically significant difference among the shades of 3M, and in OC and BE when blended with 3M. All four materials used in this study showed color alteration after the staining challenge. Single-shade composite can blend with only certain shades of resin composites.

Research and analysis of user needs for smart clothing for the elderly

&lt;p&gt;Following the principle of “people-oriented”, we explore the user needs of smart clothing for the elderly and provide reference for the development of such clothing. The target consumers of smart clothing for the elderly are divided into two categories: The elderly and the young, and the needs of elderly users are investigated by means of literature analysis and interviews. The study showed that the needs of elderly users for senior smart clothing can be divided into five areas: Physiological, psychological, aesthetic, functional and consumer; the younger group is generally willing to buy senior smart clothing for the elderly and wants functional design to focus on physiological monitoring technology and aesthetic design to focus on loose fit design and dark shades of colour matching. The findings of the study will help companies to improve their design solutions and promote the healthy development of the senior clothing market.&lt;/p&gt;

The Bright and Dark Shades of Transparent Conducting Perovskites: From Science to Global Market

From band theory of solids, it is well known that electrical conductivity and optical transparency are mutually exclusive properties. However, due to advancement in science and technology, controlled doping has allowed to merge these properties in few materials such as thin films, bulk oxides, conducting polymers and carbon-based materials and are collectively known as transparent conducting oxides (TCO) and transparent conducting films (TCF). Recently, this extraordinary property is also found in doped nano-perovskites and hence can further meets the diversified demand in the field of photovoltaics, LCDs, FETs, diodes, supercapacitors and many more. For such applications, doped perovskite TCOs have becomes highly important and cost effective for the future global markets. This paper will summarize the status and progress of various TCOs which are particularly perovskite in structure. Future direction and challenges of doped Perovskites in the techno-era are also discussed. Several examples of TCO-Perovskites are presented with a discussion of their ferroic, magnetic, electrical and optical properties. On addition, the concerns related to thermal and chemical stability of TCO-Doped Perovskites are vividly reviewed.