Background: Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a promising implant material due to its superior biomechanical strength. However, due to its hydrophobic nature and lack of cellular adhesion properties, it has poor integration with bone tissue. Methods: A fractional CO2 laser was used with various parameters for surface texturing of PEEK substrate to enhance its surface properties. An optical microscope and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) were used to examine the surface morphology of untextured and laser-textured samples. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was performed to determine the effect of the laser on the microstructure of PEEK. Surface microroughness, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and wettability were investigated. Results: There were significant increases in microroughness, nanoroughness, surface area ratio, and wettability after laser texturing with no change in the elemental composition. The best results were obtained by using 400 µs laser pulse duration with a dot separation distance of 0.2 mm and a 60° staggered dots pattern. Conclusions: Laser surface texturing of PEEK implant material by fractional CO2 laser is an easy and fast method of introducing patterned topographical features with no need for additional devices. With further investigations, this method of PEEK modification might have the potential to be used in the implant field.
The aim of this study is to extract and utilise the bark of Berlinia grandiflora as a natural dye source for the colouration of cotton and polyamide 6 fabrics. The solvents used for this study were water, methanol, acetone, and methanol/potassium hydroxide. The best of all the solvents used was water. In the extraction process, the various solvents were extracted with Soxhlet extractor. The optimum colourant extraction was observed at 40 °C for 2 h. The extracted compound was isolated and characterized by UV spectrophotometry; proton and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mordanting and subsequent dyeing of cotton and polyamide 6 fabrics with t
... Show MoreControlling public expenditures is one of the main objectives of the public budget. The public budget often suffers from a deficit, whether in developed or developing countries, because expenditures are usually greater than the revenues generated. This requires the existence of financial rules that are adhered to by the government, which in turn leads to discipline. Fiscal policy leads to a reduction in the obligations incumbent on the government. Adhering to the financial rules would correct the course of fiscal policy in Iraq, with the need to direct oil revenues in the years of financial abundance when global oil prices rise to sovereign funds similar to other rentier countries, which contributes to maintaining the stabi
... Show MoreLeishmaniasis is a disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. It is transmitted by the bite of sandfly (Subfamily Phlebotominae). Limited drugs are available for the treatment of leishmaniasis, and the general drug (pentostam) have many side effect on patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need for another drugs for the treatment of leishmaniasis.
This study aimed to develop new type of antileishmanial agents instead of classical drug (pentostam) and investigated the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on Leishmania tropica parasites in both phases promastigote and amastigote in comparision to pentostam in in vitro condition.
This study showed the effects of Ag NPs in comparision to pentostam with d
Two methods have been applied for the spectrophotometric determination of atropine, in
bulk sample and in dosage form. The methods are accurate, simple, rapid, inexpensive and
sensitive. The first method depending on the extraction of the formed ion-pair complex with
bromphenol blue (BPB) as a chromogenic reagent in chloroform, use phthalate buffer of pH
3.0; which showed absorbance maxima at 413 nm against reagent blank. The calibration
graph is linear in the ranges of 0.5-40 µg.mL
-1
with detection limit of 0.363µg.mL
-1
. The
second method depending on the measure of the absorbance maxima of the formed charge-transfer complex with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) at 457 nm against
The effect of using different R -molar ratio under variable reaction conditions (acidic as well as basic environment and reaction temperature) have been studied. The overall experiments are driven with open and closed systems. The study shows that there is an optimum value for a minimum gelling time at R equal 2. The gelling time for all studied open system found to be shorter than in closed system. In acidic environment and when R value increased from 2 to 10, the gelling time of closed systems has increased four times than open systems at T=30 ?C and fourteen times when temperature reaction increased to 60 ?C. While in basic environment the influence of increasing R value was limited.
The outbreak of a current public health coronavirus 2019 disease is a causative agent of a serious acute respiratory syndrome and even death. COVID-19 has exposed to multi-suggested pharmaceutical agents to control this global disease. Baricitinib, a well-known antirheumatic agent, was one of them. This article reviews the likely pros and cons of baricitinib in attenuation of COVID-19 based on the mechanism of drug action as well as its pharmacokinetics. The inhibitory effect of baricitinib on receptor mediated endocytosis promoter, AKK1, and on JAK-STAT signaling pathway is benefacial in inhibition of both viral assembling and inflammation. Also, its pharmacokinetic has encouraged the physicians toward the drug
... Show MoreAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) represents one kind of advanced arthritis formed via inflammatory stimuli long-term in the spin‘s joints. Interleukin (IL)-29 (interferon- lambda1(IFN- λ1)), interleukin (IL)-28A (interferon- lambda 2 (IFN- λ2)) and interleukin (IL)-28B (interferon- lambda 3(IFN-λ3)) are three interferon lambda (IFN- λs) molecules that have recently been identified as new members of the IFN family. IL-28B expression in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is not well understood. 150 male healthy controls ((HC) and 160 males with AS as patients group participated in this study. Serum level and gene polymorphism were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Sanger sequencing for IL-28B, respectively. The results showed
... Show MoreSimple and rapid spectrophotometric determination of furosemide (FUR) has been investigated .The method is based on acid hydrolysis of FUR to free primary aromatic amine and diazotization followed by coupling with 3, 5 di methyl phenol (3, 5-DMPH) at basic medium. The absorbance was measured at 434 nm, the method was optimized for best condition, and beers’ law is obeyed over the range of 0.4-50 µg.mL-1 with molar absorptivity and sandal’s sensitivity 1.3899 x104 L moL-1 .cm-1 and 0.0238x104 µg.cm-2 respectively. Analysis of solution containing nineteen different concentrations of FUR gave a correlation coefficient of (0.9999) a
... Show MoreBackground: Recently increasing number of people are using mouthwashes for general and oral care while the primary appeal of a mouthwash is an aid to breath freshness and cleansing the mouth, the majority of mouthwashes also claim to have antiseptic properties. The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness of eight types of mouthwashes against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans in vitro. Materials and methods: Agar diffusion technique was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of eight types of mouthwashes against Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans isolated from the oral cavities of patients attending dental clinics at college of dentistry - Baghdad Uni
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