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.
ABSTRACT The role of specific amino acids namely cysteine, methionine, threonine and asparagine in the protection provided by vamin solution against B-lactam inhibition to E. coli was evaluated in vitro. In minimal medium, Cells were treated with 32 ug/ml of penicillin G, carbencillin, hostacillin, cloxacillin and cephalotin in the presence of specific amino acid supplementations. Deletion of specific amino acids from the media abolished the protection provided by vamin. Threonine was essential for the protection of cells against all tested antibiotics, while cysteine was essential for protection against carbencillin and cephalotin Deletion of methionine or asparagine abolished the protec- tion against carbencillin and to a less extent ce
... Show MoreAbstract Background: The emptied sheep’s ovarian follicles recently used as a container for spermatozoa during cryopreservation, it was found a proper carrier to cryopreserving spermatozoa in vapor-dependent cryopreservation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two periods of exposure to liquid nitrogen (LN2)vapor on the parameter of spermatozoa during cryopreservation in this technique. Method: The study was conducted on 30 semen samples from patients with oligozoospermia diagnosed by semen analysis according to the standard criteria of World Health Orgnization (WHO) 2010. Sheep’s ovarian follicles obtained from local slaughterhouse and prepared by slicing the ovaries and evacuating the follicular fluid and oocyt
... Show MoreSARS-CoV-2 stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 which is the causative agent of spreading coronavirus disease 2019 that is known as COVID-19 pandemic, the disease leads to severe acute respiratory illness. Matrix metalloproteinases- 9 (MMP-9) plays several important physiological functions. This enzyme could also be implicated in the "cytokine storm" in some way, which may represent one of the possible scianrios during coronavirus infection, in addition to its role in the mechanism of lung fibrosis on molecular basis.. The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs) are well characterized for controlling the activity of MMPs in extracellular matrix remodeling. They also considered as signaling molecules anal
... Show MoreThis study successfully synthesized high-performance photodetectors based on Ag-WO3 core–shell heterostructures using a simple and economical two-step pulsed laser ablation in water method and has investigated the electrical characteristics of the Ag@WO3 nanocomposite heterojunction. The Hall effect tests indicate that the synthesized Ag@WO3 exhibits n-type conduction with a Hall mobility of 1.25 × 103 cm2V-1S-1. Dark current–voltage properties indicated that the created heterojunctions displayed rectification capabilities, with the highest rectification factor of around 1.71 seen at a 5 V bias. A photodetector’s responsivity reveals the existence of two response peaks, which are situated in the ultraviolet and visible region. The ph
... Show MoreThis research aims toknow the learning styles according to the model of Felder and Silverman and its relationship to effectively self- perceived mathematicalamong students of the Faculty of Education Pure Sciences - Ibn al-Haytham. By answering the following questions: 1. What are the preferred methods of learning among students in the mathematics department according to the model Felder and Silverman? 2. What is the mathematicalself-perceived levelof the students at the Department of Mathematics effectiveness level? 3. What is the relationship between learning styles according to the Felder model and Silverman and the effectiveness of mathematical self-perceived of the students of the Department of Mathematics? The research sample consiste
... Show MoreThe research included five sections containing the first section on the introduction of the research and its importance and was addressed to the importance of the game of gymnastic and skilled parallel effectiveness and the importance of learning, but the problem of research that there is a difference in learning this skill and difficulty in learning may be one of the most important reasons are fear and fear of falling and injury, And a lack of sense of the movement of the movement is one of the obstacles in the completion of the skill and the goal of research to design a device that helps in learning the skill of descending Almtor facing with half a cycle according to the typical locomotor track on the parallel device of the technical men'
... Show MoreThe 1500m race event is part of the athletics system, and the continuous competition to break records and achieve the highest levels of achievement in athletics events, especially the 1500m race event, is one of the topics that occupies the minds of many people interested in achieving digital development for this event, given the distance of the race and the time it takes to complete it. Because it is unique from other events, it has characteristics that distinguish it from other events, despite it being a middle-distance event, which shares with them that its speed is measured by the step, which consists of the length of the step and its frequency. Increasing any of these two factors while keeping one of them constant or increasing
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