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.
Objective: To compare two insertion techniques of intramedullary interlocking nails (medial parapatellar versus intrapatellar insertion) in patients with tibial fractures. Methodology: This study was performed at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital from August 2020 until March 2022. All 32 patients with tibial fractures (29 males and 3 females) were included for tibial closed nail fixation and then followed up for 6 months. We categorized these patients into two groups; Group A (16 patients), those treated by medial parapatellar insertion of an interlocking nail, and Group B (16 patients) with transpatellar tibial nail insertion. All patients were treated by the same surgical team. Results: The range of movement in two weeks (from extension
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Background: It is important to achieve good glycemic control to avoid long-term diabetic complications. It has been largely debated about the role of correct way of insulin administration to get the desired glycemic control.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of teaching diabetic patients who are on insulin therapy the correct way of injecting insulin and its effect on glycemic control.
Methods: A non randomized clinical trial with 820 diabetic patients on insulin therapy on whom A1 c estimation was performed before and after three months of teaching them the right injection technique.
Results : Sixty seven patients (8.17%) had A1 c 6.5% before they were enrolled in the study while the majority (753 patents, 91.82%) had A1 c 6.5%
Upper Cretaceous Oceanic Red Beds (CORBs) are pelagic sediment deposits that deposited in the Upper Cretaceous basin, with widespread in part of the world as well as in Iraq. This research investigates the deposition of cyclic marl and marly limestone CORBs of six selected sections at the active southern margin of the Tethys during the Late Campanian - Maastrichtian with petrography, microfacies, and depositional environment.
The measurement of carbonate content (CaCO3 %) in the rocks, 180 samples of all the geological sections were studied twice for each sample and the average readings were taken.
This examination proved the following major oxides wt. % concentrations domination SiO2, CaO, Al2 O3 and Fe2O3 with average values of 3
The present study investigates the effect of the de-sanding (recycling system) on the bearing capacity of the bored piles. Full-scale models were conducted on two groups of piles, the first group was implemented without using this system, and the second group was implemented using the recycling system. All piles were tested by static load test, considering the time factor for which the piles were implemented. The test results indicated a significant and clear difference in the bearing capacity of the piles when using this system. The use of the recycling system led to a significant increase in the bearing capacity of the piles by 50% or more. Thus it was possible to reduce the pile length by (15 % or more) thus, and implementation c
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Objectives: The present study aims to evaluate effectiveness of educational program the nurses' knowledge towards early prediction of acquired weakness in the intensive care unit.
Methodology: A pre-experimental study design (comparison of two groups), which was achieved through the pre and post-test method for the study sample through the application of an educational program in the intensive care unit of Al-Zahra Teaching Hospital in Kut city, Wasit Governorate. The study was conducted for the period from 28th April 2022 to 15th August 2022 by selecting a purposive (non-probability) sample for this study. The study sample size was (52) nu
... Show MoreIn this study we focused on the determination of influence the novel synthesized thiosemicarbazide derivative "2-(2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazinecarbothioamide" (HMHC) influenced the corrosion inhibition of mild steel (MS) in a 1.0 M hydrochloric acid acidic solution.This is in an effort to preserve the metal material by maintaining it from corrosion.The synthesized inhibitor was characterized using elemental analysis, and NMR-spectroscopy. Then the corrosion inhibition capability of (HMHC) was studied on mild steel in an acidic medium by weight loss technique within variables [temperature, inhibitor concentration, and time]. The immersion periods were [1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 10:00, 24:00, and 72:00] hours and the tem
... Show MoreHedera helix L. plant belongs to the family Araliaceae that provide a host of bioactive compounds (mainly saponins) of important biological activities, like spasmolytic, secretolytic, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. Literature survey revealed that there was no previously study concerning H. helix L. which is cultivated in Iraq, so we decided to carry out this study which include extraction, isolation, purification and identification of biologically important triterpenoid saponin hederacoside C from leaves of H. helix L. Extraction of hederacoside C was carried out using two methods; in the first method maceration was done with methanol 99.8% and in the second method soxhlet extraction wit
... Show MoreDual-species biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus generate difficult-to-treat illnesses. Nutrition stress in biofilms affects physiology, microbial metabolism, and species interactions, impacting bacteria growth and survival. Furthermore, the function of alginate, which is encoded by the algD gene, in the production of biofilms has been established. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of starvation on algD gene expression in single-species biofilm of P. aeruginosa and dual-species biofilms of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus from hospital sewage. A total of six P. aeruginosa and six S. aureus isolates were obtained from the microbiology laboratory at the Department of Biology, College of Science, Universit
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