PVA, Starch/PVA, and Starch/PVA/sugar samples of different
concentrations (10, 20, 30 and 40 % wt/wt) were prepared by casting
method. DSC analysis was carried; the results showed only one glass
transition temperature (Tg) for the samples involved, which suggest
that starch/PVA and starch/PVA/sugar blends are miscible. The
miscibility is attributed to the hydrogen bonds between PVA and
starch. This is in a good agreement with (FTIR) results. Tg and Tm
decrease with starch and sugar content compared with that for
(PVA). Systematic decrease in ultimate strength, due to starch and
sugar ratio increase, is attributed to (PVA), which has more hydroxyl
groups that made its ultimate strength higher than that for

The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives in road construction has led to the exploration of bio-based materials for bitumen modification. This study investigates the use of sugarcane molasses (SM) as a partial replacement of bitumen, evaluating its performance through an interlaboratory study conducted in India and Iraq. Bio-bitumen binders were prepared by partially replacing 30% of conventional bitumen with sugarcane molasses, and their chemical and thermal behaviour was studied. Additionally, laboratory tests were conducted on bio-bitumen mixtures, evaluating rutting resistance, cracking resistance, moisture susceptibility, and stiffness characteristics. A mechanistic-empirical pavement analysis using

Poly vinyl alcohol has been studied for its ability to form crystallites by using annealing method. Semicrystalline films of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) were prepared by casting 11.5 wt. % and 13 wt. % PVA aqueous solution onto glass slides at annealing temperature range 90 -120°C and duration time 15- 60 minute. This allowed the macromolecules to form crystallites, small regions of folded and compacted chains separated by amorphous regions where single PVA chain may pass through several of these crystallites. Degree of crystallinity of PVA films (hydrogels) was determined by method of density; on the other hand the swelling behavior was conducted by the determination of water uptake, wet degree of crystallinity, gel fraction and solubilit

Scleral acrylic resin is widely used to synthesize ocular prosthesis. However, the properties of this material change over time, thus requiring the prosthesis to be refabricated. Many studies were conducted to improve these properties by reinforcing this material with nanoparticles. This study aims to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticle powder on the mechanical properties (transverse flexural strength, impact strength, shear bond strength, surface microhardness, and surface roughness) of scleral acrylic resin used for ocular prostheses. Two concentrations were selected from the pilot study and evaluated for their effects on scleral acrylic resin properties. According to the pilot study, 0.01 and 0.02wt% AgNPs powder improved

Poly vinyl alcohol has been studied for its ability to form crystallites by using annealing method. Semicrystalline films of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) were prepared by casting 11.5 wt. % and 13 wt. % PVA aqueous solution onto glass slides at annealing temperature range 90 -120°C and duration time 15- 60 minute. This allowed the macromolecules to form crystallites, small regions of folded and compacted chains separated by amorphous regions where single PVA chain may pass through several of these crystallites. Degree of crystallinity of PVA films (hydrogels) was determined by method of density; on the other hand the swelling behavior was conducted by the determination of water uptake, wet degree of crystallinity, gel fraction and solu

This paper presents a meta-heuristic swarm based optimization technique for solving robot path planning. The natural activities of actual ants inspire which named Ant Colony Optimization. (ACO) has been proposed in this work to find the shortest and safest path for a mobile robot in different static environments with different complexities. A nonzero size for the mobile robot has been considered in the project by taking a tolerance around the obstacle to account for the actual size of the mobile robot. A new concept was added to standard Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) for further modifications. Simulations results, which carried out using MATLAB 2015(a) environment, prove that the suggested algorithm outperforms the standard version of AC

Clobetasol propionate (CP) is a super potent corticosteroid widely used to treat various skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. However, its utility for topical application is hampered due to its common side effects, such as skin atrophy, steroidal acne, hypopigmentation, and allergic contact dermatitis. Microsponge is a unique three-dimensional microstructure particle with micro and nano-meters-wide cavities, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs providing increased efficacy and safety. The aim of the current study is to prepare and optimize clobetasol-loaded microsponges. The emulsion solvent diffusion method is used for the preparation of ethylcellulose (EC)-based microsponges. The impact of