Abstract Background: The daily usage of maxillofacial prostheses causes them to mechanically deteriorate with time. This study was aimed to evaluate the reinforcement of VST50F maxillofacial silicone by using yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) to resist aging and mechanical deterioration. Materials and Method: Y2O3 NPs (30–45nm) were loaded into VST50F maxillofacial silicone in two weight percentages (1 and 1.5 wt%), which were predetermined in a pilot study as the best rates for improving tear strength with minimum increase in hardness values. A total of 120 specimens were prepared and divided into the control and experimental groups (with 1 and 1.5 wt% Y2O3 addition). Each group included 40 specimens, 10 specimens for each parameter tested (i.e., tear strength, surface roughness, hardness, tensile strength and elongation percentage). Specimens were artificially aged in a weathering chamber for 150 h and then tested. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD). Statistical significance was set to P ≤ 0.05. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were also conducted. Results and Discussion: SEM results showed that Y2O3 NPs were distributed well within the silicon matrix. FTIR results indicated that the NPs were physically dispersed within VST50F silicone without chemical interaction. After 150 h of accelerated artificial aging, adding Y2O3 NPs significantly increased the tear strength, hardness, surface roughness, and elongation percentage. Tensile strength increased non significantly. Conclusion: Adding Y2O3 NPs as fillers improved the mechanical properties of artificially aged maxillofacial silicone elastomer. Keywords: maxillofacial silicone, Y2O3, nanoparticles, fillers, artificial aging.
The present study deals with the story of Epidemic in two literary works issued in the same year (1947). One of them is a novel titled "Plague" written by the French writer Alber Kamo, the second is a poem of the Iraqi poetess Nazik Al-Malaekah. The research reflects a contrastive study of the war vision in the two works as both writers used science to serve literature by using Epidemic as a metaphor to refer to the dangers that the societies faced.
The problem of the present research lies in answering the question about the reason that makes the two writers use metaphor while narrating the issues of the society instead of mentioning them directly and illuminate what implications do the narrative style of Epidemic story have and
... Show MoreBackground: This research identified Streptococci spp. depending on culture, biochemistry, the VITEK technique, ability to produce biofilms, and antibiotic resistance. Aim: The goal of this study was to perform microbiological procedures to evaluate the qualitative qualities of mozzarella cheese against infective Streptococci using microbiological care. Methods: Sixty (60) mozzarella cheese samples were brought from diverse markets in Baghdad from October 2023 to December 2023 at the Zoonoses Research Unit and Veterinary Public Health Department, Veterinary Medicine College, University of Baghdad. Culture of samples on agar (MacConkey and blood) and aerobically incubated at 37°C for 48 hours. Gram staining purified colonies to
... Show MoreAsthma is a chronic respiratory disease highly prevalent worldwide. Recent studies have suggested a role for microbiome-associated gut–lung axis in asthma development. In the current study, we investigated if Resveratrol (RES), a plant-based polyphenol, can attenuate ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine allergic asthma, and if so, the role of microbiome in the gut–lung axis in this process. We found that RES attenuated allergic asthma with significant improvements in pulmonary functions in OVA-exposed mice when tested using plethysmography for frequency (F), mean volume (MV), specific airway resistance (sRaw), and delay time(dT). RES treatment also suppressed inflammatory cytokines in the lungs. RES modulated lung microbiota and cause
... Show MoreDue to advancements in computer science and technology, impersonation has become more common. Today, biometrics technology is widely used in various aspects of people's lives. Iris recognition, known for its high accuracy and speed, is a significant and challenging field of study. As a result, iris recognition technology and biometric systems are utilized for security in numerous applications, including human-computer interaction and surveillance systems. It is crucial to develop advanced models to combat impersonation crimes. This study proposes sophisticated artificial intelligence models with high accuracy and speed to eliminate these crimes. The models use linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for feature extraction and mutual info
... Show MoreWith the high usage of computers and networks in the current time, the amount of security threats is increased. The study of intrusion detection systems (IDS) has received much attention throughout the computer science field. The main objective of this study is to examine the existing literature on various approaches for Intrusion Detection. This paper presents an overview of different intrusion detection systems and a detailed analysis of multiple techniques for these systems, including their advantages and disadvantages. These techniques include artificial neural networks, bio-inspired computing, evolutionary techniques, machine learning, and pattern recognition.
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the marginal microleakage between bulk-fill, preheated bulk-fill, and bulk-fill flowable composite resins above and below cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) using micro-computed tomography. Methods: Sixty freshly extracted premolar teeth were prepared with a slot shaped cavities of a total of 120 Class II: 3mm (bucco-lingual), 2mm (mesio-distal) with mesial-gingival margin located 1mm coronal to CEJ, and distal gingival margin located 1mm apical to the CEJ. The samples were randomly divided into two main groups according to the restorative material (Tetric EvoCeram and 3M Filtek), and each group was further sub-divided into three subgroups according to the consistency (bulk fill, preheated bulk fil
... Show MoreBackground: With the increasing demands for adult orthodontics, a growing need arises to bond attachments to porcelain surfaces. Optimal adhesion to porcelain surface should allow orthodontic treatment without bond failure but not jeopardize porcelain integrity after debonding.The present study was carried out to compare the shear bond strength of metal bracket bonded to porcelain surface prepared by two mechanical treatments and by using different etching systems (Hydrofluoric acid 9% and acidulated phosphate fluoride 1.23%). Materials and Methods: The samples were comprised of 60 models (28mm *15mm*28mm) of metal fused to porcelain (feldspathic porcelain). They were divided as the following: group I (control): the porcelain surface left u
... Show MoreNew ligand of N-(pyrimidin-2-yl carbamothioyl)acetamide was synthesized and its complexes with (VO(II), Mn (II), Cu (II), Zn (II), Cd (II) and Hg (II) are formed with confirmation of their structures on the bases of spectroscopic analyses. Antimicrobial activity of new complexes are studied against Gram positive S. aureus and Gram negative E. coli, Proteus, Pseudomonas. The octahedral geometrical structures are proved depending on the outcomes from the preceding procedures. Keywords: pyrimidin-2-amine, acetyl isothiocyanate, complexes, Antimicrobial activity
In a world of fierce competition companies of different activities strive to strengthen their competitiveness in order to be able to deliver greater value to their customers and gain a distinct sites in competition with other companies in the market at the local and international levels. Every company seeks to focus on one or more of the competitive capabilities in order to turn it into an obvious advantage or a number of competitive advantages to contribute in improving the performance and superiority over its competitors. Therefore, the management of companies no longer need only useful information for the internal aspects of the environment, but also need to include the external environment that includes various and constantly changin
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