Resilient polymeric materials such as silicone elastomers are currently used for maxillofacial prostheses construction but the strength of these materials and their clinical performance need to be optimized with the addition of reinforcing fillers. This study investigates the effect of zirconia nanopowder addition on tear strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, Shore A hardness, surface roughness and cytotoxicity of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. Silicone base was mixed with different amounts (1%, 2% and 3%) of zirconia nanopowder using a vacuum mixer. Silicone without filler was used as control for comparison. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were utilized to assess the efficiency of high-shear vacuum mixing as filler dispersion method and the surface topography, respectively. Both SEM and AFM images showed that the zirconia nanopowder were distributed fairly well within the polymer. Statistically, highly significant increase in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness with non-significant decrease in elongation at break and non-significant increase in surface roughness were seen with 1% and 2% groups. Whereas with 3% group, there was significant improvement in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness but there was significant undesirable decrease in elongation and increase in roughness. Cytotoxicity test revealed that the addition of zirconia nanopowder was nontoxic to Rat Embryonic Fibroblast (REF) cells and there was non-significant change in the cell viability of all study groups after 24- and 72-hours incubation periods. In conclusion, the addition of 2% by weight nano zirconia to VST-50 maxillofacial silicone could be beneficial in enhancing its performance.
Thin films of Mn2O3 doped with Cu have been fabricated using the simplest and cheapest chemical spray pyrolysis technique onto a glass substrate heated up to 250 oC. Transmittance and absorptance spectra were studied in the wavelength range (300 -1100) nm. The average transmittance at low energy was about 60% and decrease with Cu doping, Optical constants like refractive index, extinction coefficient and dielectric constants (εr), (εi) are calculated and correlated with doping process.
Using photo electrochemical etching technique (PEC), porous silicon (PS) layers were produced on n-type silicon (Si) wafers to generate porous silicon for n-type with an orientation of (111) The results of etching time were investigated at: (5,10,15 min). X-ray diffraction experiments revealed differences between the surface of the sample sheet and the synthesized porous silicon. The largest crystal size is (30 nm) and the lowest crystal size is (28.6 nm) The analysis of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) were used to research the morphology of porous silicon layer. As etching time increased, AFM findings showed that root mean square (RMS) of roughness and po
... Show MoreThe accumulation of construction and demolition waste is one of the major problems in modern construction. Hence, this research investigates the use of waste brick in concrete. Seven different concrete mixes were investigated in this study: a control concrete mix, three mixes with volumetric replacement (10, 20, and 30)% of natural aggregate with brick aggregate, and two mixes with the addition of nano brick powder at a percentage level of 5– 10% by weight of cementitious materials. And the last one was mixed with 10% nano brick and 10% coarse brick aggregate. The experimental results for the additive of nano brick powder showed an enhancement in mechanical properties (compressive,
Background: The altered status of some essential trace elements observed in diabetes could have deleterious influences on the health of the diabetics. Objectives: To estimate and study the potential role of serum Selenium in type 1, type 2 diabetics and healthy subjects; and its relation with lipid profile and glycemic index. Methods: A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiria University; on a total of 94 participants formed of 32 type 1 diabetics, 32 type 2 diabetics and 30 healthy control participants. Data collected about age, sex and BMI; also, blood samples examined for FPG, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride and sera were
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Objective(s): to Evaluation of Parents’ Knowledge about Nutritional Management of kids with Phenylketonuria; to Identify the association between parents’ Knowledge about nutritional management then their demographic variables of fathers, mothers (parents age, residence then socioeconomic position).
Methodology: A non-experimental project; was accompanied on parents of phenylketonuria kid in Baghdad town since the period 3 June to 5 October 2022. A Non-probability sample (convenience) of 35 PKU children and their parents (father and mother) was selected Purposively from the hospitals that are select for the study. A survey is built for the purpose of the educa
... Show MoreThe Mishrif Formation is one of the most important geological formations in Iraq consisting of limestone, marl, and shale layers since it is one of the main oil producing reservoirs in the country, which contain a significant portion of Iraq's oil reserves. The formation has been extensively explored and developed by the Iraqi government and international oil companies, with many oil fields being developed within it. The accurate evaluation of the Mishrif formation is key to the successful exploitation of this field. However, its geological complexity poses significant challenges for oil production, requiring advanced techniques to accurately evaluate its petrophysical properties.
This study used advanced well-logging analysi
... Show MoreAlteration in the backbone structure of the endogenously released opioid peptides Leu5/Met5 enkephalins may result in compounds having comparable profile of pharmacological activity but with different physicochemical properties and side effects. Phthalyl amino acid and phthalyl esters are among the derivatives that have been synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities.This study was conducted to evaluate the possible analgesic activity of phthalyl-tyrosyl-glycin sodium that has been recently synthesized by our team.The study was carried out on 24 albino mice using hot plate method. The animals were allocated in to three groups; the first group received saline and represent a control g
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background: Piezosurgery device is a system developed recently to overcome the limitation of the traditional surgical technique in implant site preparation, which use the principle of ultrasonic microvibrations to create precise & selective cut in bone in harmony with the surrounding tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of implants inserted by ultrasonic implant site preparation protocol (UISP) using piezosurgery device, regarding the survival rate, stability and other related factors, at 16 weeks postoperative follow up period. Materials and Methods: A total of (24) patients, (6) males and (18) females, aged between (19-51) years old, contributed in this study receiving a total of (42) implants, all of these
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Background: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by