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.
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
... 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 MoreSilver nanoparticles synthesized from aqueoes extract for mushroom pleurotus ostreatus. Silver nanoparticles were showing good antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activity conducted against different pathogenic bacteria such as Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Listeria, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MARSA), Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The maximum inhibition zone was observed against S. marcesance. However, the lowest inhibition zone was found against P. fluorescens.
There is an increasing interest in the use of plant extracts as therapeutic agents, particularly their capacity to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. In this study antibacterial effect of Malva sylvestris, Anastatica hierochuntica and Vitis vinifera leaves extracts were evaluated against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis. The in vitro antibacterial activity was performed using agar well diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by microtitration technique. The result indicated that the extract of V. vinifera leaves inhibited with the growth of gram-positive bacteria, as well as gram-negative bacteria while the extract
... Show MoreA field experiment was carried out in one of the orchards of Al-Qassim district in Babel Governorate to find out the ability of a locally manufactured platform to serve palm trees by working in flat and uneven orchard land, palm tree heights of 4, 8, and 12 meters, and it performs pollination, pruning and harvesting services. The time of ascent and descent, the palm service, and the palm/hour productivity were measured. A randomized complete block design with three replications used a split split-plot arrangement. The nature of the land (flat or uneven) represented the main plots, the height of the palm trees (4, 8, 12) meters, the sub-plots, and the palm service operations (pollinati
In recent years, infectious diseases are increasingly being encountered in clinical settings. Due to the development of antibiotic resistance and the outbreak of these diseases caused by resistant pathogenic bacteria, the pharmaceutical companies and the researchers are now searching for new unconventional antibacterial agents. Recently, in this field, the application of nanoparticles is an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. For this reason, nanotechnology has a great deal of attention from the scientific community and may provide solutions to technological and environmental challenges. A common feature that these nanoparticles exhibit their antimicrobial behavior against pathogenic bacteria. In this report, we evaluate
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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 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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