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.
Anastrozole (ANZ) is considered constitute of the fourth –generation of Non–steroidal aromatase blockage, ANZ has use for hormone receptor positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The serious side effects of ANZ including, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, irritability, breast tenderness and un–stability in circulation.
Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have recently emerged as a multifunctional platform for drug delivery in cancer therapy.
Five formula were composed of (200 mg of glyceryl monostearate, 40 mg of oleic acid , 1% (w/w) Tween 80, 1% (w/w) Poloxamer 407, 1% (w/w) soy lecithin and Vitamin E Polyethylene Glycol Succinate.
The mean particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, entrapme
... Show MoreThis study examines experimentally the performance of a horizontal triple concentric tube heat exchanger TCTHE made of copper metal using water as cooling fluid and oil-40 as hot fluid. Hot fluid enters the inner annular tube of the TCTHE in a direction at a temperature of 50, 60 and 70 oC and a flow rate of 20 l/hr. On the other hand, the cooling fluid enters the inner tube and the outer annular tube in the reverse direction (counter current flow) at a temperature of 25 oC and flow rates of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 l/hr. The TCTHE is composed of three copper tubes with outer diameters of 34.925 mm, 22.25 mm, and 9.525 mm, and thicknesses of 1.27 mm, 1.143 mm, and 0.762 mm, respectively. TCTHE tube's length was 670
... Show MoreIntroduction: Carrier-based gutta-percha is an effective method of root canal obturation creating a 3-dimensional filling; however, retrieval of the plastic carrier is relatively difficult, particularly with smaller sizes. The purpose of this study was to develop composite carriers consisting of polyethylene (PE), hydroxyapatite (HA), and strontium oxide (SrO) for carrier-based root canal obturation. Methods: Composite fibers of HA, PE, and SrO were fabricated in the shape of a carrier for delivering gutta-percha (GP) using a melt-extrusion process. The fibers were characterized using infrared spectroscopy and the thermal properties determined using differential scanning calorimetry. The elastic modulus and tensile strength tests were dete
... Show MoreBaghdad city has been faced numerous issues related to freshwater environment deteriorations due to many reasons, mainly was the discharge of wastewater without adequate treatment. Al-Rustamiya Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) have been constructed among many plants in Baghdad city to reduce the amount of wastewater discharged into natural environment and its subsequent adverse effects. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the plant which consist of a conventional activated sludge (CAS) and sequencing batch reactors (SBR) systems as secondary treatment units and its ability to meet Iraqi specifications. A reliability level determination and analysis also were conducted to find the plant's stability an
... Show MoreSolar photovoltaic (PV) has many environmental benefits and it is considered to be a practical alternative to traditional energy generation. The electrical conversion efficiency of such systems is inherently limited due to the relatively high thermal resistance of the PV components. An approach for intensifying electrical and thermal production of air-type photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems via applying a combination of fins and surface zigzags was proposed in this paper. This research study aims to apply three performance enhancers: case B, including internal fins; case C, back surface zigzags; and case D, combinations of fins and surface zigzags; whereas the baseline smooth duct rep
A new series of 5-methoxy-2-mercapto benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized by the reaction of 5-methoxy- 2-mercaptobenzimidazole with chloroacetic acid and affords 2-((5-methoxy-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)thio) acetic acid (1),which on cyclization with acetic anhydride and pyridine gives 7- methoxybenzo[4,5]imidazo[2,1-b]thiazol- 3(2H)-one(2), which on condensation with different aryl aldehydes in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate in glacial acetic acid, furnishes a arylidene thiazolidinone. The purity of the synthesized compounds was confirmed by melting point and TLC.The structures were established by different spectral analysis such as FTIR,1HNMR, and CHN analysis. The newly synthesized compounds (3a-d) were in vivo evaluated f
... Show MoreChronic Myeloid Leukemia )CML( is a type of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease marked by cytogenetic abnormalities induced by the growth and division of cells carrying the Philadelphia chromosome. The current research was carried out in Iraq to examine the link between Caspase 8 gene expression and Caspase 8 protein and the development of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in 100 samples (50 patients and 50 controls). There were differences in the expression of this gene between healthy controls and studied patients. The relationship between CML onset with age and gender was investigated in comparison to controls. The results revealed significant rises in the mean of Caspase 8 expression level (∆Ct) of patient groups in comparison
... Show MoreEngineering equipment is essential part in the construction project and usually manufactured with long lead times, large costs and special engineering requirements. Construction manager targets that equipment to be delivered in the site need date with the right quantity, appropriate cost and required quality, and this entails an efficient supplier can satisfy these targets. Selection of engineering equipment supplier is a crucial managerial process .it requires evaluation of multiple suppliers according to multiple criteria. This process is usually performed manually and based on just limited evaluation criteria, so better alternatives may be neglected. Three stages of survey comprised number of public a
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