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.
Pregnancy and delivery are physiological conditions that are marked by abrupt alterations to hormones, immunological and molecular characters. The current study aimed to evaluate oxytocin (OT), prolactin (PRL), cortisol and insulin growth factor-2 (IGF-2) levels as physiological biomarkers; programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1),interleukin-6 (IL-6) as immunological biomarkers, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs53576 and rs2254298) of oxytocin receptor gene OXTR as molecular factors in samples of Iraqi women undergoing caesarean section (CS) and normal delivery (ND). Blood samples were collected from 96 pregnant women at term with ages ranging between 16-43 years. Regarding
... Show MoreThe researchers wanted to make a novel azo imidazole as a follow-up to their previous work. We focused on the ligand 4-[(2-amino-4-phenylazo)- methyl]-cyclohexane carboxylic acid as a derivative of trans-4- (aminomethyl) cyclohexane carboxylic acid diazonium salt, synthesized a series of its chelate complexes with metal ions, and characterized these compounds using a variety techniques, including elemental analysis, FTIR, LC-Mass, NMR and UV-Vis spectral process as well TGA, conductivity and magnetic quantifications. Analytical data showed that the Cr(III), Mn(II) and Zn(II) complexes out to 1:1 metal-ligand ratio with octahedral geometry except Mn complex has tetrahedral geometry.
In this work, the effect of ceramic coating on performance, exhaust gas temperature and gases emissions of diesel engine operated on diesel fuel and biodiesel blends was investigated. A conventional four stroke, direct injected, single cylinder, diesel engine was tested at constant speed and at different load conditions using diesel fuel and biodiesel blends. The inlet and exhaust valves, the head of piston and cylinder head of the engine were coated by ceramic materials. Ceramic layers were made of (210-240) μm of Al2O3 and (30-60) μm of 4NiCr5Al as a bond coat for inlet and exhaust valves and (350-400) μm of YSZ and (50-100) μm of 4NiCr5Al as a bond coat for head of piston and (280-320) μm of Sic and (40-80) μm of 4NiCr5Al as a b
... Show MoreDual-species biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus generate difficult-to-treat illnesses. Nutrition stress in biofilms affects physiology, microbial metabolism, and species interactions, impacting bacteria growth and survival. Furthermore, the function of alginate, which is encoded by the algD gene, in the production of biofilms has been established. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of starvation on algD gene expression in single-species biofilm of P. aeruginosa and dual-species biofilms of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus from hospital sewage. A total of six P. aeruginosa and six S. aureus isolates were obtained from the microbiology laboratory at the Department of Biology, College of Science, Universit
... Show MoreSome metal ions (Mn+2, Co+2, Ni+2, Cu+2, Zn+2, Cd+2 and Hg+2) complexes of quinaldic acid (QuinH) and α-picoline (α-Pic) have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of their , FTIR, (U.V-Vis) spectroscopy, conductivity measurements, magnetic susceptibility and atomic absorption. From the results obtained the following general formula has suggested for the prepared complexes [M(Quin)2( α-Pic)2].XH2O where M+2 = (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Hg), X = 2, X = zero for (Co+2 and Hg+2) complexes, (Quin-) = quinaldate ion, (α-Pic) = α-picoline. The results showed that the deprotonated ligand (QuinH) by using (KOH) coordinated to metal ions as bidentate ligand through the oxygen atom of the carboxylate group (-COO-) and the nitrogen ato
... Show MoreThis paper investigates a new approach to the rapid control of an upper limb exoskeleton actuator. We used a mathematical model and motion measurements of a human arm to estimate joint torque as a means to control the exoskeleton’s actuator. The proposed arm model is based on a two-pendulum configuration and is used to obtain instantaneous joint torques which are then passed into control law to regulate the actuator torque. Nine subjects volunteered to take part in the experimental protocol, in which inertial measurement units (IMUs) and a digital goniometer were used to measure and estimate the torque profiles. To validate the control law, a Simscape model was developed to simulate the arm model and control law in which measurem
... Show MoreThe accountants are preparing the financial statements under the Monetary Unit Stability Assumption without taking into consideration the changement of prices for the monetary unit. The income statement accounts containing different items of expenses and revenues. These items are not paid or obtained at one date, because the value of monetary unit is changing from one date to another , also the financial position contains different items of current and fixed assets, also contains different items of long-term liabilities and ownership rights, the continuity of applying historical cost principle will make the financial statements misleading, The adoption of financial analyst of these statements will affects
... Show MoreAbstract:
Investment in human capital of renewable energy can be relied upon to get to achieve the goals of development is important for Iraq through the intellectual community cards creative able to innovate and develop what is so is study the effect of human investment on economic growth through the adoption of the index of national income as a function of variables independent ( human capital, physical capital) and this is built on the premise that the relationship direct correlation between economic growth and human investment, and it can measure the return on human investment, which is an incentive to increase human capital through education and the development of the economy in general have shown th
... Show MoreAntibiotic resistance is the capability of the strains to resist or protect themselves from the effects of an antibiotic. Such a resistance towards the current antimicrobials leads to the search of novel antimicrobials. Nanotechnology has been promising in different field of science and among it is the use of nanoparticles as antibacterial agents. The gastrointestinal tract seems to be the primary reservoir of uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) in humans. UPEC strains harbour the urinary tract and cause urinary tract infection. They cause serious ailments in terms of humans. They develop resistance and increase their virulence by forming biofilms. They also show a remarkable locomotory movement with the aid of autoinducer controlled ge
... Show MoreThis work is aiming to study and compare the removal of lead (II) from simulated wastewater by activated carbon and bentonite as adsorbents with particle size of 0.32-0.5 mm. A mathematical model was applied to describe the mass transfer kinetic.
The batch experiments were carried out to determine the adsorption isotherm constants for each adsorbent, and five isotherm models were tested to choose the best fit model for the experimental data. The pore, surface diffusion coefficients and mass transfer coefficient were found by fitting the experimental data to a theoretical model. Partial differential equations were used to describe the adsorption in the bulk and solid phases. These equations were simplified and the
... Show More