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.
Shatt Al-Hilla branches from the left of Euphrates River, U/S Hindiyah Barrage, Iraq, and extends about 100 km. It branches at the end into Shatt Al-Diwaniya 112 km and Shatt Al-Daghara 64 km. The study aims to evaluate and develop (Hilla-Daghara) rivers system, which is included Shatt Al-Hilla and Shatt Al-Daghara. Fieldwork began from (26 October until December) 2020. M9, S5 devices, and the installed staff gauges were used to measure discharges and water levels, respectively. A one-dimensional model was developed for the study area by HEC-RAS, after calibration and verification by field measurements; the Manning's n of Shatt Al-Daghara is found to be 0.022. Five Scenarios were simulated to study the reach under the cu
... Show MoreCoumarin derivatives have shown different biological activities, such as antifungal, antibacterial antiinflammatory, and antioxidant activities, besides antibiotic resistance modulating effects, and anti-HIV, hepatoprotective, and antitumor effect. So, new coumarin derivatives (hydrazones and an amide) were synthesized through multisteps reactions. All the synthesized target compounds were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, 1HNMR analysis. The compounds then evaluated for their anti-bacterial activity by means of well-diffusion method against two gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae) and two gram-negative bacteria (E.coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The highest activity was demonstr
... Show MoreInternet of Things (IoT) is one of the newest matters in both industry and academia of the communication engineering world. On the other hand, wireless mesh networks, a network topology that has been debate for decades that haven’t been put into use in great scale, can make a transformation when it arises to the network in the IoT world nowadays. A Mesh IoT network is a local network architecture in which linked devices cooperate and route data using a specified protocol. Typically, IoT devices exchange sensor data by connecting to an IoT gateway. However, there are certain limitations if it involves to large number of sensors and the data that should be received is difficult to analyze. The aim of the work here is to implement a self-
... Show MoreBackground: Abdominoplasty is one of the commonest surgical procedures that performed for those patients who had skin laxity, strive and muscle rectur diastasis. Combined using of liposuction and abdominoplasty it can give better result than traditional abdominoplasty with fear complications. Patient and Method: A total number of 25 female patients with age ranging between 27-55 years were underwent lipoabdominoplasty. With extensive liposuction of abdominal wall and selective undermining together with muscle plication. All of our patients had body mass index more than 30. Patients satisfaction and complication were documented postoperatively. Result: All of our patients had no Major complications and the postoperative period passed unevent
... Show MoreBackground: Pregnancy is a natural physiological state that involves several biochemical modifications. Saliva is consisted of many types of proteins such as salivary alpha amylase and salivary peroxidase that might be affected by pregnancy. The former enzyme is considered one of the most prevalent proteins that is released by highly differentiated epithelial acinar cells and has been shown to have enzymatic activities while the latter has been approved that it has a significant role in oral health. The purpose of this study was to the evaluate the salivary levels of alpha-amylase and peroxidase in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Materials and Methods: Sixty pregnant women were grouped according to the pregnancy trimesters. The first
... Show MoreThere is a continuous and massive need for newer cephalosporins that should have resistance against β-lactamases and can be used orally. An approach of using cephalexin, as a well-studied and potent antibacterial compound is considered to prepare new designed derivatives. These derivatives include the incorporation of amino acid moiety linked through an amide bond with the α-amino group of cephalexin. Certain aliphatic amino acids were used, such as glycine, alanine, valine and proline. The chemical structures of these derivatives were confirmed by IR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. All the synthesized compounds were subjected for preliminary evaluation of antimicrobial activity using well diffusion method, against certa
... Show MoreThis research focuses on improvement of the corrosion behaviour of commercial pure titanium (Ti) grade II when exposed to Hank’s solution through different surface treatments. The disc shape of titanium samples were constructed to be divided according to their surface treatment. The first experimental group the Ti sample was exposed to computer numerical control (CNC) fiber laser machine. Whereas, the other experimental group the Ti sample was only coated with Polyetherketon keton (PEKK) by using carbon dioxide (CO2) laser technique while the last experimental group the Ti sample was treated with CNC fiber laser followed by PEKK coating by using CO2 laser technique. All were compared with the untreated control group. The electrochemical a
... Show MoreIn this paper, A.C conductivity of micro and nano grain size- TiO2 filled epoxy composites is measured. The dielectric material used is epoxy resin, while micro and nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) of grain size (1.5μm, and 50nm) was used as filler at low filler concentrations by weight (3%, and 5%). Additionally the effect of annealing temperature range (293-373)º K and at a frequency range of 102-106 Hz on the A.C conductivity of the various specimens was studied.
The result of real permittivity for micro and nanocomposite show that the real permittivity increases with decreasing frequency at range of 102-106Hz. The micron-filled material has a higher real relative permittivity than the nano-filled this is true at all the temper