Abstract Background: The daily usage of maxillofacial prostheses causes them to mechanically deteriorate with time. This study was aimed to evaluate the reinforcement of VST50F maxillofacial silicone by using yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) to resist aging and mechanical deterioration. Materials and Method: Y2O3 NPs (30–45nm) were loaded into VST50F maxillofacial silicone in two weight percentages (1 and 1.5 wt%), which were predetermined in a pilot study as the best rates for improving tear strength with minimum increase in hardness values. A total of 120 specimens were prepared and divided into the control and experimental groups (with 1 and 1.5 wt% Y2O3 addition). Each group included 40 specimens, 10 specimens for each paramet

The flat-headed borer, Capnodis tenebrionis  (Linnaeus, 1760) , dispersed extensively in various geographical regions; it is extremely harmful and a dire threat to most stone fruit cultivars, and once the larva enters under the host tree crown, the infested host tree will gradually dry and eventually die. In this study, specimens were collected from several sites in Erbil province, Kurdistan Region- Iraq; then the fully grown larvae were selected for morphological study. In addition, clarification of morphological consequential and implication for most diagnostic characters were studied in all dissected parts. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to further analyze the hidden features of the selected characteristics;

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystalline thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique on commercial glass substrates at 70ºC temperature. Cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) as a source of cadmium (Cd), thiourea (CS(NH₂)₂) as a source of sulfur and ammonia solution (NH₄OH) were added to maintain the pH value of the solution at 10. The characterization of thin films was carried out through the structural and optical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. A UV-VIS optical spectroscopy study was carried out to determine the band gap of the nanocrystalline CdS thin film and it showed a blue shift with respect to the bulk value (from 3.9 - 2.4eV). In present w

Thin films Tin sulfide SnS pure and doped with different ratios of Cu (X=0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05) were prepared using thermal evaporation with a vacuum of 4*10^-6mbar on two types of substrates n-type Si and glass with (500) nm thickness for solar cell application. X-ray diffraction and AFM analysis were carried out to explain the influence of Cu ratio dopant on structural and morphological properties respectively. SnS phase appeared forming orthorhombic structure with preferred orientation (111), increase the crystallinity degree and surface roughness with increase Cu ratio. UV/Visible measurement revealed the decrease in energy gap from 1.9eV for pure SnS to 1.5 for SnS: Cu (0.05) making these samples suitable f

This article aims to identify the views of media elites on citizen journalism, a new media genre that strays away from the foundations and ethics of professional journalism, thus calling for in-depth exploration and scrutiny into the genre and its commitment to the professional standards of journalism.

For this purpose, the researcher opted for the survey method by distributing a questionnaire to a purposive sample consisting of 407 media elites. The research is also based on Habermas' public sphere theory.

Background: The bond strength of endodontic sealers with dentin is a very important property for maintaining the integrity and seal of the root canal filling. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effect of various irrigants (QMix, 17% EDTA and 2.5% NaOCl) on the push-out bond strength of AH plus and Bioceramic sealers. Materials and methods: Forty eight freshly extracted maxillary first molars human teeth with striaght palatal root were used in the study. The collected samples were randomly divided into three groups of equal sample size (n=16), according to the final irrigation regimen as follows: Group (1): QMix 2 in 1, Group (2): 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Group (3): 2.5% sodium hypochloride. All samples were