Background: An accurate adaptation of the crown to the finish line is essential to minimize cement dissolution and to preserve periodontium in fixed partial denture cases. An accurate adaptation of crown is possible only when preparation details are captured adequately in the impression and transferred to cast. For these reasons, gingival displacement is necessary to capture subgingival preparation details.The aim of the present study is to measure in vivo the horizontal displacement of the gingival sulcus obtained by using three new cordless retraction materials (Magic Foam Cord®, Racegel and Astringent Retraction Paste) in comparison to medicated retraction cord. Materials and method: Thirty-two patients requiring porcelain fused to me

ABSTRACT Background: Improving the properties of heat- cured and self-cured acrylic resin have been studied by many researchers. However, little studies concerned with visible light cured resin (VLCR) improved through addition of nanofiller are available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate some properties of (VLCR) after addition of SiO2 nanofiller. Materials and Methods: SiO2 nanofiller were added to (VLCR) tray material after being dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent. According to the pilot study 2% SiO2 nanofiller addition exhibited better properties than the other percentages (1%, 3%). The main study conducted involved (100) specimens divided into 5 groups according to the test included. (20) Specimens were selecte

Social media has become an essential educational tool nowadays. Most existing research on digital learning in EFL contexts has primarily focused on traditional classroom-based instruction and less attention has been paid to social media platforms. The present study aims to fill the gap by using social semiotics to analyze four Instagram posts: two from BBC Learning English (@bbclearningenglish) and the other two from Learn English with Emma (@englishwithemma). Instagram posts are classified as multimodal texts with participatory and representational elements. The study adopts Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2005) Social Semiotic Multimodal Framework to analyze four purposely selected posters by answering the following research questions

Two decades after replacing the OAU, the AU’s record is best measured not by communiqués but by how fast it converts rules into results on the ground. In March 2022, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) authorised the transition from AMISOM to ATMIS in Somalia — a reminder that, two decades after the African Union (AU) replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Union’s rules are judged by execution, not intent. This article argues that the AU’s legal and institutional redesign shortened the warning‑to‑decision cycle and raised the credibility of enforcement, but performance still hinges on finance, logistics and political will. Where mandates are matched with money, enabling capabilities and enforc

Background: Osteoarthritis is a complicated, chronic disorder of cartilage and bone, associated with homeostasis of bio-elements. The current study aims to assess the role of serum progranulin levels among Iraqi patients with knee osteoarthritis. Patients and Methods: The study encompassed 50 patients aged 52.50 ± 3.12 years (25 males and 25 females), admitted to the at the Baghdad Medical City through the period from November 2021 to March 2022. All individuals were identified by physicians in a Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic and the clinical data was collected along with the assess¬ment of biochemical parameters. Fasting serum glucose, lipid profile, calcium, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, vitamin D3, and p

This study evaluated the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE), among a sample of educated Iraqi women. The study sample comprised 858 women aged 18–62 years affiliated to 6 major Iraqi universities, categorized according to occupation as teaching staff (11.5%), administrative staff (18.0%) and students (70.5%). Data were collected by a self-completed questionnaire. In all, 93.9% of the women had heard about BSE, the main source of information was television (39.9%), doctors (18.4%) and the awareness campaign of the Iraqi National Breast Cancer Research Programme (11.6%). Only 53.9% of the women practised BSE; the most common excuses by those that did not were lack of knowledge of the significance of BSE (42.0%) and lack