Background: The daily cleaning routine of the silicone maxillofacial prostheses by the patient may cause some alteration in the materials properties. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of different disinfection procedures on some properties of silicon dioxide reinforced Cosmesil M511 HTV maxillofacial silicone. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty (160) specimens were prepared by mixing 5% SiO2 nano particles and 0.5% intrinsic cream color into the silicone polymer according to manufacturer's instructions. Specimens were divided into 4 groups according to the performed test (tear strength, surface hardness, surface roughness and color) with 40 specimens each. Each group was further subdivided according to the disinfection procedure conducted (control, microwave exposure, neutral soap and 4% chlorhexidine gluconate). Measurements for tear strength were done using universal testing machine. Surface hardness test was carried out with a Shore A Durometer. Surface roughness was analyzed with a portable digital Profilometer. Color change was established with a Spectrophotometer. After the initial testing, all specimens were submitted to disinfection procedure 3 times a week for 60 days. Measurements were repeated and data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Fisher's LSD or Games-Howell test. Results: Spectrophotometer results showed non-significant decrease in the light absorbance of all experimental groups after disinfection, indicating a strong integration between the nano filler and the polymeric chains, which was not broken during the disinfection procedure. Highly-significant increase in Shore A hardness was recorded, while the decrease in surface roughness was highly significant in all experimental groups. Tear strength reduced significantly after disinfection in all experimental groups. Conclusion: Disinfection seemed to cause different amount of alteration in all of the tested properties of silicone. High color stability is expected in this type of maxillofacial silicone after disinfection.Although microwave exposure had increased the hardness of the material, it is considered a satisfactory disinfection procedure since it caused the least effect on the tear strength and surface roughness of the material. Therefore, microwave exposure is recommended for the disinfection of maxillofacial silicone prostheses.
The performance of composite prestressed concrete beam topped with reinforced concrete flange structures in fire depends upon several factors, including the change in properties of the two different materials due to fire exposure and temperature distribution within the composition of the composite members of the structure. The present experimental work included casting of 12 identical simply supported prestressed concrete beams grouped into 3 categories, depending on the strength of the top reinforced concrete deck slab (20, 30, and 40 MPa). They were connected together by using shear connector reinforcements. To simulate the real practical fire disasters, 3 composite prestressed concrete beams from each group were exposed to high t
... Show MoreThis paper aims to study the second-order geometric nonlinearity effects of P-Delta on the dynamic response of tall reinforced concrete buildings due to a wide range of earthquake ground motion forces, including minor earthquake up to moderate and strong earthquakes. The frequency domain dynamic analysis procedure was used for response assessment. Reinforced concrete building models with different heights up to 50 stories were analyzed. The finite element software ETABS (version 16.0.3) was used to analyze reinforced concrete building models.
The study reveals that the percentage increase in buildings' sway and drift due to P-Delta effects are nearly constant for specific building height irrespective of the seism
... Show MoreIn this study, three strengthening techniques, near-surface mounted NSM-CRFP, NSM-CFRP with externally bonding EB-CFRP, and hybrid CFRP with circularization were studied to increase the seismic performance of existing RC slender columns under lateral loads. Experimentally, 1:3 scale RC models were studied and subjected to both lateral static load and seismic excitation. In the dynamic test, a model was subjected to El Centro 1940 NS earthquake excitation by using a shaking table. According to the test results, the strengthening techniques showed a significant increase in load carrying capacity, of about 86.6%, and 46.6%, for circularization and NSM-CFRP respectively, of the reference unstrengthened columns. On the other hand, column
... Show MoreColumns subjected to pure axial load rarely exist in practice. Reinforced concrete columns are usually subjected to combination of axial and lateral actions and deformations, caused by spatially‐complex loading patterns as during earthquakes causes lateral deflection that in turn affects the horizontal stiffness. In this study, a numerical model was developed in threedimensional nonlinear finite element and then validated against experimental results reported in the literatures,
to investigate the behavior of conventionally RC columns subjected to axial load and . lateral reversal cyclic loading. To achieve this goal, numerical analysis was conducted by using finite element program ABAQUS/Explicit. The variables co
To accommodate utilities in buildings, different sizes of openings are provided in the web of reinforced concrete deep beams, which cause reductions in the beam strength and stiffness. This paper aims to investigate experimentally and numerically the effectiveness of using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips, as a strengthening technique, to externally strengthen reinforced concrete continuous deep beams (RCCDBs) with large openings. The experimental work included testing three RCCDBs under five-point bending. A reference specimen was prepared without openings to explore the reductions in strength and stiffness after providing large openings. Openings were created symmetrically at the center of spans of the other specimens
... Show MoreReinforced concrete (RC) beams containing a longitudinal cavity have become an innovative development and advantage for economic purposes of light-weight members without largely affecting their resistance against the applied loads. This type of openings can also be used for maintenance purposes and usage space of communication lines, pipelines, etc. RC beams are primarily loaded in the plane of the members, which are two-dimensional in a plane stress state and the dominant structural behaviours include bending, shear, or combination of both. In the present study, six numerical models of RC beams with and without openings were simulated by using commercial finite element software ANSYS to evaluate the structural behaviours of those b
... Show MoreBackground: Despite the fact that asthma is a long-term disease that may be treated, many people are unable to control their symptoms due to a lack of knowledge about their condition. The study's purpose was to find out if a pharmacist intervention improved asthma management because of this.
Objective: this study designed to assess the effect of pharmaceutical care on pulmonary functions test.
Method: The study was completed in three months. The patients who were enrolled were divided into two groups: Group 1 consists of 23 asthma patients who were randomly assigned to receive conventional therapy for chronic bronchial asthma based on disease stage and se
... Show MoreTo develop a new basis to reduce the phenomenon of stress, one researcher used relaxation techniques is the use of medicinal herbs sedative which is emphasized by some specialists and researchers because of its direct impact on some of the functions of the body as members have a significant impact on the player from the mental and physical Came the importance of research in the use of medicinal herbs sedative and in particular (Lafracin Black, Plantago Sinani great, Alternen) within the program to soothe the psychological players badminton to get rid of the tension felt by sports by athletic competition through the use of a program to ease the psychological with a range of herbs and both means of calming influence of the nervous system. The
... Show MoreThe impact of a proposal for the curriculum dictated by some of the barriers to the development of motor skillsA. M. D. Huda Ibrahim RezoukiM. M. Susan Salim DawoodIs the childhood of the most important and most fertile stage of basic education because of their significant impact in building a base on which the stated origin of sound in the early stages older age because the baby at this stage be very vulnerability to environmental factors different surroundings in which to leave their mark on his life in the stages of life other.The Gymnastics of sports long-term training, which begins between the ages very early relative to the rest of other games to reach the stage of the tournament from the age of 13-17 years almost to the women, this a
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