Background: Eucalyptus extracts and derivatives are natural substances with potent antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the in- vitro effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on the antifungal activity of alcoholic and aqueous Eucalyptus extracts against Candida albicans, a common oral pathogen. Materials and Method: Ten isolates of Candida albicans were isolated from dental students’ salivary samples. The alcoholic and aqueous extracts were prepared from fresh Eucalyptus leaves using maceration. The sensitivity of Candida albicans isolates to various concentrations of Eucalyptus extracts ranging from 50 to 250 (mg/mL) was evaluated via agar well diffusion method, while the agar streaking method was used to assess the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). In addition, the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners on the MFC of the extracts was investigated. Results: The Eucalyptus extract-sensitive Candida albicans isolates showed an increase in inhibitory zone width with increasing extract concentration. Regarding their antifungal effectiveness, clear disparities were observed among extract concentrations. Against Candida albicans, the MFC for Eucalyptus alcoholic extract was 75 mg/mL, but the MFC for Eucalyptus aqueous extract was 200 mg/mL. Notably, 15% stevia and 5% sucralose did not affect the antifungal effects of the Eucalyptus alcoholic extract. The antifungal effectiveness of the aqueous Eucalyptus extract against Candida albicans was unaffected by stevia and sucralose concentrations of up to 1%. Conclusion: Significant antimicrobial action against Candida albicans is shown in Eucalyptus extracts. Results indicated that stevia and sucralose at specific quantities could be utilized as sweeteners for Eucalyptus extracts in an efficient manner without impairing the extracts’ antifungal activity.
This investigation presents an experimental and analytical study on the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams before and after repair. The original beams were first loaded under two points load up to failure, then, repaired by epoxy resin and tested again. Three of the test beams contains shear reinforcement and the other two beams have no shear reinforcement. The main variable in these beams was the percentage of longitudinal steel reinforcement (0, 0.707, 1.061, and 1.414%). The main objective of this research is to investigate the possibility of restoring the full load carrying capacity of the reinforced concrete deep beam with and without shear reinforcement by using epoxy resin as the material of repair. All be
... Show MoreThe world is confronted with the twin crisis of fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel usage. Biodiesel produced from renewable feedstocks such as Jatropha seed oil or animal fats by transesterification offers a solution. Although biodiesel has been produced from various vegetable oils such as Jatropha seed oil, the reaction kinetics studies are very few in literature, hence the need for this study. Jatropha curcas seed oil was extracted and analyzed to determine its free fatty acid and fatty acid composition. The oil was transesterified with methanol at a molar ratio of methanol to oil 8:1, using 1% sodium hydroxide catalyst, at different temperature
... Show MoreThe study is devoted to both static and earthquake response analysis of retaining structures acted upon by lateral earth pressure. Two main approaches were implemented in the analysis, namely, the Mononobe-Okabe analytical method and the numerical Finite element procedure as provided in the ready software ABAQUS with explicit dynamic method. A basic case study considered in the present work is the bridge approach retaining walls as a part of AL-Jadiriya bridge intersection to obtain the effects of the backfill and the ground water on the retaining wall response including displacement of the retaining structure in addition to the behavior of the fill material. Parametric studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of several factors
... Show MoreIn this paper, a shallow foundation (strip footing), 1 m in width is assumed to be constructed on fully saturated and partially saturated Iraqi soils, and analyzed by finite element method. A procedure is proposed to define the H – modulus function from the soil water characteristic curve which is measured by the filter paper method. Fitting methods are applied through the program (SoilVision). Then, the soil water characteristic curve is converted to relation correlating the void ratio and matric suction. The slope of the latter relation can be used to define the H – modulus function. The finite element programs SIGMA/W and SEEP/W are then used in the analysis. Eight nodded isoparametric quadrilateral elements are used for modeling
... Show MorePassive optical network (PON) is a point to multipoint, bidirectional, high rate optical network for data communication. Different standards of PONs are being implemented, first of all PON was ATM PON (APON) which evolved in Broadband PON (BPON). The two major types are Ethernet PON (EPON) and Gigabit passive optical network (GPON). PON with these different standards is called xPON. To have an efficient performance for the last two standards of PON, some important issues will considered. In our work we will integrate a network with different queuing models such M/M/1 and M/M/m model. After analyzing IPACT as a DBA scheme for this integrated network, we modulate cycle time, traffic load, throughput, utilization and overall delay
... Show MoreOverlapped have been prepared from epoxy resin material added to carbon Nanotube and percentages weight (0.1, 0.05, 0.01) % Studied the mechanical properties of the composite (bending, tensile an d hardness) has been found that the Flexural and tensile modulus of the composites were higher than the pure epoxy resin this may be due to the high mechanical strength of carbon nano tube (CNT). The hardness of the epoxy carbon Nanotube composites increased and the reason is due to increased overlap and stacking between the additives and material basis, which reduces the movement of polymer molecules leading to increased resistance to scratching material and cutting, will become more resistance to plastic deformation.
Most of the recent works related to the construction industry in Iraq are focused on investigating the validity of local raw materials as alternatives to the imported materials necessary for some practical applications, especially in thermal and sound insulation. This investigation includes the use of limestone dust as partial substitution of cement in combination with foam agent and silica fume to produce sustainable Lightweight Foam Concrete (LWFC). This study consists of two stages. In the first stage, trial mixes were performed to find the optimum dosage of foam agent. Limestone dust was used as a partial replacement for cement. Chemical analysis and fineness showed great similarity with cement. Many concrete mixes were prepared
... Show MoreBackground: Elastomeric chains are used to generate force in many orthodontic procedures, but this force decays over time, which could affect tooth movement. This study aimed to study the force degradation of elastomeric chains. Data and Sources: An electronic search on Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, LILACS, and PubMed was made, only articles written in English were included, up to January 2022.Study selection: Fifty original articles, systematic reviews, and RCTs were selected. Conclusion: Tooth movement, salivary enzymes, alcohol-containing mouthwash, whitening mouthwash, and alkaline and strong acidic (pH <5.4) solutions all have a significant impact on elastomeric chain force degradation. T
... Show MoreRutting is one of the most complex and widespread types of distress. The rutting is frequently observed on Iraqi roads, especially at the checkpoints, forming a significant hazard on the asphalt layers. Factors such as heavy loads and high temperatures contribute to this distress. Adding fibers to a hot mix asphalt (HMA) effectively improves performance and extends the lifespan of the flexible pavement. This article used glass, steel, and basalt fibers. The wheel tracking test assessed the fibre-asphalt mixture for rutting resistance and compared it with the mix without adding fibers (control HMA). Meanwhile, the microscopic structure of fibres and asphalt mixture modified with fibers was examined using the Field Emission Scanning E
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