Background: Coated archwires have been introduced to improve esthetics during orthodontic treatment. Theaim of the present study was to evaluate and compare the load–deflection characteristics and force levels of six brands of coated nickel titanium orthodontic archwires using palatal and gingival deflection. Materials and methods: Ten round wires (0.016 inch) and ten rectangular wires (0.019x0.025 inch) were obtained from each of six brands (G&H, Opal, Ortho Technology, Dany, Hubit and Astar Companies). The load-deflection properties of these archwires were evaluated by the modified bending test usinga readymade dental arch model in both palatal and gingival directions at 37°C temperature using a universal material testing machine. Forces generated at maximum loading of 2mm and at unloading of 1.5mm were measured. Results: All the wires showed hysteresis and significant differences in their load deflection curves, but these differences were more evident in round wires than in rectangular wires where G&H wires showed the widest loading- unloading deflection curves. The maximum loading force of round wires in gingival deflection were higher than by palatal deflection. The force decline during unloading (plateau gap) ranged between 18 to 34% for round wires and 17 to 37% for rectangular wires. Conclusion: Coated epoxy wires (G&H, Opal, Astar and Ortho Technology) produced lower forces compared to polymer (Dany) and Teflon (Hubit) coated round and rectangular archwire.
Background: Interleukine-2 is a multifunctional cytokine, considered a central regulator of host resistance against a variety of pathogens and has been recently demonstrated to exert an active role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of scaling and root planning on level of IL-2 in serum and saliva of patients with chronic generalized periodontitis, in relation to clinical parameters. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 subjects were enrolled, of which 25 had chronic generalized periodontitis and 25 periodontally healthy subjects as control. The clinical parameters included: gingival index, pocket probing depth, clinical attachment level and bleeding on probing. The level of
... Show MoreThe current study was designed to compare some of the vital markers in the sera of diabetic and neuropathy patients via estimating Adipsin, Fasting blood Glucose(FBG), Glycated(HbA1c) hemoglobin, Homeostasis Model Assessment Index (Homa IR ), Cholesterol, High density lipoprotein (HDL), Triglycerides (T.G), Low-density, and lipoprotein (LDL), Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), in sera of Iraqi patients with diabetes and neuropathy. A total of ninety subjects were divided into three groups: group I (30 diabetic with neuropathy males) and group II (30 diabetic males without neuropathy), and 30 healthy sujects were employed as control group. The results showed a significant decline in Adipsin levels (p>0.05) in neuropathy, T2DM g
... Show MoreBackground: Studies discussing the correlation between biochemical markers of bone turnover and the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Iraqi women are rare. This study is devoted to find out the significance of serum osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN) levels with the incidence of osteoporosis and its major complication (fracture).Objectives: to investigate the significance of bone turnover biochemical markers; serum osteocalcin and serum osteopontin in evaluating osteoporosis for postmenopausal Iraqi women with and without history of vertebral fracture, as well as to explore the relationship of these markers with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: Fifty seven postmenopausal women whose ages are fifty years old and over, cat
... Show MoreExcess alcohol consumption is associated with numerous metabolic changes and homeostasis disturbances of many macro- and micro-elements in the body. It has been associated with multiple pathologies at all levels. In the digestive apparatus, alcohol has generally been related to its toxic effects upon the liver. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (α-1 AT or AAT) plays an important role in controlling inflammation, coagulation and repair mechanisms in the body and most α-1 AT in the body is produced by the liver; from the other hand, Intrinsic factor (IF), which is a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12 in the small intestine. This study was designed to assess serum levels of α-1 AT and
... Show MoreThe mean age of AS patients was (35.0 ± 9.8) years.When the patients and control subjects were divided into different age groups (>40, 30-40, <30 years), the differences were not significantin terms of disease prevalence. The results also showed that the percentage of male patients is higher than that of females. There was no significant difference (P?0.05) between patients and controls in the distribution of males and females.Most of the patients had the disease for a period of 5 years or higher, with a disease severity of ? 2.1 and functional disability degree of I, II. The resultsshoweddifferent patterns of distribution for the three tested cytokines. A significant increase in the level of TNF-?, anon-significantincrease i
... Show MoreBackground: Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder affects general health in addition to effect on salivary physical and chemical composition which lead to an adverse effect on oral health status. This study was conducted to evaluate the concentration of glycoprotein (osteonectin) in saliva and its effect on dental caries in relation to salivary flow rate and viscosity among osteoporotic women and compared to control group. Materials and Methods: The total sample composed of 60 females aged 60-65 years attending Al-Yarmook Teaching Hospital, 30 females diagnosed with osteoporosis by measuring bone density at the spine and femur with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at T-score of >2.5, and 30 women without osteoporosis with T-score o
... Show MoreGaslift reactors are employed in several bioapplications due to their characteristics of cost-effectiveness and high efficiency. However, the nutrient and thermal gradient is one of the obstacles that stand in the way of its widespread use in biological applications. The diagnosis, analysis, and tracking of fluid paths in external draft tube gaslift bioreactor-type are the main topics of the current study. Several parameters were considered to assess the mixing efficiency such as downcomer-to-rizer diameter ratio (Ded/Dr), the position of the diffuser to the height of bioreactor ratio (Pd/Lr), and gas bubble size (Db). The multiple regression of liquid velocity indicates the optimal setting: Ded/Dr is (0.5), Pd/Lr is (0.02), and Db
... Show More