Background: Nickel-titanium (NiTi) archwires have become increasingly popular because of their ability to release constant light forces, which are especially useful during initial alignment and leveling phase. The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the load–deflection characteristics of four commercially available NiTi archwires. Materials and methods: 200 NiTi 0.014, 0.016, 0.018, 0.016x0.022 and 0.019x0.025-inch nickel–titanium archwires from four different manufacturers (3M, Ortho Technology, Jiscop and Astar) were tested. The load-deflection properties of these archwires were evaluated by a full arch bending test in both palatal and gingival directionsat 37°C temperature using a universal material testing machine. Forces generated at maximumloading of 2mm and at unloading of 1.5mm were measured. Results: All the tested NiTi wires showed an increase in loading and unloading force with increased wire dimension.Generally, 3M gave the most flexible round wires and relatively stiff rectangular wires; with linear load deflection curves. Ortho Technology wires were flexible. Jiscop gave the stiffest round wires and the most flexible rectangular wires. Astar wires were stiff which gave the highest force levels during unloading. Conclusion: Force levels vary greatly from brand to brand and soNiTi wire brands must be selected with consideration to their load-deflection characteristics and mechanical properties.
Ovarian cancer has a high mortality and delayed diagnosis. Several immunological alterations take place during ovarian carcinogenesis, and can be of value in the surveillance of the diseases. This research was conducted to evaluate serum immunoglobulin levels in women with ovarian cancer and to assess their role in disease process. The present study is composed of 85 women (mean age = 62.03±12.4 yrs) with clinically and pathologically confirmed ovarian cancer and 65 healthy females as a control group (mean age = 61±12.1 yrs). ELISA test was achieved for the determination of serum [IgG, IgA, IgM]. The findings of current study illustrated significant (P=0.001) increase in serum IgG, IgA, and IgM levels as compared to co
... Show MoreMedicinal plants contain bioactive substances that are highly bioavailable in extracts or pure molecules, making them promising for therapeutic applications and precursors for chemo-pharmaceutical semi-synthesis. Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil’s Claw) is widely recognized as one of the most potent therapeutic herbs. This study aimed to extract seeds from H. procumbens using two types of solvents and to assess both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the extracts. The two extracts were evaluated for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities using agar well diffusion assays against four bacterial isolates and two yeast isolates. Qualitative analysis identified the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpen
... Show MoreMedicinal plants contain bioactive substances that are highly bioavailable in extracts or pure molecules, making them promising for therapeutic applications and precursors for chemo-pharmaceutical semi-synthesis. Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil’s Claw) is widely recognized as one of the most potent therapeutic herbs. This study aimed to extract seeds from H. procumbens using two types of solvents and to assess both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the extracts. The two extracts were evaluated for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities using agar well diffusion assays against four bacterial isolates and two yeast isolates. Qualitative analysis identified the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpen
... Show MoreIn this work, the dyes Rhodamine B and Coumarin 102 containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles were used as scattering centers to fabricate a random gain medium. The laser dye was dissolved in hexanol and methanol solvent respectively. The titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized by DC reaction magnetron spraying technique. The random-gain medium was made by adding 2.5 mg of titanium dioxide nanoparticles to Rhodamine and coumarin 102 dyes by coating the glass cell with two-sided titanium dioxide with high spectral efficiency and low production cost. A narrow line optical emission was detected at 565 nm for Rhodamine B and 534 nm for coumarin 102, where it was found that rhodamine B dye has FWHM 8 nm and coumarin dye 102 has FWHM 9 nm
... Show MoreOwing to the energy crisis and pollution problems of today, investigations have concentrated on
decreasing fuel consumption and on lowering the concentration of toxic components in combustion
products by using non-petroleum, renewable, sustainable and non-polluting fuels. While conventional energy sources such as natural gas, oil and coal are non-renewable, alcohol can be coupled to renewable and sustainable energy sources.
In this study, the combustion characteristics of diesel fuel and methanol blends were compared.
The tests were performed at steady state conditions in a four-cylinder DI diesel engine at full load at
1500-rpm engine speed. The experimental results showed that diesel methanol blends provided
12.7% inc
Enhancing asphalt binder performance against anticipated distresses is a critical focus in pavement engineering. This study investigates the synergistic influence of nano titanium dioxide (NT) and nano zinc oxide (NZ) on asphalt binder performance. Nine NT:NZ combinations (1:1 to 3:3) were prepared with 1–3% by binder weight, in addition to a reference binder (RB). The performance test program included; conventional tests (penetration, softening point, viscosity, and ductility), Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) for performance grading, Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) for rutting evaluation, and Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) for fatigue resistance. Furthermore, Statistical analysis (ANOVA) was performed to determine the significa
... Show MoreAn intelligent software defined network (ISDN) based on an intelligent controller can manage and control the network in a remarkable way. In this article, a methodology is proposed to estimate the packet flow at the sensing plane in the software defined network-Internet of Things based on a partial recurrent spike neural network (PRSNN) congestion controller, to predict the next step ahead of packet flow and thus, reduce the congestion that may occur. That is, the proposed model (spike ISDN-IoT) is enhanced with a congestion controller. This controller works as a proactive controller in the proposed model. In addition, we propose another intelligent clustering controller based on an artificial neural network, which operates as a reactive co
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