Background: University dental students perceived a higher level of stress prior to the final exam associated with raised salivary alpha-amylase levels which could be considered as a useful noninvasive biomarker for measuring acute stress. Using a Helkimo anamnestic and clinical dysfunction scoring for temporomandibular disorders can give a better insight about the association of this marker and temporomandibular disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluation level of salivary alpha-amylase in stressor students with temporomandibular disorders and the relation between the marker in relation to temporomandibular disorders severity. This might give a better understanding to the role of psychological stress as an etiological factor for developing temporomandibular joint problems. Materials and Methods: A total eighty participants aged between 20 to 24 were recruited for this study. The participants were University dental students under graduate students at final examination period who were examined and gave saliva samples in final examination period. Salivary assay kits as alpha-amylase was used to measure those variable and a Helkimo anamnestic and clinical dysfunction scoring for temporomandibular disorders. Results: The group of participants with stress and temporomandibular disorders showed significantly higher levels of salivary alpha-amylase than the control group, the salivary alpha-amylase has statistically non-significant correlation with Helkimo anamnestic categories (Di-I mild, Di-II moderate and Di-III severe. Salivary alpha-amylase levels show non-significant and weak association with two categories of clinical dysfunction criteria in Helkimo index system, which are Muscle pain and temporomandibular joint pain on palpation. Conclusion: This study concluded that University students perceived a high level of stress before the final examination. Salivary alpha-amylase is now the stress biomarker that is most often used to measure acute stress. Helkimo anamnestic and clinical dysfunction scoring criteria for still the pioneer for measuring a TMD.
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged in early 1990’s and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified. Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the female hormone estrogen. The herbs ( anise alfalfa and vervain ) chosen in this study contain phytoestrogens. OBJECTIVE: Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes .Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containing phytoestrogen on the rat testis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats we
... Show MoreThis work presents the construction of a test apparatus for air-conditioning application that is flexible in changing a scaled down adsorbent bed modules. To improve the heat and mass transfer performance of the adsorbent bed, a finned-tube of the adsorbent bed heat exchanger was used. The results show that the specific cooling power (SCP) and the coefficient of performance (COP) are 163 W/kg and 0.16, respectively, when the cycle time is 40 min, the hot water temperature is 90oC, the cooling water temperature is 30oC and the evaporative water temperature is 11.4oC.
The energy requirements of corn silage harvesters and the application of precision agricultural techniques are essential for efficient and productive agricultural practices. The article aims to review previous studies on the energy requirements needed for different corn silage harvesting machines, and on the other hand, to present methods for measuring corn silage productivity directly in the field and monitoring it based on microcontrollers and artificial intelligence techniques. The process of making corn silage is done by cutting green fodder plants into small pieces, so special harvesters are used for this, called corn silage harvesters. The purpose of harvesting corn silage is to efficiently collect and store as many digestible nutrien
... Show MoreThis paper studies the behavior of axially loaded RC columns which are confined with carbon fiber reinforced polymers’ sheet (CFRP) and steel jackets (SJ). The study is based on twelve axially loaded RC columns tested up to failure. It is divided into three schemes based on its strengthening type; each scheme has four columns. The main parameters in this study were the compressive strength of the concrete and steel reinforcement ratio. Furthermore, the results of the experimental test showed a substantial enhancement in the column's load-carrying capacity. When compared to the original columns, the CFRP sheet had a significant effect on improving the ductility of the column by increasing the axial deformation by about 59.2 to 95.7
... Show MoreApium graveolens has been utilized for a multitude of purposes due to its diverse pharmacological characteristics. On the other hand, little is known about how the fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) terpenes and steroids found in Iraqi Apium graveolens affect the human cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Iraqi Apium graveolens petroleum ether extract on the human prostate cancer cell line (PC3). Subsidiary extraction and phytochemical analysis by GC/MS were performed.The dry and fresh aerial parts (leaves and stem) of Apium graveolens were extracted using a Soxhlet device with 70 % ethanol, then fractionated with petroleum ether. Then Gas Chromatography System was used to identify the bioactive
... Show MoreThis work studied the electrical and thermal surface conductivity enhancement of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) clouded by double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) by using pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Variable input factors are considered as the laser energy (or the relevant power), pulse duration and pulse repetition rate. Results indicated that the DWCNTs increased the PMMA’s surface electrical conductivity from 10-15 S/m to 0.813×103 S/m while the MWCNTs raised it to 0.14×103 S/m. Hence, the DWCNTs achieved an increase of almost 6 times than that for the MWCNTs. Moreover, the former increased the thermal conductivity of the surface by 8 times and the later by 5 times.
Background: Selenium-73 with half- life of 7.15 hour emits β+ in nature and has six stable isotopes which are ( 74Se,76Se,77Se,78Se,80Se and 82Se ). Selenium-73 has many applications in technology and radioselenium compounds of metallic have found various applications in medicine.
Objective: To make a comparison between different reactions that produced cross sections of Se-73 radioisotopes.
Subjects and methods: The feasibility of the production of Selenium -73 via various nuclear reactions was investigated. Excitation functions of 73Se production by the re
... Show MoreThe present work aims to improve the flux of forward osmosis with the use of Thin Film Composite membrane by reducing the effect of polarization on draw solution (brine solution) side.This study was conducted in two parts. The first is under the effect of polarization in which the flux and the water permeability coefficient (A) were calculated. In the second part of the study the experiments were repeated using a circulating pump at various speeds to make turbulence and reduce the effect of polarization on the brine solution side.
A model capable of predicting water permeability coefficient has been derived, and this is given by the following equations:
Z=Z0 +C.R.T/9.8(d2/D2+1) [Exp. [-9.8(d