Objective Advantageous properties of silicone elastomer made it one of the favorable materials in maxillofacial prosthesis construction, but these properties may change after months of usage or after pigments addition. This study aimed to define the optimum concentration for a mixture of two types of intrinsic pigments that added to VST-50 maxillofacial silicone material and study their effects on mechanical properties before and after artificial aging. Methods After the pilot study was conducted, 0.1% by weight of rayon flocking and 0. 2% by weight of burnt sienna intrinsic pigment concentration was selected because of improvement in tested mechanical properties of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. A total of one hundred and eighty samples were prepared and divided into three equal test groups (tear strength, hardness and surface roughness), 60 samples were made for each test. Each test group includes 6 subgroups with 10 samples made for each one of them to test before and after (75 hours and 150 hours) of artificial aging. FTIR and XRD tests also were used in the study. Results The results show for pigmented samples before artificial aging that some mechanical properties had improved. After artificial aging, both periods resulted in non- significant decrease in tear strength while hardness and surface roughness had highly significantly increased. FTIR test and XRD test shows no chemical reaction between pigments and silicone. Conclusion The addition of intrinsic pigments had improved hardness and tear strength of maxillofacial silicone but after subjecting it to artificial aging, all of the tested properties had adversely affected.
Background: Ultrasonography has been used to examine the thickness of the lower uterine segment in women with previous cesarean sections in an attempt to predict the risk of scar dehiscence during subsequent pregnancy. The predictive value of such measurement has not been adequately assessed. Objectives: To correlate lower uterine segment thickness measured by trans abdominal ultrasound in pregnant women with previous cesarean section with that measured during cesarean section by caliper and to find out minimum lower uterine segment thickness indicative of integrity of the scar.Methods: A prospective observational study at Elwyia Maternity Teaching Hospital, from January 2011 to January 2012. A total of 143 women were enrolled in the stu
... Show MoreBackground: Strangles is a highly contagious equine respiratory disease caused by Streptococcus equi subsp. equi. It is a globally significant pathogen and one of the most common infectious agents in horses. In Iraq, no sequencing data on this pathogen are available, and only two molecular studies have been published to date. This study provides preliminary insights into strain diversity and provides a foundation for future large-scale investigations. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics, identify SeM gene alleles, and perform a phylogenetic analysis of S. equi isolates from horses in Baghdad, Iraq. Methods: We analyzed 59 Streptococcus spp. isolates previously obtained from equine clinical sample
... Show MoreDue to their recalcitrant characteristics, Azo dyes such as methyl orange (MO) are extremely poisonous substances, making their removal from textile industry wastewater a major problem. By employing various EC-Adsorption combined system configurations and reusing alum sludge as an adsorbent, the current study seeks to investigate the efficiency of these various systems in removing MO dye. To estimate their benefits and limitations, experiments were carried out utilizing nickel foam (NiF) and aluminum plate (Al plate) as anodes, and stainless-steel mesh (SS mesh) as cathode in the presence of alum sludge as an adsorbent in all systems. The EC-Adsorption combined system with NiF as anode and two SS meshes as cathodes with 10 g/L
... Show MoreAryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent ligand for AhR and a known carcinogen. While AhR activation by TCDD leads to significant immunosuppression, how this translates into carcinogenic signal is unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that activation of AhR by TCDD in naïve C57BL6 mice leads to massive induction of myeloid derived-suppressor cells (MDSCs). In the current study, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota in TCDD-mediated MDSC induction. TCDD caused significant alterations in the gut microbiome, such as increases in Prevotella and Lactobacillus, while decreasing Sutterella and Bacteroides. Fecal transplants from TCDD-treated
... Show MoreThis study depicts the removal of Manganese ions (Mn2+) from simulated wastewater by combined electrocoagulation/ electroflotation technologies. The effects of initial Mn concentration, current density (C.D.), electrolysis time, and different mesh numbers of stainless steel screen electrodes were investigated in a batch cell by adopting Taguchi experimental design to explore the optimum conditions for maximum removal efficiency of Mn. The results of multiple regression and signal to noise ratio (S/N) showed that the optimum conditions were Mn initial concentration of 100 ppm, C.D. of 4 mA/cm2, time of 120 min, and mesh no. of 30 (wire/inch). Also, the relative significance of each factor was attained by the analysis of variance (ANO
... Show MoreThis study depicts the removal of Manganese ions (Mn2+) from simulated wastewater by combined electrocoagulation/ electroflotation technologies. The effects of initial Mn concentration, current density (C.D.), electrolysis time, and different mesh numbers of stainless steel screen electrodes were investigated in a batch cell by adopting Taguchi experimental design to explore the optimum conditions for maximum removal efficiency of Mn. The results of multiple regression and signal to noise ratio (S/N) showed that the optimum conditions were Mn initial concentration of 100 ppm, C.D. of 4 mA/cm2, time of 120 min, and mesh no. of 30 (wire/inch). Also, the relative significance of each factor was attained by the analysis
... Show More