Abstract Background: The daily usage of maxillofacial prostheses causes them to mechanically deteriorate with time. This study was aimed to evaluate the reinforcement of VST50F maxillofacial silicone by using yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) to resist aging and mechanical deterioration. Materials and Method: Y2O3 NPs (30–45nm) were loaded into VST50F maxillofacial silicone in two weight percentages (1 and 1.5 wt%), which were predetermined in a pilot study as the best rates for improving tear strength with minimum increase in hardness values. A total of 120 specimens were prepared and divided into the control and experimental groups (with 1 and 1.5 wt% Y2O3 addition). Each group included 40 specimens, 10 specimens for each parameter tested (i.e., tear strength, surface roughness, hardness, tensile strength and elongation percentage). Specimens were artificially aged in a weathering chamber for 150 h and then tested. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD). Statistical significance was set to P ≤ 0.05. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were also conducted. Results and Discussion: SEM results showed that Y2O3 NPs were distributed well within the silicon matrix. FTIR results indicated that the NPs were physically dispersed within VST50F silicone without chemical interaction. After 150 h of accelerated artificial aging, adding Y2O3 NPs significantly increased the tear strength, hardness, surface roughness, and elongation percentage. Tensile strength increased non significantly. Conclusion: Adding Y2O3 NPs as fillers improved the mechanical properties of artificially aged maxillofacial silicone elastomer. Keywords: maxillofacial silicone, Y2O3, nanoparticles, fillers, artificial aging.
The recent studies suggested the possible toxicities or genetic alterations associated with biological and medical applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The current research is directed to see if AgNPs administration can lead to some changes in expression of BRAF gene in selected body organs tissues. Fifty-six male of musmusculs (Balb/C) mice from the animal house of Al-Nahrain Centre of Biotechnology were used. These animals were divided randomly to seven groups (eight mouse in each group), one of these groups represented the control group, three groups were subjected to different doses of AgNPs (0.25, 0.5and 1 mg/kg of body weight) for one week, and the remaining three groups were subjected to three different doses of AgNP
... Show MoreNanoparticles have gained considerable interest in recent times for oil recovery purposes owing to significant capabilities in wettability alteration of reservoir rocks. Wettability is a key factor controlling displacement efficiency and ultimate recovery of oil. The present study investigates the influence of zirconium (IV) oxide (ZrO2) and nickel (II) oxide (NiO) nanoparticles on the wetting preference of fractured (oil-wet) limestone formations. Wettability was assessed through SEM, AFM and contact angle. The potentials of the nanoparticles to alter oil-wet calcite substrates water wet, was experimentally tested at low nanoparticle concentrations (0.004–0.05 wt%). Quite similar behaviour was observed for both nanoparticles at the same
... Show MoreIn this paper the effect of mixing TiO2 nanoparticles with epoxy resin is studied. The TiO2 nanoparticles would be synthesis and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD FTIR, for two particle sizes of 50 and 25 nm. The thermal conductivity is measured with and without composite epoxy resin; the results showed that the thermal conductivity was increased as nanoparticle concentration increased too. The thermal conductivity was increased as particle size decreased.
Polycrystalline Cadmium Oxide (CdO) thin films were prepared using pulsed laser deposition onto glass substrates at room temperature with different thicknesses of (300, 350 and 400)nm, these films were irradiated with cesium-137(Cs-137) radiation. The thickness and irradiation effects on structural and optical properties were studied. It is observed by XRD results that films are polycrystalline before and after irradiation, with cubic structure and show preferential growth along (111) and (200) directions. The crystallite sizes increases with increasing of thickness, and decreases with gamma radiation, which are found to be within the range (23.84-4.52) nm and (41.44-4.974)nm before and after irradiation for thickness 350nm and 4
... Show MoreThis survey investigates the thermal evaporation of Ag2Se on glass substrates at various thermal annealing temperatures (300, 348, 398, and 448) °K. To ascertain the effect of annealing temperature on the structural, surface morphology, and optical properties of Ag2Se films, investigations and research were carried out. The crystal structure of the film was described by Xray diffraction and other methods.The physical structure and characteristics of the Ag2Se thin films were examined using X-ray and atomic force microscopy (AFM) based techniques. The Ag2Se films surface morphology was examined by AFM techniques; the investigation gave average diameter, surface roughness, and grain size mutation values with increasing annealing temperature
... Show MorePolycrystalline Cadmium Oxide (CdO) thin films were prepared
using pulsed laser deposition onto glass substrates at room
temperature with different thicknesses of (300, 350 and 400)nm,
these films were irradiated with cesium-137(Cs-137) radiation. The
thickness and irradiation effects on structural and optical properties
were studied. It is observed by XRD results that films are
polycrystalline before and after irradiation, with cubic structure and
show preferential growth along (111) and (200) directions. The
crystallite sizes increases with increasing of thickness, and decreases
with gamma radiation, which are found to be within the range
(23.84-4.52) nm and (41.44-4.974)nm before and after irradiation for
Ciprofloxacin is widely used in treating adults infected with Gram-negative bacteria. It is contraindicated in children, growing adolescents and during pregnancy due to joint toxicity. Its toxicity concerning other organs needs to be clarified. Thus, this study was designed to study the possible cardiac damage induced by two selected doses of ciprofloxacin in juvenile rats.Eighteenth healthy juvenile rats (4 weeks old and their weight 30 ± 2 gm) were utilized in this study and divided into three groups. Group-I control; group II and group III, respectively injected IP with 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg ciprofloxacin every 12 hours for one week. Serum enzymes activities alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cr
... Show MoreHypertension is a cardiovascular problem with high rates of epidemiology and risks of morbidity and mortality in the global area. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that produced from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme. NO involves in various vital processes in human health, one of which is the modulation of vasoconstriction and relaxation of the vascular system. We have aimed to investigate the link between NO and NOS with hypertension in women. The relationship between NO and NOS, as well as the usefulness of them as indicators of hypertension risks were subjects of study in this article. The results have revealed that hypertensive women had significant (P<0.05) lower levels of NO (15.07±3.41 IU/m
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