Resilient polymeric materials such as silicone elastomers are currently used for maxillofacial prostheses construction but the strength of these materials and their clinical performance need to be optimized with the addition of reinforcing fillers. This study investigates the effect of zirconia nanopowder addition on tear strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, Shore A hardness, surface roughness and cytotoxicity of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. Silicone base was mixed with different amounts (1%, 2% and 3%) of zirconia nanopowder using a vacuum mixer. Silicone without filler was used as control for comparison. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were utilized to assess the efficiency of high-shear vacuum mixing as filler dispersion method and the surface topography, respectively. Both SEM and AFM images showed that the zirconia nanopowder were distributed fairly well within the polymer. Statistically, highly significant increase in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness with non-significant decrease in elongation at break and non-significant increase in surface roughness were seen with 1% and 2% groups. Whereas with 3% group, there was significant improvement in tear strength, tensile strength and hardness but there was significant undesirable decrease in elongation and increase in roughness. Cytotoxicity test revealed that the addition of zirconia nanopowder was nontoxic to Rat Embryonic Fibroblast (REF) cells and there was non-significant change in the cell viability of all study groups after 24- and 72-hours incubation periods. In conclusion, the addition of 2% by weight nano zirconia to VST-50 maxillofacial silicone could be beneficial in enhancing its performance.
For this research, the utilisation of electrocoagulation (EC) toremove theciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LVX) from aqueous solutions was examined. The effective removal efficiencies are 93.47% for CIP and 88.00% for LVX, under optimum conditions. The adsorption isotherm models with suitable mechanisms were applied to determine the elimination of CIP and LVX utilizingtheEC method. Thefindingsshowed the adsorption of CIP and LVX on iron hydroxide flocs followed the Sips isotherm, with correlation coefficient values (R2) of 0.939 and 0.937. Threekinetic models were reviewed to determine the accurate CIP and LVX elimination methods using the EC method. The results showed that itfittedfor the second-order model, which indicated that the c
... Show MoreFor this research, the utilisation of electrocoagulation (EC) toremove theciprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LVX) from aqueous solutions was examined. The effective removal efficiencies are 93.47% for CIP and 88.00% for LVX, under optimum conditions. The adsorption isotherm models with suitable mechanisms were applied to determine the elimination of CIP and LVX utilizingtheEC method. Thefindingsshowed the adsorption of CIP and LVX on iron hydroxide flocs followed the Sips isotherm, with correlation coefficient values (R2) of 0.939 and 0.937. Threekinetic models were reviewed to determine the accurate CIP and LVX elimination methods using the EC method. The results showed that itfittedfor the second-order model, which indicated that the c
... Show MoreThe current study was designed to remove Lead, Copper and Zinc from industrial wastewater using Lettuce leaves (Lactuca sativa) within three forms (fresh, dried and powdered) under some environmental factors such as pH, temperature and contact time. Current data show that Lettuce leaves are capable of removing Lead, Copper and Zinc ions at significant capacity. Furthermore, the powder of Lettuce leaves had highest capability in removing all metal ions. The highest capacity was for Lead then Copper and finally Zinc. However, some examined factors were found to have significant impacts upon bioremoval capacity of studied ions, where best biosorption capacity was found at pH 4, at temperature 50º C and contact time of 1 hour.
Background Obstructing dentinal tubules is a valuable approach for managing dentin hypersensitivity. Although various agents promote dentin remineralization, direct comparisons between theobromine, bioactive glass (BAG), and nano-hydroxyapatite (Nano-HAP) under simulated oral conditions remain limited. To fill this gap, this in vitro study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of these three treatments on exposed cervical dentin. The assessment focused on their chemical, morphological, and mechanical effects on dentin. Materials and methods Forty-eight human dentin slabs were obtained from the cervical portions of twelve sound premolar teeth. Baseline Raman spectroscopy and VMH tests were done to exclude outliers. All specimens we
... Show MoreAlloys of GaxSb1-x system with different Ga concentration (x=0.4, 0.5, 0.6) have been prepared in evacuated quartz tubes. The structure of the alloys were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and found to be polycrystalline of zincblend structure with strong crystalline orientation (220). Thin films of GaxSb1-x system of about 1.0 μm thickness have been deposited by flash evaporation method on glass substrate at 473K substrate temperature (Ts) and under pressure 10-6 mbar. This study concentrated on the effect of Ga concentration (x) on some physical properties of GaxSb1-x thin films such as structural and optical properties. The structure of prepared films for various values of x was polycrystalline. The X-ray diffraction analy
... Show MoreThis study was carried out to investigate the possibility of chickpea soaked water as a substitute for yeast in dough fermentation and its effects on sensory properties of the laboratory loaf bread. Chickpea was soaked for 24,48 and 72 hours at room temperature and used in proportion with or without yeast in dough fermentation . The results revealed that , as the percentage of soaked chickpea water substitution increased, the volume of the produced loaf bread decreased as compared with the control treatment (only yeast ).Best results were obtained by using soaked chickpea water for 24 hours in proportion of 1:1 soaked chickpea water : yeast regarding the sensory properties ,volume and leavening of the loaf bread.
Keywords: chickpea so
The Nuclear structure of 110-116Cd isotopes was studied theoretically in the framework of the interacting boson model of IBM-l and IBM-2. The properties of the lowest mixed symmetry states such as the 1+, 2+ and 3+ levels produced by the IBM-2 model in the vibrational-limit U(5) of Cd - isotopes are studied in details. This analysis shows that the character of mixed symmetry of 2+ is shared between and states in 110-114Cd – isotopes, the large shar goes to s, while in isotope, the state is declared as a mixed symmetry state without sharing. This identification is confirmed by the percentage of F-spin contribution. The electromagnetic properties of E2 and Ml operators were investigated and the results were analyzed. Various
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