Background: The interest in herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents has increased over the past few years in endodontic therapy. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) is a promising plant with great medicinal values. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of watercress oil in combination with calcium hydroxide against Candida albicans as intracanal medicament. Materials and Methods: Candida albicans was isolated from patients with necrotic root canal or failed root canal treatment. The sensitivity of Candida albicans to different concentrations of watercress oil extract was determined by using the agar well diffusion method in comparison with calcium hydroxide paste. The agar plate method was used to determine the minimum fung
... Show MorePeriodontal disease is typically treated with mechanical debridement of the tooth surface. It may, however, be insufficient to eradicate pathogenic microorganisms on its own. Because of the microbial etiology of periodontitis, systemic or local antibiotic therapy is used as an adjunct treatment. The present study aimed to determine the effects of curcumin gel on Porphyromonas gingivalis. Eleven patients with stage II and III periodontitis were registered in the study. A double-blinded split-mouth design followed. Periodontal pockets were distributed into 2 groups; the test group received scaling and root planing along with curcumin gel, while the control group received scaling and root planing along with a placebo gel. Plaque index,
... Show MoreA field experiment was conducted in an agricultural field in Al-Hindia district, Karbala governorate in a silty clay soil during the year 2020. The research included a study of two factors, the first is the depth of plowing at two levels, namely 13 and 20 cm, which represented the main blocks. The second is the tire inflation pressure at two levels, namely (70 and 140 kPa), which represented the secondary blocks. Slippage percentage, field efficiency, leaf area, and 300 grain weight were studied. The experiment was carried out using a split-plot system under a Randomized complete block design, at three replications. The tillage depth of 13 cm exceeds/transcend by giving it the least slippage of (11.01%), the highest field efficiency of (50.
... Show MoreA novel demountable shear connector for precast steel‐concrete composite bridges is presented. The connector uses high‐strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the top flange of the steel beam with the aid of a special locking nut configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connector promotes accelerated construction and overcomes typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connector allows bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (i) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (ii) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (iii) steel beams can b
... Show MoreScrophularia. striata from Scrophulariacea family has been used in Iranian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. In this study we evaluated the synergistic effect of S. striata hydroalcoholic extract (SSE) and commercially available antibiotics against P. aeroginosa and Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The resazurin-based microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of plan extract and standard antibiotics. The interaction between standard antibiotics and SSE was evaluated by using checkerboard method. The results of this study revealed that SSE enhance the antibacterial activity of antibiotics. The combin
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This work was conducted to estimate the roles of oxidative stress, vitamin B12, homocysteine (HCY), and DNA methylation in BC disease progression. Sixty BC patients (age range 33–80 years) and 30 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Patients with BC were split to group 1 consisted of stage II BC women (low level), and group 2 consisted of patients in stages III and IV (high level). Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), HCY, and vitamin B12 levels in the study groups were measured. Also, the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) global DNA methylation levels were evaluated. The results showed a significant
... Show MoreThis study aims to prepare new compounds and investigate them spectroscopically and biologically against selected types of positive and negative bacteria and fungi to demonstrate their biological effectiveness. The prepared ligand combining formaldehyde, indole, sulfa benzamide, and 2-mercapto benzimidazole, a Mannich base ligand (L) was synthesized. The six metal ions including Cobalt (II), Nickel (II), Copper (II), Palladium (II), Platinum (IV), and gold (III) have interacted with the ligand and formed new complexes. Different spectroscopic methods, including C.H.N.S., FTIR, UV- Range visible, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, mass spectra, magnetic moment, and molar conductivity were used to suggest the new geometry of the complexes. The resul
... Show MoreFour metal complexes of Schi base ligand were prepared. To characterize both the ligand and the metal complexes, various techniques were employed, including elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, molar conductivity measurements, magnetic moment determination, melting point, mass spectroscopy, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that the metal complexes formed have the formula [M(L)2Cl2]Cl(n).H2O, where LD Schi base ligand and MDCr(III), Rh(III), Pt(IV) and Au(III), n D 1, 2. Based on spectroscopic analysis, coordination with metal ions involves the ’N’ donor atom of N atoms of the imine and the N-H amid group, and four complexes are suggested to have a six-coordinated octahedral structure. Molar c
... Show MorePhase-change materials (PCMs) have a remarkable potential for use as efficient energy storage means. However, their poor response rates during energy storage and retrieval modes require the use of heat transfer enhancers to combat these limitations. This research marks the first attempt to explore the potential of dimple-shaped fins for the enhancement of PCM thermal response in a shell-and-tube casing. Fin arrays with different dimensions and diverse distribution patterns were designed and studied to assess the effect of modifying the fin geometric parameters and distribution patterns in various spatial zones of the physical domain. The results indicate that increasing the number of
The efficient behavior of a low-concentrating photovoltaic-thermal system with a micro-jet channel (LCPV/T-JET) and booster mirror reflector is experimentally evaluated here. Micro-jets promote the thermal management of PV solar cells by implementing jet water as active cooling, which is still in the early stages of development. The booster mirror reflector concentrates solar irradiance into solar cells and improves the thermal, electrical, and combined efficiencies of the LCPV/T-JET system. The LCPV/T-JET system was tested under ambient weather conditions in the city of Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia, and all data was recorded between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Parametric studies were conducted to compare the performance of the LCPV/T-JET system
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