Abstract: The use of indirect, all-ceramic restorations has grown in popularity among dentists. Studies have demonstrated that for indirect ceramic restorations to be effective over time, cement and ceramic must be bonded in a stable manner. Chemical, mechanical, and laser irradiation are among the methods used to precondition ceramic surfaces in order to increase bond strength.The objective of the study: This study was performed to investigate the roughness values and surface topography of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic treated with conventional methods and different Er,Cr:YSGG, and fractional CO2 laser conditioning parameters.Material and methods: Sixty samples of lithium disilicate glass-ceramic were divided as follows: 1- (n = 10) untreated; 2- (n = 10) Hydrofluoric acid etched; 3- (n = 10) conditioned by Er,Cr: YSGG laser at (7 W, 25 Hz, 50/50% Water/Air, pulse duration 60 us, irradiation time 2 min); 4- (n = 10) conditioned by Er,Cr:YSGG laser at (5 W, 25 Hz, 50/50% Water/Air, pulse duration 60 us, irradiation time 2 min); 5- (n = 10) conditioned by fractional CO2 laser at (power 8 W, pulse duration 10 ms); 6- (n = 10) conditioned by fractional CO2 laser at (power 6 W, pulse duration 10 ms). Then evaluated by: Profilometer, and scanning electron microscopy.Results: The highest roughness values were found in CO2 laser power 8 W treated samples, followed by Er,Cr:YSGG laser power 7W treated samples. The hydrofluoric acid-etched samples showed roughness values comparable to those of CO2 laser-irradiated samples with a power of 6 W. The untreated sample showed the smoothest surface with the lowest roughness value.Conclusion: The application of Er,Cr:YSGG, fractional CO2 lasers enhances the surface roughness of lithium disilicate samples positively, showing the promised results of using these parameters in bonding procedures.
A tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding is one of the most popular kinds of welding used to join metals mainly for aluminum alloys. However, many challenges may be met with this kind of joining process; these challenges arise from decay of mechanical properties of welded materials. In the present study, an attempt was made to enhancing the mechanical properties of TIG weld joint of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy by hardening the surfaces using shoot peening technique. To optimize the shoot peening process three times of exposure (5, 10, and 15) min. was used. All peened and unpeened, and welded and unwelded samples were characterized by metallographic test to indicate the phase transformation and modification in microstructure occurring d
... Show MoreThe protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is a causative agent of amoebiasis, where it causes millions of cases of dysentery and liver abscess each year. Metronidazole is a drug of choice against amoebiasis. The drug is a choice because of its efficacy and low cost, but at the same time it causes several adverse side effects; therefore, it is important to find effective medications to treat amoebiasis without any complications or any side effects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different concentrations (50, 75 and 100 µg/ml) of silver nanoparticle (AgNPs) against trophozoites stages of E. histolytica in vitro. The results showed a significant decrease (p ? 0.05) in numbers of trophozoites stages after treated
... Show More<span lang="EN-US">Usability evaluation is a core usability activity that minimizes risks and improves product quality. The returns from usability evaluation are undeniable. Neglecting such evaluation at the development stage negatively affects software usability. In this paper, the authors develop a software management tool used to incorporate usability evaluation activities into the agile environment. Using this tool, agile development teams can manage a continuous evaluation process, tightly coupled with the development process, allowing them to develop high quality software products with adequate level of usability. The tool was evaluated through verification, followed by the validation on satisfaction. The evaluation resu
... Show MoreThe research aims to improve the performance of the Directorate of Maysan water by reconciling the objectives of the employees of the directorate with the objectives of the Directorate itself, as well as to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the performance of the Directorate (Leadership - Individuals - Knowledge - Operations - Financial) and presented to experts and arbitrators of specialized, and the researchers have relied on the case study methodology as a descriptive approach is comprehensive analysis, and draws on more than one approach, method and scientific design, has been interviewed a number of experts in the Directorate Maysan's water Identify the weaknesses and strengths of the Directorate, the research has rea
... Show MorePhosphorus and dye (direct black) removal for small – scale wastewater applications were investigated using oven dried alum sludge (ODS).The use of alum sludge not only provides a low cost technique but also reduces the hazard and the cost related to the disposal of large amount of alum sludge. Phosphorus and dye removal exceeds 90% for all operating conditions applied in the research.
The residuals generated during the treatment of wastewater were further tested to study the possibility of aluminum leaching from oven dried alum sludge during the adsorption of phosphorus and dye. These tests observed a reduction in aluminum leaching indicating a lower risk imposed on land and surface water based on disposal options rather than on al
In unpredicted industrial environment, being able to adapt quickly and effectively to the changing is key in gaining a competitive advantage in the global market. Agile manufacturing evolves new ways of running factories to react quickly and effectively to changing markets, driven by customized requirement. Agility in manufacturing can be successfully achieved via integration of information system, people, technologies, and business processes. This article presents the conceptual model of agility in three dimensions named: driving factor, enabling technologies and evaluation of agility in manufacturing system. The conceptual model was developed based on a review of the literature. Then, the paper demonstrates the agility
... Show MoreBackground: Quality of life in brain tumor patients is an emerging issue and has prompted neurosurgeons to recon¬sider the need for cognitive assessment in the course of treatment. To date there has been a lack of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment performed preoperatively and in the acute postoperative period in our hospitals.Objectives: to establish the effects of tumors and their surgical treatment, from a neuropsychological perspective, on cognitive functioning in patients with cerebral Gliomas. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the Neurosurgical Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 1999 to January 2001. Any patient admitted during the period of the study with clinical history, signs, sy
... Show MoreThis study estimated seven heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr) in water (dissolved and particulate phase), sediments and some aquatic organisms including two species from aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum demersum&Phragmites australis); one species of clam (Psedontopeses euphratics) and two species from fish (Oreochromis aureus& Leuciscus vorax)in four sites within Mashroo AL- Musayyib channel project/ branch of Euphrates river, Babylon , medial of Iraq . This aims to show the concentration of these elements, their fate and the mechanisms of their transmission through the food chain in this lotic aquatic system ; also in addition to examining some physicochemical properties of ri
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