Dentures that are not cleaning and maintained properly may prone to contamination by different microbial pathogens that result in several oral conditions. This study was design to compare the antimicrobial effect of different denture cleansers oxalic, tartaric, citric acids and alkaline peroxide with microwave irradiation on the growth of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Microwave oven used to disinfect specimens of heat-activated acrylic resin and soft linear. Oxalic, citric, tartaric acids, and alkaline peroxide were also used. Microorganisms that tested were Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus separately. Treatment with microwave or tartaric acid could achieve sterilization of both hot cured acrylic resins

Background: The discriminative power of the classical WHO parameters in relation to male fertility is quite low, because they only address few aspects of sperm quality and function. This has led investigators to focus their attention on the male gamete and in particular its genome.Objective: To explore which of the sperm DNA damage parameters measured by comet assay are more reliable, and their relations with the standard semen parameters.Methods: Study was done on 40 infertile men selected from couples attending the Institute of Embryo Reasearch and Infertility Treatment at Al-Kadhimiya City/ Baghdad in the period between February 2009 and May 2009, with a history of infertility of ≥1 years; and 15 healthy volunteers of proven fertili

This paper investigated the fatigue life behavior of two composite materials subjected to different times of shot peening (2, 4 and 6 min).The first material prepared from unsaturated polyester with E-glass reinforcement by 33% volume fraction. While, the second one was prepared from unsaturated polyester with aluminum powder by2.5% volume fraction. The experimental results showed that the improvement in endurance limit was obtained (for the first material) at 2, 4 and 6 min shot peening times where the percentage of maximum improvement was 25% at shot peening time of 6 min. While, the endurance limit of the second material decreased at shot peening times of 2, 4 and 6 min where the percentage of maximum reduction was 29 % at shot peenin

Background: Because of the demands for aesthetic orthodontic appliances have increased, aesthetic archwires have been widely used to meet patient's aesthetic needs. The color stability of aesthetic archwires is clinically important, any staining or discoloration will affect patient’s acceptance and satisfaction. This study was designed to evaluate the color stability of different types of aesthetic archwires after immersion into different types of mouth washes. Materials and methods: Four brands of nickel titanium coated aesthetic arch wires: Epoxy coated (Orthotechnology and G&H) and Teflon coated (Dany and Hubit) were evaluated after 1 week, 3 weeks and 6 weeks of immersion into two types of mouthwashes (Listerine with alcohol and

Water quality sensors have recently received a lot of attention due to their impact on human health. Due to their distinct features, environmental sensors are based on carbon quantum dots (CQDs). In this study, CQDs were prepared using the electro-chemical method, where the structural and optical properties were studied. These quantum dots were used in the environmental sensor application after mixing them with three different materials: CQDs, Alq3 polymer and CQDs and Alq3 solutions using two different methods: drop casting and spin coating, and depositing them on silicon. The sensitivity of the water pollutants was studied for each case of the prepared samples after measuring the change in resistance of the samples at a temperature of

A hierarchically porous structured zeolite composite was synthesized from NaX zeolite supported on carbonaceous porous material produced by thermal treatment for plum stones which is an agro-waste. This kind of inorganic-organic composite has an improved performance because bulky molecules can easily access the micropores due to the short diffusion path to the active sites which means a higher diffusion rate. The composite was prepared using a green synthesis method, including an eco-friendly polymer to attach NaX zeolite on the carbon surface by phase inversion. The synthesized composite was characterized using X-ray diffraction spectrometry, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy d

Background Alloys with the addition of zirconium and niobium eliminate the adverse effects of aluminum and vanadium on the nervous system, the possibility of metallosis and the initiation of diseases (including cancers or Alzheimer›s disease). In addition, they have better corrosion resistance, and a Young›s modulus value similar to longitudinal bone tissue. Therefore, only choosing appropriate materials does not guarantee proper functioning of the implants, the surfaces of the implants also have to be suitable to meet the requirements. The laser surface hardening process modifies the surface properties by imparting microstructural changes, whereas surface remelting induces changes in the surface topography, roughness, wettability and w

The spectral characteristics and the nonlinear optical properties of the mixed donor (C-480) acceptor (Rh-6G) have been determined. The spectral characteristics are studied by recording their absorption and fluorescence spectra. The nonlinear optical properties were measured by z-scan technique, using Q-switched Nd: YAG laser with 1064 nm wavelength. The results showed that the optimum concentration of acceptor is responsible for increasing the absorption and the emission bandwidth of donor to full range and to 242 nm respectively by the energy transfer process, also the efficiency of the process was increased by increasing the donor and acceptor concentration. The obtained nonlinear properties results of the mixture C-480/ Rh-6G showed

The objective of the present study is to verify the actual carious lesion depth by laser
fluorescence technique using 650 nm CW diode laser in comparison with the histopathological
investigation. Five permanent molar teeth were extracted from adult individuals for different reasons
(tooth impaction, periodontal diseases, and pulp infections); their ages were ranging from 20-25 years
old. Different carious teeth with varying clinical stages of caries progression were examined. An
experimental laser fluorescence set-up was built to perform the work regarding in vitro detection and
quantification of occlusal dental caries and the determination of its actual clinical carious lesion depth by
650 nm CW diode laser (excitat

Background and Objective: Public demand for procedures to rejuvenate photodamaged facial skin have stimulated the use of fractional CO2 laser as a precise and predictable treatment modality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of fractional CO2 laser system for reducing periorbital rhytids.

Materials and Methods: twenty seven subjects with mild periocular wrinkles, and photoaged skin of the face were prospectively treated two to three times (according to clinical response) in the periorbital area with a fractional CO2 laser device equipped with a scanning hand piece. Improvements in eyelid wrinkles was evaluated clinically and photographically. Subjects also scored satisfaction and