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 mixin

This research aims to the possibility of evaluating the strategic performance of the State Board for Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH) using a balanced scorecard of four criteria (Financial, Customers, Internal Processes, and Learning and Growth). The main challenge was that the State Board use traditional evaluation in measuring employee performance, activities, and projects. Case study and field interviews methodology has been adopted in this research with a sample consisting of the Chairman of the State Board, 6 General Managers, and 7 Department Managers who are involved in evaluating the strategic performance and deciding the suitable answers on the checklists to analyze it ac

This new azo dye 3-((2-(1H-indol-3-yl) ethyl) diazenyl) quinoline-2-ol was subsequently used to prepare a series of complexes with the metal ions of Cr+3, Cu+2, VO+2, Mn+2and Mo+6. The compounds identified by 1H and 13C-NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis, mass spectroscopy, as well as TGA, DSC, and C.H.N., conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, metal and chlorine content. The results showed that the ligand behaves in a bidantate, and that the complexes gave octahedral, excepting for VO+2 square pyramid was given, that all complexes are non-electrolytes. The effectiveness of mention the compounds in inhibiting free radicals was evaluated by the ability to act as an antioxidant was measured using DPPH as a free radical and gallic acid as a standard s

This study synthesized polyacetal from the reaction of polyvinyl alcohol with para-nitrobenzaldehyde. Polyacetal/polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer blends were prepared using solution casting. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using onion peel extract as the reducing agent. Nanocomposites were fabricated by blending polyacetal/PVP with AuNPs and AgNPs at different ratios. XRD and FESEM characterized the AuNPs and AgNPs. FTIR, FESEM, TGA, and DSC characterized the polyacetal, polymer blends, and nanocomposites. DSC and TGA confirmed the improved thermal stability of the polymer blends and nanocomposites. Nanocomposites demonstrated higher efficacy in inhibiting lung cancer cell lines compared t

Although renewable energy systems have become an interesting global issue, it is not continuous either daily or seasonally. Latent heat energy storage (LHES) is one of the suitable solutions for this problem. LHES becomes a basic element in renewable energy systems. LHES compensate for the energy lack when these systems are at low production conditions. The present work considered a shell and tube LHES for numerical investigation of the tube rotation influence on the melting process. The simulation and calculations were carried out using ANSYS Fluent software. Paraffin wax represents the phase change material (PCM) in this work, while water was selected to be the heat transfer fluid (HTF). The calculations were carried o

Background: With the start of the current century, increased the interest in the role of the adipose tissue derived substances that named adipokines in the inflammatory diseases of the human being including the inflammatory periodontal disease, but scientific evidences were not clearly demonstrate the association between these adipokines and periodontal pathologies. Materials and Methods: Forty two subjects male only with normal body mass index were selected for the study with an age ranged (30-39 years). Samples were divided into three groups of 14 subjects in each group based on clinical periodontal parameters; clinically healthy gingiva (group I), gingivitis group (group II) and chronic periodontitis patients group (group III), from whom

This study was conducted to evaluate the bottled water quality for the six-producing companies in Baghdad city, where selected six brands which are the most marketed in the Iraqi market, especially in Baghdad, where taking the proper amount of bottled water in September 2015 and included the studied characteristics (EC , pH ,TDS, Turbidity, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl-, No3-, So4-2, HCO3-, Na+ and K+) in addition to the total population of bacteria aerobic and coliform, and compare the results with the standard specifications of the Iraqi and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as to compare the results of sampling specifications mentioned on the packaging by the producing companies. The results showed the presence of high significant differ