This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on emergencies and pain among orthodontic patients attending a teaching hospital. The study was conducted among orthodontic patients receiving active orthodontic treatment or in a retention period at the College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq. Their participation was voluntary, and they filled out an Arabic-translated questionnaire. The survey included general information, orthodontic problems, and a numerical rating scale for pain assessment. We used descriptive and inferential statistics (frequencies and intersecting frequencies), chi-square test and linear regression. Out of 75 orthodontic patients, only 54 (15 males and 39 females) were included in the study. The most encountered orthodontic problem was broken or movable bracket (55.6%), followed by long pocking wire 35.2%. In addition, 55.6% of the participants preferred to wait for the next appointment to see their orthodontist, and only 5.6% tried to treat the problem personally. There was no significant relationship between pain level, gender and age, whereas a strong significant association was found between pain intensity and orthodontic problems or emergencies. COVID-19 had a negative impact on orthodontic follow-up visits. The intensity of pain was strongly correlated with orthodontic problems or emergencies. Therefore, more attention should be given to patients, focusing on teaching them how to manage orthodontic emergencies during situations such as an outbreak.
This article presents the results of an experimental investigation of using carbon fiber–reinforced polymer sheets to enhance the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams with large web openings in shear spans. A set of 18 specimens were fabricated and tested up to a failure to evaluate the structural performance in terms of cracking, deformation, and load-carrying capacity. All tested specimens were with 1500-mm length, 500-mm cross-sectional deep, and 150-mm wide. Parameters that studied were opening size, opening location, and the strengthening factor. Two deep beams were implemented as control specimens without opening and without strengthening. Eight deep beams were fabricated with openings but without strengthening, while
... Show MoreThe Weibull distribution is considered one of the Type-I Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) distribution, and it plays a crucial role in modeling extreme events in various fields, such as hydrology, finance, and environmental sciences. Bayesian methods play a strong, decisive role in estimating the parameters of the GEV distribution due to their ability to incorporate prior knowledge and handle small sample sizes effectively. In this research, we compare several shrinkage Bayesian estimation methods based on the squared error and the linear exponential loss functions. They were adopted and compared by the Monte Carlo simulation method. The performance of these methods is assessed based on their accuracy and computational efficiency in estimati
... Show MoreEpithelial‐mesenchymal transition (
Aim of the study: Using surface roughness and tensile bond strength tests, the objective of this investigation was to ascertain the impact of laser surface modification on the binding strength of injectable thermoplastic acrylic denture base material to acrylic-based soft-liner material. Materials and methods: Acrylic base soft liner material was bonded to injectable thermoplastic acrylic resin (Deflex). Forty specimens were created (20 disc, 20 dumbbells) 10 of each specimen type as control specimens, and 10 were treated with nano pulse Nd: YAG laser. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and unpaired t-test (a=.05) and the roughness test was performed utilizing a double column universal test machine. Results: Compar
... Show MoreExcessive water production is a persistent challenge in oil and gas wells, with polymer and gel solutions commonly employed for water control. This study investigates the rheological behaviour of cross-linked polyacrylamide gels and their impact on water shutoff treatment in gas wells. Rheological measurements, coreflooding experiments using Berea sandstone samples, and micromodel flow visualizations were conducted to evaluate gel performance. Results showed that during water injection, the water residual resistance factor ( Frrw ) decreases with increasing flow rates, mainly due to gel shear thinning behaviour and reduced residual gas saturation. Higher polymer concentrations in the gel enhance water permeability reduction. In contrast, un
... Show MoreObjectives of the study: To assess nurses knowledge regarding oxytocin administration during labor and
delivery in maternity hospitals, and to find out the relationship between nurses knowledge and studied
variables (age, level of education, work times (shift) experience year, training course in nursing field).
Methodology: Descriptive analytic study was conducted on non-probability sample (convenient) of (70) nurses
to assess nurse’s knowledge related to oxytocin administration. The study is conducted at Al- kut Hospital for
Gynecology Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Al- Zahraa Teaching Hospital during periods 5th February to 24th
April 2013, A questionnaire was used as a tool of data collection to fulfill with objecti
The paper discusses the structural and optical properties of In 2 O 3 and In 2 O 3-SnO 2 gas sensor thin films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates and grown by irradiation of assistant microwave on seeded layer nucleated using spin coating technique. The X-ray diffraction revealed a polycrystalline nature of the cubic structure. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) used for morphology analysis that shown the grain size of the prepared thin film is less than 100 nm, surface roughness and root mean square for In 2 O 3 where increased after loading SnO 2 , this addition is a challenge in gas sensing application. Sensitivity of In 2 O 3 thin film against NO 2 toxic gas is 35% at 300 o C. Sensing properties were improved after adding Tin Oxi
... Show MoreThis work describes the enhancement of phenol red decolorization through immobilizing of laccase in chitosan and enzyme recycling. Commercial laccase from white rot fungus, Trametesversicolor (Tvlac), was immobilizedin to freshly prepared chitosan beads by using glutaraldehyde as a cross linker. Characterization of prepared chitosan was confirmed by FTIR and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Tvlac (46.2 U/mL) immobilized into chitosan beads at 0.8 % glutaraldehyde (v/v) within 24 hrs. Synthetic (HBT) and natural (vanillin) mediators were used to enhance dye decolorizoation. It was found that 89 % of phenol red was decolorized by chitosan beads within 180 min. in the absence of enzyme and mediator, while decolorization percenta
... Show MoreIn the present study, an attempt has been made to experimentally investigate the flexural performance of ten simply supported reinforced concrete gable roof beams, including solid control specimen (i.e., without openings) and nine beams with web openings of different dimensions and configurations. The nine beams with openings have identical reinforcement details. All beams were monotonically loaded to failure under mid-span loading. The main variables were the number of the created openings, the total area of the created openings, and the inclination angle of the posts between openings. Of interest is the load-carrying capacity, cracking resistance and propagation, deformability, failure mode, and strain development that represent the behav
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