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The present study reported the temperature dependent properties of tin oxide (SnO2) thin films deposited by using conventional, cost effective and non-vacuum-based spray pyrolysis technique (SPT). The as deposited films were characterized by various characterization techniques such as X ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study their structural, optical and morphological properties respectively. XRD analysis revealed tetragonal rutile crystal structure of SnO2 with preferred orientation along (200) plane. The refinement of XRD data was also carried out by Rietveld refinement to obtain the fitting parameters, crystallite size and lattice parameters. UV-Vis study showed considerable change in optical absorbance and transmittance with change in substrate temperature. Effect of substrate temperature on film thickness, refractive index and band gap energy were determined by Swanepoel method and by Tauc’s plot respectively. The Urbach energy was also calculated and were correlated to the defects in SnO2 films. SEM micrograph showed the transformation from granules to nanospheres as a function of substrate temperature. Electrical properties were determined by Hall effect measurements which gives carrier concentration, electrical resistivity and mobility in the order of 1019-1020 /cm3, 10−2-10−3 Ω.cm and 4–23 cm2/Vs respectively.

Abstract Background A condition-specific instrument is necessary to measure the health-related quality of life among those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common chronic endocrinopathy among women. The first instrument was developed in 1988, followed by several revisions. However, further recommendations from all versions include additional application and measurement among different cultural populations of women with PCOS and psychometric testing based on use among larger samples of women with PCOS. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the factor structure of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Questionnaire (PCOSQ-50) using an international cross-sectional survey data from women with PCOS aged 18–42 years. Methods Using data from the largest known international cross-sectional study of women with PCOS aged 18–42 years (n = 935) to date, exploratory factor and confirmatory analyses were conducted for the PCOSQ-50, followed by factor labeling using a thematic analysis approach. Results Respondents were 31.0 ± 5.8 years of age, mostly White (72%), well-educated (56% had a college degree), married (69%), and employed full-time (65%). Three-quarters (74%) of the sample had one or more chronic conditions in addition to PCOS. Approximately 20% of the respondents originated from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, etc. The PCOSQ-50 demonstrated good reliability but may be best described using a 7-factor model. The 7-factor model revealed goodness-of-fit. Thematic analysis suggested the following labels of those seven factors: hirsutism, fertility, isolation/trepidation, sexual function, self-esteem, emotional, and obesity. Conclusion More research is needed to adapt the current PCOSQ-50, as well as to create an age-appropriate PCOS-specific HRQoL instrument for peri-postmenopausal women with PCOS.

Abstract Presently, there is considerable emphasis on biological synthesis of nanoparticles containing bioactive reducing compounds with an aim to mitigate the harmful effects of pollutants. The approach under study is simple and ideal for the production of durable antimicrobial nanomaterials by novel single-step green synthesis of TiO2 metal oxide nanostructures using ginger and garlic crude aqueous extracts with bactericidal and catalytic activity. A variety of experimental techniques were used to characterize the synthesized nanomaterials. As demonstrated using x-ray diffraction and ultra-violet visible spectroscopy, the produced nanoparticles exhibited high absorption at 318 nm with size varying between 23.38 nm for ginger and 58.64 nm for garlic in biologically-reduced TiO2. At increasing concentrations (500, 1000 µg/50 µl), nanoparticles reduced with garlic exhibited enhanced bactericidal efficacy against multiple drug-resistant S. aureus and effectively decomposed toxic methylene blue (MB) dye. In conclusion, biologically-reduced TiO2 nanoparticles may prove an effective tool in the fight against microbial illnesses and drug resistance.

In a quest to vet UNS S32205 as a potential structural material to serve moderate-to-high temperature operations of NPP auxiliary components, the DL-EPR test was exploited. A bifronted scheme comprised of 650 and 850 °C discrete treatments intended to explore progressive eutectoid decomposition and degree-of-sensitization (DoS) scenarios was adopted. The nuance witnessed with yet another dual approach—the Cihal- and image processing (IP)-normalized signal landscape—was rationalized through its attribution to culprit microstructures. This was sought, inter alia, in the vicinity of grain boundaries and σ-phase inclusions by virtue of postmortem FESEM, STEM-EDX, HRTEM SAED and XRD ascertainment. Discernable reactivation-kinetics resurgence was believed to mark the onset of deleterious σ-phase dissolution. This only came into fruition with longer ageing times (8–17 h) at 650 °C and succumbed to prematurely (1 h), and at DC biases more cathodic than −0.25 VAg/AgCl with the 850 °C counterpart. Opportune corroboration was offered in ir/ia breakaway for the respective conditions, which was unveiled to be particularly pre-emptive (5 h) with IP- vs. Cihal-normalized peers (8 h) related to the 650 °C condition. Meanwhile, the 850 °C condition endured a similar surge after as little as 1 h of ageing across the board, which hints at concomitant sigma-phase culpability.

Background. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, leading to reduced insulin production in the pancreas. It has genetic- and family-related risk factors that cannot be changed, along with modifiable lifestyle factors. The precise genetic causes of type 2 diabetes are still unknown. However, individuals can potentially slow or stop the progression of the condition by making dietary adjustments and increasing physical activity levels. Material and Methods. Forty-five type II diabetic patients in the study included participants between 40 and 60 years old, with a minimum duration of one year, as well as 45 healthy control subjects who were matched in terms of age and sex, and had no underlying systemic diseases. Oral examination is done for the symptoms including burning sensation, candidiasis, and a reduction in the production of saliva. The rate of saliva flow (in milliliters per minute) was measured in samples of saliva that were not stimulated. The salivary trace elements and levels of adipocytokines were evaluated using colorimetric and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (ELISA) testing. The quantification of Candida colony numbers, an enrichment and culture approach, was used to achieve a concentration of 100,000 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). The ShowNovo WG1 halimeter was used to measure volatile sulfur compounds in breath. The salivary glucose oxidase assay was conducted using a colorimetric technique, while the determination of trace elements was also performed using a colorimetric assay method. Result. The diabetic group exhibited a significant increase in the number of Candida spp colonies due to elevated levels of glucose in the saliva (p>0.05). However, the variables being examined, such as body mass index (BMI), burning mouth syndrome (BMS), salivary flow rate (SFR), salivary leptin, salivary copper, and salivary magnesium, did not exhibit any significant variations in quantities between the diabetic and healthy groups (p>0.05). Conclusion. The data collected in this research aid in the creation of a preventative program for oral fungal infections in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The program utilizes saliva and its constituents.

By utilizing novel techniques on the absorber plates as well as the glass cover, this effort attempts to increase the distilled water productivity of a modified pyramid solar still. Under the climatic conditions of Iraq, the use of basin absorber plates with slices along its length, and a W-shaped glass cover was investigated experimentally and numerically. In this work, two comparable solar stills with basin absorber plates of 1 m2 have been planned and built using regional resources. Two absorber plates made of stainless steel were produced, first one was solid and the second was sliced. Two covers made of glass were produced one has a pyramid-shaped glass cover and the other a W-shape. According to experimental and numerical findings, forming slices and changing the glass cover resulted in a 20 % increase in the amount of distilled water. when compared to a pyramid glass cover and a standard sort of absorber plate.

Abstract Biomaterials are increasingly being designed and adapted to a wide range of structural applications, owing to their superior mechanical property-to-weight ratios, low cost, biodegradability, and CO2 capture. Bamboo, specifically, has an interesting anatomy with long tube-like vessels present in its microstructure, which can be exploited to improve its mechanical properties for structural applications. By filling these vessels with a resin, e.g. an applied external loading would be better distributed in the structure. One recent method of impregnating the bamboo is plastination, which was originally developed for preserving human remains. However, the original plastination process was found to be slow for bamboo impregnation application, while being also rather complicated/methodical for industrial adaptation. Accordingly, in this study, an improved plastination method was developed that is 40% faster and simpler than the original method. It also resulted in a 400% increase in open-vessel impregnation, as revealed by Micro-X-ray Computed Tomography imaging. The improved method involves three steps: acetone dehydration at room temperature, forced polymer impregnation with a single pressure drop to − 23 inHg, and polymer curing at 130 °C for 20 min. Bamboo plastinated using the new method was 60% stronger flexurally, while maintaining the same modulus of elasticity, as compared to the virgin bamboo. Most critically, it also maintained its biodegradability from cellulolytic enzymes after plastination, as measured by a respirometric technique. Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection, and thermogravimetric analyses were conducted and showed that the plastinated bamboo’s functional groups were not altered significantly during the process, possibly explaining the biodegradability. Finally, using cone calorimetry, plastinated bamboo showed a faster ignition time, due to the addition of silicone, but a lower carbon monoxide yield. These results are deemed as a promising step forward for further improvement and application of this highly abundant natural fiber in engineering structures.

There is an increasing demand for developing new cutting tools with exceptional thermomechanical and tribological properties to meet the growing demands of the machining industry. By introducing a novel concept of functionally graded (FG) materials, the work aims to develop a new class of SiAlON-based ceramic composites for cutting tool applications. The effective properties of hybrid (TiCN/Co/hBN) functionally graded SiAlON-based composites are predicted using effective medium approximation and mean-field computational homogenization technique. Thermal conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness are among the predicted properties. To get the optimal composite properties, attributes such as reinforcing volume fractions, particle sizes, layer numbers, layer material compositions, interfacial resistance, and porosity are considered. As a validation, FG SiAlON composite insert samples with tailored properties are developed using spark plasma sintering. The sintered samples are characterized to relate the microstructure with obtained properties.

Background: Eucalyptus extracts and derivatives are natural substances with potent antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the in- vitro effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on the antifungal activity of alcoholic and aqueous Eucalyptus extracts against Candida albicans, a common oral pathogen. Materials and Method: Ten isolates of Candida albicans were isolated from dental students’ salivary samples. The alcoholic and aqueous extracts were prepared from fresh Eucalyptus leaves using maceration. The sensitivity of Candida albicans isolates to various concentrations of Eucalyptus extracts ranging from 50 to 250 (mg/mL) was evaluated via agar well diffusion method, while the agar streaking method was used to assess the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC). In addition, the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners on the MFC of the extracts was investigated. Results: The Eucalyptus extract-sensitive Candida albicans isolates showed an increase in inhibitory zone width with increasing extract concentration. Regarding their antifungal effectiveness, clear disparities were observed among extract concentrations. Against Candida albicans, the MFC for Eucalyptus alcoholic extract was 75 mg/mL, but the MFC for Eucalyptus aqueous extract was 200 mg/mL. Notably, 15% stevia and 5% sucralose did not affect the antifungal effects of the Eucalyptus alcoholic extract. The antifungal effectiveness of the aqueous Eucalyptus extract against Candida albicans was unaffected by stevia and sucralose concentrations of up to 1%. Conclusion: Significant antimicrobial action against Candida albicans is shown in Eucalyptus extracts. Results indicated that stevia and sucralose at specific quantities could be utilized as sweeteners for Eucalyptus extracts in an efficient manner without impairing the extracts’ antifungal activity.

Background: The green tea have antimicrobial activity against many types of bacteria It is considered a natural substance with few side effect. Aim of the Study: An in vitro study was carried out to investigate the ability of green tea extract and nicotine to inhibit growth, biofilm formation by salivary Mutans streptococci. Methods: This study included a convenient sample of 40 healthy Iraqi volunteers aged 18–23 years old from College of Dentistry / University of Baghdad. Green tea and nicotine aqueous extract were prepared in different concentration to use in agar diffusion method to detect the activity of extract, and ELISA reader in multi titer plate was used to determine the ability of salivary mutans Streptococci to form biofilm in the presence and absence of the extracts.to measure the biofilm inhibition rate. Results: Mutans Streptococci were sensitive to green tea and nicotine in different concentrations the diameters of the inhibition zone were effective in a dose dependent manner significantly. There was a significant difference between the concentrations of each extracts, antibacterial activity was in a dose dependent manner for the extracts. The minimum bactericidal concentration of green tea was (280 mg/ml) and minimum bactericidal concentration of nicotine was (45mg/ml). The study found that biofilm formation by Mutans Streptococci was markedly decreased in the presence of 1/2 minimum bactericidal concentration of both green tea and nicotine with mean of O.D 590 nm = 0.54 in comparison with green tea extracts and nicotine alone O.D 590 nm = 0.15, 0.68 respectively. Conclusions green tea and nicotine extracts in different concentration effectively reduced the biofilm formation of salivary Mutans streptococci. While the presence of nicotine has negatively impacted on the ability of green tea extracts in the inhibition of biofilm formation by Mutans Streptococci in vitro.

الملخص: أهداف البحث: لتقييم والإبلاغ عن القيمةالتنبؤية المحتملة لتعبير البروتين 53 (بـ53) فى ا لأنسجة والأجسام المضادة له في الدم كأداة فحص في حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحتملة لخطر التحول الخبيث. طرق البحث: تم إجراء دراسة مراقبة الحالة بشكل مشترك في أقسام علم الأمراض وجراحة الفم والوجه والفكين في معاهد طب الأسنان المختلفة في البلاد من أبريل ٢ ۰ ١٦ إلى مارس ٢ ۰ ١ ۷. تم انضمام مجموعة من ١٨ ۰ شخصا مؤهلا (٦ ۰ حالة من حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحت ملة وسرطان الخلايا الحرشفية الفموي لكل منهما و ٦ ۰ حالة تحكم ) لأخذ عينات الأنسجة والمصل. تم تحديد نشاط المناعة لبروتين 53 في الأنسجة عن طريق الكيمياء الهيستولوجية المناعية وتم تحديد تركيزات الأجسام المضادة لبروتين 53 في المصل عن طريق مقايسة الممتز المناعي المرتبط بالإنزيم. تم جمع العينات للقياسات المعملية بعد الحصول على موافقة خطية من كل من الحالات والضوابط. النتائج: من بين المشاركين في الدراسة، كانت نسبة الذكور إلى الإناث المسجلة قريبة من ٢: ١ وفي الغالب في الفئة العمرية من ٤١ إلى ٦ ۰ عاما وما فوق. من بين ٦ ۰ حالة من حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحت ملة، كانت الإيجابية المناعية لبروتين 53 في الأنسجة ۷ ٣.٣ ٪ ( عدد =٤٤/٦ ۰ ) وبالنسبة لل أجسام المضاد ة، كانت الإيجابية المصلية ۹ ٦. ۷ ٪ (عدد =٥٨/٦ ۰). بين حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحت ملة والأفراد الأصحاء ، كان اختبار نشاط المناعة لبروتين 53 ذو حساسية ۷ ٣ ٪ و خصوصية ۹ ٨.٣٪. الاستنتاجات: قدمت الدراسة الحالية دليلا على أنه بالنسبة ل حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحت ملة، يمكن استخدام الأجسام المضادة لبروتين 53 في الدم كاختبار حساسية ويمكن استخدام اختبار نشاط المناعة لبروتين 53 كاختبار ذا خصوصية وقد يساهم في تحديد حالات اضطرابات الفم الخبيثة المحت ملة مع احتمال خطر التحول الخبيث. Abstract: Objective: This study aims to assess and report the predictive value of tissue p53 protein expression and serum p53 antibodies as a screening tool for oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) cases with risk of malignant transformation. Methods: A case–control study was jointly conducted at the Department of Pathology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in several dental institutes in the country from April 2016 to March 2017. A total of 180 eligible subjects (60 cases of OPMDs, 60 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, and 60 controls) were included in the study. Tissue p53 immunoreactivity was determined by immunohistochemistry, and serum concentrations of p53 antibodies were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Specimens were collected for laboratory investigations after obtaining written consent from both patients and controls. Results: Among the study participants, the recorded male to female ratio was close to 2:1, and most participants fell in the age range of 41–60 years and above. Of the 60 cases of OPMDs, the observed tissue p53 immunopositivity was 73.3% (n = 44) while for the p53 antibody, the seropositivity was 96.7% (n = 58). The sensitivity for p53 immunoreactivity was 73%, and specificity was 98.3% between OPMDs and healthy individuals. Conclusion: The present study provides evidence (for OPMDs) that serum p53 antibodies and p53 immunoreactivity could be used as a sensitivity test and a specific test, respectively, and may contribute to determining the potential of OPMD for malignant transformation risk.

the role of nutrition in developing pre-diabetes among obese children and adolescents remains a major problem. Method: A cross-sectional study based on food frequency questionnaire data was conducted on obese children and adolescents aged 6–18 years at Al-Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Basra (South Iraq) from November 1, 2021, to the end of May 2022. This study aimed to assess dietary patterns for obese children and adolescents who are at risk for pre-diabetes. Results: 155 obese children and adolescents aged 6–18 years participated in the study, 60% of whom were males and 40% female. 40% (n=62) had Impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and 16.8% (n=26) had Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Regarding the dietary pattern, this study discovered that 58.7% (n=91) of the participants have a neutral eating habits score, followed by 40.0% (n=62) of them have an unhealthy eating habits score, while only 1.3% (n = 2) of participants have healthy eating habits. However, this study found significant static associations between dietary habits and education level, socio-economic status, and father education. Conclusion: Healthy eating habits, weight reduction, and increased physical activity are all factors that assist in preventing pre-diabetes and its complication such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background Vaccine hesitancy poses a significant risk to global recovery from COVID-19. To date however, there is little research exploring the psychological factors associated with vaccine acceptability and hesitancy in Iraq. Aim To explore attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in Iraq. To establish the predictors of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy in an Iraqi population. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 7,778 participants completed an online questionnaire exploring their vaccination status, likelihood of infection, perceived severity infection, benefits of vaccine, barriers to vaccine, anticipated regret, subjective norms, and trust in government. Findings Vaccination rates increased with age and were greater in males, those who were married, divorced or widowed, those with children and those with underlying conditions. Vaccine hesitancy was widespread with 61.40% of unvaccinated individuals reported an unwillingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. In unvaccinated groups, vaccine hesitancy was associated with lower trust in the government, more negative social norms, greater perceived barriers to vaccination and reduced perceived benefits. Conclusions There is significant COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Iraq. Public health institutions should be aware of the influence of demographic factors, as well as personal beliefs and social norms, on individuals’ decisions to vaccinate. Public health messaging should therefore aim to be tailored to address the concerns of citizens.

Radiation therapy (RT) plays a key role in curative-intent treatments for head and neck cancer (HNC). Despite the advancements in RT, high doses of radiation can disrupt the oral cavity homeostasis and result in undesired reactions. Thus, intraoral stents (IOSs) are utilized for patients during RT to prevent unnecessary irradiation to surrounding tissues. However, no studies have compared commonly used IOS materials and their potential toxicity. Therefore, the objective of this study is to perform a detailed assessment of ten IOS materials in order to select the top-ranked material for HNC patients undergoing RT. Thus, beam attenuation measurements, and Raman spectroscopy and mechanical testing were conducted pre- and post-artificial saliva, RT, and artificial saliva and RT exposure. Finally, through a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) analysis using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), our study demonstrated that Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) was the top-ranked material. The saliva samples were also tested via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which showed no leaching of irradiated materials. Taken together, these data suggest that EVA is an appropriate IOS material that can be utilized during RT to reduce significant morbidity for HNC patients and improve their quality of life.

Accurate detection of respiratory system damage including COVID-19 is considered one of the crucial applications of deep learning (DL) models using CT images. However, the main shortcoming of the published works has been unreliable reported accuracy and the lack of repeatability with new datasets, mainly due to slice-wise splits of the data, creating dependency between training and test sets due to shared data across the sets. We introduce a new dataset of CT images (ISFCT Dataset) with labels indicating the subject-wise split to train and test our DL algorithms in an unbiased manner. We also use this dataset to validate the real performance of the published works in a subject-wise data split. Another key feature provides more specific labels (eight characteristic lung features) rather than being limited to COVID-19 and healthy labels. We show that the reported high accuracy of the existing models on current slice-wise splits is not repeatable for subject-wise splits, and distribution differences between data splits are demonstrated using t-distribution stochastic neighbor embedding. We indicate that, by examining subject-wise data splitting, less complicated models show competitive results compared to the exiting complicated models, demonstrating that complex models do not necessarily generate accurate and repeatable results.

The important periodontal disease pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis produces thick biofilms that increase its pathogenicity. Finding natural antimicrobial agents is crucial because of the rise in antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine if plant extracts such as Symphytum officinale (S) and Panax Ginseng (G) were effective against P. gingivalis separately and in combination with a common antibiotic, metronidazole (F). Six different dilutions were produced using the plant extracts in different concentrations and antibiotics separately and in combination with F, G, and S using the two-fold serial dilution technique. To evaluate the effects of these substances, biofilm inhibition experiments were conducted. Plaque samples were collected from periodontitis patients to isolate P. gingivalis, and a standard strain of P. gingivalis (ATCC 33277) was purchased. Additionally, Acylated Homoserine Lactones (AHLs) detection was carried out to look for any activity that would interfere with quorum sensing. GraphPad Prism was used for statistical analysis with a p-value < 0.05. The combinations of Symphytum officinale and metronidazole (S+F) showed the maximum effectiveness in biofilm inhibition (98.7%), which was slightly better than G+F (98.2%), with substantial variations in biofilm inhibition levels in different treatment regimes. Notably, the patient isolate was more active than the standard strain. Additionally, the plant extracts and their combinations at particular dilutions had notable inhibitory effects on the generation of AHL (p < 0.05). The study highlights the possibility of Symphytum officinale and Panax Ginseng as effective treatments for P. gingivalis biofilm and AHLs, both on their own and in combination with metronidazole. These organic substances may open the door to cutting-edge methods of treating periodontal disorders.

Ghada Khafagy, Inas El Sayed, Shimaa Abbas, Saeed Soliman Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EgyptCorrespondence: Ghada Khafagy 71st, Moez El-Dwla, Makram Ebeed, Nasr City, Cairo 11765, EgyptTel +20 1006393140Email ghada.khafagy@kasralainy.edu.egIntroduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder that affects women during their reproductive age. Previous studies have suggested that PCOS may be linked to some mental disorders.Aim: The study aimed to estimate the perceived stress among adolescents with PCOS and investigate the relationship between PCOS symptoms and perceived stress scale (PSS) in adolescents.Methods: This was a case control study with 72 participants (between 11 and 19 years); 36 adolescents with PCOS and 36 matched controls were recruited from family medicine and gynecological outpatient clinics at Cairo University hospitals. They participated in a structured interview using a pre-designed questionnaire. Full general examination was conducted, including anthropometric measures, acne staging, and hirsutism staging using the Ferriman–Gallwey score. We assessed the severity of stress over the previous month of interview using the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10).Results: There was a statistically significant difference in PSS scores among adolescents with and without PCOS; most cases with severe PSS scores were found to have PCOS. The mean score of PSS was higher in PCOS adolescents (20.416) than in the non-PCOS control group (18.8), but with no statistical significance. There was no significant correlation between the severity of PSS in PCOS adolescents and BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity; there was only weak positive correlation between PSS score and DBP (r=0.167).Conclusion: PCOS adolescents have higher incidence of severe perceived stress; however, degree of PSS was independent of BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity and shows only weak correlations with DBP. Our results urge the need for implementing a holistic approach that should include stress reduction programs to help adolescents get ready for their adult life.Keywords: PSS, polycystic ovary syndrome, anxiety, adolescents

Desired mechanical properties like microstructure, micro hardness and wear resistance are the key parameters for which low carbon steel (AISI 1006) are widely selected. Surface heat treatment applied to improve these properties; traditionally surface heat treatments like induction hardening, in recent time’s laser surface hardening. In this work, thermochemical treatment (liquid nitriding) by using mixture from 61% NaCN, 15% K2CO3 and 24% KCL and followed by Nd:YAG laser surface treatment was done . The laser parameter were energy (0.89, 2, 4 and 9) J, spot diameter (0.790 ,0.33, 0.283 and 0.224) mm, pulses duration (1, 2.33, 4.47 and 9.87) ms with fix wavelength 1604nm. Laser surface treatment cycle was melting the layer surface, holding and rapid cooling in air medium. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to study the microstructures and cross-sectional of molted and heat affected zones respectively. The wear test was done to measure the wear rate by using pin -on-disk principles were satisfied. The result shown that increasing in laser energy effects to increase in the area of melted and heat affected zones of nitriding steel. Also increasing in laser energy led to increase micro hardness about 61%, while wear rate decrease about 40 % and increased depth of molted zone.

The covid-19 global pandemic has influenced the day-to-day lives of people across the world. One consequence of this has been significant distortion to the subjective speed at which people feel like time is passing. To date, temporal distortions during covid-19 have mainly been studied in Europe. The current study therefore sought to explore experiences of the passage of time in Iraq. An online questionnaire was used to explore the passage of time during the day, week and the 11 months since the first period of covid-19 restrictions were imposed in Iraq. The questionnaire also measured affective and demographic factors, and task-load. The results showed that distortions to the passage of time were widespread in Iraq. Participants consistently reported a slowing of the passage of time for the day and the week during the pandemic in comparison to normal (i.e. before the pandemic). Participants also reported that it felt like longer than 11-months since the first lockdown began. The passage of time during the day and week were not predicted by any demographic, affective or task-load measures taken in the study. The perceived length of time since the first lockdown was however predicted by stress and change of life due to covid, with greater stress and greater change of life being associated with greater subjective lengthening of the pandemic. The findings indicate that whilst distortions to the passage of time during covid-19 appear to be a global phenomenon, the factors which predict temporal experience during the pandemic differ between countries and cultures.

High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) represents a major clinical challenge in pediatric oncology due to relapse of metastatic, drug-resistant disease, and treatment-related toxicities. An analysis of 1235 primary NB patient dataset revealed significant increase in AKT1 and AKT2 gene expression with cancer stage progression. Additionally, Both AKT1 and AKT2 expression inversely correlate with poor overall survival of NB patients. AKT1 and AKT2 genes code for AKT that drive a major oncogenic cell signaling pathway known in many cancers, including NB. To inhibit AKT pathway, we repurposed an antiviral inhibitor BX-795 that inhibits PDK1, an upstream activator of AKT. BX-795 potently inhibits NB cell proliferation and colony growth in a dose-dependent manner. BX-795 significantly enhances apoptosis and blocks cell cycle progression at mitosis phase in NB. Additionally, BX-795 potently inhibits tumor formation and growth in a NB spheroid tumor model. We further tested dual therapeutic approaches by combining BX-795 with either doxorubicin or crizotinib and found synergistic and significant inhibition of NB growth, in contrast to either drug alone. Overall, our data demonstrate that BX-795 inhibits AKT pathway to inhibit NB growth, and combining BX-795 with current therapies is an effective and clinically tractable therapeutic approach for NB.

The World Health Organization has advocated mandatory face mask usage to combat the spread of COVID-19, with multilayer masks recommended for enhanced protection. However, this recommendation has not been widely adopted, with noncompliant persons citing discomfort during prolonged usage of face masks. And yet, a scientific understanding on how face mask fabrics/garment systems affect thermophysiological comfort remains lacking. We aimed to investigate how fabric/garment properties alter the thermal and evaporative resistances responsible for thermophysiological strain. We constructed 12 different layered facemasks (D1-D5, T1-T6, Q1) with various filters using commercially available fabrics. Three approaches were employed: (1) the evaporative and thermal resistances were measured in all the test face masks using the medium size to determine the effect of fabric properties; (2) the effect of face mask size by testing close-fitted (small), fitted (medium) and loose fitted (large) face mask T-6; (3) the effect of face mask fit by donning a large size face mask T-6, both loose and tightened using thermal manikin, Newton. ANOVA test revealed that the additional N95 middle layer filter has no significant effect on the thermal resistances of all the face masks, and evaporative resistances except for face masks T-2 and T-3 (P-values

The title of the current Special Issue, “Feature Papers in Materials Simulation and Design”, has identified the aims of this collection since its opening: the gathering of research works and comprehensive review papers that advance the understanding and prediction of material behavior at different scales, from atomistic to macroscopic, through innovative modeling and simulation [...]

In this article, a novel and efficient approach based on Lucas polynomials is introduced for solving three-dimensional mixed Volterra–Fredholm integral equations for the two types (3D-MVFIEK2). This method transforms the 3D-MVFIEK2 into a system of linear algebraic equations. The error evaluation for the suggested scheme is discussed. This technique is implemented in four examples to illustrate the efficiency and fulfillment of the approach. Examples of numerical solutions to both linear and nonlinear integral equations were used. The Lucas polynomial method and other approaches were contrasted. A collection of tables and figures is used to present the numerical results. We observe that the exact solution differs from the numerical solution if the exact solution is an exponential or trigonometric function, while the numerical solution is the same when the exact solution is a polynomial. The Maple 18 program produced all of the results.

In this study, an accurate and computationally efficient model for the heating process of thin thermoplastic sheets during thermoforming is developed. This model opens the door to efficient training of model-free control approaches in thermoforming applications, which often require extensive training data that would be significantly costly and time-consuming to generate using physical setups. This model takes into account heat transfer via radiation between heaters and the sheet, heat transfer via conduction through the sheet, and heat transfer via convection between the sheet and the ambient. In this paper, rather than using an analytical relationship for the view factor, an experiment is designed to determine the exact radiation pattern of the heater on the sheet and the fraction of infrared emission absorbed by the sheet. Comparing the output temperature profile on the sheet from the designed model to IR images from a laboratory-scale heating system indicates that the mean square error is reduced by around four times when compared to traditional models with analytical view factors. Moreover, a comparison of the computation time with COMSOL software for a scenario with the same configuration of computation hardware reveals that the designed model is almost ten times faster.

Background: The COVID-19 virus outbreak had a massive effect on many parts of people's lives, as they were advised to quarantine and lockdown to prevent the virus from spreading, which had a big impact on people's mental health, anxiety, and stress. Many internal and external factors lead to stress. This negatively influences the body's homeostasis. As a result, stress may affect the body's capacity to use energy to defend against pathogens. Many recent investigations have found substantial links between human mental stress and the production of hormones, prohormones, and/or immunological chemicals. some of these researches have verified the link between stress and salivary cortisol levels. The aim of this study is to measure salivary cortisol as a stress biomarker as well as a total viable count of salivary bacterial microbiome among COVID-19 patients. Materials and methods: a sample of 84 adults patients was collected who were divided into two groups: the COVID-19 group consists of 42 patients and the COVID-19 free group which consists of 42 subjects. All subjects undergo a PCR test to confirm their health status. The collection of Un-stimulated saliva was done. Laboratory investigations were carried out to measure the total viable count of the salivary bacterial microbiome by culturing on Brain Heart Infusion Agar and to evaluate the salivary cortisol level using cortisol kit (Elecsys Cortisol II). Results: SPSS version 21 was used for statistical analysis. According to the statistical analysis, the salivary cortisol and total viable count of salivary bacterial microbiome values were substantially greater in the COVID-19 group than in the COVID-19 free group. Conclusion: A positive association was found between salivary cortisol and the total viable count of the salivary bacterial microbiome. So, when the concentration of salivary cortisol is elevated in the COVID-19 group, the level of the total viable count of the salivary bacterial microbiome is also elevated.

Alternative fuel sources, such as hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HENG), are highly sought after by governments globally for lowering carbon emissions. Consequently, the recognition of hydrogen as a valuable zero-emission energy carrier has increased, resulting in many countries attempting to enrich natural gas with hydrogen; however, there are rising concerns over the safe use, storage, and transport of H2 due to its characteristics such as flammability, combustion, and explosivity at low concentrations (4 vol%), requiring highly sensitive and selective sensors for safety monitoring. Microfluidic-based metal–oxide–semiconducting (MOS) gas sensors are strong tools for detecting lower levels of natural gas elements; however, their working mechanism results in a lack of real-time analysis techniques to identify the exact concentration of the present gases. Current advanced machine learning models, such as deep learning, require large datasets for training. Moreover, such models perform poorly in data distribution shifts such as instrumental variation. To address this problem, we proposed a Sparse Autoencoder-based Transfer Learning (SAE-TL) framework for estimating the hydrogen gas concentration in HENG mixtures using limited datasets from a 3D printed microfluidic detector coupled with two commercial MOS sensors. Our framework detects concentrations of simulated HENG based on time-series data collected from a cost-effective microfluidic-based detector. This modular gas detector houses metal–oxide–semiconducting (MOS) gas sensors in a microchannel with coated walls, which provides selectivity based on the diffusion pace of different gases. We achieve a dominant performance with the SAE-TL framework compared to typical ML models (94% R-squared). The framework is implementable in real-world applications for fast adaptation of the predictive models to new types of MOS sensor responses.

Composite parts are often drilled during assembly. However, it has been well established that drilling process can damage long-fibre composites, and the ideal process parameters need to be investigated based on each given material system, yet under different conflicting design criteria. Here, a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach along with the analysis of variance is aimed to find the best-compromised solution for drilling parameters of a flax fibre composite plate; namely to minimize the top and bottom surface delamination factors while simultaneously maximizing the residual tensile strength of the drilled laminate. Different criteria importance weights along with different MCDM techniques have been modeled to capture different practical design scenarios. Overall, the majority of employed methods suggested a higher spindle speed, a lower feed rate, and a step drill bit geometry. Among the design factors, the feed rate by far played a statistically significant role (>95% confidence level) in controlling the damage outcome and is deemed of prime design concern. It is also shown that the inclusion of subjective weights by experts is a key in such design problems to avoid statistical overinterpretation.

Abstract Background To reliably evaluate the acceptance and use of computer-based prostate cancer decision aids (CBDAs) for African-American men, culturally relevant measures are needed. This study describes the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the 24-item Computer-Based Prostate Cancer Screening Decision Aid Acceptance Scale among 357 African-American men. Methods Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with maximum likelihood estimation and polychoric correlations followed by Promax and Varimax rotations. Results EFA yielded three factors: Technology Use Expectancy and Intention (16 items), Technology Use Anxiety (5 items), and Technology Use Self-Efficacy (3 items) with good to excellent internal consistency reliability at .95, .90, and .85, respectively. The standardized root mean square residual (0.035) indicated the factor structure explained most of the correlations. Conclusions Findings suggest the three-factor, 24-item Computer-Based Prostate Cancer Screening Decision Aid Acceptance Scale has utility in determining the acceptance and use of CBDAs among African-American men at risk for prostate cancer. Future research is needed to confirm this factor structure among socio-demographically diverse African-Americans.

Seeking high profitability by improving energy efficiency and production quality is the prime goal of manufacturing industries. However, achieving this aim involves the realization of several conflicting objectives. In carbon fiber industry, the stabilization process is the most vital step with high energy consumption. The aim of this study is to use intelligent modeling methods in the stabilization process to maximize energy efficiency while considering better production quality, avoiding defects, and not scarifying the prediction accuracy. To this aim, a modified DOE method was used to reduce the number of required experiments. The mechanical and physical properties were then modeled based on input-output data derived from the experiments. In this way, the SVR method is used to develop a set of mathematical models for mechanical and physical properties of the fibers. The skin-core defect and energy consumption were considered as objective functions within the given range of physical and mechanical properties of fibers. The state-of-the-art NSGA-II algorithm used to find the optimum Pareto front, including non-dominated solutions among these conflicting objective functions. The results showed that by using the integrated NSGA-II and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), the energy efficiency of the system was improved. Moreover, the discussions showed how similar hybrid algorithms with high accuracy can be used by other industries to reduce the overall energy consumptions.

Background: Despite many advantages of lasers and reduction of the risk of surface bonding errors with newer self-etch systems, they have not been thoroughly researched. This study was done to evaluate the effect of Er:YAG laser cavity preparation on the microtensile bond strength of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-rich and HEMA-free one-step self-etch adhesive systems. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, eighty freshly extracted human premolars were collected. Cavities were prepared in 40 teeth with carbide bur (Group 1) and in other 40 teeth with Er:YAG LASER (490 mJ and 15 Hz) (Group 2). Subgroups of twenty teeth each were made according to the adhesive systems used. After placement of restoration, the mean values of the bond strength were calculated using universal testing machine. Data were then tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics (Significant at P < 0.05). Results: The overall microtensile bonding strength was higher when the cavities were prepared with bur compared to those with Er:YAG laser. Mean bond strengths of single-bottle self-etching seventh-generation dentin bonding agents to bur-prepared cavities were higher than those to laser-prepared cavities irrespective of the adhesive system (P = 0.01). No statistically significant difference was observed between HEMA-free and HEMA-rich self-etch adhesive systems. Conclusion: The effect of Er:YAG laser for cavity preparation did not show improved performance when evaluated using microtensile bond strength with seventh-generation bonding agents, Adper Easy One and G-Bond. More studies are required to assess the effect of lasers.

Thermophysiological comfort is known to play a primary role in maintaining thermal balance, which corresponds to a person’s satisfaction with their immediate thermal environment. Among the existing test methods, sweating torsos are one of the best tools to provide a combined measurement of heat and moisture transfer using non-isothermal conditions. This study presents a preliminary numerical model of a single sector sweating torso to predict the thermophysiological comfort properties of fabric systems. The model has been developed using COMSOL Multiphysics, based on the ISO 18640-1 standard test method and a single layer fabric system used in sportswear. A good agreement was observed between the experimental and numeral results over different exposure phases simulated by the torso test (R2 = 0.72 to 0.99). The model enables a systematic investigation of the effect of fabric properties (thickness, porosity, thermal resistance, and evaporative resistance), environmental conditions (relative humidity, air and radiant temperature, and wind speed), and physiological parameters (sweating rate) to gain an enhanced understanding of the thermophysiological comfort properties of the fabric system.

The complex and non-linear nature of material properties evolution during 3D printing continues to make experimental optimization of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) costly, thus entailing the development of mathematical predictive models. This paper proposes a two-stage methodology based on coupling limited data experiments with black-box AI modeling and then performing heuristic optimization, to enhance the viscoelastic properties of FDM processed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The effect of selected process parameters (including nozzle temperature, layer height, raster orientation and deposition speed) as well as their combinative effects are also studied. Specifically, in the first step, a Taguchi orthogonal array was employed to design the Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) experiments with a minimal number of runs, while considering different working conditions (temperatures) of the final prints. The significance of process parameters was measured using Lenth’s statistical method. Combinative effects of FDM parameters were noted to be highly nonlinear and complex. Next, artificial neural networks were trained to predict both the storage and loss moduli of the 3D printed samples, and consequently, the process parameters were optimized via Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The optimized process of the prints showed overall a closer behavior to that of the parent (unprocessed) ABS, when compared to the unoptimized set-up.

In this research paper, the solar irradiance of flat plate solar collector was evaluated using experimental and numerical analysis. In the experiment, an automatic solar simulator was designed and built to simulate the solar irradiance. The simulator was controlled by an Arduino board. The light source and fabrication of the simulator were used for a wide range of testing and the comparison was made between different cases. The test was performed on a flat plate double glazing solar collector with different base fluids; ethylene glycol (EG), glycerine, and water. To enhance the heat transfer, Al2O3 nanoparticles having a diameter of 20 nm were added. In order to investigate the effect of volume fraction on the heat absorption, three-volume fractions, 0.2%, 0.45, and 0.6%, were used in this study. Laminar flow was considered with a flow rate of 1 L/min. Solar irradiance was measured from 11:00 to 13:00 on September 25th, 2016. COMSOL 5.2a was used in a numerical analysis of flat plate solar collector. A good agreement between numerical and experimental for all cases was observed. The maximum temperature difference between inlet and outlet was found when the (water/ Al2O3) was used as a working fluid at a volume fraction of 0.6%.

African American men have the highest prostate cancer-related mortality nationally. In response to this disparity, targeted interventions are emerging to enhance African American men’s prostate cancer (PrCA) knowledge to ensure they are equipped to make informed decisions about PrCA screening with health-care providers. African American men’s PrCA knowledge has been measured inconsistently over time with limited psychometric evidence. The factor structure of this construct in African American men is relatively unknown. This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of an 18-item Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale among 352 African American men. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using weighted least square mean and variance estimation with Geomin rotation. EFA yielded three factors: PrCA Anatomy and Screening (6 items), Risk Factors (5 items), Warning Signs (7 items) with good internal consistency reliability at KR-20 = .80 for the total scale and .64, .66, and .75, respectively, for each subscale. Factor loadings ranged from .31 to .86. The standardized root mean square residual (0.08) indicated that the factor structure explained most of the correlations. The three-factor, 18-item Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale demonstrates that PrCA knowledge is a multidimensional construct and has utility for reliably measuring PrCA knowledge among African American men. Future research is required to confirm this factor structure among socio-demographically diverse African Americans.

Occurred in recent years a huge revolution in the educational computer applications, and is still the use of computers in the field of education in its infancy and that increasing day after day, and started to take many forms, it is computer education to the use of the Internet in education and finally emerged the concept of e-learning, which depends on technical to provide educational content to the learner a good and effective manner and e-learning programs have become is gaining importance in the present time of its ability to overcome the knowledge explosion problem, due to the magnitude of the intellectual production in various scientific and humanitarian fields and the inability of traditional education for the overall merits of diverse disciplines and that briefing programs because of the difficulty update and delivery of information by traditional methods, objective of this research is to highlight the concept of e-learning and the reasons that compel us to pay attention to this aspect addition to identifying the obstacles that prevent progress or application of this branch of education in Iraq, and what is proposed for the development work in the field of e-learning solutions, The study relied on access to the reality of e-learning in Iraq through its role in Iraqi universities, and research found to emphasize the existence of a significant shortfall in this area addition to the lack of infrastructure provide for the advancement of e-learning Although an Iraqi universities today are trying to take advantage of e-learning programs , in the development of the educational process after falling during the past two decades to a large degree, and despite the existence of important steps have been achieved in this direction, particularly at the level of the provision of equipment and laboratories, and secure internet connection, but the traditional methods of education are prevalent in the general universities, Furthermore, many of the devices and laboratories, which have been processed for the purposes of e-learning, consumed before it is invested in real, or used for other purposes, which at best provide Internet services, or computer labs to teach, and in other conditions used for printing the official books and questions exam, or lecture halls, this study concluded submit a number of proposals and recommendations, which focused on attention to outreach to the community and the teacher and the learner, and to provide or infrastructure development, and provide full support to institutions and individuals, as well as to focus on creating educational content in accordance with the international quality standards.

Background: Dental caries is a localized, progressive destructive, largely irreversible microbial based disease of multifactorial nature; these factors include (host, microbes and food) they influence differently on the initiation and progression of dental caries. The aims of the study: was to evaluate the effect of smoking on salivary flow rate, secretory immunoglobulin (SIgA) level and viable count of mutans streptococci (M.S) bacteria in oral cavity and their relation to dental caries experience. Material and method: The samples were collected from 80 male students ranging in ages from 18-22 years old. Where they divided in to two groups, 40 non-smokers (control group) and 40 smokers (study group). Unstimulated salivary samples were collected. Salivary flow rate was estimated and viable count (CFU/ml) of mutans streptococci was determined. The diagnosis and recording of dental caries were done according to WHO, 1987 criteria and the level of SIgA was determined by ELISA. Result: the result revealed that the salivary flow rate and SIgA level were lower in smoker group than non-smoker, while the means value of dental caries experience Decay, Missing and Filling tooth (DMFT) and (CFU/ml)of M.S were higher in oral cavity of smoker group than non-smoker group. Conclusion: the smoking has negative effect on salivary flow rate, SIgA and increase the viable bacterial count of M.S and dental caries in smoker patients

The new era in the design of modern healthy buildings necessitates multidisciplinary research efforts that link principles of engineering and material sciences with those of building biology, in order to better comprehend and apply underlying interactions among design criteria. As part of this effort, there have been an array of studies in relation to the effects of building characteristics on indoor microbiota and their propensity to cause health issues. Despite the abundance of scientific inquiries, limited studies have been dedicated to concomitantly link these effects to the deterioration of 'structural integrity' in the building materials. This study focuses on the observed biodeteriorative capabilities of indoor fungi upon the ubiquitous gypsum board material as a function of building age and room functionality within a university campus. We observed that the fungal growth significantly affected the physical (weight loss) and mechanical (tensile strength) properties of moisture-exposed gypsum board samples; in some cases, tensile strength and weight decreased by more than 80%. Such intertwined associations between the biodeterioration of building material properties due to viable indoor fungi, and as a function of building characteristics, would suggest a critical need towards multi-criteria design and optimization of next-generation healthy buildings. Next to structural integrity measures, with a better understanding of what factors and environmental conditions trigger fungal growth in built environment materials, we can also optimize the design of indoor living spaces, cleaning strategies, as well as emergency management measures during probable events such as flooding or water damage.

Blending lignin as the second most abundant polymer in Nature with nanostructured compounds such as dendritic polymers can not only add value to lignin, but also increase its application in various fields. In this study, softwood Kraft lignin/polyamidoamine dendritic polymer (PAMAM) blends were fabricated by the solution electrospinning to produce bead-free nanofiber mats for the first time. The mats were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, zeta potential, and thermogravimetry analyses. The chemical intermolecular interactions between the lignin functional groups and abundant amino groups in the PAMAM were verified by FTIR and viscosity measurements. These interactions proved to enhance the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the lignin/PAMAM mats, suggesting their potential applications e.g. in membranes, filtration, controlled release drug delivery, among others.

nacks was made from yellow corn and its blends had contained corn, barley, chickpea, cumin, black cumin, black pepper and lettuce seeds at different levels considerable as lettuce seeds of ingredient and products were defined as physical, chemical and sensory evaluation. The results showed that the chickpea had contained the highest in protein and total lipids 40.60 and 15.50%. The black pepper, chickpea and cumin seeds had contained higher in crude fiber (14.20, 10.71 and 10.50%, respectively). The snacks with lettuce seeds showed that the protein was the highest in group (2) it was 15.04, 16.44 and 17.82 %. Total lipids, crude fiber and ash content were decreased gradually in the snacks from group (1) 4.02, 4.87 and 5.72% and the highest in total lipids in group (2) which contained 4.23, 5.08 and 5.93%, respectively. Hunter color values of snacks control and its different blends from lettuce seeds the group (6) prepared with 60% corn grits and 15, 10 and 5% barley and also 6% lettuce seeds showed that higher in lightness and yellowness till 15% chickpea and nearly control snacks. The highest (WAI) and (WSI) were in groups (1 and 2) respectively made from 40% corn grits and 40, 35, 30 and 25% barley. The sensory properties showed that the extrusion blend (18) made from 20% chickpea and 5% barley the highest acceptability (95%) and nearly control (96%) followed were by 10 and 15% chickpea plus 15 and 10% barley were gave 93.0 and 88.0% during overall acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics has become more common in Morganella morganii, which can cause of outbreaks of bacteremia and septicemia in postoperative patients. OBJECTIVE: Investigate drug susceptibility of M morganii, identify the gene responsible for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production and explore treatment options. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Hospitals in An Najaf, Iraq. METHODS: M morganii isolates were identified based on morphology, biochemical tests and VITEK® 2 compact system using (GN-ID) card. M morganii isolates were subjected to antibiotic resistance tests using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) technique and an antibiogram was produced. Molecular studies were conducted using the polymerase chain reaction technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Minimum inhibitory concentration. RESULTS: From 395 gram-negative bacteria, only 17 isolates M morganii grew on MacConkey agar. M morganii isolates strongly resistant to several antibiotics were considered multidrug resistant. All M morganii isolates were ESBL producers. Four genes (CTX-M, SHV, TEM and OXA) encoding the β-lactamase enzyme were detected. Meropenem and imipenem were highly active against the M morganii isolates. CONCLUSIONS: All isolates showed resistance to most common antibiotics, which limits options for treatment. This study provided useful information for selecting antibiotics to precisely target infections caused by M morganii. LIMITATIONS: Limited to antibiotic susceptibility and genotype.

This paper reports the correlation between the composition of the functional Sr0.5Ba0.5Sm0.02Fe11.98O19/x(Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4) hard–soft nanocomposites (SrBaSmFe/x(NiZnFe) NCs), where 0.0 ≤ x ≤ 3.0, and their structural features, magnetic, and microwave properties. SrBaSmFe/x(NiZnFe) hard/soft ferrite NCs are produced using the one-pot citrate combustion method. According to the XRD analysis, all samples showed the co-existence of both SrBaSmFe and NiZnFe phases in different ratios. Magnetic properties are measured in a wide range of magnetic fields and temperatures (10 and 300 K) and correlated well with the composition of the investigated samples. The microwave properties (frequency dispersions of the magnetic permeability, and electrical permittivity) are discussed by using the co-axial method in the frequency range of 0.7–18 GHz. Non-linear dependences of the main microwave features were observed with varying of composition. The microwave behavior correlated well with the composite theory. These results could be used in practice for developing antenna materials.

Initiation and propagation of cracks in composite materials can severely affect their global mechanical properties. Due to the lower strength of the interlaminar bonding compared to fibers and the matrix, delamination between plies is known to be one of the most common failure modes in these materials. It is therefore deemed necessary to gain more insight into this type of failure to guide the design of composite structures towards ensuring their robustness and reliability during service. In this work, delamination of interlaminar bonding in composite end-notched flexure (ENF) samples was modeled using a newly developed stochastic 3D extended finite element method (XFEM). The proposed numerical scheme, which also incorporates the cohesive zone model, was used to characterize the mode II delamination results obtained from ENF testing on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)/glass unidirectional (UD) composites. The nonrepeatable material responses, often seen during fracture testing of UD composites, were well captured with the current numerical model, demonstrating its capacity to predict the stochastic fracture properties of composites under mode II loading conditions.