Spices are natural substances taken from special plants and have a different taste when added to food and some of them have great benefits for health and body. These plants vary from country to country depending on the type of soil and how they are grown and this affects their quality. In this study, the specific activity of 40K, 238U and 232Th series and 137Cs in some selected natural food spices commonly used in Iraq kitchen were determined using gamma spectrometry and the ingested doses via food consumption were also assessed. The average specific activity of 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs in the samples are 72.00 Bqkg−1, 106.576Bqkg−1, 148.74 and 191.88 Bq.kg−1 respectively. The highest activity concentration of 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs was recorded in cumin (401.7) for 40K, laurel paper (260.67) for 238U, briana spices (733.7) for 232Th and Chamomile (833.4) for 137Cs. The maximum value of total annual effective dose received from 40K, 238U, 232Th and 137Cs due to consumption of natural spices by the inhabitants was 169.83 μSvy−1. This value is low compared to the average radiation dose of 290 μSvy−1 received per caput worldwide due to ingestion the food spices. The excess lifetime cancer risk due to ingestion of radionuclide in food spices was estimated and the values obtained were compared with standards. Based on these results it can be concluded that the foods spices studied in this work do not present any serious radiological effect. Spices are natural substances taken from special plants and have a different taste when added
Obesity-related deaths continue to rise, and thus losing weight in overweight and obese patients is critical to prevent complications. Anredera cordifolia (Ten,) Steenis, species of succulent plant of the genus Basellaceae, is widely used in herbal medicine to decrease body weight. This study evaluated the potential benefits of Anredera cordifolia ethanol extract to reduce body weight in high-fat diet-induced obesity rat model. This was an experimental with post-test only control group design study involving 36 obese rats. They were divided into two groups: three control groups (K1, K2, K3) and three treatment groups (P1, P2, P3). All the groups were induced with high-fat diet, except K1 control group that received a standard di
... Show MoreThis research includes a study of Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene’s allele 677C?T and its correlation with oxidative stress and their impact on female infertility. Fifty infertile women with the range age (23-42) years and twenty five fertile women with the range age (22-39) years as control group living in Erbil city were selected. The serum level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), prolactin hormone (PRL), Luteinizing hormone (LH), Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Triiodothyronine hormone (T3), and Thyroxine hormone (T4) were measured, also a body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A restriction enzyme (Hinf1) was used to improve the mutation in DNA bands of infertile women. The results showed significant inc
... Show MoreInherent fluctuations in the availability of energy from renewables, particularly solar, remain a substantial impediment to their widespread deployment worldwide. Employing phase-change materials (PCMs) as media, saving energy for later consumption, offers a promising solution for overcoming the problem. However, the heat conductivities of most PCMs are limited, which severely limits the energy storage potential of these materials. This study suggests employing circular fins with staggered distribution to achieve improved thermal response rates of PCM in a vertical triple-tube heat exchanger involving two opposite flow streams of the heat-transfer fluid (HTF). Since heat diffusion is not the same at various portions of the PCM unit,
... Show MoreThis study has been accomplished by testing three different models to determine rocks type, pore throat radius, and flow units for Mishrif Formation in West Qurna oilfield in Southern Iraq based on Mishrif full diameter cores from 20 wells. The three models that were used in this study were Lucia rocks type classification, Winland plot was utilized to determine the pore throat radius depending on the mercury injection test (r35), and (FZI) concepts to identify flow units which enabled us to recognize the differences between Mishrif units in these three categories. The study of pore characteristics is very significant in reservoir evaluation. It controls the storage mechanism and reservoir fluid prope
The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of harmful impacts of xenobiotics in animals is attracting an increasing attention in recent times. The aim of the current study is to assess the preventive potential of Costus afer aqueous leaves extract (CAAE) in treating metabolic aberrations imposed by crude oil contaminated diet in
Wistar albino rats. Six groups of rats were treated as follows: A = Normal diet; B=Normal diet + 100 mg/kg body weight of CAAE; C =Normal diet + 200 mg/kg body weight of CAAE; D= Crude oil contaminated diet; E= crude oil contaminated diet + 100 mg/kg body weight of CAAE, F = crude oil contaminated diet + 200 mg/kg body weight of CAAE. After thirty days of exposure to the diet and administration of the corres
The climate parameters of rainfall, and average of maximum and minimum temperature were investigated for the period of 2000-2019 in three stations in central and eastern Iraq (Baghdad, Diyala, and Kut provinces). Evidence of climate change was noticed from the results, reflected by decreased mean values of annual rainfall with increased mean of maximum and minimum temperature. In addition, the water balance and the climatic conditions were determined for Khanaqin station for the years 1981-2019. The analysis of Khanaqin climate parameters demonstrated total annual mean values of rainfall of 260.86mm and evaporation of 3119.59mm. The mean monthly relative humidity was 46.65%, sunshine was 8.39h/day, temperature was 23.36C
... Show MoreThis research has presented a solution to the problem faced by alloys: the corrosion problem, by reducing corrosion and enhancing protection by using an inhibitor (Schiff base). The inhibitor (Schiff base) was synthesized by reacting of the substrates materials (4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine). It was diagnosed by infrared technology IR, where the IR spectrum and through the visible beams proved that the Schiff base was well formed and with high purity. The corrosion behavior of carbon steel and stainless steel in a saline medium (artificial seawater 3.5%NaCl) before and after using the inhibitor at four temperatures: 20, 30, 40, and 50 C° was studied by using three electrodes potentiostat. The corrosion behavior was
... Show MoreNumerous tests are recently conducted to assess vibration's role in accelerating the heat transfer rate in various heat exchangers. In this work, the enhancement of heat transfer by the effect of transfer vibration and inclination angles on the surface of a double pipe heat exchanger experimentally has been investigated. A data acquisition system is applied to record the data of temperatures, flow rates, and frequencies over the tests. A compound technique was adopted, including the application of a set of inclination angles of (0°, 10°, 20°, and 30°) under the effect of frequency of vibration ranging from sub-resonance to over-resonance frequencies. The results showed that the overall heat transfer coefficient enhan
... Show More