This study aimed to determine the radioactivity and radiation hazard indicators of rice samples potentially for human consumption. Gamma spectroscopy was used to calculate the specific activity of natural and artificial radionuclides (238U, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) in local and imported rice samples collected from local markets in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq, in addition to various radiological hazard indices. The radionuclide concentrations in the samples varied from 2.123 ± 1.457 Bq/kg to 13.032 ± 3.610 Bq/kg for 238U, 2.906 ± 1.705 Bq/kg to 17.290 ± 4.158 Bq/kg for 232Th, 55.161 ± 7.427 Bq/kg to 155.897 ± 12.486 Bq/kg for 40K, and 0.840 ± 0.916 Bq/kg to 5.473 ± 2.339 Bq/kg for 137Cs. The average results for the radiological hazard indices were 24.292 ± 4.855 Bq/kg, 11.579 nGy/h, 0.378 nGy/h, 0.057 mSv/y, 0.014 mSv/y, 0.181, 0.082, and 0.066 for Raeq, Dγ, Dγ for 137Cs, AEDEin, AEDEout, Iγ, Hin, and Hex, respectively. The values obtained from the current study indicate that the concentrations of radionuclides and the hazard indices in the rice samples studied are less than globally permissible limits. Therefore, rice consumption is safe from a radiological perspective and does not threaten human health.
Optical properties of chromium oxide (Cr2O3) thin films which were prepared by pulse laser deposition method, onto glass substrates. Different laser energy (500-900) mJ were used to obtain Cr2O3 thin films with thickness ranging from 177.3 to 372.4 nm were measured using Tolansky method. Then films were annealed at temperature equal to 300 °C. Absorption spectra were used to determine the absorption coefficient of the films, and the effects of the annealing temperature on the absorption coefficient were investigated. The absorption edge shifted to red range of wavelength, and the optical constants of Cr2O3 films increases as the annealing temperature increased to 300 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study reveals that Cr2O3 thin films are a
... Show MoreBackground: Color stability of glass ionomers (GIs) could be affected by many factors such as pH and consumption of liquid medications like antibiotics. Most common antibiotics used during childhood are amoxicillin suspension (AM.S) and azithromycin suspension (AZ.S) which have acidic and basic pH respectively. Aim: to evaluate and compare the effect of AM.S and AZ.S on color stability of nano resin-modified GI. Methods: Thirty disc of nano resin-modified glass ionomer (2mm height x 4mm diameter) were divided into three groups (n=10 for each) and independently exposed to AM.S, AZ.S, and artificial saliva (A.S.). Color stability was evaluated in triplicate by VITA Easyshade® before and after three immersion protocols, repeated over a thr
... Show MoreThe Catharanthus roseus plant was extracted and converted to nanoparticles in this work. The Soxhlet method extracted alkaloid compounds from the plant Catharanthus roseus and converted them to the nanoscale. Chitosan polymer was used as a linking material and converted to Chitosan nanoparticles using Sodium TriPolyPhosphate (STPP). The extracted alkaloids were linked with Chitosan nanoparticles CSNPs by maleic anhydride to get the final product (CSNPs- Linker- alkaloids). The synthesized (CSNPs- Linker- alkaloids) was characterized using SEM spectroscopy UV–Vis., Zeta Potential, and HPLC High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis shows that the Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have small dim
... Show MoreAbstract The main purpose of the research is to clarify and investigate in details about Susan Glaspell’s role in shedding light on the predicament of women in American society in the early twentieth century showing how sense of the place played an important role in limiting the opportunities of female protagonists who try to escape the roles imposed upon them by society. Glaspell lived in the early twentieth century in the Midwest and tackled the important issues like: women's suffrage, birth control, socialism, union organizing when women were not able to vote or sit as a member on juries. Her Feminist cause is quite obvious through her works from her first one act play Suppressed Desire to the final three act play, Alison’s House. Th
... Show MoreIt is well known that petroleum refineries are considered the largest generator of oily sludge which may cause serious threats to the environment if disposed of without treatment. Throughout the present research, it can be said that a hybrid process including ultrasonic treatment coupled with froth floatation has been shown as a green efficient treatment of oily sludge waste from the bottom of crude oil tanks in Al-Daura refinery and able to get high yield of base oil recovery which is 65% at the optimum operating conditions (treatment time = 30 min, ultrasonic wave amplitude = 60 micron, and (solvent: oily sludge) ratio = 4). Experimental results showed that 83% of the solvent used was recovered meanwhile the main water
... Show MoreAbstract: Polarization beam splitter (PBS) integrated waveguides are the key components in the receiver of quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. Their function is to analyze the polarization of polarized light and separate the transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) polarizations into different waveguides. In this paper, a performance study of polarization beam splitters based on horizontal slot waveguide has been investigated for a wavelength of . PBS based on horizontal slot waveguide structure shows a polarization extinction ratio for quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes larger than with insertion loss below and a bandwidth of . Also, the fabrication tolerance of the structure is analyzed.<
... Show MoreThis research study experimentally the effect of air flow rate on humidification process
parameters. Experimental data are obtained from air conditioning study unit T110D. Results obtained
from experimental test, calculations and psychometrics software are discussed. The effect of air flow rate
on steam humidification process parameters as a part of air-conditioning processes can be explained
according to obtained results. Results of the steam humidification processes (1,2) with and without
preheating with 5A and 7.5A shows decreasing in dry bulb temperature, humidity ratio, and heat add to
moist air with increasing air flow rate, but humidification load, and total energy of moist air increase with
increasing air flo