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.
Abstract: Background: Staphylococcus aureus is Gram-positive bacteria that lives as a normal flora in living organisms but can be pathogenic to humans. Although a relatively unspectacular, nonmotile coccoid bacterium, S. aureus is a dangerous human pathogen in both community-acquired and nosocomial infections. Due to the increasing emergence of new strains of this antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it has become essential to approach different methods to control this pathogen. One of these methods is the antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation process using a low-level laser, in this paper, the Photodynamic effects of Rose Bengal and LLLL on the virulence factors of S.aureus were evaluated.
Background: Appreciation of the crucial role of risk factors in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the most significant advances in the understanding of this important disease. Extensive epidemiological research has established cigarette smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension as independent risk factors for CADObjective: To determine the prevalence of the 4 conventional risk factors(cigarette smoking, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension) among patients with CAD and to determine the correlation of Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score with the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with unstable angina /non ST elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI).Methods: We
... Show MoreSeries of new complexes of the type [M2 (L)Cl4 ] are prepared from the new ligand[N1 ,N4 -bis(benzo[d]thiazol-2- yl)succinamide (L) derived from ethan-1,2-dicarbonyl chloride and 2-aminobenzothiozole,where, M= Ni(ii), Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) alsocomplexes of mix-ligands, the type [M(L)(8-HQ)]Cl, where, M = Ni(ii), Cu(ii) and Zn(ii),8-HQ= 8-Hydroxyquinoline. Chemical forms are obtained from their 1 H, 13CNMR, Mass spectra (for (L)), FT-IR and U.V spectrum, melting point, molar conduct.Using flame (AA), % M is determined in the complexes.The content of C, H, N and S in the (L) and its complexes was specified. Magnetic susceptibility and thermal analysis (TGA) of prepared compounds were measured.The propose geometry for all complexes[M2 (L)Cl4 ] wa
... Show MoreThis study expands the state of the art in studies that assess torsional retrofit of reinforced concrete (RC) multi-cell box girders with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips. The torsional behavior of non-damaged and pre-damaged RC multi-cell box girder specimens externally retrofitted by CFRP strips was investigated through a series of laboratory experiments. It was found that retrofitting the pre-damaged specimens with CFRP strips increased the ultimate torsional capacity by more than 50% as compared to the un-damaged specimens subjected to equivalent retrofitting. This indicated that the retrofit has been less effective for the girder specimen that did not develop distortion beforehand as a result of pre-loading. From
... Show MoreIn this study, NAC-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS core/double shell QDs were synthesized in an aqueous medium to investigate their utility in distinguishing normal DNA from mutated DNA extracted from biological samples. Following the interaction between the synthesized QDs with DNA extracted from leukemia cases (represents damaged DNA) and that of healthy donors (represents undamaged DNA), differential fluorescent emission maxima and intensities were observed. It was found that damaged DNA from leukemic cells DNA-QDs conjugates at 585 nm while intact DNA (from healthy subjects) DNA–QDs conjugates at 574 nm. The obtained results from the optical analyses indicate that the prepared QDs could be utilized as probe for detecting disrupted DNA th
... Show MoreThis investigation reports application of a mesoporous nanomaterial based on dicationic ionic liquid bonded to amorphous silica, namely nano-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-N-(silican-propyl)-N′-sulfo-ethane-1,2-diaminium chloride (nano-[TSPSED][Cl]2), as an extremely effectual and recoverable catalyst for the generation of bis(pyrazolyl)methanes and pyrazolopyranopyrimidines in solvent-free conditions. In both synthetic protocols, the performance of this catalyst was very useful and general and presented attractive features including short reaction times with high yields, reasonable turnover frequency and turnover number values, easy workup, high performance under mild conditions, recoverability and reusability in 5 consecutive runs without lo
... Show MoreThis study reports on natural convection heat transfer in a square enclosure of length (L=20 cm) with a saturated porous medium (solid glass beads) having same fluid (air) at lower horizontal layer and free air fill in the rest of the cavity's space. The experimental work has been performed under the effects of heating from bottom by constant heat flux q=150,300,450,600 W/m2 for four porous layers thickness Hp (2.5,5,7.5,1) cm and three heaters length δ(20,14,7) cm. The top enclosure wall was good insulated and the two side walls were symmetrically cooled at constant temperature. Four layers of porous media with small porosity, Rayleigh number range (60.354 - 241.41) and (Da) 3.025x10-8 has been investigated. The obtained data of temperatu
... Show MoreSome new norms need to be adapted due to COVID-19 pandemic period where people need to wear masks, wash their hands frequently, maintain social distancing, and avoid going out unless necessary. Therefore, educational institutions were closed to minimize the spread of COVID-19. As a result of this, online education was adapted to substitute face-to-face learning. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the Malaysian university students’ adaptation to the new norms, knowledge and practices toward COVID-19, besides, their attitudes toward online learning. A convenient sampling technique was used to recruit 500 Malaysian university students from January to February 2021 through social media. For data collection, all students
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