The consumption of fresh fruits has increased nowadays due to the lifestyle of the consumers. Maintaining the quality and nutritional value of cut fruits during storage is difficult compared to whole fruits. Deterioration of internal and external quality usually occurs in freshly harvested fruits. It is necessary to use different techniques to maintain the quality and increase the shelf life of the freshly cut product. This research studied the effect of treating apple slices with cold plasma once and with filtered water again on quality characteristics (hardness, moisture content, sugar content, carbohydrate content, and color) after being stored for five days. The best treatment was determined using two different pressures of the plasma j

Chitosan-schiff base with three different ratios of para-Dimethyl aminobenzaldehyde& chitosan Schiff base hydrogels have been prepared for controlled drug release study. The synthesized chitosan Schiff base and chitosan Schiff base hydrogel were characterized by FT-IR, UV-Visible, SEM, analysis. Swelling properties of the hydrogel were investigated at three different media pH (2, 7, 10). The swelling degree varied with the pH, amount of crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde and with the amount of paraDimethylaminobenzaldehyde for the hydrogels. All hydrogels were used for controlled drug release system. Aspirin was used as model drug, in three different buffer solution (2, 7, 10) as release media. The rate of release of drugs in the pH2 is m

Social marketing seeks to develop and integrate marketing concepts with other approaches to social change and aims to influence behaviors that benefit individuals and societies for the social good. The study investigates the type and level of influence of social marketing on customer behavior in tourism companies in Baghdad (Iraq). The sample size of the study is 135 people comprising directors, assistant directors, and marketing staff in tourism companies in Baghdad. A questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data and information, and was prepared by the researcher after it underwent validity, stability, and arbitration tests. The data was analyzed using the statistical program (SPSS v. 25, AMOS v. 23) and statistical methods have been

Measuring the efficiency of postgraduate and undergraduate programs is one of the essential elements in educational process. In this study, colleges of Baghdad University and data for the academic year (2011-2012) have been chosen to measure the relative efficiencies of postgraduate and undergraduate programs in terms of their inputs and outputs. A relevant method to conduct the analysis of this data is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The effect of academic staff to the number of enrolled and alumni students to the postgraduate and undergraduate programs are the main focus of the study.

This paper proposes a neuro-fuzzy system to model β-glucosidase activity based on the reaction’s pH level and temperature. The developed fuzzy inference system includes two input variables (pH level and temperature) and one output (enzyme activity). The multi-input fuzzy inference system was developed in two stages: first, developing a single input-single output fuzzy inference system for each input variable (pH, temperature) separately, using the robust adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) approach. The neural network learning techniques were used to tune the membership functions based on previously published experimental data for β-glucosidase. Second, each input’s optimized membership functions from the ANF

Objective: To evaluate the functional outcomes after extended curettage and reconstruction using a combination of bone graft and bone cement (sandwich). Methodology: In this prospective case series 16 skeletally mature patients with primary giant cell tumor around the knee were included. Patients with previous surgically treated, malignant transformation, degenerative knee changes and those presenting with pathological fracture were excluded. The tumor was excised with bone graft filling space beneath the articular cartilage and a block of gel foam was placed over the cortical surface of picked bone graft. Remaining cavity was filled with polymethylmethacrylate cement (sandwich) with or without internal fixation. The func tional evaluation

Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely acknowledged as a leading advanced material structure, offering superior properties compared to traditional materials, and has found diverse applications in several industrial sectors, such as that of automobiles, aircrafts, and power plants. However, the production of CFRP composites is prone to fabrication problems, leading to structural defects arising from cycling and aging processes. Identifying these defects at an early stage is crucial to prevent service issues that could result in catastrophic failures. Hence, routine inspection and maintenance are crucial to prevent system collapse. To achieve this objective, conventional nondestructive testing (NDT) methods are utilized to i

Wastewater recycling for non-potable uses has gained significant attention to mitigate the high pressure on freshwater resources. This requires using a sustainable technique to treat natural municipal wastewater as an alternative to conventional methods, especially in arid and semi-arid rural areas. One of the promising techniques applied to satisfy the objective of wastewater reuse is the constructed wetlands (CWs) which have been used extensively in most countries worldwide through the last decades. The present study introduces a significant review of the definition, classification, and components of CWs, identifying the mechanisms controlling the removal process within such units. Vertical, horizontal, and hybrid CWs

Nonlinear differential equation stability is a very important feature of applied mathematics, as it has a wide variety of applications in both practical and physical life problems. The major object of the manuscript is to discuss and apply several techniques using modify the Krasovskii's method and the modify variable gradient method which are used to check the stability for some kinds of linear or nonlinear differential equations. Lyapunov function is constructed using the variable gradient method and Krasovskii’s method to estimate the stability of nonlinear systems. If the function of Lyapunov is positive, it implies that the nonlinear system is asymptotically stable. For the nonlinear systems, stability is still difficult even though