Electricity consumption for household purposes in urban areas widely affects the general urban consumption compared to other commercial and industrial uses, as household electricity consumption is affected by many factors related to the physical aspects of the residential area such as temperature, housing unit area, and coverage ratio, as well as social and economic factors such as family size and income, to reach the extent of the influence of each of the above factors on the amount of electricity consumed for residential uses, a selected sample of a residential area in the city of Baghdad was studied and a field survey conducted of the characteristics of that sample and the results analyzed and modeled statistically in relation to the amount of electricity consumed for residential units. Results showed that the annual electricity consumption is directly proportional to both the increase in the residential plot area and the increase in the number of residents of the housing unit and the increase in the monthly income of households, while it is inversely proportional to the plot coverage rate. Through the results of the field research, it was possible to build six quantitative models describing the behavior of electricity consumption in relation to the variables covered in the research.
A (b,t)-blocking set B in PG(2,q) is set of b points such that every line of PG(2,q) intersects B in at least t points and there is a line intersecting B in exactly t points. In this paper we construct a minimal (b,t)-blocking sets, t = 1,2,3,4,5 in PG(2,5) by using conics to obtain complete arcs and projective codes related with them.
Organophosphorus insecticide and growth regulator namely Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid) are widely used as a ripening process accelerator and a cultivation duration inhibitor. Pomegranate extract (PPE) has recently been taken into consideration due to its pharmacological effects especially those associated with renal diseases. Thus, this study aims to investigate the possible protective effect of PPE against ethephon-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. In this study four groups of adult male rats were divided into control group, PPE 400 mg/kg group, Ethephon 250 mg/kg group, and finally, PPE + Ethephon group (treated with the same dose of PPE group and Ethephon group). In the current study, kidney function parameters (KIM-1, creatin
... Show MoreSemiconductor-based photocatalytic processes are widely applied as ecofriendly technology for degrading organic pollutants. Establishing photocatalytic heterojunctions with Z-type photocarriers transfer pathways is projected to be a superb strategy to enhance photocatalytic behavior. In this paper, novel and stable (0D/2D) heterojunctions of CoS-embedded boron-doped g-C3N4 (CoS/BCN) with a high rate of charges transfer/separation were assembled for degradation of malachite green dye (MG). The CoS/BCN photocatalyst achieves a photodegradation efficiency of 96.9 % within 1 h of LED illumination, which is 2.5 and 1.4-fold enhancement compared with bare g-C3N4 and BCN, respectively. Besides, the results of species-trapping trials exhibited that
... Show MoreChitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42
... Show MoreThe objective of this study was to investigate the prophylactic roles of human enteric derived Lactobacillus plantarum L1 (Ll) and Lactobacillus paracasei L2 (L2), on EHEC O157:H7 infection in rodent models (In vivo). The Lactobacillus suspensions (L1 and L2) were individually and orally administered to experimental rats at a daily two consecutives of 100 μl (108 CFU/ ml/rat) for up to two weeks. Thereafter, on the 8th day of experiment rats were orally challenged with one dose infection of EHEC (105 CFU/ml/rat). Animals mortality and illness symptoms have been monitored. There was no fatal EHEC infection in rats that had been pre‑colonized with the Lactobacillus strains, while most of EHEC infected rats were died (90%). The
... Show MoreThe main aim of the present paper is to study the electric breakdown in a uniform electric discharge system. The system consists of two spheres separated by a dielectric. The dielectric is dry air. Certain boundary conditions are taken into consideration as applied voltage, pressure, and domain. The formation of discharge types as Townsend and streamer under different distance gaps (1, 0.9,0.8, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0.1) mm was sudied. The temperature effect on the breakdown voltages for the discharge process is also included. Seven different temperature steps are chosen in the study. Comsol Multiphysics software is used for the simulation model as a plasma model. Results show that as the gap distance increases the breakdown voltage
... Show MoreGlobal climate change has shown to have a significant impact on critical ecosystems, that in turn has led to elevated CO2 and temperatures that accompany changes in many abiotic factors, including mangrove forests, facing challenges in their habitat. This study conducted to investigate the morphological and physiological characteristic of the mangrove Rhizophora apiculata in response to elevated CO2 concentration and air temperature for the selection of tree species that are able to adapt to climate change. The seedlings were grown in controlled growth chambers with two temperatures, 21 and 38°C, under elevated CO2 at 650 ppm for three months. The plants watered with two liters of saline water
... Show MoreZinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures were synthesized through the hydrothermal method at various conditions growth times (6,7 and 8 hrs.) and a growth temperature (70, 90, and 100 ºC). The prepared ZnO nanostructure samples were described using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer to distinguish their surface morphologies and crystal structures. The ZnO samples were confirmed to have the same crystal type, with different densities and dimensions (diameter and length). The obtained ZnO nanostructures were used to manufacture gas sensors for NO2 gas detection. Sensing characteristics for the fabricated sensor to NO2 gas were examined at different operating temperatures (180, 200, 220, and 240) ºC with a low gas concentrati
... Show MoreX-ray diffractometers deliver the best quality diffraction data while being easy to use and adaptable to various applications. When X-ray photons strike electrons in materials, the incident photons scatter in a direction different from the incident beam; if the scattered beams do not change in wavelength, this is known as elastic scattering, which causes amplitude and intensity diffraction, leading to constructive interference. When the incident beam gives some of its energy to the electrons, the scattered beam's wavelength differs from the incident beam's wavelength, causing inelastic scattering, which leads to destructive interference and zero-intensity diffraction. In this study, The modified size-strain plot method was used to examin
... Show MoreBeing the meeting points of the world different languages and out of a scholarly perspective, comparative literature represents a cultural leap as well as an artistic and intellectual development or a global literary movement of both prose and poetry. Such homogenous literary structure requires a systematic and coherent study of the literary output of the people different cultures and civilizations. It also represents the theoretical approach of the present study that debates a systematic comparison between Ghassan Kanafani’s All That's Left to You and William Faulkner’s. The Sound and the Fury. Within the perspective of the descriptive analysis approach, the present paper discusses th
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