An integrated GIS-VBA (Geographical Information System – Visual Basic for Application), model is developed for selecting an optimum water harvesting dam location among an available locations in a watershed. The proposed model allows quick and precise estimation of an adopted weighted objective function for each selected location. In addition to that for each location, a different dam height is used as a nominee for optimum selection. The VBA model includes an optimization model with a weighted objective function that includes beneficiary items (positive) , such as the available storage , the dam height allowed by the site as an indicator for the potential of hydroelectric power generation , the rainfall rate as a source of water . In a

In this work, a novel biocatalytic process for the production of 7-methylxanthines from theobromine, an economic feedstock has been developed. Bench scale production of 7-methlxanthine has been demonstrated. The biocatalytic process used in this work operates at 30 ^OC and atmospheric pressure, and is environmentally friendly. The biocatalyst was E. coli BL21(DE3) engineered with ndmB/D genes combinations. These modifications enabled specific N₇- demethylation of theobromine to 7-methylxanthine. This production process consists of uniform fermentation conditions with a specific metabolically engineered strain, uniform induction of specific enzymes for 7-methylxanthine production, uniform recovery an

ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by hydrothermal method at different temperatures and growth times. The effect of increasing the temperature on structural and optical properties of ZnO were analyzed and discussed. The prepared ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis. absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis.), Photoluminescence (PL), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this work, hexagonal crystal structure prepared ZnO nanostructures was observed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the average crystallite size equal 14.7 and 23.8 nm for samples synthesized at growth time 7 and 8 hours respectively. A nanotubes-shaped surface morphology was found using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optic

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized using a modified hydrothermal approach at different reaction temperatures and growth times. Moreover, a thorough morphological, structural and optical investigation was demonstrated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), ultra-violate visible light spectroscopy (UV-Vis.), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Notably, SEM analysis revealed the occurrence of nanorods-shaped surface morphology with a wide range of length and diameter. Meanwhile, a hexagonal crystal structure of the ZnO nanoparticles was perceived using XRD analysis and crystallite size ranging from 14.7 to 23.8 nm at 7 and 8 ℎ𝑟𝑠., respectively. The prepared ZnO samples showed good abso

Chloroviruses are large viruses that replicate in chlorella-like green algae and normally exist as mutualistic endosymbionts (referred to as zoochlorellae) in protists such as Paramecium bursaria. Chlorovirus populations rise and fall in indigenous waters through time; however, the factors involved in these virus fluctuations are still under investigation. Chloroviruses attach to the surface of P. bursaria but cannot infect their zoochlorellae hosts because the viruses cannot reach the zoochlorellae as long as they are in the symbiotic phase. Predators of P. bursaria, such as copepods and didinia, can bring chloroviruses into contact with zoochlorellae by disrupting the paramecia, which results in an increase in virus titers in micr

Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immune therapy used to treat different types of cancers. These drugs block different checkpoint proteins, for example, CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1 inhibitors.

They block proteins that stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells.  Checkpoints are also described as a type of monoclonal antibody that antagonizes binding between B7 to CTLA-4 and PD-L1 to PD-1.

 Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used to treat BARCA mutated triple-negative breast cancer (TNBCS) in patients who do not respond to chemotherapy, and also in the treatment of highly mutated and solid tumors such as brain tumors, liver, and pancreatic cancers.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors exhibit an effect on solid tumo

This study investigated the treatment of dairy wastewater using the electrocoagulation method with iron filings as electrodes. The study dealt with real samples collected from local factory for dairy products in Baghdad. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize five experimental variables at six levels for each variable, for estimating chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. These variables were the distance between electrodes, detention time, dosage of NaCl as electrolyte, initial COD concentration, and current density. RSM was investigated the direct and complex interaction effects between parameters to estimate the optimum values. The respective optimum value was 1 cm for the distance between electrodes, (6

Cladosporium sp. plays an important role in human health, it is one of the pathogenic fungi which cause allergy and asthma and most frequently isolated from airborne spores.  In this study, a couple of universal PCR primers were designed to identify the pathogenic fungi Cladosporium sp. according to conserved region 5.8S, 18S and 28S subunit ribosomal RNA gene in Cladosporium species. In silico RFLP-PCR were used to identify twenty-four Cladosporium strains. The results showed that the universal primer has the specificity to amplify the conserved region in 24 species as a band in virtual agarose gel. They also showed that the RFLP method is able to identify three Cladosporium spe

This research presents the possibility of using banana peel (arising from agricultural production waste) as biosorbent for removal of copper from simulated aqueous solution. Batch sorption experiments were performed as a function of pH, sorbent dose, and contact time. The optimal pH value of Copper (II) removal by banana peel was 6. The amount of sorbed metal ions was calculated as 52.632 mg/g. Sorption kinetic data were tested using pseudo-first order, and pseudo-second order models. Kinetic studies showed that the sorption followed a pseudo second order reaction due to the high correlation coefficient and the agreement between the experimental and calculated values of q_e. Thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (ΔH

This study was carried out to measure the percentage of heavy metals pollution in the water of the Diyala river and to measure the percentage of contamination of these elements in the leafy vegetables grown on both sides of the Diyala river, which are irrigated by the contaminated river water (celery, radish, lepidium, green onions, beta vulgaris subsp, and malva). Laboratory analysis was achieved to measure the ratio of heavy element contamination (Pb, Fe, Ni, Cd, Zn and Cr) using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer during the summer months of July and August for the year 2017. The study showed that the elements of zinc, chromium, nickel and cadmium were high concentrations and exceeded. The maximum concentration of these