Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) are generally used in different types of applications such as the industry of plastics, paper industry, paints, toothpaste, cosmetics, sunscreens, and in various lifestyles, because of the vast range of applications and our daily exposure to these nanoparticles and a lack of information on animal and human health this study was designed to reveal dose and time-dependent effects of TiO₂-NPs on the thyroid gland and kidney functions in male rats.

For this study 54, Sprague-Dawley albino adult male rats were classified into three main groups each of 18 rats treated for a particular duration (1,2, and 4) weeks respectively. Each group was subdivided i

Biodiesel is becoming one of the most attractive alternative biofuels for petroleum-based diesel fuels. The castor plant is one of the abundant non-edible oils found in many countries. This paper aims to study Libyan castor oil and its potential for diesel conversion. Experiments were carried out in the laboratories of the Specific Center for Training in the Oil Industries in Al-Zawiya. The oil was extracted using a Soxhlet extractor and n-hexane solvent at 60 °C. Transesterification reactions were conducted in a batch reactor (a three-neck flask was used, where the middle opening carries a reflux condensation unit) at 65 °C. The methanol-to-castor oil molar ratio was 6:1, with a catalyst concentration of 1 wt.% relative to the ca

Background: A global health concern is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The use of bacteriophages is one of the many novel control strategies against MRSA that are frequently sought. However, it is quite challenging to isolate enough lytic anti-MRSA phages. In order to extract, optimize, and remodel anti-MRSA phages, this study sought novel approaches.

Methods: Two ATCC MRSA strains and nine clinical MRSA isolates were used to isolate wild anti-MRSA phages from hospital settings, dirt, and sewage. The wild phages were optimized using plaque-based biokinetic techniques. Usi

Bacteria strain H8, which produces high amount of exopolysaccharide (EPS), was isolated from soil, and identified as strain of Azotobacter chrococcum by its biochemical /physiological characteristics, EPS was extracted, partially purified and used as bioflocculant. The biochemical analysis of the partially purified EPS revealed that it was an alginate. analysis of EPS by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) show that the -OH groups present in bioflocculant are clearly seen at 3433.06 cm-1, the peaks attributed to the -CH3 groups present at 2916.17 cm-1 , and some distinct peaks such as carboxyl group showed strong absorption bands at 1604.66 cm-1, 1411.80 cm-1 and 1303.79 cm-1 indicate the chemical structure of alginate. The effe

Prodigiosin is a ‘natural red pigment produced by Serratia marcescens which exhibits immunosuppressive and anticancer properties in addition to antimicrobial activities. This work presents an attempt to maximize the production of prodigiosin by two different strategies: one factor at time (OFAT) and statistical optimization. The result of OFAT revealed that sucrose and peptone were the best carbon and nitrogen sources for pigment production with concentration of prodigiosin of about 135 mg/ L. This value was increased to 331.6mg/ L with an optimized ratio of C/N (60:40) and reached 356.8 with pH 6 and 2% inoculum size at end of classical optimization. Statistical experimental design based on Response surface methodology was co

Previously, many empirical models have been used to predict corrosion rates under different CO₂ corrosion parameters conditions. Most of these models did not predict the corrosion rate exactly, besides it determined effects of variables by holding some variables constant and changing the values of other variables to obtain the regression model. As a result the experiments will be large and cost too much. In this paper response surface methodology (RSM) was proposed to optimize the experiments and reduce the experimental running. The experiments studied effects of temperature (40 – 60 °C), pH (3-5), acetic acid (HAc) concentration (1000-3000 ppm) and rotation speed (1000-1500 rpm) on CO₂ corrosion performance of t

Summary The aim of this study is the evaluation the resistance of S. marcescence obtained from soil and water to metals chlorides (Zn+2, Hg+2, Fe+2, Al+3, and Pb+2). Four isolates, identified as Serratia marcescence and S. marcescena (S4) were selected for this study according to their resistance to five heavy metals. The ability of S. marcescena (S4) to grow in different concentrations of metals chloride (200-1200 µg/ml) was tested, the highest concentration that S. marcescence (S4) tolerate was 1000 µg/ml for Zn+2, Hg+2, Fe+2, AL+3, pb+2 and 300 µg/ml for Hg+2 through 24 hrs incubation at 37 Co. The effects of temperature and pH on bacteria growth during 72 hrs were also studied. S. marcescence (S4) was affected by ZnCl2, PbCl2, FeC12

Brainstorming has been a common approach in many industries where the result is not always accurate, especially when procuring automobile spare parts. This approach was replaced with a scientific and optimized method that is highly reliable, hence the decision to optimize the inventory inflation budget based on spare parts and miscellaneous costs of the typical automobile industry. Some factors required to achieve this goal were investigated. Through this investigation, spare parts (consumables and non-consumables) were found to be mostly used in Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM), Nigeria but incorporated miscellaneous costs to augment the cost of spare parts. The inflation rate was considered first due to the market's

The world is confronted with the twin crisis of fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel usage. Biodiesel produced from renewable feedstocks such as Jatropha seed oil or animal fats by transesterification offers a solution. Although biodiesel has been produced from various vegetable oils such as Jatropha seed oil, the reaction kinetics studies are very few in literature, hence the need for this study. Jatropha curcas seed oil was extracted and analyzed to determine its free fatty acid and fatty acid composition. The oil was transesterified with methanol at a molar ratio of methanol to oil 8:1, using 1% sodium hydroxide catalyst, at different temperature