Education around the world has been negatively affected by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Many institutions had to transition to distance learning in compliance with the enforced safety measures. Distance learning might work well for settings with stable internet connections, professional technical teams, and basic implementation of technology in education. In contrast, distance learning faces serious challenges in less fortunate settings with inferior infrastructure. This report aims to shed light on the immediate action steps taken at a leading pharmacy school in Iraq to accommodate for the enforced changes in pharmacy education. The University of Baghdad College of Pharmacy went from less than minimal technology implementation to full distance learning in a remarkable time frame. Pharmacy students were able to finish academic year requirements and move on with the program. Final year students will graduate on time as competent pharmacists.
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion process of organic materials is biochemical decomposition process done by two types of digestion bacteria in the absence of oxygen resulting in the biogas production, which is produced as a waste product of digestion. The first type of bacteria is known as acidogenic which converts organic waste to fatty acids. The second type of bacteria is called methane creators or methanogenic which transforms the fatty acids to biogas (CH4 and CO2). The considerable amounts of biodegradable constitutes such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins present in the microalgae biomass make it a suitable substrate for the anaerobic digestion or even c
... Show MoreAu nanoparticle-functionalized (TiO2)1−x(ZnO:MgO)x nanocomposite thin films (0≤x≤0.3) were effectively produced by chemical spray pyrolysis and annealed at 600 °C. The effects of ZnO incorporation and Au nanoparticle modification on the films' structural, optical, and antibacterial properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD analysis confirms the formation of polycrystalline anatase TiO2 and shows a composition-dependent structural development with increasing ZnO concentration. The optical experiments revealed increased transmittance and a progressive widening of the optical band gap from 3
... Show MoreCombination of natural poly-phenolic compounds with chemotherapeutic agents is recently being a novel strategy in cancer therapy researches owing to their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that modulate several intracellular signaling pathways.
Resveratrol and Baicalein are well known poly-phenolic compounds that belong to stilbene and flavone subclasses, respectively.
This study aims to investigate the possible enhancement effect of resveratrol and Baicalein when combined with doxorubicin using a different combination ratio and applied on two cancer cell lines: HCT116 (colorectal cancer cells) and HepG2 (hepatocellular cancer cells). It also investigates the possibility of such natural compounds to p
... Show MoreThis study aimed at evaluating the torsional capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) beams externally wrapped with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. An analytical model was described and used as a new computational procedure based on the softened truss model (STM) to predict the torsional behavior of RC beams strengthened with FRP. The proposed analytical model was validated with the existing experimental data for rectangular sections strengthened with FRP materials and considering torque-twist relationship and crack pattern at failure. The confined concrete behavior, in the case of FRP wrapping, was considered in the constitutive laws of concrete in the model. Then, an efficient algorithm was developed in MATLAB environment t
... Show MoreHerein, the interfacial polymerization method has been used for the synthesis of PPy/NaVO3 composites with different compositions of NaVO3 (10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 % and 50 %) as an efficient electrode material for supercapacitors. The successful formation and composition of the as-prepared composites (PV1-PV5) were confirmed by FTIR, XRD, EDX, and SEM analysis. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanometric charge–discharge measurement (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. As compared to other, the PV4 composite exhibit excellent specific capacitance of 391 F g−1 at a current density of 0.75 A/g with good cycling stability of ∼59 % after 1000 cycle
... Show MoreAqueous Two Phase System (ATPS) or liquid-liquid extraction is used in biotechnology to recover valuable compounds from raw sources. In Aqueous Two-Phase Systems, many factors influence the Partition coefficient, K, (which is the ratio of protein concentration in the top phase to that in the bottom phase) and the Recovery percentage (Rec%). In this research, two systems of ATPS were used: first, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000/Sodium citrate (SC), and the second, PEG8000/ Sodium phosphate (SPH), for the extraction of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The behavior of Rec% and K of pure (BSA) in ATPS has been investigated throughout the study by the effects of five parameters: temperature, concentration of polyethylene glycol (P
... Show MoreDialysis is a stressful process and follows various psychological and social problems, which can lead to psychological disturbances. Patients on dialysis experience psychological distress, and the reduction of stress in patients provides psychological resources to cope with their physical condition. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of deep-breathing exercise training on the level of stress among maintenance hemodialysis patients.
This study is a randomized