The focus of this work is on systematically understanding the effects of packing density of the sand grains on both the internal and bulk mechanical properties for strip footing interacting with granular soil. The studies are based on particle image velocimetry (PIV) method, coupled with a high resolution imaging camera. This provides valuable new insights on the evolution of slip planes at grain-scale under different fractions of the ultimate load. Furthermore, the PIV based results are compared with finite element method simulations in which the experimentally characterised parameters and constitutive behaviour are fed as an input, and a good level of agreements are obtained. The reported results would serve to the practicing engineers, r

Comparative taxonomic study has been compeleted for the species of the. genus Centaurium Hill. of Iraq. So the morphological characters were studied comparatively for the first time form Iraqi materials. Stems, leaves ,infloresences and reproductive organs characters were a good taxonomic importance. Geographical distrtribution has been done for the species of the genus in addition to the environment information. The results were presented with schedules, tables, maps and micrographs. Taxonomic key for the species separation was also presented.

Hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, has a number of infectious and non-infectious causes. Two of the viruses that cause hepatitis (hepatitis A and E) can be transmitted through water and food; hygiene is therefore important in their control. First, to assess the importance of HAV and HEV as a possible diagnosis for clinically diagnosed patients with acute viral hepatitis. Second, to assess the prevalence of hepatitis A and E in all provinces of Iraq and study its association with age, gender. This study consisted of two groups: The first group consisted of 2975 patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. The second group consisted of a total of 9610 persons, which were recruited by surveying a nationally representative

The presence of alkaloids in Crassula ovata is a topic that is still unexplored, as there are no published studies on the matter. This study demonstrates the presence of an alkaloid compound (and its class) for the first time in Crassula ovata. The plant material was defatted with n-hexane, and a Soxhlet apparatus was used for the extraction process, while the acid-base method was used for the isolation of alkaloids from the chloroform fractions. The quaternary alkaloid was precipitated from the aqueous layer spontaneously, in high quantity. By using standard spectroscopic methods (including liquid chromatography - mass spectroscopy) we were able to clarify the structure of the precipi¬tated compound as a tetrahydroprotoberberine a

Background: The treatment of schizophrenia typically involves the use of olanzapine (OLZ), a typical antipsychotic drug that has poor oral bioavailability due to its low solubility and first-pass effect.  Objective: To prepare and optimize OLZ as nanoparticles for transdermal delivery to avoid problems with oral administration. Methods: The nanoprecipitation technique was applied for the preparation of eight OLZ nanoparticles by using different polymers with various ratios. Nanoparticles were evaluated using different methods, including particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), entrapment efficiency (EE%), zeta potential and an in vitro release study. The morphology was evaluated by a field emission scanning electron microscope (F

The aim of present study was to develop gel formulation of microsponges of poorly soluble drug meloxicam (MLX) in order to enhance the release and dissolution of MLX which is the limitation for preparation in topical forms. Also skin delivery is an alternative administration for MLX that can minimize gastrointestinal (GI) side effects and improve patient compliance. The microsponges of MLX were prepared by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method.  The effects of drug:polymer ratio, stirring time and Eudragit polymer type on the physical characteristics of microsponges were investigated and characterized for production yield, loading efficiency, particle size, surface morphology, and in vitro drug release from microsponges. The selec

Simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method is described based on the coupling reaction of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC. HCl) with diazotized 4-aminopyridine in bulk and pharmaceutical forms. Colored azo dye formed during this reaction is measured at 433 nm as a function of time. Factors affecting the reaction yield were studied and the conditions were optimized. The kinetic study involves initial rate and fixed time (10 minutes) procedures for constructing the calibration graphs to determine the concentration of (TC. HCl). The graphs were linear for both methods in concentration range of 10.0 to 100.0 μg.mL-1. The recommended procedure was applied successfully in the determination of (TC. HCl) in its commercial formulations.