In the current work various types of epoxy composites were added to concrete to enhance its effectiveness as a gamma- ray shield. Four epoxy samples of (E/clay/B4C) S1, (E/Mag/B4C) S2, (EPIL) S3 and (Ep) S4 were used in a comparative study of gamma radiation attenuation properties of these shields that calculating using Mont Carlo code (MCNP-5). Adopting Win X-com software and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), µ/ρ revealed great compliance with MCNP-5. By applying (µ/ρ) output for gamma at different energies, HVL, TVL and MFP have been also estimated. ANN technique was simulated to estimate (µ/ρ) and dose rates. According to the results, µ/ρ of all epoxy samples scored higher than standard concrete. Both S2 and S3 samples having higher values of µ/ρ, show minimum dose rate values. (µ/ρ) and RPE% values were enhanced, the concrete containing E/Mag/B4C (S2) had the best results, while the concrete containing Ep (S4) provide the worst results. The ANN prediction results take 15 sec for estimating gamma doses corresponding to seventeen shield thicknesses, while the theoretical MCNP-5 results took approximately between 7 to 10 hours for five gamma doses. ANN provides excellent predictions with a high degree of correlation depending on increasing the number of attenuation parameters used in the training process. Also, it predicts gamma dose rates for a large number of shield thicknesses that cannot be calculated theoretically in a very short time. This supports, the created epoxy composite offers good attenuation properties for many shielding applications and could be proposed as an injecting mortar for cracks in biological shields and the walls of diagnostic and radiotherapy rooms. However, further investigations are planned for different filler ratios, for comparison purposes, in order to reach optimal shielding properties
Air pollution means the release of pollutants into the atmosphere, which are harmful to human health and the planet as a whole. Almost all air pollutants come from production and energy use. In the present work, an assessment of some heavy metals, natural radioactivity and the quantity of dust fallen in three sites (Tessen, Rahemawa, and Laylan) in Kirkuk Governorate, northern Iraq. Three dust samples were collected from three locations (residential, commercial and industrial areas). The collected samples were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and radioactivity (Gamma rays). The studied heavy metals (Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) exceeded their limits in the atmosphere due to the increase in the number of automobiles, which
... Show MoreThis experiment was carried out in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Univ. of Baghdad, during autumn 2021 growing season to investigate possibility study of increase lettuce antioxidant and biological yield, growing and producing lettuce hydroponically under film technique (NFT) using a globally approved standard solution (Cooper solution), Nested design with three replications adopted in the experiment, each of them included in main plot the first factor, which is LED light (B and R), Then levels of second factor were randomly distributed within each replicate, which included spraying with organic nutrients which was Cymbopogon citratus and Hibiscus sabdariffa at two
This study included partial purification of the lipase enzyme from the karnel of the pecan nut. After applying ion exchange chromatography technique using CM-Cellulose, two lipase isoenzymes were observed with specific activity values of 2.66 and 1.7 units/mg protein. The highest activity of both isoenzymes appeared at the optimum pH values of 8 and 6 and at temperatures of 40 and 50 °C, respectively. A pure single band was obtained by using electrophoresis technique and it was found that the approximate molecular weight was 42 kDa for the two isoenzymes. The study dealt with the preparation of the diester compound 1,4-diacetoxybenzene, which was diagnosed by GC-MS and 1H NMR spectrometry. When studying the inhibitio
... Show MoreIn the present paper, chitosan Schiff base has been synthesized from chitosan’s reaction with the salicyldehyde. The AuNPs was manufacture by extract of onion peels as a reducing agent. The Au NPs that have been prepared were characterized through the UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD analyses and SEM microscopy. The polymer blends of the chitosan Schiff base / PVP has been prepared through using the approach of solution casting. Chitosan Schiff base / PVP Au nano-composites was prepared. Nano composites and polymer blends have been characterized by FTIR which confirm the formation of Schiff base by revealing a new band of absorption at 1651cm-1 as a result of the (C=N) imine group. SEM, DSC and TGA confirms the thermal stability of
... Show MoreThe aim of the study is the assessment of changes in the land cover within Mosul City in the north of Iraq using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques during the period (2014-2018). Satellite images of the Landsat 8 on this period have been selected to classify images in order to measure normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to assess land cover changes within Mosul City. The results indicated that the vegetative distribution ratio in 2014 is 4.98% of the total area under study, decreased to 4.77% in 2015 and then decreased to 4.54
Quorum sensing (QS) is a perfectly orchestrated molecular communication system. It is a boon for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and bane for the host. This system is believed to make K. pneumoniae a leading cause of multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial infections. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and anti-biofilm potential of medicinal plant extracts through interfering with QS of K. pneumoniae. The effect of different concentrations of ethanolic extracts of cinnamon and clove on K. pneumoniae was determined by analyzing the growth curve, survival assay (MTT), Qualitative and quantitative biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, along with studying gene expression of the genes encoding the above traits, using quantitative real tim
... Show MoreIntroduction: Inadequate pain assessment and management is a problem in hospitalized patients that impairs their wellbeing. Intensive care unit nurses’ pain practices are affected by several barriers and enablers. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the level of nurses’ practices and perceived barriers related to pain assessment in critically ill patients. Methodology: A cross-sectional design study was used. Purposive sampling technique was employed, including 100 nurses recruited from 8 intensive care units in Baghdad city, Iraq. The study was conducted from September 1st to October 20th, 2022. The pain assessment and management for critically ill patients survey was used to collect data. Descriptive sta
... Show MoreA series of 4-(methylsulfonyl)aniline derivatives were synthesized in order to obtain new compounds as a potential anti-inflammatory agents with expected selectivity against COX-2 enzyme. In vivo acute anti-inflammatory activity of the final compounds 11–14 was evaluated in rat using an egg-white induced edema model of inflammation in a dose equivalent to 3 mg/Kg of diclofenac sodium. All tested compounds produced significant reduction of paw edema with respect to the effect of propylene glycol 50% v/v (control group). Moreover, the activity of compounds 11 and 14 was significantly higher than that of diclofenac sodium (at 3 mg/Kg) in the 120–300 minute time interval, while compound 12 expressed a comparable effect to that of di
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