Titanium oxide nanoparticles-modified smectite (SMC-nTiO2) as a low-cost adsorbent was investigated for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solutions. The adsorbents (SMC and SMC-nTiO2) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The effects of various parameters like contact time, adsorbent weight, pH, and temperatures were examined. Three kinetic equations (pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and intra-particle diffusion) were used to evaluate the experimental kinetic of the data and the results showed that the adsorption process is in line with the PSO kinetic model. Adsorption equilibrium isotherms were modeled using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin equations. The removal processes of RhB onto SMC and SMC-nTiO2 were fitted well by the Freundlich isotherm. The maximum cationic dye removal of 91.4% and 99.9% were obtained at pH 9.04, for the adsorbent surfaces SMC and SMC-nTiO2, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, ΔS°, and Ea were also estimated for the whole process. The error function, the nonlinear Chi-square test (χ2) have been also determined. Titanium oxide nanoparticles- modified smectite clay sample shows very good potential as a low-cost adsorbent for the removal of RhB from aqueous solutions.
Background: Ultrasonography has been used to examine the thickness of the lower uterine segment in women with previous cesarean sections in an attempt to predict the risk of scar dehiscence during subsequent pregnancy. The predictive value of such measurement has not been adequately assessed. Objectives: To correlate lower uterine segment thickness measured by trans abdominal ultrasound in pregnant women with previous cesarean section with that measured during cesarean section by caliper and to find out minimum lower uterine segment thickness indicative of integrity of the scar.Methods: A prospective observational study at Elwyia Maternity Teaching Hospital, from January 2011 to January 2012. A total of 143 women were enrolled in the stu
... Show MoreAryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent ligand for AhR and a known carcinogen. While AhR activation by TCDD leads to significant immunosuppression, how this translates into carcinogenic signal is unclear. Recently, we demonstrated that activation of AhR by TCDD in naïve C57BL6 mice leads to massive induction of myeloid derived-suppressor cells (MDSCs). In the current study, we investigated the role of the gut microbiota in TCDD-mediated MDSC induction. TCDD caused significant alterations in the gut microbiome, such as increases in Prevotella and Lactobacillus, while decreasing Sutterella and Bacteroides. Fecal transplants from TCDD-treated
... Show MoreThe study sought to identify the attitudes of PhD students towards establishing the field of educational administration. The study followed the descriptive survey method. The questionnaire was used to collect information from the study community consisting of (95) male and female students in the department of educational administration and Planning. Among the most important results about students ’attitudes towards establishing the educational administration field are the following: 1) identifying the necessity of establishing the educational administration field. 2) Encouraging students to attend seminars and scientific conferences in Islamic rooting. 3) there are no statistically significant differences in the attitudes of doctoral s
... Show MoreSome methods recommended abroad to control the oriental hornet, Vespa orientalis L., attacking the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies were tested, with some modifications, for the first time under the Iraqi conditions. One of these methods was carried out by covering the hive entrance with a piece of queen excluder to prevent the hornet from entering the hive. Also, the position of hive stand was reversed to deprive the hornet from using the flight board as a stage for waiting and creeping toward the defending bees. The second method was carried out by fixing a cardboard cone as a bee passage at the hive entrance to hinder the entry of the hornet into the hive. Both of these methods were found to be unsuccessful to
... Show MoreThis research aims to clarify the advantages of using the regression method as analytical procedure in the tax audit to reducing the examination cost , time, effort, human and material resources, and represents an applied study in the General Commission of taxes. In order to achieve its objectives the research has used in the theoretical side the descriptive approach (analytical), and in the practical side regression method has been applied to the research sample represented by the soft drinks company that is subject to the tax settlement for the year 2014, where the value of sales has been verified by using the regression method without conductinga comprehensive examination. The most important results of the research indicate that the r
... Show MoreIschemic heart disease is a major causes of heart failure. Heart failure patients have predominantly left ventricular dysfunction (systolic or diastolic dysfunction, or both). Acute heart failure is most commonly caused by reduced myocardial contractility, and increased LV stiffness. We performed echocardiography and gated SPECT with Tc99m MIBI within 263 patients and 166 normal individuals. Left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured. For all degrees of ischemia, there was a significant difference between ejection fraction values measured by SPECT and echo
Nowadays, most of the on-chip plasmonic single-photon sources emit an unpolarized stream of single photons that demand a subsequent polarizer stage in a practical quantum cryptography system. In this paper, we numerically demonstrated the coupling of the light emitted from a quantum emitter (QE) at 700 nm wavelength to the propagation mode supported by an on-chip hybrid plasmonic waveguide (HPW) polarization rotator. Our results proved that the light emitted is linearly polarized at 0º, 45º/−45º, and 90º with propagation lengths of 5 μm, 3.3 μm, and 3.9 μm, respectively. Moreover, high power-conversion efficiency was obtained from an applied transverse magnetic (TM) mode (0º-polarization) to a transverse electric (TE) (90º-polari
... Show More