Objective: To measure the serum levels of Fetuin-A, ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and ferritin in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19in Baghdad, Iraq. Moreover, to determine these biomarkers' cut-off valuesthat differentiate between severely ill patients and control subjects. Methods: This case-control study was done from 15 September to the end of December 2021 and involved a review of the files and collectionof blood samples from patients (n=45, group1) hospitalized in COVID-19 treatment centersbecause of severe symptoms compared tohealthy subjects as controls (n=44, group2). Results: Fetuin-A serum levels were not statistically different between patients and controls. In contrast, IMA and ferritin levels were significan

The preparation and characterization of innovative nanocomposites based on zinc oxide nanorods (ZNR) encapsulated by graphene (Gr) nanosheets and decorated with silver (Ag), and cupper (Cu) nanoparticles (NP) were studied. The prepared nanocomposites (ZNR@Gr/Cu-Ag) were examined by different techniques including Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Vis spectrophotometer and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that the ZNR has been good cover by five layers of graphene and decorated with Ag and Cu NPs with particles size of about 10-15 nm. The ZNR@Gr/Cu-Ag nanocomposites exhibit high absorption behavior in ultraviolet (UV) region of sp

A polycrystalline PbxS1-x alloys with various Pb content ( 0.54 and 0.55) has been prepared successfully. The structure and composition of alloys are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) respectively. The X-ray diffraction results shows that the structure is polycrystalline with cubic structure, and there are strong peaks at the direction (200) and (111), the grain size varies between 20 and 82 nm. From AAS and XRF result, the concentrations of Pb content for these alloys were determined. The results show high accuracy and very close to the theoretical values. A photoconductive detector as a bulk has been fabricated by taking pieces of prepared alloys and polished chemic

In this work, nanostructure zinc sulfide (ZnS) thin films at temperature of substrate 450 oC and thickness (120) nm have been produced by chemical spray pyrolysis method. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurements of the film showed that they have a polycrystalline structure and possessed a hexagonal phase with strong crystalline orientation of (103). The grain size was measured using scanning electron microscope (SEM) which was approximately equal to 80 nm. The linear optical measurements showed that ZnS nanostructure has direct energy gap. Nonlinear optical properties experiments were performed using Q-switched 532 nm Nd:YAG laser Z-scan system. The nonlinear refractive index (n2) and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) estimated for Z

         Beryllium Zinc Oxide (Be_xZn_1-xO) ternary nano thin films were deposited using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique under a vacuum condition of 10^-3 torr at room temperature on glass substrates with different films thicknesses, (300, 600 and 900 nm). UV-Vis spectra study found the optical band gap for Be_0.2Zn_0.8O to be  (3.42, 3.51 and 3.65 eV) for the (300, 600 and 900nm) film thicknesses, respectively which is larger than the value of zinc oxide ZnO (3.36eV) and smaller than that of beryllium oxide BeO (10.6eV). While the X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern analysis of ZnO, BeO and Be _0.2 Zn _0.8 O powder and nano-thin films indicated a hexa

The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens necessitates the discovery of novel antibacterial agents. In this study, culturable soil bacteria from the Dead Sea region (Jordan) were isolated and the antibacterial activity of their extracellular metabolites were evaluated. Twenty-one isolates were screened using a perpendicular-streak primary assay; three stable producers (GH-15, GH-20, GH-21) were prioritized. Cell-free supernatants were extracted with n-hexane and ethyl acetate, tested using agar well diffusion, and profiled using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) coupled with bioautography (GH-15). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by broth microdi

The zeolite's textural properties have a significant effect on zeolite's effectiveness in the different industrial processes. This research aimed to study the textual properties of the NaX and FeX zeolites using the nitrogen adsorption-desorption technique at a constant low temperature. According to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the adsorption-desorption isotherm showed that the studied materials were mixed kinds I/II isotherms and H3 type hysteresis. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm was the best model to describe the nitrogen adsorption-desorption better than the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The obtained adsorption capacity and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area values for NaX were greater than FeX. Ac

Mn₂O₃ was coated onto reduced titania nanotubes by reverse pulse electrodeposition, showing smooth and homogenous deposits without covering the opening of the nanotubes.