The present work reports the performance of three types of polyethersulfone (PES) membrane in the removal of highly polluting and toxic lead Pb2+ and cadmium Cd2+ ions from a single salt. This study investigated the effect of operating variables, including pH, types of PES membrane, and feed concentration, on the separation process. The transport parameters and mass transfer coefficient (k) of the membranes were estimated using the combined film theory-solution-diffusion (CFSD), combined film theory-Spiegler-Kedem (CFSK), and combined film theory-finely-porous (CFFP) membrane transport models. Various parameters were used to estimate the enrichment factors, concentration polarization modulus, and Péclet number. The pH values significantly affected the permeation flux of the Pb2+ solution but only had a slight effect on the Cd2+ solution. However, Cd2+ rejection was highly improved by increasing the pH value. The rejection of the PES membranes increased greatly as the heavy metal concentration rose, while the heavy metal concentration moderately affected the permeation flux. The maximum rejection of Pb2+ in a single-salt solution was 99%, 97.5%, and 98% for a feed solution containing 10 mg Pb/L at pH 6, 6.2, and 5.7, for PES1, PES2, and PES3, respectively. The maximum rejection of Cd2+ in single-salt solutions was 78%, 50.2%, and 44% for a feed solution containing 10 mg Cd/L at pH 6.5, 6.2, and 6.5, for PES1, PES2, and PES3, respectively. The analysis of the experimental data using the CFSD, CFSK, and CFFP models showed a good agreement between the theoretical and experimental results. The effective membrane thickness and active skin layer thickness were evaluated using the CFFP model, indicating that the Péclet number is important for determining the mechanism of separation by diffusion.
The launch of the EU’s Eastern Partnership in 2009 intended to signal a new, elevated level of EU engagement with its Eastern neighborhood. Yet there remain several long-simmering and potentially destabilizing conflicts in the region, with which EU engagement thus far has been sporadic at best. The Union’s use of its Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) in the region and to help solve these disputes has been particularly ad hoc and inconsistent, wracked by inter-institutional incoherence and undermined by Member States’ inability to agree on a broad strategic vision for engagement with the area.
The three CSDP missions deployed to the region thus far have all suffered from this incoherence to various extents. In particu
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to find out the effect of the SPAWN strategy on the life skills of second-intermediate-grade students. This study stage represented the research community within the intermediate and secondary governmental daytime schools affiliated with the Directorate of Education of Diwaniyah. The experiment was applied in Al-Razai Intermediate School on a sample of second-grade intermediate students, including 66 students distributed into two groups: (32) students within the experimental group and (34) students within the control group. The two groups were equivalent with a number of variables (chronological age, intelligence test, previous information test, life skills scale). The results indicated that the two groups were
... Show MoreThe Kurds' positions were characterized by insistence on their rights during the monarchy and choosing various solutions to obtain independence. After the revolution of July 14, 1958, the Kurds welcomed it, and the leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party sent a telegram to the Free Officers Organization congratulating them on the new era in order to build sound and correct relations between the two parties. However, the military conflict was renewed between the Iraqi government and the Kurds and continued even after the coup of February 8, 1963, and all the subsequent negotiating and peaceful attempts to resolve the Kurdish problem until 1966. It was a state of double contradiction for both parties that thwarted the peaceful attempts. The
... Show MoreVisceral leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease on the rise in different regions of Iraq, especially in areas with poor hygiene and among refugee populations. The effectiveness of existing chemotherapy for leishmaniasis is constrained by its high toxicity, cost, and the development of drug resistance. The current research examined various concentrations (ranging from 125 to 1000 μM) of lupeol to evaluate its ability to boost the generation of nitric oxide, which has anti-leishmanial properties, in an ex-vivo macrophage model. Griess assay was used to detect the nitric oxide (NO) production in Leishmania donovani infected U937 cell-line macrophages along 24 and 48 hours post treated. The nitric oxide concentration was signifi
... Show MoreIn this study, gold nanoparticle samples were prepared by the chemical reduction method (seed-growth) with 4 ratios (10, 12, 15 and 18) ml of seed, and the growth was stationary at 40 ml. The optical and structural properties of these samples were studied. The 18 ml seed sample showed the highest absorbance. The X- ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of these samples showed clear peaks at (38.25o, 44.5o, 64.4o, and 77.95o). The UV-visible showed that the absorbance of all the samples was in the same range as the standard AuNPs. The field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) showed the shape of AuNPs as nanorods and the particle size between 30-50 nm. Rhodamine-610 (RhB) was prepared at 10<
... Show MoreHigh frequencies of multidrug resistant organisms were observed worldwide in intensive care units which is a warning as to use the only few effective antimicrobials wisely to reduce selective pressure on sensitive strains.
The aim of the current study is to asses the compliance of the currently followed antibiotic prescribing pattern in the intensive care unit in an Iraqi hospital with the international guidelines.A cross-sectional study was done in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Surgical Specialties Hospital, Medical City in Bagdad from the 30th of November 2011 to the 5th of May 2012.Patients were followed until they were discharged or died to see any change in condition, response to drugs, devices u
... Show MoreThe acute phase response is a major pathophysiologic phenomenon that accompanies inflammation whether acute or chronic. Complement (C3 and C4) and C - reactive protein (CRP) are positive acute phase proteins (+ ve APPs ). Their production takes place in hepatocyte and the blood concentration of these parameters are increased in osteoarthritis (OA). Chloroquine (CQ) is a diprotic weak base traditionally used to treat malaria. Recently the phosphate salt of CQ is used to decrease this type of (+ve APPs) . In this study, patients who suffered from knee osteoarthritis (KOA) are treated with oral dosage form of chloroquine phosphate (CQP) for one month, twice daily. Our results demonstrate that CQP improves the patient status by decreas
... Show MoreIn this research, the mechanism of cracks propagation for epoxy/ chopped carbon fibers composites have been investigated .Carbon fibers (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) by weight were used to reinforce epoxy resin. Bending test was carried out to evaluate the flexural strength in order to explain the mechanism of cracks propagation. It was found that, the flexural strength will increase with increasing the percentage weight for carbon fibers. At low stresses, the cracks will state at the lower surface for the specimen. Increasing the stresses will accelerate the speed of cracks until fracture accorded .The path of cracks is changed according to the distributions of carbon fibers
The research took the spatial autoregressive model: SAR and spatial error model: SEM in an attempt to provide practical evidence that proves the importance of spatial analysis, with a particular focus on the importance of using regression models spatial and that includes all of the spatial dependence, which we can test its presence or not by using Moran test. While ignoring this dependency may lead to the loss of important information about the phenomenon under research is reflected in the end on the strength of the statistical estimation power, as these models are the link between the usual regression models with time-series models. The spatial analysis had been applied to Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey: IHS
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