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.
Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) used for many applications especially in security applications, including border control. However, more accurate and language-independent techniques are still needed. This work provides a new approach to identifying Arabic license plates in different formats, colors, and even including English characters. Numbers, characters, and layouts with either 1-line or 2-line layouts are presented. For the test, we intend to use Iraqi license plates as there is a wide range of license plate styles written in Arabic, Kurdish, and English/Arabic languages, each different in style and color. This variety makes it difficult for recent traditional license plate recognition systems and algorithms to recogn
... Show MoreTraining nursing students on different pediatric nursing procedures by interactive learning methods prior to their dealing with children can ensure providing them with an adequate knowledge base and skills. There is a gap between theory and clinical practice. One of the methods proposed to block the gap between training and clinical practice is to transform traditional education systems into new method-based learning. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of simulation, blended, and self-directed learning methods on nursing students’ skills in some pediatric nursing procedures.
Psoriasis is a common chronic skin condition characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells into the epidermis and altered keratinocyte differentiation.
In this work, psoriasis was induced by an imiquimod 5% cream, an immune response modifier that can induce psoriasis-like skin inflammation when applied topically in mice. Guggulsterone prepared as a suspension and has been orally given to mice before imiquimod application. The results of the current study showed that guggulsterone suspension can significantly reduce psoriasis area and severity index in (guggul suspension+imiquimod group as compared with both control group and (vehicle suspension+imiquimod ) group.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Abstract This study examines the working capital management
The research presented the experience of creating a new sustainable city, and this experience of establishing an Eco-City (Environmentally friendly) is considered the first experience in Iraq. The current study stressed the importance of the need for environmental planning in the early stages of planning new cities based on realism in planning, design and implementation. Subsequently, that aims to preserve the ecosystem, which is difficult to compensate if degraded or polluted. The research incorporated environmental planning indicators within sustainable urban planning (Reliance on generating electric power that is based on clean and renewable energy sources, Availability of public t
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an expanding domain that can revolutionize different industries. Nevertheless, security is among the multiple challenges that it encounters. A major threat in the IoT environment is spoofing attacks, a type of cyber threat in which malicious actors masquerade as legitimate entities. This research aims to develop an effective technique for detecting spoofing attacks for IoT security by utilizing feature-importance methods. The suggested methodology involves three stages: preprocessing, selection of important features, and classification. The feature importance determines the most significant characteristics that play a role in detecting spoofing attacks. This is achieved via two techniques: decision tr
... Show Moreboth strongly associated with vascular and metabolic complications. Endothelin-1 is a potent vasoconstrictor that plays a key role in vascular tone regulation and endothelial function. Objective: To evaluate serum Endothelin-1 levels, lipid profile parameters (total cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides), and HbA1c in patients with type 2 diabetes and essential hypertension compared with healthy controls, in order to assess their association with vascular injury and metabolic risk. Methods: A case-control study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad. Between November 2024 and February 2025, a sample of patients were recruited from Baghdad Teaching Hospital and Ibn Al-Bi
... Show MoreMalaysia will be an ageing population by 2030 as the number of those aged 60 years and above has increased drastically from 6.2 percent in 2000 and is expected to reach 13.6 percent by 2030. There are many challenges that will be faced due to the ageing population, one of which is the increasing cost of pensions in the future. In view of that, it is necessary to investigate the effect of actuarial assumptions on pension liabilities under the perspective of ageing. To estimate the pension liabilities, the Projected Unit Credit method is used in the study and commutation functions are employed in the process. Demographic risk and salary risk have been identified as major risks in analyzing pension liabilities in this study. The sensitivity
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