In this study, wax worm larvae (Galleria mellonella) were used to examine their ability to degrade and assimilate polyethylene (PE) as an energy source. This idea came from the similarity of wax, that is used as the sole diet for larvae, with PE in composition. Morphology changes, weight loss, FTIR analysis and GC-Mass test were studied to prove the degradation of PE by G. mellonella. The maximum depth of holes on the plastic surface and 16% PE weight loss was due to extensive cutting. The creation of a novel O-H stretching alcohols/phenols group absorbance peak at 3293cm-1 observed in wax worm larvae PE frass samples may be due to the oxidation in their gut. Accordingly, the biodegradation of PE by wax worm larvae is ensured.
A theoretical study on corrosion inhibitors was done by quantum calculations includes semi-empirical PM3 and Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods based on B3LYP/6311++G (2d,2P). Benzimidazole derivative (oxo(4- ((phenylcarbamothioyl) carbamoyl)phenyl) ammonio) oxonium (4NBP) and thiourea derivative 2-((4- bromobenzyl)thio) -1H-benzo[d] imidazole (2SB) were used as corrosion inhibitors and an essential quantum chemical parameters correlated with inhibition efficiency, EHOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital energy) and ELUMO (lowest molecular orbital energy). Other parameters are also studied like energy gap [ΔE (HOMO-LUMO)], electron affinity (EA), hardness (Δ), dipole moment (μ), softness (S), ionization potential (IE), absolut
... Show MoreIn this paper, Zinc oxide were deposited on a glass substrate at room temperature (RT) and two annealing temperatures 350ºC and 500ºC using laser induced plasma technique. ZnO nanofilms of 200nm thickness have been deposited on glass substrate. X-RAY diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy and UV-visible spectrophotometer were used to analyze the results. XRD forms of ZnO nanostructure display hexagonal structure with three recognized peaks (100), (002), and (101) orientations at 500ºC annealing temperature. The optical properties of ZnO nanostructure were determined spectra. The energy gap was 3.1 eV at 300 oC and 3.25eV at 500ºC annealing temperature.
TNF-α-induced osteoclastogenesis is central to post-menopausal and inflammatory bone loss, however, the effect of phytoestrogens on TNF-α-induced bone resorption has not been studied. The phytoestrogens genistein, daidzein, and coumestrol directly suppressed TNF-α-induced osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. TRAP positive osteoclast formation and resorption area were significantly reduced by genistein (10(-7) M), daidzein (10(-5) M), and coumestrol (10(-7) M), which was prevented by the estrogen antagonist ICI 182,780. TRAP expression in mature TNF-α-induced osteoclasts was also significantly reduced by these phytoestrogen concentrations. In addition, in the presence of ICI 182,780 genistein and coumestrol (10(-5) -10(-6) M) augmente
... Show MoreField experimented were examined the effects of Piper nigrum and Urtica dioica extracts on the gray mold disease in tomato that caused by Botrytis cinerea. To evaluate the inducing resistance of these extracts, many treatments were sprayed on tomato leaves, including methanolic and aquatic extracts, Silver nano particles biosynthesis (AgNPs) and water as (control).
The results indicated that the resistance of tomato plants was increased when tomato plant sprayed first with Methanolic P. nigrum extracts and after 4 hours sprayed with B. cinerea. Also, spraying with methanolic and aquatic AgNPs P. nigrum extract were reduced gray mold disease. These results were showed that
... Show MoreA method was developed that offers a rapid, simple and accurate technique for the determination of chlorophenols at trace levels in aqueous samples with very limited volumes of organic solvents. These compounds were acetylated, then preliminarily extracted with n-hexane. The enriched chlorophenols were directly analyzed using gas chromatography with an electron-capture detector. The detection limits were in the range of 0.001–0.005 mg/L, except for 2-chlorophenol, which was always above 0.013 mg/L. Relative standard deviation for the spiked water samples ranged from 2.2 to 6.1%, while relative recoveries were in the range of 67.1 to 101.3%.
In this paper Zener diode was designed by mixing three mixing ratios of Ag2O(1-x)ZnO(x), where x is 0.5, 0.3, and 0.1, that are deposited on a p-type porous silicon using laser induced plasma technique at room temperature (RT). The results of the Zener diode showed a decrease in knee and Zener voltage when the mixing ratio of Ag2O(1-x)ZnO(x) structure was increased. Nanofilms of 200nm thickness were prepared from pure ZnO and Ag2O as well as Ag2O(1-x)ZnO(x) with three maxing ratios and deposited on glass slides at RT to analyze the structure and optical properties. The structures of Ag2O and Ag2O
Date stones were used as precursor for the preparation of activated carbons by chemical
activation with ferric chloride and zinc chloride. The effects of operating conditions represented
by the activation time, activation temperature, and impregnation ratio on the yield and adsorption
capacity towards methylene blue (MB) of prepared activated carbon by ferric chloride activation
(FAC) and zinc chloride activation (ZAC) were studied. For FAC, an optimum conditions of 1.25
h activation time, 700 °C activation temperature, and 1.5 impregnation ratio gave 185.15 mg/g
MB uptake and 47.08 % yield, while for ZAC, 240.77 mg/g MB uptake and 40.46 % yield were
obtained at the optimum conditions of 1.25 h activation time, 500
Activation of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) markedly attenuates development of atherosclerosis in animal models. However, the underlying mechanism is not well elucidated. Here, we show that the FXR agonist, obeticholic acid (OCA), increases fecal cholesterol excretion and macrophage reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) dependent on activation of hepatic FXR. OCA does not increase biliary cholesterol secretion, but inhibits intestinal cholesterol absorption. OCA markedly inhibits hepatic cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase (
A total of 60 samples of drinking water filtrated by Reverser 0smosis Filtration System from April to October 2012, from different houses in Baghdad – Al Resafa, so as to identify the eggs and cysts of protozoa. Two methods applied direct smear and staining technique with zeal nelson stain, which appeared Tape warm eggs, Ascaris lumbrecoides eggs and oocyst of Cryptospordium sp. This study revealed that total contamination rate with intestinal parasites in tap water were 96.6% this high rate, refers to filtrate tap water by reverse osmosis system was useful to prevent or reduce the contamination of drinking water, in order to reduce risks to public health; So recommended to apply this method at water purification stations. Dis
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