Low grade crude palm oil (LGCPO) presents as an attractive option as feedstock for biodiesel production due to its low cost and non-competition with food resources. Typically, LGCPO contains high contents of free fatty acids (FFA), rendering it impossible in direct trans-esterification processes due to the saponification reaction. Esterification is the typical pre-treatment process to reduce the FFA content and to produce fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). The pre-treatment of LGCPO using two different acid catalysts, such as titanium oxysulphate sulphuric acid complex hydrate (TiOSH) and 5-sulfosalicylic acid dihydrate (5-SOCAH) was investigated for the first time in this study. The optimum conditions for the homogenous catalyst (5-SOCAH) wer

Milling process is a common machining operation that is used in the manufacturing of complex surfaces. Machining-induced residual stresses (RS) have a great impact on the performance of machined components and the surface quality in face milling operations with parameter cutting. The properties of engineering material as well as structural components, specifically fatigue life, deformation, impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and brittle fracture, can all be significantly influenced by residual stresses. Accordingly, controlling the distribution of residual stresses is indeed important to protect the piece and avoid failure. Most of the previous works inspected the material properties, tool parameters, or cutting parameters, bu

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide, which characterized by steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. The aim of this designed study is to evaluate the ability of guggulsterone to prevent high fat diet induced steatohepatitis in mice. Five groups of male mice were selected and treated as the following: group I, mice had free access to standard commercial diet and considered as control group, group II, mice were fed a specially formulated high-fat diet for 12 weeks to induce non-alcoholic liver disease, while groups III, IV and V the mice were administered high fat diet containing guggulsterone at 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm concentration respectively for 12 weeks. Maintaini

Back ground: Several devices with different physical bases have been developed for the clinical measurement of corneal thickness, they classified into 4 categories: Scheimpflug photography based, Slit –Scanning topography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) based and ultrasound (US) based.Objective:To evaluatethe precision of the new Scheimpflug –Placido disc corneal topography in measurement of corneal thickness and to compare the measured values with that obtained by US pachymetry.Methods: Setting of this study is Lasik center in Eye Specialty Private Hospital. Baghdad. Iraq.Eyes of healthy subjects were examined with the Sirius topography.3 consecutive measurements of central (CCT)and thinnest (TCT) corneal thicknesses were obtain

Dissolution of gypsum rock in water is significant, which may result in hydrocarbon reservoir formation and evaporate deposits. However, the complexity of the gypsum dissolution process is still of interest because of its uncleanness that requires more critical analysis. The objectives of this experimental study are emphasis on the dissolution characteristics of gypsum rock under room temperature and by various types of water; namely: deionized, tap, fresh, acidic, well, and normal rainwatre. In addition, the influences of dissolution on gypsum rock's mechanical and physical characteristics. Gypsum rock was obtained from Agjalar area, in the southwest of Sulaymaniyah city, Northern Iraq. Experimental results show that we

The aim of the study is to examine the challenges of financing small and medium enterprises in Iraq and subsequently to proffer solutions to mitigate problems. These solutions are achieved by focusing on the role of accounting information on the financial projects in for example, hotel construction, and by providing the necessary accounting information for the concerned parties to finance these projects. In order to highlight the challenges associated with the funding of small and medium enterprises and the role of accounting information in reducing those challenges, a questionnaire was prepared. As the government authorities are the ones responsible for the accomplishment of these projects, a questionnaire form was distributed in the proje

Myelosuppression is a serious disease that is related to the malfunction of blood cells production that leads to cytopenia which is the most serious hematologic toxicity of cancer chemotherapies including cyclophosphamide, which is a strong oxazaphosphorine [a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent] that can be used alone or combined with other chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of different malignant diseases. It induces severe bone marrow suppression by damaging hematopoietic stem cells through the generation of oxidative stress. Fisetin is a hydrophobic polyphenolic compound with a wide range of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, osteoprotective, antidiabetic, and anti-carcinogenic

Objective: This study was designed to investigate some possible therapeutic mechanisms of pentoxifylline and sildenafil in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma induced by 1, 2 dimethylhydrazines in rats. Methods: Rats were allocated into seven groups, negative control, colon cancer induced by 1,2,dimethylhydrazine, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (50 mg/kg)-treated, pentoxifylline (PTX) (50 mg/kg)-treated, sildenafil (0.7 mg/kg)-treated groups; the two other groups set as colon cancer induced group treated with PTX (50 mg/kg) plus 5-FU(50 mg/kg) and sildenafil (0.7 mg/kg) plus 5-FU (50 mg/kg), respectively. Results: Biochemical results revealed significant elevation of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, carbohydrate19-9 antigen (CA19-9) as