A reversed-phase HPLC method with fluorescence detection for the determination of the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 in 42 animal feeds, comprising corn (16), soya bean meal (8), mixed meal (13), sunflower, wheat, canola, palm kernel, copra meals (1 each) was carried out. The samples were first extracted using acetonitrile:water (9:1), and was further cleaned-up using a multifunctional column. Optimum conditions for the extraction and chromatographic separation were investigated. By adopting an isocratic chromatographic system using a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile:methanol:water (8:27:65, v/v/v), the separation of the four aflatoxins was possible within 30 min. Recoveries for aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2 were 98 ± 0.7%, 95 ± 1.0%, 94 ± 3.6% and 97 ± 4.3%, respectively. The results show that eight samples (19%) were contaminated with aflatoxins, ranging from 6.5 to 101.9 ng g−1. Total aflatoxin levels in three samples exceed the legal limits of many countries of 20 ng g−1.
Natural Bauxite (BXT) mineral clay was modified with a cationic surfactant (hexadecy ltrimethy lammonium bromide (BXT-HDTMA)) and characterized with different techniques: FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The modified and natural bauxite (BXT) were used as adsorbents for the adsorption of 4- Chlorophenol (4-CP) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption study was carried out at different conditions and parameters: contact time, pH value, adsorbent dosage and ionic strength. The adsorption kinetic (described by a pseudo-first order and a pseudo-second order), equilibrium experimental data (analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models) and thermodynamic parameters (change in s
... Show MoreIn the midst of rapid changes and difficultiesand the tough competition faced by the Iraqi banks, it has become necessary to focus on a significant aspect of administrative work; that is strategic planning and the key role of implementation within this process in improving the banking service quality. It has emerged as a critical and main competitive weapon for distinguishing the services provided by banks from each other in an effort to participate in increasing market share of the bank in question in question; in its growth, continuation and profit increase.
The research has addressed the relation between the independent variable (implementation within strategic planning), and the dependent variable (banking service quality and
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The research aims to measure the level of critical thinking skills among students of A’Sharqiah University in the Sultanate of Oman, as well as identify the level of their availability based on the variables: gender, academic level, school year, cumulative average, and general diploma / high school ratio. The researchers used the descriptive approach. To achieve the objectives of the study, they used The California Test for Critical Thinking Skills Picture (A) after evaluation (Farraj, 2006). It was applied to a sample of (487) students from A’sharqiah University. The results of the study found that the critical thinking skills of A’sharqiah University students are below the educationally acceptabl
... Show MoreSolar energy usage in Iraq is facing many issues; one of those is the accumulation “of the dust on the surface of the solar module which” would highly lower its efficiency. The present work study the effect of dust accumulation” on installing fixed solar modules with different inclined angles 15o, 33o, 45o, 60o. Evaluation of the solar modules performance under different circumstance conditions such as rain, wind and humidity are considered in study of dust effect on solar module performance. The results show that the lowest output average efficiencies of solar modules occurs at 15o horizontally inclined angle are 7.4% , 6.7% , 8.0% , 8.1%, and 8.4% for the cor
... Show MoreAdvanced strategies for production forecasting, operational optimization, and decision-making enhancement have been employed through reservoir management and machine learning (ML) techniques. A hybrid model is established to predict future gas output in a gas reservoir through historical production data, including reservoir pressure, cumulative gas production, and cumulative water production for 67 months. The procedure starts with data preprocessing and applies seasonal exponential smoothing (SES) to capture seasonality and trends in production data, while an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) captures complicated spatiotemporal connections. The history replication in the models is quantified for accuracy through metric keys such as m
... Show MoreThis work investigates the impacts of eccentric-inclined load on ring footing performance resting on treated and untreated weak sandy soil, and due to the reduction in the footing carrying capacity due to the combinations of eccentrically-inclined load, the geogrid was used as reinforcement material. Ring radius ratio and reinforcement depth ratio parameters were investigated. Test outcomes showed that the carrying capacity of the footing decreases with the increment in the eccentric-inclined load and footing radius ratio. Furthermore, footing tilt and horizontal displacement increase with increasing the eccentricity and inclination angle, respectively. At the same time, the increment in the horizontal displacement due t
... Show MoreThe current study used extracts from the aloe vera (AV) plant and the hibiscus sabdariffa flower to make Ag-ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) and Ag-ZnO nanocomposites (NCs). Ag/ZnO NCs were compared to Ag NPs and ZnO NPs. They exhibited unique properties against bacteria and fungi that aren't present in either of the individual parts. The Ag-ZnO NCs from AV showed the best performance against E. coli, with an inhibition zone of up to 27 mm, compared to the other samples. The maximum absorbance peaks were observed at 431 nm and 410 nm for Ag NPs, at 374 nm and 377 nm for ZnO NPs and at 384 nm and 391 nm for Ag-ZnO NCs using AV leaf extract and hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract, respectively. Using field emission-scanning electron microscopes (FE-
... Show MoreMixed Kirkuk and Sharki-Baghdad crude oils were distilled into narrow fractions. The range of these narrow fractions were 10oC, starting from IBP to 350oC. The total distillates from mixed Kirkuk and Sharki-Baghdad crude oils were 58.25 vol % and 44.65 vol %, respectively.The hydrocarbons compositions (paraffin, naphthene, aromatic) in light fractions starting from IBP to 250oC were determined by using PONA analysis method. The results show that the paraffin content decreases with increasing mid percent boiling point of the fraction, while the naphthene, and aromatic increase with the increase of mid percent boiling point of mixed Kirkuk and Sharki-Baghdad crude oils. Three groups of empirical equations were developed for the prediction
... Show MoreVariation in the numbers of pectoral fin spines and rays, pelvic fin rays, gill rakers on the first gill arch, anal fin rays, and the number of vertebrae of Silurus triostegus Heckel were examined in specimens from 16 localities that span its entire distribution range in the Tigris, Euphrates, and Shatt al-Arab rivers in Iraq. The mean number of the six meristic traits increases toward high latitudes with maximum and minimum values in the north and south of Iraq. Based on cluster analysis and PCA, the Mesopotamian river samples were clearly separated into three distinct groups. The upper Tigris populations were isolated from those of the middle and southern populations of this river and from those of