In this study, the potential of adsorption of amoxicillin antibiotic (AMOX) from aqueous solutions using prepared activated carbon (AC) was studied. The used AC was prepared from an inexpensive and available precursor (sunflower seed hulls (SSH)) and activated by potassium hydroxide (KOH). The prepared AC was examined for its ability to remove AMOX from aqueous contaminated solutions and characterized with the aid of N2 -adsorption/desorption isotherm Brunauer–Emmett– Teller, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared. Zeta potential of the prepared activated carbon from sunflower seed hulls (SSHAC) were studied in relation to AMOX adsorption. The physical and chemical properties of SSHAC were analyzed and it showed successful preparation of SSHAC with a preferable surface area, micropores volume and average pore diameter of 928.706 m2 /g, 0.565 cm3 /g and 2.55 nm, respectively due to the hierarchical porosity of the prepared adsorbent. SSHAC exhibited a removal percentage of 95% for AMOX at a solution pH of 6, SSHAC dosage of 0.75 g/L and an initial AMOX amount of 50 mg/L. Equilibrium analysis were performed in a batch model within the range of 5–9 solution pH, 0.25–1.25 mg/mL SSHAC dosage and 50–250 mg/L AMOX initial concentration. The experimental data obtained were analyzed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Langmuir model with a maximum AMOX adsorption capacity of 272.44 mg/g. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models were utilized to examine the kinetic data obtained at various inlet AMOX concentrations. The kinetic experimental data were well fitted with the pseudo-first-order equation. A proposed adsorption mechanism by π–π interactions were introduced. From the obtained results, SSHAC is recommended as a highly efficient adsorbent for removal of AMOX from aqueous solutions
Objective: Determination the effectiveness of educational program on female students’ practices toward premenstrual.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design study was conducted involving (140) student purposely in four secondary schools at Al-sadder city (70) student for study group and (70) for control group. The prevalence of PMS selected through American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) (2015) criteria to select PMS students before program. The education program were set in four steps, the first step (pre-test) is to assess the practices, before the implementation of the program, the second step is implementing the program, following two steps post-test I and II betwe
... Show MoreIn this work, we have developed a model that describes the relationships between top predators (such as tigers, hyenas, and others), crop raiders (such as baboons, warthogs, and deer), and prey (such as deer) in the coffee forests of southwest Ethiopia. Various potential equilibrium points are identified. Additionally, the model's stability in the vicinity of these equilibrium points is examined. An investigation of the model's Hopf bifurcation is conducted concerning several significant parameters. It is found that prey species may be extinct due to a lower growth rate and consumption by top predators in the absence of human interference in the carrying capacity of prey. It is observed that top predators may be extinct due to human interfe
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airflow limitation that is preventable but not curable. It is associated with persistent symptoms that cause a considerable burden on individual productivity at work, and daily activities, and reduced quality of life, also burdening the healthcare system and society. Objectives: The study aims to measure the burden of COPD on patients in terms of daily activities and work productivity. It also seeks to investigate some inflammatory biomarkers' levels and their correlation with selected outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 stable COPD patients who were diagnosed and treated according to the GOLD guidelines at Kirkuk General Hospital's
... Show MoreThis study aims to determine the reasons for the increase in the frequency of sand and dust storms in the Middle East and to identify their sources and mitigate them. A set of climatic data from 60 years (1960–2022) was analyzed. Sand storms in Iraq are a silty sand mature arkose composed of 72.7% sand, 25.1% silt, and 2.19% clay; the clay fraction in dust storms constitutes 70%, with a small amount of silt (20.6%) and sand (9.4%). Dust and sand storms (%) are composed of quartz (49.2, 67.1), feldspar (4.9, 20.9), calcite (38, 5), gypsum (4.8, 0.4), dolomite (0.8, 1.0), and heavy minerals (3.2, 6.6). Increasing temperatures in Iraq, by an average of 2 °C for sixty years, have contributed to an increase in the number of dust storm
... Show MoreFor the design of a deep foundation, piles are presumed to transfer the axial and lateral loads into the ground. However, the effects of the combined loads are generally ignored in engineering practice since there are uncertainties to the precise definition of soil–pile interactions. Hence, for technical discussions of the soil–pile interactions due to dynamic loads, a three-dimensional finite element model was developed to evaluate the soil pile performance based on the 1 g shaking table test. The static loads consisted of 50% of the allowable vertical pile capacity and 50% of the allowable lateral pile capacity. The dynamic loads were taken from the recorded data of the Kobe e
Background: Dolutegravir sodium (DTG), used to treat HIV, faces challenges in delivering effective therapeutic concentrations to the brain due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) combined with in situ gels present a promising strategy for enhancing brain drug delivery via the intranasal route. Objective: To compare brain pharmacokinetics of DTGs delivered via NLC-loaded in situ gel intranasal administration with the conventional intravenous (IV) drug solution. Methods: 80 Wistar rats, which were divided into three groups: two groups consisting of 39 animals each and a control group with 2 animals. Rats were administered with a dose of 1.0 mg/kg of DTGs IV, and DTGs NLC-loaded in situ gel were admin
... Show MoreThe neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
The study involved 132 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 81 healthy controls matched in terms of age and gender. Their sociodemographic data, disease activity scores using the Bath Ankylosing