A single step extraction-cleanup procedure using porous membrane-protected micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) in conjunction with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry for the extraction and determination of aflatoxins (AFs) B1, B2, G1 and G2 from food was successfully developed. After the extraction, AFs were desorbed from the μ-SPE device by ultrasonication using acetonitrile. The optimum extraction conditions were: sorbent material, C8; sorbent mass, 20 mg; extraction time, 90 min; stirring speed, 1000 rpm; sample volume, 10 mL; desorption solvent, acetonitrile; solvent volume, 350 μL and ultrasonication period, 25 min without salt addition. Under the optimum conditions, enrichment factor of 11, 9, 9 and 10 for AFG2, AFG1, AFB2 and AFB1, respectively were achieved. Good linearity and correlation coefficient was obtained over the concentration range of 0.4–50 ng g−1 (r2 0.9988–0.9999 …
In latest decades, genetic methods have developed into a potent tool in a number of life-attaching applications. In research looking at demographic genetic diversity, QTL detection, marker-assisted selection, and food traceability, DNA-based technologies like PCR are being employed more and more. These approaches call for extraction procedures that provide efficient nucleic acid extraction and the elimination of PCR inhibitors. The first and most important stage in molecular biology is the extraction of DNA from cells. For a molecular scientist, the high quality and integrity of the isolated DNA as well as the extraction method's ease of use and affordability are crucial factors. The present study was designed to establish a simple, fast
... Show MoreHemogloin (Hb) and serum ferritin levels are used to assess anemia in pregnancy. Some studies referred to the influence of maternal age, body mass index (BMI) and parity on Hb and serum ferritin levels. The study aimed to examine the possible association of maternal Hb and serum ferritin with maternal age, parity, and BMI in a sample of pregnant women in Baghdad.
Ninety healthy pregnant women, grouped in three equal groups according to the pregnancy trimester, and thirty apparently healthy non-pregnant women from Baghdad were enrolled in this observational study. Blood and serum samples were obtained for the estimation of Hb and serum ferritin levels.
The pooled data of participants showed a n
... Show MoreSelf-compacting concrete (SCC) has undergone a remarkable evolution recently based on the results from several studies that have indicated the chain of benefits SCC provides. Micro and nano materials used as mineral additives in SCC offer several high-performance properties, and this research studies the effects of micro silica (MS) (10%, used as a reference) and colloidal nano-silica (CNS) (2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%) on the fresh and hardened properties of SCC. All mixtures were estimated using flow, L-box, and V-funnel tests to examine workability and compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and tensile strength as hardened properties. The use of CNS increased the overall compressi
This study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for extracting basil seed gum in addition to determine the chemical components of basil seeds. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the effect of the mixing ratio of gum to ethanol when deposited on the basis of the gum yield which was1:1, 1:2, 1:3 (v/v) respectively. The best mixing ratio was one size of gum to two sizes of ethanol, which recorded the highest yield. Based on the earlier, the optimal conditions for extracting basil seed gum in different levels which included pH, temperature, mixing ratio seeds: water and the soaking duration were studied. The optimal conditions were: pH 8, temperature of 60°C, mixing ratio seeds: water 1:65 (w/v) and soaking duration of 30 min
... Show MoreA procedure, depending on the derivatization and determination of aniline was depicted andvalidated in this study. 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used as the derivatizing agent for thedetermination of aniline. An optimization study was performed for the derivatization reaction, i.e.,the diazonium coupling reaction, the optimum parameters were as follows: 22 mM of hydrochloricacid, 54mM of sodium hydroxide, and 1.8mM of sodium nitrate. The optimization study of themethod of cloud point extraction (CPE) revealed that the extraction solvent was 0.5 ml of Triton X-100, the optimum temperature was 90 °C, and the incubation time was 25 min. The linearity,correlation coefficients, molar absorptivities, and limits of detection were improved using t
... Show MoreBackground: Although various imaging modalities are available for evaluating suspicious breast lesions, ultrasound-based Shear-Wave Elastography (SWE) is an advanced, non-invasive technique complementary to grayscale sonography. This technique evaluates the elasticity of a specific tissue by applying sonic pressure to that tissue.
Objective: The aim is to assess the role of SWE in evaluating solid breast masses in correlation to histopathological study results.
Subjects and Methods: This prospective study was done in a tertiary care teaching hospital from September 2019 to August 2020. A study population of 50 women aged 18 years or above with an
... Show MoreRadioactive elements were identified in samples of imported coffee consumed in the province of Basra using gamma spectrometry SAM940TM. It is a scintillation detector of NaI(Tl) crystal and the dimensions of 2×2 inch. We have identified specific concentration As(Bq/kg) and annual effective dose D(Sv/y) for radioactive elements (_^40)K, (_^131)I, (_^134)Cs and (_^137)Cs. The estimated average effective dose for adults from coffee samples were found to be 0.037mSv/y, 88.434nSv/y, 46.909nSv/y, 27.212nSv/y for ((_^40)K,(_^131)I,(_^134)Cs,(_^137)Cs) respectively. The present results of the study revealed that the radioactivity was relatively low in the coffee and within the permissiblelimit.
Image classification is the process of finding common features in images from various classes and applying them to categorize and label them. The main problem of the image classification process is the abundance of images, the high complexity of the data, and the shortage of labeled data, presenting the key obstacles in image classification. The cornerstone of image classification is evaluating the convolutional features retrieved from deep learning models and training them with machine learning classifiers. This study proposes a new approach of “hybrid learning” by combining deep learning with machine learning for image classification based on convolutional feature extraction using the VGG-16 deep learning model and seven class
... Show MoreImage classification is the process of finding common features in images from various classes and applying them to categorize and label them. The main problem of the image classification process is the abundance of images, the high complexity of the data, and the shortage of labeled data, presenting the key obstacles in image classification. The cornerstone of image classification is evaluating the convolutional features retrieved from deep learning models and training them with machine learning classifiers. This study proposes a new approach of “hybrid learning” by combining deep learning with machine learning for image classification based on convolutional feature extraction using the VGG-16 deep learning model and seven class
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