The influence of the reaction gas composition during the DC magnetron sputtering process on the structural, chemical and optical properties of Ce-oxide thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed that all thin films exhibited a polycrystalline character with cubic fluorite structure for cerium dioxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that cerium is present in two oxidation states, namely as CeO2 and Ce2O3, at the surface of the films prepared at oxygen/argon flow ratios between 0% and 7%, whereas the films are completely oxidized into CeO2 as the aforementioned ratio increases beyond 14%. Various optical parameters for the thin films (including an optical band gap in the range of 2.25–3.1 eV) were derived from the UV–Vis reflectance. A significant change in the band gap was observed as oxygen/argon flow ratio was raised from 7% to 14% and this finding is consistent with the high-resolution XPS analysis of Ce 3d that reports a mixture of Ce2O3 and CeO2 in the films. Density functional theory (DFT+U) implemented in the Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP) was carried out to simulate the optical constants of CeO2 clusters at ground state. The computed electronic density of states (DOSs) of the optimized unit cell of CeO2 yields a band gap that agrees well with the experimentally measured optical band gap. The simulated and measured absorption coefficient (α) exhibited a similar trend and, to some extent, have similar values in the wavelength range from 100 to 2500 nm. The combined results of this study demonstrate good correlation between the theoretical and experimental findings.
Tests were performed on asphalt concrete specimens with (101.6 mm in diameter and 101.6 mm in height), and the results were implemented for calculating permanent deformation and resilient modulus under repeated compressive stress with different levels of stresses (0.068, 0.138 and 0.206) MPa at 40 ºC. Two types of additives namely (carbon black-asphalt) and (SBR-asphalt) were tried as rejuvenators with three percentages of (0.5, 1 and 1.5) % by weight of asphalt cement along with two ratios of AC (1 and 2) % have been implemented as rejuvenator and blended with the reclaimed asphalt concrete. Aged materials were obtained from the site. 100% Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement material from the reclaimed mixture is implemented. A
... Show MoreBackground/Aim There is an association between patient general health, socioeconomic status and fracture incidence. Aim of this study was to demonstrate the relation between the socioeconomic and health status and the occurrence of fractures in Al-Kindy Hospital residents. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was performed by using data collected from fractured patients in Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital / Baghdad Orthopaedics Outpatient Clinic, between 12 December 2021 and 8 March 2022. A hundred patients aged 20 to 75 years were included in this study. The data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire, which included items to assess patient's socioeconomic status (accommodations, occupation, income status, level of e
... Show MoreThis research study examines the impact of information technology on firm profitability and stock returns. Using a comprehensive dataset of firms across various industries, this research employs rigorous statistical analysis techniques to investigate the relationship between IT investments, firm profitability metrics, and stock returns. The study focuses at how IT investments affect financial performance measures including return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), with P-values of 0.34 and 0.12, respectively. Furthermore, the study investigates the influence of IT on stock returns, taking into account market capitalization, industry trends, and macroeconomic variables. This study's conclusions center on the beneficial assoc
... Show MoreReading roles as the third skill in the range of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Although the capability of reading in both academic and non-academic texts is assessed on standardized tests, few of oral interpretation of written language excludes images from estimating literary knowledge. This paper highlights strategies of reading comprehension and visual literacy. It aims to investigate either textual or visual reading in EFL can make an impact on students' comprehension. The effective use of visuals changes instructing reading comprehension recently.The imagery-text model can affect developing reading comprehension and enhancing intellectual thinking. The study hypothesizes that there is no relationship between reading and
... Show MoreThe new, standard molecular biologic system for duplicating DNA enzymatically devoid of employing a living organism, like E. coli or yeast, represents polymerases chain reaction (PCR). This technology allows an exponential intensification of a minor quantity of DNA molecule several times. Analysis can be straightforward with more DNA available.
A thermal heat cycler performs a polymerization chain reaction that involves repeated cycles of heating and cooling the reactant tubes at the desired temperature for each reaction step. A heated deck is positioned on the upper reaction tube to avoid evaporating the reaction mixture (normally volumes range from 15 to 100 l per tube), or an oil layer can be placed on a reaction mixture surfa
... Show MoreThe field experiment was conducted in garden of Department of Biology, College of Education for Pure Sciences (Ibn- Al-Haitham), University of Baghdad during the season of growth (2014-2015). The experiment aimed to study the effect of citric acid with two concentration 10, 20 mg. L-1 and glutamic acid with two concentration 50, 100 mg. L-1 on growth and yield of broad bean (Vicia faba). The results were showed an increased in plant height, leaves number. Plant dry weight, chlorophyll content flowers number, absolute growth rate, crop growth rate, legume length and dry weight, legumes number, seed dry weight compared with control plants.
Z-scan has been utilized for studying the non-linear properties and optical limiting behaviors of the dye Copper Phthalocyanine thin films. The refractive index is negative, which indicates a self-defocusing behavior and non-linear absorption coefficient (
Iraq enjoys many factors and ingredients that made it “affect and be affected at the same time” by the American-Iranian conflict from the “strategic geographical position” adjacent to Iran as an important point and that Iraq has been part of this conflict since the last period which witnessed the outbreak of the first Gulf War (1980-1988) because of border problems and a dispute over Shatt al-Arab, and what followed after that, specifically from 2003 when the United States of America and its allies occupied Iraq’s lands and made a political change by the destruction of its security and military institutions. It increased the importance of Iraq in being a subject of competition between the competing parties in exploiting the
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