The river water salinity is a major concern in many countries, and salinity can be expressed as total dissolved solids. So, the water salinity impact of the river is one of the major factors effects of water quality. Tigris river water salinity increase with streamline and time due to the decrease in the river flow and dam construction from neighboring countries. The major objective of this research to developed salinity model to study the change of salinity and its impact on the Al-Karkh, Sharq Dijla, Al-Karama, Al-Wathba, Al-Dora, and Al-Wihda water treatment plant along Tigris River in Baghdad city using artificial neural network model (ANN). The parameter used in a model built is (Turbidity, Ec, T.s, S.s, and TDS in)

Two different polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl chloride (PVA/PVC) hollow fiber composite nanofiltration membranes were prepared after PVC hollow fiber membranes were coated using dip-coating method with PVA aqueous solution, which was composed of PVA, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO9), and water [PVA/AEO9/water (4:0.5:95.5) wt%]. Effect of two different PVC hollow fiber immersion times in coating solution were studied. Cross-section, internal and external surfaces of the PVC hollow fibers and PVA/PVC composite nanofiltration membranes structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pure water permeation flux and solutes rejection. It was found that, the coating layer thickness on the outer surface of the 19 wt% P

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with polymorphic expression. B cells have an essential contribution in immune system activation via the production of different cytokines and functioning as potent antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, a drug that particularly targets B cells may represent an ideal therapeutic approach for SLE. Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody causing transient B-cell depletion, has been used to manage SLE. This study aims to assess Rituximab effects on lupus nephritis (LN) patients when added to conventional immunosuppressants. Twenty four patients, 15-32 years old, with class III/IV/V LN were involved in this study. All were on steroids before lupus nephritis occurrence. They were

Biodiesel is popular as an eco-friendly fossil fuel alternative. Neem oil is manufactured from Azadirachta indica seeds. Transesterifying triglycerides with alcohol in the presence of a synthesized CaO nanocatalyst is the most common biodiesel synthesis procedure—recent advances, difficulties, and prospects in laser feedstock pretreatment to boost reactivity and reduce energy use. Oil pre-treatment with a 540-nm green laser is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This study examined neem oil with and without laser pretreatment for biodiesel synthesis. CaO nanocatalysts were synthesised using Sol–gel and characterised using XRD and SEM. According to catalyst recyclability, the CaO nanocatalyst did not lose activity after five re

This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of laser lithotripsy and pneumatic lithotripsy, the two most commonly used transurethral lithotripsy methods for treating bladder stones in children in Iraq. Between January 2013 and December 2016, 64 children with bladder stones were included in this prospective randomized study, after ethical committee approval and written consent from the children’s parents or caregivers were obtained. Patients were assigned randomly by computer software to two groups treated with either pneumatic cystolithotripsy or laser lithotripsy. A 9 Fr. semirigid ureteroscope was used to pass the lithotripter through and fragment the stone. A catheter of 8–12 Fr. was then introduced and kept in place

This work introduces a newly synthesized triazole derivative, 5-([(2-furanyl)methyl]-thiomethyl)-4-(naphtha-2-yl)-3-hydroxyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole (FTNT), as an effective corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel A106 G/B in 0.1 M HCl solution. The structure of the novel derivative was confirmed by FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectra. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements reveal that FTNT markedly suppresses corrosion, with inhibition efficiency reaching 81.6% at 600 ppm. Thermodynamic analysis indicates spontaneous, physisorption/chemisorption-augmented adsorption of FTNT on the steel surface, best described by the Freundlich isotherm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) surface examination demonstrated that a protective FTNT coating precipitated on

Background: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is a prototypical resistant bacterium in root canal infections and a leading cause of endodontic treatment failure. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower extract has been used as a traditional medicine to treat infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of chamomile extract on the removal of E. faecalis root canal biofilm. Materials and Methods: Chamomile flower extract was prepared and subjected to detailed chemical analysis. For the in vitro biofilm model, human mandibular premolars (n=48) with 18-20mm working length were used. Root canal preparation was performed using the ProTaper® Next system. Each sample was split longitudinally and reassem