This paper presents studying the performance of three types of polyethersulfone (PES) membrane for the simultaneous removal of Co2+ ions, Cd2+ ions, and Pb2+ ions from binary and ternary aqueous solutions. Co2+ ions, Cd2+ ions, and Pb2+ ions with two different initial concentrations (e.g., 10 and 50 ppm) were selected as examples of heavy metals that contaminate the groundwater as a result of geological and human activities. This study investigated the effect of types of PES membrane and metal ions concentration on the separation process. For the binary aqueous solutions, the permeation flux of the PES2 membranes was higher for the separation process of solutions containing 50 ppm of Cd2+ ions and 10 ppm of Co2+ ions (24.7 L/m2·h) and Pb2+ ions (23.7 L/m2·h). All the metals in the binary solutions had high rejection when their initial concentration was lower than the initial concentration of the other metal present in the same solution. Using PES2, the maximum rejection of Cd2+ ions was 61.3% when the initial concentrations were 50 ppm Pb2+ ions: 10 ppm Cd2+ ions and 55.4% for Pb2+ ions when the initial concentrations were 10 ppm Pb2+ ions: 50 ppm Cd2+ ions. For the ternary aqueous solutions, the rejection and the permeation flux of the PES membranes increased with decreasing the heavy metal initial concentration. Using PES2, the maximum permeation flux was 21.6 L/m2·h when the initial concentration of the metals was 10 ppm; and the maximum rejection of the metals obtained at initial concentration of 10 ppm was 50.5% for Co2+ ions, 48.3% for Cd2+ ions, and 40% for Pb2+ ions. The results of the filtration process using PES2 of simulated contaminated-groundwater indicated the efficient treatment of groundwater containing Co2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ ions.
This article presents the results of an experimental investigation of using carbon fiber–reinforced polymer sheets to enhance the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams with large web openings in shear spans. A set of 18 specimens were fabricated and tested up to a failure to evaluate the structural performance in terms of cracking, deformation, and load-carrying capacity. All tested specimens were with 1500-mm length, 500-mm cross-sectional deep, and 150-mm wide. Parameters that studied were opening size, opening location, and the strengthening factor. Two deep beams were implemented as control specimens without opening and without strengthening. Eight deep beams were fabricated with openings but without strengthening, while
... Show MoreThe earth-air heat exchanger (EHX) has a promising potential to passively save the energy consumption of traditional air conditioning systems while maintaining a high degree of indoor comfort. The use of EHX systems for air conditioning in commercial and industrial settings offers several environmental benefits and is capable of operating in both standalone and hybrid modes. This study tests the performance and effectiveness of an EHX design in a sandy soil area in Baghdad, Iraq. The area has a climate of the subtropical semi-humid type. Ambient air temperatures and soil temperatures were recorded throughout the months of 2021. During the months of January and June, the temperatures of the inlet and outflow air at varying air veloci
... Show MorePultruded materials made of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) come in a broad range of shapes, such as bars, I-sections, C-sections, etc. FRP materials are starting to compete with steel as structural materials owing to their great resistance, low self-weight, and cheap maintenance costs, especially in corrosive conditions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel concrete Composite Column (CC) using Encased I-Section (EIS) as a reinforcement in contrast to traditional steel bars by using Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) as I-section (CC-EIS) to evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid columns which have been built by combining GFRP profiles with concrete columns. To achieve the aims of this study, nine circular co
... Show MoreRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by persistent joint inflammation, which is a defining feature of this chronic inflammatory condition. Considerable advancements have been made in the field of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic medicines (DMARDs), which effectively mitigate inflammation and forestall further joint deterioration. Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) drugs, which are a class of biological DMARDs (bDMARDs), have been efficaciously employed in the treatment of RA in recent times Adalimumab, a TNF inhibitor, has demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing disease symptoms and halting disease progression in patients with RA. However, its use is associated with major side effects and high costs. In addition,
... Show MoreAnchusa strigosa L.: Hardy annual biennial or perennial herb, with hairs especially on the leaves., flowers generally regular. Commonly named (Lisan Althour) in Iraq, from Boraginaceae family. The plant contains phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols, and terpenoids. The Whole plant part defatted with n-hexane for 24 hours. The defatted plant material extracted using absolute methanol by Soxhlet apparatus for 24 hours, the extract fractionated by solvents of different polarity: petroleum ether- chloroform - ethylacetate- and n-butanol respectively. The n-butanol fraction hydrolyzed with 10% HCl for 5 hours by reflex to break down the glycosidic linkage. Rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, genistein, and silybin were isolated
... Show MoreThis study examines the causes of time delays and cost overruns in a selection of thirty post-disaster reconstruction projects in Iraq. Although delay factors have been studied in many countries and contexts, little data exists from countries under the conditions characterizing Iraq during the last 10-15 years. A case study approach was used, with thirty construction projects of different types and sizes selected from the Baghdad region. Project data was gathered from a survey which was used to build statistical relationships between time and cost delay ratios and delay factors in post disaster projects. The most important delay factors identified were contractor failure, redesigning of designs/plans and change orders, security is
... Show Moredue to the presence of chemoresistance and the risk of tumor recurrence and metastasis. There is a pressing necessity to develop efficient treatments to improve response for treatment and increase prolong survival of breast cancer patients. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted interest for its features as a noninvasive and relatively selective cancer treatment. This method relies on light-activated photosensitizers that, upon absorbing light, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) with powerful cell-killing outcomes. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a transcription factor, plays a key role in cancer development by regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Inhibiting NF-κB can sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapeuti
... Show MoreWater pollution as a result of contamination with dye-contaminating effluents is a severe issue for water reservoirs, which instigated the study of biodegradation of Reactive Red 195 and Reactive Blue dyes by E. coli and Bacillus sp. The effects of occupation time, solution pH, initial dyes concentrations, biomass loading, and temperature were investigated via batch-system experiments by using the Design of Experiment (DOE) for 2 levels and 5 factors response surface methodology (RSM). The operational conditions used for these factors were optimized using quadratic techniques by reducing the number of experiments. The results revealed that the two types of bacteria had a powerful effect on biodegradable dyes. The regression analysis reveale
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study was to determine the influence of environmental pH on production of biofilms and virulence genes expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Among 303 clinical and environmental samples 109 (61 + 48) isolates were identified as clinical and environmental P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. Clinical samples were obtained from patients in the Al-Yarmouk hospital in Baghdad city, Iraq. Waste water from Al-Yarmouk hospital was used from site before treatment unit to collect environmental samples. The ability of prod
This article presents the results of an experimental investigation of using carbon fiber–reinforced polymer sheets to enhance the behavior of reinforced concrete deep beams with large web openings in shear spans. A set of 18 specimens were fabricated and tested up to a failure to evaluate the structural performance in terms of cracking, deformation, and load-carrying capacity. All tested specimens were with 1500-mm length, 500-mm cross-sectional deep, and 150-mm wide. Parameters that studied were opening size, opening location, and the strengthening factor. Two deep beams were implemented as control specimens without opening and without strengthening. Eight deep beams were fabricated with openings but without strengthening, while
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