A square experimental arena with vegetation on one interior side was deployed in a Sharjah, United Arab Emirates desert. Individual darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) Akis subtricostata Redtenbacher, 1850 and Trachyderma philistina Reiche and Saulcy, 1857 were placed inside the arena at temperatures ranging between 27 - 49°C. Whether they chose the vegetated side of the arena or not was recorded, as well as how long it took for them to reach the vegetated side, if they chose it. Both species preferred the vegetated side at all temperatures, and the chance of them choosing the vegetated side increased significantly with increasing temperature (logistic regression, p = 0.0096 and p = 0.0003 for T. philistina and A. subtricostata, respectively). T.philistina and A. subtricostata always chose the vegetated side at temperatures above 31°and 44°C, respectively. Individual beetles that chose the vegetated side moved quickly and directly to it at temperatures above 30°C. Below 30°C, however, beetles tended to move slower and take more pauses within the arena. Time to reach the vegetated side declined significantly with increasing temperature (least-squares regression, p < 0.00005 for both species). A few individuals of both species died at the highest temperatures (48 - 49°C).
A compact microstrip six-port reflectometer (SPR) with extended bandwidth is proposed in this paper. The design is based on using 16-dB multi-section coupled line directional couplers and a multi-section 3-dB Wilkinson power divider operating from 1 to 6 GHz. The proposed SPR employs only two calibration standards: a matched load and an open load. As compared to other dielectric substrates, fabricating the proposed SPR involves using a low-cost (FR4) substrate. A novel algorithm is also proposed to estimate the complex reflection coefficient over the frequency ranges at which the standard performance of the circuit components is not fully satisfied. The new algorithm is based on the circles’ intersection points, which have been de
... Show MoreObjective To highlight the main demographic characteristics and clinical profiles of female patients registered with breast cancer in Iraq; focusing on the impact of age.Methods This retrospective study enrolled 1172 female patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer at the Main Center for Early Detection of Breast Cancer/Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Data were extracted from an established information system, developed by the principal author under supervision of WHO, that was based on valid clinical records of Iraqi patients affected by breast cancer. The recorded information regarding clinical examination comprised positive palpable lumps, bloody nipple discharge, skin changes, bilateral breast involvement, tumor
... Show MoreTo investigate the flexural behavior of self-consolidating hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete beams containing voids experimentally, six RC beams were tested, one solid without fiber and the others containing hooked-steel and macro-polypropylene fibers with a volume fraction of 1 and 0.5%, respectively. One of the five fibrous beams was solid; two contain a series of recycled plastic balls of diameters 110 and 120 mm, and another two contain a single longitudinal circular void created by PVC pipes of diameters 90 and 110 mm. The flexural behavior of the beams was assessed depending on the load-deflection curve, load-strain curve, ductility, toughness, stiffness, and crack patterns. The experimental outcomes showed that all the tested
... Show MoreThis research focuses on the synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT) and Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) (pristine polymer) with Ag doped (CNT/ P3HT@Ag) nanocomposite thin films to be utilised in various practical applications. First, four samples of CNT solution and different ratios of the polymer (P3HT) [0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 wt.%] are prepared to form thin layer of P3HT@CNT nanocomposites by dip-coating method of Ag. To investigate the absorption and conductivity properties for use in various practical applications, structure, morphology, optical, and photoluminescence properties of CNT/P3HT @Ag nanocomposite are systematically evaluated in this study. In this regard, the UV/Vis/NIR spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 350 to 7
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic kidney disease is a condition that results from an indefinite change in the structure and function of the kidneys. A slow, steady progression characterizes it and is irreversible. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the findings of certain biochemical and hematological tests in samples from Iraqi CKD patients. Methods: This study included 90 subjects, where 70 patients with chronic kidney disease and 20 healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected from the patients during their visits to Ghazi Al-Hariri Surgical Specialties' Hospital- Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq. Age, sex and body mass index were assessed for each participant followed by renal function tests [serum blood urea, creatinine, uric acid a
... Show MoreOsteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mineral density and deterioration of bone architecture, resulting in bone strength reduction and increased fracture susceptibility. Estrogen deficiency in post-menopausal women is possibly responsible for the instability between bone formation and resorption, which is managed by specific osteoclastogenic cytokines that may be leading to resorption. This study aims to estimation of the concentrations of interleukins −8, −17, −22, beside to certain parameters in blood serum and explained their roles in the development of osteoporosis pathogenicity in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods A case-control study included 108 Iraqi postmenopausal women participa
... Show MoreA new Macrocyclic Schiff base ligand Bis[4-hydroxy(1,2-ethylene-dioxidebenzylidene) pheylenediamine] [H2L] and its complexes with (Co(II) , Ni(II) , Cu(II) , Zn(II) and Cd(II)) are reported . The ligand was prepared in two steps,in the first step a solution of (o-phenylene diamine) in methanol react under reflux with (2,4-dihydroxybenzylaldeyed) to give an (intermediatecompound) [Bis-1,2 (2,4-dihydroxybenzylediene)pheylinediamine] which react in the second step with (1,2- dichloro ethane) giving the mentioned ligand.Then the complexes were synthesis of adding of corresponding metal salts to the solution of the ligand in methanol under reflux with 1:1 metal to ligand ratio. On the basis of, molar conductance, I.R., UV-Vis, chloride content a
... Show Morefour coordinated complexes for divalent metal ions : Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Cd have been synthesized using bidentate Schiff base ligand type (NN)formed by the condensation of o-phenylenediamine , p- methylbenzadehyde and furfural in methanol. The ligand was reacted with divalent metal chloride forming complexes of the types :[M(L)Cl2] where : MII=Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Cd . These new compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, U.V-Vis, 1HNMR (for ligand only and atomic absorption) , magnetic susceptibility, chloride content along with conductivity measurement. These studies revealed that the geometry for all complexes about central metal ion is tetrahedral.
The ligand [Potassium (E)-(4-(((2-((1-(3-aminophenyl) ethylidene) amino)-4-oxo-1, 4-dihydropteridin-6-yl) methyl) amino) benzoyl)-L-glutamate] was prepared from the condensation reaction of folic acid with (3-aminoacetophenone) through Schiff reaction to give a new Schiff base ligand [H2L]. The ligand [H2L] was characterized by elemental analysis CHN, atomic absorption (AA),(FT-IR),(UV-Vis), TLC, ES mass (for spectroscopes), molar conductance, and melting point. The new Schiff base ligand [H2L], reacts with Mn (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Cu (II), Cr (III) and Cd (II) metal ions and (2-aminophenol),(metal: derivative ligand: 2-aminophenol) to give a series of new mixed complexes in the general formula:-K3 [M2 (HL)(HA) 2],(where M= Mn (II) and Cd
... Show Moreفي هذا البحث تم تحضير المركبات المعدنية النانوية الجديدة لأيونات البلاتين 4+و الذهب 3+ مع ليكاند قاعدة مانخ جديد مشتق من السيبروفلوكساسين بطريقة الموجات فوق الصوتية. تم تشخيص المعقدات النانوية والليكاند الجديد بأستخدام تقنيات فيزيائية و كيميائية مختلفة مثل أطياف الاشعة تحت الحمراء، حيود الاشعة السينية ، المجهر الالكتروني الماسح ، المجهر الالكتروني النافذ و مجهر القوة الذرية. تم تحديد نشاط مضادات الأك
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