Background and Aim: The use of food dyes can cause certain diseases, such as anemia and indigestion, along with other disorders, tumors, and even cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the chemical nature and toxicity of some commercial dyes locally used in processed foods compared with standard food dyes. Materials and Methods: Three types of standard and commercial food color additives (Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine) were extensively examined. The chemical structures and functional groups of the dyes were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The melting temperatures of the dyes were also determined by chemical thermal analysis. The acute toxicity test to evaluate the standard and commercial food color safety was estimated by a range-finding study using 150 Wistar albino rats. Sub-groups were administered one of the three colors under study at doses of 2, 3, 4, and 5 g/kg body weight (BW) orally for 7 days. When no mortality was observed, an additional 15 g/kg BW was administered. Concerning the median lethal dose 50 (LD50), 38 rats were exploited using the up-and-down method. Results: Commercial dyes had lower melting points than standard colors. Regarding the range-finding study, rats receiving different doses of the dyes exhibited no signs of toxicity, no deaths, and no clinical or gross pathological signs throughout the 7 days of the experiment. However, the animals that were dosed with 15 g/kg BW of each dye showed signs of loss of appetite, tachycardia, drowsiness, and eventual death. The LD50 values of the commercial food dyes, particularly Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine, were lower than those of the standard dyes. Conclusion: Commercial food colors were more toxic to rats than standard food colors. Differences were observed between the purity of the standard and commercial dyes, and the latter ones contained different percentages of salt, indicating the occurrence of fraud in commercial markets. Keywords: acute toxicity, food colors, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, lethal dose 50, range-finding study.
Purpose: To use the L25 Taguchi orthogonal array for optimizing the three main solvothermal parameters that affect the synthesis of metal-organic frameworks-5 (MOF-5). Methods: The L25 Taguchi methodology was used to study various parameters that affect the degree of crystallinity (DOC) of MOF-5. The parameters comprised temperature of synthesis, duration of synthesis, and ratio of the solvent, N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) to reactants. For each parameter, the volume of DMF was varied while keeping the weight of reactants constant. The weights of 1,4-benzodicarboxylate (BDC) and Zn(NO3)2.6H2O used were 0.390 g and 2.166 g, respectively. For each parameter investigated, five different levels were used. The MOF-5 samples were synthesi
... Show MoreThis study is considered to be the first on this sector of Tigris River after 2003, to evaluate the effect of Tharthar Arm on the composition and diversity of Copepoda in Tigris River. Six sampling sites were selected; two on the Tharthar Arm and four sites along the Tigris River, one before the confluence as a control site and the others downstream the confluence; thirty-five copepod taxa were recorded, 34 taxa in the Tigris River and 25 taxa in the Tharthar Arm.
The highest density of Copepoda was in site 2 at Tharthar Arm was 265584.2 Ind./m3 lead to an increasing in Copepoda density in Tigris River from 63878.2 Ind./m3 in site 1 before the confluence to 127198.3 Ind./m3 in site 4 immediately downstream the confluence. Also, the me
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
... Show MoreThe recent study aimed to identify the level of Self- Esteem and its relation to some variables (Gender, Experience years, and Educational stage) among psychologists in schools of the Sultanate of Oman. The study sample consisted of (154) psychologists of both male and female who are working in different stages of study in the schools affiliated to the Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman. The sample of the study consisted of (43) male and (111) female psychologists from (11) governorates of the Sultanate. The descriptive analytical methodology was used. In order to collect data the Self-Esteem questionnaire prepared by the researcher were used. Statistical processing was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (
... Show MoreBackground: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with unknown aetiology that may be associated with the defect in proliferation and differentiation of the keratinocytes related to inflammatory cell infiltration. According to published reports, it is universal in occurrence; its prevalence in different populations varies from 0.1% to 11.8%. Receiving Apremilast resulted in a strong reduction in interleukin 17 and interleukin 23, as well as reduced expression of other inflammatory cytokines and improvement of psoriatic lesions. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of Apremilast on levels of IL-17, IL-23, and lipids in obese psoriatic patients. Methods: Thirty obese patients with psoriasis were included in
... Show MoreThe added value of internal audit greatly contributes to adding value to the institution, but most departments of economic units in Iraq neglected the role of internal audit and the added value that can be achieved by those institutions, since the term added value of internal audit is a relatively vague term from the premise that what cannot be measured is difficult Determine it, and perhaps descriptive standards for it is the extent of compliance with international auditing standards (IIA).
The research aims to study the procedures and results of auditing to verify that they have given an added value to the audit with a positive impact, develop its aspects and research, identify deficiencies for the audi
... Show MoreBackground: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common disease in neonates especially in early days of birth that requires a good and successful treatment for reducing the severity and its complications that can produce important and irreversible effects.
Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of conventional phototherapy, intensive phototherapy and exchange transfusion on outcomes of neonatal jaundice at Fatima Al-Zahra Hospital for maternity and child care in Baghdad.
Patients & Methods: A retrospective study was carried out using medical records of neonates with diagnosis of unconjugated jaundice, admitted in the septic neonatal care unit of Fatima Al-Zahra hospital over 6 months period b
... Show MoreThis study was conducted in the plant protection department/ College of Agriculture/ University of Baghdad to evaluate the efficiency of physical agents ozone, ultraviolet radiation, microwave for destroying afla produced in corn seeds. An isolate af A.flavus producing Aflatoxin B1 was obtained from plant protection dept. college of Agric. University of Baghdad. Results showed destroy toxin AFLA B1 the effect of radiation microwave in the media of Japex degree 80 and 100 co 57.14% and 85.71%, respectively, and for 20 sec, compared to the treatment comparison 0.00% as found significant differences were apparent between transactions and the treatment of comparison, as and notes the existence of a significant dif
... Show MoreIntroduction: This study was designed to examine the effects of addition of the combination of polymerized polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and zirconia (ZrO2) particles to heat cure PMMA resin on impact strength, surface hardness, and roughness. Methods: The 70% (w/w) of polymerized PMMA powder (particle size: 0.70mm) was mixed with 30% (w/w) of zirconia powder (ZrO2) (1mm) to produce PMMA-ZrO2 filler. Ninety acrylic specimens created were divided into three groups containing 0% wt (Control group), 2% wt, and 4% wt, PMMA-ZrO2 filler. Ten specimens were used for impact strength, surface hardness and roughness test, blindly. Data were analyzed via oneway ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test using R 3.6.3. Results: There was statistically signific
... Show MoreBackground: Malignant lymphoma is the generic term given to tumors of the lymphoid system and specifically of lymphocytes and their precursor cells, While all lymphomas are malignant neoplasms, there is a wide spectrum of clinical behavior, with some following an indolent clinical course and others behaving in an aggressive manner (will causing death in a short time frame if left untreated). The metastatic process involves intravasation and extravasation of tumor cells, followed by reimplantation of tumor cells, formation of a new tumor stoma, Degradation of the extracellular matrix and components of the basement membrane by proteases facilitates the detachment of tumor cells, their crossing of tissue boundaries, and invasion into adjacent
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