In this work, the detection of zinc (Zn) ions that cause water pollution is studied using the CSNPs- Linker-alkaloids compound that was prepared by linking extracted alkaloids from Iraqi Catharanthus roseus plant with Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) using maleic anhydride. This compound is characterized by an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) which shows that it has an orthorhombic structure with crystallite size in the nano dimension. Zeta Potential results show that the CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids carried a positive charge of 54.4 mV, which means it possesses high stability. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows a new distinct band at 1708.93 cm-1 due to C=O esterification. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that the CSNPs- Linker- alkaloids compound have two shapes in the nano dimension: spherical particles and nanotubes, which may be due to nuclei and growth processes, respectively. The energy gap calculated from the photoluminescence spectrum is equal to 2.5 eV. The Hall effect measurements prove that the synthesized CSNPs- Linker-alkaloids compound is a p-type semiconductor. The cycle voltammetry technique was used to detect the Zn ions in different concentrations in the water by modifying the electrochemical system's glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a CSNPs-Linker-alkaloids compound. The modified electrode was used to detect Zn ions in the range of (1-8) ppm, which causes water pollution. The best sensor sensitivity R² equals 0.997 for oxidation and 0.993 for reduction. This modified electrode (GCE /CSNPs- Linker-alkaloids) acts as a good biosensor for heavy metals detection in water as well as for biophysics applications.
Respiratory tract infections in sheep are among the important health problems that affect all sheep ages around the world. Nine bacterial isolates obtained from sheep with respiratory tract infections were selected to be used in the current study. The isolates included 3 Staphylococcus aureus, 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 2 Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following the primers design by the Primer3Plus software tool and optimization of the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the primers were validated for their use in the multiplex PCR experiments. The MFEprimer program was used to check the suitability of the primer set combinations for multiplex PCR. The MFEprimer software was successful in designing the multiplex-PCR experiments and de
... Show MoreA robust and sensitive analytical method is presented for the extraction and determination of six pharmaceuticals in freshwater sediments.
Natural convection heat transfer is experimentally investigated for laminar air flow in a vertical circular tube by using the boundary condition of constant wall heat flux in the ranges of (RaL) from (1.1*109) to (4.7*109). The experimental set-up was designed for determining the effect of different types of restrictions placed at entry of heated tube in bottom position, on the surface temperature distribution and on the local and average heat transfer coefficients. The apparatus was made with an electrically heated cylinder of a length (900mm) and diameter (30mm). The entry restrictions were included a circular tube of same diameter as the heated cylinder but with lengths of (60cm, 120cm), sharp-edge and
... Show MoreRecently a large number of extensive studies have amassed that describe the removal of dyes from water and wastewater using natural adsorbents and modified materials. Methyl orange dye is found in wastewater streams from various industries that include textiles, plastics, printing and paper among other sources. This article reviews methyl orange adsorption onto natural and modified materials. Despite many techniques available, adsorption stands out for efficient water and wastewater treatment for its ease of operation, flexibility and large-scale removal of colorants. It also has a significant potential for regeneration recovery and recycling of adsorbents in comparison to other water treatment methods. The adsorbents described herein were
... Show MoreIn the present work, a density functional theory (DFT) calculation to simulate reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrid with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle's sensitivity to NO2 gas is performed. In comparison with the experiment, DFT calculations give acceptable results to available bond lengths, lattice parameters, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy gaps, Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, entropy, etc. to ZnO, rGO, and ZnO/rGO hybrid. ZnO and rGO show n-type and p-type semiconductor behavior, respectively. The formed p-n heterojunction between rGO and ZnO is of the staggering gap type. Results show that rGO increases the sensitivity of ZnO to NO2 gas as they form a hybrid. ZnO/rGO hybrid has a higher number of vacancies that can b
... Show MoreThis study evaluated the structural changes of enamel treated by the Regenerate system and carbon dioxide (CO2) laser against acid challenge. Thirty human enamel slabs were prepared and assigned into three groups: Group I: untreated (control); Group II: treated with the Regenerate system; and Group III exposed to CO2 laser. All specimens were subjected to an acid challenge (pH 4.5–7.0) for 14 days. Specimens were evaluated and compared at 120 points using five Raman microspectroscopic peaks; the phosphate vibrations ν1, ν2, ν3, and ν4 at 960, 433, 1029, and 579 cm−1, respectively, and the carbonate at 1070 cm−1, followed by Vickers microhardness test. The ratio of carbonate to phosphate was correlated to the equivalent mic
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