This article presents the simultaneous adsorption of bimetal Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ from an aqueous solution using activated carbon synthesized from a plum seed precursor by sulfuric acid and microwave activation: plum seeds chemically activated by 45% (w/w) sulfuric acid with 2:1 ratio for 4 h, then carbonized for 2 h at 700 °C and the product obtained activated in a microwave oven for 20 min at 700 W for final of activation. Plum seeds and activated carbon produced were characterized in terms of their physical and chemical composition using Brunauer–Emmett–Teller measurements, field emission scanning electr

Pharmaceuticals have been widely remaining contaminants in wastewater, and diclofenac is the most common pharmaceutical pollutant. Therefore, the removal of diclofenac from aqueous solutions using activated carbon produced by pyrocarbonic acid and microwaves was investigated in this research. Apricot seed powder and pyrophosphoric acid (45 wt%) were selected as raw material and activator respectively, and microwave irradiation technique was used to prepare the activated carbon. The raw material was impregnated in pyrophosphoric acid at 80◦C with an impregnation ratio of 1: 3 (apricot seeds to phosphoric acid), the impregnation time was 4 h, whereas the power of the microwave was 700 watts with a radiation time of 20 min. A series o

The parasite E.histolytica was first isolated from a stool sample, and then cultivated and maintained in vitro using Locke-egg medium (LEM) and Liver infusion agar medium (LIAM) . Then, the effect of some types of erythrocytes (human and sheep), on the growth and activity of the parasite in the two culture media was investigated. The parasite was able to ingest and lysis erythrocytes of human and sheep that were supplemented to the culture media and such manipulation was able to augment the reproduction rate of the cultivated E. histolytica, however, such consequence was media- and concentration-dependent. The reproduction rate was significantly increased (66.0, 57.5 and 58.6%, respectively) in LEM medium containing human erythrocytes ty

Most approaches to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria concentrate on discovering new antibiotics or modifying existing ones. However, one of the most promising alternatives is the use of bacteriophages. This study was focused on the isolation of bacteriophages that are specific to some of commonly human pathogens namely E. coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp. and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These bacteriophages were isolated from sewages that were collected from four different locations in Kirkuk City. Apart from S. pyogenes, bacteriophages specific to all tested bacteria were successfully isolated and tested for their effectiveness by spot test. The most effective

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) offers small loans with easy repayment system and till now these institutions have served millions of needy people around the globe. This study highlights the hurdles influence the smooth working and growth of Microfinance institution in Egypt. The structured interviews were conducted from the top and mid-level managers of MFI's. This study revealed that interest rate, political and economic conditions, corruption, customer outreach, competition and technology are the important elements for MFI's success. It is evident that lack of use of technology and less importance drawn on customer outreach programs are the main challenges of MFI's in Egypt. This study provides a roadmap for practitioners and strategic

Pre-breakdown phenomenon was investigated within the two, non-mixed dielectric liquids; transformation oil and cresol. Finite element technique was used to follow the initiation and growth of plasma channels (streamer discharge) within pin-plane configuration. That was done for different spacing between the pin-electrode and the liquid-liquid interface. Streamer growth model assumed that, the streamer initiation occurs at the region of the highest value of electric field. Our study shows that the streamer initiates at the tip of the pin and growths toward the other electrode. The study shows, too, that the streamer path controlled by the difference of permittivity of the two liquids and spacing distance of the liquid-liquid interface fro

A computational investigation is carried out in the field of charged –particle optics with the aid of numerical analysis method using the personal computer. The work is concerned with the design of electron gun with space-charge effect. The Finite element method (FEM) used in the solution of Poison's equation for determine the axial potential distribution of the two-electrode immersion lens operated under zero magnification condition , and from the solution of the paraxial ray equation the optical properties such as the focal length , spherical and chromatic aberration coefficients are determined, also a calculation of the brightness and perveance for the lens. The electrodes geometry was determined in two and three dimensi