Iraqi Journal of Science

Obesity has emerged as public health problems, potentially guiding to many diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2 and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aims of the present investigation were to explore possible protective effect of Eurycoma longifolia (EL) extract on the islets of Langerhans and kidneys of high-fat diet (HFD) fed rats. Twenty four healthy adult male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into four groups (n=6) and treated for 12 weeks; normal control (ND) group received only normal diet, Group NDEL was received normal diet and EL, Group HFD received HFD only, Group HFDEL received HFD and EL extracts. The animals were scarified at the end of the 12th week; the kidneys and pancreatic tissues were fixed in 10% formal saline and processed for histological studies. The HFD group revealed hypertrophy of the pancreatic islets with congested blood vessels, vacuolization and injured cells. The kidney sections from the HFD treated group exhibited sever damage in the renal corpuscle and tubules. Treatment with EL extract produced an enhancement in tissue damage produced by HFD feeding in the kidneys and pancreatic islets. These observations confirmed positive valuable outcomes of EL extract against the HFD induced-cellular oxidative injury in the pancreatic islets and the kidneys

This study aims to investigate, using patient studies, the impact of Injected Dose (ID), Body Mass Index (BMI), and image noise assessments in PET imaging. This study included 59 liver cancer patients weighing between 45 and 107 kg. After intravenously injecting 0.1 millicurie (mCi) of 18F-FDG per kilogram of body weight, PET scans were obtained for 1, 1.5, and 3 min/bed position based on the patient's weight.
Weight, height, and body mass index were calculated using a spreadsheet.
Five regions of interest (ROIs) were placed at the same site in the liver, which was considered to have a homogeneous metabolism, in five successive slices of PET/CT scans to determine the mean uptake (signal) values and their standard deviation (noise). The ratio of both gives the liver's Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).
Graphs were created to determine the relationship between these characteristics. The plots demonstrated that the dose injected increased when body weight and/or BMI increased, and that the SNR fell even as the dose administered increased. This is owing to the fact that heavier patients having a higher administered dose and, have a lower SNR even when greater 18F-FDG doses are delivered. These data indicate that the image quality, as measured by the SNR, is inferior in heavier persons compared to those who are thinner

Both obesity and diabetes are major problems for the public's health. Both are known to contribute to the development of atrial cardiomyopathy. However, the consequences of obesity on the function of the left atrium(LA) in diabetic individuals have not been determined as of yet. The aim of this study is to compare the peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) measured by two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking in obese versus non-obese diabetic Iraqi patients. For a study that was designed to be cross-sectional, the data collection period lasted for a total of ten months. In this study, the participants had to have diabetes mellitus type 2. A comparison was made between patients who were obese and patients who were not obese using 2-D speckle tracking to measure the peak left atrial longitudinal strain. Several additional factors, such as age, gender, body mass index, conventional echocardiographic parameters, and volume-derived LA function, were investigated during this study. A total of 59 patients participated in this study. The ratio of males to females was exactly 1:1.5, and the average age was (54 ± 9.4) years old. Coexistent systemic arterial hypertension was observed in 25 % of the study population. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity had ad higher E/e` ratio and lower PALS than patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without obesity, whereas all other parameters were statistically non-significant (EF, E/A, S prime, LA volume index). It was found that the peak longitudinal strain of the LA, which was measured using 2-D speckle tracking, was lower in the obese diabetic individuals. This was in contrast to diabetic people, who did not have obesity issues. An evaluation of the global strain in the left atrium can help in the early detection of remodeling and dysfunction in the left atrium if it is compared to the size of the left atrium and the filling pressures of the left ventricle, both of which are respectively determined by the E/e' ratio and the left atrial volume.

In this research, linear and nonlinear optical properties of NiO nanoparticles (NPs) dissolved in ethanol were investigated. Linear optical characteristics of NiO NPs were studied using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The linear absorption coefficient (α0) was 0.88 and 0.57 cm-1 at 405 and 532 nm wavelengths, respectively. The band gap energy rose from 3.56 eV for a sample with a 10-7 g/ml concentration to 3.92 eV for the 10-3 g/ml concentration sample. Using the Z-scan technique, the nonlinear optical characteristics of the NPs were investigated. Two continuous wave laser diodes with 405 and 532 nm wavelengths and different powers were used. The Z-scan system with a closed aperture revealed that NiO NPs have a negative n2 (self-defocusing effect) at various laser powers. n2 increases as the power of the laser increases. The value of n2 was found to be 0.51×10-4 cm2/mW at a wavelength of 405 nm and a power of 0.33 mW. It improved as the laser power increased, reaching a maximum of 0.64 ×10-4 cm2/mW at a laser power of 1.51 mW. For the laser with a wavelength of 532 nm, the n2 value was 0.27×10-4 cm2/mW for a laser power of 1.01 mW. This value increased to 0.76×10-4 cm2/mW when the laser power increased to 6.2 mW. As measured by the Z-scan system with an open aperture, NiO NPs have a nonlinear absorption coefficient and display a two-photon absorption behavior.

Because of the importance of using 99mTc isotope as a radioactive tracer for nuclear medicine, the production of this isotope from accelerating protons at energies 1-70 MeV is investigated carefully through the evaluation of the calculated excitation functions of the 100Mo(p,2n)99mTc reaction. For accuracy, the proton interaction channels with 100Mo, the excitation functions of reactions,100Mo(p,2n)99mTc, 100Mo (p, pn)99Mo, and 100Mo (p, nonelastic) are calculated, using Kalbach Systematic approach in Exciton model gathered with Feshbach-Kerman-Koonin (FKK) statistical theory. The results are compared with the available published data in the experimental nuclear reaction data (EXFOR) version of November 2022. The comparisons show acceptable results for the maximum cross-section of producing 99mTc at 16 MeV protons. Also, rare data was searched for the reactions, 100Mo (p, p n)99Mo, and 100Mo (p, nonelastic), to compare the present calculated results.

In this work, the glow spectrum from a neon strip lamp, used in homes and all private places, was diagnosed using optical emission spectroscopy (OES), to measure plasma parameters from spectral data (electrons density, electrons temperature, plasma frequency, Debye length). The intensity of the emission spectrum increases with increasing the applied voltage (100-220V). A spectral diagnosis was made of the cold plasma generated by the neon glow system where the glow spectrum produced was prepared for the diagnosis at variable alternating voltages that begin to rise gradually. The diagnosis was made at atmospheric pressure and room temperature of 27 ̊C. The results showed a gradual increase in the intensity of the neon spectrum generated by the system with the amount of gradual increase in the applied voltage. Between (250-850) nm, the behavior of neon spectral lines varied between high and low spectral intensity peaks.

This research aim is to activate water using a plasma jet that works with argon gas and to study the effect of the plasma on the physicochemical properties of the water. The plasma consists of a power supply capable of supplying a high alternating voltage of up to 12 kV in the form of a sinusoidal wave with a frequency of 20 kHz. The temperature of the produced plasma (Te) was (1.028) eV, and its electron density (ne) was (4.392×1017) cm-3 at a flow rate of 1L/min. The physicochemical properties of the water are determined by determining the concentration of each of NO2, NO3, and H2O2, the pH of the water, and the water temperature during exposure to the plasma. The effect of storage time on the properties of the activated water is determined after 48 hours of exposure to plasma. The RONS species were measured using kits purchased from USA (Bartovation) Company manufactured for this purpose. The pH was measured with a pH meter, and the working gas temperature was remotely measured with an IR thermometer. The concentration of the three active species increases with exposure time, but the active species NO2 concentration decreases to zero at an exposure time of 120 minutes. The concentrations of the three components decrease with the decrease in the flow rate. The pH decreases with the exposure time until it reaches 2, and the temperature increases until it reaches 35oC. The concentration of NO3 increases with the increase of the water storage time. In the case of H2O2, the concentration increases slightly, then after 10 hours it begins to decrease exponentially, reaching a value close to zero after the passage of 48 hours. For NO2, its concentration begins to decrease exponentially from the start of storage and reaches a concentration close to zero after 48 hours of storage. The pH increases with the storage time, and the water reaches its natural state with a pH of 7 after 48 hours of storage. From this, it is concluded that the best storage time for PAW is ten minutes after the end of the activation process, and also that the activation time should be short, but not exceeding ten minutes.

Study of the nuclear structure of nuclides used for medical diagnosis using positron emission tomography (PET) is presented in this work. These nuclides are 11C, 13N, 15O and 18F, which are unstable by emitting β+ particles. They have half-lives of several minutes, which make them suitable radionuclides for PET. These radionuclides are produced through nuclear reactions using a cyclotron. Studying the nuclear structure of these light nuclides is performed through the shell model. The full space of the p-shell model is used for the p-shell nuclei, and the full space of the sd-shell model for the sd-shell nucleus. The study includes calculations of magnetic moments and quadrupole electric moments. Calculations of form factors are presented to give predictions for future experimental studies. Protons and neutrons’ effective charges are used to include core-polarization effects. The single-particle states used in the calculations are those of the harmonic oscillator potential. Excellent agreement is obtained between the calculated observables and the available experimental data.

In this research, the radon gas concentration was measured for samples from the water of the Euphrates River in the Hindia district of Karbala governorate. The selected collection locations were 30 different local ones on the river between the ancient and modern bridges, heading north and south, respectively; the distance between locations was 100 meters. The concentrations and effective dose of radon were measured using the RAD7 device technology. The highest value was for sample 21, where the effective dose was (0.00001752 Bq/m3). The same value for the effective dose was of sample 7. The lowest value was in sample 27, where the effective dose was (0 Bq/m3), the same value of sample 3. It was observed from the study that the remaining values of the samples ranged from sample 1 as the lowest value of the effective dose (0.0799 Bq/m3) and also for sample 2 and sample 15. The highest value was for samples 29 and 23, where the value of the effective dose was (0.00001314 Bq/m3). However, from observing the results, these values are within the internationally permissible limits according to the recommendations of US Environmental Protection Agency, which is 11 Bq/ L.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were prepared by green method using Zingiber officinale (G-ZnO) and Syzygium aromaticum extract (S-ZnO). X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigations revealed that ZnO NPs have wurtzite hexagonal structures in extracts of Zingiber officinale and Syzygium aromaticum, with average crystal sizes of about 38.49 nm and 27.66 nm, respectively. FTIR was performed to investigate the nature of functional groups in the active compounds responsible for the formation of ZnO NPs. The diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS) showed the direct bandgap energy of the as-prepared nanoparticles. The zinc oxide sample composition and purity were confirmed using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The morphological properties of ZnO NPs prepared from both plants were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). G-ZnO and S-ZnO nanoparticles appeared agglomerated of triangular, spherical and various other shapes, respectively. The average size of nanoparticles for G-ZnO and S-ZnO NPs were 26.92 nm and 62.45 nm, respectively. In addition, the as-prepared ZnO NPs showed significant bactericidal effects against gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

The thyroid is an endocrine gland that produces and secretes triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) hormones. These hormones are essential for maintaining body homeostasis. Indian costus is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of thyroid disorders. The aim of the study is to use Indian costus in its particles and nanoparticles to treat the thyroid, which was infected with an overdose of melatonin. Nano Indian costus was prepared using microwave plasma and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). To determine the most effective technique for creating the Indian costus nanoparticles, the material was examined using an atomic force microscope (AFM) in its bulk and nanoparticle forms. It was found that the microwave plasma method gave better results than PLD, where the average nanoparticle diameter was 21.11nm for the microwave plasma method and 40.02nm for the PLD. Thyroid hormones regained their normal levels of T3 and T4 after receiving Indian costus nanoparticles prepared by microwave plasma, which proved more effective than Indian costus nanoparticles prepared by PLD.

This study aims to determine the total effective dose (external and internal) in the radioactive liquid Waste Hall (WH) in the Radiochemistry Laboratories building (RCL) in Al- Tuwaitha site in order to estimate the radiation risk for workers in this place. The external effective dose was calculated by an indirect method using ThermoLuminescent Dosimeters (LiF: Mg, Ti (TLD-100)) by placing them in the waste hall for one month. The internal effective dose was estimated by collecting eight air samples (environmental samples) from different locations in WH using an air sampler pump (Sniffer) to collect air samples loaded with particles or dust which are deposited on cellulose filter papers (φ 125mm). This was done for two flow rates the lowest and the highest values of the air sampler pump of 5CFM and 20CFM, respectively.The filter papers were chemically treated using the digestion method. The radionuclides in these samples were measured using a gamma spectrometry system equipped with a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), and the radioactivity concentration was measured using a gross alpha beta gamma system. The results showed 137Cs of low concentration was deposited on the filter paper. The total annual effective dose rate (external and internal) results showed that the highest in WH was (6358.97μSv/year) for the low probability scenario and (1589.74 μSv/year) for the realistic scenario

Radioactive waste management is a fundamental issue when using nuclear energy. Therefore, it is necessary to study the health and biological effects on human and environment that these radionuclides cause. The aim of the present study is to estimate the radiotoxicity for radioactive waste in stocked soil in Al-Twaitha city. The radiotoxicity was calculated for each radionuclide, present in the waste, using their dose factor due to ingestion, which is given by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) compendium.
For the purpose of calculating radiation toxicity, a scenario was built that 20% of the radioactivity during radioactive waste handling processes is in the form of dust that can be inhaled or entered through the mouth or eyes. Drums Characterization System (DCS) provided with portable HPGe hand-held radioisotope identifier was used for the characterization and identification of the radionuclides in the drums and the dose rate was measured by Ludlum radiation detector. The absorbed dose rate ranged from 134.904nGy h-1 to 788400 nGy.h-1, the internal hazard index from 0 to 0.035, representative gamma index from 0 to 0.068, representative alpha index ( from 0 to 0.017, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) value ranged from 0.66× 10-6 to 3.86×10-3 and the range of AEDE from 0.19 mSv to 1103.76 mSv.

In the oil and gas sector of Basrah, natural radioactive materials are accumulated in various equipment like wellheads, pumps, and separation vessels, often manifested as scales, sludge, and other forms of waste. Without proper preventive measures, these accumulations pose significant risks to workers, the public, and the environment. This study aims to assess the lifelong cancer risks associated with production processes and the handling of resultant waste, be it scale sediments, sludge, or soil. Sample collection across different regions was based on the evaluation of production and storage facilities. Using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured. These concentrations were then used with standard equations to determine indoor effective dose rates. The regional-weighted (the lifetime risk of cancer is a measure of the cumulative risk of cancer over a specific age range and has a clear, intuitive appear) average of the lifetime excessive cancer risk was varied between (0.40 to 0.11 ×10-3) for ELCRoutdoor, (3.13 to 0.86 ×10-3) for ELCRindoor and (0.97 to 3 ×10-3) for ELCRtotal, significantly surpassing the global average value of (0.29x10-3). This disparity underscores the heightened risk posed by these activities, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and regulatory oversight to safeguard human health and the environment.

The vast development of the technology of embedded systems has had a great
impact on the healthcare field. Using low-cost, robust parts, this research proposes
an innovative technology and design that enables paralyzed patients or elderly
individuals to have a smart room with a voice recognition control unit that works
like a joystick for various purposes. The aim is to create an environment that meets
their needs and increases their independence, thereby improving their quality of life.
The research will show the design of the control unit and present the various
applications that can be programmed using voice commands, such as a wheelchair,
bed, temperature, lights, TV, and alarm. The voice recognition module will be
trained using the patient's voice, for example, to change the movement direction of a
wheelchair. The system is based on training the Voice Recognition Module v3 with
the use of Arduino and Node MCU. The results of the commendable accuracy of the
English word response in a quiet environment ranged between 90% and 100% at the
0.2-meter distance and 50% and 100% at the 0.5-meter distance. While in a noisy
environment, it ranged between 40% and 100% at the 0.2-meter distance and 10%–
90% at the 0.5-meter distance. As for the Arabic-pronounced words, they ranged
between 60% and 100% at the 0.2-meter distance and 30% and 100% at the 0.5-
meter distance in a quiet environment. And, in a noisy environment, it ranged
between 30% and 100% at the 0.2-meter distance and 10% and 100% at the 0.5-
meter distance.