Basrah Journal of Science

In this study, the non-polynomial spline function of fourth order is
given to solve the second kind of the nonlinear Volterra integral
equation. Numerical examples are show to clarify the applications of
the proposed method and to compare the calculated results with other
methods. In addition, there is a comparison of the absolute value of the
error that estimated by of the suggested method is compared by those
that estimated through other methods and the exact solution. The
obtained results are very encouraging compared by other numerical
methods.

Polymeric adsorbents are developed for removal toxic Bismarck Brown
(BB) dye. Hummer\'s method was used to prepare graphene oxide (GO)
from graphite with minor alterations. The other two derivatives were
made by grafting GO with Chitosan (GO/CS) and
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (GO/CS/EDTA). Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze their chemical
structure. Batch studies were carried out to investigate the adsorption
systems of GO and its derivatives against the toxic BB dye, and they
showed a good reaction to the adsorption from their aqueous solutions.
The effect of pH value on the adsorption systems was investigated and
found pH values depending on the type of the adsorbents. It was found
that pH 3.0 and 5.0 were the best for the adsorption of BB dye onto
GO, GO/CS, and GO/CS/EDTA, with an agitation time of up to 45
min. Adsorption isotherms were determined using Langmuir and
Freundlich. The Langmuir model was found to be more appropriate for
the experimental results of the adsorption of BB dye on the prepared
adsorbents. According to kinetic studies, the pseudo-second-order
model fits the experimental data the best. According to the
thermodynamic characteristics determined, the adsorption process was
spontaneous and endothermic.

New Schiff base compounds 3-acetyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl
4(alkyloxy) benzoate thiosem icarbazide have been synthesized from
the reaction between thiosemicarbazide and substituted coumarin.
Target compound were characterized by FT-IR and NMR techniques
heterogeneous coumarin compound. The result confirms the structure
as suggested

Arginase plays an essential role in diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2). The study aimed to isolate and partially purify the serum arginase from patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, estimate its molecular weight, and determine the optimal conditions for the enzyme's action. The study included 35 patients of both sexes of 16 males and 19 females. Three purification steps were used to purify arginase are the precipitation of the protein with ammonium sulfate at a saturation of 65%, DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-100 gel scattering technique. The results showed that the specific activity of unpurified arginine is equal to 0.6 and the specific activity increased 19 times when purified while the specific activity was equal to 11.4 (U/mg). The number of purification times was 19-fold, and recovery of 59.2 %. And the molecular weight of purified arginase equals 96050 ± 1414.2 Daltons. The highest activity of purified arginase in 250 µL serum as a source of enzyme,100 mM of buffer solution sodium barbitone, pH = 9.5, and time incubation for 45 minutes at 37 C, and 200 mM of arginine as a substrate for arginase. The study concluded that the specific activity of arginase from serum of diabetic patients increased 19 times after purification. The properties of arginine and the optimal conditions for its action are differ according to the source of the enzyme purified that from it

Many attempts have been made to improve heat transfer for thermally integrated microchannel reforming reactors. However, the mechanisms for the effects of design factors on heat transfer characteristics are still not fully understood. This study relates to a thermochemical process for producing hydrogen by methanol steam reforming in a microchannel reactor. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are conducted to understand the consumption, generation, and exchange of thermal energy between endothermic and exothermic processes in the reactor. The effects of wall heat conduction properties and channel dimensions on heat transfer characteristics and reactor performance are investigated. A thermodynamic analysis is performed based on specific enthalpy to understand the evolution of thermal energy in the reactor. The results indicate that the thermal conductivity of the channel walls is fundamentally essential. Highly thermally-conductive solids are preferred for the channel walls. Wall materials with poor heat conduction properties degrade the reactor performance. Reaction heat flux profiles are considerably affected by channel dimensions. The peak reaction heat flux increases with the channel dimensions while maintaining the flow rates. The change in specific enthalpy is positive for the exothermic reaction and negative for the endothermic reaction. The change in specific sensible enthalpy is always positive. Design recommendations are made to improve thermal performance for the reactor.

In present work, the charge and spin thermoelectric properties of double quantum dots system connected to ferromagnetic leads with collinear magnetic configurations will be studied in the linear response regime. Our results are calculated in a strong interdot coupling regime by taking into consideration all parameters affecting the system such as interaction between dots and their coupling to the leads, intradot Coulomb correlation energy and spin-polarization on the leads. It is found that in the parallel magnetic configuration, the thermoelectric efficiency can reach a large value around the spin-down resonance levels when the tunneling coupling between the quantum dots and the leads for the spin-down electrons are small, which leads to the pure spin Seebeck contribution. As a result, this system can generate a spin-polarized current. The value of the spin figure of merit is enhanced by increasing the spin-polarization and decreasing the correlation energy.

The solution casting method was used to prepare a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite with Graphene (Gr). Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Fourier Transformer Infrared (FTIR) were used to characterize the surface morphology and optical properties of samples. FESEM images revealed a uniform distribution of graphene within the PVP-MWCNT nanocomposite. The FTIR spectra confirmed the nanocomposite information is successful with apperaring the presence of primary distinct peaks belonging to vibration groups that describe the prepared samples.. Furthermore, found that the DC electrical conductivity of the prepared nanocomposites increases with increasing MWCNT concentration which is due to hopping conduction.

The spinel Ni-ferrite with different synthesizing temperature was synthesized by the glycine-nitrate auto-combustion process. X-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and Photoluminescence analysis were used to characterize structural, morphological and optical properties of the as-synthesized samples. The XRD results revealed that the as-synthesized samples possess a cubic spinel structure and the lattice constant decreases from 8.3435 Å to 8.3321Å when the synthesis temperature rises from 50˚C to 100˚C. Further, Increasing the synthesis temperature led to increase the crystallite size from 25 nm to 32 nm. FE-SEM images show that the nanoparticles have agglomerated. FTIR spectra supported the formation of the Ni-ferrite structure and show that the absorption band of a particular bond is shifted to the higher frequency with a rise in temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum consists of emission peaks at 350 nm (3.54 eV), 680 nm (1.82 eV), 770 nm (1.61 eV), and 820 nm (1.51 eV). The PL peaks were shifted to shorter wavelengths with an increase in the emission intensity when increasing the temperature of synthesis.

Five compounds of calamitic Schiff base with liquid crystalline behavior were synthesized and characterized. The terminal of compounds were substituted with different types of polar groups are - OCH3, -COCH3, - Br, and -COOC2H5, -CF3. The chemical structures of all compounds were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy while the phase transitions and optical textures of the samples were observed by polarized optical microscope. Furthermore, the transition temperatures of the compounds and their liquid crystalline temperature range were determined by using differential scanning coulometer. All compounds showed a higher tendency to exhibit an antiotropic nematic mesophases with different transition temperature range. Moreover, the dielectric and electrical conductivity were investigated. Using different polar groups in the synthesized liquid crystalline compounds is accompanied by significant changes in mesophase thermal stabilities as well as physical properties and all samples are with positive dielectric anisotropy.

In this study, a chemical bath deposition method (CBD) is used to synthesize CdS nanocrystalline thin films onto FTO substrate using two temperatures of 70 and 80 ºC for 1h. PbS nanocrystalline thin films are also prepared using CBD using temperature of 35 ºC for 2h. XRD measurements confirmed that the prepared CdS and PbS thin films are polycrystalline with hexagonal phase for CdS and cubic for PbS. Scanning Electron Microscope images show increasing particles size of CdS thin films with increasing temperature of preparation and the films became more adherent on the substrates without pinholes or vacancies. Optical properties are investigated through UV-Visible Spectroscopy and found decreasing in the transmittance of prepared thin films with increasing temperature. Energy band gap calculated for CdS and PbS nanocrystalline thin films found with values higher than bulk value indicating to due to the quantum confinement effect. Photoluminescence spectra of prepared CdS nanocrystalline thin films appeared sharp emission beak at around 550 nm for all samples indicating high crystallinity. Photoresponse measurements of the fabricated photodetector showed a significant sensitivity to visible light at zero applied voltage, indicating that the fabricated device is a self-powered photodetector. The device was highly photosensitive of 16833, responsivity of 1.44 mAW−1, and a low rise/fall time of 0.284/0.298 s.

The present study deals to diagnose Toxoplasma gondii cysts in the soil of Mosul city, with a total of 50 samples were collected from each side of the city and three replications using flotation methods and microscopic methods. The study aims to detect contamination Toxoplasmosis oocysts, in the soil with making a comparison between the right and left side of the city and determine the effect of environmental factors such as humidity on the presence of the parasite through making a comparison between wet and dry soil samples. Molecular methods confirmed the presence of infection where the microscopic examination explained the presence of 20 positive samples out of 100 samples for both sides of the city where 11 positive cases found in the right side and 9 positive samples in the left side. The difference was clear between the wet samples with a rate of (14/48) positive samples, while the number of positive dry samples was (6/52) that confirmed infected 8 of the positive samples were subjected to a molecular examination using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Furthermore, the results showed the presence of 3 positive samples for B1 gene of the Toxoplasma parasite. The study proved the presence of soil contamination with parasite oocysts, which gives a measure of the high incidence of toxoplasmosis in Mosul city and the possibility of transmitting the infection to the rest of the intermediate hosts including humans.

Iraqi flora is rich in plants and the possibility of finding new antimicrobial agents still widely ahead, therefore, the present work evaluated the effects of alcoholic and aqueous crude extracts of Citrullus colocynthis; Eucalyptus globulus leaves and Praziquantel drug (as scolicidal agents) on the viability of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces in vitro. Live protoscoleces obtained from the liver of naturally infected sheep. The viability of protoscoleces was determined by their motility and flame cells activity and staining method using 0.1% eosin solution. The number of viable protoscoleces was counted and distributed into test tubes (4 tubes for each treatment of different concentrations) and 2 tubes were kept as control without treatments. The percentage viability of protoscoleces was ranged between 93.7 to 95.3. Praziquantel drug reduced the survival of protoscoleces during seven sequenced days post incubation. Drug effects showed more influence in both concentrations of 450 μg/ml from day 4 and 600 μg/ml from day 3 post incubation, respectively. The methanolic extract of C. colocynthis reduced the viability of protoscoleces during eight sequenced days post incubation from 96% to zero%. The effects were marked highly in the concentrations of 300 μg/ml from day 3 post incubation. Aqueous fruit extracted decreased in the viability of protoscoleces. In the minimum used concentration (75μg/ml), the viability of protoscoleces reduced from 96% to reach zero% at day eight post incubation, whereas in the maximum concentration used (300 μg/ml), the viability reached to zero% after four days. All concentrations of leaves methanolic and aqueous extracts of E. globulus have an antiparasitic activity against the protoscoleces viability, but the greater effect was to 600 μg/ml that kill all protoscoleces in 6 days after treatment.

Climate change affects countries’ economies and households through a variety of channels. Rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns affect agricultural yields of both rain fed and irrigated crops, and will change hydropower production, increased frequencies and magnitudes of floods and droughts can significantly increase the need for public investment in physical infrastructure. An investigation was carried out to identify trends in temperature and precipitation time series covering a period from (1970-2019) in the province of Basra south of Iraq, northwest of Arabian Gulf. The two variables were considered for analysis on both monthly and annual basis. The percentages of significant trends obtained for each parameter for 12 months and annually were presented. Temperature anomalies were plotted, the relationship between annual mean temperature and precipitation have been determined by Pearson’s Correlation coefficients, and were statistically measured. It was observed that the monthly and annually mean temperatures have increased, while precipitation trends have decreased; moreover, there is a negative weak relationship between temperature and precipitation, while a strong negative relationship was observed between the monthly average for the whole period of minimum and maximum temperature and rainfall

Environmental pollution is a global phenomenon which could results from both natural and anthropogenic activities which has resulted to several health and physiological problems in both plants and animals. Dump sites’ soils of and Borehole waters from Ojota, Ebutte-Meta, Igando and Bariga in Lagos state were analyzed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The data obtained were further subjected to contamination factor and pollution indices analyses. The results obtained showed lead (Pb) to be most concentrated in the soils and ranged from 0.22 ppm to 2.50 ppm, this was followed by the value recorded for zinc (Zn) which was between 0.0015 ppm to 0.020 ppm. The least observed metal in all the soil sample stations was nickel (Ni) which ranged from 0.001 ppm to 0.010 ppm. On the other hand, only water samples from Ojota and Ebutte-Meta were detectable with Pb concentration values of 0.38 ppm and 0.0028 ppm, Ni concentration values of 0.0052 ppm and 0.009 ppm, Zn concentration values of 0.0039 ppm and 0.0020 ppm respectively. On subjecting the concentration of the heavy metals to contamination factor (CF) revealed very slight contamination of the different soils from different areas. There was also very slight contamination of the waters from Ojota and Ebutte-Meta by metals, except for Igando and Bariga that were moderately and severely contaminated by the metals respectively. The Pollution Index (PI) showed that the soils and waters samples are unpolluted with the heavy metals.

This study is based on forty eight samples that were collected from selected sites in Lower Mesopotamia. Sampling depth varies between 1 and 9 m in the South Hammar Marsh, Southern. Grain size distribution indicates that the deposits are mainly composed of silt with a small amount of clay and sand, silt texture is dominate in the sediments, followed by sandy silt, mud, and muddy sand. The dominate nonclay minerals are calcite, quartz, dolomite, feldspar and gypsum, while the clay minerals are composed of; kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, chlorite, Palygorskite, mixed layers montmorillonite - chlorite and palygorskite - illite. Chemical analysis showed that all samples have high concentration in SiO2 and CaO in comparison with Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, SO3, K2O and Na2O. These results are generally related to the clay minerals composition. The depositional environment of these minerals may be characterized by an arid to semi-arid climate in the source area.