Iron (II) Determination in Lipstick Samples using Spectrophotometric and Microfluidic Paper-based Analytical Device (µPADs) Platform via Complexation Reaction with Iron Chelator 1, 10-phenanthroline: A Comparative Study

اجريت هذه الدراسة لتقديم طريقة لونية سريعة ، دقيقة ، انتقائية، بسيطة و صديقة للبيئة لتقدير تركيز الحديد الثنائي في مختلف العلامات التجارية لاحمر الشفاه المستورد او المصنع محليا في العراق والمجمع من متاجر 500 دينارعراقي واعتماده كاختبار روتيني باستخدام الطريقة الطيفية ومقارنتها مع تقنية السوائل المايكروية الورقية الجديدة  كبديل للاجهزة التقليدية المكلفة مثل جهاز الامتصاص الذري الطيفي.  وتعتمد هذه الطريقة على تفاعل بين الحديد الثنائي مع مخلب الحديد الثنائي الانتقائي1,10- الفينانثرولين بوجود العامل المختزل هيدروكسي امين و المحلول المنظم اسيتات الصوديوم لتكوين معقد ملون ذي لون برتقالي محمر والذي يتناسب طرديا مع تركيز الحديد التنائي المقاس عند الطول الموجي الاعظم 510 نانوميتر. تحت الظروف الفضلى منحني المعايرة كان خطيا ضمن المدى  (0.5-150) ملغرام  لتر-1 مع حد كشف 0.09 ملغرام لتر-1 للطريقة الطيفية. ومقارنة مع طريقة التقدير الطيفية فأن طريقة السوائل المايكروية الورقية تم قياس شدة اللون الناتج بأستخدام صور الملتقطة بأستخدام جهاز سامسونج وبرنامج Image J. لاعطاء دليل على ان منصة السوائل المايكريوية الورقية تحقق الغرض من كونها طريقة ذات دقة وفي الوقت نفسه ذات كلفة قليلة وبسيطة لاستخدامها في كل من البلدان النامية والمتقدمة حيث اعطت نفس منحني المعايرة الخطي مع حد كشف 0.12  ملغرام لتر-1 تمت المقارنة مع الطريقة التقليدية بواسطة برنامج ANOVAمعطيا نتائج مقاربة .لم يظهر النشاط المضاد للميكروبات اي تأثير ملحوظ  من عينات احمر الشفاه على الميكروبات المختبرةThis study was undertaken to introduce a fast, accurate, selective, simple and environment-friendly colorimetric method to determine iron (II) concentration in different lipstick brands imported or manufactured locally in Baghdad, Iraq. The samples were collected from 500-Iraqi dinars stores to establish routine tests using the spectrophotometric method and compared with a new microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) platform as an alternative to cost-effective conventional instrumentation such as Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). This method depends on the reaction between iron (II) with iron(II) selective chelator 1, 10-phenanthroline(phen) in the presence of reducing agent hydroxylamine (HOA) and sodium acetate (NaOAc) buffer to yield a reddish/orange colour change proportional to the iron(II) concentration measured at λmax = 510 nm. Under optimum conditions, the calibration curve was linear in the range between (0.5-150) mg L-1 with a limit of detection of 0.09 mg L-1. Compared to a spectrophotometric detection method, µPAD measured colour intensity using captured images using Samsung mobile phone and image J program to give proof of concept that µPAD platform fulfils the purpose of accuracy and at the same time remaining cost-effective and simplistic to be used in both developing and developed countries gave same linear calibration curve with a limit of detection 0.12 mg L-1. ANOVA test was used to compare the proposed method results with conventional method results showing the method was accepted. The antimicrobial activity showed no significant effect from lipstick samples on tested microbes

Exploiting the diazotization reaction of 4- minoacetophenone for Methyldopa determination.

Based on the diazotization reaction of 4-aminoacetophenone with sodium nitrite in acid medium to form diazonium salt, which was coupled with Methyldopa to form a violet reddish soluble azo dye with maximum absorbance at 560 nm,a batch procedure had been developed for the estamination of Methyldopa. Under optimum experimental parameters affecting on the development and stability of the colored product, Beer´s law obeyed in the range (0.5-45) ?g.ml-1 with a correlation coefficient (0.9979).The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Methyldopa in either pure form and in commercial brands of pharmaceuticals, no interference was observed from common excipients in the formulations. The analytical results obtained by applying this method were in good agreement with labeled values

A Theoretical Study of the Docking of Medicines with some Proteins

دراسة نظرية لمجموعة مكونة من عشرة مركبات عقاقير تحتوي في التركيب الكيميائي على مجموعة أمينية. تم إدخال البيانات كنموذج للتنبؤ بأفضل قيم عملية محسوبة سابقا (log P). تم حساب قيم هذه الأدوية نظريًا باستخدام أنواع مختلفة من الحسابات وهي AM1 و PM3 و Hartree Fock بالاعتماد على قاعدة الاساس (HF / STO-3G). تم حساب البيانات الفيزيائية والكيميائية مثل (الانتروبي ، الطاقة الكلية ، طاقة جيبس ​​الحرة ، ... إلخ) والتي تلعب دورًا مهمًا في تنبؤ القيم العملية. إلى جانب ذلك ، تم ايجاد القيم HOMO و LUMO. تم ايجاد العلاقة الخطية ومعامل الارتباط بينهما من خلال استخدام البيانات التجريبية مع الخصائص الفيزيائية المحسوبة نظريا، واستخدم التحليل الإحصائي لتحليل البيانات مثل تحليل الانحدار الخطي المتعدد لاشتقاق نماذج العلاقة الكمية بينهم والتي تم تقييمها بشكل أكبر لحساب القيم . وجد انه هناك علاقة خطية ومعامل ارتباط أكثر من (0.980 ، 0.980 ، 0.978) لـ AM1 ، PM3 ، HF / STO-3G على التوالي. تم تطبيق دراسة التداخل لتفاعل الأدوية مع البروتين ، تم ربط جميع الأدوية بالبروتين لإعطاء أفضل طاقة لاستقرارهما. كان نيبافيناك (المركب رقم 8) يمتلك الطاقة الأكثر استقرارًا مع البروتين مقارنة بـ 4. حمض أمينوساليسيليك (المركب رقم 2) الذي يتمتع باستقرار أقل للطاقة.A set of ten drug compounds containing an amino group in the structure were determined theoretically. The parameters were entered into a model to forecast the optimal values of practical (log P) medicinal molecules. The drugs were evaluated theoretically using different types of calculations which are AM1, PM3, and Hartree Fock at the basis set (HF/STO-3G). The Physico-chemical data like (entropy, total energy, Gibbs Free Energy,…etc were computed and played an important role in the predictions of the practical lipophilicity values. Besides, Eigenvalues named HOMO and LUMO were determined. Linearity was shown when correlated between the experimental data with the evaluated physical properties. The statistical analysis was used to analyze the descriptors like multiple linear regression analysis performed to derive quantitative structure-activity relationship models which were further evaluated for the values of the prediction. The correlation coefficient gives an excellent relationship of more than (0.980, 0.980, and 0.978) for AM1, PM3, and HF/STO-3G respectively. A docking study was applied for the interaction of medicines with protein. All the drugs were connected with the protein to give the best energy stability for the docking mixtures. Nepafenac (compound No. 8) had the most stable energy with the protein compared with the 4-Aminosalicylic acid (compound No. 2) which had less energy stability

THE LATTICE BOLTZMANN METHOD FOR FLOWS WITH SLIP AND NO-SLIP BOUNDARIES

This thesis assesses and extends a modern method to study the physics of simple and complex flows by using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). With the moment-based boundary conditions, different problems with no-slip and slip boundaries are simulated. The moment method is based on the specification of the appropriate hydrodynamic moments of LBM. Throughout this thesis, distinct collision operators of D2Q9 LBM are presented and examined; the models include the Bhatnager-Gross-Krook (BGK), multiple relaxation time (MRT) and a special case of the last model which is two relaxation times (TRT-LBM). Simple numerical simulations are given and the LBM proved its accuracy when it is compared with other numerical methods. The accuracy of the LBM with the no-slip and slip moment-based boundary conditions is examined numerically by studying the dipole wall collision flow. The two relaxation times lattice Boltzmann model is used to simulate this flow and the results are compared with other numerical methods. Our implementation shows excellent agreement with other numerical results. The vorticity generation on the wall shows interesting behaviour after the dipole collides with no-slip wall. The angle of the incidence effects the behaviour of the dipole after the wall collision, the dissipation of the energy and the growth of the enstrophy. Throughout this thesis the impact of the slip length and Reynolds number on the dipole wall collision is studied. By applying the Navier-slip condition with moment boundary conditions the behaviour of the flow changes and the dissipation of the energy is affected by slip length and the peaks of the enstrophy decreases with higher slip lengths. The dissipation of the energy and its relation to the enstrophy over dipole wall collision are also investigated for different types of boundaries and angles. The theoretical and the numerical investigation shows that the presence of the wall modifies this relation. Moreover, the dissipation of the energy in the absence and the existence of the viscosity effect are studied. Finally, an analysis is done of the stress field of the LBM by using the same boundary conditions for simple flow.the Higher committee for Education Development in Iraq (HCEDiraq

Characterisation of laser processed bio-compatible materials and the realisation of electro optical diffraction gratings

Laser processing methods using excimer lasers have become very attractive for processing materials and the fabrication of micro and nano optical components. Diffraction gratings are used in a wide range of applications and require different fabrication methods. These components can be fabricated from a variety of biocompatible polymers. In this work, an Argon Fluoride (ArF) excimer laser operating at a wavelength of 193 nm has been used to process chitosan and agarose substrates. These materials have been characterised for differing laser processing conditions. Diffraction gratings and component demonstrators have been realised using Laser Direct writing (LDW) and nanoimprinting lithography (NIL). Characterisation of the ArF 193 nm laser work involves ablation threshold, optical absorption measurements and quantification of structural and morphological changes. This results can be used to identify the ideal laser fluence to be used for the production of a diffraction grating and similar optical components fabricated from chitosan. An ablation threshold of chitosan at 193 nm wavelength has been measured as 85 mJcm⁻² and an optical absorption coefficient of 3×10³ cm⁻¹.A diffraction grating structure, measuring 12 μm, was generated in biocompatible materials films; chitosan and agarose, using a laser processing method. The results showed that the interaction between the laser and these materials can potentially open the pathway for a wide range of practical, real world applications such as optical and biomedical applications. Diffraction gratings with a feature size of 1 μm were successfully formed on the biocompatible material free standing films using a NIL technique. Microstructure cross grating patterning made of chitosan and agarose have been fabricated by ArF excimer laser processing using a mask projection ablation technique. Temperature rise calculations have been carried out by COMSOL™ Multi-Physics v5.3 using a Finite Element Method (FEM), to predict the temperature rise during laser ablation processing of chitosan and agarose. In addition, COMSOL™ Multi-physics v5.3 has been used to simulate the electric field in the vicinity of a diffraction grating that is illuminated with light from a HeNe laser emitting at a wavelength of 632.8 nm.The final experimental work investigated the possibility of realising 5CB liquid crystal doped chitosan diffraction gratings doped with Sudan Black B (SBB) dye to enhance the absorption properties at 632.8 nm. Diffraction gratings was fabricated using two intersecting beams from a HeNe laser. Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) chitosan doped with 5CB and SBB dye diffraction gratings were experimentally characterised

Development of an insitu quantitative measurement system for stress hormones : towards open microfluidic system

Personalized health diagnostic and monitoring has gained serious attention in recent years and one area of interest is the analysis of hormones which indicate increased stress levels. Cortisol (known also as hydrocortisone) and cortisone are steroid hormone (also known as stress hormones) that plays an important role in the regulation of many physiological processes such as glucose levels, blood pressure, and carbohydrate metabolism and they are considered as a potent biomarker for post-traumatic stress. The determination of stress hormones represents a challenge because their secretion follows a circadian rhythm (all day cycle) and their secretion are dependent on environmental and behavioral triggers. As a result, there is a need to develop a system for cheaply and rapidly monitoring their levels using approaches such as lab-on-a-chip (LOC) which combine high selectivity and sensitivity to provide valuable health informatics, not just in human but in animals such as fish being bred in a fish farm.Selectivity in these devices can be achieved utilising an immunoassay approach taking advantage of the lock and key mechanism that is related to the antibody-antigen interaction. In this work, a new immunoassay method was developed to measure the stress hormones which involved the reproducible immobilization of cortisol and cortisone antibodies onto a tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) electrode. This was achieved by modifying the electrode in a two process step; the deposition of a nitro group onto the ITO electrode followed by the reduction of the nitro group to amino group using cyclic voltammetry. This approach enables a good orientation of the antibody on the surface. The antibodies were then immobilized using an EDC/Sulfo-NHS linkage. To enable electrochemical detection the antibodies were tagged with ferrocene to give a redox tag. When square wave voltammetry was utilised the method gave good limits of detection (LOD) of 1.03 pg ml-1 for cortisol and 0.68 pg ml-1 for cortisone.The methodology was carried out using biological sample including Zebrafish whole- body sample and artificial saliva and reliable results were obtained without the need for complex extraction procedure.The results of the analysis suggest that the proposed method has promise for the routine detection of stress hormones, which gives a good reason to detect cortisol and cortisone based on a chemiluminescence immunoassay. The antibodies were immobilised using the electrochemical method but then chemiluminescence detection was selected due to its high sensitivity and the simple instrumentation required. A static system was first constructed using a micropipette to add the chemiluminescence reagents with the use of a CCD camera and image J software to capture the chemiluminescence. To achieve chemiluminescence detection the ferrocene tag on the antibodies was first oxidised and then this acted as a catalyst for luminol and hydrogen peroxide chemiluminescence reaction. Optimum conditions were investigated and 20 mM luminol and 10 mM hydrogen peroxide were used with a 200 seconds exposure to the camera and an incubation time of 30 minutes. Using this approach limits of detection were obtained of 0.47 pg ml-1 and 0.34 pg ml-1 also R2 0.9912 and 0.9902 for cortisol and cortisone respectively. The method was also applied to Zebrafish and artificial saliva without analyte extraction and good results were obtained.Once the successful chemiluminescence immunoassays had been developed it could be incorporated into in situ measurement devices. In this work, an open microfluidic approach was investigated to overcome the problems of blockages, high back pressure and air bubbles seen in closed microfluidic systems. A superhydrophobic ITO electrode substrate was prepared depending on the lotus leaf effect of extreme water repellence by the deposition of dichlorodimethylsilane (DCDMS) onto the substrate, followed by dip coating the hydrophobised ITO electrode into fumed silica nanoparticle suspensions to increase the hydrophobicity. Superhydrophilic patterns were then produced using a mask and a UV/ozone lamp. The wetting properties were investigated in detail using a drop shape analysis system. Optimum conditions for the formation of a homogeneous coating were established giving the following results; fumed silica suspension concentration 4%, dip coating velocity 3.18 cm min-1, and sonication time of 10 minutes. The results obtained from fluorescence microscopy showed the capability of fluid to flow along the superhydrophilic pattern acting as an open microfluidic channel.Finally, the open microfluidic approach was combined with the immobilisation procedure. Although further work will be needed to optimise the system, chemiluminescence detection was achieved when the chemiluminescence reagents were passed through the open microfluidic channels over the immobilised antibodies.To conclude an electrochemical immobilization platform has been exploited to reproducibly immobilize the antibodies and develop a quantitative novel chemiluminescence assay for stress hormone analysis in combination with an open microfluidic device

Assessment of Body Fat and its Relation to Growth Score for Iraqi Children

Percentage body fat is the only factor reflects the relative body composition. This search aimed to study the growth score of Iraqi children and its relation to percentage body fat. A total of 107 healthy children (53 girls and 54 boys), aged 2-12 y, were included in the present study. There were no significant differences between girls and boys in body mass index (p ?0.05) while a significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in protein, bone mineral content, body water, and free fat mass (p<0.001). The growth score ranged (0-98) with mean (45.54 ±24.96) for girls, and (1-94) with mean (55.61 ±25.37) for boys. Percentage body fat was significantly and positively correlated with body mass index and inversely with growth score in each sex group .While a non significant correlation was found between body mass index and growth score. We conclude that percentage body fat is a stronger tool than body mass index to follow the growth score and subsequently the health of children. Keywords: Body fat, Body mass index, Overweight, Growth, Children.

The mediating role of organisational innovation in the relationship between strategic planning process and organisational performance in nonprofit organisations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Due to the increasing uncertainties and rapid changes in business environment, strategic planning has been extensively adopted in most organisations. Nowadays, nonprofit organisations also adopt strategic planning to improve their competitive advantage and long-term performance. This research aimed to study the mediation effect of organisational innovation to improve organisational performance of non-profit organisations. It also focused on identifying dimensions that best represent strategic planning organisational innovation and organisational performance. Besides that, it investigated how organisational performance can be achieved through strategic planning and iimovation. A mixed method research using survey questionnaire and a semistructured interview guide were adopted in the study. 257 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Saudi non-profit organisations participated in the survey and based on quota sampling, 30 CEOs participated in the semi-structured interview. The study validated the mediation impact of organisational innovation on mission, knowledge and growth perspective, internal processes perspective, customer satisfaction perspective and financial perspective obtained from regression analysis and supported by Sobel Test. The findings of this research showed that organisational innovation is a strong contributor to the improvement of internal processes whilst the contribution of organisational innovation is moderate towards the mission, knowledge and growth and customer perspectives. The best dimensions that represent strategic planning processes are strategic orientation, strategic analysis, organisational resources management, top management support, audit and control strategy, and strategy implementation. In addition, dimensions that best represent organisational iimovation are organisational learning, organisational innovation process, organisational innovation and organisational structure, innovation strategy, and organisational linkages. Finally, dimensions that best represent organisational performance are mission achievement, customer satisfaction, internal processes, employee learning and growth, and financial performance. The findings also revealed that Saudi nonprofit organisations are increasingly becoming aware that strategic planning process and organisational innovation have the ability to improve performance. Moreover, it has been revealed that strategy and innovation can improve performance through reduction of costs and time and enhance effectiveness. Therefore, it is recommended that Saudi nonprofit organisations should focus on applying strategic planning as a process to motivate employees to be innovative as well as achieve a higher and sustainable performance

Optimization of pH as a strategy to improve enzymatic saccharification of wheat straw for enhancing bioethanol production

In this work, wheat straw (WS) was used as a lignocellulosic substrate to investigate the influence of pH on enzymatic saccharification. The optimum enzymatic hydrolysis occurred at pH range 5.8 – 6.0, instead of 4.8 - 5.0 as has been widely reported in research. Two enzymes cocktails, Celluclast® 1.5L with Novozymes 188, Cellic® CTec2 and endo-1, 4-β-Xylanase, were used for the pH investigation over a pH range of 3.0 – 7.0. The highest concentration of total reduced sugar was found at pH 6.0 for all the different enzymes used in this study. The total reduced sugar produced from the enzymatic saccharification at pH 6.0 was found to be 7.0, 7.4 and 10.8 (g L-1) for Celluclast® 1.5L with Novozymes 188, endo-1, 4-β-Xylanase and Cellic® CTec2, respectively. By increasing the pH from 4.8 to 6.0, the total reduced sugar yield increased by 25% for Celluclast® 1.5L with Novozymes 188 and endo-1, 4-β-Xylanase and 21% for Cellic® CTec2. The results from this study indicate that WS hydrolysis can be improved significantly by elevating the pH at which the reaction occurs to the range of 5.8 to 6.0

Nondestructive Evaluation Of Corrosion Damage In Reinforced Concrete Aged Slab Specimen

The deterioration of concrete bridge decks presents a maintenance challenge for most transportation agencies and bridge owners. This problem increases during the freeze-thaw cycle. De-icing salts can accelerate the deterioration process. Corrosion of steel reinforcement in reinforced concrete structures is considered a dominant factor causing premature deterioration, especially those structures located in a coastal environment. The resulting corrosion product produced has several times the volume of steel, resulting in cracking of the concrete cover if the corrosion is significant. In this study, a bridge deck specimen was subjected to an artificial environment to accelerate the corrosion process. Prior to this step, visual inspection, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Infrared Thermography (IR), Impact Icho (IE), and Half- Cell Potential (HCP) were performed on the bridge deck specimen by Bridge Diagnostics, Inc. (BDI) and Infrasense. The results of GPR, IR and IE indicated that the deck was in good condition while the HCP measurements indicated little to no active corrosion activity. During the accelerated corrosion process, corrosion activity and corrosion rate were estimated with half-cell potential and linear polarization resistance measurements. Impact-echo and ultra-sonic pulse velocity tests were conducted periodically to assess concrete damage. Corrosion losses required to initiate cracks were estimated. At the end of the test period, results show steel corrosion occurred, but concrete damage was not detected or visually observed