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Copyright of Journal of Petroleum Research & Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The depletion of petroleum reserves and increasing environmental concerns have driven the development of eco-friendly asphalt binders. This research investigates the performance of natural asphalt (NA) modified with waste engine oil (WEO) as a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum asphalt (PA). The study examines NA modified with 10%, 20%, and 30% WEO by the weight of asphalt to identify an optimal blend ratio that enhances the binder's flexibility and workability while maintaining high-temperature stability. Comprehensive testing was conducted, including penetration, softening point, viscosity, ductility, multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR), linear amplitude sweep (LAS), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal that WEO effectively softens NA, improves ductility, and enhances workability, with the 20% WEO blend achieving the best balance of physical and rheological properties. Chemical analysis indicates that WEO increases carbon content and reduces sulfur and impurities, aligning NA's composition closer to PA. However, excessive WEO (30%) compromises thermal stability and deformation resistance. The findings underscore the potential of WEO-modified NA for sustainable pavement applications, with 20% WEO identified as the optimal content to achieve performance comparable to conventional petroleum asphalt while promoting environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug uptake and distribution through cell–receptor interactions are of prime interest in reducing the adverse effects and increasing the therapeutic effectiveness of delivered formulations. This study aimed to formulate silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) conjugated to somatostatin analogs for specific delivery through somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) expressed on cells and by nebulizing the prepared AgNPs formulations into lung cells for in vivo application. AgNPs were prepared using the citrate reduction method, yielding AgNPs–CTT, which was further chemically conjugated to octreotide (OCT) to form AgNPs–OCT through an amide linkage. The AgNPs–OCT formulation was coated using alginate to yield a carrier, AgNPs–OCT–Alg, feasible for drug delivery through nebulization. AgNPs were uniform in size with an acceptable range of zeta potential. Furthermore, the concentrations of AgNP formulations were found safe for the model cell lines used, and cell proliferation was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). In the healthy lung tissues, AgNPs–OCT–Alg accumulated at a concentration of 0.416 ± 5.7 mg/kgtissue, as determined via inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. This study established the accumulation of AgNPs, specifically the AgNPs–OCT–Alg, in lung tissues, and substantiated the active, specific, and selective targeting of SSTRs at pulmonary sites. The anticancer efficacy of the formulations was in vitro tested and confirmed in the MCF-7 cell lines. Owing to the delivery suitability and cytotoxic effects of the AgNPs–OCT–Alg formulation, it is a potential drug delivery formulation for lung cancer therapy in the future.

A novel electrochemical reactor with a rotating anode attached to its end with four baskets as catalysts holders is proposed for deep desulfurization of diesel fuel. In this reactor two experimentally prepared catalysts of (5% manganese oxide (MnO2)/modified activated carbon (MAC) and 5% iron oxide (Fe2O3)/MAC) were used for an efficient desulfurization process. This design is characterized by conducting two functions at the same time, which are to agitate the reaction mixture and to move the catalyst over all areas of the reaction vessel. Several experiments were conducted at different operating conditions such as voltage, reaction time, and agitating speed. Results showed that the proposed basket reactor is excellent and highly effective in removing dibenzothiophene (DBT) in diesel. The removal efficiency of sulfur compounds is significantly improved by enhancing reaction times, stirring speed, and cell voltage up to 3 volts and drops at higher than 3 volts. At all operating conditions, the 5% Fe2O3/MAC catalyst showed higher performance than the 5% MnO2/MAC catalyst. This result can be attributed to the high reactivity of Fe2O3/MAC toward DBT removal and its magnetic activity which could enhance the oxidation reaction. Under the best operating conditions, the removal efficiencies reached 98.8%, and 93.1% for 5% Fe2O3/MAC and 5% MnO2/MAC, respectively. A model for the proposed reactor was also developed using an artificial neural network (ANN) software. The modeling data displayed an excellent agreement between the experimental and predicted data. This interactive model produced an accurately strong basis for the behavior of the new electrochemical desulfurization (ECDS) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hesperidin (HSP) is a natural flavonoid glycoside with very low aqueous solubility and a slow dissolution rate, limiting its effectiveness. This study aims to address these issues by creating co-crystals of hesperidin with water-soluble small molecules (co-formers) such as L-arginine, glutathione, glycine, and nicotinamide. Using the solvent drop grinding method, we prepared three different molar ratios of hesperidin to co-formers (1:1, 1:3, and 1:5) and conducted in-vitro solubility and dissolution studies. The results demonstrated that the prepared co-crystals exhibited significantly enhanced solubility and dissolution rates compared to untreated hesperidin. Of particular note, the HSP co-crystals formula (HSP: L-arg 1:5) displayed approximately 4.5 times higher dissolution than pure hesperidin. Further analysis using FTIR, powder x-ray diffraction patterns, and DSC thermograms validated the formation of co-crystals between HSP and L-arginine. Additionally, co-crystallization with L-arginine improved the in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of hesperidin compared to the untreated drug. This study highlights the potential of using water-soluble small molecules (co-formers) through co-crystallization to enhance the solubility, dissolution, and biological activities of poorly water-soluble drugs. Furthermore, in vivo studies are crucial to validate these promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, a significant increase in the number of vehicles in Baghdad city related to uncontrolled axle loading, hot climate summer, lack of asphalt pavement maintenance, and heavy traffic has combined and led to severe consequences in the paved road. Therefore, asphalt cement enhancement and improvement is the first key to solving and correcting these issues. Recently, nanomaterial has gained considerable recognition in asphalt technology as the new modifier due to the homogeneity, dispersion, and large surface area in contact with asphalt particles. This paper investigates the effect of adding nano CaCO3 into asphalt cement. The laboratory experiment included 40-50 penetration grades prepared with different content 1, 3,5, and 7% to quantify the potential benefit of a physical test of Asphalt, Marshall properties, and tensile strength of hot mix asphalt. The testing result indicated that nano-CaCO3 modified asphalt with a 5% improved penetration grade and softening point. On the other hand, Marshall Stability increased to 14.38 kN. Furthermore, tensile strength increased to 1121 KPa due to the stuffing effect, increased adhesion that increased the resistance of asphalt mixture towards permanent deformation during the hot summer climate in Iraq.

Introduction: Given the fact that health facilities are complex societies, the need for team work that involves professionals from different fields to contribute towards the best working standards for care givers is desirable. Integrated healthcare systems focus on cooperation with other pharmacy, laboratory service, radiography, social service and health administration and thus there is no gap between the different health care needed of patients. The leadership of such synergy is crucial to assist in meeting the rising need of personalized, affordable, and effective models of health care delivery. Aim of work: To explore the pivotal roles of pharmacy, laboratory services, radiography, social services, and health administration, the importance of their integration, and how their synergy enhances healthcare delivery. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the MEDLINE database's electronic literature using the following search terms: Enhancing, Healthcare Systems, Synergy, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiography, Social Services and Health Administration. The search was restricted to publications from 2016 to 2024 in order to locate relevant content. We performed a search on Google Scholar to locate and examine academic papers that pertain to my subject matter. The selection of articles was impacted by certain criteria for inclusion. Results: The publications analyzed in this study encompassed from 2016 to 2024. The study was structured into various sections with specific headings in the discussion section. Conclusion: The synergy of pharmacy, laboratory, radiography, social service and health administrative departments is equally important for improvement of healthcare systems. All the disciplines have their own specialization and approach to integrate into effective, unified, and individualized treatment. This paper identifies obstacles to improvement across healthcare organizations and how interdisciplinary collaboration and technology can help systems gain a fuller understanding of the needs of patients and communities. As the healthcare continues to change, the combination of these domains will continue to be a foundation of quality as well as access to care for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unclear whether the association between the visual attention (VA) span and reading differs across languages. Here we studied this relationship in Arabic, where the use of specific reading strategies depends on the amount of diacritics on words: reading vowelized and nonvowelized Arabic scripts favor sublexical and lexical strategies, respectively. We hypothesized that the size of the VA span and its association to reading would differ depending on individual "script preferences." We compared children who were more proficient in reading fully vowelized Arabic than nonvowelized Arabic (VOW) to children for whom the opposite was true (NOVOW). NOVOW children showed a crowding effect in the VA span task, whereas VOW children did not. Moreover, the crowding in the VA span task correlated with the reading performance in the NOVOW group only. These results are discussed in light of individual differences on the use of reading strategies in Arabic.

The Objective of the study was to determine the level of participation of rural leaders in agricultural extension activities in the Erbil plain district/Erbil governorate and to determine variance in this participation according to a number of variables. The sample consisted of 41 villages. The final number of local rural leaders surveyed was 102 rural leaders. The results showed that 65% of the respondents were involved in the activities of the agricultural extension medium and strong. In addition, there was a difference in the participation of rural leaders in these activities according to the following variables: (exposure to sources of agricultural information, satisfaction with agricultural extension work, and the motives of participation in agricultural extension activities). While there was no variation in the participation of respondents according to the variables of age, educational level, number of years of work in agriculture, social status, and openness to the outside world.

Using a series of ordered mesoporous TiO2 (om-TiO2) with and without Ce or Cu doping, the effects of structure, metal doping and residual template species in the structure are systematically evaluated in terms of products formed during a CO2 photoreduction process. It is found that the ordered mesoporous structure contributes significantly in the hydrogen evolution reaction from the splitting of gaseous water. No cocatalyst was needed to achieve high hydrogen yields. While carbon-containing products are also observed, the presence of remainders of the organic template used in the synthesis process does not allow an unambiguous identification of the source of products. Small amounts of metal doping do not majorly influence the hydrogen evolution, thus the mesoporous structure can eventually be identified as the main cause for the improved performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]