Search

Fog paradigms minimize response times for delay-sensitive applications by bringing computation and storage closer to the edge of the network, thus reducing the need for data transmission to centralized cloud servers. However, one key challenge of fog computing is the constrained network resources in comparison with the cloud core. This yields a bottleneck when the delay-sensitive applications demand intensive computation and processing resources. Here migrating tasks to the cloud can be prohibited due to the delay bounds impelled by offered services. Therefore, running delay-sensitive and computation-intensive applications at the fog nodes compels efficient resource management solutions to avoid saturation and congestion. Along this, this paper presents a novel dynamic redistribution mechanism that alleviates heavily-loaded (HL) fog nodes from excess load and instead migrates it to nearby lightly-loaded (LL) nodes. The method implements a hybrid model that combines the saliencies of coarse-grained and fine-grained techniques, i.e., adaptive selection based on the load status at the proximity nodes and traffic volume. Results demonstrate that the proposed method results in minimal migration iterations at low failure rates, along with reduced migration delay and cost, as compared to standalone fine-grained and coarse-grained methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) represents a diverse group of lymphoid tissue cancers, predominantly arising from B-cells, T-cells, or natural killer cells. The accurate diagnosis of NHL subtypes is crucial, given their varying clinical behavior and treatment responses. This study focuses on the application of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in diagnosing and classifying NHL, comparing its efficacy to traditional hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining methods. Methods. Conducted at Al-Sadr Teaching Hospital, Basrah, this cross-sectional study involved 48 newly diagnosed NHL cases in 2015. Patients were initially examined using H&E-stained sections from lymph nodes and extranodal tissue biopsies. IHC staining, employing a range of primary antibodies, was then used to confirm diagnoses and subtype NHL cases. Results. The study revealed a predominance of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) at 50%. Other subtypes that were identified included mantle cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, MALToma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma. The IHC method proved critical in identifying specific NHL subtypes, which were not detectable by H&E staining alone, such as mantle cell lymphomas and peripheral T-cell lymphomas. The study highlighted discrepancies with regional studies, emphasizing variations due to sample size and regional factors. Conclusion. Immunohistochemical staining is an indispensable tool for accurately diagnosing and classifying NHL, complementing H&E staining. This study underscores the need for a comprehensive diagnostic approach, including a panel of antibodies, to optimize the diagnostic process and ensure accurate treatment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic analysis and perceptual analysis has been extensively used to assess the speech and voice among individual with voice disorders. These methods provide objective, quantitative and precise information on the speech and voice characteristics in any given disorder and help in monitoring any recovery, deterioration, or improvement in an individual's speech and also differentiate between normal and abnormal speech and voice characteristics. The present study was carried out to investigate the spectral characteristics (formant frequency parameters and formant centralization ratios) and voice characteristics (Acoustic parameters of voice) changes in individuals following adenotonsillectomy. A total of 34 participants participated in the study with a history of adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Spectral and acoustic voice parameters were analyzed across the three-time domains, before surgery (T0), 30 days (T1), and 90 days (T2) after surgery. Data was analyzed statistically using the SPSS software version-28.0.0.0. Descriptive statistics were used to find the mean and standard deviation. Repeated measures of ANOVA were used to compare the pre and post-experimental measures for spectral and acoustic, voice parameters. The derived parameter of acoustic vowel space (formant centralization ratio 3) was compared across three conditions timelines. The results revealed that acoustic vowel space measure and formant frequency measures were significantly increased in pre and post-operative conditions across the three timelines. A significant difference was obtained across the acoustic parameters across the time domains. Adenotonsillectomy has been proved to be an efficient surgical procedure in treating children with chronic adenotonsillitis. The results obtained have indicated an overall improvement in the spectral and acoustic voice parameters thereby highlighting the need for adenotonsillectomy at the right time and at the right age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhizobial bacteria is an important species among the soil bacteria that inter a relationship with leguminous plant and fix nitrogen symbiotically. Importance of this relation not only for soil as soil fertilizer but also to keep our environment without pollution. Methods: Survey was conducted to collect different strains of rhizobial from different area in Nineveh Governate in Iraq. Isolation and biochemical tests were done under laboratory conditions. Determination of exopolysaccharide and tolerance of heavy metal was conducted also. Data obtained was recorded after cultivation and incubation of rhizobial strains. Results: The rhizobial bacteria were isolated from the following leguminous plants: Vigna unguiculata L., Trifolium alexandrinum, Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Leucaena leucocephala L., Medicago sativa L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Tribulus terrestris L. and Vicia faba L. Maximum exopolysaccharide production were reached to 3.70 gm/L by the isolate R. leguminosarum bv. Viciae RM25,after two days of incubation. The maximum cell dry weight was 2.90 gm/L. by the isolate E. meliloti RM14, after two days of incubation. Maximum reduction in pH were 4.30 by strain E. meliloti RM5, after two days incubation. All the local isolated rhizobia were tolerated to nickel chloride for the studied concentrations: 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 µg/ ml. Also were tolerance to 100 and 500 µg/ ml of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate. 1000 µg/ ml concentration of zinc sulfate were also tolerated by all rhizobial isolates. Conclusion: Rhizobium bacteria possess several mechanisms that allow them to tolerate heavy metal exposure. These mechanisms include the expression of efflux pumps, the presence of metal-resistance plasmids, the production of EPS, and the ability to adapt to environmental factors. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the heavy metal tolerance in Rhizobium and to explore the potential applications of these bacteria in bioremediation of heavy metal polluted soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless video surveillance system is one of the cyber-physical security systems kinds, which transmits the signal of IP cameras through a wireless medium using a radio band. WVSSs are widely deployed with large systems for use in strategic places such as city centers, public transportation, public roads, airports, and play a significant role in critical infrastructure protection. WVSSs are vulnerable to jamming attacks creating an unwanted denial of service. Hence, it is essential to secure this system from jamming attacks. In this paper, three models of IoT-fuzzy inference system-based jamming detection system are proposed for detecting and countermeasure the presence of jamming by computing two jamming detection metrics; PDR and PLR, and based on the result, the system countermeasures this attack by storing the video feed locally in the subsystem nodes. FIS models are based on Mamdani, Tsukamoto, and Sugeno fuzzy logic which optimizes the jamming detection metrics for detecting the jamming attack. The efficiency of these proposed models is compared in detecting jamming signals. The experimental results show that the proposed Tsukamoto model detects jamming attacks with high accuracy and efficiency. Finally, the proposed IoT-Tsukamoto-based model was compared with the existing systems and proved to be superior to them in terms of central processing complexity, accuracy, and countermeasure for this attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measures, especially efficiency measures, are crucial and pivotal in determining a company's performance level and financial health, as well as the extent to which they are reflected in other indicators. This study investigates the extent to which the company's efficiency measure (working capital) contributes to achieving returns for the period 2009-2018. Therefore, it assumes that the efficiency measure (working capital) does not contribute to achieving the cumulative abnormal return. This study drew several findings, the most crucial of which is the rejection of the hypothesis of the study and the acceptance of the alternative hypotheses, which can be summed up as the efficiency measure (working capital) contributing to achieving the cumulative abnormal return. The study has concluded a set of recommendations, including the need to raise awareness of working capital as a major contributor to achieving a distinct type of stock returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Fog computing allows for local data processing at the edge of the network. This allows for reduced link delays between mobile users and access points. Here, fog nodes are collocated with radio remote heads (RRHs) to provide local processing capabilities, that is, creating fog radio access network (F‐RAN) that can support ultralow latency for cellular networks that operate on millimeter wave (mmWave) bands. Here, mobile stations (MS) demand various network functions (NFs) that correspond to different service requests. Hence, it is critical to study function popularity and allow content caching at the F‐RAN. Given the limited resources at the fog nodes, it is important to efficiently manage the resources to improve network operations and enhance the capacity at reduced delays and cost. Therefore, caching in mmWave F‐RAN requires node allocation that can accommodate the highest number of cached functions. Hence, this paper proposes a novel node placement scheme that leverages Nelder–Mead meta‐heuristic. Results show that the proposed scheme yields in reduced delay, cost, and power and energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research is a study of the number of occurrence, classification, and sequence of apology as a speech act in Iraqi Arabic. The examination depends on a set of 550 natural apology interactions obtained by ethnographic observation method. The findings indicated that the obvious utterance of apology with a 'demand for forgiveness' اسفف')fwan)1 (sorry) was the most frequent apology speech act in Iraqi Arabic and the above token with 'confession of being guilty' constituted the common set of apologies in Iraqi Arabic. The study also indicated that the same combination of apology speech acts utilized in other examined languages was frequent in Iraqi Arabic; however, the tendencies for employing these speech acts seem to be culturally dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of beta-aminobutyric acid (BABA) on negative intestinal bacteria and gastrointestinal tissues (stomach, small intestine and large intestine) of male rats. The rats were dosed with BABA orally four times a week. The results showed that the histological structure of the digestive system of the control treatment was normal. Also, the histological structure of the stomach was normal for all concentrations of acid. As for the small intestine and large intestine, its histological structure was affected with the increase in concentration. As for the studied negative enterococcus bacteria, it was also affected by the addition of (BABA), it decreased with increasing concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certainly, the primary action of Propylthiouracil (PTU) is to inhibit the production of thyroid hormones (T4, T3) by preventing iodine molecules from combining with the amino acid tyrosine and thus increasing the secretion of thyroid hormone (TSH). This study aimed to investigate the effect of beta-aminobutyric acid (ßABA) on hypercortisolism caused by high TSH levels. We performed the experiment on 20 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into four groups (A, B, C, D) in each group five rats, three groups (B, C, D) exposed to hypothyroidism with propylthiouracil (PTU) by intraperitoneal injection peritoneum for 10 days. After the symptoms of hypothyroidism appeared, groups, C and D were treated with ßABA at a concentration of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, also by intraperitoneal injection twice a week for three weeks, while keeping groups A, and B as control groups. The level of TSH, ACTH, and Cortisol was measured. The results showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the level of TSH and an increase in the level of cortisol with a decrease in the level of ACTH in the hypothyroid group, While the groups that were injected with amino acid, showed a decrease in the level of TSH, Cortisol and an increase in the level of ACTH in both concentrations. We conclude from the current study that hypothyroidism leads to hypercortisolism and that ßABA has a therapeutic effect on elevated levels of TSH and cortisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Iraq; there is a great demand for handling some epidemic diseases such as hyperglycemia and hyperlipidema through searching some medical plant extracts which the country is rich with and contains an important phytochemicals that may solve the incidence of such cases. Aloe vera that cultivated in Iraq, is known to be rich with biological active constituents. The aim of the present study; the plant gel extract was subjected to treat an induced diabetic lab mice through injecting streptozotocin dose with high fatty food to elevate lipid profile before induction of the gel oral treatment of the plant. In the study results: the oral administration of A.vera gel at concentration of 300mg/kg animal weight gives a reduction in glucose level reached to 122mg/dl at the end of the experiment as well as the anti-diabetic drug Glibenclamide in a dose of 600µg/kg body weight as the glucose level decreased to 123mg/dl glucose in comparison to glucose level 250 mg/dL at zero time. Also the plant gel shows an effect on lipid profile that include cholesterol, triglycerides and High density lipoprotein levels; the A.vera extract after 21 days treatment causes decreasing in all lipid levels; even in normal mice fed with the extract only, except the High density lipoprotein levels had no change after the extract treatment than the negative control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After perception of specific biotic or abiotic stimuli, such as root colonization by rhizobacteria or selected chemicals, plants can enhance their basal resistance against pathogens. Due to its likely sustainability, this induced resistance will be valuable for disease management in agriculture. This study examined resistance against wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) induced by Pseudomonas protegens CHA0 (CHA0) and ß-aminobutyric acid (BABA). Seed dressing with CHA0 reduced the number of sporulating pustules on leaves, and expression of resistance was visible as necrotic or chlorotic leaf flecks. Beneficial effect of CHA0 on wheat seedlings growth was observed in when they were challenged or not with leaf rust. BABA was tested at 10, 15 or 20 mM, and a dose-dependent reduction of leaf rust infections was observed with greatest protection at 20 mM. However, BABA treatment repressed plant growth at 20 mM. Balancing the BABA impact on plant growth and its protective capacity, 15 mM of the compound was selected as suitable to protect wheat seedlings against leaf rust, with the least impact on vegetative host growth. Histological aspects of the pathogen infection process was studied to understand mechanisms of behind the observed resistance. The pre-entry process was not affected by the two resistance inducers, but both treatments reduced fungus penetration and haustorium formation. Timing and amplitude of the resistance reactions were different after bacterial or chemical induction, leading to different levels of resistance. During fungal colonization of host tissues, high deposition of callose and accumulation of H2O2 in both CHA0- and BABA-treated plants indicated important contributions to resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a global health matter that provides a considerable danger of death. The main objective of this investigation was to assess the use of CD64 and IgG in the development of bacterial sepsis in patients infected with (Salmonella typhi and Klebsiella pneumonia), Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the correlation of the marker (CD64) with bacterial sepsis. This study was carried out with a total (140) individual of both sex (100) suspected sepsis patients and (40) healthy group with age ranged (13-65) year enrolled in this study. The result of Microbiological tests was found 40 specimens contain bacterially isolated, was the frequency among 30 (75%) male and 10(25%) female and result revealed that 10 (25%) specimens as a Gram-positive isolate (S. aureus) and 30(75%) specimens as Gram-negative bacteria (S. typhi, K. pneumoniae) while 60 of the rest specimens did not show any growth. While the current study, 30 Gram-negative isolates appeared as a positive result for K. pneumoniae (6) and (24) for S. typhi isolates and represented a major cause for sepsis by using the VITEK system to confirm all bacterial isolates. This study concluded that the sepsis disease influences some risk factor such as age, sex, place of living and the type of bacteria, also affected on immune response represented by CD64. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 /PAEDTC@MIL-101 (Fe) photocatalyst was prepared by sol-gel method and used to degrade diazinon (DZN) and chlorpyrifos (CPS) from aqueous solutions. The characteristics analyzed by various techniques indicate that the core-shell photocatalyst with a specific surface area of 992 m2/g, pore size of 1.35 nm and saturation magnetization of nanocomposite was 12 emu/g has been successfully synthesized and can be separated from the reaction solution by a magnetic field. The maximum efficiencies of DZN (98.8%) and CPS (99.9%) were provided at pH of 5, photocatalyst dosage of 0.6 g/L, pollutant concentration of 25 mg/L, radiation intensity of 15 W, and time of 60 min. The presence of anions such as sulfate, nitrate, bicarbonate, phosphate, and chloride had a negative effect on the performance of the photocatalysis system. Compared to the adsorption and photolysis systems alone, the photocatalytic process based on Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 /PAEDTC@MIL-101 (Fe) under two UV and visible light sources showed a high efficiency of 90% in the reaction time of 60 min. The BOD 5 /COD ratio improved after 50 min to above 0.4 with TOC and COD removal rates >80%. Scavenging tests showed that •OH radical, hole (h+), electron (e−), and O 2 •- anion were produced in the reaction reactor, and the •OH radical was the dominant species in the degradation of DZN and CPS. The stability tests confirmed the recyclability of the photocatalyst in 360 min of reactions, with a minimum reduction of 7%. Energy consumption for the present system during different reactions was between 15.61 and 25.06 kWh/m3 for DZN degradation and 10–22.87 kWh/m3 for CPS degradation. [Display omitted] • Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 /PAEDTC@MIL-101 (Fe) was synthesized by a simple method. • The photocatalytic reactions were performed by UV and visible light irradiation. • Mineralization, energy consumption, and scavengers tests were conducted. • Photocatalytic acts as an efficacious catalyst and is recyclable. • 100% Pesticides degradation efficiency was achieved under optimum conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to identify the extent to which small agricultural projects contribute to the development and development of the capabilities of rural women in the Fallujah district and its sub-districts through eight areas that represent the focus of capacity development (economic capabilities, social capabilities, administrative capabilities, knowledge and skill capabilities, problem-solving ability, and adaptation). With the work environment, marketing capabilities, and the ability to create and excel), the study also aimed to identify the determinants that hinder work in agricultural projects. The number is (235) respondents distributed among (5) agricultural divisions, the descriptive approach was used as a method to achieve the objectives of the research. A questionnaire was prepared to collect study data if it included two main axes. The first axis included (8) fields of developing and developing the capabilities of rural women by (50) paragraphs. The second axis included the determinants that hinder Work in agricultural projects, as it included four areas with (22) paragraphs. After the process of data collection and unpacking, the statistical program (SPSS) was used to analyze and present the results. The study showed that small agricultural projects had contributed to the development and development of the capabilities of rural women, As these projects worked to bring about behavioral changes among rural women and developed their administrative, knowledge, and skills capabilities, adapting to the work environment and their social capabilities as well as capabilities in the field of creativity and excellence, the study also showed the presence of determinants that hinder the work of agricultural projects in the areas of financing, lending, marketing, and some administrative and technical aspects. In conclusion, there are shortcomings in the extension aspects represented in the absence of government extension programs for the development of agricultural projects, the extension apparatus' neglect of the problems and technical needs facing projects, and weakness in education and culture. Extension services and agricultural research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In scientific and human research, you often search for the effect of variables on other variables, and this is what we find a lot in experimental research, as the researcher tries to know the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable or independent variables on dependent variables. It should be pointed out to a very important point, which is that statistics deals with numbers, so it is possible through these numbers and by conducting certain statistical operations to reach results for statistical significance. The researchers noted through their modest field experience as former players, and found that the previous studies were interested, especially the experimental ones, in how to produce the results in their form as significant differences between the variables, and this requires a complementary procedure to show which of these differences was more feasible in being affected by the use of exercises with auxiliary tools In learning some basic volleyball skills for beginners, The aim of the research is to describe exercises using tools that help in learning some basic volleyball skills for beginners. As the researchers used the quasi-experimental approach, for its suitability to the nature of the problem to be solved The research community, who are students of the second stage, numbering (142) students, divided into four divisions, and among those divisions, the researcher chose in a random manner and by (lottery) division (A, B), and they were divided into two groups, experimental and control, that is, by (40) students, as each group included of (20) students, and thus the proportion of the sample from the research community (28%), As these exercises were prepared using the aids and tools in the educational units, The researchers used statistical methods to process the data by using the statistical package (spss). The researchers recommended emphasizing the knowledge of the size of the impact resulting from learning the mathematical skills by using the tools that help in learning the skills in question, as they are more effective and in the various stages of learning and be an essential part in the content of the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted by using 225 quail females in the production stage at the age of 50 days from one hatchery at a rate of 185g weight for 12 weeks, and randomly distributed to five experimental groups, at 45 quail females per treatment, and at a rate of 15 quail females for each replicate. The birds were exposed to temperature at a rate of (28-36-30±2°C) and relative humidity at a rate of (40-60-50±2%) for the time (700-1200-1900).The birds were fed a standard diet contain 20% crude protein and 2903kcal metabolizable energy/Kg feed. The birds were distributed randomly as follows: The first group (T1) was the control without addition to drinking water, the second (T2) and the third (T3) groups with added 300mg/L of water from the aqueous and alcoholic extract for the Al-Zahdi khalal date without pits, respectively, and the fourth (T4) and the fifth (T5) groups with added 300mg/L of water from the aqueous and alcoholic for extract Al-Zahdi Khalal dates pits, respectively. The results indicated that there was a significant increase (P≤0.01) for all adding treatments compared to the control treatment with a preference in favor of the third and fifth treatments in the traits of egg production percentage on the basis of Hen-Day (H.D), mass, cumulative number of eggs, average weekly egg weight, weekly feed consumption, and significant (P≤0.01) improvement in feed conversion efficiency in most of the experimental periods. In conclusion, the use of these extracts contributed to improve the studied production traits of Japanese quail hens exposed to heat stress, noting that the treatments T3 and T5 recorded the best results for all studied traits and for most of the experimental periods of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the most common lung diseases such as Tuberculosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary, Asthma, Lung Cancer, Cystic fibrosis, etc., Pneumonia includes all lung diseases that affect the airway and other parts of the lung. Urokinase (UK) [EC 3.4.21.73] is strong plasminogen activator, also known urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA), which is serine protein. that activates an inactive proenzyme plasminogen to an active plasmin via cleavage of Arg–Val bond. The active plasmin causes break down the fibrin polymers of blood clots. In this study, the UK enzyme was purified from serum blood of patients with pneumonia and the activity of the purified enzyme were measured measured. The purification step includes the precipitation by Ammonium sulfate salt saturation (60%) followed by isolating the enzyme using chromatography Gel filtration by sephadex G–100 and DEAE–Cellulose ion exchange to produce iso-enzyme. The apparent molecular weight of the isolated UK using SDS–PAGE. The results show that the enzyme activity values in male patients is 191.0 ± 11.8 (I.U.) while in female patients is 158.1± 9.59 (I.U.). The enzyme activity in male control 87.8 ± 5.9 (I.U.) and Female 82.5 ± 4.15 (I.U.). Further, the kinetics of the purified enzyme suggest that the value of the reaction rate (Km) is 0.4 M. The enzymes shown an optimum pH at 8.8, and optimum temperature at 37 C°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we generalize the Inverse Rayleigh distribution using the power transformation. We provide a comprehensive description of the mathematical properties of the powered distribution. The maximum likelihood estimator of the parameters is derived. The Bayes estimation based on square error loss function is computed for general prior information by using Lindely and Tierney and Kadane's (T-K) approximation methods. A Comparisons among the suggested estimation methods have been made using the mean square error criteria and it is observed that The Lindely approximation method is more efficient than maximum likelihood method and T-K approximation method for all cases used. One real data analysis is performed for illustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are multi-functional proteins involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics and responsible for protecting cells against oxidative stress. The present study investigated the inhibition effects of Ciprofloxacin on GST enzymes in the liver, renal, and pulmonary tissues of the rat. Sixty Wistar rats were separated into 4 groups, 15 rats each (I--IV). Distilled water was used for intraperitoneally injection of group I (control), however rats in other three groups (II, III, and IV) were injected with 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg, and 150mg/kg of Ciprofloxacin, respectively. The inhibitory effects of the Ciprofloxacin doses were evaluated after 2, 4 and 6 hours. The activity of GST enzyme was significantly inhibited in response to Ciprofloxacin doses at different periods and tissues (p<0.05). In all animal groups, GST activity in hepatic tissue was inhibited against the control group almost in all the intervals (p<0.05). For renal tissues, GSH enzyme activities were inhibited in the groups (II-IV) from 2nd until the end of the 4th hour period, whereas activation was observed in the next periods (p<0.05). Furthermore, in pulmonary tissues, the inhibitory effect on Glutathione enzyme activity was observed during the 4th h in Ciprofloxacin groups compared to the control, while after 6 hours, the enzyme showed a different response and has a recovered activity. (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsequently, the early reactivation or old human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection may be interfere with IgE and interleukin-33 (IL-33) levels disturbances throughout the life intervals and act as synergistic factors to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of various diseases; like asthma or coronary heart diseases (CHD). The main subject of the current study was to determine the role of CMV infection onto IgE levels and IL-33 disturbances in the pathogenesis of asthma and atherosclerosis as a case-control study. A total of 175 participants were with a mean age of 38.17 ± 7.51 years [age range: 26-52] years, which were distributed as patients with atherosclerosis (n=50) and asthmatic patients (n=50) as the cases of our study and 75 healthy subjects as a control group. Both groups of asthmatic and atherosclerosis patients show a significant association with the seropositivity of CMV-IgG which was detected in 33 (18.9%) and 30 (17.1%). While, CMV-PP65 Ag which was detected in 26 (14.9%) and 28 (16.0%) respectively (P < 0.0001). High level of abnormal IL-33 was detected in 36 (20.6%) with 45 (25.7%) of abnormal IgE was determined in patients with asthma followed by 26 (14.9%) and 44 (25.1%) for abnormal levels of IL-33 and IgE respectively in patients with atherosclerosis. Furthermore, there was a positive significant association between the seropositivity of CMV-IgG and CMV-PP65 Ag with abnormal IgE and IL-33 levels in the pathogenesis of asthma and atherosclerosis (P < 0.0001), and impact of our study support the hypothesis that previous cytomegalovirus infection or early reactivation with unregulated IL-33 expression or high IgE level play a significant role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart diseases and asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otitis media (OM) an inflammation of the middle ear, is a common illness in childhood and also occurs in adults due to several factors, microbiological, environmental and social. This study aimed to investigate the microorganisms aerobic, anaerobic and fungal associated with otitis media. This study was carried out from November 2017 to April 2018 at ENT Department of AL-Hilla Teaching Hospital in Babylon city. In this study collect 90 pus samples from patients with otitis media were collected from the discharging ears by a sterile transport medium swab from aged between (1-80 years), (86) cases were positive (95.6%) and (4)cases were unknown agent (4.4%).Number and percentage of infected males 57 (63.3%), while number and percentage of infected females 33 (36.7%).Then take samples to the microbiological laboratory to investigate the bacterial species causing otitis media and the results were analyzed using percentages. The main results showed high percentages of infection were in age between (1-20 years) and (41-60 years) (34.4% and 32.2%) respectively. The results from 86 specimens there were Gram positive bacteria isolates (Staphylocooccusaureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, S. carnosus, Bacillus spp., S. xylosus, S. sciuri, S. lentus, S. capitis, Aerococcus viridians, Kocuriavarians, Gardnellavaginalis, Leuconostocmesenteroides spp. cremoris) while Gram negative bacteria isolates(Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiellapneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis,E. coli, Pseudmonasfluorescens, Providenciastuartii, Citrobacterfreundii and Acintobacterursingii) and fungi (Aspergillusniger, Aspergillusflavus, Aspergillusterreusand yeast). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of biodiesel has become an important issue in the effort to reduce gas emissions due to the climate change crisis; therefore, algae have widely used to produce biodiesel for energy sustainability. The present study represented an effort to assess the ability of the alga Arthrospira platensis to produce fatty acids involved in biofuel (diesel) by cultivation in Zarrouk media enriched with different municipal wastewater concentrations. Wastewater was used in different concentrations (5, 15, 25, 35 and 100% [control]). Five fatty acids from the alga were determined and included in the present study. These were inoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Impact of different cultivation conditions were studied in terms of observed changes in growth rate, doubling time , total carbohydrate, total protein, chlorophyll a , carotenoids, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and phycobiliproteins. Results showed an increase in the values of growth rate, total protein content, chlorophyll a , and levels of carotenoids at all treatments except for carbohydrate content, which decreased with an increasing concentration of wastewater. The high value of doubling time (11.605 days) was recorded at treatment 5%. Fatty acids yields were increased at treatment 5% and 15%. The highest concentrations of fatty acids were 3.108 mg/g for oleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid (28.401 mg/g), docosahexaenoic acid (41.707 mg/g), palmitic acid (1.305 mg/g), and linoleic acid (0.296 mg/g). Moreover, the range of phycocyanin (0.017–0.084 mg/l), allophycocyanin (0.023–0.095 mg/l), and phycobiliproteins (0.041–0.180 mg/l) were obtained in treatment with 15–100%, respectively. Cultivation with municipal wastewater reduced the values of nitrate, phosphate, and electrical conductivity as well as increased dissolved oxygen. Maximum electrical conductivity was recorded in untreated wastewater with algae, while the highest level of dissolved oxygen was noted at 35% concentration. The use of the household wastewater is more environmentally friendly as an alternative of the traditional cultivation techniques used for long-term for biofuel production. [Display omitted] • Arthrospira platensis has ability to produce five fatty acids by cultivation in wastewater as alternative media. • The value of nitrate, phosphate were reduced and the dissolved oxygen was increased in 35% concentration. • Increase of biomass, total protein, chlorophyll a and decreased for carbohydrate content with increasing concentration of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper several substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles, 1,2,4-traizoles and 1,3,4-thaiadiazoles were synthesised by Pechmann condensation from citric acid via reaction of a-naphthol with citric acid that gave an intermediate 2-(3-oxo-3H-benzo[f]chromen-1-yl) acetohydrazide. The structure of the new compounds were established on the basis of physical and spectral data. These compounds were tested for biological activities as antibacterial and antifungal agents and some of them showed a significance to moderate activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is based on the opinions of selected Iraqi extension workers, regarding the type and amount of training they need, given their experience in the field. The Borich Needs Assessment Model was used for measuring training needs. The data were collected through questionnaires given to 300 respondents (agricultural workers) from January 15, 2016 to March 20, 2016. The results show that crop-planting courses have the greatest benefit. The greatest training need is skill and knowledge of teaching methods, while a moderately needed skill is the use of computer and information and communication technologies (ICT); management skills are the least needed training. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents results about the existence of best approximations via nonexpansive type maps defined on modular spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent conducting tin oxide (SnO2) thin film has been deposited on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis technique. The spray pyrolysis technique using material tin chloride solution (SnCl4.5H2O) starts at different substrate temperature. The XRD result shows a regular, smooth morphology. The deposited film was found to be polycrystalline. The average grain size of SnO2 was found to be (12.6-20.2) nm as calculated by XRD using Debye Scherrer Formula. The optical absorption, transmittance and optical band gap have been measured. It was found that the average transmittance of the film is around 79% at substrate temperature 500°C within wavelength range (300-800)nm. SnO2 films have indirect piezoelectric phenomena where the particle was polarized when we applied an electrical current and its mechanical stress, hence the electrical force transformed into mechanical stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is important to better understand the presence of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the population, as they potentially prevent (re)infection. Aim: To correlate the Cycle threshold (Ct value) of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on specific Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer, to reveal the effect of age and disease severity on antibodies titer. Methodology: A total of 153 infected participants laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases 4-11 months ago, aged 18-85 years old (mean = 43.58, SD ± 15.34) were enrolled in the study. They have not received any COVID-19 vaccine. A questionnaire was prepared including demographic data, age, gender, residence, and symptoms severity they suffered. Five mL of venous blood was taken from each participant to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) by (VIDAS SARS-COV-2 IgG - Biomerieux kit). Ct values were measured by qRT-PCR (BIO-RAD-CFX96) kit which detected two virus genes, namely (RdRp-N genes). Results: Lowest Ct values were detected significantly in age group 50-59 and 70-85 respectively. The highest mean of IgG was detected in age groups 70-85 and 50-59, and was found to be significantly correlated with disease severity. There is a direct relationship between Ct values and the titer of specific IgG, as increasing in viral load is associated with a higher level of antibodies. Antibodies were detected several months after infection with the highest mean after 10-11 months. Conclusions: Specific Anti-viral IgG are significantly associated with increasing age and disease severity, and the direct relation of IgG with viral load. Antibodies are detected several months post-infection but their protective efficacy is controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It is important to better understand the presence of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the population, as they potentially prevent (re)infection. Aim: To correlate the Cycle threshold (Ct value) of SARS-CoV-2 and its impact on specific Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer, to reveal the effect of age and disease severity on antibodies titer. Methodology: A total of 153 infected participants laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases 4-11 months ago, aged 18-85 years old (mean = 43.58, SD ± 15.34) were enrolled in the study. They have not received any COVID-19 vaccine. A questionnaire was prepared including demographic data, age, gender, residence, and symptoms severity they suffered. Five mL of venous blood was taken from each participant to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) by (VIDAS SARS-COV-2 IgG - Biomerieux kit). Ct values were measured by qRT-PCR (BIO-RAD-CFX96) kit which detected two virus genes, namely (RdRp-N genes). Results: Lowest Ct values were detected significantly in age group 50-59 and 70-85 respectively. The highest mean of IgG was detected in age groups 70-85 and 50-59, and was found to be significantly correlated with disease severity. There is a direct relationship between Ct values and the titer of specific IgG, as increasing in viral load is associated with a higher level of antibodies. Antibodies were detected several months after infection with the highest mean after 10-11 months. Conclusions: Specific Anti-viral IgG are significantly associated with increasing age and disease severity, and the direct relation of IgG with viral load. Antibodies are detected several months post-infection but their protective efficacy is controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study encompasses air surface temperature (AST) modeling in the lower atmosphere. Data of four atmosphere pollutant gases (CO, O3, CH4, and H2Ovapor) dataset, retrieved from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), from 2003 to 2008 was employed to develop a model to predict AST value in the Malaysian peninsula using the multiple regression method. For the entire period, the pollutants were highly correlated (R = 0.821) with predicted AST. Comparisons among five stations in 2009 showed close agreement between the predicted AST and the observed AST from AIRS, especially in the southwest monsoon (SWM) season, within 1.3 K, and for in situ data, within 1 to 2 K. The validation results of AST with AST from AIRS showed high correlation coefficient (R = 0.845 to 0.918), indicating the model's efficiency and accuracy. Statistical analysis in terms of β showed that H2Ovapor (0.565 to 1.746) tended to contribute significantly to high AST values during the northeast monsoon season. Generally, these results clearly indicate the advantage of using the satellite AIRS data and a correlation analysis study to investigate the impact of atmospheric greenhouse gases on AST over the Malaysian peninsula. A model was developed that is capable of retrieving the Malaysian peninsulan AST in all weather conditions, with total uncertainties ranging between 1 and 2 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between prevalence of TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex virus) infections and abortion in pregnant women in Waset government of Iraq. Three hundred blood samples were collected from women having bad obstetric history (BOH) out of 300, 162 have a history of spontaneous abortion, serum was separated and tested for IgM antibodies against TORCH using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) .In abortion women IgM seropositivity was found as Toxoplasma 54% (P< 0.05), Rubella_62.3% (P< 0.05), CMV_60.2% (P> 0.05) and HSV_73.9% (P> 0.05). High percentage of repeated abortion (two and three or more) see in women seropositivity for CMV IgM and Rubella IgM 12.4% (P> 0.05) 5.7% (P< 0.05) respectively, CMV and HSV infection have a statistically significant correlation with the incidence of abortion in addition the significant role of CMV infection of repeated abortion. So routine screening of all women in child bearing age, it shows the need to provide health education to pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myocardial infarction (Ml) patients face a higher risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and reduced quality of life. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a comprehensive secondary prevention program that improves outcomes, but adherence remains suboptimal. Perceived social support has been identified as a potential determinant of CR adherence. The current study explored the connection between Ml patients' adherence to CR and their perceived social support. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. The sample included 150 Ml patients enrolled in a CR program. The MSPSS (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support) was employed to evaluate perceived social support, and attendance records measured adherence to CR. Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected. Logistic regression analyses, including multivariate and univariate approaches, were carried out to analyze the association between adherence to CR and perceived social support. Results: Adherent patients had significantly higher MSPSS scores than non-adherent patients (68.3 ± 12.8 vs. 57.2 ± 14.1, P <0.001). In the multivariate analysis, perceived social support was significantly associated with adherence to CR (adjusted OR=1.06, 95% Cl: 1.031.10, P <0.001) after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Education level was also significantly associated with adherence, with patients having a secondary education or higher showing 2.4 times higher odds of adherence (adjusted OR = 2.40, 95% Cl: 1.08-5.34, P = 0.032). The association between perceived social support and adherence to CR was significant among male participants but not among female participants. Conclusion: Increased perceived social support was significantly associated with higher CR adherence, especially in male patients (adjusted OR=1.06, 95% 0=1.03-1.10, P<0.001). Interventions to enhance social support, especially for male patients and those with lower education levels, may improve CR participation and completion rates. Healthcare providers should assess patients' social support networks and engage family members and significant others in the CR process to promote better cardiovascular health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major public health concern worldwide, and psychological stress is an important risk factor for CAD. MBSR, or mindfulness-based stress reduction, is showing promise as a non-medication intervention for stress management and cardiovascular health. This research aimed to evaluate the impacts of an MBSR program on cardiovascular performance in patients with CAD. Methods: Baghdad Teaching Hospital in Iraq hosted a randomized controlled trial with 120 CAD patients. Participants were randomly placed into an MBSR group (n=60) or a control group (n=60) receiving standard care. Over eight weeks, the MBSR program participants engaged in weekly 2.5-hour sessions, incorporating mindfulness meditation, yoga, and body awareness techniques. Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography and blood pressure measurements at baseline and post-intervention. Psychological well-being was evaluated using self-report questionnaires. Results: A significantly greater increase in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was observed among participants in the MBSR group when measured against the control group, with a between-group difference of 3.9 percentage points (95% Cl: 1.5 to 6.3, P = 0.002) at post-intervention. Significant declines in both diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were also observed in the MBSR group, with betweengroup differences of -3.8 mmHg (95% Cl: -6.8 to -0.8, P = 0.013), and -4.6 mmHg (95% Cl: -9.2 to -0.1, P = 0.047) respectively. Changes in psychological well-being were significantly correlated with changes in cardiac function in the MBSR group. Conclusion: Engaging in an 8-week MBSR course can improve cardiac function and psychological well-being in patients with CAD. These findings suggest that incorporating MBSR into standard care for CAD patients may benefit cardiovascular health and stress management. Given the high burden of CAD in Iraq and other low- and middle-income countries, MBSR may represent a promising, culturally acceptable, and scalable intervention for the prevention and management of CAD. More investigation is necessary to explore the long-term effects and mechanisms of MBSR in diverse healthcare settings and populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]