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The examination of Salvia verticillata extract encompassed an exploration of its anti-Candida properties, phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and the quantification of total tannins. The use of ethanol as a solvent yielded the highest extraction efficiency at 26.1%. The plant exhibited a substantial tannin content of 6.5 mg/kg, signifying a noteworthy concentration. The inhibitory zones against Candida tropicalis reached a minimum diameter of 17.6 mm, while Candida guilliermondii displayed the most significant inhibition with a zone diameter of 21.8 mm. The minor inhibitory concentration (MIC) findings for all Candida species ranged from 6.25 to 12.5 g/ml. In the case of Candida guilliermondii, the synthetic antifungal activity FLU/25 demonstrated a maximal inhibition zone measuring 39.30 mm. Additionally, the maximum antioxidant activity, recorded at 0.3 ml, reached a value of 98.65. Phytochemical screening unveiled elevated concentrations of phenols and flavonoids, with malic acid (1901.1 g/g), hesperidin (302.4 g/g), and rosmarinic acid (30619.93 g/g) all experiencing an increase in concentration. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the diverse bioactive components and properties associated with Salvia verticillata extract.

Background: Vibrio cholerae is a primary cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea and remains a serious public health problem in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene. Cholera remains a public health threat the worldwide, mainly in countries with poor access to safe water and sanitation facilities. According to estimates, there are 21,000–143,000 deaths and 1.3–4 million cases of cholera annual. Objective: This study aims to carry out an analysis of the available information on cholera outbreaks in Diyala province, 2022. Patients and Methods: A descriptive study conducted in the department of public health using the data of cases reported from eight sectors in province. The data was collected from the surveillance unit, communicable control division of the public health department in Diyala province, IRAQ in 2022. Results: The total number of confirmed cases of cholera was (n = 139), female (72) 52 % and male (67) 48%, death reported for two of these cases. According to the date of onset, the registration of cases began from July 19 to October 25, 2022. However, the case fatality ratio (CFR) was 1.4%, while the attack rate in the governorate is 7.6 per 100,000 populations during 2022, the highest attack rate in Khanaqin district was (77 cases) 46, while the lowest attack rate in Baldruze, Al-Mansuria, and Al-Khalis districts was (1 case) 0.3,0.6, and 0.8 respectively. The age mean of patients was (38.7 ± 17.14 years) and the occurrence of the disease is more incidence in the age group 30-44 and females more than males. Conclusion: Occurrence Cholera outbreak during year 2022 without confirmed cases recorded since 2015 and the occurrence of cholera cases in governorate is greater during the months of August and September and most of the cases were from Khanaqin district.

Having a good knowledge of the time and cost required to build a tunnel can be very important in reducing uncertainties related to the management of its construction. In this paper, using data obtained from the constructed parts of a tunnel, Gaussian process regression (GPR) method is developed to predict the time and cost of the non-constructed parts. Finally, by comparing the results predicted by the GPR model with the actual ones, it was concluded that the developed GPR model has a high potential to reduce uncertainties related to the time and cost of tunnel construction. Also, the ability of GPR model to predict time and cost of tunnel construction was compared with two other methods of support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Finally, the GPR model was superior to the SVR and ANN methods in terms of prediction accuracy.

In geotechnical engineering, the process of changing the characteristics of weak or undesirable soils using waste materials has gained importance. Waste materials frequently involve waste and by-product minerals, such as marble powder, which were unethically obtained in Iraq and had harmful environmental repercussions. The aim of this study is to determine how marble powder affects the geotechnical features, including consistency limits, density, shear strength parameters and swelling characteristics of clayey soils in Erbil city. Different percentages of marble powder (6%, 12%, 18%, 24%, 30%, and 36%) were used to treat the expansive soil. The outcomes indicated that marble powder could enhance the geotechnical properties. It is advised to add 18% percentage of marble powder to improve the soil as an optimized amount.