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Groundwater is considered an important source of water supply in Iraq, but the poor quality of water makes it unsuitable for drinking purposes. To enhance the groundwater quality, River Bank Filtration (RBF) method was investigated. It is a natural process in which wells along a riverbank are pumped, causing some of the river water to flow toward these wells. With this technique, water coming from the river is filtrated by soil deposits and then mixed with groundwater, improving its quality. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the implementation of the RBF technique to improve the poor quality of groundwater and get potable water. A study area was selected in Al Hindiyah District within Kerbala City, Iraq. Four wells (W1, W2, W3, and W4) with different distances from the Euphrates River bank (450 m, 720 m, 800 m, and 1950 m), respectively, were selected to examine the groundwater quality. The results were then compared to those for the Euphrates River. In addition, two boreholes (B.H.1 and B.H.2) of about 15 m depth were drilled near the riverbank to assess the soil properties of the studied area. The results showed that the groundwater quality at a depth more than 12 m enhanced as the well’s distance from the river bank decreased and got closer to the river. It was found that the water quality at pumping wells (W1, W2, and W3) is slightly polluted, which makes this area more suitable for groundwater abstraction to provide the best water quality. The poorest water quality was for W4 at 1950 m from the riverbank, which indicates that at this distance the river bank filtration process is eliminated.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is an attractive polymer for membrane preparation due to its high structural stability and strength, making it suitable for water treatment applications. However, PVC's low permeation flux and structural morphology limit its performance. Modifying pore formers is a well-known practical approach to enhance these properties. This study explores the use of innovative water-soluble polymeric nanomaterials to hybridize PVC membranes by employing partially cross-linked nanoparticles, specifically Phthalic Anhydride Glycerol (PAG), to create pores within the membranes. The modified PVC membranes were thoroughly characterized to evaluate the impact of varying PAG content on membrane performance. The characterization included advanced techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), pore size and porosity analysis, and contact angle (CA) determination. The results showed that introducing 3 wt% PAG into the polymeric matrix optimized the membrane performance, resulting in enhanced hydrophilicity (55.6°), porosity (74 %), larger pore sizes, and increased surface roughness. Increasing the PAG content in the polymer matrix led to a more porous membrane with elongated, finger-like structures. This optimization was associated with a remarkable improvement in water flux (an increase of 300 %) and enhanced bovine serum albumin (BSA) retention (87.4 %) at a feed concentration of 1000 ppm. These results underscore the possibility of the 14 wt% PVC and graft copolymer as a potentially good choice for protein separation and purification applications, owing to its notable permeation and separation characteristics.

Background:This study evaluated the oxidative—antioxidative status of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and to establish the data alteration among the patients and the control. Objectives:To determine serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), serum uric acid (UA), and catalase enzyme as a markers of oxidative stress in the patients suffering from CL. Materials and Methods:A total of 46 patients with CL (22 males and 24 females) aged between 5 and 60 years were subjected to investigations. Out of the total sample, 42 healthy persons (28 males and 14 females) functioned as control group, patients who received anti-leishmaniasis treatment locally or systemically for their cutaneous lesions and also patients with chronic history of medical disease or drug history for systemic or dermatological diseases were not included in this study. Results:For comparative evaluation of oxidative stress markers between patients and control; there were a significant increase in lipid peroxidation marker; serum MDA and non-enzymatic antioxidant marker—serum UA in the patient group in comparison to the control group, with non-significant decrease in enzymatic antioxidant—serum catalase enzyme in patients as compared with control groups. There is negative significant relationship for decrease of catalase enzyme for patients with CL above age of 15 years. The study of the patients with CL that is, associated with secondary bacterial infection shows a significant decrease in serum catalase enzyme when compared with control group. Conclusions:1. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the importance of serum MDA as an early biochemical indicator of peroxidative damage resulting from CL. 2. Increased serum UA, and decrease in serum catalase enzyme provided a free radical scavenger’s action.

The global prevalence of metal corrosion is a significant challenge due to its detrimental effect. Environmentally friendly and non-hazardous alternatives for harmful and poisonous synthetic corrosion inhibitors are urgently necessary due to increasing environmental concerns and regulations prohibiting their application. In this study, indole molecules were employed as carbon steel corrosion inhibitors in acidic conditions. Gravimetrical and scanning electronic microscope (SEM) analysis was used in a preliminary investigation of indole as an organic inhibitor. The results revealed that adding indole to carbon steel before exposing it to sulfuric acid slowed and induced resistance to corrosion. The indole affixed themselves to the steel carbon surfaces, producing a barrier/protection for carbon steel. The efficacy of the indole in preventing corrosion was determined through the weight loss method. Temperature and inhibitory concentration effects on inhibition effectiveness under varying parameters were also reported. The temperatures employed were between 298 K and 328 K, while the inhibitor concentrations ranged from 1.2 × 10−3 M to 7.6 × 10−3 M, and both parameters significantly influenced corrosion inhibition effectiveness. The inhibitory mixture attained optimum efficacy in inhibiting corrosion, at 81 %, when the lowest and highest respective temperature and concentration were applied. The kinetic analysis was conducted under a range of temperatures to determine the reaction mechanisms of the inhibitor. The thermal adsorption isotherm of the inhibitor indicated that the surface adhered to Langmuir's adsorption isotherm. Additionally, investigations on corrosion and inhibition using the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method (EIS) were conducted. This study can provide in-depth knowledge for advancing inhibitory science and engineering to enhance corrosion resistance in acidic media.

Kodamaea ohmeri is a rare opportunistic pathogen belonging to Saccharomycetes family. This yeast was also formerly known as Yamadazyma ohmeri or Pichia ohmeri. This opportunistic pathogen causes illness that typically affects people with impaired immune system. In this report, we discuss a fatal case involving a woman in her late 30s who was admitted to the hospital on the sixth day of her sickness after being given a COVID-19 Category 5A diagnosis. For COVID-19, she received subcutaneous heparin, cefuroxime, and intravenous corticosteroids. She was diagnosed with secondary bacterial and fungal infections in the ICU. Multiple antibiotics and antifungal were given to treat bacterial and fungal infections. An unusual fungus, Kodamaea ohmeri, was isolated from the clinical sample. On day 36, she succumbed to her infection in the ICU. The cause of death was multidrug-resistant sepsis with multiple organ failures due to COVID-19 infection, worsened by an embolism and trachea damage during a tracheostomy. To effectively manage K. ohmeri, clinicians and microbiologists must identify and be aware of this emerging human opportunistic pathogen, which can co-infect debilitated patients such as COVID-19 patients, for effective management.

Abstract Optimal power flow is a complex and highly non-linear problem in which steady-state parameters are needed to find a network’s efficient and economical operation. In addition, the difficulty of the Optimal power flow problem becomes enlarged when new constraints are added, and it is also a challenging task for the power system operator to solve the constrained Optimal power flow problems efficiently. Therefore, this paper presents a constrained composite differential evolution optimization algorithm to search for the optimum solution to Optimal power flow problems. In the last few decades, numerous evolutionary algorithm implementations have emerged due to their superiority in solving Optimal power flow problems while considering various objectives such as cost, emission, power loss, etc. evolutionary algorithms effectively explore the solution space unconstrainedly, often employing the static penalty function approach to address the constraints and find solutions for constrained Optimal power flow problems. It is a drawback that combining evolutionary algorithms and the penalty function approach requires several penalty parameters to search the feasible space and discard the infeasible solutions. The proposed a constrained composite differential evolution algorithm combines two effective constraint handling techniques, such as feasibility rule and ɛ constraint methods, to search in the feasible space. The proposed approaches are recognized on IEEE 30, 57, and 118-bus standard test systems considering 16 study events of single and multi-objective optimization functions. Ultimately, simulation results are examined and compared with the many recently published techniques of Optimal power flow solutions owing to show the usefulness and performance of the proposed a constrained composite differential evolution algorithm.

In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the use of drones, with a global surge in the demand for diverse applications. This widespread adoption is largely due to drones’ ability to meet various user needs, offering an aerial perspective that can be utilized almost anywhere and at any time. However, the rise in drone usage has also resulted in an increase in malicious use by criminals and cybercriminals. These malicious activities are not only frequent but also potentially harmful, necessitating effective measures for detection, protection, and prevention. This survey aimed to explore the emerging threats posed by drones in cyber-attacks and countermeasures designed to thwart these attacks. It reviews various malicious uses of drones and the possible methods for their detection. Specifically, this study examines vulnerabilities in drone communication links and smart devices, including smartphones and tablets. In addition, it provides a comprehensive review of drone/UAV usage across multiple domains, such as civilian and military activities, highlighting their purposes. A realistic attack scenario is presented, detailing a simulated attack on a drone following a hacking cycle. This review is intended to assist security professionals in understanding the existing vulnerabilities of UAVs in both military and civilian contexts. Furthermore, it aims to inspire the development of new techniques and technologies for enhanced UAV attack detection and protection. As a result, the paper also reviews various civilian and military countermeasures for detecting and preventing drone/UAV threats. This survey differentiates itself by offering a holistic view of drone security, mapping each type of attack onto the corresponding defense mechanisms. It provides a comprehensive review that can serve as a valuable resource for future drone engineers and researchers, helping them to understand the landscape of drone security and develop more effective countermeasures.

Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is a non-classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) protein with well-known immunomodulatory characteristics. It is also believed to be an important sign of immune tolerance in cancer cells. Immune Escape. HLA-G is also associated with disease development and prognosis in cancer patients. The goal of this study was to compare soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels before and after radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). Immunohistochemistry was used to examine HLA-G protein expression in thyroid tissues from patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) to investigate the relationship between HLA-G expression and patients' clinical variables. Prospective research included 138 blood samples from patients and controls, as well as 25 thyroid paraffin-embedded tissues from individuals suffering from papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and controls. Our findings demonstrated a significant difference in the means of people who had radioactive iodine therapy against those who did not (Mean SE = 4.19 0.31, 2.216 0.08, respectively). HLA-G staining, on the other hand, was identified in tumor cells in papillary thyroid cancer, all sections were positive, strongly stained and completely membranous, indicating the presence of HLA-G protein in the tested material. These findings suggest that HLA-G may be involved in the pathogenesis of papillary thyroid cancer.

ObjectivesFentanyl is a highly potent opioid and has, until recently, been considered an unwanted contaminant in the street drug supply among people who use drugs (PWUD). However, it has become a drug of choice for an increasing number of individuals. This systematic review evaluated intentional non-medical fentanyl use among PWUD, specifically by summarizing demographic variance, reasons for use, and resulting patterns of use.MethodsThe search strategy was developed with a combination of free text keywords and MeSH and non-MeSH keywords, and adapted with database-specific filters to Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and PsychINFO. Studies included were human studies with intentional use of non-medical fentanyl or analogues in individuals older than 13. Only peer-reviewed original articles available in English were included.ResultsThe search resulted in 4437 studies after de-duplication, of which 132 were selected for full-text review. Out of 41 papers included, it was found that individuals who use fentanyl intentionally were more likely to be young, male, and White. They were also more likely to have experienced overdoses, and report injection drug use. There is evidence that fentanyl seeking behaviours are motivated by greater potency, delay of withdrawal, lower cost, and greater availability.ConclusionsAmong PWUD, individuals who intentionally use fentanyl have severe substance use patterns, precarious living situations, and extensive overdose history. In response to the increasing number of individuals who use fentanyl, alternative treatment approaches need to be developed for more effective management of withdrawal and opioid use disorder.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021272111.

الملخص: أهداف البحث: تنعكس جودة الرعاية الصحية بشكل فردي وذاتي من خلال مستوى رضا المرضى ، فضلا عن الأمثلية وفاعلية تدبير الألم بعد الجراحة المقدمة. أدى توفير خدمة وحدة رعاية ما بعد التخدير في المستشفيات إلى نتائج إيجابية عامة ، بالإضافة إلى تعزيز رضا المرضى عن خدمة تدبير الألم المقدمة. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم مستوى رضا المرضى عن هذه الخدمة في المستشفى الجامعي ومناقشة العوامل المختلفة التي قد تكون ساهمت في هذا المستوى من الرضا. طريقة البحث: تم إجراء دراسة مقطعية مستقبلية بين المرضى بعد خروجهم من وحدة رعاية ما بعد التخدير. أجريت الدراسة في مستشفى الملك فهد الجامعي في الخبر بالمملكة العربية السعودية بين نوفمبر 2021 وفبراير 2022. تم جمع البيانات باستخدام استبانة مكونه مسبقا من ثلاثة أقسام. النتائج: تم تضمين نتائج 200 مريض في هذه الدراسة. كان جميع المرضى تقريبا (95.5٪) راضين عن خدمة تدبير الألم المقدمة. أشار جميع المرضى تقريبا (99.5٪) إلى أن طاقم وحدة رعاية ما بعد التخدير كانوا مهذبين ومهنيين خلال خدمة تدبير الألم بأكملها. اشتكى المزيد من المرضى من الألم قبل استخدام المسكن وكان هذا الاختلاف ذا دلالة إحصائية. كان معدل الرضا أعلى بشكل ملحوظ بين الفئة العمرية الأكبر سنا (> 45 عاما) وللمرضى في التصنيف الثالث من تصنيف الحالة الجسدية للجمعية الأمريكية لأطباء التخدير ومن لديهم تاريخ جراحي سابق. الاستنتاجات: اختتمت الدراسة الحالية بمعدل رضا مرتفع بين المرضى تجاه خدمة وحدة رعاية ما بعد التخدير وأثبتت ارتباطا ذا دلالة إحصائية بالعمر ودرجة التصنيف في مقياس الحالة الجسدية للجمعية الأمريكية لأطباء التخدير والتاريخ الجراحي السابق. يجب على مقدمي الرعاية الصحية النظر في تثقيف المريض والتواصل الفعال لزيادة مستوى رضا المريض وتحسين الجودة الشاملة للرعاية. Abstract: Objectives: The quality of health care is individually and subjectively reflected through patients' level of satisfaction, as well as the optimality and effectiveness of the provided postoperative pain management. The provision of postanesthesia care unit (PACU) service in hospitals has led to overall positive outcomes, in addition to the enhancement of patients' satisfaction with the provided pain management service. This study assessed patients’ level of satisfaction with PACU service at a university hospital and discussed different factors that might have contributed to the level of satisfaction. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out among patients after being discharged from PACU. The study took place at King Fahad Hospital of the University in Al Khobar, KSA between November 2021 and February 2022. The data were collected using a three-section predesigned questionnaire. Results: Two hundred patients were included in this study. Nearly all patients (95.5%) were satisfied with the provided pain management service. Almost all patients (99.5%) indicated that the PACU staff was courteous and professional during the entire pain management service. More patients complained about pain before using analgesia and this difference was statistically significant (Z = 8.642; p 45 years) (Z = 2.114; p = 0.035), in patients with American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) 3 physical status (H = 13.130; p = 0.001), and those with a previous surgical history (Z = 2.139; p = 0.032). Conclusion: This study concluded that the level of patients' satisfaction with PACU service was high, and established a statistically significant association with age, ASA score, and previous surgical history. Healthcare providers should consider patient education and effective communication to increase patients’ satisfaction level and improve the overall quality of care.

Background: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the most common reasons for replacing posterior amalgam and resin composite restorations in patients attending the university dental restorative clinics. Methods: A total of 318 restorations which needed to be replaced were clinically and radiographically evaluated in a period of nine months. The frequencies of reasons for replacing posterior amalgam and resin composite restorations were calculated; secondary caries, restoration/tooth fracture, marginal discoloration/ditching, proximal overhang/open margin, loss of anatomy, pain/sensitivity, and esthetics. Results: The sample population comprised of 191 females and 106 males. The majority of the sample population fell in the age group of 40–50 years (n = 110). 318 restorations (n = 318) were examined in this study. 82% of examined teeth were restored with amalgam (n = 261), while posterior composite restorations comprised 18% of the examined teeth (n = 57). Among all restorations demanded to be replaced by the patients (n = 318), aesthetic need was the most common reason (n = 98), followed by Ditching or discoloration (n = 64), secondary caries (n = 57), and fracture (n = 44). Loss of anatomy was the least common cause to replace both amalgam and resin composite restorations (n = 5). The different reasons of failure were all significant between amalgam and resin composite restorations as shown in (Fig. 1) (p

In the current study, four new benzodiazepine derivatives were synthesized via a reaction of o-phenylenediamine with some chalcone derivatives. The synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies. The antibacterial activity of the obtained diazepines was screened against E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that compound 8 had the highest activity toward Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, while compounds 5 and 7 showed the highest activity toward E. coli. To support in vitro studies, docking studies have been performed to determine whether the title compounds (5–8) are inhibitors of the androgen receptor prostate cancer mutant H874Y ligand binding domain bound with testosterone and an AR 20–30 peptide (2Q7K), and the relationship between calculated energies and docking studies has been investigated. Among the synthesized diazepines, compound 5 was subjected to anticancer screening, where its activity against human prostate cancer (PC3) was tested. According to the obtained results, compound 5 has good anticancer activity against PC3.

This essay aims to highlight the most important issues and difficulties facing implementing large projects that follow the turn-key method, considered one of the types of contractual methods in Iraq, especially for large and complex projects requiring speedy completion. The projects implemented in this way face delays and delays in completion, which led to the lack of benefit from the projects for which they were implemented, especially those affecting the lives of citizens within the health sector. The case study dealt with the construction of hospitals with multi-bed capacities within multiple governorates in Iraq, With large financial allocations within the federal budget of the Government of Iraq over several years. After conducting a descriptive statistical analysis of the data obtained through a field survey and interviews with individuals working in the construction sector with experience in their field. The most important 10 factors were identified from a list of 51 delay factors (distributed according to the questionnaire forms) with a high RII. These factors were related to the delay in the payment of the contractor's dues, the delay in processing materials, the issuance of new instructions and regulations, the delay in obtaining official approvals from the relevant authorities, Errors in designs or contracting documents, lack of cooperation between the contracting parties, and multiple spare orders for reasons belonging to the employer. The article also included the most important suggestions that contribute to reducing the delay in completing projects.

Evolutionary theories suggest that dreams function as a world simulator of events that maximizes our ability to surmount social and threat-related challenges critical to survivorship and reproduction. Here, in contrast to the incorporation continuity hypothesis, we test the (1) social bias hypothesis, which states that dreams will overrepresent positive social interactions relative to waking life, (2) the mutually exclusive threat bias hypothesis, the idea that dream content will be negative relative to waking life, (3) the strengthening hypothesis, which states that dreams will rehearse more positive interactions with individuals the self is familiar with relative to waking life, and (4) the compensation hypothesis, which states that social contents in dreams increases during periods of social seclusion. Dream (n = 168) and wake (n = 184) reports were collected through a standardized online survey from 24 undergraduate students. Recalls were analyzed using the Social Content Scale. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used, and the following fixed-effects were considered for the study; the number of reports contributed, report state, biological sex, stress, social support, and media exposures. Results showed support for the threat bias hypothesis, we found that dreams were more negative and featured more unfamiliar individuals in contrast to waking life. Additionally, we found partial support for the social bias and the strengthening hypotheses, however no support was shown for the compensation hypothesis. Overall, these results demonstrate support for the threat simulation function of dreams.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) regulates glycogen metabolism and many different cellulars, including apoptosis, signaling, and neural. It is a crucial therapeutic receptor in heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's. In this study, using computational methods, flavonoid compounds were investigated for potential inhibitors against GSK-3β. Virtual screening was utilized to investigate flavonoid compounds obtained from the PubChem database. Structure of human heart mitochondria of GSK-3β receptor constructed by homology modeling. Best binding poses were discovered via in silico molecular docking simulation. We surveyed noncovalent interactions among amino acid residues involved in the active site of the modeled Protein and compounds via molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD).Moreover, ADMET characteristics of best docking conformers have been investigated. The obtained results revealed that compound 1 containing chromenone moiety with binding energy H-bond −11.4 kcal/mol inhibited effectively binding pocket of the GSK-3β receptor. Moreover, MD simulation analysis (RMSD and radius of gyration indicated complex of the compound and GSK-3β receptor remained stable throughout 100 ns MD simulation, and also analysis of ADMET profiles revealed that selected compounds had good drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic properties. Hence, it was suggested that compounds with chromenone scaffold could potentially inhibit GSK-3β. Structural modification of the chromenone derivatives may result in the discovery of promising candidates for identifying novel drugs as GSK-3β inhibitors.

A total of 45 voucher specimens of falcons which are deposited in the bird's collection of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum (INHM) were reviewed. Mummified falcons were preserved as voucher study specimens and tagged with museum collection labels. In the current study, morphometrics of six species of the genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758: Lanner falcon F. biarmicus Temminck, 1825; Sacker Falcon F. cherrug Gray, 1834; Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni Fleischer, 1818; Peregrine Falcon F. peregrines Tunstall, 1771; Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 and Common Kestrel F. tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 were documented. These species were recorded previously in the ornithological literatures by several authors and deposited in the museum collection; nevertheless, breeding and migrating of these birds are still occurring throughout Iraq. Furthermore, the current distribution ranges and conservation status of each of the mentioned species throughout Iraq were reviewed and comprehensively discussed.

Abstract Background In a country where admission to dental schools is based solely on the cognitive abilities of students, the aim of the study was to investigate the correlation between high school grade point average and graduating academic achievement for dental students; moreover, determine whether a correlation exists between dental students’ graduating academic achievement and their career choices and job satisfaction. Methods A five-year retrospective cohort study was conducted at the University of Jordan, involving (828) dental graduates first enrolled between 2010 and 2014. Correlations comparing high school grade point average and graduating academic achievement were done for the total sample composed of (736) students. A short survey was constructed to assess the career choices and job satisfaction for recently graduated dentists and correlate them with their graduating academic achievement. Results Statistically significant but weak positive correlation (0.3) was found between high school grade point average and graduating academic achievement for dental students (p ≤ 0.05). Statistically significant correlations were found between graduating academic achievement and career choices and job satisfaction. Conclusion The significant positive correlation between the high school grade point average and graduating academic achievement of our dental students indicate that our school admission system depending on high school grade point average is a valid system. There was a significant negative correlation between the graduating academic achievement and both the career choices and job satisfaction among fresh graduate dentists in Jordan. This information is required to update the dental school admissions procedures in response to the changing dental educational landscape.

Background:. The use of autologous grafts is a standard reconstructive option in plastic surgery. The absence of a well-established protocol for decontamination after accidental contamination increases the risk of postoperative infection. We aimed to explore the current practice and decontamination methods among Saudi plastic surgeons. This would help develop a well-established, unified method of decontamination intraoperatively. Methods:. A validated self-administered questionnaire cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2022. The questionnaire was distributed through social media to all board-certified plastic surgeons in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was designed to obtain data on incidents, treatment preferences, and management of autograft contamination. Results:. A total sample size of 61 participants was included, with an overall response rate of 64.58%. Out of the 61 respondents, 73.8% (n = 45) had previously experienced graft contamination. Regarding the methods of graft contamination, the most common way was accidentally dropping the graft on the floor (39.7%, n = 25). The majority of the surgeons answered that they decontaminated the graft using povidone-iodine (44.6%, n = 29) and then used it (45.9%, n = 28). The lower extremity area was the most common anatomical location having surgery at the time of the graft contamination, accounting for 32.5% of the cases (n = 25). Conclusions:. Our study indicates that graft contamination is a common occurrence among our population, but we lack national guidelines on dealing with these situations. Although most responders used adequate decontamination methods, the lack of standardization could pose a risk to patients.

Abstract Background Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by gradual disturbance of both upper and lower motor neurons (LMN). In ALS, muscle wasting favors the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and first dorsal interosseous (FDI), with relative preservation of abductor digiti minimi (ADM). Objectives To interpret F wave changes in the context of upper and LMN dysfunction and the differences in dysfunction between spinal motoneurons innervating the APB and ADM. Patients and methods Forty-four subjects were studied (22 patients with ALS and 22 controls). F wave was elicited by 50 electrical stimuli from the median and ulnar nerves, and the split hand index (SHI) was measured. Results F latency mean, median, and maximum and F amplitude mean, median, and maximum F/M amplitude ratio were increased in patients with versus those without pyramidal signs. Limb-onset ALS patients showed the biggest reduction in SHI. The APB muscle of patients with no detectable wasting and upper MN (UMN) signs showed reduced F wave persistence, mean F wave latency and amplitudes, increased index repeater neuron and index F repeater, and mean F/M amplitude ratio. Conclusion There is enhanced segmental motoneuronal excitability following UMN dysfunctions. SHI appears to be a diagnostic biomarker for ALS. Abnormal F parameters recorded from APB muscle can distinct patients with ALS from the normal controls to a greater extent than do the APB/ADM and FDI/ADM compound muscle action potential amplitude ratios.

Nano and fine particles have caused serious health problems. Despite the continuous decline of their concentrations, the remaining amounts are still considered a problem in compression ignition engines. This study describes the impact of using biokerosene fuel instead of Iraqi diesel, which is characterised by high sulphur content, on the concentrations of various particulate matter (PM) sizes emitted from engines.A TD 313 Fiat diesel rig (a 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, water-cooled and direct injection engine) was used in the experimental tests. In addition to biofuel (produced from sunflower vegetable oil through a transformation process), Iraqi diesel and kerosene were also used. Four blends were produced, namely, diesel mixed with 10% and 20% volume fractions of biodiesel (denoted as BD 10 and BD 20, respectively) and kerosene added with 10% and 20% biofuel (labelled as KB10 and KB20, respectively).Fuelling the engine with biokerosene significantly reduced PM1.0 by up to 12.3%, 36.65%, 60.92% and 81% and PM2.5 by up to 21.29%, 25%, 41.43% and 51.85% for BD10, BD20, KD10 and KD20, respectively, compared with diesel at varying engine speed. Changing engine load at a constant speed reduced PM10 by up to 12.9%, 21%, 31.6% and 42.7% and total suspended particles by up to 5%, 12%, 21.5% and 25.5% for BD10, BD20, KD10 and KD20, respectively, compared with diesel.The concentrations of all PM sizes were reduced when engine was running at medium speed and load. By contrast, concentrations increased when engine was running at low and high loads and speeds. Results demonstrated that biokerosene is better than biodiesel–diesel blends in reducing PM emissions.

The exponential growth of unpredictable renewable power production sources in the power grid results in difficult-to-regulate reactive power. The ultimate goal of optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) is to find the optimal voltage level of all the generators, the transformer tap ratio, and the MVAR injection of shunt VAR compensators (SVC). More realistically, the ORPD problem is a nonlinear multi-objective optimization problem. Therefore, in this paper, the multi-objective ORPD problem is formulated and solved considering the simultaneous minimization of the active power loss, voltage deviation, emission, and the operating cost of renewable and thermal generators. Usually, renewable power generators such as wind and solar are uncertain; therefore, Weibull and lognormal probability distribution functions are considered to model wind and solar power, respectively. Due to the unavailability and uncertainty of wind and solar power, appropriate PDFs have been used to generate 1000 scenarios with the help of Monte Carlo simulation techniques. Practically, it is not possible to solve the problem considering all the scenarios. Therefore, the scenario reduction technique based on the distance metric is applied to select the 24 representative scenarios to reduce the size of the problem. Moreover, the efficient non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II-based bidirectional co-evolutionary algorithm (BiCo), along with the constraint domination principle, is adopted to solve the multi-objective ORPD problem. Furthermore, a modified IEEE standard 30-bus system is employed to show the performance and superiority of the proposed algorithm. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm finds uniformly distributed and near-global final non-dominated solutions compared to the recently available state-of-the-art multi-objective algorithms in the literature.

Initiatives for outdoor education have gained popularity because of their capacity to boost teacher well-being, foster better mental health in instructors, and enrich the learning environment for students. We demonstrate the influence that outside education programs have on the achievement of students and how they create a vivid tapestry of hands-on experience that speeds up academic attainment through a thorough investigation of their educational achievement. Additionally, we investigate the important consequences for the mental wellness of students as well as the ways in which these programs support emotional health, self-worth, and stress reduction. This study contributes uniquely to the subject of education by highlighting the importance of educators especially and their critical role as facilitators of learning. The purpose of the research was to determine the relationship between students' well-being and academic performance and learning outdoors. The study looked into how instructors' well-being affected students' well-being and achievement in order to achieve this goal. The demographic group that is focused on consists of teachers, learners from intermediate school, supplementary, and college grades, as well as pertinent student data from various Chinese schools and institutions. With the use of Smart PLS, a modified "least square structural equation modeling" procedure was applied to the information collected from 250 participants. The study's findings are extremely pertinent to the field of education and offer a plethora of information to practitioners, decision-makers, and organizations. By understanding the major effect of outdoor education initiatives, we seek to provide the groundwork for innovative educational practices and policies that empower students, support instructors, and have long-lasting consequences. Further research is needed to identify more factors that improve academic achievement and wellness among students.

Objective To describe the risk factors, clinical profile and outcomes of COVID-19 in the paediatric population.Design Multicentre, retrospective observational study.Setting Four tertiary hospitals in Saudi Arabia.Patients We recruited 390 paediatric patients aged 0–18 years who presented from March to December 2020 and tested positive for COVID-19 on PCR.Main outcome measures We retrospectively analysed medical records for sociodemographics, health indicators, clinical presentations, laboratory findings, clinical complications, and outcomes.Results The mean participant age was 5.66±4.90 years, and the mean hospital stay was 2.17±3.48 days. Forty patients, mostly school-aged children (16, 40.00%; p=0.005) and children with comorbidities (25, 62.50%; p

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated stressors have impacted the daily lives and sleeping patterns of many individuals, including university students. Dreams may provide insight into how the mind processes changing realities; dreams not only allow consolidation of new information, but may give the opportunity to creatively “play out” low-risk, hypothetical threat simulations. While there are studies that analyze dreams in high-stress situations, little is known of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted dreams of university students. The aim of this study was to explore how the dream content of students was affected during the university COVID-19 lockdown period (March–July, 2020). Using online survey methods, we analyzed dream recall content (n = 71) using the Hall-Van de Castle dream coding system and Fisher's exact tests for sex comparisons. Preliminary results indicate that female students experienced more nightmares as compared to male students. Dream analysis found that, relative to normative American College Student (ACS) samples generated pre-COVID-19, women were more likely to experience aggressive interactions in their dream content, including increased physical aggression. Results indicate that university students did experience changes in dream content due to the pandemic lockdown period, with women disproportionally affected. These findings can aid universities in developing support programs for students by bringing forth an understanding of students' concerns and anxieties as they process the “new normal” of social distancing.

A 50-year-old human immunodeficiency virus positive patient who was diagnosed with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia developed severe subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema, which was progressive despite low pressure mechanical ventilation. Infraclavicular skin incisions and vacuum-assisted closure therapy were used to resolve the emphysema. The subcutaneous emphysema decreased significantly, and after 1 week the vacuum-assisted closure therapy was ended successfully. This technique has previously been described in several case reports, where it is a promising treatment in severe subcutaneous emphysema, but it is not yet widely used. This case report supports the further use of vacuum-assisted closure therapy in subcutaneous emphysema. Successful treatment of severe mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema in Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia can be achieved by vacuum-assisted closure therapy on infraclavicular skin incisions.

It was a theoretical study to calculated values of ionization constant of a group of amino acid derivatives using five methods of quantum mechanics for the purpose of comparison, two methods used semi empirical represented by a way of AM1, PM3 and the three methods used ab-initio basic calculation methods :HF, DFT and MP2, the compatibility of these methods with chemical bases known by discussing the theoretical variables were calculated by the five ways mentioned above, The results showed that the ab initio calculations were more accurate than semi empirical method which were created relationship between physical variables theoretically calculated with each other and determine their nature. Then link between these variables with known chemical values of amino acids ionization constants PK1. Results obtained through this relationship was good and that's what indicated to him the results of statistical analysis through correlation coefficient values, including the method of the DFT where it was (0.999) and the method of the PM3 (0.998) record and stander error (0.592), as well as the large overlap between PK1 values calculated theoretically with practical values. The difference of (0.008) for these results enables us to apply these variables in further studies.

The aim of this research is to design and implement a prototype of a home energy management system based on SMS service on GSM network. The proposed system can remotely monitor and control the home appliances using a mobile phone. The proposed system consists of a microcontroller connecting home appliances and lighting through sensors and relays. The microcontroller is also connected with a GSM module to support this system operate with an existing GSM network. This system is implemented using a GSM module that is connected with the personal computer representing the designed microcontroller. The home appliances, sensors and relays are modeled and simulated using Visual Basic programs. Software programs are developed and built into the personal computer to activate and control the home appliances according to received commands from the user mobile phone or to monitor and send their status to the mobile phone according to user request. The implemented system is tested practically with several cases at different times and it operates successfully with reasonable flexibility and secure operation. A good compatibility of the developed programs is achieved, since the system is running continuously without interruption under normal conditions of GSM network operation. It is found that the execution times for control and monitoring massages are 19.63 seconds and 19.33 seconds respectively.

A group of amine derivatives [4-aminobenzenesulfonamide derivatives, 2-aminopyridine and 2-aminothiazole] incorporated to α-carbon of diclofenac a well known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to increase bulkiness were designed and synthesized for evaluation as a potential anti-inflammatory agents with expected COX-2 selectivity. In vivo acute anti-inflammatory activity of the selected final compounds (9, 12 and 13) was evaluated in rats using egg-white induced edema model of inflammation in a dose equivalent to (3 mg/Kg) of diclofenac sodium. All tested compounds produced a significant reduction in paw edema with respect to the effect of propylene glycol 50% v/v (control group). Moreover, the 4-aminobenzenesulfonamide derivative (compound 9) exhibited superior anti-inflammatory activity compared to diclofenac sodium at times 180-300 minutes with the same onset of action. The results of this study indicate that the incorporation of the selected aromatic amino groups in to diclofenac maintain its anti-inflammatory activity. Key words: amine derivatives, anti-inflammatory, diclofenac derivatives, COX-2 selectivity.

Corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 1 M H2SO4 was investigated in absence and presence of Citrus aurantium leaves extracts as a friendly inhibitor. The effect of temperature, time, and inhibitor concentration were studied using weight loss technique. The result obtained revealed that Citrus aurantium leaves extracts act as an inhibitor for mild steel in H2SO4 and reduces the corrosion rate. The inhibition efficiency was found to increases with increase in inhibitor concentration whereas the temperature shows otherwise. Higher inhibition efficiency was 89% at 40 °C and 10 ml/l inhibitor concentration. The adsorption of Citrus aurantium leaves extracts was found to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The values of the free energy of adsorption was around −20 kJ/mol, which is indicative of physical adsorption between charged molecules and a charged metal. Quantum chemical calculations were also used as a theoretical support to the experimental results. Finally the scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were evaluated to examine surface morphology and molecular structure of inhibitor respectively.

We report a rare case of a 32-year-old woman with adhesive small bowel obstruction due to pelvic inflammatory disease. She had no history of abdominal surgery, gynecological complaints or constitutional symptoms of chronic illness. The diagnosis was based on the laparoscopic findings of small bowel adhesions, free peritoneal fluid, “violin string” adhesions of Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome and left hydrosalpinx. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis was performed successfully, and the patient had an uneventful postoperative course. The authors conclude that pelvic inflammatory disease should be included as a cause of adhesive small bowel obstruction in sexually active young women with no history of abdominal surgery or constitutional symptoms of chronic disease. When performed by experienced surgeons, laparoscopy in such patients is feasible and safe.

4-aminobenzenesulfonamide derivatives were linked to α-carbon of naproxen a non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to increase its size, so; increase its selectivity toward COX-2 enzyme, rather than COX-1 enzyme, that lead to reduce gastrointestinal side effects of this drug. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds and their intermediates were confirmed and characterized using elemental microanalysis (CHN), FTIR, and other physicochemical properties like melting points, Rf values.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the optimum operating conditions which yield the best performance of the photocatalysis process for the degradation of the synthetic dye in wastewater. The solar reactor was made up of a flat-plate colorless glass of dimensions of (1000 x 750 x 4 mm). The base of the reactor was made of aluminum. This geometry enables the light entering the liquid film from almost any direction to be reflected and can also be employed for the photocatalytic reaction. Various operating parameters were studied to investigate the behavior of the designed reactor like initial dye concentration (C=10-50 mg/L), loading of catalyst (CTiO2=300-800 mg/L), suspension flow rate (QL=0.3-2.0 L/min), pH of solution (5-9), and H2O2 concentration (CH2O2=200-1000 mg/L). The operating parameters were optimized to give higher efficiency to the reactor performance. Optimum parameters of the photocatalysis process were loading of catalyst (400mg/L), suspension flow rate (0.5L/min), H2O2 concentration (400mg/L), and pH=5. The designed reactor when operating at optimum conditions offered a degradation of MV up to 0.9527 within one hours of operation time, while a conversion of 0.9995 was obtained in three hours. The product water was analyzed using UV-spectrophotometer and FTIR. Analysis of the results confirmed that produced water from the solar reactor system could be safely recycled and reuse.

The aim of the present study was to design a solar reactor and analyze its performance for removal of methyl violet dye (MV) from water with titanium dioxide as the photocatalyst. The solar reactor was made up of a flat-plate colorless glass of dimensions 1000 x 750 x 4 mm. The base of the reactor was made of aluminum. Various operating parameters were studied to investigate the behavior of the designed reactor like initial dye concentration (CMV=10-50 mg/L), loading of catalyst (CTiO2=200-800 mg/L), suspension flow rate (QL=0.3-2 L/min), pH of suspension (5-10), and H2O2 concentration (CH2O2=200-1000 mg/L). The operating parameters were optimized to give higher efficiency to the reactor performance. The designed reactor when operating at optimum conditions offered a degradation of MV up to 95.27% within one hours of operation time, while a conversion of 99.95% was obtained in three hours. The effluent from the photocatalytic reactor was fed to a LPRO separation system which produced a permeat of turbidity value of 0.09NTU. The product water was analyized using UV-spectrophotometer and FTIR. The analysis results confirmed that the water from the Hybrid-system could be safely recycled and reuse. It was found that the kinetics of dye degradation was first order with respect to dye concentration and could be well described by Langmuir-Hinshelwood model.

An efficient and low cost optical method for directly measuring the concentration of homogenous biological solutes is proposed and demonstrated. The proposed system operates by Fresnel reflection, with a flat-cleaved single-mode fiber serving as the sensor probe. A laser provides a 12.9 dBm sensor signal at 1,550 nm, while a computer-controlled optical power meter measures the power of the signal returned by the probe. Three different mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines were obtained, sub-cultured and trypsinized daily over 9 days. Counts were measured using a haemocytometer and the conditioned media (CM) was collected daily and stored at −80 °C. MSCs release excretory biomolecules proportional to their growth rate into the CM, which changes the refractive index of the latter. The sensor is capable of detecting changes in the number of stem cells via correlation to the change in the refractive index of the CM, with the measured power loss decreasing approximately 0.4 dB in the CM sample per average 1,000 cells in the MSC subculture. The proposed system is highly cost-effective, simple to deploy, operate, and maintain, is non-destructive, and allows reliable real-time measurement of various stem cell proliferation parameters.

Algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) is iterative reconstruction algorithm using for reconstructing the two dimension (2D) and three dimension (3D) images. In this research different algorithms of ART were used to reconstruction : (simple ART, Simultaneous ART, and Multiplicative ART) for reconstruction 3D image using multi slice scanner in cone beam geometry. To perform the time reconstruction of ART algorithms, use the Maximum-Likelihood Expectation Maximization (ML-EM) algorithm to fast ART algorithm. Multi slice Computed Tomography CT scanner newly discovered and used widely in the medical field for diagnosis and radiographic to its benefit from the speed of scanner and quality of image reconstruction comparing with single slice scanner. In simulation result the Multiplicative ART (MART) algorithm with suitable relaxation parameter

This article presents an active safety system for a wheeled armored vehicle to encounter the effect of the firing force. The firing force which acts as an external disturbance causes unwanted yaw moment occurred at the center of gravity of the wheeled armored vehicle. This effect causes the wheeled armored vehicle lose its handling stability and the traveling path after the firing condition. In order to overcome the stability problem, a Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system is proposed in this study. This system is developed based on two established systems, namely, Firing-On-the-Move and Active Front Wheel Steering systems. The proposed system is designed to improve the handling and directional stability performances of the armored vehicle while fires in dynamic condition. Four types of control strategies are designed and investigated in this study to identify the most optimum control strategy as the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system using optimization tool, genetic algorithm. The control strategies for the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering are evaluated using various types of vehicle speeds and firing angle in order to obtain an appropriate control structure as the Firing-On-the-Move assisted by an Active Front Wheel Steering system for the wheeled armored vehicle.

Background: Complete removal of filling material from the root canal is an essential requirement for endodontic retreatment. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and compare the dissolving capabilities of various solvents (Xylene, Eugenate Desobturator, Eucalyptol, EDTA and Distilled water (as a control)) on four different types of sealer (Endofill, Apexit Plus, AH Plus and EndoSequence bioceramic sealer). Materials and method: Eighty samples of each sealer were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions and then divided into ten groups (of 8 samples) for immersion in the respective solvents for 2 and 5 min immersion periods. Each sealer specimen was weighed to obtain its initial mass. The specimens were immersed in the tested solvents for 2 and 5 min, followed by rinsing with double distilled water and blotted dry with an absorbent paper, then they were reweighed to determine its final mass. The mean of weight loss was determined for each material in each solvent during the specified immersion period, and the values were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Clear differences were shown in the solubility profile of these root canal sealers in the tested solvents. The result of the present study shows that Xylene had the greatest capacity for dissolving Endofill, Apexit Plus and AH Plus. Eugenate Desobturator, Eucalyptol and EDTA showed a highly significant dissolving capability on these sealers with variations between these subgroups; EndoSequence BC sealer is insoluble in these tested solvents. Regarding the immersion time, higher values of solubility were obtained at 5 min than that at 2 min immersion time. Conclusion: The results showed that Xylene, Eugenate Desobturator, Eucalyptol and EDTA can be used for the removal of Endofill, Apexit Plus and AH Plus during endodontic retreatment with variations between these subgroups; D.W (control group) showed the least capacity for dissolving these sealers. EndoSequence BC sealer is insoluble in the tested solvents.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the common malignancies among women worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have been linked to many human cancers in addition to cervical cancer and one of them is breast cancer. Objective: To investigate the presence of human papilloma virus type 6 and type 11in breast cancer tissue specimens by in situ hybridization technique. Patients and Methods: Thirty four formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue blocks from breast cancer patients were obtained from the archives of the pathology laboratory of Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital from January 2011 to July 2012. In addition formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded blocks tissue for twenty fibroadenoma of breast were collected and used as control group. In situ hybridization technique was used for the molecular detection of HPV type 6 and HPV type 11. Results: There were 82.4 % of breast cancer tissues positive for HPV type 6 and 88.2 % were positive for HPV type 11. Conclusion: The presence of human papillomavirus DNA in most breast carcinoma samples merits further investigation and confirmation by second assay in order to establish the exact role of this virus in the pathogenesis of breast cancer.

Ab – initio restricted Hartree - Fock method within the framework of large unit cell (LUC) formalism is used to investigate the electronic structure of Si and Ge nanocrystals. The surface and core properties are investigated. A large unit cell of 8 atoms is used in the present analysis. Cohesive energy, energy gap, conduction and valence band widths are obtained from the electronic structure calculations. The results are compared with available experimental data and theoretical results of other investigators. The calculated lattice constant is found to be slightly larger than the corresponding experimental value because we use only 8 atoms and we compared the results with that of the bulk crystals, nanoclusters are expected to have stronger directional bonds that in their bulk structure. The surface states are found to be mostly non-degenerated because of the effect of surface discontinuity and the existence of oxygen atoms. Valence and conduction bands are found to be wider on the surface due to the splitting of energy levels due to the existence of oxygen atoms. The present method can be used to investigate the electronic structure of bulk, surface and nanocrystals.