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Abstract Background We aimed to study the impact of biological therapies in Saudi Arabia on patients with severe asthma (SA) combined with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in terms of clinical outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective observational cohort research that was undertaken at the severe asthma clinics of the Armed Forces Hospital of the Southern Region (AFHSR) and King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, from March to September 2022 to delineate the effects of 3 biological therapies (dupilumab, benralizumab, and omalizumab) in adults with SA and concomitant CRS. Clinical outcomes assessed included asthma exacerbation frequency, hospitalization rates, use of oral corticosteroids (OCs), and the asthma control test (ACT) scores before and 1 year after biological therapies. Results Eighty patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.68. There were 45 (56%) females and 35 (44%) males. There was a notifiable decrease in the frequency of exacerbations and hospitalization and in the number of patients who received OCs after 6 and 12 months of biological therapies compared to pre-biological therapies, respectively (p

In this study, daily rainfall data spanning 32 years, from 1991 to 2022, were collected from the Babylon City Meteorological Station (BCMS). The modified Bartlett-Lewis Rectangular Pulses (BLRP) model with seven parameters was used to generate the intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curve for durations of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The estimated extreme values obtained from BCMS were fitted with EasyFit software using three statistical continuous distributions: the Gumbel (EV-1), Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), and Log-Pearson type III (LP-3) to determine the optimal distribution model for the IDF curve. The AIC and BIC criteria were employed to rank the generated IDF curves for each duration to select the optimal distribution model. The results of the AIC criteria ranked the PDFs as LP-3 first model, EV-1 second model, and GEV third model with sums of weighted rank values as 16, 17, and 27, respectively. In contrast, the BIC criteria ranked the PDFs as EV-1 first model, LP-3 second model, and GEV third model with sums of weighted rank values as 16, 17, and 27, respectively. The EV-1 and LP-3 models were selected as the most suitable results for simulating the maximum rainfall in Babylon City for various return periods. This decision was based on the total score of the special rankings of the two tests, with EV-1 and LP-3 having the lowest values of AIC and BIC.

Abstract Background This study’s purposes were to evaluate the impact of biological therapies on outcomes in patients with severe asthma (SA) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and to compare these effects among those with NP (CRSwNP) versus those without NP (CRSsNP) in the “real-world” setting in Saudi Arabian patients. Methods From March to September 2022, a retrospective observational cohort study was undertaken at the severe asthma clinics of the Armed Forces Hospital—Southern Region (AFHSR) and King Khalid University Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia, to delineate the effects of dupilumab therapy. Outcomes were assessed, including clinical outcomes, FEV1, and laboratory findings before and one year after dupilumab. Post-therapy effects were compared between CRSwNP and CRSsNP. Results Fifty subjects were enrolled, with a mean age of 46.56. There were 27 (54%) females and 23(46%) males. Significant improvements in clinical parameters (frequency of asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations, the use of OCs, anosmia, SNOTT-22, and the ACT), FEV1, and laboratory ones (serum IgE and eosinophilic count) were observed 6 and 12 months after using dupilumab (p

The risk of P. equorum infection in horses remains critical. Little studies were conducted to investigate prevalence and molecular analysis of P. equorum in Baghdad city, Iraq. In this study traditional detection followed by molecular technique depending on ITS-2 region were used as an attempt to evaluate this nuclear region as a genetic marker to diagnose the parasitic infection. One hundred and thirty-eight fecal samples of horses were collected and examined by direct wet mount smears, floatation method by NaCl. Extraction of genomic material, nested PCR was done followed by phylogenic analysis depending on ITS-2 region performed for the first time in Iraq and genetic substitutions to analyze Iraqi horses. Nested PCR were done after determining the total infection rate 6.52% by conventional technique, including 3.84% in males and 10% in females with significant difference. Highly infection rate 11.42% was recorded in the age group under 2 years and the lower infection rate 4% was found in the age group between 2-4 years with significant difference. The Iraqi isolates were recorded in the Gen Bank under the accession numbers MZ400507.1, MZ400508.1, MZ400509.1, and MZ4005010.1; while, phylogenetic analysis recorded an identity range between 97-100% with China, Australia and USA isolates. P. equorum is more distributed in younger horses than elderly in Baghdad city and ITS-2 region is a certain molecular marker for detection P. equorum isolates in Iraqi horses.

Lightweight concrete (LWC) is a long-standing development in the area of construction materials. LWC has become increasingly important for sustainable construction due to its reduced susceptibility to cracking. However, when exposed to extreme temperatures during fires, LWC can lose its compressive strength and ductility. This study investigates the performance of lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) concrete T-beams exposed to elevated temperatures. The research also focuses on the use of an engineered cementitious composite with a basalt fiber-reinforced polymer grid (ECCBFG) as a rehabilitation method for fire-damaged T-beams. Key variables considered include the concrete cover thickness (20 and 30 mm), fire exposure duration (30 and 60 min), and thickness of the ECCBFG layer. Thermocouples were installed at various points within the beams to monitor the heat gradient across the cross-section. Fourteen concrete beam specimens were tested, including control beams, fire-damaged beams, and beams strengthened with the ECCBFG layer. Key performance parameters, such as the energy absorption, cracking load, ductility index, maximum load capacity, and corresponding displacement, were analyzed. The experimental results showed that the strengthened beams outperformed the fire-damaged beams, closely matching the performance of undamaged reference beams in most aspects, except energy absorption. The findings suggest that further research is needed to optimize certain performance indicators and address challenges in strengthening fire-damaged beams.

Background: Plantago major, historically renowned for its medicinal attributes across diverse cultures, has recently been under the research spotlight for its antihypertrophic scar effects. Aim: To investigate the efficacy of Plantago major extracts in the treatment of hypertrophic scars, particularly comparing the effects of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts. Methodology: Samples of the plant, procured from Baghdad's Al-Salihiya Neighbourhood in November 2021, underwent authentication at the Iraqi local Herbarium in the Al-Razi centre for alternative medicine. Using the Soxhlet apparatus, the dried plant material was extracted with methanol and subsequently partitioned with ethyl acetate. Both the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were later formulated into ointments. Results: The ointments were tested on hypertrophic scars induced in rats. Three groups of 12 rats each were used—ethyl acetate, methanol, and a control group using only Vaseline. Both extracts demonstrated efficacy in reducing scars, with the methanol extract showing more pronounced results. Conclusion: The methanol extract displayed superior outcomes, potentially attributable to its richer phytochemical content compared to the ethyl acetate extract.

The water separated by sludge treatment processes is known as the sidestreams, such as the centrate, underflow belt thickener, and supernatant gravity thickener. The sidestreams have significant amounts of contaminants, particularly nutrients, and are returned to the wastewater treatment plant head. Returning the sidestreams to the head of the plant causes both technical and financial problems. This paper models the effect of sidestreams on the treatment of mainstream in full-scale conventional activated sludge systems operated with anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2/O). The effects of sidestreams nutrients and inert materials, the pollutants fate in the A2/O system, oxygen consumed, and energy required by sidestreams are modeled using GPS-X8 simulation. The results showed that the discharge ratio of the sidestreams to the mainstream is 4 %. The proportion of the pollutants present in the sidestream to the mainstream were 4.3 %, 4.7 %, 8.8 %, 21 %, 40 %, and 11 % for BOD, COD, TSS, NH4, PO4, and H2S, respectively. The GPS-X model showed that high orthophosphate and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were seen in the anaerobic zone. While all other pollutants begin to decay, phosphates and hydrogen sulfide gas also begin to decrease gradually in anoxic and oxic zones, noting the high concentrations of nitrates and sulfates in the oxic zone. An added 10 % of oxygen is needed for the sidestreams ammonia oxidation, which is more than the amount needed for the oxidation of BOD. The percentage of alkali used to improve the nitrification process due to the ammonia in the sidestreams was 30 % of the specified amount of ammonia in the mainstream. This study proved that the plant's sidestreams adversely increased oxygen, energy, and alkali consumption.

For projects such as airports and road paving, an appropriate foundation must be developed in Sabkha soil, which requires a trustworthy assessment of soil-bearing capacity. When heavy traffic is expected to result in substantial wheel loads throughout pavement construction and maintenance, the plate load test helps solve these issues with subgrade and sub-base layer design. This work aims to investigate and assess the geotechnical behavior regarding soil strata from one area in southern Iraq: Sabkha. Conversely, a comparison is made between subgrade response modulus and soil-bearing capacity determined by field plate load tests and traditional laboratory investigations. The data demonstrated that the values related to Ks in the consolidation test rose as a ratio of pre-consolidation pressure of 45% and dramatically dropped with an increase in applied stress that is vertically applied below pre-consolidation stress. Furthermore, PLT data demonstrated that when pressure was applied, the modulus of the subgrade reaction did not follow a regular pattern. At the beginning of the loaded stage, after the pre-consolidation stress, Ks values at testing points 2 and 3 were high. After that, Ks abruptly decreased, particularly when the applied pressure surpassed the pre-consolidation stress before being constant again. A detailed discussion is given on the effects of stress distribution and test conditions on the elasticity stress curve's shape and the subgrade reaction modulus.

The bond strength at the interface zone between two concrete sections plays a critical role in enhancing long-term durability, ensuring that both materials perform homogenously. Ensuring compatibility at the interfaces between repair and concrete materials is one of the most challenging aspects of constructing composite systems. Despite various studies, a comprehensive understanding of the engineered cementitious composite (ECC) bonding mechanism at the repair interface is still limited. The objective of this research is to identify the interfacial properties between lightweight concrete (LWC) and engineered cementitious composite (ECC) with varying fiber dosages of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and glass fibers under different surface roughness conditions. The study tested LWC-ECC specimens in direct shear using slant shear and bi-surface shear tests, recording the maximum shear stress at failure. Two grades of LWC—normal-strength lightweight concrete (NSLW) and high-strength lightweight concrete (HSLW)—were used as substrates, while the ECC overlays contained varying fiber dosages: 2% PVA, 1.5% PVA with 0.5% glass, 1.0% PVA with 1.0% glass, and 0.5% PVA with 1.5% glass. The surface conditions considered included grooved and as-cast substrates. The results indicated that the highest bond strength was achieved by specimens with 1.5% PVA and 0.5% glass fiber, with a maximum shear strength of 24.05 MPa for grooved HSLW substrates. Interface roughness had minimal impact on shear strength for NSLW substrates but significantly affected HSLW substrates, with bond strengths varying from 13.81 MPa to 24.05 MPa for grooved surfaces. This study demonstrates the critical role of fiber dosage and surface roughness in enhancing the bond performance of composite materials.

Relevance. Batteries are playing an increasingly vital role in power systems due to their utilization in various applications including microgrids, electric vehicles, sustaining geographically isolated communities, and energization of automated devices. Since they are considered as the enabling technology for renewable energy integration, the absence of battery systems from islanded microgrids can result in decreased system reliability and compromised performance due to the intermittency of local sources. Nevertheless, the hazardousness associated with their charging mechanism has led to the urgent continuous development of charging technologies and battery management systems. Aim. To develop a safe testbed to examine the functionality of newly produced battery charging stations and battery managers without employing actual physical batteries to avoid the hazardous manipulation of batteries and increase flexibility during the design and validation stage. This is accomplished by modeling the electrochemical dynamics of the battery system and integrating the device-under-test to a DC converter, which reacts based on these modeled dynamics. Novelty. This work adapts one of the most successful Li-ion battery models available in the literature and utilizes it to interact with power electronic devices that exchange power signals. Unlike other work in this field, the design is based on power hardware-in-loop principles and has minimized power consumption characteristics due to its unique configuration. The constructed computer model can be easily reparametrized to describe the dynamics of various battery capacities. Methods. MATLAB-based simulations of the proposed testbed were conducted for high and low power capacity. A LabView-based program was interfaced with the testbed hardware using a NI-DAQ board to validate the proposed design practically. The testbed hardware components were entirely developed from scratch for experimentation purposes. Results. The proposed testbed successfully imitated the dynamics of the battery, while the practical results concurred the simulated ones.

Earth dams are built for various reasons these including storage of water, regulation of water flow, prevention of flooding, and the generation of hydroelectric power. The drain pipes within an earth dam, are considered one of the more important control devices used to reduce the effects of problems caused by seepage. As such, the role of drain pipes against seepage problems in an earth dam, has been studied numerically in this investigation. The effects of drain pipe location and their diameters (50, 75, 100, and 150 mm), were examined using different hydraulic heads. The analysis focuses on the characteristics of relative seepage flow, exit gradient, and factor of safety regarding sliding. A range of models of typical earth dams, with and without drain pipes, have been simulated using Geo-Studio software in SEEP/W and SLOPE/W applications, examining more than 200 different cases. By using the data computed from numerical models, new formulas for predicting the seepage parameters and factors of safety were developed in this study by using the multiple non-linear regression (NLR) approaches. The findings show that the presence of a drain pipe reduces seepage flow and the exit gradient, at the same time increasing the factor of safety. Regarding pipe diameter, the rate of seepage and exit gradient decreased while the factor of safety increased as the diameter of the pipe increased. The factor of safety increased by between 11 and 25% when the drain pipe was placed in an optimal position, allowing for a reduction in seepage flow and exit gradient.

Pigment production plants are among the most polluting industries due to their high-water consumption and complex releases. The current work investigates the removal efficiency of sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium acetate (C2H3NaO2), and acetic acid (CH3COOH), and also the permeate flux of a small-batch OPM-K membrane using reverse osmosis (RO) pilot plant at various concentrations and pressures. At 0.034 M and applied pressure of 30 bar, the results showed that the maximum sodium chloride removal and permeate flow were 93.4% and 8.3 × 10−6 m/s, respectively. When the feed concentration was increased to 0.17 M, the maximum removal efficiency and permeate flow were 88.5% and 4.7 × 10−6 m/s, respectively. In addition, acetic acid has a minimum removal efficiency of 76.2% at 0.062 M and 20 bar applied pressure, while sodium acetate has a minimum permeate flow of 2.8 × 10−6 at 0.061 M and 20 bar. To conclude, the results proved RO membrane's high removal efficiency and permeate flux at low salt concentrations. It should also be noted that RO would be more suitable for the retention of NaCl, C2H3NaO2, and CH3COOH, the three components with the highest concentration in wastewater discharged from pigment production plants.

Abstract Global warming is affecting animal populations worldwide, through chronic temperature increases and an increase in the frequency of extreme heatwave events. Reservoirs are essential for water security. All watersheds with reservoirs are impacted by their construction. These artificial ecosystems controlled by humans change considerably the natural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem and systems and their biodiversity. The rapid increase in population growth, urbanization, and industrialization are accompanied by an increase in river discharges, which increases the total amount of pollutants. HMs contamination in aquatic environments, as well as the subsequent absorption of HMs into the food chain by aquatic creatures and people, endangers public health. Multiple uses of reservoirs promote benefits in terms of economic development, income, and employment. HMs in water can be ingested directly by aquatic species like fish and can also be ingested indirectly through the food chain; thus, it is much more important and required to conduct frequent monitoring of the aquatic environment. As a result, this review summarizes knowledge about the effects of cascade dams on river water temperature and increases on the stress physiology of fishes, and adaptation to climate change is also needed to produce more fish without global warming.

The quality of the surface water along the Kunhar River in Mansehra district, KPK Pakistan was assessed for ten water samples stations. A variety of parameters indicating water quality including physicochemical parameters, nutrients, heavy metals, and antibiotic residues were measured for both the rainy and dry seasons, the two main tropical seasons in Mansehra, using the standard methods. Kunhar River, one of the local drinking water sources, was studied to assess the heavy metal content, health risk assessment, and its suitability for human consumption. Health risk assessment for all the stations indicated that there is no particularly dangerous single heavy metal, but their cumulative effect is indicated by the hazard index. Concentrations of metals in water have a trend of decreasing in water, indicating that the accumulation of metals can affect the water chemistry of aquatic systems due to any physical or chemical process in the system. Greater consideration should be given to the variety of metals in relationship to multivariate analyses, suggesting that the industrial and residential activities were more important contributors to the pollution of the Kunhar River than the agricultural activities in Mansehra district. Such metals pose risks to aquatic life. HIGHLIGHTS In the Kunhar River, seasonal fluctuations in the levels of nutrients, toxic substances, as well as certain antibiotics were identified.; The study revealed that domestic activities caused significantly more environmental damage to the Kunhar River than agricultural practices.; High-pollution sites of the Kunhar River have been affected by human settlement.;

The influence of an ablating target’s atomic mass on the development and growth of the interaction zone in laterally colliding plasmas has been investigated. As diagnostic tools, fast imaging and optical emission techniques were used to evaluate the characteristics of the seed plasma as well as the interaction zone created by different target materials (i.e., aluminum and silicon). The current findings show that the dynamical, spectral, and geometrical properties of the generated interaction zone are affected by the features of the ablated species and the geographical separation of the interacting plumes. The interaction of aluminum plume species results in a sharper, more intense, and more directed stagnation zone than that reported for silicon targets using a 450 nm filter. Furthermore, the investigation of the interaction area emission from both regions for aluminum (Al) and silicon (Si) plasma explains the variation in plasma properties in the stagnation zone. As a part of this work’s description, a comparative study of the dynamics and characteristics of the homogenous interaction region produced by colliding plasma plumes by laser ablation of flat Al and Si targets has been presented, which can provide deep insight into the characterization of colliding laser-produced plasma expansion and related physical and technical properties.

This paper presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a compact $2 \times 1$ MIMO antenna operating in two bands. Band 1 is Linearly Polarized (LP) with spatial diversity operating in the sub-6 GHz band for the Fifth Generation (5G). Band 2 is Circularly Polarized (CP) for polarization and pattern diversity with an axial ratio below 3 dB for WLAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and C-band applications. The proposed single antenna consists of a Squared Shape Modified Monopole with partially Defected Ground (SMMDG) fed by Co-Planar Waveguide CPW. The partial ground has a defect on its upper left side and an I-shaped strip on the right side. The two MIMO radiators are arranged in oppositely flipped shapes. The decoupling and common partial ground structure consists of an opposite, Double T-shaped strip (DTSS) with a common strip head that performs as a band-stop filter. The overall dimensions of the MIMO antenna are $31.5\times 45 \times 1.6$ mm3. The simulated impedance bandwidth of the first band with LP lies between 3.1 and 4.7 GHz, for which $\text{S}_{{11}}$ and $\text{S}_{{22}} < -10$ dB, while the measured values are between 3.45 GHz and 4.8 GHz. The simulated impedance bandwidth for the second band for $\text{S}_{{11}}$ and $\text{S}_{{22}} < -10$ dB lies between 5.24 and 7.9 GHz, while the measured one lies between 5.65 GHz and 9 GHz. The simulated 3-dB Axial Ratio Bandwidth (ARBW) within Band 2 is (5.6–8.5) GHz, while the measured 3-dB ARBW is (5.95–8.1) GHz. The minimum simulated isolation between the two ports is 17 dB in Band 1 and 26 dB in Band 2, while the minimum measured isolation is 21 dB in Band 1 and 26 dB in Band 2. Wi-Fi 6E (n96) (5.925-7.125) GHz is covered with right-hand circular polarization (RHCP) in the positive Z direction and left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) in the negative Z direction, covering Band 2 with an axial ratio less than 3 dB. Other crucial MIMO metrics are also calculated, such as the Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC), Mean Effective Gain (MEG), and Diversity Gain (DG). The antenna provides excellent MIMO diversity performance, which makes it an excellent candidate for many portable wireless applications.

Worldwide, most treatment systems are retuning sidestreams to the wastewater treatment plant head without treatment. This study established an innovative process to separately treat all sidestream lines (supernatant gravity thickener, underflow mechanical thickener, and centrate) away from plant mainstream and return treated sidestream effluents to plant wastewater outfall instead of wastewater head. It aims to start up and operate a novel EN-MBBR to eliminate sidestreams impacts on a full-scale A2/O sewage treatment plant. The effects of DO, RAS, and media portion on the reactor were modeled using GPS-X. The system successfully started and reached a steady-state in 28 days. The pilot system processed 30 m3/d of the sidestreams, and the average of 8 months effluent concentrations for COD, BOD, TSS, PO4, NH4, NO2, NO3, H2S were 55, 4, 11, 0.16, 0.2, 0.17, 100, and 0.11 mg/L, respectively. Adding 3 kg/day of calcium hydroxide contributed to improving the nitrification process and reducing phosphates from 40 mg/L to 0.16 mg/L, but it caused an initial shock to the system that lasted more than a week, and then it was stabilized. Modeling results showed that DO concentrations affected the nitrification process but stabilized at a concentration of 3 mg/L. When operating the EN-MBBR as an EN-IFAS system, the RAS has positively contributed to reducing sludge in this system, whereas the sludge proportion is reduced by 60%. The media portion had a significant effect on the removal of nutrients, as it gave the best results when the rate of reactor filling with carriers was between 40 and 50%.

Mechanical tests were conducted and analyzed to investigate the efficacy of Zinc-based coating methods enhanced with hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) nanoparticles. Various methods are employed to deposit these coatings, including Zinc electroplating, Zinc hot-dip, and Zinc-rich coat (ZRC). Different parameters, such as plating time, temperature, voltage, pH, and concentrations of additives, are carefully selected during the process. The introduction of h-BN nanoparticles at varying concentrations into a Zinc- based coating significantly enhanced mechanical properties and performance measures. This improvement was achieved through the diffusion and dispersion of the nanoparticles within the coating. Furthermore, the incorporation of h-BN nanoparticles has exhibited notable enhancements in corrosion resistance when subjected to a 3.5% (NaCl) solution. The best microhardness and adhesion strength values can be achieved by increasing the h-BN concentration (1.5 to 2.5) wt.% in the plating baths. For instance, electroplating with h-BN at a concentration of 15.75 g/l yields a microhardness of 606.7 HV and an adhesion strength of 14.48 MPa. Similarly, hot dip galvanizing with h-BN at a concentration of 2.0% results in a microhardness of 542.1 HV and an adhesion strength of 10.28 MPa. Lastly, when using h-BN at a concentration of 2.5% in ZRC, the microhardness and adhesion strength values obtained are 557.8 HV and 8.5 MPa, respectively. The incorporation of h-BN nanoparticles resulted in a significant improvement and augmentation of the thickness of the coating exhibited the least amount of porosity and the most uniform dispersion when compared to other Zinc composite coatings, namely Zinc electroplating (with a thickness of 97 µm of h-BN at a concentration of 21 g/l), Zinc hot dip (with a thickness of 144 µm of h-BN at a concentration of 2.5%), and ZRC (with a thickness of 123 µm of h-BN at a concentration of 2.5%). Moreover, the utilization of Tafel extrapolation curves and corrosion analysis has demonstrated that Zinc- based coating techniques, when reinforced with the incorporation of h-BN, exhibit significantly improved corrosion current densities (icorr) and corrosion rates (CR). Zinc electroplating technique with h-BN at a concentration of 15.75 g/l yields current density and corrosion rate values of 0.72 µA/cm2 and 0.00659 mpy, respectively. Similarly, Zinc hot dip with a 2.0% h-BN concentration results in current density and corrosion rate values of 3.5 µA/cm2 and 0.032 mpy, while ZRC with a 2.5% h-BN concentration exhibits values of 5.2 µA/cm2 and 0.04758 mpy. OM, SEM, XRD, and EDS mapping analysis were used to characterize the Zinc composite coating's grain structure, grain size, nanoparticle distribution, and chemical composition. The coating matrix contained Zinc and h-BN nanoparticles without impurities. h- BN in the composite coating does not affect grain size. As nucleation sites, h-BN nanoparticles can reduce porosity and refine grains after integration. Subjects: Materials Chemistry; Corrosion-Materials Science; Surface Engineering-Materials Science.

This paper introduces a DC-DC converter that employs a modified triple boosting architecture (MTB), interleaved with modified switched inductor capacitors (MSIC), to achieve ultra-high voltage gain in photovoltaic applications. The converter design also includes a modified switched inductor with a modified voltage multiplier mode (MVM), which interleaves with the main switch and effectively doubles the voltage transfer gain. Furthermore, a modified triple boosting mode technique, utilizing interleaved components and an auxiliary switch, is integrated into the converter design. The main switch and auxiliary switch, combined with modified voltage multiplyer, contribute to achieving high voltage gain. The proposed converter offers numerous advantages. It exhibits remarkable efficiency while ensuring low voltage stress across diodes and MOSFETs. Moreover, by utilizing low inductance and capacitance values at high switching frequencies, the converter’s overall performance is enhanced. To validate and substantiate the simulation and laboratory results, the converter has undergone PCB design and experimental testing. Specifically, this converter is designed to boost input voltage levels ranging from 30 V to 40 V to a variable output voltage between 200 V and 400 V, with a power output of 360 W and an efficiency rating of 96.5%.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 primarily occurs through binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), which is abundantly expressed in various anatomical sites, including the nasopharynx, lungs, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. This study aimed to nurses' knowledge and protective health behaviors about prevention of covid-19 pandemic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive design study was conducted from October 1, 2022, to March 15, 2023. A non-probability purposive sample of 50 nurses from different educational levels, genders, and departments at Baghdad teaching hospitals was selected. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: The study comprised an equal distribution of male and female participants, with the majority (44%) aged between 22 and 30 years. A significant proportion (52%) of nurses held institute degrees. Forty-six percent were single, and the majority (74%) had 1-5 years of experience. The mean scores were 0.70 for nurses’ knowledge and 3.22 for nurses’ protective health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that nurses possess satisfactory knowledge and exhibit high levels of protective health behaviors regarding complications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended to conduct future research focusing on nurses’ knowledge and practices related to patient care in the context of a pandemic.

This study carried out the anaerobic digestion of recycled paper mill wastewater (RPMW) in a high-rate novel anaerobic baffled reactor. The parametric interaction between influent chemical oxygen demand (CODin) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) was modeled, and process responses were optimized by the response surface methodology (RSM) using a three-level factorial design. The results showed that the optimal condition was determined at CODin of 4,000 mg/L and HRT of 2 days and predicted values for COD removal, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal, lignin removal, CH4 content, and CH4 production were found to be 94%, 98%, 68%, 85%, and 20.8 L CH4/d, respectively. According to the statistical analysis of the RSM, all models were significant with very low probability values (from 0.0045 to

Abstract The novel process consisted of two steps was established by combining all sidestreams lines (supernatant gravity thickener, underflow mechanical thickener, and centrate), treating them together away from the mainstream treatment plant, and returning treated sidestreams effluents to the plant outfall instead of plant head. The two steps novelty treatment combined degradation, nitrification, and dilution processes. To treat combined sidestreams, a novel pilot extended nutrient moving bed biofilm reactor was developed. The effects of sidestream elimination on a full-scale anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system were simulated using GPS-X7. The statistical results of R values greater than 0.8 and NMSE values near zero proved the calibrated model’s validation. The novel system successfully removed 98, 93, 100, 85, 98, 100, and 98% of BOD, COD, NH4, NO3, TSS, H2S, and PO4-P from sidestreams, respectively. Furthermore, the simulation results showed that eliminating sidestreams has reduced volumes of full-scale A2/O facilities, controlled hydraulic and pollutants shocks, and minimized cost and energy. The novel process proved successful in treating combined sidestreams and eliminating their impacts on the A/O2 system.

Large quantities of paper and wood waste are generated every day, the disposal of these waste products is a problem because it requires huge space for their disposal. The possibility of using these wastes can mitigate the environmental problems related to them. This study presents an investigation on the feasibility of inclusion of waste paper ash (WPA) or wood ash (WA) as replacement materials for fly ash (FA) class F in preparation geopolymer concrete (GC). The developed geopolymer concretes for this study were prepared at replacement ratios of FA by WPA or WA of 25, 50, 75 and 100% in addition to a control mix containing 100% of FA. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) are used as alkaline activators with 1M and 10M of sodium hydroxide solution.The geopolymer concretes have been evaluated with respect to the workability, the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the workability of the control GC mix and the developed GC mixes incorporating WPA or WA. Also, the results showed that, by incorporating of 25–50% PWA or 25% WA, the mechanical properties (compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength) of GC mixes slightly decreased. While replacement with 75–100% WPA or with 50–100% WA has reduced these mechanical properties of GC mixes. As a result, there is a feasibility of partial replacement of FA by up to 50% WPA or 25% WA in preparation of the geopolymer concrete.

Flooding of stormwater drainage systems represents a major problem in developing urban areas that could be influenced by land-use and climate change. Flooding problems can be assessed using simulation models such as the stormwater management model (SWMM). In this study, the generation of intensity duration frequency curves (IDF) that integrates climate change effect was conducted for Al-Najaf Governorate in Iraq for the first time. In addition, the effects of land-use and climate change on the stormwater sewer system of Al-Ameer District was simulated using SWMM. The results indicated that by increasing the sub-catchment area from 50 to 100%, an increment in total surface runoff from 20,380 to 37,350 m3, and total flooding from 10,513 to 26,032 m3 have occurred, respectively. As a response to climate change, changing the return period from 2 to 5 years has increased the total surface runoff from 14,120 to 27,110 m3 (representing 48% of raise), and total flooding increased from 5,914 to 17,591 m3 (accounting 72% of increment). To conclude, flooding locations and magnitude were identified, whilst the system failed to discharge surface runoff at critical conditions, whereas the effect of climate change on the stormwater drainage system was more adverse than the effect of land-use. HIGHLIGHTS An IDF curve was generated for the first time for Al-Najaf Governorate.; SWMM successfully simulated the stormwater drainage system in the study area.; The system will not withstand climate change impacts in the next 10 years.; Change in land-use has increased impervious surfaces, causing floods in downstream.; Flooding locations and magnitude, and number of flooded manholes were identified.;

Abstract One of the strategies of the World Health Organization End Tuberculosis (TB) was to reduce the catastrophic costs incurred by TB-affected families to 0% by 2020.Catastrophic cost is defined by the total cost related to TB management exceeding 20% of the annual pre-TB household income. This study aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of TB affected households who incurred catastrophic costs. We searched PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, ProQuest, SAGE, and Web of Science databases according to Preferred Reporting Items of the Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines till November 20, 2020. Eligible studies were identified and data on catastrophic costs due to TB were extracted. We performed a meta-analysis to generate the pooled proportion of patients with TB facing catastrophic costs. From 5114 studies identified, 29 articles were included in the final analysis. The pooled proportion of patients faced catastrophic costs was (43%, 95% CI [34–51]). Meta-regression revealed that country, drug sensitivity, and Human immune-deficiency Virus (HIV) co-infection were the main predictors of such costs. Catastrophic costs incurred by drug sensitive, drug resistant, and HIV co-infection were 32%, 81%, and 81%, respectively. The catastrophic costs incurred were lower among active than passive case findings (12% vs. 30%). Half (50%) of TB-affected households faced catastrophic health expenditure at 10% cut-off point. The financial burden of patients seeking TB diagnosis and treatment continues to be a worldwide impediment. Therefore, the End TB approach should rely on socioeconomic support and cost-cutting initiatives. PROSPERO registration: CRD42020221283.

Abstract Aim The study aimed to assess the incidence of needlestick and sharps injuries among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, as well as to determine whether there exists an association between hospital level and needlestick and sharps injuries rate. Design A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 609 randomly selected HCWs from nine general hospitals. Methods A self‐administered questionnaire, which covered the structure and process of injection safety, was used for data collection. Results The overall needlestick and sharps injuries incidence rate was 24%. The needlestick and sharps injuries rates were 30% and 14% in secondary and tertiary hospitals, respectively. HCWs working in tertiary hospitals were 61% less likely to have needlestick and sharps injuries than those employed in secondary hospitals. This was mainly the impact of better and continuous training. High safety level maintenance and health education provision are vital in such settings.

This paper describes the application of the storm water management model (SWMM) for predicting the sewage quality in the sanitary sewer system of the study area resulting from the leaking of stormwater surface runoff to the system during rainfall events at different return periods. The concentrations of major pollutants were assessed in the sanitary sewer system at different rainfall intensities. Then, a solution to mitigate the problem was proposed using low impact development (LID) technology. The results of sensitivity analysis indicated that maximum build-up possible was the most sensitive parameter for model calibration. The model was calibrated using actual rainfall events, and statistical validation coefficients of R (0.81–0.82) and NMSE (0.0173–0.022) proved that the model is valid. The sewage quality assessment results showed that pollutants concentration increased to its maximum level at 20 min and gradually decreased to a slightly constant minimum value after 2 h. The proposed solution of LID reduced the pollutants concentrations by 82–88, 75–77, 52–55, and 7–10% for all pollutants at return periods of 2, 5, 10, and 25 years, respectively. To conclude, SWMM simulation successfully predicted the concentration of the pollutants, and leaking of stormwater surface runoff has changed the sewage quality. HIGHLIGHTS Storm water management model (SWMM) simulated the leaking of stormwater surface runoff into the sanitary sewer system.; Sewage quality in the sewer system highly influenced by stormwater surface runoff leaking.; Low impact development (LID) strategies have been applied to mitigate stormwater surface runoff leaking.; An important information on stormwater and sewage management for decision makers, sanitary experts, and stockholders has been provided.;

The profile of microbial diversity in a NABR digesting RPMW was investigated using phylogeneticanalysis of partial 16S rRNA sequences by a neighbor-joining-tree, supported by microbial morphology analysis by SEM. The results showed that microorganism inside NABR consisted of dominant Bacillus (25 strains) and Bacterium (1 strain) which were isolated from the settled sludge at the bottom of the reactor, whilst Bacillus (2 strains), Pseudomonas (2 strain) and Chryseobacterium (2 strain) were isolated from the biofilm formed on the packing material. It revealed that the microbial community strains, function, and structure changed simultaneously throughout the reactor system. The microscopic results showed rich biofacies, while the dominant microorganisms have various morphologies in every compartment of the system. It consisted of a long rod-shaped and filamentous bacterium composed majorly of bacilli of different sizes. Although the study successfully analyzed the microbial diversity and morphology in the system, the microbial communities reported in this study were different from other similar studies. This may be caused by the application of a culture-based technique that usually provides limited information due to the number of barely cultivated or uncultured strains

The study focuses on the causes of minaret tilting as well as possible solutions. The major aims of this study are to improve knowledge of historical tall structure stability and rehabilitation operations using the finite element approach to model the soil and minaret (PLAXIS 3D 2020), a platform for computational soil investigation and modeling. The numerical analysis aims to identify stresses, settlement, and deformation of the soil and minaret in various scenarios like Earthquakes, explosions, and winds. The simulation of the problem by the PLAXIS 3D revealed that the greatest lateral displacement computed at the Top Minaret is 5.5 cm, and the greatest vertical movement is calculated to be 3 cm. Seismic settlement is the effect of earthquake shaking, causing densification of soil with lower relative density.

This study aims to suggest a technique for soil properties improvement of AL- Kadhimin shrine Minaret and to support the foundation, which has a tilt of roughly 80 cm from the vertical axis. The shrine of the AL- Kadhimin is made up of four minarets with two domes set in a large courtyard. The four minarets have skewed to varying degrees due to uncontrolled dewatering inside the shrine in recent years. However, the northeast minaret was the most inclined due to its proximity to the well placed inside shrine courtyard. When the well near the minaret is operated, the water level drops, increasing the effective stresses of the soil and causing differential settling of the minaret foundation. To maintain the minaret's foundation from potential lateral stresses, a micropile system has been proposed around it. PLAXIS 3D is used to do a three-dimensional numerical analysis in this study. A micropile system of several diameters has been considered for the suggested technique. In the analysis, the modeling and verification findings revealed that the suggested micropile system plays a significant role in incrementing the minaret's lateral load resistance (earthquake).

Crude oil still affects many countries because it is one of the essential fuel sources. It makes life more manageable in modern communities and cannot be overstated because it is easy to use and find. However, the pollution caused by its use in industries such as mining, transportation, and the oil and gas business, especially soil pollution, cannot be ignored. Soil pollution is an issue in most communities because it influences people and ecology. Accidental infusions and spills of ore oils are prevalent occurrences leading to the entire or fractional exchange of the soil pore fluid by oil-contaminated soils that have affected the geotechnical engineering properties. The liquid limitations for polluted soil grades silty loam and sandy loam decreased by 38% and 16%. Oil contamination leads to decreased permeability; the permeability values for sandy loam soil decreased from (3.6 × 10−6 to 0.25 × 10−6 cm/s) when the oil content increased from 0 to 16%; however, the permeability values for silty loam decreased from (2.6 × 10−6 to 0.25 × 10−6) cm. The current study results exhibit that the geotechnical properties of contaminated soil with oil slag can be modified upon adding cement at different weight percentages (3, 5, and 7%) to the soil. The Atterberg limits and specific gravity of the soil were noticeably reduced when it was stabilised with cement, as well as because oil spills on soil significantly influence the environment. So, there is an immediate and critical need for efficiently removing petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from contaminated soil. Bioremediation is a new technology gaining interest worldwide to clean up sites that have polluted petroleum hydrocarbons.

In this paper, mesoscale modeling is performed to simulate and understand fracture behavior of two concrete composites: cement and asphalt concrete using disk-shaped compact tension (DCT) tests. Mesoscale models are used as alternative to macroscale models to obtain better realistic behavior of composite and heterogeneous materials such as cement and asphalt concrete. In mesoscale models, aggregate and matrix are represented as distinct materials and each material has its characteristic properties. Disk-shaped compact tension test is used to obtain tensile strength and fracture energy of materials. This test can be used as a better alternative to other tests such as three points bending tests because it is more convenient for both field and laboratory specimens in addition to its accurate results. Comparing the numerical results of the mesoscale models of cement and asphalt concrete specimens with experimental data shows that these models can predict the behavior of these composite materials very well as seen in the curves of load-crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD). Also, the mesoscale modeling highlights the variability of crack direction where it is dependent on the random distribution of aggregate.

In this paper, the probabilistic behavior of plain concrete beams subjected to flexure is studied using a continuous mesoscale model. The model is two-dimensional where aggregate and mortar are treated as separate constituents having their own characteristic properties. The aggregate is represented as ellipses and generated under prescribed grading curves. Ellipses are randomly placed so it requires probabilistic analysis for model using the Monte Carlo simulation with 20 realizations to represent geometry uncertainty. The nonlinear behavior is simulated with an isotropic damage model for the mortar, while the aggregate is assumed to be elastic. The isotropic damage model softening behavior is defined in terms of fracture mechanics parameters. This damage model is compared with the fixed crack model in macroscale study before using it in the mesoscale model. Then, it is used in the mesoscale model to simulate flexure test and compared to experimental data and shows a good agreement. The probabilistic behavior of the model response is presented through the standard deviation, moment parameters and cumulative probability density functions in different loading stages. It shows variation of the probabilistic characteristics between pre-peak and post-peak behaviour of load-CMOD curves.

Haemonchus contortus one of gastrointestinal helminthes characterized by miner intraspecific variation and a major variation among species which exploited to determine species simultaneously depend on PCR techniques, by amplification of DNA from parasites so goal of study was traditional and molecular detection of this parasite in sheep. Experiment was conducted using adult worms collected from abomasum of sheep obtained from abattoir in Babylon province. All worms divided into two groups, first group for morphological study and second group stored in 70% ethanol for DNA extraction, ITS-2 spacer and 28S gene were amplified using PCR technique sequenced and analysis with a phylogenic tree.According to the available data this study recordedHaemonchus contortus in sheep depend on ITS-2 spacer and 28S gene sequences for the first time in Iraq with accession no. LC552170 and LC552171 using molecular data.The phylogeny analysis depended on ITS-2 spacer and 28S gene partial sequences were closely related and high identity 94% with Germany H. similis sequence MN708992.1 and 93% identity with New-Zealand and Austria H. contortus sequence KC998713.1 and KJ724288.1 respectively, with a low genetic variation among all comparison sequenced isolates.

Abstract Introduction Intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a serious human rights violation and an important health concern during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to estimate the proportion of IPV among adult Arab women before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and to identify its possible predictors during the lockdown. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and June 2020 using an online questionnaire. The sample included 490 adult Arab women aged 18 years and above, who live with their husbands. Data was collected using a Google forms designed questionnaire that included the socio-demographic characteristics, nature of lockdown, and exposure to different types of IPV before and during COVID-19 lockdown and the frequency of their occurrence. McNemar’s test was used to determine differences in the exposure to IPV before and during the lockdown, while logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of exposure to IPV during the lockdown. Results Half of women reported that they were ever exposed to IPV with psychological violence ranking 1st. Exposure to any type of IPV and exposure to psychological, physical, and sexual violence have significantly increased during the lockdown compared to before the lockdown. The frequency of exposure to the different types of IPV ranged from 1–3 times per month to almost every day, but the most commonly reported was 1–3 times per month. Predictors of exposure to IPV during the COVID-19 lockdown included country of residence, family income, and whether the husband lost his job during lockdown. Conclusions IPV has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the Arab countries, and it was associated with the socioeconomic consequences of the pandemic on families. Actions towards raising awareness about the problem among professionals and the community, early detection, and provision of appropriate services are mandatory.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an essential technology for wastewater management, resource recovery and biogas production, and it is considered as an efficient and reliable treatment method for many wastewaters. Operating parameters have been shown to directly affect the stability and treatment performance of AD, especially temperature. For 180 days, the AD of recycled paper mill wastewater (RPMW) was carried out in a modified anaerobic inclining-baffled (MAIB) reactor under various temperature conditions, i.e. 29 °C (low mesophilic), 37 °C (mesophilic) and 55 °C (thermophilic). It was found that total COD removal of 94, 96 and 76%, and methane yields of 0.125, 0.196 and 0.256 L CH4/g CODremoved were attained at temperatures of 29, 37 and 55 °C, respectively. Throughout the three transition periods, the pH level in the MAIB reactor fluctuated slightly within the range of 5.8–6.5 without affecting the system stability. The results concluded that thermophilic condition strongly influenced the MAIB reactor performance, leading to lower COD removal, higher methane yield and gradually recovered pH level. Highlights Novel modified anaerobic inclining-baffled (MAIB) reactor, which combines the development of attached and settled microorganisms, was operated for the treatment of recycled paper mill wastewater (RPMW).; The operational temperature intensive analysis of MAIB was investigated at thermophilic and mesophilic conditions.; The system compartmental characteristics were also analyzed and discussed.;

Abstract Odors due to the emission of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have been a concern in the sewage treatment plants over the last decades. H2S fate and emissions from extended aeration activated sludge (EAAS) system in Muharram Aisha-sewage treatment plant (MA-STP) were studied using TOXCHEM model. Sensitivity analysis at different aeration flowrate, H2S loading rate, wastewater pH, wastewater temperature and wind speed were studied. The predicted data were validated against actual results, where all the data were validated within the limits, and the statistical evaluation of normalized mean square error (NMSE), geometric variance (VG), and correlation coefficient (R) were close to the ideal fit. The results showed that the major processes occurring in the system were degradation and emission. During summer (27 °C) and winter (12 °C), about 25 and 23%, 1 and 2%, 2 and 2%, and 72 and 73% were fated as emitted to air, discharged with effluent, sorbed to sludge, and biodegraded, respectively. At summer and winter, the total emitted concentrations of H2S were 6.403 and 5.614 ppm, respectively. The sensitivity results indicated that aeration flowrate, H2S loading rate and wastewater pH highly influenced the emission and degradation of H2S processes compared to wastewater temperature and wind speed. To conclude, TOXCHEM model successfully predicted the H2S fate and emissions in EAAS system.

The Libyan Ministry of Health is keen to understand how it can introduce policies to protect its population from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We aimed to perform an implementation research assessment of the current situation, including challenges and opportunities. We used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. We started with a quantitative assessment of NCD policy performance based on review of the WHO NCD Progress Monitor Reports. Once we had identified Libya’s NCD policy gaps we performed a systematic review to identify international lessons around barriers and successful strategies for the policies Libya has not yet implemented. Finally, we performed a series of key stakeholder interviews with senior policymakers to explore their perspectives around promising policy actions. We used a realist paradigm, methods triangulation, and a joint display to synthesise the interpretation of our findings and develop recommendations. Libya has not fully implemented any of the recommended policies for diet, physical activity, primary care guidelines & therapeutics, or data collection, targets & surveillance. It does not have robust tobacco policies in place. Evidence from the international literature and policymaker interviews emphasised the centrality of according strong political leadership, governance structures, multisectoral engagement, and adequate financing to policy development activities. Libya’s complex political and security situation are major barriers for policy implementation. Whilst some policies will be very challenging to develop and deploy, there are a number of simple policy actions that could be implemented with minimum effort; from inviting WHO to conduct a second STEPS survey, to signing the international code on breast-milk substitutes. Like many other fragile and conflict-affected states, Libya has not accorded NCDs the policy attention they demand. Whilst strong high-level leadership is the ultimate key to providing adequate protections, there are a range of simple measures that can be implemented with relative ease.

Climate change has several impacts on rainfall patterns, increasing surface runoff, leading to sewer flooding, and receiving water contamination. This study analyzed the effects of climate change and flooding on the Al-Shuhada Quarter sewer system in Samawah City, Iraq, using the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). The sanitary system's performance was evaluated before and after the leaking of stormwater at different return periods of two, five, ten, and twenty-five years. The SWMM model was manually calibrated by changing the influential sub-catchment characteristic using modeled and measured discharges. NMSE (0.123) and R (0.86) values were within the limits and proved that the model is valid. Evaluation results indicated that the system operated very well at dry weather flow but flooded at some locations during the leaking of stormwater at wet weather flow. As a response to climate change, changing return period from 2 to 25 years showed an increase in sanitary sewage system flooding volume and percentage of flooding manholes from 2504 m3 to 10% to 8868 m3 and 24%, respectively. By contrast, proposing the addition of extra two sewer lines has highly reduced the flooding events. To conclude, SWMM was a very powerful tool in predicting flooding volumes and locations at different rainfall intensities, and it assessed the capability of the proposed solutions to minimize flooding.

It is well-known that the high-performance polymeric dielectric films used for high-voltage DC capacitors should have outstanding capabilities in terms of electrical and mechanical properties in order to face harsh operating conditions. Many factors limit the ability of these thin films to face different and growing stresses according to modern electrical requirements. Microstructure properties, additives, impurities, defects formed during manufacturing as well as applied stress types significantly affect the performance of dielectric films and their operational lifetime. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the factors which affect the ageing, degradation and breakdown of metallised polypropylene (PP) capacitors films. The effects of microstructure, surface morphological properties, mechanical properties and defects on the reliability of biaxially oriented polypropylene films (BOPP) are studied. In addition, the phenomena affecting dielectric performance and ageing mechanisms which are induced by electrical, thermal and electrothermal stresses are discussed.

Using the wastes as a recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a promising technology to reduce the impact of construction and demolition wastes on the environment and the shortage of natural resources. However, higher permeability of RCA leads to greater absorption, affecting the RCA concrete's long-term performance. In general, the soil in Iraq contains a high sulfate level, accelerating concrete deterioration reducing concrete strength, and increasing concrete spalling and cracking. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of sulfate environment on the mechanical properties of pretreated RCA concrete using a PVA agent. The normal aggregate was replaced in four portions of 8 %, 16 %, 24 %, and 32 % RCA, with the same grading and max size as normal aggregate. Two w/c ratios of 0.50 and 0.3 were used with two curing systems, namely sealed and unsealed conditions. The RCAs were socked in 0.5 % PVA of the water volume. The durability of RCA concrete was also experienced by sulfate attack immersing the concrete cubes in magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (MgSo4.nH2O) solution for 150 days after 28 days from casting with the wetting and drying cycle. The compressive strength results showed that the mixes with RCA pre-soaked in PVA have higher strength than the reference mix. For durability, the concrete mix with 32 % RCA exhibited the best durability. When the increased amount of RCA pre-soaked in PVA, the hydration increased, and internal voids decreased. Using 24 % RCA replacement with the sealed curing condition gives a 1.2 % increase in absorption, which is less than the unsealed curing condition of a 1.8 % increase in absorption.

This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of avian malaria (Plasmodium gallinaceum) in the local domesticated breed chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) that were purchased from the local markets in Baghdad city, using 100 blood samples which were collected from the wing vein, and kept in EDTA-K2 tubes for conventional PCR analysis during the period extended from 1 /10 / 2018 till 31/ 3 / 2019. Total infection rate was 18% (18/100), which were divided into males 20.00% and in females 16.00%. The eight isolates were recorded in the GenBank under accession numbers ID: MN082405.1, MN082406.1, MN082407.1, MN082408.1, MN082409.1, MN082410.1, MN082411.1, and MN082412.1 with identity 99.20 - 99.87% and with other isolates (United Kingdom and USA) 99.34 - 99.88 %. In conclusion, Plasmodium gallinaceum may have a moderate spread in local domesticated breed chicken at Baghdad.

This paper reviews some experimental and numerical results about the hollow reinforced concrete beams (HRCB). Any subtraction in concrete quantity within the structural members without a considerable lack in load carrying capacity represents a common research trend nowadays due to the decrease in sections dimensions, reinforcing steel and lateral inertia forces in severe earthquakes as well as the sustainability gain for the resulting inhibiting of CO2 emission. In addition, the possibility of passing the electrical and mechanical facilities comprises another good feature of such type of structural members. During the traditional beam design process, the tension concrete is considered as strain transfer agent and do not have any role for structural resistance. As a result, longitudinal holes can be made within this area to produce the hollow reinforced concrete beams (HRCB). In this paper some remarkable research works are summarized with the most important conclusions within this field.

In a recent publication, we demonstrated that conditional deletion of the gene encoding thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) leads to a late onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TDG loss causes disruption in active DNA demethylation in the liver and dysregulation of the farnesoid X receptor and small heterodimer partner (FXR-SHP) regulatory cascade. This leads to a loss of bile acid and glucose homeostasis, which predisposes mice to HCC.

Summary: Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) is a nuclear receptor coactivator that plays an essential role in the maintenance of epigenetic stability in cells. Here, we demonstrate that the conditional deletion of TDG in adult mice results in a male-predominant onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TDG loss leads to a prediabetic state, as well as bile acid (BA) accumulation in the liver and serum of male mice. Consistent with these data, TDG deletion led to dysregulation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and small heterodimer partner (SHP) regulatory cascade in the liver. FXR and SHP are tumor suppressors of HCC and play an essential role in BA and glucose homeostasis. These results indicate that TDG functions as a tumor suppressor of HCC by regulating a transcriptional program that protects against the development of glucose intolerance and BA accumulation in the liver. : TDG is a base excision repair protein that is essential for embryonic development. Hassan et al. show that the conditional deletion of TDG in adult mice causes dysregulation of FXR signaling and a loss of glucose and bile acid homeostasis. This leads to a late-onset development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Keywords: thymine DNA glycosylase, active DNA demethylation, TET, hepatocellular carcinoma, FXR, bile acids, insulin resistance, conditional deletion, hepatoblastoma

Background: To analyze the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Multidimensional Approach (IMA) and use of INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS) on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in Saudi Arabia from September 2013 to February 2017. Methods: A multicenter, prospective, before–after surveillance study on 14,961 patients in 37 intensive care units (ICUs) of 22 hospitals. During baseline, we performed outcome surveillance of VAP applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN. During intervention, we implemented the IMA and the ISOS, which included: (1) a bundle of infection prevention practice interventions, (2) education, (3) outcome surveillance, (4) process surveillance, (5) feedback on VAP rates and consequences and (6) performance feedback of process surveillance. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models to estimate the effect of intervention. Results: The baseline rate of 7.84 VAPs per 1000 mechanical-ventilator (MV)-days―with 20,927 MV-days and 164 VAPs―, was reduced to 4.74 VAPs per 1000 MV-days―with 118,929 MV-days and 771 VAPs―, accounting for a 39% rate reduction (IDR 0.61; 95% CI 0.5–0.7; P 0.001). Conclusions: Implementing the IMA was associated with significant reductions in VAP rates in ICUs of Saudi Arabia. Keywords: Hospital infection, Healthcare-acquired infection, Hospital-acquired pneumonia, Nosocomial pneumonia, Limited-resource countries, Surveillance

The crude alcoholic extract of Spirugera sp. algae with concentrations (250, 500, 1000) mg/ml and albendazole with concentrations (250, 500, 1000) mg/ml effects was studied in the viability of protoscolices in vitro, the viability of the protoscolices in 10 microliters and the three replicates calculated in the fixed-size method. There were no significant differences in the first three treatments (0,24,48 hour), whereas the coefficients of 72-144 hour showed significant differences . The mean S.D. ± viability of the protoscolices at the highest rate at treatment at 0 hour (33 ± 5.29) protoscolices, while the mean of the protoscolices dropped to the lowest ratio at 144 to 14 ± 1 protoscolices. While the mean S.D.± mean of the protoscolices viability of the treatments 24-120 hours between 31.33 ± 1.52-16.66 ± 1.52 protoscolices. The total number of protosclices ranged from 177-193. The average number of live protoscolices ranged between 170-177 protoscolices / 100 µl , While the number of dead protoscolices ranged from 6-16 protoscolices / 100µl. Sixty-nine chemical compounds were extracted from the crude alcoholic extract of Spirogyra sp. Varied between phenols, turbines, fatty acids, hydrocarbons and hetero cyclic compounds. The results of this study showed a decrease in the percentage of the viability of the protoscolices when exposed to the concentrations of the crude alcoholic extract of the Spirugera sp. The concentration of 250 mg / ml resulted in a decrease in the percentage of protoscolices from 92.75±0.62 at 0 hour to 27.06±0.48 at 144 hour compared with control group (76.56 ± 0.79), while the concentration of 500 mg/ml decreased from 92.59±0.58 per hour to 0.14±0.25% at 144 hours compared with the control group, while the concentration was 1000 mg /ml has led to the killing of all protoscolices at 144 hour compared with the control group, The results of used albendazole drug showed significant differences. concentrations reduced the percentage of viability of protoscolices. When exposed to 250 mg / ml, The result was a decrease from 93.75 ± 0.77 at 0 hour to 4.15 ± 0.36 at 144 hour, while the concentration of 500 mg / ml reduced the percentage from 48 ± 0.85 at 0 hour to 0,4±0.48 at 144 hour, while The concentration of 1000 mg / ml resulted in the killing of all protpscolices indications at 120 hour compared to 0 hour where the percentage of viability of protoscolices was 45.5 ± 0.98. The results of this study showed that a similar effect of a Spirogyra sp extract and albendazole drug on the viability of the protoscolices with increased concentration and duration of exposure to the drug or alcoholic extract.

Power quality improvement of low voltage grid is a great challenge that confronts the sophisticated power applications, because their performance is highly sensitive to the quality of power supply. Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) used widely as an efficient and skillful device to adjust electrical disturbances of the distribution grids. This paper introduces an overview of the components of the 3-phase dynamic voltage restorer and design its own control circuit. The performance of DVR was developed on the basis of the appropriate selection of Photovoltaic (PV) module instead of the present conventional designs. Through this design, the need of series converter (DVR) for the current from an electrical grid will end and the problems of power losses will curb. The PV-module is selected to meet the requirements of the DVR during voltage sag/swell on voltage line. The proposed system is mimicked in MATLAB software/Simulink and the findings are presented to prove the success of the design in terms of: Full congruence of the load voltage waveform with source voltage waveform, attaining 0.77% of THD analysis for the load voltage and the waveforms of PV system.