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Abstract Background A major worldwide health issue is the rising frequency of resistance of bacteria.Drug combinations are a winning strategy in fighting resistant bacteria and might help in protecting the existing drugs.Monolaurin is natural compound extracted from coconut oil and has a promising antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus.aureus. This study aims to examine the efficacy of monolaurin both individually and in combination with β-lactam antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Methods Agar dilution method was used for determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of monolaurin against S.aureus isolates. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to detect morphological changes in S.aureus after treatment with monolaurin. Conventional and Real-time Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to detect of beta-lactamase (blaZ) gene and its expressional levels after monolaurin treatment. Combination therapy of monolaurin and antibiotics was assessed through fractional inhibitory concentration and time-kill method. Results The antibacterial activity of monolaurin was assessed on 115 S.aureus isolates, the MIC of monolaurin were 250 to 2000 µg/ml. SEM showed cell elongation and swelling in the outer membrane of S.aureus in the prescence of 1xMIC of monolaurin. blaZ gene was found in 73.9% of S.aureus isolates. RT-PCR shows a significant decrease in of blaZ gene expression at 250 and 500 µg/ml of monolaurin. Synergistic effects were detected through FIC method and time killing curve. Combination therapy established a significant reduction on the MIC value. The collective findings from the antibiotic combinations with monolaurin indicated synergism rates ranging from 83.3% to 100%.In time-kill studies, combination of monolaurin and β-lactam antibiotics produced a synergistic effect. Conclusion This study showed that monolaurin may be a natural antibacterial agent against S. aureus, and may be an outstanding modulator of β-lactam drugs. The concurrent application of monolaurin and β-lactam antibiotics, exhibiting synergistic effects against S. aureus in vitro, holds promise as potential candidates for the development of combination therapies that target particularly, patients with bacterial infections that are nearly incurable.

In this study, for the first time a magnetically recoverable zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) / graphite carbon nitride (g-C3N4)/ cooper ferrite (CuFe2O4) nanocomposite was prepared through a fast and simple wet impregnation procedure. The magnetic behavior of the ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 heterostructure was used for the easy recovery of the nanocomposite by an external magnet. After studying the structural, crystallinity, magnetic, and photophysical properties of the as-syntesized sample, its application was investigated for the enhanced photodegradation of tetracycline under visible light illumination. The band gap energies for ZIF-8, g-C3N4, and CuFe2O4 were obtained 5.1 eV, 2.8 eV, and 1.3 eV, respectively. After combination of ZIF-8, g-C3N4, and CuFe2O4, the band gap energy was obtained to 2.4 eV, which indicate the improvement of photocatalytic activity of ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite. Among the as-synthesized photocatalyst samples, the ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 showed an excellent photocatalytic activity (99.15 %) for degradation of tetracycline within 65 min irradiation of visible light, solution pH of 5 and photocatalyst dosage of 0.75 g/L. The rate constant of the ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 is almost 13.1, 9.9, and 15.6 times higher than that of ZIF-8, g-C3N4, and CuFe2O4, respectively. The ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 heterojunction showed the effective degradation activity for four consecutive cycles, which exhibited its excellent reusability and stability. Moreover, the free radical quenching tests confirmed that holes, and hydroxyl radicals were the main reaction species for degradation of tetracycline. Altogether the preparation of novel ZIF-8/g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 provides an promise avenue for the development of high potential magtenticaly photocatalytic systems for sustainable tetracycline production with remarkable efficiencies.

Heavy metals can cause serious environmental and human health problems, and their removal from wastewater is critical to protect our planet and communities. This study investigated the ability of crushed pomegranate peel to remove mercury and cadmium ions from contaminated water as a function of different experimental parameters. The experimental results showed that the pH of the solution influenced the adsorptive removal of heavy metals, with the best performance observed at pH 4.8. Optimization studies and process balance modeling were performed to optimize the process for commercial use. The performance of pomegranate peel was compared with that of other materials, and the highest adsorption capacities for both cadmium (Ca (II)) and mercury (Hg (II)) ions were observed to be 89.59 and 42.125 mg/g, respectively. The results were interpreted using the Langmuir model, which provided the best fit to describe the behavior of the process.

In the past few decades, the removal of organic solvents from different substances, especially through the use of nanostructured materials, has been crucial in various industries, including improvement of innovative and adaptable nano adsorbents. Computational approaches are widely recognized as powerful tools for searching molecular systems at atomic level and investigating the characteristics of their interactions. This study utilized the dispersion-corrected DFT approach to gain a detailed comprehension of how CH2O molecules interact with both Pd-doped and pristine ZnO nanotubes (ZnONTs) during the adsorption process. The aim was to achieve a comprehensive comprehension of the adsorption behavior. To accomplish this, an extensive examination of the active sites and optimized geometrical characteristics of interacting systems was conducted. To assess adsorption capacity of Pd-ZnO nanotube and pristine ZnO nanotube for CH2O, binding characteristics of the interacting species have been assessed. This evaluation included analyzing the interaction energy (Eint), charge transfer, electronic properties, and ELF analysis. Moreover, Pd-doping greatly enhances the adsorption strength of ZnONTs, thereby imparting them with superior capability for CH2O adsorption. The significant adsorption strength of CH2O by the sensor under consideration raises the prospect of utilizing these nanotubes as highly effective sensor materials for CH2O detection, which is a matter of great interest. The results of our study provide a foundation for designing innovative and energy-efficient nanosensors that can serve as cost-effective solutions for detecting contaminants in wastewater.

Background. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the major pathogens associated with life-threatening infections, showing resistance to various antibiotics. This study aimed to assess the influence of monolaurin on biofilm-forming MRSA. Methods. The agar dilution method determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of monolaurin against MRSA isolates and explored its impact on the resistance profile of selected antibiotics. The assessment of combined therapy involving monolaurin and antibiotics was conducted using fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC). The tissue culture plate strategy appraised monolaurin’s antibiofilm activity and its inhibitory concentration (IC50), with assessment via scanning electron microscopy. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) discerned a monolaurin effect on the expression of the icaD gene. Results. Monolaurin exhibited MIC values ranging from 500 to 2000 μg/mL. FIC index showed a synergistic effect of monolaurin with β-lactam antibiotics ranging from 0.0039 to 0.25 (p

Nano-pump is a breakthrough that allows a tiny pump to transfer mass inside the atomic channels. These nanostructures can be used in various applications, such as drug delivery systems in clinical cases. Carbon nanotube (CNT) performance as a nano-pump sample was introduced here. For this purpose, Molecular Dynamics (MD) approach, and external heat flux/electric field effect on nano-pump performance were reported. Hence, various physical parameters, such as nano-pumping time, potential/kinetic energy, stress and entropy were reported to describe the nano-pumping performance of CNT samples. Technically, nano-pumping performance was detected by fullerene (C20) molecule displacement inside the NT. The MD outputs indicated by the heat flux implemented inside CNT, nano-pumping process effectively occur. The results show that by increasing the heat flux amplitude ratio from 0.1 to 0.5 W/m2, the displacement time of C20 molecule decreased from 7.49 to 6.96 ps. By amplitude enlarging, the kinetic energy of defined sample converged to 5.70014 eV. This procedure caused more atomic collisions inside the NT, and the nano-pumping process occurred in a smaller time. Furthermore, the electric field caused the nano-pumping process to be delayed in modeled systems. Numerically, by increasing the electric field, the nano-pumping process occurred after 7.85 ps. Increasing the electric field decreased the mechanical wave produced via Cu tip oscillation. This evolution caused the atomic force, and stress on the target particle converged to a lesser value, and the lattice stress value of modeled sample reached 2.12662 × 106 bar.

Background and objective: Hypertension is a growing public health problem worldwide; hypertensive patients experience negative emotions, which in particular may increase the risk for mental health instabilities. The objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of anxiety and depression among hypertensive patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a clinic from May 1st to October 1st, 2021 in the city of Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, among 286 hypertensive patients, for assessing the level of association of hypertension with depression and anxiety. Results: A total of 286 participants were included, the mean age was 61.2 ± 12 years, and the age range was 33 to 88 years. More than half (57.3%) of the patients were females, 55.9% of patients had a form of Ischemic Heart Disease (including stable and unstable angina, obstructive and non-obstructive coronary artery disease) and 39.9% of them were diabetic. It was found that depression was higher among females (26.3%) than male patients (18%) (P = 0.002). Anxiety was more prevalent among females (24.4%), while only 8.2% of male hypertensive cases had anxiety (P = 0.001). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of the hypertensive patients had depression and anxiety. The rate was higher among women than men.

The topic of context is one of the important topics, which was mentioned as a concept in several fields and different fields, and there were many points of view that defined that concept. He specified the title of the research (design contexts in the design of the interior space), as the research sought to identify the concept of context in the interior design of the spaces of sewing workshops. The research was divided into four chapters: The first chapter, which consists of the methodological framework, the problem of research and the need for it, the importance of research, the goal and limits of research for sewing workshops for vocational schools from (2020-2021). The second chapter: consists of previous studies and the theoretical framework of two topics: The first topic: the concept of context in interior design. The second topic: spaces for sewing workshops. The third chapter: It consists of research procedures, and it is the research community. The descriptive approach was adopted in the sample analysis, which is considered one of the important research methods, in order to study phenomena, improve them, and solve problems. It diagnoses the phenomenon accurately to analyze the information and being the most appropriate with the direction of the research. At the end of the chapter, several results were produced according to the analysis form and the indicators of the theoretical framework. The fourth chapter: includes the results, conclusions, recommendations and proposals reached from this research, the most important of which are: 1- A context is one of the main foundations for achieving meaning through simultaneous and sequential elements. 2- Poor proportionality in the scale of the space led to poor perception and assimilation of the components of the internal space

Background: A review of many kinds of literature has suggested the theory of infections to are a risk for atherosclerosis of the coronaries, many of medical researchers reported that Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis extends beyond the gastrointestinal system to be a risk factor for inflammatory-induced atherosclerosis including that of the coronary vessels. Objective: To detect a relationship between the seropositivity of Helicobacter pylori bacteria in the blood with the severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis. Patients and Methods: A total of 125 patients were taken in this study including both sex male and female with different age groups all of them admitted to cardiac center hospital in Erbil City in Iraq. Patients were suspected to have coronary artery atherosclerosis based on symptoms and primary cardiac diagnostic tools, Angiography was performed to confirm or exclude coronary artery lesions by catheterization in the cath lab of the hospital. Blood samples were taken from patients including the patients’ group and control group and a C-reactive protein (CRP) test with Helicobacter pylori IgG antibody test was done for them by using an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIZA) apparatus. Coronary angiography Confirmed the presence of atherosclerosis and the severity of it according to the number of vessels and the degree of luminal stenosis. Results: The results show that the most of patients with atherosclerosis (83.5%) a high level of C-reactive protein. Also, a positive significant correlation was detected between the Helicobacter pylori concentration and the number of narrowed vessels based on the results of this study Helicobacter pylori. Conclusion: According to the results Helicobacter pylori has a significant risk predictor for the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. However, evidence on this fact is not sufficient which further studies are needed.

Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is idiopathic cardiomyopathy that presents during the last trimester or the first several months after delivery and it is a serious complication of pregnancy. Objectives: The aim was to assess the most common risk factors seen among pregnant women leading to PPCM and factors that are associated with better outcomes after therapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 patients who presented to the outpatient cardiology clinic and fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of the European Society of Cardiology were recruited to participate in the study. A detailed history was obtained and left ventricular measurements were evaluated using M-mode, 2-dimentional, and Simpson methods to estimate the ejection fraction. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 34.7 ± 5.2 years. Multiparous women constituted 60% of the study sample. Gestational age at presentation ranged between 28 and 38 weeks, with a mean of 32.9 ± 2.6. Being overweight was a common feature as 60% of patients had above-normal body mass index. Family history was reported in 50% of patients, followed by passive smoking (35%), hypertension (25%), thyroid disorders (30%), and type II diabetes mellitus (20%). The mean left ventricular ejection fraction at the time of diagnosis was 32.3% ± 6.7% with an increase to 44.2% ± 8.9% at follow-up. Younger patients were more likely to regain normal left ventricular function following diagnosis (P = 0.005). Conclusion: These preliminary results strongly demonstrate that advanced maternal age, anemia, multiparity, and family history were the most common risk factors seen among our population.

Eighteen novel functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids and their three precursors are developed in this study. The precursor acetic acid congeners of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids (Y1, Y8, and Y15) were created by combining acetone dicarboxylic acid and three resorcinol-based compounds. They were utilized in the preparation of novel functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives of benzo[e]-bispyrone fused hybrids (Y2-Y7, Y9-Y14, and Y16-Y21). Six in vitro biological activities were investigated for the synthesized precursors and their functionalized phenyl acetate derivatives. First, the reactive species-caging activity was tested against DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Second, the cellular viability-terminating activity was assayed using MTT-visual probing methodology against six common cancerous cell lines. Third, fourth, and fifth activities, collectively termed microbial-shedding potential, were examined using a microdilution broth methodology against six aerobic pathogenic bacterial strains, four anaerobic pathogenic bacterial strains, and two pathogenic fungal strains, respectively. Finally, the blood sugar-dropping activity was assessed against two related enzymes. Moreover, the toxic effects of the twenty-one synthesized compounds were assessed against one normal human cell line and one non-pathogenic bacterial strain. The results showed that the fused hybrids' methoxyphenyl acetate derivatives (Y2, Y9, and Y16) had the greatest reactive species-caging, anaerobic pathogenic bacterial-shooting, and blood sugar-dropping activities. In terms of cellular viability-terminating activity, the fluorophenyl acetate derivatives (Y4, Y11, and Y18) demonstrated the greatest activity against the tested cancerous cell lines while causing the least toxicity to the normal cell line. Chlorophenyl acetate derivatives had the highest aerobic pathogen-shedding activity while causing the least toxicity on normal bacterial strains (Y5, Y12, and Y19). Finally, the precursors and derivatives with flourophenyl or chlorophenyl acetate demonstrated the highest levels of fungal-shooting activity, exceeding the reference. The researchers concluded from these observations that the synthesized precursors and their derivatives provided several biosafe scaffolds with multiple and selective activities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that the absence of a common definition of the private health sector may hinder a comprehensive understanding of its ubiquity. (1) Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, [...]

The importance of this research is to study the effect of changing the temperature at the same time on each of the prepared samples and during the gas sensing processes, the effects of substrate temperature Ts were investigated after precipitation by the microstructural and optical characteristics of cadmium sulfide using thermal spraying method with different temperatures of (300, 400, and 500) ℃. The structural investigations of these films were studied, showing that the increases in substrate temperature were shown cubic and hexagonal phases according to ICDD card no. (21-0929) and (43-0989). The dramatic change occurred at 500 ℃ in changing the phase from hexagonal to a cubic structure. XRD exhibits a dominant plane at (200) for different substrate temperatures. Optical transmittance, absorption coefficient, and energy gap values were calculated by UV/VIS spectrophotometer. These results showed that the band gap values decreased with increasing substrate temperature. The gas sensitivity was tested for NO2 gas at several working temperatures from 175 ℃ to 250 ℃, and various gas concentrations from 150 ppm to 200 ppm and found that the sensitivity increase with increasing both the operating temperature and gas concentration for a Ts at 500 ℃ which offer also the best crystallization the best sensitivity at an operating temperature of 175 ℃ is 75% at a gas concentration of 150 ppm.

هدف البحث الحالي إلى تعرف أثره برنامج تعليمي – تعلمي وفقًا لبعض استراتيجيات التعلم النشط في تحصيل طلاب الصف الأول المتوسط في مادة الرياضيات, لتحقيق ذلك الهدف أختار الباحث عينة من (49) طالب, المجموعة التجريبية (24) طالب والمجموعة الضابطة (25) طالب من طلاب الصف الأول المتوسط في متوسطة (الأندلس للبنين) للعام الدراسي 2020-2021م, وتم بناء اختباراً للتحصيل مكون من (38) فقرة, وتم التأكد من الخصائص السايكومترية للإختبار, وبعد معالجة البيانات إحصائياً باستعمال الإختبار التائي لعينتين مستقلتين, توصل البحث إلى : - تفوق طلاب المجموعة التجريبية الذين دُرِسوا على وفق البرنامج التعليمي – التعلمي على طلاب المجموعة الضابطة الذين دُرِسوا على وفق الطريقة الاعتيادية في اختبار التحصيل. بعد تفسير النتائج توصل الباحث إلى استنتاجات ووضع توصيات عدة وأقترح مقترحات صالحة للبحث والتجريب.

The public’s actions will likely have a significant effect on the course of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Human behavior is conditioned and shaped by information and people’s perceptions. This study investigated the impact of risk perception on trust in government and self-efficacy. It examined whether the use of social media helped people adopt preventive actions during the pandemic. To test this hypothesis, the researchers gathered data from 512 individuals (students and academics) based in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results suggested that risk perception had a significant effect on trust in government and self-efficacy. Moreover, these correlations were stronger when social media was used as a source for gathering information on COVID-19. In some cases, it even helped users avoid exposure to the virus. This study assessed the relationship between risk perception and the awareness gained from using social media during the pandemic and highlighted how social media usage influences trust in government and self-efficacy.

The effect of manganese doped cobalt oxide (Co3O4:Mn) was investigated by two different ratios (1% and 3%), which were precipitated by spray pyrolysis technique (SPT), and was adopted using a laboratory designed glass atomizer. Glass substrates were used to deposit films on them, heated at a temperature of 420 ℃. The structural properties were studied through X-ray diffraction. The results showed that all deposit nanostructured films were polycrystalline and there was a decrease in the preferred reflection intensity along (311) plane resulting in a decrease in the crystallite size. Surface properties were analyzed through atomic force microscopy (AFM), which showed a decrease in the roughness and the particle size growth was a vertical columnar rod. The optical characterization displayed that the transmittance of pure Co3O4 nanostructured films was 48% and decreased to 35% for 1% of the Mn concentration, and continued to decrease to 33% with the increase of manganese concentration up to 3%. Optical energy bandgap of pure Co3O4 nanostructured films was 1.435 eV and decreased to 1.419 eV for 1% of Mn concentration, and continued to decrease to 1.367 eV with the increase of Mn concentration up to 3%. The highest percentage sensitivity was for the sample doped with 3% Mn, which was about 65%, for NO2 gas concentration of 600 ppm, at an operating temperature of 200 ℃.

Tin oxide was prepared by chemical methods and then doped with different weight ratios of vanadium 2wt% and 4wt%. The structural, morphological, and optical properties were studied. It was found that all the recorded films had a polycrystalline diffraction pattern and that the predominant reflection was (111) plane. The doping processes resulted in the improvement of crystalline structure and the disappearance of a number of secondary reflections and the direction of the film in a single crystalline pattern, thus reducing the values of energy gap and percentage transmittance. The morphological properties were studied by converting the three-dimensional images into graphic drawings to enable us to easily calculate surface parameters.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide despite current advances in primary preventive and state-of-the art interventional strategies for effective CAD treatment. The major manifestation of CAD is the acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis and AMI. Objectives: The major aim of this study was to determine the association of Vitamin D deficiency with AMI in Iraqi patients living in this region. Materials and Methods: Vitamin D level status was determined in 148 patients presented with AMI and 148 of healthy controls. Measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) levels was performed using enzymatic immunoassay method. Normal serum 25(OH) D level is = 30 ng/ml, while patients with level of 20–30 ng/ml was classified as insufficient, and those with level 10–20 ng/ml as deficient. The severe Vitamin D deficiency in patients was defined when serum 25(OH) D level was = 10 ng/ml. Results: The mean of 25(OH) D level was significantly lower in patients with AMI (8.73 ng/ml) as compared to healthy controls (13.60 ng/ml). Notably, the prevalence of severe deficiency of 25(OH) D level (

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and its major manifestation of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are the most common causes of mortality and disability worldwide. Objectives: The major aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of the most frequent risk factors for AMI in Iraqi patients, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking, family history, insufficient physical activity, obesity, and abnormal coronary artery characteristics. Materials and Methods: In this study, 74 patients presented with AMI (51 males and 23 female) were enrolled. Laboratory investigations were carried out using enzymatic immunoassay technique. Results: The mean age was 55.5 ± 12.47 years, with an age range of 20–90 years. The incidence of AMI in male patients was significantly higher than that in female patients. Major findings showed that 85.1% of AMI patients were insufficiently physically active and 74.3% were hypertensive. High level of low-density lipoprotein was seen in 50% of patients, high triglycerides in 41.9%, low high-density lipoprotein in 39.2%, and high total cholesterol in 34%. Nearly 39.2% were smokers, 35.1% were obese, and 29.7% were diabetic. Interestingly, 51.4% of the AMI patients had a positive family history of CAD. The left anterior descending artery was the most common vessel involved during AMI. Conclusions: The findings of this study conclude that AMI occurs in older age and in male gender among Iraqi population, and ST-elevation MI is the main presentation. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and smoking are the major risk factors. This study shed light on the primary prevention and control of these cardiovascular risk factors for CAD through healthy lifestyle, increased physical activity, and healthy dietary choices, which can reduce the prevalence of CAD.

Background: Ramadan fasting is a common religious tradition practiced by several prominent faiths in the world. It is also currently regaining interest as a medical practice, both as preventive and as therapy and/or simple choice of lifestyle. Fasting brings about some changes in life style, diet, and sleeping patterns, which raises major concerns for cardiac patients. Thus, the role of Ramadan fasting in acute coronary events could be pivotal for cardiac patients. The association of fasting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains to be further clarified. Objectives: The major aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of AMI and its associated risk factors among Iraqi patients during Ramadan (DR) and non-Ramadan months. Materials and Methods: A total of 154 AMI patients admitted to the Surgical Specialty Hospital–Cardiac Center, Erbil city were enrolled a month before Ramadan and DR in 2019. The serum levels of lipid profile parameters were analysed using enzymatic immunoassay analyzer. The HbA1c was measured using a fully automated glycohemoglobin analyzer. Results: The incidence of AMI was statistically significantly lower among fasted patients (29%) as compared to non-fasting patients (71%) (P < 0.05). Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglycerides statistically significantly decreased in fasted AMI patients (15.6% and 22.2%,P < 0.05) compared to nonfasting patients (31.2% and 58.7%), but not with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and total cholesterol. No statistically significant changes were found in hypertension and diabetes between fasted and nonfasted patients with AMI (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Ramadan fasting has a preventive effect, and it does not increase the risks of acute coronary events in Iraqi patients.

Purpose – Nation branding strategies are gaining priority as an area of research because of increasing market complexities and the rising importance of national competitiveness ranking. The sustainable development of a nation brand, when properly managed, will provide the economic incentive to attract investors, tourists and generate income for local communities. Therefore, this paper aims to focus on delineating the strategic imperatives for sustainable market competitiveness of nation brands. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts an eclectic approach in examining a wider range of factors such as sustainability and market competitiveness to develop a synergistic nation brand. Findings – For nation brands to remain competitive, it is essential to understand the key determinants of market competitiveness. These determinants include sustainable tourism factors such as culture, heritage, environmental and integration of internal and external stakeholder groups from the public and private sectors. Originality/value – This paper provides a framework for the analysis of sustainable market competitiveness factors of the nation brand. It also provides implications for nation branding and future research agenda.

The structural element within the whole structure contains structural elements like beams, slabs, columns and reinforced concrete walls. One of the most vertical structural elements is shear wall that built to giving stability to the building, resisting lateral force such as earthquake and wind and to reduce the building deformations. In present study, the analysis of corrugated vertical steel plate shear walls using finite element method by ABAQUS software is examined. Four different modes are analysed in which the first model is vertical corrugated steel shear wall plate, second is the composite shear wall with full interaction, third is the composite shear wall and finally the fourth model is composite shear wall with gap between concrete panel and steel frame to check out the full performance of different shear wall under the effects of cyclic loadings. Displacement, drift and energy dissipation will investigate throughout analysis. Analysis results indicated that the gap and composite action between steel and concrete panel play an important role on the performance of shear wall under cyclic loading. The decrease in displacement of composite shear wall as compared with the steel shear wall reach 11.86%.

Background: Inflammation in the arterial intima has the main role for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Objective: To determine the correlation between serum hsCRP levels and severity of coronary artery disease in a sample of patients referring to Surgical specialty Hospital- Cardiac center in Erbil City 2018. Patients and Methods: In this cross sectional study 120 patients (78 male and 42 female patients) were studied who had undergone coronary angiography procedure among them 80 patients ( 57 male and 23 female ) had Coronary artery disease and the remain 40 patients had normal coronary angiography result. The blood samples from (120) patients were taken and transferred to the laboratory after clotting hsCRP was measured using cobas automated assay. Results: Here we detected a significant difference in the level of hsCRP between patients with coronary artery diseases and patients with normal coronary artery on angiography in addition to that fact the association for the severity of coronary artery disease and hsCRP level between single, two vessels and three vessels diseases, was statistically significant as well a finding which was comparable with other studies that detected a significant difference between hsCRP among patients with more severe coronary artery lesions. Conclusion: The study concluded that high level of hsCRP is a predictor of atherosclerosis and is wise to be done for patients as a risk factor and it is not only a predictor of coronary artery disease but it predicts it is severity as well. DOI:https://doi.org/10.26505/DJM.17024630421

Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) infesting many plants but Mentha viridis L., and Mentha piperita L., were low in number of infestation. Therefore the objective of this study was to identify the resistance of M. viridis and M. piperita plants against T. urticae by studying the external shape and internal contents of those plants. For morphological studies, dried leaves were covered with gold utilizing an Edwards Scan coat six sputter-coater. For histological studies, arrangements of Soft Tissue technique were used. For phytochemical studies, the plants were cut, dried and then high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used. While feeding the mites were collected from the area between oily glands, trichomes and respiratory stomata in both mint species. The most important leaf structures in aromatic plants are the oily glands found on the external part of the leaves (both upper and lower epidermis). The number of oil glands in M. viridis leaves was greater than in M. piperita; the trichomes on the epidermis of M. viridis were greater in number than in M. piperita; the spongy mesophyll in M. viridis was much thicker than in M. piperita. The essential oils in the leaves of both mint species contained 71 compounds representing 99.61% of the total oil constituents identified from M. viridis before infestation, and 90.95% after infestation, and about 99.65% from M. piperita before infestation, and 99.98% after infestation.

Tellurite glass systems in the form of [ZnO]x [(TeO2)0.7-(PbO)0.3]1-x with x = 0.15, 0.17, 0.20, 0.22 and 0.25 mol% were prepared using the melt quenching technique. XRD of the prepared samples have been measured for all samples. Both FTIR (280–4000 cm−1) and UV-Vis (200–800 nm) spectra have been measured. Optical band gap and refractive index were calculated for every glass sample. Density of glass, molar volume and oxygen packing density (OPD) were obtained. Values of the direct, indirect band gap ranged were found in the range 3.41–3.94 eV and 2.40–2.63 eV with increasing of ZnO concentration. Refractive index 2.58 and dielectric constant 6.66 were heigh at 17 ZnO mol% concentration. Molar polarizability, metallization criterion, polaron radius have been calculated for every glass composition. Keywords: Tellurite, Glass, Optical band gap, Refractive index

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This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between the discretion of street-level bureaucrats and their willingness to implement as well as between discretion and client meaningfulness by testing street-level bureaucrat theory in a different context. The effect of discretion on willingness to implement and client meaningfulness may differ due to perceived supervisory support. Data from 241 bureaucrats (labor inspectors) in the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources indicated that discretion significantly influences bureaucrats’ willingness to implement and client meaningfulness. Critically, the moderating role of perceived supervisory support augmented only the positive impact of discretion on client meaningfulness; for example, this relationship is more significant among bureaucrats who perceive high supervisory support. This study sheds new light on the notable role of supervisory support in ensuring that discretion enhances client meaningfulness and willingness to implement.

Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2015 to estimate the prevalence of anti-toxopalsma antibodies in sheep and goats in El-Gadarif state. Material and methods: A total of 400 serum samples comprising of 200 sheep and 200 goats were collected and tested by Toxo-latex agglutination test and indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). Results: The overall sero-prevalence was 52.0% (n=208/400) using Toxo-latex agglutination test and 45.7%(n=42/92) and 27.2%(n=25/92) using iELISA in sheep and goats, respectively. Furthermore, the sero-prevalences among the two investigated species and the two age groups were statistically similar but were different between localities, breeds and sexes. In the univariate analysis, species (P=0.028) and locality (P=0.001) were associated with Toxo-latex agglutination test positive status. Additionally, species (sheep) and locality (Al-Fao, Al-Hawatah, and West El-Gadarif) had increased odds of being Toxo-latex agglutination test positive in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the prevalence of anti-toxopalsma antibodies is relatively high and there was no between-species variation in sero-positivity. These findings warrant further investigations to estimate the burden of the disease and the likelihood of zoonotic transmission. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(2.000): 207-213]