Maternal obesity and its relation with the cesarean section: A hospital based cross sectional study in Iraq

BACKGROUND: Obesity during pregnancy is reported in approximately one in five pregnant women worldwide. It increases the risk of pregnancy complications many of which necessitate Cesarean section (CS). This study determines the association between obesity and type of delivery. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 404 pregnant women was carried out at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Women with hypertension, diabetes, preterm labor, fetal presentation other than cephalic presentation and multiple gestations were excluded from the study. BMI and past obstetric history were recorded. RESULTS: The overall rate of CS was 38%. The overall mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.0 ± 4.52 Kg/m(2) and it was significantly higher among women who delivered by cesarean section. Significantly high rate of CS was found in primigravida and multigravida women with high BMI. Moreover, all obese multigravid women with history of previous CS were delivered by CS. The rate of CS was higher in women with primary level education when compared to women with secondary or tertiary education. CS was significantly lower in women with a previous history of abortion. CONCLUSION: Obese women with or without a previous history of CS are at a higher risk of having a CS and should therefore be considered as high risk and managed appropriately during pregnancy. Weight management prior to or during pregnancy could help reduce the need for CS

Investigation of Thermal Conductivity and Viscosity of Al2O3/PAG Nanolubricant for Application in Automotive Air Conditioning System

In this paper, thermal conductivity and viscosity of the Al2O3/polyalkylene glycol (PAG) 46 nanolubricants for 0.05 to 1.0% volume concentrations at temperatures of 303.15 to 353.15 K have been investigated. Al2O3 nanoparticles were dispersed in the PAG lubricant by a two step preparation. The measurement of thermal conductivity and viscosity was performed using KD2 Pro Thermal Properties Analyzer and LVDV-III Rheometer, respectively. The results showed that the thermal conductivity of the nanolubricants increased by concentration, but decreased by temperature. Besides, the viscosity of the nanolubricants sharply increased for concentrations higher than 0.3%. However, this parameter diminished by temperature. The highest thermal conductivity and viscosity ratio were observed to be 1.04 and 7.58 times greater than the PAG lubricant for 1.0% and 0.4% concentrations, respectively. As a conclusion, it was recommended to use the Al2O3/PAG nanolubricants with concentration of less than 0.3% for application in automotive air conditioning system

Performance improvement in mobile air conditioning system using Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant

This paper presents the investigation of Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant performance for a compact vehicle mobile air conditioning (MAC) system. The Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant in this study is prepared by using two-step preparation method and stabilized using 4-Step UV–Vis Spectral Absorbency Analysis. An enhancement in the coefficient of performance (COP), reduction in compressor work, and enhancement in the cooling capacity of MAC employing Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant are recorded up to 31%, 26% and 32%, respectively, for 0.010% volume concentration. The current MAC performance is compared with MAC employing SiO2/PAG nanolubricant from previous study. The comparison shows that the Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant has better performance in term of cooling capacity, compressor work, and COP at an average of 6%, 8%, and 33%, respectively. Therefore, the finding from this study suggests Al2O3/PAG nanolubricant with a volume concentration of 0.010% as an optimum and best performance nanolubricant for MAC systems

Sonication Time Effect towards Stability of Al2O3/PAG and SiO2/PAG Nanolubricants

Ultrasonication is the act of applying sound force to agitate particles in a sample with the frequency of more than 20 kHz. It is an external vibration induced during preparation of nanolubricant that helps the particles to overcome the van der Waals force bonding. Nanolubricant prepared is intended to be used in automotive air conditioning (AAC) system to improve its performance. In this work, stability Polyalkylene glycol (PAG) and SiOi/PAG nanolubricants of 0.2 % volume concentrations with different sonication lime were investigated. Five samples for each nanolubricant were prepared by two-step method process with variation of sonication time from zero to two hours' time with half an hour interval. The stability tests were done by visual sedimentation and UV-vis spectrometer. The optimum sonication time found to be one and half hours and two hours for AI2O3/PAG and SiOi/PAG nanolubricants respectively. Both nanolubricants were found stable for more than two weeks 'period

Stability analysis of hybrid Al2O- TiO2 nano-cutting fluids

Purpose: This paper is to study the stability of the current combination of hybrid nano-cutting fluids due to the recent progress in the analysis of nano-cutting fluids, such as the assessment methods for the stability of nano-cutting fluids, have revealed that instability is a common problem associated with nano cutting fluids. Design/methodology/approach: Five samples of 0.001 vol% that are suitable to be tested at UV-Vis machine, Al2O3–TiO2 hybrid nano-cutting fluid was prepared using a one-step process with the help of a magnetic stirrer to stir for 30 minutes with different sonication time to determine the best or optimum sonication time for this hybrid nano-cutting fluid. Stability of nano-cutting fluids was analyses using UV–Vis spectrophotometer (0.001%, 0.0001%, 0.00001%), visual sedimentation (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%), TEM photograph capturing techniques (2%) and zeta potential analysis (0.001%, 0.00001%), that used different volume concentration that is suitable for each type of stability analysis. Findings: The stability analysis reveals that the best sonication time is 90 minutes, and the UV-vis spectrophotometer shows the stability of all samples is above 80% during a month compared to the initial value. Further, visual sedimentation shows good stability with minimum sedimentation and colour separation only. The zeta potential value also shows great stability with a value of 37.6 mV. It is found that the hybrid nano-cutting fluid is stable for more than a month when the nano is suspended in the base fluid of conventional coolant. Research limitations/implications: The result in this paper is based on the experimental study of Al2O3-TiO2/CNC coolant base hybrid nano-cutting fluid for a month. However, to further validate the results presented in this paper, it is recommended to prolong the stability assessment time for six months for longer shelf life. Practical implications: The finding of this experimental study can be useful for high-precision product machining using similar CNC coolants, especially for aircraft and airspace applications for machining parts. Originality/value: No thorough stability assessment using all four types of stability analysis is done on Al2O3-TiO2/CNC Coolant base hybrid nano cutting fluid

Piecewise implicit coupled system under ABC fractional differential equations with variable order

This research paper presented a novel investigation into an implicit coupled system of fractional variable order, which has not been previously studied in the existing literature. The study focused on establishing and developing sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of solutions, as well as the Ulam-Hyers stability, for the proposed coupled system without using semigroup property. By extending the existing conclusions examined for the Atangana-Baleanu-Caputo (ABC) operator, we contributed to advancing the understanding of variable-order fractional differential equations. The paper provided a solid theoretical foundation for further analysis, numerical simulations, and practical applications. The obtained results have implications for designing and controlling systems modeled using fractional variable order equations and serve as a basis for addressing a wide range of dynamical problems. The transformation techniques, qualitative analysis, and illustrative examples presented in this work highlight its unique contributions and potential to serve as a foundation for future research

The Malaysia DREEM: perceptions of medical students about the learning environment in a medical school in Malaysia

BACKGROUND: Students’ perceptions of their learning environment, by defining its strengths and weaknesses, are important for continuous improvement of the educational environments and curriculum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore students’ perceptions of their learning environment, among medical students in Malaysia. Various aspects of the education environment were compared between year levels and sex. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Malaysia in 2012. A total number of 438 medical students participated in this study, and the response rate was 87.6%. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Comparisons of the mean scores of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) subscales were calculated. The t-test was used to determine statistically significant differences. RESULTS: The majority of the study participants were female, Malay, and from year 3 (68.7%, 65.3%, and 55.7%; respectively). Analysis of each of the 50 items of the DREEM inventory showed that 47 items scored ranged between 2.00 and 3.00, and three items scored below 2.00. These were identified as problem areas in this medical school that are required to be critically addressed. The overall score showed that the medical students’ perceptions were positive. The students’ perception toward educational environment was positive for all five DREEM subscales. CONCLUSION: The study found that, in general, the perceptions of the participants about the learning environment were positive. Nevertheless, the study also found there is a need for curriculum improvement in this school and identified priority areas for such improvement