Female Iraqi Academics In Post-Invasion Iraq: Roles, Challenges & Capacities

The research presented in this report aimed to explore the specific problems and challenges faced by female academics in Iraqi higher education. In addition, the research project intended to introduce a group of Iraqi academics to qualitative research methods as well as gender as a concept of analysis. Through developing policy recommendations based on the research findings as well as capacity building, the project is also intended to contribute to improving the opportunities for and representation of female professionals in the Iraqi Higher Education (HE) sector. Finally, the project aims to increase sensitivity and awareness about gender issues both within the HE sector as well as within relevant policy circles more widely. The report will provide the main research findings as well as recommendations

Perbedaan Indeks Massa Tubuh Sebelum Pengobatan Dan Sesudah Pengobatan Pada Pasien Tuberkulosis Paru Di Balai Besar Kesehatan Paru Masyarakat Surakarta

Background: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in the world. Pulmonary tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death due to infectious disease after AIDS. Nutritional status of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis were significantly lower than healthy people. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection causes a decreased food intake and malabsorbtion of nutrients. Malnutrition in pulmonary tuberculosis will worsen the course of the disease and affects the prognosis of treatment and mortality. Purpose: To determine differences in Body Massa Index (BMI) before treatment and after treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis at the Balai Besar Kesehatan Paru Masyarakat Surakarta. Method: Analytic observasional study with cross sectional approach. Sample retrieved from medical records of 2013 in BBKPM Surakarta with purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed by Paired t test in SPSS for Windows. Result: There was 216 pulmonary TB patients with a BMI 27 amounted to 7 samples . After the treatment of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, patients with a BMI 27, totaling 17 samples . There was differences between BMI before and after treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in BBKPM Surakarta p = 0.00. Conclusion: There was a significant difference in Body Mass Index before and after treatment in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in BBKPM Surakarta p=0,0

An Assessment of Al Batinah Fishery with Respect to Ecologically Sustainable Development Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach

Globally, sustainable development is considered as a vital need to fisheries sector that integrated both human and environmental well-beings. This issue was recognised by the Omani government therefore, it started to promote the fishery management system by establishing new fisheries development plans and management policies to achieve the sustainable development goals. This study aimed at assessing the progress of Al Batinah fishery towards sustainable development using Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) framework and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis approach (MCDA) from 2008 to 2017. A consultation review was conducted to identify all possible components (criteria) of the ESD framework. Progress of each component toward sustainability and sensitivity analysis were conducted to identify strengths and weaknesses of components. Attainment toward sustainability in Al Batinah fishery progressed a positive trend. Scores increased from 50 points (on 100 points scale) in year 2009 to 81 points in year 2016. Specifically, the progress toward sustainability in the human well-being was better. The scores increased from 55 points in year 2009 to 95 points in year 2016 indicating excellent progress. However, the progress toward sustainability in the environmental well-being was minimal. The scores increased from 42 points in year 2008 to only 67 points in the last three years 2015 to 2017 indicating a slow and a below average progress. The results indicated that the year 2016 had the best attainment toward sustainability and the management measures and/or practices adopted in 2016-favoured socio-economic development more than conserving the environment. Sensitivity analysis confirmed that year 2016 was the most preferred year and provided different strengths and weaknesses to improve both human and environmental well-beings and consequently improving the progress toward sustainability. The management authority is therefore advised to adapt conservative measures to promote and protect the environment. In the long-term, such preferences of human well-being over environment might threaten the whole fishery

Delivering video services over IP networks

The main goal pursued in this Thesis is to contribute towards the design and development of an end-to-end solution/system that would assist in reliable, consistence, less packet-loss delivery of high-quality video signals of pre-recorded presentations, training lectures, live events such as seminars over standard IP networks. This Thesis will focus on the existing Internet Service Provider, Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) and its best delivery of high-bandwidth data such as video to its Local and regional offices and departments over IP networks. This video-over-IP system aims to accumulate the technical scientific knowledge required to be able to offer high-quality video, which is fully scalable over IP networks. It aims to convert this knowledge into experimental prototypes, which, after the Thesis, can be developed into an integrated generic environment for Video-over-IP service development and content production. The objective is to initially define the functionality of content Services that can be incorporated into the operations of Oman telecommunications company networks. Then define the functional characteristics and system requirements necessary for the deployment of content streaming services over Omantel IP based networks. The design of this system would be combined with streaming high-quality video, while maintaining scalability and bandwidth efficiencies required for large-scale enterprise deployment. The design would encompass various components that are needed to capture, store and deliver streaming video to desktops. It will investigate on what is required to deliver quality video over Omantel IP networks and will recommend the actual products and solutions for achieving the end result

Zero-inflated, hurdle and bivariate parameter-driven count models

A time series is a collection of observations made sequentially through time. Examples occur in a variety of fields, ranging from medicine to engineering. The analysis of time series of counts is one of the rapidly developing areas in time series modeling. In time series, it is unlikely that neighbouring observations are independent. To accommodate potential correlation for count data, two main classes of models are frequent in the literature: parameter-driven and observation-driven models. Central to both classes are the generalized linear models (GLMs). Parameter-driven models result when temporal random effects are used in the GLM to accommodate the autocorrelations. In this dissertation we propose zero-inflated and hurdle specifications for both Poisson and negative binomial parameter-driven models. We employ the data cloning approach as the numerical tool for performing inferences about the models. We carry out intensive simulations to examine the performance of the proposed methodologies. An application of the methods to a data set on the daily counts of emergency department visits for asthma cases in Ontario, Canada, is also provided. The second focus of this dissertation is to model dependence in bivariate time series of counts. In this direction, we propose two parameter-driven models based on a commonly used bivariate Poisson specification. The first model employs one latent process through the cross-correlation parameter of the bivariate Poisson distribution, thus leading to common temporal autocorrelations between the components of the bivariate Poisson, while the second model uses two latent processes to introduce separate autocorrelations in the two marginal processes. An intensive simulation study and real data applications are also provided in these scenarios

Pregnancies complicated by maternal osteogenesis imperfecta type III: a case report and review of literature.

The restrictive lung disease can be exacerbated by growing fundus in women with osteogenesis imperfecta type III. Regional anesthesia can be performed in these women. Mode of delivery for women with osteogenesis imperfecta type III is generally cesarean delivery. Neonatal outcomes are complicated due to indicated preterm deliveries

Transport of Pesticides through Soil Columns from Al-Ain Area, United Arab Emirates

Proper management of pesticides application in the UAE is greatly lacking, causing waste of resources and environmental concerns due to the excessive use of these chemicals. It has been reported that the rate of pesticides use in UAE reaches about 10 kg/hectare/yr, posing a potential threat to the quality of water in underlying aquifers. Little, however, is known about the mobility of applied pesticides in the UAE subsurface environment and the impact of these pesticides on soil and groundwater quality. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the fate and mobility of pesticides in the UAE subsurface environment. This study focused on the role of mechanisms like advection, dispersion, degradation, and sorption that affect pesticides transport in the soil. The study was conducted in the laboratory using soil packed columns. Batch experiments were also conducted to assess the impact of some of the above mechanisms. In this study, three pesticides that are commonly used in UAE were employed (i.e. dimethoate, metalaxyl and cymoxanil). Two sandy soils from Al Foah and Abu Samra areas in AI Ain district, Abu Dhabi Emirate were collected and utilized in the study. Both soils are alkaline with similar texture but have different organic matter content that ranges between 0.2% to 0.8%. Results showed that the pesticides are subject to various extent of degradation with cymoxanil undergoes the highest rate especially at high pH values. The study revealed that there was no influence of light and indigenous microorganisms on the degradation of the used pesticides within an experimental time of 3 days. Pesticides sorption to soil is increased by the increased soil organic matter content with dimethoate and metalaxyl are being more readily sorbed on soil with high organic matter compared to sorption on soil with lower organic matter. Pesticides sorption is also affected by the compound hydrophobicity with metalaxyl being more sorbed than dimethoate on a given soil. Both dimethoate and metalaxyl sorb linearly on soil with low organic matter, while metalaxyl undergoes nonlinear sorption on the soil with high organic matter. Cymoxanil sorption to both soils was not evaluated due to the loss of the chemical from solution by hydrolysis. Generated breakthrough curves (BTCs) for the ideal tracer (bromide) and the employed pesticides were analysed using the nonlinear least-squares model (CXTFIT2.0). BTCs obtained for bromide were used to describe the dispersive behaviour of the two soils. It was found that the dispersivity of Abu Samra soil is 0.12 cm while that of Al Foah 0.34 cm. Generated BTCs for the used pesticides were analyzed by moment analysis to determine the retardation coefficient (R) and the first-order degradation rate constant (λ). Simulation of BTCs using the determined coefficients showed that the equilibrium model adequately described transport of dimethoate in Abu Samra soil, but failed to describe breakthrough data for metalaxyl. A good description of the BTC for metalaxyl we obtained when the two-site sorption nonequilibrium model was used. The mass-transfer rate coefficient for metalaxyl can be predicted using empirical relationships reported in the literature. Comparison between transport parameters determined by moment analysis and those determined by curve fitting showed that the use of moment analysis is sufficient to obtain R and λ. It was also observed that the values of the sorption distribution coefficient (Kd) determined from the column studies were 2-10 times higher than their counterparts obtained from batch experiments. This study also revealed that there appears to be an enhanced degradation of the pesticides in a soil environment as compared to their hydrolysis in the aqueous solution