Flood Modeling on Koya Catchment Area Using Hyfran, Web Map Service, and HEC-RAS Software

In this research, The boundaries of the Koya catchment area have been delineated, and valley paths in the region were drawn by using the Water Modeling System (WMS) software, Analysis of the morphometric information indicated that the morphometric characteristics of watersheds contribute to the floods. The average surface runoff depth depends on the curve number values that are determined based on the types of soil cover and soil class according to Harmonized World Soil Database HWSD software that indicates the soil class in the study area are Group B silt loam,  The results obtained also show that the potential for surface runoff varies with land use and soil characteristics. Also, the value of the curve number (CN) was determined to be 71. The hydrological modeling was performed by the HEC-HMS program that simulates the process of rainfall to runoff using the SCS curve number model. A flood hydrograph was constructed at the catchment area outlet and the floodplain delineation was verified by the HEC-RAS software. The results indicated that the 100-year return period flood could Reach critical areas such as the urban area, agricultural area, residential areas. the results of this study indicate that there are suitable sites in the catchment areas for constructing small dams and ponds for water harvesting.&nbsp

'I-V Characteristic and Crystal Structural Of a-As/c-Si Heterojunctions

In this research the a-As flims have been prepared by thermal evaporation with thickness 250 nm and rata of deposition r_d(1.04nm/sec) as function to annealing temperature (373 and 473K), from XRD analysis we can see that the degree of crystalline increase with T_a, and I-V characteristic for dark and illumination shows that forward bias current varieties approximately exponentially with voltage bias. Also we found that the quality factor and saturation current dependence on annealing temperatures

Evaluación de un protector antipolvo electrostático de carga automática para aplicaciones de células solares en el clima exterior de Bagdad

Introduction: It is well known that the biggest problem facing the utilizing of solar cell Panels in Baghdad is the unpredictable dusty weather through the days of year. This big problem is not easy to overcome due to the frequent dust accumulations and the high cost of cleaning and other maintenance problems. Dust problems are increasing due to global warming. In Baghdad city, where solar radiation is intense and available almost throughout the year, Deposition of dust on the panels could severely minimize solar-to power output efficiency. There are many methods for dust removing from surfaces like the natural dust removal of wind, mechanical dust removing, super-hydrophobic on solar panel surface, and the electrostatic method which is adopted in this work. The dust particles will be charged statistically by rolling on the surface of the solar panels they will have the same electric charge and the electrostatic forces between them are repulsion. Hence, the dust particles will float away from the solar panels. Materials and Methods: A self-charging transparent conductive glass is prepared by spraying a thin film (141 nm thickness) of a Tin dioxide (SnO2) solution on a glass substrate (12x12 cm2). The dust shield is connected to an electronic charging circuit. The shield is located on the top of a silicon solar cell. The novel idea is that the shield is electrically supplied by the solar cell itself whereas D.C. current from the solar cell itself is used to charge the conductive glass, which is located on the top surface of the cell. Results and Discussion: A test was done for dust removing from a Silicon solar cell by electrostatic repulsion method, considering matching the spectral response region of the Siliconsolar cells with the film transmittance spectral region (400 -700 nm). The transmittance value is between (92 – 95)% and results are compared withan identical reference solar cell. Results show a good response as the calculated clearing factor value increases due to the cell efficiency increment.Also, the clearing factor is discussed as a function of outdoor temperature to show a direct proportionality, while the environmental humidity showed an inverse proportionality. Conclusions: A self-cleaning method for a solar cell is successfully introduced via a conductive glass. tests were carried outdoor in Baghdad city. Results showed that there is a direct proportionality between both: the clearing factor and the efficiency gain with the ambient temperature. The ambient humidity showed indirect proportionality with system efficiency (clearing factor and efficiency gain show reduction as the humidity percentage increases)

Polymerase chain reaction ribotyping of Clostridium difficile isolates in Qatar: a hospital-based study

Background Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is not generally reported to public health authorities in the Middle East and its true prevalence remains largely unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of CDI and its associated ribotypes among C. difficile isolates in Qatar. Influence of age and correlation with other risk factors e.g. proton pump inhibitor use, antibiotic use, existence of chronic conditions, etc was also investigated for CDI positive patients. Methods A total of 1,532 patients with suspected CDI were recruited from two hospitals between 2011 and 2012. C. difficile was identified using glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) lateral flow assay and toxins A and B Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA). The C. difficile positive samples were then cultured for PCR-ribotyping. Results 122 of the 1,532 (7.9%) samples from individual patients were identified as C.difficile positive; and 79 of these were viably cultured (~65%). From these, 36 different PCR ribotypes were isolated, of which strains 258 (6 [7.6%]), 01/014/046 (5 [6.3%]), and 011/053/056/107 (4 [5%]) were the most prevalent. The prevalence of PCR-ribotype 027 was 1.3% (n = 1). An age of ≥65 years and treatment with proton pump inhibitors correlated with higher frequency of CDI. Treatment with third generation cephalosporins (50 [41%]) and piperacillin/tazobactam antibiotics (55 [45.1%]) was most frequently associated with CDI. Conclusion The most common C. difficile ribotype identified in Qatar was 258, which is different from those found in North America, Europe and Asia. The prevalence of CDI was higher in Qatar than Europe; though comparable to other Middle Eastern countries. These findings underscore the importance of local surveillance to detect and control C. difficile infection

Positional control of rotary servo cart system using generalized dynamic inversion

This paper presents the design approach of Generalized Dynamic Inversion (GDI) for angular position control of SRV02 rotary servo base system. In GDI, linear first order constraint differential equations are formulated based on the deviation function of angular position and its rate, and its inverse is calculated using Moore-Penrose Generalized Inverse to realize the control law. The singularity problem related to generalized inversion is solved by the inclusion of dynamic scaling factor that will guarantee the boundedness of the elements of the inverted matrix and stable tracking performance. Numerical simulations and real-time experiment are performed to evaluate the tracking performance and robustness capabilities of the proposed control law considering nominal and perturbed model dynamics. For comparative analysis, the results of GDI is compared with conventional PID control. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate better angular position tracking for the square-wave and sinusoidal waveforms, which reveals the superiority, and agility of GDI control over conventional PID

Geographical differences in semen characteristics of 13 892 infertile men

Objective: To assess the relationship between geographical differences and all semen parameters, across 13,892 infertile men of 84 diverse nationalities, recruited at a specialised tertiary hospital that represents the main healthcare provider in Qatar. Male infertility is an important and global public health problem. Despite this, there is a significant scarcity of epidemiological male infertility and semen analysis research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as geographical comparisons with other parts of the world. Patients and methods: Retrospective study of semen findings of 13 892 infertile men assessed at the Male Infertility Unit at Hamad Medical Corporation, in Qatar between January 2012 and August 2015. Based on country of origin, patients were categorised into those from the MENA region (n = 8799) and non-MENA patients (n = 5093). The two groups were compared across demographic features and semen characteristics: age, sperm volume, sperm total motility, sperm progressive motility (PMot), abnormal sperm forms (ABF), and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF). Results: The whole sample's mean (SD) age was 35.7 (0.7) years, sperm concentration was 32.3 (0.25) × 106 sperm/mL, total motility was 45.4 (0.2)%, sperm PMot was 25.1 (0.2)%, and ABF was 79.9 (0.2)%. Overall, 841 patients had azoospermia (6.05%), 3231 had oligospermia (23.3%), 4239 had asthenospermia (30.5%) and 6772 had teratospermia (48.7%). SDF (1050 patients) was abnormal in 333 patients (31.7%). MENA patients were significantly younger than their non-MENA counterparts and had a greater semen volume. Non-MENA patients had significantly higher sperm counts, total motility and PMot, and lower ABF. SDF showed no statistical difference between the two groups. MENA patients had significantly higher prevalence of oligospermia, asthenospermia, and teratospermia; and lower prevalence of normal sperm concentration, normal motility, and normal morphology. Throughout the 4 years of the study, MENA patients constantly had significantly lower sperm counts; generally lower sperm total motility percentage and generally lower quality sperm morphology. We compared patients by age (≤40 and >40 years): in the patients aged ≤40 years, the same results as for the overall study were reproduced; in the >40-years group, the same results were reproduced with the exception of morphology, which was not significantly different between the MENA and non-MENA patients. Conclusion: Semen quality is generally lower in male infertility patients from the MENA region compared to non-MENA regions. © 2018 Arab Association of UrologyScopu

Social Capital and Citizens’ Attitudes towards Migrant Workers

This study examines Qatari citizens’ attitudes toward migrant workers. While much research has been conducted on citizens’ attitudes toward the abolition, tightening, or loosening of the Kafāla system in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with regard to migrant workers’ residency rights, and on their contribution to the economic development of these countries, little is known about how citizens’ religiosity and social engagement impact their acceptance of migrant workers. In the present study, we address this question by examining the effects of religious and social capital on Qatari citizens’ preferences for having Arab and Western migrant workers as neighbours, drawing on data from two nationally representative surveys in Qatar. The results indicate that, even after controlling for a wide range of socio-demographic attributes, social capital in terms of trust and bridging social ties has a strong effect on the Qatari nationals’ preferences

Survey and molecular detection of Melissococcus plutonius, the causative agent of European Foulbrood in honeybees in Saudi Arabia

AbstractA large-scale field survey was conducted to screen major Saudi Arabian beekeeping locations for infection by Melissococcus plutonius. M. plutonius is one of the major bacterial pathogens of honeybee broods and is the causative agent of European Foulbrood disease (EFB). Larvae from samples suspected of infection were collected from different apiaries and homogenized in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Bacteria were isolated on MYPGP agar medium. Two bacterial isolates, ksuMP7 and ksuMP9 (16S rRNA GenBank accession numbers, KX417565 and KX417566, respectively), were subjected to molecular identification using M. plutonius -specific primers, a BLAST sequence analysis revealed that the two isolates were M. plutonius with more than 98% sequence identity. The molecular detection of M. plutonius from honeybee is the first recorded incidence of this pathogen in Saudi Arabia. This study emphasizes the need for official authorities to take immediate steps toward treating and limiting the spread of this disease throughout the country

Response of some Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Growth Parameters to Nano Phosphate Fertilizer Compared to Superphosphate Fertilizer

An outdoor pots experiment was conducted at agricultural research station, University of Basrah, southern Iraq (30°34'4.80" N 47°44'56.40" E) during winter season of 2021-2022. The study was carried to reveal the effect of Nano phosphate fertilizer compared to superphosphate fertilizer on growth parameters of two wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.). Superphosphate fertilizer was added at rates of 0, 30, 60 and 90 kg p ha-1, while, Nano phosphate source was applied at 0, 3, and 6 kg P. ha-1. Two wheat cultivars (Jad and Adina) were used. Both P sources were mixed with pot soils at planting time. Wheat plants were grown for 70 days period. Plant parameters: tillers numbers, plant high, leaves number, flag leaf area, dry weight, P concentration were obtained at harvest time. Phosphorus uptake was calculated at same time. Results of the study showed that there was no significant differences in all studied growth parameters between superphosphate and Nano phosphate sources, even though the rate of applied Nano phosphate source were much lower than that of superphosphate source. The results also indicated that, irrespective of the origin of phosphorus, higher rates of applied phosphorus led to an increase in all the growth parameters examined. When comparing the two phosphorus sources and their application rates, most growth parameters for the Adina cultivar exceeded those of the Jad cultivar at both phosphorus sources applied rates. Additionally, the results highlighted a significant interaction among treatments for all the investigated growth parameters