Hydrochemistry and Geochemical Evolution of Unconfined Aquifer in Kalal Badrah Basin, Wasit, East of Iraq

Chemical composition of 38 groundwater samples from wells penetrating the unconfined aquifer of the Quaternary deposits throughout Waist governorate, east of Iraq, were analyzed to describe the hydrochemical behavior of this aquifer through the area. The hydrochemical parameters include the major cations and anions, TDS, EC, pH, as well as calculating Na%, Total Hardness (TH), and Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR). Significant spatial variations in these parameters were noticed and Ca-SO4 water type was found to be the predominant one. According to the available standards, the present study samples were unsuitable for drinking purposes but adequate for irrigation purposes depending on Na%, TDS, EC, and SAR values. Geochemical modeling approach enabled calculation of the saturation state of some selected minerals i.e. explaining the dissolution and precipitation reactions occurring in the groundwater as well as calculating the amount of mineral mass transfer of the selected mineral phases along some specific flow paths. Based on this approach, the present samples were found to be oversaturated with carbonate minerals and under-saturated with sulfate minerals. Strong correlations between the concentrations of SO4 and the SI’s of sulfate minerals and weak correlation with carbonate minerals were observed. The present study revealed also that calcite precipitation and dissolution of dolomite and gypsum is the main chemical reaction controlling the chemical changes of the groundwater aquifer in the study area. Keywords: Groundwater,  Water Suitability, Saturation Index, Inverse Modeling, Wasit, Iraq.

Hydrochemistry and geochemical evolution of unconfined aquifer in Kalal Badrah Basin, Wasit, East of Iraq

Chemical composition of 38 groundwater samples from wells penetrating the unconfined aquifer of the Quaternary deposits throughout Waist governorate, east of Iraq, were analyzed to describe the hydrochemical behavior of this aquifer through the area. The hydrochemical parameters include the major cations and anions, TDS, EC, pH, as well as calculating Na%, Total Hardness (TH), and Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR). Significant spatial variations in these parameters were noticed and Ca-SO4 water type was found to be the predominant one. According to the available standards, the present study samples were unsuitable for drinking purposes but adequate for irrigation purposes depending on Na%, TDS, EC, and SAR values. Geochemical modeling approach enabled calculation of the saturation state of some selected minerals i.e. explaining the dissolution and precipitation reactions occurring in the groundwater as well as calculating the amount of mineral mass transfer of the selected mineral phases along some specific flow paths. Based on this approach, the present samples were found to be oversaturated with carbonate minerals and under-saturated with sulfate minerals. Strong correlations between the concentrations of SO4 and the SI’s of sulfate minerals and weak correlation with carbonate minerals were observed. The present study revealed also that calcite precipitation and dissolution of dolomite and gypsum is the main chemical reaction controlling the chemical changes of the groundwater aquifer in the study area. Keywords: Groundwater,  Water Suitability, Saturation Index, Inverse Modeling, Wasit, Iraq

Characterizing of some hydrochemical parameters of Tigris River, Iraq, with the aid of GIS

Nine stations along Tigris River in Iraq were selected to study the spatial and temporal changes of some selected parameters for the period 2009-2012. These parameters include discharge, Total Dissolved Solids,(TDS),NO3,BOD and COD. Water type is of bicarbonate along the northern stations (Feshkhabour, Mosul, Sharkat and Samarra) and transforms into sulfate in the remaining central and southern stations. GIS was used to characterize the temporal and spatial changes of these parameters along the selected River Tigris stations. Discharges values of all stations show significant temporal decreasing patterns and spatial decreasing patterns along these stations were also noticed. TDS values show noticeable temporal changes for the present stations, whereas sharp increasing changes downstream direction were observed. NO3, BOD and COD spatial and temporal changes show that their values show no indication on pollution and that their values for the high and low flow conditions are within the normal range values. Keywords, discharge, water type, GIS, spatial analyses, temporal change, Tigris River, Ira

License Plate Super-Resolution Using Diffusion Models

In surveillance, accurately recognizing license plates is hindered by their often low quality and small dimensions, compromising recognition precision. Despite advancements in AI-based image super-resolution, methods like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) still fall short in enhancing license plate images. This study leverages the cutting-edge diffusion model, which has consistently outperformed other deep learning techniques in image restoration. By training this model using a curated dataset of Saudi license plates, both in low and high resolutions, we discovered the diffusion model's superior efficacy. The method achieves a 12.55\% and 37.32% improvement in Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) over SwinIR and ESRGAN, respectively. Moreover, our method surpasses these techniques in terms of Structural Similarity Index (SSIM), registering a 4.89% and 17.66% improvement over SwinIR and ESRGAN, respectively. Furthermore, 92% of human evaluators preferred our images over those from other algorithms. In essence, this research presents a pioneering solution for license plate super-resolution, with tangible potential for surveillance systems

DETECTION OF MICROORGANISMS (BACTERIA, FUNGI AND YEASTS) IN ROYAL JELLY

The aim of the present study to detect the population and frequency (%) of microorganism (bacteria, fungi and yeasts) in royal jelly samples. The data indicated that, there are no significant differences were remarked in the population of microorganisms between all the samples for bacteria, fungi and yeasts, where the mean number of population was 5.923, 1.38 and 7.85 colonies/sample for bacteria, fungi and yeasts respectively, in produced royal jelly from honeybee colonies, local royal jelly collected from Egyptian market and samples of imported royal jelly collected from Egyptian market, respectively. According to the isolation and identification procedures for detected royal jelly samples, four bacteria types (Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus wakoensis and Micrococcus luteus), two fungi types (Aspergillusniger and Penicillium sp.) and one yeast type (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were determined. The data also summarized that Clostridium botulinum was the most frequency compared with the other bacterial types, where the percentage of frequency was 1.8 – 2.5, 0.9 – 1.4, 0.4 – 0.6 and 1.5 – 2.0% for C. botulinum, B. cereus, B. wakoensis and Micrococcus luteus, respectively. Meanwhile, Penicillium sp. the most frequency compared with A. niger, where the percentage of frequency was 0.5 - 2.9 and 0.7 – 1.0 %, respectively, in produced royal jelly from honeybee colonies, local royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market and imported royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market respectively. Regarding the yeasts, the data also summarized that, S. cerevisiae was the most frequency in royal jelly that produced from  honeybee colonies (2.9%) followed by which local royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market (2.1%) and imported royal jelly samples collected from Egyptian market (1.8%)

Sufficiency and Efficiency of Field Training for Radiology Students During Internship Experience in Najran University, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: The study was design to evaluate the effectiveness and adequacy of the internship period employing quantitative study descriptive survey approach.   Theoretical framework: Internship is requirement of every student of radiology program of Radiological Sciences patch for the award of bachelor's degree at Najran University, Saudi Arabia. The competency level would demonstrate influence the sufficiency and efficiency of clinical training during internship period which represent six months after completing nine levels of radiology program.   Design\Methodology\Approach: The survey was distributed to the tow levels of the last year of radiological sciences which composed of 81 male and female students which gathered seventy-seven (77) participants. Data collected through a questionnaire and summarized as percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviations using SPSS version 20.0.   Findings: The study revealed un adequacy of the internship period and showed low efficiency due to its short duration.   Research, Practical, Social Implication:The research construct and variables are identified the effectiveness and adequacy of the internship period.this  study will be the modele of internship with a new qualitative change related to a period of time acceptable to students, similar to other universities.   Originality/Value: The originality and value in this study are the framework conceptance and questionnaire that prepared and proved for evaluating the effectiveness and adequacy of the internship period for student of radiology program.   Conclusion: In general internship period must be efficient and adequate to enhance sufficiency and efficiency experience by intern trainees

Histopathological Effects on Testis of Adult Male Carp, Cyprinus carpio carpio, Following Exposure to Graded Concentrations of Water-Borne Bisphenol A

Purpose: To evaluate the estrogenic effect of Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor on the histological features in carp testisMethods: Adult male fish, koi carp, Cyprinus carpio carpio, were exposed to three graded concentrations of BPA (10, 100 and 1000 μg/L) for a period of 21 days. A single dose of 17-β estradiol (1 ng/L) was used as positive control. The end points assessed at the end of the exposure period were condition factor, hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), histopathological changes in the testis and lobular diameter.Results: BPA caused a significant decrease in gonadosomatic index (GSI) of the fish at the median concentration of 100 μg/L. The major alterations observed in the gonad structure were a significant decrease (p ≤ 0.001) in the lobular diameter (65.1 ± 12.2 μm) compared with control (211.7 ± 36.60 μm) and complete loss in lobular structure with degenerating spermatozoa in some carps. The histopathological effects also include delayed sperm maturation and impaired spermatogenesis.Conclusion: The findings clearly show marked adverse histopathological effects of gonads of adult carps when exposed to BPA.Keywords: Fish, Carp testis, Endocrine disruptors, Bisphenol A, Histopathology, Gonadosomatic index, Sperm maturation, Spermatogenesi

TOXICOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GOLD NANORODS IN NORMAL RATS

Objective: assessment of acute, subchronic and chronic toxicity of pegylated gold nanorods (PEG-gold NRs) in Wistar rats of both sex in three routes of administration {intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC)}.Methods: in the acute toxicity study; PEG-gold NRs were injected once by three different routes, blood and tissue samples were collected after 14 d. In the subchronic and chronic studies; PEG-gold NRs were injected via three different routes, at 0.225, 0.45 and 0.9 mg/kg, once daily for 5 consecutive days, followed by a 23-day recovery period, for three and six months in the subchronic and chronic toxicity studies, respectively. Hematology, urinalysis, biochemical and histopathological examinations were conducted at the end of each study.Results: acute toxicity showed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels after single IV, IM and SC injection of PEG-gold NRs, while serum creatinine was significantly increased after IV and IM injection. Subchronic results revealed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels. The chronic study showed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides, sodium levels, total leukocytes count and significant increase in serum creatinine after IV injection. IM injection resulted in significant decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, cholesterol, sodium levels and total leukocytes count. SC injection resulted in significant decrease in serum triglycerides, glucose, red blood cell count with increased creatinine and hematocrit.Conclusion: PEG-gold NRs at the three examined doses is apparently safe since no serious signs of toxicity were detected. IM and SC routes of injection were irritating, so we recommend the IV route.Â

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London