Characteristics of Traffic Accidents in Baghdad

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are events that suddenly, inadvertently and unexpectedly occur under unforeseen circumstances that involve at least one moving vehicle and result in one or more road users being killed or injured. Unfortunately, Iraqi governorates suffer from higher rates of traffic accident casualties compared with the rates of casualties from terrorist attacks; this situation reveals a serious and growing problem. Road traffic accidents are not easy to eradicate. However, their prevalence can be reduced to the barest minimum via periodic assessments of traffic accident characteristics and the most important aspects for road authorities to consider when designing and evaluating the performance of a road to improve traffic and road users’ safety.Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to evaluate traffic accidents in Baghdad using a retrospective analysis of accidents that occurred from 2006–2016 taking into consideration the following parameters: the cause of the accident, the genders of the victims, the number and type of vehicles involved in the accident, the time of the accident, the severity of the accident, the type of accident and the age group of the driver(s). The data were been obtained from the Central Statistical Organization in the Ministry of Planning. The results reveal that 12,019 RTAs occurred in the city of Baghdad; on average, 1,092 RTAs occurred each year. Twenty-two percent of the RTAs resulted in death, 67% resulted in injury and 6% resulted in both deaths and injuries. Only 4% of the RTAs resulted in property damage without victims. To this end, Baghdad has the highest prevalence of RTAs of all Iraqi governorates. These results provide scientific evidence to mobilize road authorities to effectively and urgently develop adequate traffic strategies and policies to reduce the epidemic of RTAs in Baghdad as well as other Iraqi governorates

Time-Cost-Quality Trade-off Model for Optimal Pile Type Selection Using Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The cost of pile foundations is part of the super structure cost, and it became necessary to reduce this cost by studying the pile types then decision-making in the selection of the optimal pile type in terms of cost and time of production and quality .So The main objective of this study is to solve the time–cost–quality trade-off (TCQT) problem by finding an optimal pile type with the target of "minimizing" cost and time while "maximizing" quality. There are many types In the world of piles but  in this paper, the researcher proposed five pile types, one of them is not a traditional, and   developed a model for the problem and then employed particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, as one of evolutionary algorithms with the help of (Mat lab software), as a tool for decision making problem about choosing the best alternative of the traded piles, and proposes a multi objective optimization model, which aims to optimize the time, cost and quality of the pile types, and assist in selecting the most appropriate pile types. The researcher selected 10 of senior engineers to conduct interviews with them.  And prepared some questions for interviews and open questionnaire. The individuals are selected from private and state sectors each one have 10 years or more experience in pile foundations work. From personal interviews and field survey the research has shown that most of the experts, engineers are not fully aware of new soft wear techniques to helps them in choosing alternatives, despite their belief in the usefulness of using modern technology and software. The Problem is multi objective optimization problem, so after running the PSO algorithm it is usual to have more than one optimal solution, for five proposed pile types, finally the researcher  evaluated and  discussed the output results and  found out that pre-high tension spun (PHC)pile type was the optimal pile type

Molecular Identification and Diversity of Pestalotiopsis, Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis Species from Four Host Plants in Sarawak, Borneo Island (Malaysia)

Until recently, Pestalotiopsis species have been identified based on host relationship and conidial dimensions. Pestalotiopsis species occur as endophytes, saprobes and also pathogens of many plant hosts. This study used molecular phylogenetic relationships based on ITS sequence data to identify Pestalotiopsis, Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis species in addition to their conidial pigmentation from four host plants namely Macaranga triloba, Macaranga sp., Shorea macrophylla and Syzygium sp. Based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis of 18 Pestalotiopsis-like isolates from the four different host plants, the isolates clustered separately into three clades corresponding to their conidial morphology and conidial median cell pigmentation as Neopestalotiopsis, Pestalotiopsis, and Pseudopestalotiopsis irrespective of their host plant association. Among the four host plants studied, S. macrophylla hosts the highest diversity of Pestalotiopsis-like species while Syzygium sp. had the lowest diversity. This is the first report on the molecular phylogenetics and diversity of Pestalotiopsis, Neopestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis species from Sarawak, Malaysia in line with recent re-classification in the genus. New records of Pestalotiopsis-like species were also recorded on new host plants

Studies on gastro-intestinal helminths of Equus acinus in North Gujarat, India

A year round study (October to September) was conducted in the districts of North Gujarat (India) to identify the gastro-intestinal helminths of donkeys (Equus acinus), determine prevalence and correlate haematological parameters with parasite burdens. A total of 1794 faecal samples of donkeys contained the following helminths (prevalence % in brackets): Strongyloides westeri (17.2), Parascaris equorum (23.8), Strongylus sp. (55.3), an amphistome digenean (1.5), Anoplocephala sp. (1.0), Balantidium coli (13.1) and Eimeria leuckarti (7.0). Overall prevalence was 75.9 with a mean of 627 (50-1650) eggs per gram faeces. Seasonally the maximum prevalence (85.3) occurred in March and minimum (65.2) in July. 14% of donkeys were considered to be severely infected, 38% heavily, 36% moderately and 12% mildly infected. Larval cultures revealed the presence of (prevalence%): Cyathostomum sp. (48), Gyalocephalus sp. (8), Oesophagodontus sp. (6), Triodontophorus sp. (10), Strongyloides westeri (10), Strongylus vulgaris (30), Strongylus equines (40) and S. edentatus (30). Hematological indices were inversely proportional to epg counts.Keywords: donkeys, gastro-intestinal parasites, haematology, prevalence

Possible presence of calcium channel blocker(s) in Rubia cordifolia: An indigenous medicinal plant

Crude extract of Rubia cordifolia (RC) was tested in isolated tissue preparations for its possible calcium channel antagonistic activity. RC suppressed the spontaneous contractions of guinea-pig atria, rabbit jejunum and rat uterus in a concentration dependent manner (0.1-3 mg/ml). In rabbit aorta, it inhibited norepinephrine (10 microM) and KCl (80 mM) induced contractions. Replacement of physiological salt solution with calcium free solution abolished the spontaneous movements of rabbit jejunum. However, addition of calcium (25 micrograms/ml) in the tissue bath restored the spontaneous movements. When the tissues were pretreated with plant extract (1 mg/ml) or verapamil (0.5 microgram/ml), addition of calcium failed to restore spontaneous contractions. These results indicate that the plant extract exhibits spasmolytic activity similar to that of verapamil suggestive of presence of calcium channel blocker like constituent(s) in this plant

Properties of Asphalt Concrete Containing Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) as Filler Material

The high cost of primary construction materials such as cement, and increase in waste generation due to human activities coupled with environmental concerns has led to the incorporation of wide range of waste materials into asphalt concrete. Waste foundry sand (WFS) which is a by-product of ferrous and non-ferrous metal casting industry, has accumulated in stockpiles and landfills, occupying valuable space and causing nuisance in the environment. Consequently, it is imperative to devise a safe and economical solution to manage and utilize the waste. One way of achieving this is by recycling and using it for asphalt concrete production. This study investigated the strength and durability properties of asphalt concrete containing waste foundry sand (WFS) as alternative filler material in asphalt concrete. Marshall design method was adopted for the sample preparation and testing. Fifteen (15) compacted samples were prepared for strength and volumetric properties testing at varying bitumen contents of 4.5%, 5.0%, 5.5%, 6.0% and 6.5%, in accordance with Asphalt Institute and Nigeria General Specification for Road and Bridges to determine optimum bitumen content (OBC). OBC of 5.5% was obtained and used for the asphalt concrete mixes in the study.  Eighteen (18) other briquettes were prepared to determine the optimum WFS content in asphalt concrete necessary for strength and durability of wearing course of flexible pavement. Cement as filler in asphalt concrete was partially replaced with WFS using the obtained OBC in the order of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and 60%. A total of thirty-three (33) standard specimens were prepared. From the Marshall stability-flow and void-density results, the sample prepared with 60% WFS as filler with OBC of 5.5% satisfies the provision of the Nigerian General Specification for Road and Bridges (NGSRB) for use in wearing course of flexible pavement. Based on the analysis of results obtained in this study and a logical comparison made with standard specifications, addition of up to 60% waste foundry sand (WFS) in asphalt concrete would lead to significant conservation of primary construction materials, divert substantial quantities of waste from landfills and present a cheap alternative of filler material necessary for sustainable asphalt concrete construction

Ethico-legal issues in the medical profession : a case study of nursing profession in the world / Lateef Wale Adeyemo ... [et al.]

The paper analyses the professional rules and regulations that guide the nurse in carryout her professional duties. The paper discusses that the nurse should carrying out her duties diligently and carefully along with the doctrine of Islamic law by the way of fearing Almighty Allah; this is because of her closeness to patients in the hospitals and clinics.This paper identifies some actions, omissions, carelessness, negligent that can lead the nurse to a case in court or Shari‟ah court. Even if the affected patient can not afford litigation or remains silent over his right,some significant others like Human Rights Organizations, pressure groups can take up the case and make the affected Nurse to pay for such acts or omissions done against the victim. The paper elaborates some problem that may be caused by the nurse in the hospital due to her ignorant of law guiding her practice, pressure of work,or in a rare occasion, a lackadaisical attitude to others.The paper further explains the international/local/Islamic laws which regulate every aspect of communal life i.e the Nursing and Midwifery Regulation Acts that provide for the training, registration and discipline of Nurses and midwives as well as Shari‟ah principles guiding their professional ethic. This is because what one does some years back, if done today may put a Nurse in jail or make her pay heavy damages because the right to enforce one‟s denied fundamental human right has become a global issue and, of course ,has led to a new era in the act of caring for patient. In addition the finding in the paper will be a good guidance to medical officers,Islamic jurists, academicians scholars, researchers throughout the world as patient/medical officer relations in the hospital become a fundamental human right issue before the World Health Organization

Modified RSA-based algorithm: a double secure approach

Security algorithms like RSA are becoming increasingly important for communications to provide companies, organizations, and users around the world, secure applications who rely heavily on them in their daily work. Security algorithms use different acquaintances among companies which might belong to various countries or even cities. Such data should essentially be encrypted to make sure that there is security in transportation. Thus, the current research paper leads to the novel system of security for the safe transfer of data. This paper examines the general principles of encryption and focuses on the development of RSA and the complexity of the encryption key so that it becomes more secure in the applications used. In this project, we will work on the RSA algorithm by adding some complexity to the 3keys (3k). This addition will increase the security and complexity of the algorithm's speed while maintaining encryption and decryption time. The paper also presents an approach by means of public key encryption to enhance cryptographic security. Moreover, double security is provided by the algorithm of RSA. This novel RSA algorithm was investigated in MATLAB. Numerical results for the various parameters such as Mean Square Error (MSE), correlation and Bit Error Ratio (BER) were implemented for the encryption of the message. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm for 3 keys has small error rate in the retrieval of the encoded text