Large Diameter Bulk Crystal Growth and Scintillation Characterization of Thallium-Based Ternary Halide Crystals for Detection and Imaging

Scintillators cover an important wide range of applications in detection and imaging. In this paper we are presenting growth and performance results of several advanced large diameter thallium-based ternary halide crystals are presented. Intrinsic crystals of TlMgCl3, TlCaCl3, TlCaBr3, and TlCa(Cl,Br)3, as well as europium-doped TlCa2Br5 and TlCa(Cl,Br)3 are melt-grown by the Bridgman method. These compounds have high Zeff due to thallium and expected to have high physical densities. The best crystal quality and energy resolution (FWHM) at 662 keV are observed for intrinsic TlMgCl3. The primary decay constants for these compounds are in the range of 0.45 to 0.55 microseconds. All of these compounds have proportional or linear response to gamma-ray above 100 keV

Turkish Virtual River in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Growth of population and increased demand on food and water in arid areas like the Middle East is a chronic problem. To overcome water shortage many countries depend on imported virtual water. Kurdistan region, however, is a unique case. The region has more than 30BCM of fresh water for six million people, but it is importing huge amount of virtual water. Turkey has found it’s the best and the nearest market for its virtual water exports in Kurdistan region and South Iraq. The aim of this work is to find the size of imported virtual water into Kurdistan market, Turkey contribution to this market and water footprint in Kurdistan region. Methods of analysing, comparing and description were used. The paper has found that Turkey is reducing water flow of Rivers to Kurdistan region and South Iraq; In contrast, it increases virtual water exports into those two markets. The paper has shown that annually Turkey exports about 7.5 BCM of Virtual water into Kurdistan region-Iraq. In addition, the value of each cubic meter of imported virtual water from Turkey has been estimated. And finally, the paper has explored the volume of water footprint-per person in Kurdistan region which is the third highest in the world. This paper can be mentioned as a first step toward scientific work on virtual water, its value and water footprint in Kurdistan region and Iraq

Assessment of potentially toxic elements in vegetables cultivated in urban and peri-urban sites in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and implications for human health

Vegetable fields in and around urban areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq may have higher than background concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contamination sources including municipal waste disposal and waste water used for irrigation. The purpose of this study was to assess PTE concentrations in soils and the edible parts of field-grown vegetables to quantify potential health risks to the local population. In this survey, 174 soils and 26 different vegetable and fruit types were sampled from 15 areas around Sulaymaniyah and Halabja cities. Sampling was undertaken from fields in urban, peri-urban and rural locations including sites close to areas of waste disposal.The soils are calcareous (pH 7.67 - 8.21) and classified as silty loam, sandy or silty clay with organic matter content between 6.62 and 11.4%. Concentrations of PTEs were typically higher in waste disposal areas compared with urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Pollution load indices (PLI) suggested that agricultural soils near waste disposal sites were contaminated with some trace elements. Potentially toxic element concentrations in vegetables were highly variable. Higher total concentrations of PTEs were measured in vegetables from the waste areas with decreasing concentrations in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. Risks to human health were assessed using hazard quotients (HQ). Vegetable consumption poses no risk for adults whereas children might be exposed to Ni, As and Cd. Although HQs suggest elevated risk for children from consumption of some vegetables, these risks are likely to be lower when realistic dietary consumption levels are considered

Turkish Virtual River in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Growth of population and increased demand on food and water in arid areas like the Middle East is a chronic problem. To overcome water shortage many countries depend on imported virtual water. Kurdistan region, however, is a unique case. The region has more than 30BCM of fresh water for six million people, but it is importing huge amount of virtual water. Turkey has found it’s the best and the nearest market for its virtual water exports in Kurdistan region and South Iraq. The aim of this work is to find the size of imported virtual water into Kurdistan market, Turkey contribution to this market and water footprint in Kurdistan region. Methods of analysing, comparing and description were used. The paper has found that Turkey is reducing water flow of Rivers to Kurdistan region and South Iraq; In contrast, it increases virtual water exports into those two markets. The paper has shown that annually Turkey exports about 7.5 BCM of Virtual water into Kurdistan region-Iraq. In addition, the value of each cubic meter of imported virtual water from Turkey has been estimated. And finally, the paper has explored the volume of water footprint-per person in Kurdistan region which is the third highest in the world. This paper can be mentioned as a first step toward scientific work on virtual water, its value and water footprint in Kurdistan region and Iraq

Application of Water Poverty Index (WPI) in Special Analysis of Water Stress in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Kurdistan region-Iraq can be considered the richest area in the MENA for water availability per capita. However, water management, economic situation, sustainability, and utilisation of water are controversial. Water Poverty Index (WPI) is a holistic tool to find the link between, socio-economic development, livelihood, water availability, and water management. In addition, it is an effective method for comparison between different regions and countries. In this work, depending on available data of Kurdistan region-Iraq, and literature review, 14 elements (indicators) have been used to extract WPI score of the study area. The WPI has been used to find water utilisation, and water stress level in Kurdistan region. Then, the result of this work has been compared with WPI scores in some countries in the MENA. The work has shown that the WPI score of the study area is 52. The work has found that, although water availability per person/year in Kurdistan region is more than all countries in the MENA, the WPI score of the study area is lower than its neighbours like Iran, and Turkey. The low scores of Kurdistan region regarding WPI are because of many factors like variation of water income, mismanagement of water resources, and water use

Patient Satisfaction among Different Age Groups Who Underwent Aesthetic and Functional Rhinoplasty in Sulaymaniyah

Background: Cosmetic surgery is performed to improve an individual’s satisfaction with their appearance and to improve their psychological health by improving self-confidence. Our study aimed to evaluate patient satisfaction regarding nose appearance and function. Objective: To evaluate the satisfaction of patients who underwent rhinoplasty by using the Rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation (ROE) questionnaire and to determine the impact of patient age on the outcomes. Patients and Methods: A prospective study of 90 patients who underwent open rhinoplasty procedures, including other nasal procedures like septoplasty or turbinoplasty, in both private and public Sulaimani Surgical Teaching Hospitals (department of oral maxillofacial surgery) from October 2020 to March 2022. The Rhinoplasty Outcomes Evaluation (ROE) questionnaire was used for esthetic and functional assessment. Results before and after surgery were compared. Results: In this study, ninety patients participated by completing the questionnaires and the follow-up period six months postoperatively. The main reasons for rhinoplasty in our patients were: esthetic 50% (n=45), functional 8.9 % (n=8), and a combination of both esthetic and functional in 41.1% (n=37) of patients. There was a significant overall increase in patient satisfaction with functional and esthetic outcomes post-surgery (p 0.01) based on ROE. Conclusion: There was a significant overall increase in patients’ satisfaction with functional and aesthetic outcomes post-surgery. There was no significant difference in satisfaction among different age groups