Personality characteristics, trauma and symptoms of PTSD : a population study in Iraq

Background: The Iraqi people have been continually exposed to wide range of traumatic events, greatly increasing the rates of PTSD, depression, and health problems. However, there is a dearth of research investigating the prevalence of PTSD in the Iraqi population and the impact this has on the individual. This research sought to address this issue by assessing personality traits, sense of coherence, coping strategies and aggressive behaviours. Methods: Self-report scales were used via three studies and a qualitative analysis was conducted from interview transcripts in the fourth study. In order to use self-report scales, the first study validated seven scales, including Baghdad Trauma History Screen (BTHS), Brief Cope, Screen of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms (SPTSS), Sense of Coherence (SOC), personality traits of Neuroticism, Depression and Somatic Symptoms Scale (DSSS), and Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in sample of 408 ( 251 males, and 157 females) members of the public. In the second study, another three scales were validated to use including; Health-Related Quality of Life SF-8, Health-relevant 5-factor Personality inventory (HP5i), and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) in a sample of 52 (33 males and 19 females) Iraqi public population. In the third study the scale of the Big Five Inventory (BFI) was validated in a sample of 51 (34 males, 17 females) Iraqi student and refugees. Correlations between saliva cortisol and PTSD were examined in the second and third studies. In the fourth study, 17 interviews were conducted (9 males and 8 females) with Iraqi students and refugees to obtain a better understanding individual's experiences of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD symptoms as well as the different coping strategies adopted following a traumatic event. Results: The studies scales were reliable and valid. The results showed that a high proportion (94%) of participants reported at least one traumatic event. Thirty percent of 359 traumatised participants met the full DSM-IV criteria for PTSD association by low levels of sense of coherence, and high level of depression, neuroticism, and aggression. Very few of the participants (6%) reported no PTSD symptoms. Women reported less exposure to trauma and manifested more PTSD symptoms than men. Groups with and without PTSD did not differ significantly on their cortisol concentration levels. Social relationships and family support as well as religion played a vital role in shaping and dealing with trauma and PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: Personality traits, active coping strategies, sense of coherence and social and family support contributed in prediction of PTSD symptoms after exposure to severe ii traumatic events. Furthermore, the characteristics of PTSD related to social backgrounds and continue exposure to trauma in Iraq. The report measures were validated in this study, demonstrating their utility for future research examining PTSD symptoms in the Iraqi general population. Further research will help to create a systematic treatment programs for traumatised people

Effect of some Organic Pollutants (furfural and toluene) on Biological Aspects of Free- living Ciliate Oxytricha falax

Samples of Oxytricha falax were collected from Tigris River by 55µ. mesh net. Culturing of O. falax were cultivated in specific conditions (DO 3-5mg/l.; W.Temp. 24±1ºC; pH: 6.8-7.5).The effect of various furfural concentration 0, 20, 40, 80,100 and 124 ppm and toluene concentration 0, 15, 30, 34.2, 34.5 and 35 ppm after two periods of treatment (24 and 48 hr.) on the physiological parameters of O. falax ciliate were observed. This study showed that the lethal concentration of furfural was 124ppm and 80ppm after 24hr. and 48hr. from treatment which killed all the individual community respectively. Furthermore the treatment of O. falax individuals with different concentrations of toluene indicated that 34.5 ppm of it caused disappearance of the individuals' population after 48hr., while the 35ppm concentration from toluene caused dead of all individuals after 24 hr. from their treatment

Generation of Fuzzy Rules by Subtractive ‎ Clustering

هذا العمل يعتمد مرحلتين, المرحلة الاولى  يستخدم خوارزمية  "التجميع"  والتي تستخدم لتحديد العلاقات بين عناصر البيانات لكي يبنى النظام, بحيث كل نقطه في البيانات تجمع مع نقاط اخرى ذات نفس المواصفات لكي تكوﱠن مجاميع. هذه المجاميع (العناقيد) سوف تستخدم في المرحلة الثانية من العمل لبناء مجموعة من القواعد المضببة والتي يصطلح عليها  (IF…THEN rules). والتي ستحدد مسار عمل النظام. عدد القواعد ومتغيرات الادخال والاخراج لديها تعتمد على المجاميع (العناقيد) المتولدة في المرحلة الاولى  بينما يستخدم نظام الاستدلال المسمى(King TSK-Sugeno). طﹹبق العمل لتشخيص مرض القلب.This work depends on two stages. First one, "subtractive method", clustering algorithm, used for identifying the relationships between data points in order to build system, where the data point gathers with other points to make cluster of the same features. These groups will be used in the second part of the work to construct fuzzy IF…THEN rules, which controls how the system works. The number of rules and its parts depend on these clusters. While the Takagi-Sugeno Kang (TSK) fuzzy inference modal was used. The scope of this work is applied to heart disease diagnosis

Production and characterization of biodiesel and glycerine pellet from macroalgae strain: Cladophora glomerata

Biodiesel was prepared by extracting oil from Cladophora glomerata green algae followed by transesterification of the oil using NaOH as a catalyst. The algae Oil extraction was carried out using two different techniques (Soxhlet and refluxing) and similar oil yield was obtained (23-24%). The resulting biodiesel showed desirable physical and chemical properties. Specific gravity, acid value, iodine value, ash content and calorific value of the algae biodiesel were within the specification of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and European Standards (EN). The analysis of fatty acid methyl ester composition revealed, 63, 27 and 10% for 9-octadecodenoic, hexadeconic and octadeconoic acid methyl ester, respectively. From the production line, two waste streams (glycerol and residual biomass) were combined to form a glycerine pellet. The measured energy content of the glycerine pellet was found to be comparable with firewood. Therefore, C. glomerata could potentially be utilized for the production of both biodiesel and glycerine pellet with no net waste in the transesterification process.                     KEY WORDS: Algae oil, Biodiesel, Transesterification, Glycerine pellet, Macroalgae, Cladophora glomerata   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2020, 34(2), 249-258 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v34i2.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Crude Extracts of Salix subserrata and Silene macroselen for the treatment of rabies in Ethiopia

A study was conducted between November, 2007 and April, 2008 to evaluate the anti-rabies activity of the leaf of Salix subserrata and root of Silene macroselen which are traditionally used for the treatment of rabies in Bereh-Aleltu Woreda, North Shewa, Central Ethiopia. The study involved oral administration of crude extracts of Salix subserrata and Silene macroselen to Pasteur Virus (PV) strain rabies virus infected mice which were assigned into three treatment and one negative control groups. Chloroform, methanol 80% and aqueous extracts of the study plants were prepared using maceration technique. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way analysis of variance tests coupled to least significant difference to compare result between treatment and positive control groups. Of the 6 crude extracts, chloroform and methanol 80% of Silene macroselen and chloroform and aqueous of Salix subserrata were found to increase the survival time of mice significantly (P< 0.05). Nevertheless, aqueous extract of Silene macroselen and methanol 80% extract of Salix subserrata did not exhibit a significant effect on the survival time. 1 day and 2 days treatment groups of the chloroform extract of S. macroselen indicated significant difference on the survival time from the positive control (P< 0.05). The chloroform and aqueous extracts of S. subserrata and the methanol 80 % extract of S. macroselen in their 1 day and 3 days treatment showed significant difference on survival time from the positive control group (P< 0.05). The results obtained from the present work suggest good correlation between traditional therapeutic uses and the in vivo anti-rabies activity. Further characterization of the active ingredients would reveal useful compounds. Keywords: Anti-rabies, Ethno-pharmaceutical, Mice model, PV strain, Salix subserrata, Silene macrosele

Optical Characterization of Polyvinyl alcohol - Ammonium Nitrate Polymer Electrolytes Films

Polyvinyl alcohol – Ammonium Nitrate polymer electrolyte films were prepared by casting method. UV-Vis Double Beam Spectrophotometer in the wavelength range (190-1100) nm were used to investigate the optical properties. The optical constants such us, transmission spectra, refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant, optical band gaps, and optical conductance are found. It was found that the energy band gaps are decreased upon the increase of salts concentration. The values of the width of the tails of localized states in the forbidden gap of the films obtained from Urbach plots are varied from 0.64 to 1.16 eV. The real and imaginary part of dielectric constant of the polymer electrolyte films increases with increasing NH4NO3 concentration. The dielectric constant shows decreases abruptly in the wavelength (235-260) nm, and finally becomes constant with increase wavelength. Keywords: optical energy band gap; optical conductance; refractive index; extinction coefficient

EFFECT OF NIGHT BREAK DURATION AND PACLOBUTRAZOL ON GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF DENDRANTHEMA GRANDIFLORA POT PLANT PRODUCTION

The experiment was conducted in Tikrit city, Iraq during the period from May to December 2019 on Dendranthema grandiflora. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of night break to prolong marketing period of the plant. Two factors were included, the first factor was night break (NB) at five levels (natural day, 5 seconds (flash light), 30, 60 and 120 minutes) starting at 10:00 p.m. for one month. The second one was spraying paclobutrazol at three levels (0, 500, 1000 mg l-1). The experiment was designed as split plot design, night break was set in the main plot. The results showed that NB had significant effect on values of vegetative growth characteristics. It also delayed the date of initiation and opening of the inflorescences. The treatment of 120 minutes had highest number of days to initiation and opening of flower (167.73 and 183.55 days, respectively), while natural day treatment gave lower number (133.25 and 165.73 days, respectively). The treatment of paclobutrazol at 1000 mg l-1 concentration gave lowest plant height: pot ratio and highest plant diameter (1.25 and 56.60 cm, respectively). Highest shelf life was 45.10 days at the treatment of interaction between night break of 120 minutes and spraying with paclobutrazol at 1000 mg l-1

The status of rabies in Ethiopia: A retrospective record review

Background: Rabies, a viral disease that affects all warm-blooded animals, is widespread in many regions of the world. Human rabies, transmitted by dogs is an important public health issue in Ethiopia. To-date, effective rabies control program still remains to be a reality and needs to be strengthened..Objective: Reviewing of recorded data to generate information on the status of rabies in Ethiopia for the year 2001-2009.Methods: A retrospective data were used from the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute rabies case record book registered between 2001 and 2009.Results: The fatal human cases during the period of study were 386 humans with annual range of 35 to 58. The over all post exposure treatment for humans was 17,204 within and around Addis Ababa. During the same period, 20,414 suspected rabid animals were clinically examined; nevertheless, only 10%were positive for rabies. Among 3,460 animal brains investigated in the laboratory with FAT, 75% were confirmed as rabies positive. The production and distribution of anti-rabies vaccine reached 130,673 treatment doses for human vaccine and 85,055 doses for animal vaccine respectively in the period of 2001-2009.Conclusion: The recorded data showed the underestimate of rabies diagnosis, post exposure prophylaxis and fatal human cases, which could be attributed due to the absence of national rabies surveillance system. Therefore, It is of paramount importance to assess and map the national picture of rabies within a given time interval to launch a national rabies control strategy. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24(2):127-132

Dog bite as a public health concern in Addis Ababa

Introduction: Animal bites and scratches represent the most important public health issue related to dogs and cats because of the risk of rabies transmission associated with physical, psychological trauma and wound infection. Objective: The study was aimed at estimating the prevalence of animal bite of human beings in Addis Ababa. Methods: Data on the kind of animal, age of the patients, gender, site of bites and /or scratch were collected from the registry book and analyzed using SPSS version 11.5. Results: A total of 1299 cases of bite and/or scratch were reported for the period September 2008 to August 2009. The majority of bites were made by dogs where stray dogs are much higher (X2 = 0.83, p= 0.36). There is statistically highly significant difference of bites between sex (p = 0.001) and between age group (F = 5.41, p=0.02). The animal bite made by dogs was higher on legs (55.6 %) followed by hands (26.45 %) and multiple bites (7.51 %). Conclusions: The majority of bites were attributed to stray dogs followed by cats, horses, donkeys. To reduce the problem a preventative public education is suggested

Overview of Rabies in and around Addis Ababa, in Animals Examined in EHNRI Zoonoses Laboratory Between, 2003 and 2009

A retrospective data on the number of confirmed animal rabies cases and applied rabies control measures over the period 2003-2009 were collected and analyzed to elucidate the situation of animal rabies in and around Addis Ababa. Over the last seven years, 2517 animals brain tissue samples from Dogs, Cats, Cattle, Horses, Donkeys, Shoats, Hyenas and Monkeys were examined for rabies using Fluorescent Antibody Test. Out of all samples examined, 76.9% (n=1936) were positive for rabies antigen. A statistically significant difference (χ2 = 34.08(1),