The Climate Assessment of Iraq Region

In this work we have access to weather map for the area of Iraq, this work is of great importance, especially in the field of future planning and management of projects and resources as well as agriculture in Iraq. The climate assessment of the area of Iraq has been done in multiple ways to reach a clear conception of the nature of the climate in Iraq. We used the data of the last 15 years to achieve stable results. The Information was put in the form of grid points and has been processed by MATLAB program. Keywords: agriculture, atmospheric sciences, climate classification, drought, precipitation

Dynamic evaluation of jack-up platform structure under wave, wind, earthquake and tsunami loads

Nowadays, the demand for using jack-up platforms to carry out a large percentage of deep-water oil and gas exploration is steadily increasing. The response of jack-up platforms to the severe dynamic loads that may be encountered during the structure life is not examined enough. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate the response of jack-up platforms performance under the effect of dynamic loads due to wave, wind, earthquake and tsunami forces using the finite element method for two models with the lowest and highest hull elevations. The jack-up platform is located in the Gulf of Mexico. Earthquake accelerations are applied to the model in high and moderate seismic levels. In addition, tsunami waves are applied to the platform in three different directions at 0°, 45° and 90°. This study utilised Airy's linear wave approach to assess the surface elevations and wave kinematics. The reference wind velocity is 10 knots at 10 m over the mean water level. Results indicate that the dynamic response of the structure is affected by the height of the platform and by the increase of the platform hull elevation. The combination of the El-Centro earthquake, dead and live loads provides the major impact on the platform at the lowest (70 m) and highest (85 m) hull elevations. The comparison of all result proves that the jack-up platform hull under high earthquake intensity and tsunami waves with 45° has experienced maximum deformation. Moreover, raising the deck will increase the response of the dynamic load and displacements but will negatively affect the platform

Prevention of brain hypoperfusion-induced neurodegeneration in rat's hippocampus by black cumin fixed oil treatment

Introduction: The oil extract of black cumin seeds Nigella sativa (NSO) demonstrated considerable preservation of spatial cognitive functions in rats subjected to chronic brain hypoperfusion (CBH). The hippocampal CA1 region pyramidal cells are the earliest neurons suffering neurodegeneration following CBH. Objective: The current study was devoted to assess the protective effects of Nigella sativa (NSO) treatment on CA1 hippocampal pyramidal cells of rats subjected to chronic brain hypoperfusion (CBH) that was achieved through permanent two vessel occlusion (2VO) procedure. Methods: Twenty four rats were equally divided into three groups; sham control, untreated 2VO and NSO treated group (2VO with daily oral NSO treatment. After the 10th postoperative week coronal sections of the hippocampus were collected for histopathological and electron microscopical examinations. Results: The number of viable pyramidal cells within CA1 hippocampal region in sham control and NSO treated groups was significantly higher than that of untreated 2VO group, while the difference was not significant when comparing the viable pyramidal cells number of sham control with NSO treated groups. Furthermore, 2VO group showed marked intracellular ultrastructural distortions that were less pronounced in NSO treated group. Conclusion: NSO displayed a robust potential to protect hippocampal pyramidal cells from CBH induced neurodegeneration putting forward its prospective neuroprotective activity against age related cognitive decline of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia

The effects of progesterone administration in mice during pregnancy on ovarian development and anogenital distance of the offspring

Background: Progesterone is highly used in pregnant women as therapeutic agent to maintain and support pregnancy. Objective: To explore the effects of progesterone usage allover gestation till 7days postnatally on mice offspring ovaries development and anogenital distance. Material and methods: Ten pregnant mice were equally divide into control group that was injected with sesame oil which is used as a solvent for progesterone and treated group that is daily intraperitoneally injected with progesterone (dissolved in sesame oil 1:10) at dose 10.2mg/kg (the equivalent human dose) all through gestation till7day postnatal then sacrificed and measuring the anogenital distance (the distance between anus and genital papilla). Histological slides were prepared and Diameters of the ovary, primary oocyte and primordial follicles were measured and histopathological changes analysis was done. Result: Progesterone administration cause significant increment (p>0-05) in anogenital distance, significant decrement in primary oocyte diameter and primordial follicle diameter, with no significant difference in the ovary diameter. Histopathological changes were seen as hemorrhage, detachment of follicular cells from basement membrane with irregular arrangement and thickening or death of follicular cells, pyknosis of primary oocytes and vacculation. Stromal cells degeneration. Conclusion: The current study revealed that progesterone injection of mice with equivalent human dose during pregnancy is embryotoxic and teratogenic, may alter the female reproductive performance with virilizing the female genitalia. The benefit of progesterone as a therapies need to be proven before recommended as supportive treatment during pregnancy

Risk factors of osteoporosis in healthy Moroccan men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although not as common as in women, osteoporosis remains a significant health care problem in men. Data concerning risk factors of osteoporosis are lacking for the male Moroccan population. The objective of the study was to identify some determinants associated to low bone mineral density in Moroccan men.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>a sample of 592 healthy men aged 20-79 years was recruited from the area of Rabat, the capital of Morocco. Measurements were taken at the lumbar spine and proximal femurs using DXA (Lunar Prodigy Vision, GE). Biometrical, clinical, and lifestyle determinants were collected. Univariate, multivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>the mean (SD) age of the patients was 49 (17.2) years old. The prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia were 8.7% and 52.8%, respectively. Lumbar spine and hip BMD correlated significantly with age, weight and BMI. When comparing the subjects according to the WHO classification, significant differences were revealed between the three groups of subjects for age, weight and BMI, prevalence of low calcium intake and low physical activity. The multiple regression analysis found that only age, BMI, and high coffee consumption were independently associated to the osteoporotic status.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ageing and low BMI are the main risk factors associated with osteoporosis in Moroccan men.</p

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

On the integral representation of finely superharmonic functions

summary:In the present paper we study the integral representation of nonnegative finely superharmonic functions in a fine domain subset $U$ of a Brelot $\mathcal{P}$-harmonic space $\Omega$ with countable base of open subsets and satisfying the axiom $D$. When $\Omega$ satisfies the hypothesis of uniqueness, we define the Martin boundary of $U$ and the Martin kernel $K$ and we obtain the integral representation of invariant functions by using the kernel $K$. As an application of the integral representation we extend to the cone $\mathcal{S(U)}$ of nonnegative finely superharmonic functions in $U$ a partition theorem of Brelot. We also establish an approximation result of invariant functions by finely harmonic functions in the case where the minimal invariant functions are finely harmonic

Antifungal activity of Eurycoma longifolia jack (Tongkat Ali) root extract

Eurycoma longifolia jack (Tongkat Ali) has been known to possess many important biological properties and its uses are gradually expanding . To test the presence of antifungal activity of the ethanolic Eurycoma longifolia Jack (E.L) root extract. E.L. roots were extracted using ethanol . Two types of fungal strains were used; Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Disc diffusion assay and Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests were used to determine the antifungal activity. The extract was prepared into three concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml, Nystatin was used as positive control. The ethanolic extract of E. longifolia Jack root showed positive antifungal activity against C.albicans and A.fumigatus. The antifungal activity, measured through the zone of growth inhibition on the agar disc diffusion assay, against A.fumigatus was recorded to be 3.78±0.63, 6.11±1.45, 9.89±0.74mm, while for C.albicans was 4.44±0.5, 6.56±0.50, 8.44±0.90 mm for the extract concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml respectively. The results of MIC showed the inhibition of visible growth of A.fumigatus and C.albicans at the minimum concentration of 12.5 and 25 mg/ml respectively. E.L root extract possesses potent antifungal properties and has the potential to be used as a medicinal product

Biomasa korenin na rastiščih jelovo-bukovega gozda na pogorju Roga

V diplomskem delu je bil proučevan vpliv produktivnosti rastišča in drevesne sestave na biomaso korenin. Izbranih je bilo šest raziskovalnih ploskev, od tega tri na produktivnih in tri na manj produktivnih rastiščih. Med seboj so bili primerjani čisti sestoji smreke, jelke in bukve, v razvojni fazi debeljaka na rastišču Omphalodo-Fagetum. Na vsaki ploskvi je bila določena temeljnica, lesna zaloga, število dreves na hektar in odvzetih je bilo po 30 izvrtkov tal. Iz izvrtkov so bile nato izločene korenine, izmerjena njihova dolžina, po sušenju pa so bile stehtane. Rezultati so pokazali, da so bila tla najgloblja na jelovih rastiščih, tako na produktivnih kot manj produktivnih tleh. Po dolžini korenin prednjači bukov sestoj na produktivnejšem rastišču, največjo maso pa dosegajo korenine v smrekovem sestoju na manj produktivnem rastišču. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da korenine prodirajo globlje na produktivnejših rastiščih in da drevesna sestava vpliva na razlike pri količini oziroma strukturi koreninske fitomase.In this thesis it has been determined how site productivity and tree species composition affect root biomass. Six research plots have been selected, of which three were on productive and three on less productive sites. Pure Norwayspruce, Silver fir and European beech stands have been compared in the mature forest stands on Omphalodo-Fagetum site unit. Basal area, growing stockand stand density per hectare have been determined at each plot and 30 soil cores have been obtained. The roots have been eliminated from the samples, they have been measured and weighed after drying. The results have shown that both, productive as well as the less productive soil, have been deepest in the fir sites. Regarding the length of the roots, productive beech stand achieved the highest value, while maximum root biomass has been found inspruce stand on the less productive site. It has been concluded that the roots penetrate deeper into the more productive sites and that tree composition affect the differences in the amount of root fitomass