Planning of Sustainable Industrial Zones and Means of Achieving them in Iraq

The development of industrial activity in cities and regions is one of the most distinctive features of postmodern urban planning. The industry in all its branches is considered one of the most important economic activities in cities, which is the main engine of economic life and the driving force of development at all levels. This development has been accompanied by the negative effects of this economic activity on ecosystems and on human life in its various aspects, namely, environmental pollution in various ways, depletion of renewable and depleted natural resources, and the serious consequences of climate change, environmental degradation and Collapse. Hence the need to find solutions that allow the continuation of industries because of the importance of human life and to overcome the problems resulting from them and reduce them as much as possible The emergence of the concept of sustainability as a solution to this problem. This paper discusses the theme of sustainable industry, sustainable industrial zone planning, global experiences and identification of deliberatestrategies for sustainability, As well as trends in Iraq towards the establishment of green industrial cities, And their analysis and knowledge of their shortcomings in comparison to international experiences. And recommend some policies to achieve sustainability

Fibers Direction Effect on Tensile Elasticity of Epoxy Composites Using Computer modeling

In this research a sample of glass fiber reinforced Epoxy Composite was subjected to a tensile load to study the effect of fiber directions on the tensile elasticity theoretically using Finite Element Method (FEM) . MSC-NASTRAN computer package was used for the purpose of this study. Tensile test was done on the design samples when fibers angled with the Load direction at 0o ,45o and 90o in order to find out the direction which provides the best mechanical properties. Through the tests result and color spectrum analysis, we found that 0o angle provides the best properties, followed by 45o angle, while at 90o angle shows lowest value of elasticity modulus

Assessment the Effect of Some Reagents on the Planktonic Cells and Biofilms of Red Complex Periodontal Pathogens

The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of four regents; two naturals, olibanum and alum, and two standards, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and chlorhexidine (CHX) to affect the growth and biofilm of three types of periodontal pathogens, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia, "the red complex group". Clinical isolates of the red complex pathogens were isolated from chronic periodontitis. They were identified by phenotypic properties and molecular method. The inhibitory activity of the four reagents was tested by microdilution method. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) on the bacterial plankton and minimal biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) on biofilm of the four reagents in a single and combinational use was determined on mono- and polymicrobial populations. Simple linear regression modeling was used to explore the effect of each reagent and determine MICs and MBICs. All reagents showed inhibition activity against the growth of mono- and polymicrobial planktonic population. MIC values on polymicrobial growth were higher than on monomicrobial growth and MBICs were much higher. All reagents had antibacterial activity on a monomicrobial biofilm with greater significant effect on T. denticola then T. forsythia and P. gingivalis. On polymicrobial biofilm, just olibanum continued showing its effect whilst CHX was less effect and both alum and CIP had no effect. Combinational use with Olibanum encouraged the effect of other regents on polymicrobial biofilm. This combination is a promising medicated preparation to combat the subgingival plaque of red complex pathogens

Prevalence of Osteoporosis in 100 Iraqi Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Control Study

Back ground: In recent years, survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) has raised significantly so long-term complications, as osteoporosis, are currently of major importance. Objective: To assess the prevalence of osteoporosis in Iraqi patients with SLE. Patients and Methods: This case control study was conducted on 100 SLE patients and 100 healthy controls matched in age, sex, and body mass index. Bone mineral density (BMD) obtained at the lumber spine (L1-L4) and right and left femurs using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) machine (Dexxum). Osteoporosis was diagnosed according to WHO guidelines criteria for diagnosis of osteoporosis and Z-scores was used in premenopausal women and men younger than 50 years. Results: Mean age of SLE patients was 32.01±10.14 years and 32.46±6.29 years in the control group. Females represented 91% of patients and 92% of controls. The mean BMI of patients was 27.41±6.04 kg/m2 compared to 28.8±5.26 kg/m2 of controls. There was no statistical significant differences between both groups in demographic characteristics (P>0.05). BMD at lumbar spine was significantly lower in SLE patients than controls (82(82%) vs 61(61%), p< 0.001, OR (95%CI): 3.04(1.59-5.81).Of those patients with low BMD, 46% had osteoporosis. Additionally, BMD at total femur was significantly lower in SLE patients than controls (59 (59%) vs 24(24%), p<0.001, OR (95%CI): 4.56(2.48-8.37). Of those patients with low BMD at total femur, 15 (15%) had osteoporosis. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed non-significant association between low BMD in SLE patients and various baseline characteristics (P>0.05). Conclusions: Prevalence of osteoporosis in Iraqi patients with SLE was 46% at lumbar spine and 15 % at total femur. This may suggest to do early screening for low BMD in patients with SLE for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Keywords: SLE, Osteoporosis, Dual x-ray absorptiometry, Bone mineral densit

Salivary microRNA 155, 146a/b and 203: A pilot study for potentially non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers of periodontitis and diabetes mellitus

Dysregulated expression of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) plays substantial role in the initiation and progression of both diabetes and periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to validate four miRNAs in saliva as potential predictive biomarkers of periodontal disease among patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). MiRNAs were extracted from the saliva of 24 adult subjects with DM and 29 healthy controls. Each group was subdivided into periodontally healthy or having periodontitis. In silico analysis identified 4 miRNAs (miRNA 155, 146 a/b and 203) as immune modulators. The expression of miRNAs-146a/b, 155, and 203 was tested using quantitative PCR. The expression levels in the study groups were compared to explore the effect of diabetes on periodontal status and vice versa. In our cohort, the four miRNAs expression were higher in patients with periodontitis and/or diabetes. miRNA-155 was the most reliable predictors of periodontitis among non-diabetics with an optimum cut-off value of < 8.97 with accuracy = 82.6%. MiRNA 146a, on the other hand, was the only reliable predictor of periodontitis among subjects with diabetes with optimum cut-off value of ≥11.04 with accuracy = 86.1%. The results of the present study concluded that MiRNA-146a and miRNA155 in saliva provide reliable, non-invasive, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that can be used to monitor periodontal health status among diabetic and non-diabetic patients

Prevalence and Predictors of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in a Sample of Iraqi Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is now the most frequent cause of death in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Aims: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and predictors in SSc among Iraqi patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted on 56 patients with SSc diagnosed according to the criteria developed by the American College of Rheumatology. Baseline characteristics [age, sex, body mass index (BMI), duration of SSc, type of SSc, duration of Raynaud’s phenomenon, and presence of telangiectasia] were documented.  Antiscleroderma 70 (anti-SCL70) and anticentromere antibodies were measured. Doppler echocardiography was done to diagnose PAH. A risk score was obtained from 7 criteria, namely: Anti-Centromere Ab, Limited disease type, short duration of Raynaud's phenomena (&lt;2.5 years), older age group (40+ years), absence of Telangiectasia, female gender, and absence of anti SCL70 Ab.  Results: We found that PAH was present in 11 (19.6%) SSc patients with a 95% confidence interval of (9.2% to 30.0%). Risk score in addition to anti-centromere antibodies were enough to diagnose PAH with accuracy level of 89.3%. Conclusions: PAH in SSc occurs in significant proportion of patients. Risk score and anti-centromere antibodies had high accuracy level in predicting PAH. Screening of patients with SSc for PAH will help in early diagnosis and appropriate timely therapeutic intervention before significant endorgan damage occurs. Key words Systemic sclerosis. Connective  tissue. Pulmonary hypertension

MODIFIED HZSM-5 AND H-MORDENITE ZEOLITES AS SUPPORTS FOR PLATINUM CATALYST

Bifunctional Pt/HZSM-5 and Pt/HMOR catalysts were prepared and applied to the isomerization of n-Hexane. Catalysts containing 0.3wt% Pt on both catalysts with potentially high acidity were prepared by impregnation method. The tested catalysts show that optimum selectivity with maximal isomer yield was obtained for Pt/HZSM-5 catalysts. The nanoparticles were characterized by inductively coupled Plasma (ICP), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), BET Surface Area, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). TEM was revealed uniformly dispersed platinum particles on the substrate with average particle size ranging from ~6.893 to 8.847nm. It was demonstrated that the loading content and particle size of the nanoparticles deposited on zeolites could be tuned by changing the weight of precursor and the conditions of loadin

The Overlooked Risk Behaviors of Hepatitis B Virus among Medical and Nonmedical Undergraduate Students

Hepatitis B is the liver tissue inflammation that caused by a viral infection. It causes chronic disease and can be fatal due to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Overlooking the risk behaviors can significantly contribute to the spread of HBV. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the risk-behaviors prevalence of HBV among undergraduate students and to examine its association among medical and nonmedical undergraduates. A questionnaire was randomly distributed to 200 students at Tishk International University, Erbil, Iraq. Demographic and HBV risk-behavior data were collected and analyzed by Chi-square. Linear regression examined the relationship between medical, nonmedical, and HBV risk behaviors. The results revealed that the most common risk-behaviors for HBV among students were sharing nail cutters (79%), sharing razors (55.5%), body piercing (51%), and sharing toothbrushes (23%). However, those risk behaviors varied by gender. Unexpectedly, there was a significant association between some risk-behaviors for hepatitis B and medical students, particularly in pharmacy and nursing departments. Nonmedical students showed fewer risk behaviors than those in pharmacy and nursing departments. The behavioral risk incidence of pharmacy and nursing students was significant in sharing razors (p≤ 0.005) (p≤0.033) and sharing nail cutters (p≤0.000) (p≤0.000) respectively. This study concludes that the transmission of hepatitis B is most likely among undergraduate students due to the overlooked risk behaviors of HBV, and lack of knowledge or awareness. An awareness program is crucial particularly for those in the medical field who may have an impact on other people's lives. Additionally, vaccination against HBV infection is needed to control its transmission and reduce its spread

Uncovering the Smoking Habits of Undergraduate University Students: A Comprehensive Assessment of different varieties Tobacco Use

Tobacco use is a prevalent and serious global health issue, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Every year, over 5 million people worldwide die due to tobacco use. This research aims to comprehensively assess tobacco use, including the types of smoking, such as hookah and other varieties, among undergraduate students. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire survey to investigate students' attitudes towards different types of smoking. The questionnaire included demographic information in the first section, while the second section consisted of questions related to students' smoking behaviors. The data revealed that 59.33% of students smoked tobacco daily and started smoking at a young age. The most common tobacco products consumed were manufactured cigarettes (64.66%) and hookah (50%), while vaping or electronic cigarette use was 26%. A total of 70% of students noticed health warnings on cigarette packages, with 50.66% of them attempting to quit smoking, while 64% never considered quitting. Males were found to smoke more than females, with a ratio of 6:1 (85.3% and 14.7%, respectively), possibly influenced by various social, cultural, environmental, and developmental factors. The results also indicated that the majority of students who smoked lived in urban areas with their families, suggesting a significant association between family smoking and students' smoking behavior. Despite health warnings on cigarette packages, students did not seriously consider quitting smoking, indicating an increasing trend of smoking varieties and a significant public health concern, particularly among university students. More effective policies are needed to control smoking and raise awareness about its detrimental health effects among the public