Improving Engineering Knowledge by Promoting Collaboration between Universities and International Companies in Developing Countries

Several fields today are mainly dependent on cooperation among the different parties, and the education system one of these fields. Many agreements between local laboratories and local and international companies must be agreed. These agreements will be an initial stage in building corporation among the industrial community. However, these agreements should not remain on paper, and such partnership agreements should promote economic growth, social justice, protection of the environment and universal responsibilities during solving logistic and industry issues. Where in a country like Iraq which suffering from lack of job opportunities and the weakness of laboratories that lead to delay the education process. However, the partnership could include practical and scientific studies and then applying the research results in solving the real industry issues. This paper will discuss the effect of industrial partnership with the importance of engineering education and expectations for the accomplishment of new strategies and scenarios in the developing countries

Isolation and Identification of Candida Species from the Oral Cavity of Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in Basrah, Iraq

Candida species are a common normal flora in the human oral cavity , they can cause oral candidiasis especially in the immunocompromised  patients like cancer patients. A total of 500 cancer patients and 200 healthy controls were included in this study. Breast cancer was the most prevalence between patients (145 cases) , followed  by leukemia (114 cases) . Candida albicans was  the most yeast species isolated  from the oral cavity  of the patients  and control persons ,  followed by  C. tropicalis and C. glabrata along with other  non-Candida albicans Candida (NCAC).All the yeast isolates were identified by different phenotypic methods including germ tube and chlamydospores production, growing on chromogenic media and  assimilation  test. Keywords: Yeast, oral cavity, cancer patients, Candida specie

Effect of Three Medicinal Plants Extracts on the Growth of Some Yeasts

This study conducted to detect the effect of the ethanolic extracts for some medicinal plants on 16 yeast species isolated from the oral cavity of cancer patients, three plants which are  Lavandula angustifolia, Salvia officinalis and Syzygium aromaticum were used to study their inhibition  bioactivity and compare their effect with three antifungal drugs (Fluconazole, Ketoconazole and Nystatin), the results showed that Ethanolic extract of L. angustifolia exhibited antifungal bioactivity against all yeast species and revealed inhibition zones ranged from 16-36 mm. with highest effect on C. parapsilosis whereas the lowest effect was on species H. uvarum, while the ethanolic extract of S. officinalis and S. aromaticum showed inhibition zones 16-27 mm. and 17-31 mm. respectively, the results showed that the plants extracts having much more effect on the yeasts growth from the antifungal drugs. Keywords: yeasts, medicinal plants, Ethanolic extracts

Prevalence of Anemia, Iron Deficiency Anemia and its Socio-Demographic Factors among Pregnant Women in Garmian Province, Kurdistan region of Iraq

Anemia is the most common hematologic abnormality in pregnancy. Maternal anemia is associated with adverse fetal, neonatal, and childhood outcomes. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anemia, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA), the severity of the condition, and study the effect of some socio-demographic factors on pregnant women in Garmian province. The study was conducted among 157 pregnant women in Garmian province between 17 and 49 years old. Participants completed a questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, disease, and gestational age. A hematological evaluation, including a complete blood count (CBC) and serum for ferritin testing. Results of this study have shown that the prevalence of anemia and IDA were 34.4% and 15.3%, respectively. Almost three-quarters of the pregnant women had mild anemia, while 31 % of the subjects had moderate anemia, and about 60% of the participants were diagnosed with normocytic anemia. The second trimester had the highest prevalence, with 51.9% for the anemic and 45.8% for IDA subjects, while the first trimester showed the lowest prevalence, with 14.8 % for anemic and 12.5% for IDA subjects. Age, occupation, gravidity with anemia, and iron deficiency anemia did not make a significant difference. Moreover, there was no significant difference in blood indices between anemic and IDA participants. The serum ferritin level was unaffected by the pregnancy trimesters

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

RPC Effect of Crude Oil Products on the Mechanical Characteristics of Reactive-Powder and Normal-Strength Concrete

This study includes detailed information on the mechanical characteristics of the hardened concrete mix for normal concrete (NSC) and reactive powder concrete (RPC) after exposure to crude oil products. Two types of crude oil products (kerosene and gas oil) were investigated after exposure for a period of 180 days. The experimental program consisted of three sets of NSC and RPC specimens; after curing all concrete specimens for 28 days and 2 days to dry in the air, the first set of specimens was immersed in kerosene for 180 days and the second set was immersed in gas oil for the same age, while the third set was left in the air as a reference set (cured normally for 28 days and tested at the age of 180 days). The results showed that the mechanical characteristics of the RPC mix were not highly affected after exposure to each type of crude oil products, where it lost about (3.41–6.32 %) compared with reference RPC mix. While the NSC mix lost about (13.82–21.95 %) of its mechanical characteristics compared with reference NSC mix after exposure to crude oil products for the same period

Punching shear behavior of flat slabs utilizing reactive powder concrete with and without flexural reinforcement

This article investigates the effect of flexural reinforcement and ultrafine steel fiber on the punching shear of reactive powder concrete (RPC) slabs with different thicknesses. Ten RPC slabs and two normal-strength concrete (NSC) slabs were cast and tested with dimensions of 520×520 mm. According to test parameters, these slabs were arranged into three sets. These parameters were the percentage of ultrafine steel fiber, presence/absence of flexural reinforcement, and thickness of the slab. All slab specimens were simply supported along the four edges and concentrically loaded by a square plate with dimensions of 70×70 mm. The experimental results indicated superior and higher performance for RPC slabs compared with NSC slabs in which the punching shear resistance of RPC slabs increased by 78.8%, 92.5%, and 100.8% for RPC slabs containing steel fibers of 1%, 1.5%, and 2%, respectively, as compared with NSC slabs with the same thickness. Also, the presence of flexural steel reinforcement in the slab resulted in a higher ultimate punching shear strength compared with the similar slab without flexural steel reinforcement. Moreover, with increasing the slab thickness, the ultimate punching shear increased significantly and the ultimate deflection decreased as the flexural rigidity of the section increased. Finally, the results showed that it is possible to produce thin RPC slabs with 2% microsteel fibers and without flexural reinforcement to able to sustain the ultimate load, which are comparable with reinforced and nonreinforced normal concrete slabs, which is very crucial for designers who need to reduce the reinforcement amount required with beneficial effects on the cost and self-weight reduction for many structural applications

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity from Argel (Solenostemma argel Hayne) leaves using response surface methodology (RSM)

In this study, phenolic compounds were extracted from Argel leaves using an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method. The extraction parameters (sonication temperature, time, and ethanol concentration) were optimized using a response surface methodology (Box-Behnken design), in order to maximize the total phenolic content (TPC) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity of Argel leaf extracts (ALEs). The phenolic compounds of the ALEs obtained under optimized conditions were also identified. The optimum UAE conditions for achieving maximum TPC (72.27\ua0g gallic acid equivalents kg DW) and DPPH scavenging activity (86.15%) were a 60\ua0°C temperature, a 37.07\ua0min duration, and a 39.14% ethanol concentration. Under these conditions, the experimental values of TPC and DPPH scavenging activity were 73.02\ua0g GAE kg and 85.56%, respectively, which agreed with the predicted values. In addition, the major phenolic acids found in ALEs under the optimized extraction conditions were sinapic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acid. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrated the suitability of UAE and the success of RSM in optimizing the extraction conditions of bioactive compounds from ALEs

PREVALENCE AND MANAGEMENT OF URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS IN TYPE 2 DIABETIC PATIENTS

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a polygenic illness that affects many other organs. In people with type 2 diabetes, urinary tract infection is the most prevalent, the most severe, and has the worst consequences. They are also more frequently caused by microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics. Immune system dysfunction, poor metabolic regulation, and inadequate bladder emptying owing to autonomic neuropathy may all contribute to these individuals' increased risk of urinary tract infections. The novel anti-diabetic sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors were not shown to raise the likelihood of symptomatic urinary tract infections appreciably. Urinary tract infection symptoms are comparable to those seen in people without diabetes, while some patients with diabetic neuropathy may exhibit changed clinical findings. The existence of symptoms, the severity of systemic symptoms, whether the infection is limited in the bladder or also includes the kidney, the presence of urologic abnormalities, concomitant metabolic disturbances, and renal function all influence treatment. There is no evidence that diabetic people with asymptomatic bacteriuria should be treated. Diabetes length, age, gender, method of drug administration, kind of medicines used in diabetes, poor glycemic control, obesity, unsanitary settings, sexual intercourse, and type of DM are all risk factors for UTI in diabetic patients. Antibiotic usage on a daily basis has rendered numerous harmful microorganisms resistant to their effects. In the long run, if UTI in diabetes people is not treated, it might lead to serious problems. Furthermore, the pattern of antibiotic resistance varies by geographical area. As a result, the use of susceptible antibiotics to treat UTI in diabetes patients has become critical. Medline and PubMed public database searches was carried out for papers written all over the world on UTI in diabetic patients. No predictive analytics technology was used. To evaluate the initial results and the methods of conducting the paper, the group members reviewed the data