Detection of Cardiac Disarrhythmia with Patients Post-Haemodialysis in Dialysis Center of General Kirkuk Hospital

Background : Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a most common complication and  cause of death in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Arrhythmias are complications that are frequently observed in patients attending to hemodialysis varies between 17 to 76%. Increased QT intervals dispersion is predisposing to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.Objective : The main objective of the study is to detect the cardiac disarrhythmia with patients at post-hemodialysis  and  to assess the effect of hemodialysis (HD) on corrected QT (QTc) intervals and their dispersions (QTd) in chronic hemodialyzed patients.Methods: A descriptive study a purposive (non-probability) sample of (60) patients were undergoing hemodialysis was carried out at Kirkuk general hospital/ dialysis center, from December 2013 to 28 March  2014.  The study sample consisted of 60 patients undergoing hemodialysis (61.7% males and 38.3% females), whose mean age was 66.79±13.16 years. All of them underwent  electrocardiograms  performed after one dialysis session. On a second phase, ECG was performed pre –post  hemodialysis .12-leads standard ECG were recorded using a Mortara instrument 1246, (USA) electrocardiograph at paper speed of 25 mm/s and 10 mm/mV, and a blood specimen was drawn to measure plasma electrolytes pre –post a single hemodialysis session. Results were tested for normality and expressed as mean ± SD,. Comparisons were made using t test or Mann-Whitney test (electrolyte values).Results :Post-dialysis arrhythmia showed 20(33.3%) of participants are suffer from Sinus bradycardia and 15 (25%) of them are suffer from irregularity with possible premature atrial  contraction. The mean of pre and post dialysis R-R intervals was (780.11±90.75 ms pre-HD vs. 811.16±81.45 post-HD, respectively (p>0.05). The mean of corrected QT cmax intervals increased significantly from 383.11±11.95 msec pre-HD vs. 422.16±18.70  msec post-HD, (p<0.05). The mean of QTc dispersion increases from 47.56±9.85 ms pre-HD to 59.25±11.93 ms post-HD (p<0.05) respectively. The changes in serum potassium and calcium levels were related with QT interval prolongation. a statistical  high  significant difference of  serum Changes ( (Potassium, Calcium, and Urea) at pre-post hemodialysis  with mean± SD (5.09±0.70 vs 3.96±0.54 , 7.34±0.90 vs 7.72±0.60 , 59.88±9.50 vs 21.97±4.81 ) respectively .Conclusions: This study showed that QTcmax and QT dispersion, markers of risk for arrhythmias and sudden death, are elevated in hemodialysis patients, and rise pos-dialysis.QTc interval and dispersion increase in HD patients. Keywords: Chronic renal disease, Hemodialysis, QT interval, Arrhythmi

Using Agency Theory in Understanding Switching Behavior in B2B Service Industries “I”

Understanding switching behavior is a cornerstone in sustaining customer led marketing efforts especially in services which depend on long-term relationships with the customers and where the switching process is compound and costly for both the customer and the service provider. The issue of understanding the motives and barriers behind agency-brand switching behavior still needs further conceptual support and empirical investigation in service industries context, where the emphasis placed on investigating the actual switching motives without trying to conceptualize the issue, which if done will result in better understanding for the whole switching process. In this paper, the authors attempt to bridge this gap in the literature by examining the criterion validity of the switching behavior model using the agency theory, as the relation between the business company (principle) and an Advertising agency (the agent) could be described as agency relationship. Furthermore, this approach helps in supporting the efforts for retaining the business-to-business customers, strengthening the relationship with them, developing and adopting globally integrated customer led strategies in different countries, a trend which is expected to dominate the marketing field in the future due to the increasing role of the agency brand selection and switching in today’s world markets.Brand switching, agency theory, business to business marketing, service marketing, international advertising research

Growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of l-asparaginase from Fusarium culmorum ASP-87 on human leukemia cells (Jurkat)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the anticancer properties of l-asparaginase purified from fungal isolate Fusarium culmorum ASP-87 against human T-cell leukemia cell line (Jurkat). The growth inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of purified l-asparaginase on Jurkat cell lines were investigated by determining its influence on cell viability, colony formation, DNA fragmentation, and cell cycle progression. The results revealed that purified l-asparaginase showed significant decrease in cell survival with IC50 value of 90 μg/mL (9 IU/mL). The enzyme inhibited colony formation and showed characteristic laddering pattern on agarose gel thereby confirming the induction of apoptosis. Further, cell cycle analysis revealed that the enzyme induced apoptotic cell death by arresting the growth of cells at G2-M phase. However, the enzyme did not elicit any toxic effects on human erythrocytes. l-asparaginase purified from F. culmorum ASP-87 showed significant and selective cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on human T-cell leukemic cells in dose-dependent manner. Results of the study give leads for the anticancer effects of fungal l-asparaginase and its potential usefulness in the chemotherapy of leukemia. © 2016 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutiqu

Time-dependent coupled oscillator model for charged particle motion in the presence of a time varyingmagnetic field

The dynamics of time-dependent coupled oscillator model for the charged particle motion subjected to a time-dependent external magnetic field is investigated. We used canonical transformation approach for the classical treatment of the system, whereas unitary transformation approach is used when managing the system in the framework of quantum mechanics. For both approaches, the original system is transformed to a much more simple system that is the sum of two independent harmonic oscillators which have time-dependent frequencies. We therefore easily identified the wave functions in the transformed system with the help of invariant operator of the system. The full wave functions in the original system is derived from the inverse unitary transformation of the wave functions associated to the transformed system.Comment: 16 page

Integrating Enterprise Resource Planning with the Organizations’ Management Structure for Decision-Making

The unstable situation of some countries in Middle East have caused several crises. Many humanitarians Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) intervene to provide services to the affected groups. Good information management may have an effect on the project’s activities and the accuracy of decisions making, especially for organizations that have limited resource. This paper presents the integration of a Management Information System (MIS) and its' impact in a local organization operating in Duhok City, Kurdistan Region-Iraq (KRI), namely voice of older people and family (VOP Fam). The goal is to increase the quality of humanitarian work through good decision making and data management. Based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) result, the system includes many components as an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and is used by the organization staff for managing and organizing their activities. This system is essential to provide knowledge and can bring together the management and the organization’s senior staff members to make decisions, collect the important information, and allow the donors and the staff of the NGO to follow work timely. The importance of the research lies in its contributes to highlighting the positive impact of integrating a computer-based information system (IS) in conducting humanitarian activities of NGOs in KRI. In addition, it will add a level of reliability to the NGO’s activities data and make it trustworthy. This study has concluded that Integrating IS in organizations can help in decision-making based on analyzing the aggregated data, and prepare more accurate reports in a short period.&nbsp

Water use efficiency of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) under different irrigation methods and potassium fertilizer rates

AbstractThis study was conducted to determine the effect of different irrigation methods and potassium fertilizers on potato yield in the Abu–Graib–Baghdad, Iraq Region, during season 2011–2012. Potato was grown under furrow and drip irrigation methods and three potassium fertilizers rates applied with 0.0, 300 and 600kg K2SO4ha−1. The obtained results indicated that, actual potato evapotranspiration ranged from 357.3 to 511.4mm in the growth season for all treatments. Furrow and drip irrigation methods had no significant effect on tuber yield under the experiential conditions. Potassium fertilizer influenced the tuber yield (P<0.05), and the highest tuber yield was registered for 600kg K2SO4ha−1, reaching 35.23Tha−1and 36.65Tha−1for furrow and drip irrigation, respectively. Water use efficiency increased from 5.129 to 7.379kgm−3 for furrow-irrigated treatments, and from 6.907 to 10.257kgm−3 for drip-irrigated treatments using the above mentioned rate of K-fertilizer