Economic Diversification and Government Sustainable Supply Chain Governance: An Empirical Approach on Government Expenditure of Iraq

This paper examines and analyses evidence pertaining to economic diversification and government sustainable supply chain governance in the Iraqi government expenditure from 2004 to 2016. The purpose of the paper is to test to what extent the government has recognized the importance of economic diversification and government sustainable supply chain governance in the process of growth of government revenue and hence what are the measures adopted aiming at improving government revenue. Based on evidence, the paper goes on to identify the determinants of economic diversification and governance in the Iraq. This paper uses recent growth theories and statistical techniques to empirically test for the association between economic diversification (gross domestic product (GDP), importation, exportation and total fixed capital formation), governance (political stability, quality regulation, effective government, control of corruption, rule of law and accountability) and government expenditure. Results obtained from data analysis indicate a strong relationship between economic diversification and government expenditure. However, the relationship between Iraqi governance and government expenditure revealed a significant relationship which shows that increase in the budget for effective governance did not apparently lead to quality improvement in the government expenditure. Iraq as part of the countries under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) shares specific structural economic features. The country depends heavily on the hydrocarbon sector despite the huge accumulated financial surplus and the governments investment on the economy; outcomes have fallen short of targets set out for the national visions, while the challenges of economic diversification and governance continue. The overarching focus will be on the challenges of diversification in terms of strategic planning, policy-making, implementation, and global best practices. This study revealed that to achieve these goals, the government in the whole world needs to improve and maintain the government expenditure by diversifying into the economic gross domestic product (GDP), importation, exportation and total fixed capital formation

Approach for Diagnosis of Complicated Traumatic Reticuloperitonitis in Cattle using Ultrasonography

The current study indicated that the complicated sequellae of traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP) in cattle could be efficiently diagnosed by using of ultrasonography and some other diagnostic tools. The affections in these cases included reticulum and spleen with extension to one or more of the other organs such as rumen and abomasum. This study included two groups of animals; one of them kept as a control one (n.=16) and the other was a diseased group (n.= 12). All animals were subjected to clinical examination, whole blood profiling, blood serum biochemical assay, radiography and ultrasonographic examination. Rumenotomy was carried out in some cases. The reticulum was mostly displaced in cases of complicated TRP by a distance of 3-6 cm. Sometimes, the reticulum was not displaced such as in case of diaphragmatic hernia. The reticular contractions in the complicated traumatic cows were either reduced to 2 or 1/3mins, or completely reduced to 0/3mins. Reticular abscess and peritoneal effusions were imaged in all these diseased cases. Here, Vagus indigestion syndrome and diaphragmatic hernia were successfully diagnosed by using of ultrasonography with the aid of radiography and rumenotomy. Ultrasonography was useful in imaging non metal objects (Ropes and plastic tubes) within the rumen especially in cases of severe ruminal distension

Building capacity for clinical research in developing countries: the INDOX cancer research network experience

Transnational Organisations increasingly prioritise the need to support local research capacity in low and middle income countries in order that local priorities are addressed with due consideration of contextual issues. There remains limited evidence on the best way in which this should be done or the ways in which external agencies can support this process

IFRS adoption, cost of equity and firm value: evidence from Iraq

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of adoption of IFRS on the Iraqi environment by studying the relationship between the adoption of international financial reporting standards and the cost of equity and the effect of the cost of equity on the value of the company.   Theoretical framework: The international financial reporting standards (IFRS) are becoming special driver for the convergence of management and financial accounting and as the leading principles for over 120 countries in the world including those that voluntarily adopted the standards.   Design/methodology/approach: The population of the study comprises 17 commercial companies listed in the Iraqi Stock Exchange for the periods of 2011-2013 and 2016-2018 with the exception of Islamic companies due to the difference in the privacy of the applicable regulations   Findings: The results from the data collected through questionnaire survey showed the distinctive effects of financial and management accounting standards before and after the adoption of IFRS. Therefore, there are inconsistencies in the results of the value of the companies between the samples for the periods before and after the application of international financial reporting standards.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study examined the differences in the outcomes of the years when IFRS was yet to be adopted when the standards are adopted by considering the control variables such as age of the companies, size of the companies and leverages.   Originality/value: the value of the study's originality by measuring adopting IFRS for the first time in Iraqi Banking for the periods of 2011-2013 and 2016-2018 with the exception of Islamic companies due to the difference in the privacy of the applicable regulations

Numerical Analysis of Settlement of a Piled Raft Foundation on Coastal Soil

There is a growing demand for multi-story buildings for residence and commercial purposes in coastal areas of Sindh, Pakistan. Such types of soils are generally considered more compressible with high groundwater levels, which may cause lower shear strength and higher settlement. The computation of the settlement of foundations requires the use of advanced constitutive models, which are not commonly used due to a lack of field or experimental data. This study is carried out to illustrate the use of an advanced soil model, i.e., Hardening Soil Model for the computation of settlement. For this purpose, numerical modeling was carried out using Finite Element Program PLAXIS 2D. Initially, the MC Model was utilized for the calculation of the settlement of a 10-story building in the coastal soil. In addition, parametric analyses for the effects of modulus of elasticity, permeability, and dilatancy angle were carried out. The results mainly suggest that the settlement of the building constructed on a piled raft foundation, predicted with the MC model, was 40% higher than that of the HS model. For prediction of settlement of the piled raft foundation, the results suggest that the HS model can be given preference as compared to the MC model. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-02-05 Full Text: PD

The Socio-Demographic Characteristics Associated with Non-Communicable Diseases among the Adult Population of Dubai: Results from Dubai Household Survey 2019.

BACKGROUND: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of death worldwide. In the UAE, NCDs account for nearly 77% of all deaths. There is limited empirical research on this topic in the UAE. We aimed to examine the association of non-communicable diseases and the sociodemographic characteristics among the adult population of Dubai. METHODS: The study used secondary data from the Dubai Household Health Survey (DHHS), 2019. DHHS is a cross-sectional complex design, stratified by geographic area, and uses multistage probability sampling. In this survey, 2247 families were interviewed and only adults aged 18+ were included for the analysis. The quasi-binomial distribution was used to identify the socio-demographic characteristics association with NCDs. RESULTS: The prevalence of NCDs among the adult population of Dubai was 15.01%. Individuals aged 60+, local Arabs (Emirati), divorced and widowed individuals, and individuals who were not currently working reported NCDs more than the other groups. In the regression analysis, the association with NCDs were reported among elderly people, males, unmarried individuals, older individuals who are unmarried, and Emiratis. CONCLUSION: The study identified several socio-demographic characteristics associated with reporting NCDs. This is one of the few studies related to NCDs in Dubai. Allocating appropriate resources to the population groups identified is crucial to reduce the incidence of NCDs in the Emirate

Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Associated Factors among Female Migrants in the United Arab Emirates

Vitamin D is important for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency could be linked to noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among female migrants from Philippines, Arab, and South Asian countries residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We used a cross-sectional study to recruit a random sample (N = 550) of female migrants aged 18 years and over in the city of Al Ain, UAE. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ≤20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L). We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. The mean age of participants was 35 years (SD ± 10). The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 67% (95% CI 60–73%), with the highest rate seen in Arabs (87%), followed by South Asians (83%) and the lowest in Filipinas (15%). Multivariate analyses showed that low physical activity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.59; 95% CI 1.98, 10.63), having more than 5 years duration of residence in the UAE (aOR = 4.65; 95% CI: 1.31, 16.53) and being obese (aOR = 3.56; 95% CI 1.04, 12.20) were independently associated with vitamin D deficiency, after controlling for age and nationality. In summary, vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among female migrants, especially Arabs and South Asians. It is crucial that health professionals in the UAE become aware of this situation among this vulnerable subpopulation and provide intervention strategies aiming to rectify vitamin D deficiency by focusing more on sun exposure, physical activity, and supplementation

Numerical modelling of shallow foundation on multi-layer soil with varying stiffness

The load-deformation observation under the footing is essential for foundation design. Either experimental methods or numerical modelling generally determines this phenomenon in engineering practices. This study determined the settlement of shallow foundations on Multi-layer soil profile numerically. The settlement behavior was investigated through numerical modelling with Plaxis 2D. This study site was Jamshoro region, located in province Sindh, Pakistan. From the geotechnical investigation, the soil of Jamshoro region consists of a combination of different soils, mainly shale and limestone. This type of soil shows common challenges for the serviceable and sustainable design and construction of structural foundations. The standard penetration test conducted accompanied by other geotechnical tests on shale and limestone to determine the input parameters for the model and observe the soil profile. The Mohr-Coloumb model used for shale and linear elastic for limestone. The settlement of the foundation is attended by varying the limestone layer’s depth. In this research, the settlement reduced under the footing by increasing the thickness of the limestone layer. The study observed that stiffness of lower layer significantly reduces the settlement of shallow foundation. Therefore, the effect of lower layer should be considered for the designing of foundation on multi-layered soil