The Effect of Gender on the Bilingual and Bicultural Identity of the Iraqi EFL Learners' Recognition and Production of Request

This study examines the effect of gender on students' bilingual and bicultural identity in their recognition and production of request is studied. This means that it investigates to what extent the learners’ mother tongue and culture influence their recognition and production of request in the EFL and the effect of gender on such an identity. The study aims at exploring and identifying the linguistic patterns of request in English used by Iraqi EFL learners, those patterns of request transferred from Iraqi EFL learners’ mother tongue, and the Iraqi EFL learners’ cultural patterns and cultural realization of request transferred from Arabic culture into the EFL. Some hypotheses of the study state that there is a bilingual and cultural identity in using request by Iraqi EFL learners, females are better than males in request perception and production and they are worse in Arabic monolingualism and monoculturalism, students are better in English monolingualism and monoculturalism than in the other request features, students’ English monolingual and monocultural identity is more apparent in request perception than in production. To validate or refute its hypotheses, a test comprising recognition and production has been constructed and applied to fifty Iraqi EFL learners at fourth year, Department of English, College of Education for Humanities, University of Thi-Qar at the academic year (2020-2021). After data analysis, some conclusions are arrived at. The study concludes that Iraqi EFL learners are pragmatically incompetent and they have a bilingual and bicultural identity because of their mother tongue and culture interference

Removal of Ciprofloxacin Antibiotic from Synthesized Aqueous Solution Using Three Different Metals Nanoparticles Synthesized Through the Green Method

This study investigates the possibility of removing ciprofloxacin (CIP) using three types of adsorbent based on green-prepared iron nanoparticles (Fe.NPs), copper nanoparticles (Cu. NPS), and silver nanoparticles (Ag. NPS) from synthesized aqueous solution. They were characterized using different analysis methods. According to the characterization findings, each prepared NPs has the shape of a sphere and with ranges in sizes from of 85, 47, and 32 nanometers and a surface area of 2.1913, 1.6562, and 1.2387 m2/g for Fe.NPs, Cu.NPs and Ag.NPs, respectively. The effects of various parameters such as pH, initial CIP concentration, temperature, NPs dosage, and time on CIP removal were investigated through batch experiments. The results showed that 10 mg/L CIP was removed by 100%, 92% and 79% within 180 min using Fe.NPs, Cu.NPs, and Ag.NPs respectively. In addition to this, kinetic models of the adsorption and mechanism of CIP removal were studied. The cinematic analysis demonstrated that adsorption is a physics adsorption mechanism with an energy of 0.846 kJ.mol-1, 1.720 kJ.mol-1, and 3.872 kJ.mol-1, while the low activation energies of 17.660 kJ.mol-1, 13.221 kJ.mol-1, and 14.060 kJ.mol-1 for Fe.NPs, Cu.NPs, and Ag.NPs respectively. The kinetic removal process follows a pseudo-first-order model following a physical diffusion-controlled reaction. The data on adsorption was analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin models, as well as thermodynamic factors, indicating that the process is appropriate and endothermic sorption. The most practical adsorbent was Fe.NPs    

Evaluating the Mortality Outcomes of Premature Infants in the Intensive Care Unit

<p>Currently, premature birth is the predominant and crucial factor contributing to birth complications, leading to both perinatal mortality and morbidity, with an impact on as many as five to twelve percent of all births. Our study conducted a statistical analysis to evaluate mortality outcomes for preterm infants in the intensive care unit.</p><p>Patients and methods: From 12th March 2022 to 8th April 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate preterm neonatal patients in the neonatal intensive care unit at different hospitals in Iraq. We enrolled 105 participants and included preoperative demographic data in our investigation. The data were obtained from patients with premature infants delivered between 20- and 36 weeks gestation and birth weight in term [1/2 - 1], [1 - 1 ½], [1 ½ - 2], and > 2. Demographic data on smoking, steroid use, gestational age, types of obstetric interventions, and age of pregnant women (under 30 years and over 30 years) were analysed in our investigation.</p><p>Results: The research found that 62.86% of the sample population comprised women over the age of 30, while women aged less than 30 accounted for 37.14%. Our study comprised women who attended an entire hospital where clinical data were collected, and 29.52% of deliveries were vaginal, while Caesarean section accounted for 70.48%. The study analysed women in gestational weeks ranging from 20 to 24, and the incidence was 14.29%. The study analysed the postoperative mortality of premature infants, with a rate of 53.33% for women in gestational weeks between 31 to 36. The duration of hospital stay was (37.22 ± 25.441) days, and the discharge weight was (2110 ± 780.4) grams. There were 15 cases of premature infant patients weighing over 2 grams.</p><p>Conclusion: Prematurity is one risk factor that increases the likelihood of a newborn dying from respiratory distress syndrome. Low birth weight is the other risk factor for respiratory distress syndrome-related death.</p&gt

An overview of nanoparticles in drug delivery: Properties and applications

Today, in diverse medical and clinical fields, including cancer treatment, nanoscience has evolved and evolved. Cancer and its forms, on the other hand, have been rumored and inclusive, and many individuals suffer from this fatal and lethal condition. Actually, even with the medicinal effect, current therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, etc., create symptoms that are inconvenient for patients. Scientists and scholars are also working to establish and, strengthen the options and methods of therapy to deal with this dangerous illness. Nanoscience and nanotechnology have been popular today, their different areas, including nanoparticles, are commonly used for a number of applications, especially for drug delivery and diagnostic products, and cases of imaging. Release mechanisms focused on nanotechnology have a profound effect on the release of cancer drugs. Biomaterials and bio-engineering developments are leading to novel approaches to nanoparticles that could offer a new way for cancer patients to improve. In the drug release method, Nano-technology has had a great effect on the selection of cancer cells, the release of a targeted drug, and the overcoming of traditional chemotherapy limitations. This article discusses the drug delivery to tumor tissue, a method that is more effective than traditional drug delivery methods, also many new nanoparticles have solved the problem of cell resistance to the drug, provided a new field in the treatment of cancer

Evaluating Rutting Resistance of Rejuvenated Recycled Hot-Mix Asphalt Mixtures Using Different Types of Recycling Agents

Growing environmental pollution worldwide is mostly caused by the accumulation of different types of liquid and solid wastes. Therefore, policies in developed countries seek to support the concept of waste recycling due to its significant impact on the environmental footprint. Hot-mix asphalt mixtures (HMA) with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) have shown great performance under rutting. However, incorporating a high percentage of RAP (>25%) is a challenging issue due to the increased stiffness of the resulting mixture. The stiffness problem is resolved by employing different types of commercial and noncommercial rejuvenators. In this study, three types of noncommercial rejuvenators (waste cooking oil (WCO), waste engine oil (WEO), and date seed oil (DSO)) were used, in addition to one type of commercial rejuvenator. Three percentages of RAP (20%, 40%, and 60%) were utilized. Mixing proportions for the noncommercial additives were set as 0–10% for mixtures with 20% RAP, 12.5–17.5% for mixtures with 40% RAP, and 17.5–20% for mixtures with 60% RAP. In addition, mixing proportions for the commercial additive were set as 0.5–1.0% for mixtures with 20% RAP, 1.0–1.5% for mixtures with 40% RAP, and 1.5–2.0% for mixtures with 60% RAP. The rutting performance of the generated mixtures was indicated first by using the rutting index (G*/sin δ) for the combined binders and then evaluated using the Hamburg wheel-track test. The results showed that the rejuvenated mixtures with the commercial additive at 20 and 60% RAP performed well compared to the control mixture, whereas the rejuvenated ones at 40% RAP performed well with noncommercial additives in comparison to the control mixture. Furthermore, the optimum percentages for each type of the used additives were obtained, depending on their respective performance, as 10%, 12.5%, and 17.5% of WCO, 10%, 12.5–17.5%, and 17.5% of WEO, <10%, 12.5%, and 17.5% of DSO, and 0.5–1.0%, 1.0%, and 1.5–2.0% of the commercial rejuvenator, corresponding to the three adopted percentages of RAP

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially