In this study, gamma-ray spectrometry with an HPGe detector was used to measure the specific activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples collected from IT1 oil reservoirs in Kirkuk city, northeast Iraq. The “spectral line Gp” gamma analysis software package was used to analyze the spectral data. 226Ra specific activity varies from 9 0.34 Bq.kg-1 to 17 0.47 Bq.kg-1. 232Th specific activity varies from 6.2 0.08 Bq.kg-1 to 18 0.2 Bq.kg-1. 40K specific activity varies from 25 0.19 Bq.kg-1 to 118 0.41 Bq.kg-1. The radiological hazard due to the radiation emitted from natural radionuclides in soil samples was also assessed. The average values of the radium equivalent (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), internal hazard index (Hin), gamma index (I), absorbed dose rate (D), outdoor (AEDEout) and indoor (AEDEin) annual effective dose equivalent were 35.391 Bq.kg-1, 0.095, 0.128, 0.253, 16.118 nGy.h-1, 0.0197 mSv.y-1, and 0.0790 mSv.y-1, respectively. All values obtained for the activity concentrations for 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K and the radiological hazard were lower than the global values. This indicates that no harmful radiation effects are posed to the population who work and live near the study area.
AbstractBackgroundLeishmaniasis is endemic in Iraq, where both cutaneous and visceral forms of the disease are reported.ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and to identify associations of CL with age, sex, season, and provinces depending on some demographic and climatic aspects.MethodsThis study is retrospective and includes reported cases of infections using the available surveillance database taken from the Iraqi Ministry of Health for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 for all provinces of Iraq.ResultsMen and boys were found to be at higher risk for CL compared with women and girls. The majority of cases were recorded among those in age groups 5–14 and 15–45 years old. Most cases were recorded from lowla
... Show MoreThe depreciation of the Iraqi dinar against the US dollar, reaching low levels and causing disruptions in the local markets, has had detrimental effects on individuals and companies, particularly those with limited income and the poor. The local currency approached around 1600 dinars per dollar, after the official exchange rate had stabilized at around 1450 dinars per US dollar. This depreciation in the value of the Iraqi dinar can be attributed to financial speculation among currency traders, which directly affected exchange rates and illicit dollar smuggling operations. Bank transfers are also important alongside financial transactions, especially in light of current economic developments in the 21st century. To prevent currency s
... Show MorePublic-private partnership (PPP) has been used over the past 20-30 years by governments in developed countries to meet the public demand for infrastructural services. In Iraq, the PPP concept is comparatively new to the Government of Iraq (GoI), where the government has historically taken most of the responsibility for providing public services. There are few PPP projects in Iraq. However, the number is increasing. Recently the Iraqi market has experienced a number of attempts of PPP in different sectors, especially after the new investment law in 2006. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the investment environment in Iraq and to indicate the main factors affecting PPP in particular for infrastructure projects. Some literature review and
... Show MoreThe kestrel Falco tinnunculus specimens coIldeted in Iraq are found infected with one or more species of the following helminthes; Physaloptera alata (Nematoda), Cladataenia globifera (Cestoda), Prosthogonimus cuneatus (Trernatoda), and Sphaeriorostris sp. (Acanthocephala) with a total infection rate of 30.56%. The results are compared and discussed with the pertinent literature.
Prostate cancer is an important and potentially fatal disease in humans. Both genetic and environmental risk factors are associated with increased risk of prostate cancer among Asian pop
Objectives: A cross sectional analytic study was carried out to identify the maternal risk factors which
contribute to occurrence of low birth weight, and to determine the statistical significant differences between low
birth weight and maternal risk factors.
Methodology: A purposive sample of (400) woman was selected from AL-Elwyia Maternity Teaching Hospital
and Fatima Al-Zaharia Maternity and Pediatric Teaching Hospital. Data was collected through the interview of
mothers. Questionnaire format was designed and consisted seven parts, demographic variables, and reproductive
variables , Reproductive health variables, complications during the current pregnancy, the mother newborn
variables nutritional status for the m
Mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead, were measured in sediment samples of river and marine environmental of Basra governorate in southern of Iraq. Sixteen sites of sediment were selected and distributed along Shatt Al-Arab River and the Iraqi marine environment. The samples were distributed among one station on Euphrates River before its confluence with Tigris River and Shatt Al-Arab formation, seven stations along Shatt Al-Arab River and eight stations were selected from the Iraqi marine region. All samples were collected from surface sediment in low tide time. ICP technique was used for the determination of mercury and arsenic for all samples, while cadmium and lead were measured for the same samples by using Atomic Absorption Spectrosc
... Show MoreThe effects of temperature on an exotic aquatic snail Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1819) collected from the Shatt Al-Arab intertidal zone were investigated. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted during the summer period of 2017. Individuals of new born snails hatched in the laboratory from adult snails were collected from Shatt Al-Arab intertidal zone, and subjected to five fixed temperatures: 15, 25, 35, 40 and 45 Cº, after short term thermal acclimation. The heartbeats (HB) were counted at each temperature level. The results showed significant direct increase of HB from 15 Cº (19.8 HB/min) up to 25 Cº (76 HB/min) (P<0.05) as well as from 25 Cº to 35 Cº (93 HB/min). At 40 Cº the snail HB
... Show More