Hookah smoking has become very popular in Iraq among women and men. Hookah tobacco contains natural radioactive elements, such as radon, radium, and uranium, as well as toxic elements, such as polonium, which are released during the combustion of tobacco and are inhaled by smoking. Most reviews focus on hookah tobacco, and only a few have investigated the blood of hookah smokers. In this study, a CR-39 detector was used to measure radon, radium, and polonium concentrations and conduct risk assessments in female hookah smokers of different ages. The results show that the concentrations of radon-222, polonium-218, and polonium-214 varied between 61.62 and 384.80, 5.45–33.64 on the wall of the can, and 2.43–15.00 Bq/m3 on the surface of the detector, respectively. The effective radium-226 concentration varied between 4.52 and 56.31 Bq/kg. The absorbed effective dose varied between 1.55 and 9.71 mSv/y, which is within the recommended limit (3–10 mSv/y) by International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). The average case of lung cancer 107.91 cppp, which exceeds the European Union (EU) limit (96.9–104.8 cppp). The rates of radon activity and radon exhalation from the intake of a natural radionuclide due to hookah smoking in a female’s blood were calculated and discussed. This study aimed to establish preliminary results on the risks of radioactivity concentrations and assess the dose in the blood of women who smoke hookah and assess the possibility of developing cancer.
Social isolation and quarantine have been implemented globally during outbreaks of a highly transmissible microbe. For instance, they were employed during the plague outbreak in 1894 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. While these methods have proven effective against highly transmissible infections, they have also had significant negative consequences. In specific regions like Anbar, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk, social isolation occurred during the period of ISIS occupation. After their liberation, these regions experienced a COVID-19 outbreak, and quarantine measures were put in place. This study aimed to investigate the effect of social isolation and quarantine on tuberculosis. Patients from Anbar, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk distri
... Show MoreMorphometric traits or body conformation traits also called linear body measurements are important in predicting marketing body weight especially for commercial breeders and producers. The total number of reared Domyati ducklings are 168 hatched, at marketing age (8 wks.) 44 brown and 14 white Domyati ducks were used to estimate the body weight and body measurements such as shank length (ShL), keel length (KL), body circumference (BC), breast length (BrL), breast width (BrW), beak width (BL), and body length (BL). Our results showed that there is no significant difference between both white and brown Domyati ducks for body measurements. There was high positive correlation among body weight and body measurements on both white and bro
... Show MoreIn this study, a factorial experiment was conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates to investigate the effects of silicon at four concentrations: 0, 2, 4, and 6 ml/L, designated as S0, S1, S2, and S3, respectively and a calcium-boron combination at three concentrations: 0, (0.5 g/L Ca-EDTA, + 10 mg/L B), and (1 g/L Ca-EDTA, + 20 mg/L B), designated as C0, C1, and C2, respectively. on the activity of antioxidant enzymes and some qualitative traits of fruits. The results indicated that the studied traits were significantly influenced by the factors. Silicon application notably increased enzyme activity, treatment S3 showed the highest activity levels for peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) rea
... Show MoreOpportunistic fungal infections due to the immune- compromised status of renal transplant patients are related to high rates of morbidity and mortality regardless of their minor incidence. Delayed in identification of invasive fungal infections (IFIs), will lead to delayed treatment and results in high mortality in those populations. The study aimed to assess the frequency of invasive fungal infection in kidney transplant recipients by conventional and molecular methods. This study included 100 kidney transplant recipients (KTR) (75 males, and 25 females), collected from the Centre of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation in the Medical City of Baghdad. Blood samples were collected during the period from June 2018 to April 2019. Twent
... Show MoreExpressions of Gratitude in American English and Iraqi Arabic (). Expressing gratitude is one of the most frequently occurring communicative acts in...