A lack of adequate building maintenance is a significant obstacle faced by governmental hospitals. This paper evaluates factors that negatively impact building-maintenance practices in Iraq. A literature review was conducted to identify factors affecting maintenance. A list of 42 factors affecting hospital-buildings was collected from previous studies and tested using a structured questionnaire distributed to hospital-maintenance experts. During the data analysis, 76 valid questionnaires were used. Based on the respondents’ ratings, the relative-importance index (RII) was used to determine the level of importance of each factor. From the results, it was concluded that twelve factors affect maintenance practices in hospital buildings: faulty design (0.889), lack of funding (0.874), inadequate training (0.871), misuse of building facilities (0.866), construction errors (0.863), lack of work experience (0.858), building age (0.826), individual modifications carried out by the hospital staff (0.826), shortage of maintenance staff (0.824), administrative corruption (0.821), selection of unqualified maintenance contractors (0.816) and unavailability of skilled appointed maintenance personnel (0.808). Understanding these factors’ effects is essential for maintenance-department managers to develop strategies for maintaining hospital buildings in Iraq by controlling them, as well as identifying problems and finding appropriate solutions to avoid them. KEYWORDS: Governmental hospitals, Maintenance, Iraq, Building maintenance, Maintenance practices, Factors affecting maintenance
Q fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant v
... Show MorePseudomonas aeruginosa produces an extracellular bioï¬lm matrix that consists of nucleic acids, exopolysaccharides, lipid vesicles, and proteins. Alginate, Psl and Pel are three exopolysaccharides that constitute the main components in biofilm matrix, with many biological functions attributed to them, especially concerning the protection of the bacterial cell from antimicrobial agents and immune responses. A total of 25 gentamicin-resistant P. aeruginosa selected isolates were enrolled in this study. Biofilm development was observed in 96% of the isolates. In addition, the present results clarified the presence of pelA and pslA in all the studied isolates. The expression of these genes was very low. Even though all biof
... Show MoreNon-additive measures and corresponding integrals originally have been introduced by Choquet in 1953 (1) and independently defined by Sugeno in 1974 (2) in order to extend the classical measure by replacing the additivity property to non-additive property. An important feature of non –additive measures and fuzzy integrals is that they can represent the importance of individual information sources and interactions among them. There are many applications of non-additive measures and fuzzy integrals such as image processing, multi-criteria decision making, information fusion, classification, and pattern recognition. This paper presents a mathematical model for discussing an application of non-additive measures and corresp
... Show MoreThe current study aims to examine the experience of female students with disabilities who studying in university in kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To this end, the researcher used semi-structured interview as an instrument to collect the study data which regards as one of the descriptive approach tools. The sample comprised (12) disabled-female students from multidiscipline within both college of arts and college of education. To analyze the collected data, the author utilized a thematic analysis method following six steps as stated by (Braun and Clark, 2006). The findings revealed that disabled students have a high self-confidence which push them forward to take part in activities that hold on campus. Besides, significant variation were shown
... Show MoreThere are many varied studies that dealt with the dramatic construction, especially books and studies that addressed drama in its construction and the method of writing it, that no textbook or a general cultural content is void of tackling the dramatic text in its construction and how the dramatic action develops in it. Therefore, a question occurs to the mind about the feasibility of dealing with the dramatic construction in this time, where many contemporary studies of dramatology and its relation and the contemporary critical directions are accumulating. This question many have two realistic aspects, yet the novelty and originality that this research shows lie in addressing a refined linguistic text in its style and connotations, such
... Show MoreReverse shoulder arthroplasty is an increasingly common surgical intervention. However there are concerns and known limitations in relation to such joint replacement, while novel designs of reverse shoulder prostheses continue to appear on the market. Many claim to offer improvements over older designs but such assertions are difficult to validate when there is no consensus as to how such implants should be tested in vitro or even if such testing is necessary. In order to permit appropriate in vitro testing of reverse shoulder prostheses a unique, multi-station test rig was designed which was capable of applying motion in three axes to test prostheses. The shoulder simulator can apply up to 110° of motion in the flexion–extension and abd
... Show MoreElevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP) level in serum is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes ,this relationship is likely to be the cause it means elevated CRP leads to T2D in future . Our objective was to examine CRP in male Type 2 Diabetes(T2D) patients in different age ,we studied 120 male subjects divided to two groups according to their age. First group A age (31 - 40) year old ,60 person )30 control & 30 T2D patients(,3 person for each same age: second group B age (41 – 50) years old ,60 person )30 control & 30 T2D patients(,3 person for each same age. We examined blood sugar ,cholesterol and CRP in each group. and we toke the mean of samples in the same age in each data in all the 4 groups. Our data shows that CRP
... Show MoreFrom a medical perspective, autoimmunity reflects the abnormal behaviour of a human being. This state is shaped when the defense of an organism betrays its own tissues. Allegedly, the immune system should protect the body against attacking cells. When an autoimmune disease attacks, it results in perilous actions like self-destruction. However, from a psychological perspective, the French philosopher Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) explains that autoimmunity harms both the self and the other. As a result, the organ disarms the betraying cells, as the immune system cannot provide necessary protection. From a literary perspective, Derrida has termed autoimmunity as deconstruction for almost forty years. Autoimmunity starts with the stage of a norm
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