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
This histological study was carried out to compare between the thyroid gland of mice (as a model of the mammals) and the thyroid tissue of fish. Unlike mice, the thyroid gland of fish can't be recognized by naked eye. The present study revealed that the thyroid of mice varied from that of fish by the location and the histological structure. The study classified the physiological state of the thyroid of mice into three states and that of the fish into only two states. Accordingly, the study concluded that the metabolism of thyroid fish was of moderate type.
Background: Determination of sex from an unknown human bone is an important role in forensic and anthropology field. The mandible is the largest and hardest facial bone, that commonly resist postmortem damage and forms an important source of information about sexual dimorphism. Mandibular ramus can be used to differentiate between sexes and it also expresses strong univariate sexual dimorphism. This study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of mandibular ramus as an aid in sex differentiation using CT scanning among Iraqi population. Materials and methods: 3D reconstructed computed tomography scanning of 140 Iraqi Arab subjects, (7 0 males and 70 females) were analyzed with their age range from 20-60 years old. The linear measurements w
... Show MoreBackground: Little is known about asymmetry of children's dental arches, the purpose of this study was to verify the presence of asymmetry of dental arches among Iraqi children in the mixed dentition stage. Materials and methods: The sample included 52 pairs of dental casts, 27 pairs belong to males and 25 pairs for females. Three linear distances were utilized on each side on the dental arch: Incisal-canine distance, canine-molar distance and incisal-molar distance, which represent the dental arch segmental measurements using the digital sliding calipers, which is accurate up to 0.02 mm. Results: No significant sides' differences with high correlation coefficient were found between the right and left incisal-canine, canine-molar and in
... Show MoreIn this work, an experimental research on a low voltage DC magnetron plasma sputtering (0-650) volt is used for coating gold on a glass substrate at a constant pressure of argon gas 0.2 mbar and deposition time of 30 seconds. We focused on the effects of operating conditions for the system such as, electrode separation and sputtering current on coated samples under the influence of magnetic flux. Electron temperature and electrons and ions densities are determined by a cylindrical single Langmuir probe. The results show the sensitivity of electrode separation lead to change the plasma parameters. Furthermore, the surface morphology of gold coated samples at different electrode separation and sputtering current were studied by atomic forc
... Show MoreBackground: During Annual statistical report published by the Iraqi ministry of health the year 2004 showed that mortality rate was 0.15 per 1000 of diarrheal episodes among children under five years.Objectives: To study the occurrence of Shigellosis and Entamoeba histolytica in a sample of children from certain hospitals in Baghdad and determine its relation to some demographic factors.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried out in Baghdad city involving 400 children with bloody diarrhea under five years of age attending four hospitals, 130 cases from Central Pediatric Hospital, 110 cases from Al Mansoor Pediatric Hospital, 90 cases from Al Kadhimya Teaching Hospital and 70 cases from Mohammed Baaqir Al Hakeem Hospital for the p
... Show MoreThe research dealt with a study of economic diversification indicators in Iraq and an indication of the extent to which economic diversification events are desirable in its sectors because desirable diversification events are truly the best means of targeting a fair distribution of income. The research included studying the experiences of selected countries for Norway and Chile, and studying economic indicators and policies for each of them in order to benefit From these two experiences, the research has concluded that the Iraqi economy suffers from a large concentration of the oil sector, which made the Iraqi economy unilateral in which oil represents 90% according to the Herfindel-Hirschman Index, either for Norway and Chile, i
... Show MoreThe fresh water green alga Chlorella vulgaris was selected to study its ability to degrade one of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs)known is anthracene (ANT). ANT is widely used in artificial products such as wood preservatives; insecticides; dye and coating materials. This algae was cultivated in CH-10 medium under constant laboratory conditions and exposed to different concentrations (1, 3, and 5 mg/l) of anthracene for 3, 5, 7, 9 and 15 days, with the concentration of ANT measured by high performance liquid chromatographic analysis (HPLC). The results showed that C.vulgaris has high ability to reduce anthracene to 80% at 1mg/Lcon centration after 3 days and 100% after 5 days, while at 3 and 5 mg / L concent
... Show MoreBackground: A case-control study design revealeda relationship between the present of fluoride, and the reduction of dental caries and the increase prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis .The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries in relation to dental fluorosis among school children in Al-Muthana'a Governorate. Materials and methods: It was conducted among primary school students aged 12 years old, the age was taken according to the criteria of World Health Organization (1997) (1).The number of students was selected in each sector of control group according to number of schools in that sector .Sectors of control group which depend on water of river as source of drinking water. Case group which inc
... Show MoreAdenosine deaminase (ADA; Ec: 3.5.4.4), 5´- Nucleotidase (5´– NT; Ec: 3.1.3.5), and AMP – amino hydrolase (AMP – deaminase AMPDA; Ec: 3.5.4.6) activities were measured in sera of ovarian cancer patients before surgery, and after chemotherapy. The results indicated that ADA specific activity increased significantly (P<0.05), while 5´-NT and AMPDA specific activity decreased significantly (P<0.05) in ovarian cancer patients before surgery in comparison with those of their corresponding control women and benign tumors groups. When the activities of these enzymes were measured after chemotherapy, a significant decrease (P<0.05) in ADA activity, and a significant increase (P<0.05) in 5´- NT and AMPDA activities w
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