Background: Birth defects are the leading cause of both neonatal and post-neonatal deaths, as an estimated 240,000 neonates die in their first month of life worldwide each year. In Iraq, local studies have shown varying frequencies and types of congenital anomalies. Objectives: To provide new insight into the incidence and types of congenital anomalies and to explore their possible risk factors in Baghdad City. Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, a total of 2007 neonates were enrolled from six hospitals in Baghdad during the period extending between September and December 2020. Hospital records and personal interviews were used for data collection. These data included the neonates' demographic and clinical characteristics, maternal, pregnancy, and immediate postnatal conditions. Description of the defects in those with birth defects was recorded from hospital records and as described by the parents. Statistical analysis was performed as required. Results: There were 64 (3.2%) neonates with birth defects, i.e., an incidence of 32/1000 total births (28/1000 live births); of them, 38 (59.4%) were males, 8 (12.5%) were stillborn, 43 (66.2%) were born with a cesarean section, the majority (87.5%) had maternal age between 20 and 40 years, and 35 (54.6%) had a low birth weight and were statistically significant. In addition, reduced fetal movement, prematurity, and not receiving tonics during pregnancy were also statistically significant. Among the 64 births with congenital anomalies, multiple congenital anomalies were the most common defects [26 (40.6%)]. An isolated defect was detected in 38 (57.8%) of them. The predominant system involved was the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) [12 (18.8%)] cases, followed by the central nervous system (CNS) with 11 (17.2%) cases, and the musculoskeletal system (MS) with 6 (9.4%) cases. Conclusion: The incidence of birth defects in Baghdad is close to global figures at 28/1000 live births with multiple congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal, central nervous, and musculoskeletal systems defects being the most frequent, while cardiovascular, genitourinary, and skin defects being the least frequent. Possible risk factors included maternal age, drug intake, and not receiving tonics during pregnancy.
ABSTRACT In dam construction stages when an earth embankment has retained a reservoir with constant water surface elevation for a long time, seepage conditions within the embankment will be reach a steady state. If it is necessary to drain the reservoir quickly, the pore-water pressures in the embankment may remain relatively high while the stabling effect of the reservoir's weight along the upstream (U/S) side for the embankment has removed. This process is referring to as "Rapid Drawdown" and may be cause instability in the upstream (U/S) face of the embankment. Kongele dam is one of the proposed earth dams to be implement within the current plan in Iraq. The authors study pore water pressure and the effect of rapid drawdown for the dam d
... Show MoreThe main objectives of this research is to extract essential oil from: orange ( citrus sinensis), lemon( citrus limon) and mandarin( citrus reticulata) peels by two methods: steam distillation (SD) and microwave assisted steam distillation (MASD), study the effect of extraction conditions (weight of the sample, extraction time, and microwave power, citrus peel type) on oil yield and compare the results of the two methods, the resulting essential oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC).
Essential oils are highly concentrated substances used for their flavor and therapeutic or odoriferous properties, in a wide selection of products such as foods, medicines and cosmetics. Extracti
... Show MoreThe problem of water scarcity is becoming common in many parts of the world, to overcome part of this problem proper management of water and an efficient irrigation system are needed. Irrigation with a buried vertical ceramic pipe is known as a very effective in the management of irrigation water. The two- dimensional transient flow of water from a buried vertical ceramic pipe through homogenous porous media is simulated numerically using the HYDRUS/2D software. Different values of pipe lengths and hydraulic conductivity were selected. In addition, different values of initial volumetric soil water content were assumed in this simulation as initial conditions. Different value
... Show MoreA revised checklist of the robber fly genera (Diptera, Asilidae) was given during this study in Iraq. The investigation showed (21) genera belonging to seven subfamilies, two genera new recorded to entomofauna of Iraq (Promachus Loew, 1848 and Genus: Dysmacus Loew, 1860). Eight genera showed in this investigation and eleven genera were recorded previously to Iraq.
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, one of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is found in various foods, including dairy products, meat, and vegetables, and most of these bacteria offer beneficial effects to humans and animals as potential probiotics with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. The aim of this study was evaluating the antibacterial efficacy of L. plantarum against some foodborne bacteria isolated from dairy products. This research involved 34 dairy products, including local and imported milk, cheese, and yogurt sold locally in Baghdad province, Iraq, during May 2022. For the isolation of L. plantarum, a special medium called MRS (de Man Rogosa and Sharpe) was applied. Colonie
... Show MoreCladophora and Spirulina algae biomass have been used for the removal of Tetracycline (TC) antibiotic from aqueous solution. Different operation conditions were varied in batch process, such as initial antibiotic concentration, different biomass dosage and type, contact time, agitation speed, and initial pH. The result showed that the maximum removal efficiencies by using 1.25 g/100 ml Cladophora and 0.5 g/100 ml Spirulina algae biomass were 95% and 94% respectively. At the optimum experimental condition of temperature 25°C, initial TC concentration 50 mg/l, contact time 2.5hr, agitation speed 200 rpm and pH 6.5. The characterization of Cladophora and Spirulina biomass by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) indicates that the presenc
... Show MoreThis paper examines the change in planning pattern In Lebanon, which relies on vehicles as a semi-single mode of transport, and directing it towards re-shaping the city and introducing concepts of "smooth or flexible" mobility in its schemes; the concept of a "compact city" with an infrastructure based on a flexible mobility culture. Taking into consideration environmental, economical and health risks of the existing model, the paper focuses on the four foundations of the concepts of "city based on culture flexible mobility, "and provides a SWOT analysis to encourage for a shift in the planning methodology.
Lipase enzyme has attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of its diverse biotechnological applications. The present study was conducted to screen germinated seeds of four crops, namely sunflower (Helianthus annuus), flaxor linseed (Linum usitatissimum ), peanut (Arachis hypogaea ) and castor bean (Ricinus communis), for the activity of their lipases. to the study also included the extraction and purification of lipase from the seeds of the most promising crop using different solvents. The results indicated that the maximum enzymatic activity (0.669 U/ml) was obtained when 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer extract was used after 3 days of seed germination of all the tested species, as compared to the other test solvents
... Show MoreThis research utilized natural asphalt (NA) deposits from sulfur springs in western Iraq. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of an asphalt mixture incorporating NA and verify its suitability for local pavement applications. To achieve this, a combination of two types of NA, namely soft SNA and hard HNA, was blended to create a binder known as Type HSNA. The resulting HSNA exhibited a penetration grade that adhered to Iraqi specifications. Various percentages of NA (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%) were added to petroleum asphalt. The findings revealed enhanced physical properties of HSNA, which also satisfied the requirements outlined in the Iraqi specifications for asphalt cement.
Consequently, HS
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