Thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite is one of the most important properties where this type of clay is proposed for use as a buffer material. In this study, Lee's disc method was used to measure the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite specimens. The experimental results have been analyzed to observe the three major factors affecting the thermal conductivity of bentonite buffer material. While the clay density reaches to a target value, the measurement is taken to evaluate the thermal conductivity. By repeating this procedure, a relationship between clay dry density and thermal conductivity has been established in specimens after adjusting the water contents of the bentonite by placing its specimens in a drying oven for different periods. So relationships of thermal conductivity with each of these major factors (clay density, water content, and sand volume fraction) are established in this study. The relevance of these relationships be analyzed together using experimental data on many compacted bentonites.
Recently, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was considered as one of the autoimmune diseases that the genetic and environmental factors contributed in the disease etiological profile. According to the environmental factors, infectious agents have been concluded to have a role in the etiology and pathogenesis of SLE. Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae are among these infectious agents that have been suggested to be involved in the etiology of SLE. Accordingly, the current study was designed to assess the anti-C. pneumoniae and anti-M. pneumoniae IgG antibody status by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the sera of 64 Iraqi SLE females' patients and 32 Iraqi healthy females as controls. The patients' group were distribu
... Show MoreA seemingly uncorrelated regression (SUR) model is a special case of multivariate models, in which the error terms in these equations are contemporaneously related. The method estimator (GLS) is efficient because it takes into account the covariance structure of errors, but it is also very sensitive to outliers. The robust SUR estimator can dealing outliers. We propose two robust methods for calculating the estimator, which are (S-Estimations, and FastSUR). We find that it significantly improved the quality of SUR model estimates. In addition, the results gave the FastSUR method superiority over the S method in dealing with outliers contained in the data set, as it has lower (MSE and RMSE) and higher (R-Squared and R-Square Adjus
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to diagnose the level of awareness and response of the researched sample to the concept of enlightened leadership and strategic alignment, as well as to measure the strength and weakness of the relationships between the independent variable of enlightened leadership and the dependent variable of strategic alignment with its dimensions. Thus, the research problem was defined by the main question of identifying the role played by enlightened leadership in achieving strategic alignment in a number of private Iraqi commercial banks. In light of this, the hypothetical research model was designed, embodying the relationship between the research variables. The descriptive analytical approach was adopted, and a ques
... Show MoreAllergic Rhinitis (AR) is a chronic immune system inflammation that occurs when the body overreacts to antigens in the environment (triggers) and produces a variety of symptoms in the nasal mucosa and paranasal sinuses due to the release of many interleukins and cytokines.
We investigated the influence of the allergen on serum levels of TNF-α and Total IgE in patients with AR and their function in initiating allergic rhinitis in Iraqi petrol station workers in Baghdad. One hundred individuals with allergic
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The aim of the research is to demonstrate the impact of long-term investment on profitability, and in order to achieve this goal, long-term investment was chosen, represented by (the ratio of long-term investments to total investments, the ratio of long-term investment to the total (deposits) as independent variables, and studying its impact on the dependent variable, which is profitability as measured by the rate of return on investments, the rate of return on equity. In order to reach the results, the inductive approach and the analytical descriptive approach were used, and the research found a significant impac
... Show MoreObjective: The study aimed to assess Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: The case control study from multi-centers in Baghdad included 45 adult patients (19 females and 26 males) with COVID-19, diagnosed with a positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and excluded negative RT-PCR for COVID-19 and comorbidity conditions. Second group, was 43 control (20 females and 23 males). Results: This study found a decrease Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in these patients and a significant difference in D. dimer, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio between the patients and controls at a P valu
... Show MoreAIM: The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of myeloproliferative disorders in a sample of Iraqi patients and to measure the changes in patients’ blood parameters. BACKGROUND: Myeloproliferative disorders are a group of neoplasms affecting the bone marrow progenitor cells characterized by excess cells with a risk of transforming to acute leukemia. There is a gap in knowledge about the prevalence of Iraqi population. Thus, we investigated the prevalence and distribution of different types of myeloproliferative disorders in a sample of Iraqi patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study is done at the National Center of Hematology from November 2019 till March 2020 on 75 patients who were diagnosed
... Show MoreIn the present work, leaching process studiedusing organic acids (acetic acid and lactic acid) to extract phosphate from the Iraqi Akashat phosphate ore by separation of calcareous materials (mainly calcite). This approach characterized by energy conservation, environmental enhancement by recovery of calcite as calcium sulfate (gypsum), keeping the physical and chemical properties of apatite. Samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectrophotometer. From the obtained experimental data it was found that using the two organic acids yields closed purity values of the produced apatite at the optimum conditions, while at different acid concentrations, it was found that the efficiency of acetic acid is higher at the low acid co
... Show MoreBreast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and remains one of the main reasons of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. KRAS variant rs61764370 (T>G) is associated with an increased risk of occurrence of many cancers, Here The case-control study was accomplished on 135 women including 45 women with breast cancer patients, 45 women with benign breast lesions and 45 healthy women to analyze the association of KRAS variant rs (61764370 T>G) with breast cancer. LCS 6 variant in KRAS gene was amplified by using specific primers, then genotype was detected after sequencing the PCR products. The results showed that the genotype and allele frequency of TT and GT allele of KRAS
... Show MoreBackground: Occupational exposure to hazardous drugs occurs in all aspects of anticancer drug handling. Proper recommendations and guidelines should be applied to control and reduce exposure. Objective: To assess pharmacists' knowledge and practice regarding the safe handling of anticancer drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at seven major hospitals in Baghdad City, Iraq, from December 2023 to February 2024. A pre-designed questionnaire was given to pharmacists who handled anticancer drugs in chemotherapy units. The questionnaire comprises sociodemographic data, knowledge of the safe handling of cytotoxic drugs and thoughts about exposure and risk, practices for safely handling cytotoxic drugs, and challenges for s
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