Ecosystems provide humans with services that include benefits from food, fresh water, climate regulation, and socio-economic assets. The Mesopotamian marshlands are among the largest wetlands in the Middle East and they provide various benefits. However, ecosystem services of the Marshlands are consistently undervalued in national economic analysis and decision making. This study focusses on the Central Marshes, the first National Park in Iraq, and is the first attempt at valuing a series of ecosystem services from a valuable natural ecosystem in Iraq. We adopted the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-Based Assessment (TESSA) for the determination of biophysical and economic values of services at the site level. Data on key ecosystem services (as determined by 30 interviews with residents of the Marshes) included the trading of fish, harvested plants, water buffalo milk, and fodder were collected across six months in 2014. We valued the ecosystem services within the CM (40,000 ha) over a 6-month period to have a total value of 860,078.23 USD. This estimated total value was the sum of 86,637.25 USD from harvested plants, 551,334.80 USD from trading fish, 167, 303.70 USD from trading water buffalo milk, and 54,804.00 USD from trading fodder. The average income per individual in Iraq in 2014 was 6720 USD (World Bank data - https://data.worldbank.org/country/iraq): thus, the CM provided an average salary for 256 people. Our results provided greater understanding of the ecosystem services contributed by the Central Marshes and has highlighted the crucial role of nature in supporting sustainable well-being for humans living in the area. In addition, the results can be used to enhance local policy, to aid management plans of the National park, and to estimate lost and damage that could result from impact of climate change on the area.
The study aimed at identifying the level of administrative work quality of private Schools principals at Southern Governorates of Palestine from the teachers' point of view in their schools. To achieve the objectives of this research, a questionnaire was prepared by the researcher consisted of (28) items. It was applied to a sample of (350) teachers. The researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical approach. The results of the study showed that the degree to which principals of private schools in the southern governorates of Palestine practice Administrative Work Quality from the viewpoint of their teachers was very high, with relative weight (85.00%). The results also showed that there are statistically significant differences at the l
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This study aims to identify the level of patients’ satisfaction among a sample of hospitalized patients in the targeted hospital (Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital, and Al-Yarmook Teaching Hospital). Moreover, this study highlights the reality of services for patients, especially in the targeted governmental teaching hospitals. The Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care (PSNCS) has been measured in these hospitals through the revised scale by Tang et al, (2013).This scale includes four major domains; Health Information (5 items), Influencing Support (4 items), Decision Control (4 items), Specialized Technical Competence (7 items). The method of surveying patients’ opinions about the degree
... Show MoreSetting-up a 3D geological model both from field and subsurface data is a typical task in geological studies involving natural resource evaluation and hazard assessment. In this study a 3D geological model for Mishrif Formation in Garraf oil field has been set-up using Petrel software. Mishrif Formation represents the most important reservoir in Garraf oil field. Four vertical oil wells (GA-4, GA-A1P, GA-3 and GA-5) and one directional well (GA-B8P) were selected in Garraf Oil Field in order to set-up structural and petrophysical (porosity and water saturation) models represented by a 3D static geological model in three dimensions. Structural model shows that Garraf oil field represents a domal structure that shows continuous growth as i
... Show MoreIn this research, a geotechnical assessment was conducted for clay of the Gercus Formation to determine its suitability for embankment dams. The selected area is located in the north of Iraq. Six samples were collected from two sites in Dokan (Sulaimaniyah) and Haibat Sultan mountain (Koysinjaq), three samples each. Various geotechnical (physical, mechanical and chemical) tests were conducted based on standard specifications.
The results of the grain size test of clay samples showed their conformity with Zone C curves and their suitability for the construction of embankment dams, according to the Iraqi standard for roads and bridges. The results of the
... Show MoreBackground:- Endometriosis is a common chronic gynecological disorder characterized by the presence and proliferation of functional endometrial gland and stroma outside the uterine cavity, affecting approximately 10% of reproductive age women. Il-6 level increased in the patient with endometriosis.
Objective:- Evaluate the correlation of IL-6 levels with the degree of severity of endometriosis
Patients and methods:- In this study, 84 samples 51women with endometriosis (20 newly diagnosed and 31 treated cases) and 33 of healthy control group, were collected starting from November 2011 to end of January 2012, to investigate the IL-6 serum level by using ELISA kit.
Results :- Endometriosis patients mainly presented at the age betwe
Background: The altered status of some essential trace elements observed in diabetes could have deleterious influences on the health of the diabetics. Objectives: To estimate and study the potential role of serum Selenium in type 1, type 2 diabetics and healthy subjects; and its relation with lipid profile and glycemic index. Methods: A case control designed study was carried out at the National Diabetes Center (NDC) / Al-Mustansiria University; on a total of 94 participants formed of 32 type 1 diabetics, 32 type 2 diabetics and 30 healthy control participants. Data collected about age, sex and BMI; also, blood samples examined for FPG, HbA1C, serum total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, serum triglyceride and sera were
... Show MoreBackground: Guidelines for blood products transfusion are needed to avoid unnecessary blood transfusion in acute and chronic anaemias to minimize complications.
Objective: To evaluate the practice of blood transfusion in Baghdad Teaching Hospital.
Patients and methods: One hundred and sixty adults Iraqi patients, who had blood transfusion, were selected randomly from different wards of Baghdad Teaching Hospital including General Medicine (GM), General Surgery (GS), Gynecology/Obstetrics (G/O), forty patients from each ward, from October 2011 to October 2012. Collected data included age, gender, type of ward, indication for transfusion, pre-transfusion packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb), type (whole blood or red blood cell
Background: Guidelines for blood products transfusion are needed to avoid unnecessary blood transfusion in acute and chronic anaemias to minimize complications.
Objective: To evaluate the practice of blood transfusion in Baghdad Teaching Hospital.
Patients and methods: One hundred and sixty adults Iraqi patients, who had blood transfusion, were selected randomly from different wards of Baghdad Teaching Hospital including General Medicine (GM), General Surgery (GS), Gynecology/Obstetrics (G/O), forty patients from each ward, from October 2011 to October 2012. Collected data included age, gender, type of ward, indication for transfusion, pre-transfusion packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb), type (whole blood or red blood cell
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory polyarthritic disease associated with remissions and exacerbations and characteristic genetic, clinical, pathological, and immunological features. The present study was designed to evaluate some immunological parameters of some Iraqi patients with RA. The study was carried out on 75 Iraqi RA patients who were referred to the consultantand which divided into 59 female and 16 male, treated and non-treated. The diagnosis of those patients has been performed under supervision of a specialist physician in rheumatology. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique has been applied for the detection of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP) and (Interleukin-1α (IL-1α)
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