When the number of confirmed coronavirus disease cases rose in Iraq in the middle of February 2021, the Iraqi government performed a closure approach to constrain mobility and factory operations and enforce social distancing. In this research, the concentrations of air components (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ozone (O₃)), which represent herein the degree of air quality index, were recorded, drawn and evaluated over central (Baghdad, the capital), northern (Kirkuk Province) and southern (Basra Province) Iraq before and during the closure. The experimental duration of this research was 6 months (from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021), which

Plasma electrolytic oxidation and dip chemical coating as fabrication techniques are performed in ambient temperature and pressure, giving a competitive-edge in the commercial applicability. Thus, we proposed new compositions of flower-like hybrid materials, MgO-TiO2-HQ(8-hydroxyquinoline), MgOTiO2-HQ-APY(2-aminopyridine) and MgO-TiO2-HQ-APH(2-aminophenol), as photocatalysis with high corrosion resistance via a combination of plasma electrolytic oxidation and dip chemical coating in which 8-HQ, 2-APY, and 2-APH were used as the organic components. TiO2-HQ-APY and MgO-TiO2-HQ-APH exhibited improved simultaneous electrochemical and photocatalytic performance on photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) in an aqueous solution in the presence o

The Electric Discharge (EDM) method is a novel thermoelectric manufacturing technique in which materials are removed by a controlled spark erosion process between two electrodes immersed in a dielectric medium. Because of the difficulties of EDM, determining the optimum cutting parameters to improve cutting performance is extremely tough. As a result, optimizing operating parameters is a critical processing step, particularly for non-traditional machining process like EDM. Adequate selection of processing parameters for the EDM process does not provide ideal conditions, due to the unpredictable processing time required for a given function. Models of Multiple Regression and Genetic Algorithm are considered as effective methods for determ

Traditional volumetric asphalt mix design methods do not directly evaluate cracking and rutting resistance, which may result in mixtures with inadequate field performance despite satisfying conventional volumetric requirements. Balanced Mix Design (BMD) has been introduced to address this limitation by incorporating performance testing. However, it remains unclear whether additive modification alone can recover mixtures that do not satisfy BMD criteria, or whether volumetric redesign (binder content optimization) is necessary. Therefore, this study investigated the effectiveness of additive modification before and after BMD redesign using IDEAL-CT and IDEAL-RT performance indices. Three additive systems were evaluated: SBS polymer,

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq have experienced low performance due to the limited usage of accounting information systems (AIS) and the inability to exploit knowledge of management capabilities (KMC). These deficiencies have led to competitive pressures in the marketplace that have adversely affected their sales and production. This study investigates the role of AIS in terms of operation support, knowledge support, regulatory support, and the role of KMC, including knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer, and knowledge utilized to enhance organizational performance in Iraqi SMEs. The target population was managers and owners in SMEs using AIS in Iraq’s cities. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was use

The present study aims to investigate the long-term histopathological, and physiological effects of different concentrations of a commercially available energy drink (Tiger) on liver and kidney of young mice. Sixteen Balb/c male mice,6 -week old, were divided into 4 groups (n=4). Two groups consumed the energy drink at a concentration of 28µl energy drink/ml water. One group were killed after 10 days (T1), another group were killed after 20 days (T2). Other group of mice consumed the energy drink at a final concentration of 14µl/ml for 20 days (T3). The last group was provided only with water and served as control. Mice of all groups drank around 3 ml per day. The histopathological study on liver of treated groups showed many changes s

Background: The accuracy of fitness of any dental casting is imperative for the success of any prosthodontic treatment. From the time that dental casting was first introduced, efforts have been made to produce more accurate and better fitted castings with minimal marginal discrepancy. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of three different investing and burnout techniques on the vertical marginal discrepancies ofceramometalcopings invested with two types of phosphate- bonded investments. Materials and methods: Sixty wax patterns were fabricated on a standardized prepared brass die representing an upper central incisor by the aid of a custom-made split mold. Three different investing and burnout techniques were applied

Objective: The present study was aimed to develop a pH-triggered in situ gel for local release of lidocaine hydrochloride (lidocaine HCL) in the buccal cavity to improve the anesthetic effect of this amino amide drug which has very high water solubility. The formulations were introduced to the oral cavity as a spray to improve compliance and for easier administration.Methods: In this work, two grades of carbopol (934 and 940)-based in situ gel spray were designed. The formulations containing lidocaine HCl 5% were prepared by mixing different concentrations of carbopol with xanthan gum. Eight formulations were investigated and evaluated for gelation capacity, spray angle, volume of solution delivered per each actuation, rheological p