Breast cancer constitutes about one fourth of the registered cancer cases among the Iraqi population (1)
and it is the leading cause of death among Iraqi women (2)
. Each year more women are exposed to the vicious
ramifications of this disease which include death if left unmanaged or the negative sequels that they would
experience, cosmetically and psychologically, after exposure to radical mastectomy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) documented that early detection and screening, when coped
with adequate therapy, could offer a reduction in breast cancer mortality; displaying that the low survival rates
in less developed countries, including Iraq, is mainly attributed to the lack of early detection programs coupled
with inadequate diagnostic and treatment facilities (3)
. Although mammography machines, as main screening
tools for breast cancer, are available in the major hospitals in each province in Iraq, yet those are mainly used
for diagnostic purposes in patients who present with palpable breast lumps. Obviously, due to cost effective
measures, lack of resources and the economical challenges that Iraq is facing, it is not expected that the
authorities could provide mammography devices across every health care centre in the country to be used for
screening of all Iraqi women.
Accordingly, promoting other feasible tools could support in solving that dilemma. Clinical Breast
Examination (CBE) for women, by highly trained health care providers in Primary Health Care Centers, along
with diagnostic mammography in the major hospitals for referred cases, could offer cost effective approaches
for early detection of breast cancer in Iraq. The resources required to provide these services are within the
reach of all countries with limited resources
(4)
.
The issue of raising awareness on breast cancer and its early detection measures needs to be addressed.
Observations reported in Iraqi studies obviously reflect the the limited knowledge of the general population
about the disease, its preventive measures and their ignorance regarding the significance of CBE and early
medical consultation (5, 6)
. Public health awareness campaigns should be endorsed by policy makers to encourage every Iraqi women to look for abnormal signs and symptoms in their breasts and to seek medical
advice promptly.
Groundwater is considered as one of the most important sources of fresh-water, on which many regions around the world depend, especially in semi-arid and arid regions. Protecting and maintaining groundwater is a difficult process, but it is very important to maintain an important source of water. The current study aims to assess the susceptibility of groundwater to pollution using the DRASTIC model along with the GIS environments and its tool boxes. A vulnerability map was created by relying on data collected from 55 wells surveyed by the researchers as well as archived records from governmental institutions and some international organizations. The results indicate that the region falls into three vulnerability functional zones , namely
... Show MoreThe present study aims to present a proposed realistic and comprehensive cyber strategy for the Communications Directorate for the next five years (2022-2026) based on the extent of application and documentation of cybersecurity measures in the Directorate and the scientific bases formulating the strategy. The present study is significant in that it provides an accurate diagnosis of the capabilities of the cyber directorate in terms of strengths and weaknesses in its internal environment and the opportunities and threats that surround it in the external environment, based on the results of the assessment of the reality of cybersecurity according to the global Cybersecurity index, which provides a strong basis for building its strategic dire
... Show MoreRecently, renewable energy (RE), such as solar energy, sources have proven their importance as an alternative source of fuel. The utilizing of solar energy can contribute to move the world towards relying on clean energy to curb global warming. However, the placement of solar farms is a major priority for planners as it is a critical factor in the succession energy project. This study combines one of the multi-criteria decision-making techniques Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) to assess the suitability of land for establishing solar farms in Iraq. Numerous climatic, geomorphological, economic, and environmental criteria and some exclusionary constraints have been adopted in mode
... Show MoreThe relationship between pollution levels in river sediment and fluctuating asymmetry of resident silurid fish species,
This investigation aims to determine whether it is feasible to use the limestone rocks found in the Al-Samawa stone quarry in southern Iraq as the stationary phase in column chromatography separation. Together with the chromatographic application, the physical and chemical characteristics of the rocks are examined. SiO2, SO4, PO4, NO3, and Cl are the negative ions, while Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Li are the positive ions. The limestone samples are characterized via chromatographic analysis. The results suggest that limestone samples could be used as an adsorbent material for chromatographic separation techniques. Additionally, samples from the Nasiriyah refinery's crude oil can be used to sep
... Show MoreBackground: Periodontal diseases (PD) are common chronic inflammatory diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms colonizing the gingival area and inducing local and systemic elevations of pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting in tissue destruction by a destructive inflammatory process. Stress was considered as one of the important risk factors that cause many inflammatory diseases including PD. The purpose of this study wasto determines and compares clinical periodontal parameters (PLI, GI and BOP), stress level and salivary IL-1? level among dental students before, during and after mid-year exam, also to find the correlation among stress, IL-1? and clinical periodontal parameters. Materials and methods: The sample was consisted of 24 dent
... Show MoreBackground: Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease with high morbidity and mortality. It is caused by mutations in the CTNS gene that encodes the cystine transporter, cystinosin, which leads to lysosomal cystine accumulation. It is the major cause of inherited Fanconi syndrome, and should be suspected in young children with failure to thrive and signs of renal proximal tubular damage. The diagnosis can be missed in infants, because not all signs of renal Fanconi syndrome are present during the first months of life. Elevated white blood cell cystine content is the cornerstone of the diagnosis. Since chitotriosidase (CHIT1 or chitinase-1) is mainly produced by activated macrophages both in normal and inflammator
... Show MoreMany waste materials can be repurposed effectively within asphalt concrete to enhance the performance and sustainability of pavement. One of these waste materials is sawdust ash (SDA). This study explores the beneficial use of SDA as a substitute for limestone dust (LD) mineral filler in asphalt concrete. The replacement rate was 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, and 60% by weight of total mineral filler. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to assess the surface morphology of Sawdust (SD), SDA, and LD. In addition, a series of tests, including Marshall stability and flow, indirect tensile strength,moisture susceptibility, and repeated uniaxial loading tests, were conducted to examine the performance characteristics of asphalt mixtures of diffe
... Show More