This paper addresses the factors responsible for changes in crude oil prices, in real market and financial sector. In order to prepare the analytical background for further investigation, it highlights the patterns of correlations of the real oil price and the most related prices of assets, exchange rate and government bond yield. The paper reviews the statistical behavior of oil price, quantities and the global macroeconomic environment. Topics discussed include the theory of differential rent and scarcity effect ,the role of future market and speculation, strategies of energy of the major economies to investigate the prospects of oil market and the potential demand for OPEC's oil. The paper explores the interrelationship between spot and future prices using daily data , explanatory power of real effective exchange rate in addition to conventional demand and supply functions. Although, The paper finds regularities consistent with the predictions of economic theory, it concludes that the changes in real price of oil have historically tended to be difficult to predict. Further research works are recommended particularly in the areas of storage arbitrage and financial future contracts.
Background: Insulin resistance (IR) is the primary metabolic disorder associated with obesity. Obesity is a growing worldwide health problem affecting both adults and children. Objectives: To determine the association between leptin and IR, and to identify the ratio of fasting glucose/leptin (G/L) and insulin/leptin (I/L) as a new simple method for the detection of IR in obese children.Methods: This study was done in the National DiabeticCenter/ AL-Mustansiriya University during the period fromMay 2013 until the end of October 2013. Fasting bloodglucose (FBG), serum insulin, leptin, and lipid profile weremeasured in 52 obese children (24 children with IR and 28without IR); their age range was (5-15) years, they werecompared with 38 healt
... Show MoreThis investigation is a study of the length of time where drops can exist at an oil-water interface before coalescence take place with a bulk of the same phase as the drops. Many factors affecting the time of coalescence were studied in is investigation which included: dispersed phase flow rate, continuous phase height, hole size in distributor, density difference between phases, and viscosity ratio of oil/water systems, employing three liquid/liquid systems; kerosene/water, gasoil/water, and hexane/water. Higher value of coalescence time was 8.26 s at 0.7ml/ s flow rate, 30cm height and 7mm diameter of hole for gas oil/water system, and lower value was 0.5s at 0.3ml/s flow rate, 10 cm height and 3mm diameter of hole for hexane
... Show MoreNeonatal mortality is an indicator to assess maternal and neonatal care.1 Iraq has been suffering from wars, economic hardship, terrorism and internal displacement for last 4 decades.2 The impact of such suffering on health was reported.3 However, the impact of terrorism on health infrastructure which in turn manifested in neonatal mortality was neglected. This study carried out to demonstrate the effect of war against terrorism on neonatal mortality in Iraq.
Background: Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a widely distributed mycotoxin in nature. Several investigations have shown its biological effects on different organs and in different animal species. However, the effects of AFB1 on the rat kidney have not been much elucidated histologically.
Objective: This study aims to demonstrate the effects of AFB1 contaminated diet on the rat kidney from
the histological and morphometric aspects.
Method: Twelve mature albino rats were divided equally into a control group fed with usual diet and a treated group which was daily fed with diet contaminated with 20 mg AFB1/kg of body weight for 30 days. Semithin sections from renal cortex were stained with methylene blue and examined by l
Background: Cytokines produced by inflammatory cells play a pivotal role in synovial inflammation and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.
Patients and Methods: The cytokine serum levels were measured by EASIA (Enzyme amplified sensitivity immunoassay) in sera from 50 RA patients, and 40 healthy donors. Cytokine levels were compared in different RA subpopulations (positive or negative rheumatoid factor (RF), long term or recent onset disease, high or low disease activity). In addition, the possible association with other demographic and clinical parameters (gender, age, etc) was also analyzed.
Results: It was demonstrated that IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-δ levels were elevated in serum samples of RA pati
Background: Asthma is an allergic disease characterized by airway obstruction as a result of cellular accumulation due to the liberation of certain mediators. Among those mediators are the cytokines such as IL-5.
Patients & Methods: Interleukin-5 concentration has been estimated in 94 sera samples of Asthmatic patients in comparison with 41 non-asthmatic bronchitis as patient controls in addition to 30 apparent healthy control group using ELISA method.
Results & Conclusions: There is highly significant elevation of IL-5 in the asthmatic cases in comparison with healthy controls (P< 0.001). We conclude that this cytokine may play the major
role in asthmatic attack & it may be a good m
Background: In breast carcinoma, amplification &/or over-expression of HER-2/neu has been associated with a group of unfavorable prognostic factors. The Food & Drug Administration Agency approved Trastuzumab (Herceptin) for the therapy of metastatic breast cancer but only in patients with amplification &/or over-expression of this gene. Because of these advances, evaluation of HER-2/neu status in breast cancer specimens is of vital importance.
Patients and methods: thirty eight females with breast carcinoma were included in this study. All histologic sections were stained routinely with the hematoxylin and eosin stains and
immunohistochemically for HER2/neu. All cancers were graded and subcatego
Aggression is a negative form of an anti-social behavior. It is produced because of a particular reason, desire, want, need, or due to the psychological state of the aggressor. It injures others physically or psychologically. Aggressive behaviors in human interactions cause discomfort and disharmony among interlocutors. The paper aims to identify how aggressive language manifests itself in the data under scrutiny in terms of the pragmatic paradigm. Two British literary works are the data; namely, Look Back in Anger by John Osborne (1956), and The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter (1957). This paper endeavors to answer the question of how aggressive language is represented in literature pragmatically? It is hoped to be significant to
... Show MoreImmuno-haematological genetic markers study was carried out to understand the genetic background variations among Kirkuk (Iraq) indigenous population. A cross-sectional study of 179 patients with thalassemia major was conducted in Kirkuk. A detailed review was undertaken to define the relationships between ethnic origins, phenotype and immuno-genetic markers uniformity in relation to genetic isolation and interethnic admixture. A total of 179 thalassemia major patients were subjected to analysis in the hereditary blood diseases centre, including (18(10.05 %)) of intermarriages between different ethnic groups origin, whereas the overall consanguinity marriage rate was estimated at (161 (89.9%)) including (63(35.1%)) for first cousi
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