Background: Spleen is a hemopoietic organ which is capable of supporting elements of different systems. It is affected by several groups of diseases; inflammatory, hematopoietic, reticuloendothelial proliferation, portal hypertension and storage diseases. Ultrasound (US) may detect mild splenomegaly before it is clinically palpable. Knowledge of the normal range of spleen size in the population being examined is a prerequisite. Racial differences in splenic length could result in incorrect interpretation of splenic measurements and such differences would make it difficult to standardize expected splenic length and to determine non- palpable splenic enlargement.Objectives: To measure the normal values of splenic lengthin Iraqi subjects and compare the results with western,Chinese and Jordanian data; to determine whether there is aconstant ratio of the length of the spleen to the left kidney,which could be used to diagnose splenomegaly withoutreference to a nomogram.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among a total of 280 subjects ranging in age from birth to 20 years (159 males and 121 females). US was used to measure maximum splenic and left kidney lengths to obtain normal values for splenic length and to determine spleen to left kidney ratio. The subjects were divided into the same age groups as those used by other similar international studies in order that comparisons with their results could be made.Results: Splenic lengths in Iraqi subjects are similar to those in American, Chinese and Jordanian subjects up to the age of 15 years. The spleen to left kidney ratio is strikingly constant with a mean value of 1. Using 2 SD above the mean as a guide, the upper limit of normal for spleen to left kidney ratio is 1.25.Conclusion: Splenomegaly should be suspected in children if the spleen is more than 1.25 times longer than the adjacent kidney.Key words: Spleen, subjects, ultrasound
Rutting is one of the major distresses in pavement. The objective of this paper is to develop an improved asphalt binder grading system for Iraq based on the principal of Superpave system, and increasing performance grade of product asphalt binder in Iraq using polymers without raising the viscosity of the binder. Two types of polymers are used, Plastomers, Functionalized Polyethylene (PE) which is developed by asphalt research group in Wisconsin University in the USA, and Elastomers, Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) with and without cross linker. Mastercurve are drown for these modified binders, Rolling thin film aged, to show effects on rheological properties at high temperature for complex modulus (G*) and phas
... Show MoreSewer system plays an essential task in urban cities by protecting public health and the environment. The operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of this network have to be sustainable and scientifically. For this purpose, it is crucial to support operators, decision makers and municipalities with performance evaluation procedure that is based on operational factors. In this paper, serviceability and performance indicator (PI) principles are employed to propose methodology comprising two enhanced PI curves that can be used to evaluate the individual sewers depending on operational factors such as flowing velocity and wastewater level in the sewers. To test this methodology; a case study of al-Rusafa in Baghdad city is
... Show MoreIn this work, chemical and thermal treatment were used to enhance silica extract on the purity of rice husk and to reduce the impurities associated with the extraction of silica. The thermal degradation of rice husk was studied. The characteristics and thermal degradation behavior of rice husk which investigated using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Hydrochloric acid was used to soak the rice husk and the study of leaching influence is followed by XRF tests for samples before and after the combustion process. Acid treatment and combustion method seem to have a clear effect on silica purity. The pyrolysis processes were carried out at Laboratory temperature up to 650 oC in the presence of nitrogen gas flowing at 150 ml/min. The effect o
... Show MoreThe study aimes to investigate the effects of leaves & fruits ethanolic extract of Duranta repens L. on biological performance for all stages of life cycle of the mosquito Culex pipiens piepiens L., For this purpose the mosquitoes were reared in the laboratory till the fourth generation .Different concentrations of leaves (800,1000,1200,1400ppm) and fruits (800,1000,1200ppm) were tested on (eggs,larval stages,pupal stages and the adult stages). The results revealed that the extracts gave highest mortality rate for the eggs at(100%) compared with control,fruits extract shown highest mortality rate of the four larval instars (100%)at 1200ppm compared with leave extract at(80,50,33.33,20%).Also the extract caused a high mortality rate for pupa
... Show MoreThe structural, optical properties of cupper indium gallium selenite (CuIn1-xGaxSe) have been studied. CuIn1-xGaxSe thin films for x=0.6 have been prepared by thermal evaporation technique, of 2000±20 nm thickness, with rate of deposition 2±0.1 nm/sec, on glass substrate at room temperature. Heat treatment has been carried out in the range (373-773) K for 1 hour. It demonstrated from the XRD method that all the as-deposited and annealed films have polycrystalline structure of multiphase. The optical measurement of the CIGS thin films conformed that they have, direct allowed energy gap equal to 1.7 eV. The values of some important optical parameters of the studied films such as (absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coeffici
... Show MoreSewer system plays an indispensable task in urban cities by protecting public health and the environment. The operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of this network have to be in a sustainable and scientific manner. For this purpose, it is important to support operators, decision makers and municipalities with performance evaluation procedure that is based on operational factors. In this paper, serviceability and performance indicator (PI) principles are employed to propose methodology comprising two enhanced PI curves that can be used to evaluate the individual sewers depending on operational factors such as flowing velocity and wastewater level in the sewers. In order to test this methodology; a case study of al-Ru
... Show MoreAn investigation was conducted for the improvement of viscosity index of light lubricating oil fraction (40 stock)
obtained from vacuum distillation unit of lube oil plant of Daura Refinery, using solvent extraction process.
In this study furfural solvent was used to extract the undesirable materials which reduce the viscosity index of raw
lubricating oil fraction.
The studied effecting variables of extraction were extraction temperature range from 70 to 110°C, and solvent to oil
ratio range from 1:1 to 4:1 (wt/wt).
The n-d-M method was used for calculation of carbon distribution and structural group analysis of the raffinate
produced from furfural extraction.
Also the three component phase diagram for a mixed-ba
Optoelectronic devices, widely used in high energy and nuclear physics applications, suffer severe radiation damage that leads to degradations in its efficiency. In this paper, the influence of gamma radiation (137Ce source) and beta radiation (90Sr source) on the photoelectric parameters of the Si solar cell, based on the I–V characterization at different irradiation exposer, has been studied. The penetrating radiation produces defects in the base material, may be activated during its lifetime, becoming traps for electron–hole pairs produced optically and, this will, decrease the efficiency of the solar cell. The main objective of the paper is to study and measure changes in the I–V characteristics of solar cells, such as efficienc
... Show MoreKeys for 22 species representing ten genera Thripidae collection carried out during 1999-2001 in different localities in the middle of Iraq. Of them four species are described as new to science, Frankliniella megacephala sp. nov; Retithrips bagdadensis sp. nov; Chirothrips imperatus sp. nov; Taeniothrips tigridis sp. nov; Another thirteen species are recorded for the first time in Iraq; Thrips meridionalis (Pri.); Microcephalothrips abdominils (Crawford); Scolothrips pallidus (Beach); Scritothrips mangiferae Pri.; Frankliniella tritici Bagnall; Frankliniella schultzie Trybom; Frankliniella unicolor Morgan; Retithrips aegypticus Mar
... Show More