Background:Wilson’s disease (WD) is an inherited
disorder of copper metabolism that is characterized
by tremendous variation in the clinical presentation.
Objective: To assess demographic distribution,
clinical presentations, diagnostic evaluation, and any
association between clinical presentations and other
studied variables of a sample of Iraqi patients with
WD.
Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study with
analytic elements was conducted during 2011, from
the 1st of February till the 10th of June. The sampling
method was a convenient non-random one, carried
out through consecutive pooling of registered WD
patients. A questionnaire-form paper had been
developed for the process of data collection.
Results: The study had enrolled 29 patients, with a
male to female ratio of (1.07:1), their mean age was
27.12±12.18 years. 82.8% of them lived in urban
area. 48.3% were singles. Only 20.7% of patients had
a positive family history of WD. 69% of patients had
consanguineous parents. The main initial clinical
presentations were; hepato-neurologic (31%), pure
hepatic (27.6%), neuro-psychiatric (13.8%) and other
presentations (27.6%). Hepatic manifestations were
seen in (82.8%) of patients; jaundice was the most
frequent (89.7%). Ophthalmologic manifestations in
(55.1%) of patients including; Kayser-Fleischer rings
(51.7%), diplopia (6.9%) and cataracts (3.4%).
Neurologic manifestations existed in 44.8% of
patients; tremors were the most frequent (41.4%).
Psychiatric manifestations existed in 31% of patients;
depression was the commonest (27.6%). Joints
manifestations existed in 20.7% of patients. The
diagnosis delay was 11.26±8.2 months.
Conclusion: The higher percentage of patients were
of hepato-neurologic and pure hepatic presentations.
Patients with hepato-neurologic type are diagnosed in
older age, while those with neuro-psychiatric type are
diagnosed in younger age and with longer diagnosis
delay.
Dust storms are typical in arid and semi-arid regions such as the Middle East; the frequency and severity of dust storms have grown dramatically in Iraq in recent years. This paper identifies the dust storm sources in Iraq using remotely sensed data from Meteosat-spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager (SEVIRI) bands. Extracted combined satellite images and simulated frontal dust storm trajectories, using the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, are used to identify the most influential sources in the Middle East and Iraq. Out of 132 dust storms in Iraq during 2020–2023, the most frequent occurred in the spring and summer. A dust source frequency percentage map (DSFPM) is generated using ArcGIS so
... Show MoreIraq faces significant economic challenges, owing in part to its reliance on oil revenue and the country's overburdened public sector. The supremacy of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), obstructive rules, a lack of access to finance, a shortage of skilled labor, and inadequate infrastructure all impede private sector growth. This research relied mainly on information from global development organizations, most markedly the World Bank, as well as policy documents, and it discovered a scarcity of pertinent educational writings. The following are the key findings of this research: Recent economic growth has not resulted in poverty reduction; the stretched history of war and insecurity in Iraq has hampered progress and development; the private se
... Show MoreIraq is located near the northern tip of the Arabian plate, which is advancing northwards relative to the Eurasian plate, and is predictably, a tectonically active country. Seismic activity in Iraq increased significantly during the last decade. So structural and geotechnical engineers have been giving increasing attention to the design of buildings for earthquake resistance. Dynamic properties play a vital role in the design of structures subjected to seismic load. The main objective of this study is to prepare a data base for the dynamic properties of different soils in seismic active zones in Iraq using the results of cross hole and down hole tests. From the data base collected it has been observed that the average ve
... Show MoreThe central marshes are one of the most important wetlands/ecosystems in the southern area of Iraq. This study evaluates the bed soil's mechanical, physical, and chemical properties at certain southern Iraqi central marshes sites. This was conducted to investigate their types and suitability for enhancing the agricultural reality of most field crops and for construction purposes. Soil samples were collected from 15 sites at 10-100 cm depth. Hence, numerous parameters were determined: index properties, unconfined compressive strength, direct shear strength, consolidation, texture, and sieve analysis, water content, specific gravity, dry density, permeability, pH, total soluble salts (TSS), organic materials (OM) and total sulfate con
... Show MoreThe central marshes are one of the most important wetlands/ecosystems in the southern area of Iraq. This study evaluates the bed soil's mechanical, physical, and chemical properties at certain southern Iraqi central marshes sites. This was conducted to investigate their types and suitability for enhancing the agricultural reality of most field crops and for construction purposes. Soil samples were collected from 15 sites at 10-100 cm depth. Hence, numerous parameters were determined: index properties, unconfined compressive strength, direct shear strength, consolidation, texture, and sieve analysis, water content, specific gravity, dry density, permeability, pH, total soluble salts (TSS), organic materials (OM) and total
... Show MoreQ fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant v
... Show MoreThe family Pholcidae represented by the species Artema doriae )Thorell, 1881) is recorded in Iraq for the first time.So far, 23 families of spiders have been recorded in Iraq.
In this paper, we add a new family and a description of a species belonging to this family in the checklist of Iraqi spider fauna.
Arid and semi-arid climates are critical for water security in sustainable river systems. The Euphrates River in western Iraq has been increasingly stressed by both geogenic and anthropogenic factors. This study analyzed hydro-geochemical processes, recharge dynamics, and groundwater flow modeling in western Iraq. Additionally, stable isotope tracing (δ¹⁸O, Cl⁻) integrated with hydro-chemical parameters was used to assess water quality and river-aquifer connectivity in both Syria and western Iraq. A total of 144 groundwater samples were collected annually across 12 stations in western Iraq. Surface water and groundwater data were collected from previous studies at 13 stations in Syria. Results revealed slightly alkaline freshwater con
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