Objective Tea lovers are increasing worldwide. We hope that this report is the first to discuss the possible impacts of high black tea consumption on gestational weight gain (GWG) and birth parameters. Methods Throughout one year, a total of 7,063 pregnant ladies coming for first antenatal visit were screened in a major tertiary center. Of them, 1,138 were involved and divided according to their preference into 3 groups: excessive tea (ET), usual tea (UT), and mixed beverages group. The study included women who gave birth to healthy neonates. Results The rate of ET consumption was 4.13% with a total of 41 cases. The UT group (controls) comprised 94 women. ET was significantly associated (P<0.05) with maternal age, parity, occupation, smoking, and poor GWG starting from 30 weeks’ gestation until delivery, low birth weight, and small for gestational age (SGA). Poor GWG had a higher relative risk (with 95% confidence interval) in the ET group than in the UT group in crude (1.84 [0.85–2.43]) and risk adjusted models (1.25 [0.28–2.26]). Further, similar results were obtained for SGA in the crude and 3 adjusted models, where the first model was adjusted for bio-obstetrical variables, the second for social parameters, and the third for all factors included in the previous models (1.53 [0.62–2.81], 1.52 [0.71–2.50], and 1.46 [0.78–2.39]), respectively. Conclusion Consumption of large amounts of daily black tea during pregnancy (≥1,500 mL) is a significant cause of poor GWG and SGA.
The electrospun nanofibers membranes (ENMs) have gained great attention due to their superior performance. However, the low mechanical strength of ENMs, such as the rigidity and low strength, limits their applications in many aspects which need adequate strength, such as water filtration. This work investigates the impact of electrospinning parameters on the properties of ENMs fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solved in N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF). The studied electrospinning parameters were polymer concentration, solution flow rate, collector rotating speed, and the distance between the needle and collector. The fabricated ENMs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the surface morphology and es
... Show MoreThe azo dye brilliant reactive red K-2BP (λmax = 534 nm) is widely used for coloring textiles because of its low-cost and tolerance fastness properties. Wastewaters treatment that contains the dye by conventional ways is usually inadequate due to its resistance to biological and chemical degradation. During this study, the continuous reactor of an advanced oxidation method supported the use of H2O2/sunlight, H2O2/UV, H2O2/TiO2/sunlight, and H2O2/TiO2/UV for decolorization of brilliant reactive red dye from the effluent. The existence of an optimum pH, H2O2 concentration, TiO2 concentration, and d
... Show MoreThe seedlings of vegetables are exposed to stress states, especially through the first period, due to injuring their roots by transplanting or heavy rain , so it is necessary to provide an available nutrient to recover the growth and increase their early yield, which means more income for farmers. In this regard, an experiment was conducted in the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Agriculture Faculty, University of Baghdad, Iraq to study the effect of different types and concentrations of mineral fertilizers as starter solutions by using high nitrogen (N), high phosphorus (P) and neutral fertilizers (Q) at three levels which were 4 g/l (S1), 8 g/l (S2) and 12 g/l (S3) on broccoli growth and yield. The results showed tha
... Show MoreStaphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the major globally distributed pathogens, which causes chronic and recalcitrant infections due to their capacity to produce biofilms in large part. Biofilm production represents a survival strategy in these species, allowing them to endure environmental stress by altering their gene expression to match their own survival needs. In this study, we co-cultured different clinical isolates of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa as mono- and mixed-species biofilms in a full-strength Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHI) and in a 1000-fold diluted Brain Heart Infusion Broth (BHI/1000) using Microtiter plate assay and determination of colony-forming units. Furthermore, the effect of starvation stress on the e
... Show MoreThis study aimed to know the impact of the capital structure measured by the ratio of financing to short-term capital and the ratio of financing to long-term capital on the profitability of companies, as measured by the rate of return on assets and the rate of return on equity. The study was applied to industrial sector companies listed in the Iraq Stock Exchange. The financial number of (14) companies, and (4) companies were selected that met the conditions for selecting the study sample. The study methodology relies on the analytical method as it is more appropriate to the nature, scope and objectives of the study, and the ready-made statistical program "SPSS" will be used to analyze the relationships and influence between the
... Show MoreA factorial experiment (2× 3) in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications was conducted to examine the effect of honeycomb selection method using three interplant distances on yield and its components of two cultivars of bean, Bronco and Strike. Interplant distances used were 75× 65 cm, 90× 78 cm, and 105× 91 cm (row× plant) represent short (high plant density), intermediate (intermediate plant density), and wide (low plant density) distance, respectively. Parameters used for selection were number of days from planting to the initiation of first flower, number of nodes formed prior to first flower, and number of main branches. Results showed significant superiority of the Bronco cultivar represented in the number
... Show MoreBackground: Directly observed therapy-short course (DOTS) had been adopted by World Health Organization (WHO) as hopeful strategy for treatment of tuberculosis (TB) since early nineties. Iraqi health authorities started DOTS implementation since 2001 in Baghdad. Coverage expanded gradually till 100% in 2004. War and unstable security condition hit Iraq since March 2003. Objective: The objective of this study was To evaluate the DOTS implementation program in Baghdad in different periods including 2 unstable periods for proper assessment of war and instability on treatment of TB. Patients and methods: This study had been conducted in Baghdad during four different periods (before and during 2003 war, after war; without and with DOTS). Dire
... Show More