Pompe disease is a progressive, multisystemic, debilitating, often fatal neuromuscular disease caused by a pathogenic variant in the acid α-glucosidase gene leading to GAA enzyme deficiency and lysosomal glycogen accumulation. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of early onset Pompe disease in Basra, using the dried blood spot (DBS) as a screening tool, also to determine the spectrum of presentation. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study conducted in Basrah, Iraq, from October 2021 to September 2023, all infants with a family member diagnosed as a case of Pompe disease, hypotonia, or ventricular hypertrophy referred to the pediatric cardiology unit in Basra Cardiac Hospital were subjected to echocardiographic examination and assessment of GAA enzyme level, and genetic study by dried blood spot. Results: Thirty patients with confirmed Pompe disease were evaluated (12 males and 18 females), and the mean age of presentation was 3.7 months. The level of CK raged from 123 to 1471 (mean 614.3 ± 247), and the level of GAA activity ranged from 0.0 to 0.3 (mean 0.123 ± 0.07). All infants were homozygous for mutations in GAA. The most commonly encountered mutation was c.1314C>A. Conclusion: Pompe disease is an underestimated disease in Iraq, and the delay in the diagnosis results in established, irreversible myopathic changes even with enzyme replacement therapy and results in high mortality, so a high index of suspicion and early diagnosis will help to provide proper therapy and will help to provide a better quality of life for such patients
The Iraqi culture faced a set of challenges that can be diagnosed with the most prominent features as follows:
- The dominance of authoritarian political systems which entails authoritarian regimes with the absence of contemporary political concepts of human rights.
- The prevalence of non- informed cultural systems which have the shortage of capabilities that enable them to activate cultural elements in positive references, historical, or seclusion on itself and not be able to interact with the current active cultures.
- Stagnant economic conditions have not had a decent life for individuals, or a certain level of well-being, as well as poor services and others.
- Social life controlled by the prevai
Iraq is changing from the centralized system of governance to the decentralized system, which assumes devolution of more authorities to the local governments of Iraqi provinces and cities. This puts a responsibility on the academics to produce more research work on the best framework for this change, to ensure the best results. The main objective of this research is to suggest a policy for the decentralized transformation in domain of Urban and Regional Planning in Iraq. A suggested program for the transformation is involved in the paper as well, with analysis for the new relationships between different levels of planning authorities depending on democracy. In addition, a description for planning process flows from bottom to top.
The nation-building process in fragile states is complex, often involving multifaceted challenges and opportunities. A pertinent example is Iraq post-2003, which serves as a model to study the intricacies of rebuilding a nation in the aftermath of conflict. During this period, we witnessed a significant international intervention aimed at establishing democratic governance, fostering economic development, and restoring social stability. Iraq’s nation-building journey showcases both successes and shortcomings. Establishing a representative government marked a step towards inclusivity and political participation, yet sectarian tensions persisted, hindering cohesive national identity. Economic initiatives aimed to harness Iraq's oil resou
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Soil invertebrates community an important role as part of essential food chain and responsible for the decomposition in the soil, helps soil aeration , nutrients recycling and increase agricultural production by providing the essential elements necessary for photosynthesis and energy flow in ecosystems.The aim of the present study was to investigate the soil invertebrates community in one of the date palms plantation in Aljaderia district South of Baghdad, , and their relationships with some physical and chemical properties of the soil , as Five randomly distributed replicates of soil samples were collected monthly. Invertebrates samples were sorted from the soil with two methods, direct method to isolate large invertebrates and indirec
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Biodegradation is utilizing microorganisms to degrade materials into products that are safe for the
environment, such as carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. The current study aims to isolate and characterize
bacteria with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) degradation ability isolated from Shatt al-Arab water and
sewage from Basra, the bacteria were identified as Klebsiella pneumonia. According to the findings, the
isolates showed a highly significant difference in degradation of PET (24% during 7 days) and the percent of
degradation increased to 46% at 4 weeks compared to the control. The study also involved determining the
optimum temperature of K. pneumonia growth, which was 37°C, while the preferred
(5)
The current study aims to find a new plan to manage the water quality of the western part of the Hammar Marsh to reduce the salts that cause problems for the marshes and preserve their environmental life by isolating the southwestern part of the Hammar Marsh by closing the outlet under the railway embankment. The outlet is discharging saline water to the east-western part of Al Hammar Marsh. After isolating the southwestern part of the marsh, a new outlet is proposed. The impact of the flow hydrodynamics on improving the water quality was simulated using the SMS model. The hydrodynamics and water quality simulation models for the marsh are : a hydrodynamic model and average depth (SMS RMA2) and a two-dimensional water quality model (SMS
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Background; paraphilias were studied in the sex
clinic, at Al-Rashad teaching mental hospital, in the
years 2009-2010, a subject never touched before in the
field of psychiatry in Iraq.
Aims of the study :
1-to identify the prevalence of types and number of
paraphilias in those patients.
2-to study the relationship of paraphilias with
sociodemographic factors of the patients.
Patients and methods; using the diagnostic criteria of
DSM IV TR, 52 patients from the outpatient sex clinic
at Al-Rashad mental hospital, collected and studied (41
males and 11 females).
Results; the ratio of men to women was 3.7 : 1, the
majority of our sample was in the age range of 21-30
years (36.35%), with a limited
Remote sensing provide the best means to monitoring change in vegetation over a wide range of temporal scales over large areas. In this study, the vegetation index which has been applied known as the Stress Related Vegetation Index (STVI) on in the area around the Euphrates River and part of Al-Habbaniyah lake which located at western side of the river in Ramadi city, Al-Anbar province at Iraq to study the vegetation cover changes and detect the areas of changes, using two satellite sensors multispectral images such as TM and ALI, after geometric correction procedure to rectifying these images. The STVI-4 index result was the best than other vegetation indices (STVI-1 and STVI-3) to discriminate the vegetable cover distribution. The diff
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The imposition of (state) policy on the South Kuril Islands.In the Pacific was a subject
of borders dispute between Japan and Soviet Union which appeared clearly afterthe second
Great War and during the cold war. Despite the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991, this conflict has continued, thus both countries had to made a historic
and legitimate claims to demand the rights of sovereignty and ownership of four islands
occupied by the Soviet Union after World War II under the international conventions and
treaties, but these claims are proven failures through the continuation of the regional conflict.