Kirkuk Research Articles

Association between the clinical presentation and outcome among smokers vs non- smokers COVID-19 patients in Kirkuk health care centers/Iraq

Abstract Background: Smoking is regarded as one of the most important reasons of diseases and lead to eight million deaths all over the world. Both factors including corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection related to smoking can primarily affect the lungs. COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract (saliva), and the smoker group may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus because of impaired immune systems, reduced lung function, susceptible hygiene habits, and cross-infection. Objectives: The study aimed to determine if there is any association between the current smoking and the clinical severity and outcomes of disease among patients suffering from COVID-19 in Kirkuk city. Materials and Methods: Retrospective case series include 973 adult (≥18 years old) patients (525 male and 448 female) with confirmed COVID-19. The studied patients were diagnosed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by taking a swab from a nasopharyngeal region during the period from July 2020 to October 31, 2021. The data were collected from patients on the first visit to health services system (Private Clinic, AL-shifaa Hospital, and Kirkuk General Hospital). The diagnosis of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was based on symptoms. Presence of infiltration on chest X-ray or high-resolution CT scan with positive PCR swab for SARS-CoV-2 was found. The total number of patients included in the study was 974 (646 smokers and 328 non-smokers). A special questionnaire form was prepared for this purpose and distributed after receiving the verbal consent from them, and the data were collected by interviewing with them. Results: This study shows that the most affected age group between smokers and non-smokers was 50–59 years (47.35%–49.8%), respectively, with P value = 0.444. Regarding the sex, males from smoker group constitute a higher percentage (75.6%), in comparison to non-smoker group in which the females constitute a higher percent (56.2%) with a P-value = 0.000. Also the study reveals that the smoker group shows a high percent among patients with hypertension (33.8%), in comparison to the non-smoker group in which diabetes mellitus was the most comorbid disease (37.9%) with a P-value = 0.000. Conclusion: The study recommended that physicians can provide more attention to the smoking history in patients with COVID-19 infection, and more future advanced research is aimed to explain the mechanisms that decrease this risk.

Dietary Patterns and Oral Health among School Children Aged 6-12 years Old in Kirkuk City

Introduction: Oral health is the practice of keeping the mouth & teeth clean to prevent dental problems, like caries and ulcers .For this sake a cross sectional study was conducted to determine the extent and effects of dietary pattern on oral health among school aged children in Kirkuk city's primary schools on a sample. Material and methods: Sample size of 120 pupils by selecting 5 pupils from each stage from 4 different schools. The duration of the study was 1 month from the 1st of March 2015 to 31th of the same month and was carried out using a questionnaire which was given to the pupils to be filled by their parents. Results: The most i mportant finding of the study was that there is a relationship betwee n dietary intake and dental problems. Conclusion: That swee teners consumer has the highest percentage of dental problems.

Comparative Study between Ear Set Use in Relation with Bacterial Biofilms Causing Ear-Infections

Ear infections were recently considered as a serious public health issue in many countries; where Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are the most associated organisms. Besides, the ability of many species of those microorganisms to grow biofilms on medical equipments and different head set raised the question about the relationship between widespread use of ear set and complicated ear infections. Therefore, this study was suggested in order to evaluate the relationship between the continuous use of ear set with biofilm formation and ear infections among handlers. Patients, Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in Kirkuk City during January to May 2023 on a total number of (168) participants from both sexes and age range between 20-60 years. Participants were divided into two groups according to ear set use; Group A included (n=120) headphone users with (50 male and 70 female), who attended Kirkuk Teaching Hospital. On the other hand, Group B included non-headphone users of (n=48) participants with (18 male and 30 female) as the control group. Ear swab samples were collected aseptically under the supervision of Otolaryngologist Consultant from both groups and were immediately cultivated on selective media for microbiological and biochemical diagnostic tests. In accordance, the biofilm formation ability by the isolated bacteria was distinguished using the Congo red agar method. In addition, this study involved certain serological test including: the estimation of Human GR, SOD, and MDA antioxidants levels through using of the ELISA technique for all the participants, and the biochemical tests included measuring Vitamin D3 levels by using the ichromaTM technique to through the light on other factors which might be associated with ear infections. Diagnostic tests revealed the isolation of (28.33%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and (45%) of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm positive isolates from ear swabs of Group A participants. While, ear swabs collected from Group B had displayed the isolation of (4.16%) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and (8.33 %) of Staphylococcus aureus isolates respectively. Besides, the age range of (20-30) years old showed the highest rates among the infected patients, with male patients being more vulnerable to the infections than their female spouse. Moreover, Vitamin D3, human GR, SOD, and MDA antioxidant markers showed a significant decrease among participants of Group A in comparison to Group B Vitamin D3 and antioxidant marker levels.Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most prevalent agents involved in ear infections. Male patients were more susceptible to contracting ear infections. Vitamin D3, Human GR, SOD, and MDA antioxidant Marker levels declined in patients with ear infections especially the users of headphones.

Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes of Gestational Thrombocytopenia in Pregnant Women from Kirkuk City, Iraq: A Case-Control Study

Background: Thrombocytopenia is the most common hematological disorder in pregnant women, second only to anemia. A platelet count of less than 150x109/L is regarded as low. It is the most common cause of thrombocytopenia during pregnancy when the platelet count does not fall below 70x109\L. Methods: A case-control study was carried out in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Azadi Teaching Hospital, Kirkuk, Iraq. Two hundred pregnant women were enrolled in the study; they were divided into 100 cases and 100 controls. All participants were in labor at the time of admission. The cases were pregnant women with gestational thrombocytopenia, while the controls were pregnant women with a normal platelet count. A platelet count was performed for all participants using the Swelab Alfa Plus system. Results: mean gestational age and platelet count were significantly lower in patients than controls, while there was no statistically significant difference in age or parity between the study groups. Preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR), and intrapartum fetal distress were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls, and the mean APGAR score at 5 minutes was significantly lower in the patients compared to the controls. Conclusions: Pregnant women with gestational thrombocytopenia may be at higher risk of preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage, IUGR, intrapartum fetal distress and a low neonatal APGAR score.

Clinical and Biochemical Evaluation of Hirsutism in Young, Lean Girls from Kirkuk City, Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: An increase in terminal hair in androgen-dependent regions is known as hirsutism. It is not solely caused by hyperandrogenemia; idiopathic forms are also frequently seen. Objective: To examine the modified Ferriman Gallwey (mFG) cut-off score in female Iraqis as well as the etiological, biochemical, and clinical characteristics of hirsutism. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included one thousand young girls with a normal BMI. The features associated with clinical hirsutism were identified using the mFG scoring system. We eliminated eighty-eight young girls who were diagnosed with PCOS. Samples of blood were drawn for biochemical analyses. Results: 53.1%, 19.6%, and 1.2% of females had mild, moderate, or severe hirsutism, respectively. For the young females who participated in the study, their mean mFG scores were 7.07, 11.26, 16.26, and 29, respectively. Only 5% of girls with mild hirsutism had high serum free testosterone levels, despite a considerable difference in free testosterone levels between them and the normal girls. The chin, upper lip, and lower abdomen were the sites that contributed the most to mFGs. Of the girls who were moderately hirsute, 55% had a positive family history of hirsutism. Conclusion: Iraqi women do not need to consider the mFG score system's cut-off number of 8. The endocrine society's guidelines for hirsutism estimation should be adhered to by the examiner.

Bioaccessibility and Distribution of Heavy Metals in Particles from a Dust Storm in Iraq

The issue of dust storms in Iraq is one of the issues that has caused Iraq to suffer economic and health losses and requires immediate attention. Nine of Iraq’s most important cities provided the collected samples. Atomic spectrometry was used to analyze dust samples for heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, nickel, copper, and chromium. The analysis was based on the particle size of the dust samples. The SBET was utilized for the goal of determining the scope of the threat posed by all of these elements of the dust storm and the impact they have on the health of humans. The results showed that Basra had the highest value of relative bioaccessibility of zinc (73.87%) in dust particle size (200 μm), whereas Samawah had the lowest value for cadmium (0.90%). Both values were based on the dust particle size. The relative bioaccessibility of cadmium was found to be at its highest in Najaf (85.80%) in dust particle 63 μm, whereas the relative bioaccessibility of lead was found to be at its lowest in Diwaniyah (0.28%). In addition, the findings demonstrated that the relative bioaccessibility of zinc was maximum in Amarah at a particle size of 75 μm (89.56%). The value distributions were sorted where there was high contamination of heavy metals during a dust storm from dark blue to yellow. With Kirkuk city having the highest concentration of Cr in size particle 75, the spatial distribution of Cu was notably distinct from other areas in Baghdad and Basra, where it was highest in particle sizes 63 and 200 μm. This study is important in order to determine the amount of human health damage and to control dust storms in Iraq.

Self- Potential Investigation for Near-Surface Depression Delineation in Seikanian Kirkuk, Iraq

Seikanian is a new suburban in Kirkuk city rich in many environmental problems, it encloses different topographic features such as depressions and open holes which are obstacles for future civilian development. Geophysical surface self-potential method is applied to delineate the location and dimension of the depression. Three survey lines, gradient, total field and gradient-profiling are chosen and taken for recording the SP measurements in addition 18 grid points spread around the open hole. The acquired data is rendered into curves and contour maps. The interpreted gradient, total field and gradient-profiling surveyed SP line curves revealed a clear anomaly which indicate the location of the depression structure, the SP observed, residual and first order horizontal derivative contour maps delineate the boundaries of the depression. The depth of depression is between 1.8-3.3 m.

Liquefaction of industrial zone against earthquake loading using laboratory and field measurements

Purpose. To assess the liquefaction of Kirkuk’s industrial region following a series of earthquakes that struck the city during the previous five years based on the current earthquake activity in the region. Methodology. Initially, substantial relationships for shear wave velocity in different types of soil were collected and studied, where the majority of these correlations necessitated the use of standard penetration tests in the field. Indeed, two boreholes were drilled up to a maximum depth of 10 m, and the numbers of blows for conventional penetration tests were measured at various depths in each borehole. The stated shear wave velocity values from the literature, as well as the maximum and lowest shear wave velocity constraints, were employed in a simple technique to estimate the cyclic shear stress induced by earthquake loading. Findings. Based on laboratory and field data, the safety factor against earthquake-induced liquefaction can be determined. When the worst-case scenario was examined using the suggested values of shear wave velocity, the factor of safety against earthquake was reduced by 94 % as the depth increased from 3.5 to 9 m. Originality. No previous study has tried to quantify the liquefaction impact of industrial zone of Kirkuk city as such an important rich-oil area was influenced by series of earthquakes occurrence. More importantly, for the first time field soil samples from on-site boreholes in Kirkuk city have been collected and used for liquefaction assessment since such real field data can be utilized properly in liquefaction evaluation process in the absence of any comparable quantification for the investigated area. Practical value. Precious liquefaction analysis should be performed prior to any proposed project construction in the light of increased earthquake activity in the industrial zone in Kirkuk city (Iraq).

Detection of the effect of silver nanoparticles prepared by using extract leaves Prosperis juliflora on pathogenic fungus Trichophyton tonsurans isolated from human scalp

The silver nanoparticles were prepared using Prosopis juliflora leaf extract and extracted from trees in Kirkuk city and showed that the silver nitrate solution in 1 mm turned its color brown which will be preliminary evidence of the formation of nanoparticles. The UV and visible absorption spectrum of a solution of silver nanoparticles was tested as a second step in confirming the formation of the particles, and it was found that they were present at the wavelength (440) nm, where it turned out that the peaks of X-ray diffraction were at (111), (220), (311) at angles (31.77, 48.11, 54.21) respectively. Trichophyton tonsurans were isolated from the scalp of a person with ringworm from Kirkuk General Hospital. The fungus was diagnosed on the basis of the phenotypic and microscopic characteristics and hair penetration. it was found that the solution of silver nanoparticle had a clear inhibitory effect on the fungus Trichophyton tonsurans. The highest and lowest inhibitor concentration reached 90% and the highest inhibitor concentration was 100 % Also, the ratios of the silver nanoparticles effects on the growth and production of fungi spores were determined.

Studying the Prevalence of Multidrug Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Kirkuk City

Klebsiella pneumonia is an opportunistic pathogen causes several diseases including sepsis, pneumonia, and wound infections. There are two pathotypes of Klebsiella pneumonia: classical K. pneumoniae (cKp) and hypervirulent K. pneumonia (hvkp), which is an emerging variant of (ckp), clinically distinguished by invasive and multiple site infections. K.pneumoniae is also responsible for majority of human infections, and can infected healthy members of the community and hospitalized patients. A total 150 samples were collected from different hospitals in Kirkuk city during the period between November 2021 to June 2022. The age of patients ranged between (1– 60) years old with both sexes. These samples were highly recovered from females with a rate 66.67% compared to the males 33.33%. Thirty K. pneumonia (20%) was recovered from different clinical specimens including urine, sputum, burn and wound swabs. The current study reported that females are more likely to be infected with K. pneumoniae than man. Likewise, the most common age group infected with K.pneumoniae was between (20-40) with a rate of 63.33%. K.pneumoniae was commonly recovered from inpatients 53.33% compared with outpatients (46.67%). Antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted to all the isolates by using disc diffusion test towards 8 antimicrobial agents. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates showed multiple resistance against 3 or more of different antibiotic groups such as gentamicin 93%, ampicillin 96% and amoxicillin –clavulanate 90%, cefotaxime 83%, ceftazidime 96%, meropenem 36%, levofloxacin 76 %and gentamicin 93 %. K. pneumoniae isolated from inpatients and from sputum samples were more resistance to various kinds of antibiotics.

Maternal Age and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes among Women Attended Kirkuk City Hospitals: A Comparative Study

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is one of the most common public health issues in the world today, causing harm to the fetus, mother, and newborn .World Health Organization (WHO) defined adolescents as individuals between the age of 10 and 19 years old, and according to the , adolescents make up approximately 20% of the world's population. Objective: To identify and compare the adverse pregnancy outcomes among two age groups of pregnant women attended Kirkuk city hospitals. Methods:A Quantitative (descriptive) study design was carried out between October 2022 and may 2023 on a sample of 280women, aged less than or equal to 19years old&more than or equal to 35 years. Purposive sample selected from 3 main hospitals in Kirkuk City. A structured questionnaire was employed as an instrument for data collection. SPSS version22.0 was used for data entry and analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistical methods used. Results: A total of 280 mothers participated, both groups were primary school graduated ,house wife with insufficient income. Adolescent group had 1-2 gravida & para, While advanced age had from 3-4 with delivery by CS for both groups. Significant relationship of maternal outcome found as complication before labor as placenta previa ,gestational hypertension, eclampsia and olighydrominos. In addition for neonatal outcome need to admission to neonatal intensive care unit and early neonatal death had significant relationship at p ˂ 0.05. Conclusions: No significant relationships were accounted for between the distribution of maternal outcomes among both groups, and the expectation for some complications before labor, a significant relationship at P<0.05 according to the need for neonatal intensive care unit admission & neonatal death among both age groups.

The impact of window orientation, glazing, and window-to-wall ratio on the heating and cooling energy of an office building: The case of hot and semi-arid climate

Adopting suitable design strategies in buildings throughout the design stage provides increased energy-saving potential. In this study, factors influencing window design, such as the window-to-wall ratio (WWR) and window orientation, along with different glazing materials, are being investigated in the city of Kirkuk, Iraq for possible energy consumption reduction. The study presents a simulation-based analysis on a typical office building in the area; evaluating four WWRs, four orientations, and three window glazing materials, e.g., clear, gray, and theoretical, as well as single and double-glazed windows. The results indicate that minimum heating consumption could be achieved with double clear glass for south-facing windows if WWR was 100 %. For north-facing windows, minimum cooling consumption is achieved with double theoretical-197 glass with a 25 % WWR. These measures can be utilized by architects and construction managers to communicate information to customers in an understandable manner and make better window design decisions.

Web Mapping Applications Urban land uses in the city of Kirkuk-Iraq (Case study on Hay al Askari)

The research presents a study on how to prepare an advanced database and employ web maps available on the Internet through the application of the (GIS Online) system in the city of Kirkuk, a case study through designing effective maps on a website that allows the data to be displayed effectively in order to encourage the user to make a decision. This application was used to prepare land use maps (health, educational, recreational, religious, other, land area) over the research area, adopting open source data, and drawing spatial layers of land use on an individual basis through the use of spatial symbols available in the application interface. Then compiled into a final map that can be made available to decision makers.

Assessment The Prevalence Of Secondary Bacterial Infection Isolated From Patients with Covid-19 Virus in Kirkuk City

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), was first reported in China in late 2019 from a zoonotic source. The great majority of Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic or cause only minor disease. However, a significant percentage of patients develop a respiratory illness that necessitates hospitalization, and such infections can progress to severe illness with hypoxemic respiratory failure necessitating prolonged ventilatory support. Aim: the study aimed to assess the prevalence of bacterial co-infection in (50) COVID-19 diagnosed hospitalized patients, with an examination of demographic, laboratory, and clinical parameters. Methods: Sputum were obtained from patients in Respiratory care unit (RCU) and care wards. The isolated bacteria was diagnosis by Vitek 2 analyzer system in Hawler Private Hospital. In addition, the hematological and biochemical tests were performed for all the 50 patients at the Al-Shiffa-14 Hospital laboratory. Result: older people and those with underlying medical problems like hypertension (48%), diabetes (20%), chronic disease (26%), and cancer (6%) are more likely to develop severe illnesses. Strong correlation of lymphopenia (72%), increased CRP (98%), D-Dimer (84%), ferritin (88%) level and poor clinical outcome with the severity of the disease. Bacterial co-infection was identified, the rate of bacterial co-infection registered in this study (50%) is matching with other studies investigated the bacterial co-infection in COVID-19 infected patients who admitted in hospital wards and RCU units with the recording of Klebsiella Pneumoniae (26%) as the most common bacteria isolated from the COVID-19 infected patients sputum samples. Conclusion: secondary bacterial infection is common with COVID-19 patients and lead to significant morbidity and mortality

Implementing GIS and linear regression models to investigate partial building failures

One of the most dangerous field problems in the civil engineering discipline is the suddenly developed cracks in the building, which could be caused by the swelling of the subsurface soil. Thus, this work has focused on employing a procedure in the geographic information system known as the inverse distance weighted (IDW) technique, to analyze the extent of cracks in a residential complex in the city of Kirkuk in Iraq using the physical and chemical soil data for seven boreholes from the field of the study. Physical soil parameters such as liquid limit (LL), gravel, sand, silt and clay percentages were characterized first, followed by chemical properties such as gypsum content (GYP), total suspended solids (TSS), potential of hydrogen (pH), and organic content (ORG). Furthermore, statistical studies such as plasticity index (PI) and soil characteristics association, linear single, and various linear multi-regression models were used. The data analysis shows that there are significantly positive and negative relationships between PI as a swelling indicator and the physical and chemical soil properties, although weak to moderate correlations were observed between PI and these variables. The PI values were accurately predicted by the proposed linear multi-regression models of the physical and integrated physical and chemical soil characteristics, with multiple R values of 0.92 for both models. As a result, the suggested statistical models can provide complete geographic and mechanical explanations for the crack sources in the investigated residential complex.

Prevalence of Methicillin Resistance S.aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin Resistance S.aureus (VRSA) among Iraqi Patients: a Comparative Study

It is clear from this study the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin and Staphylococcus aureus resistant to vancomycin in different regions of Iraq. According to this study, which was conducted in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, on 285 samples, 131 of them were infected with various bacterial infections, of whom only 80% were infected with S. aureus bacteria. According to the chemical tests, including the DNA test (PCR) for the Staphylococcus bacteria isolates, the sensitivity of the isolates under study against a group of different antibiotics was tested by using the disc diffusion method. Gentamicin and Chloramphenicol (30, 28, 23, 22, and 21 mm), respectively, for all samples under study, while the percentage of bacteria resistance to Methicillin was 100%, while the percentage of Staphylococcus resistance to Vancomycin was 70% for all samples under study, where it was recorded The rate of inhibition reached (13 mm). As a result of the investigation on resistance genes, it was found that most of the virulence genes are present in methicillin-resistant samples, while the virulence genes in the Vancomycin-resistant samples recorded two types of genes, namely (Van A) and (Van B), which are responsible for building the cell wall protein. A) In samples isolated from bacterial strains, the percentages of (Van B) gene were higher. By conducting a comparison with some studies in some Iraqi cities, it was found that 71% of the isolates were resistant to Vancomycin in the city of Hilla out of a total of 200 infected isolates, and the city of Baghdad recorded infections estimated at 66.6% resistant to Vancomycin out of a total of 250 infected samples. 50% of the 20 samples infected with S. aureus, Finally, the city of Kirkuk recorded a percentage of Vancomycin resistance to isolates of S. aureus bacteria 100%, and it is also clear that all isolates in all Iraqi cities were 100% Methacillin resistant.

A Comparison of External Parasites Pathogenic to Fish in Two Fish Ponds Located in Kirkuk Governorate

Water is indeed the essence of life and an essential element for all living organisms. Determining the physical and chemical characteristics of water is crucial for assessing its suitability for various purposes such as drinking, irrigation, and fish farming. Water is the essential support needed by people to carry out their vital functions, including nutrition, swimming, digestion, reproduction, and excretion. During the study period, a total of 288 samples of carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from two fish farming stations in Daqoq and Lailan, in Kirkuk city, from January to July 2023.

MAIZE SEED INOCULATION WITH BIOAGENT AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD TRAITS

The presented study sought to use the plant growth-promoting microorganism (PGPM) as a biofertilizer in maize (Zea mays L.) seeds and determine its effects on the growth and productivity of maize, with two levels of mineral fertilizer (25% and 50% of chemical fertilizer) under Iraqi conditions. Laboratory studies confirmed no antagonism between Azotobacter chroococcum and other microorganisms used in this study. Field experiments carried out during crop season 2021 were in two different regions, Mosul (36°20′6″N, 43°7′8″E) and Kirkuk (35°28′5.02″N, 44°23′31.99″E) in the north of Iraq. The result showed biofertilizer superiority when combined with 25% and 50% doses of the recommended mineral fertilizer for maize growth and yield traits in the experiments in both locations. In Kirkuk city, the biofertilizer combined with 25% chemical fertilizer recorded superiority without significant difference from the biofertilizer combined with 50% mineral fertilizer. However, in Mosul city, the biofertilizer combined with 50% chemical fertilizer expressed a more superior and significant difference than other treatments for growth and yield traits in maize. The difference between the two regions might be due to chemical fertilizer residues in the soil.

Indications for Cesarean Section delivery among Primigravid Women attending Kirkuk City Hospitals

Background: Cesarean section is method of birth used when a vaginal delivery is not possible or when the baby's and mother's health are at risk. Understanding the causes of caesarean section can give us a greater awareness of this common obstetric operation. Aims: To determine the indications for cesarean section among primi gravid women, attending ‎Kirkuk city hospitals, and to find out the relationship between indications for cesarean section and demographic data with some of reproductive characteristics of the study sample. Methods and materials: A descriptive study was conducted at maternity units in Kirkuk city hospitals from August, 2022 to May, 2023. The study sample included 200 primigravid women who underwent to caesarean section. The data was collected through a questionnaire and interview techniques. SPSS version 26 was used for data entry and analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistic were used. Results: the mean age was 23.62 ± 5.62 most of the patient were in the age 15-19 years old , (42.5%) were graduated from institute, college & higher education, more than half of the sample (59.5%) were housewife, (76.5%) were from urban with (45.5%) of them being from sufficient monthly income, and (44.0%) were obese. Cephalopelvic disproportion and fetal malpresentation were the most common indications for cesarean section. Reproductive history was significantly associated with each of [maternal age at (P=0.001), residency at (P=0.001), monthly income at (P=0.003) and type of antenatal care at (P=0.000). No significant relationship was reported between women demographic data and their indications for caesarean section at p-value <0.05. Conclusion: Cephalopelvic disproportion and fetal malpresentation were the most common indications for cesarean section, followed by fetal distress and obstructed labor. Performing caesarean section delivery should be for the medical and emergency reasons by the obstetricians.

Air Pollution Risk Assessment Using GIS and Remotely Sensed Data in Kirkuk City, Iraq

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates and based on a world population review, Iraq ranks tenth among the most air-polluted countries in the world. In this study, the authors tried to evaluate the outdoor air of Kirkuk City north of Iraq. The authors relied on two types of data: field measurements and remotely sensed data. Fifteen air quality points were determined in the study region representing the monthly average measurements implemented for the one-year dataset. Geographic information systems (GIS) based geo-statistic and geo-processing techniques have been applied to collected data. Spatial distribution data related to Air Quality Index (AQI), and Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were obtained by mapping collected records. Remotely sensed data of PM2.5 were analyzed and compared with the collected data. Health impacts were assessed per each air pollutant determined in the study. Spatial distribution maps revealed the hazardous air type in the study area. Overall AQI ranged between 300 and 472 µg/m3 referring to unhealthy, very unhealthy, and hazardous classes of pollution. Also, PM10 ranged between 300 and 570 µg/m3 indicating the same class of air pollution from unhealthy to hazardous. While PM2.5 ranged between 40 and 60 µg/m3 which represents unhealthy air for sensitive persons and unhealthy air. The remotely sensed data revealed different air types for the study period ranging from 14.5 to 52.5 µg/m3 represented in moderate and unhealthy air for sensitive persons. Significant correlations were obtained where the mean local R2 (coefficient of determination) was obtained as 0.83. The assessed data were within high air pollution that requires immediate intervention for controlling causes and eliminating their effects.