Sulaymaniyah City Research Articles

Assessment the Impact of Climate Changes on Snow Cover Area Using Landsat Data in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq

Snow due to its unique reflective nature and wide surface exposure is an important component of the Earth’s radiation balance. Data from Landsat5 TM and Landsat8 OLI images were used to detect the change in snow cover, values of water bodies, and land surface temperature during the study period years 1987, 1999, 2009, and 2022. ArcGIS 10.8 is used to determine the variations and calculate NDSI, NDSInw, NDWI, and LST index indices. This study aimed to monitor the snow cover area in Sulaymaniyah city, northeastern Iraq, and evaluate the impact of climate changes on snow cover. The results showed significant changes in the snow cover, and the area and percentage of snow cover decreased continuously during the study periods. Some regions have preserved the snow cover and these regions are concentrated in the northeastern part of the province. The finding also revealed that NDSI overestimated the amount of snow and ice cover, because it employs the near-infrared and visible bands, and NDSInw can extract ice cover in areas with water cover more effectively due to its usage of the NIR band.

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Snow Cover Index and Land Surface Temperature for Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq

Changes in land surface reflectance measured by remote sensing data can be useful in climate change studies. This study attempts to Evaluation of the relationship between Snow cover index and Land surface temperature for by used Normalized snow index (S3), Land Surface Temperature (LST), in Sulaymaniyah city, northeastern Iraq. Data from Landsat5 TM and Landsat8 OLI images were used to detect the change in snow cover and land surface temperature during the study period years 1987, 1999, 2009, and 2022. ArcGIS 10.8 is used to determine the variations and calculate S3, NDVI, and LST index indices. All S3 maps have shown a decrease trend from 1987 to 2022 which depicted decreases of snow cover area. Also, LST has increased from 13°C in 1987 to 19 °C in 2022. also the results showed S3 and LST correlation has a strong reverse relationship existed in each year. The reverse relationship found between S3 and LST indicates that areas in which increase land surface temperature it leads to inducing much changes in snow cover.

Consumer purchasing intention and behaviour toward chicken meat in Sulaymaniyah City: empirical evidence from a field survey

Consumer purchasing intention and behaviour toward chicken meat in Sulaymaniyah City: empirical evidence from a field survey

The outcome of Photocoagulation Treatment of Retinal Vascular Diseases

Due to the significance of macular edema in retinal vascular diseases, this study aims to determine whether laser photocoagulation is effective in the treatment of macular edema and in the improvement of visual acuity. This is a prospective data study considering 80 patients with 52 eyes, with a follow-up of 6 weeks, 3 months, and six months with macular edema treated with double frequency yag laser photocoagulation in Aso Eye Hospital in Sulaymaniyah City, Kurdistan, Iraq, from February 2010 to October 2010. With six months of follow-up, visual acuity was improved in 36.4% of eyes, unchanged in 61.3%, and worsened in 2.3%. After this period the macular edema was improved in 78.85% and not improved in 21.15%. According to this study, baseline visual acuity and retinopathy severity were two important intervening factors in response to laser therapy. Comparing the current results with other studies, it has been found that, in assessing visual outcomes, laser photocoagulation is an effective modality in the treatment of macular edema, and it improves visual acuity in retinal vascular diseases.

The effects of knowledge sharing on innovative behaviours of academicians; mediating effect of innovative organization culture and quality of work life

PurposeCurrent article aims to investigate the positive link between knowledge sharing (KS), innovative culture (IC), quality of work life (QWL) and innovative behaviours (IB) at higher education institutions in Iraq's Kurdistan Region.Design/methodology/approachThe study's data was gathered from academic staff at various universities in Iraq's Kurdistan Region. A total of 212 data were collected via survey questionnaire and analysed using structural equation modelling.FindingsIt was discovered that KS has direct and significant positive effects on IC, QWL and IB; IC had direct positive effects on IB; QWL had no considerable influence on IB and IC had a significant mediation and moderation roles between KS and IB. As a result, it is advised that universities in the region are strongly support IC to increase IB among academicians.Research limitations/implicationsFirstly, the data has been collected during the crises time that the lecturers were not receiving regular salary. This might change their quality work life perception. Secondly, data has been collected only from Sulaymaniyah city; other parts of the Iraq could have different perceptions. Lastly, sample size might be another limitation of the study.Practical implicationsIt is recommended that universities in the region should strongly support IC to increase IB among academicians, in terms of providing flexible working schedule and conditions, fair opportunities for promotion, and share decision making responsibilities.Social implicationsKS and IC has significant impacts on IB among the academicians. Accordingly, university administrative should improve policies increase KS behaviours and provide IC that academicians feel more comfortable culture to be innovative. Therefore, current paper recommends, tolerance to failure, openness to new ideas and participation to the decisions to improve IB among the academicians.Originality/valueThe paper is important that investigate KS and IC at the higher education institutions in Kurdistan region. Further, QWL perception has been investigated respectively. However, it has been observed that lecturers do not have quality of life perception at the investigated period of time.

Psychological and social problems of the blinds, a field study in Sulaymaniyah City

The researcher conducted a research entitled (Psychological and social problems of the blinds, a field study in Sulaymaniyah city.) Further, regardless of the gender, the research aims to reveal the psychological and social problems of the blind in Sulaymaniyah. The researcher relied on qualitative method based on semi-open interviews to collect data and information. In addition, the participants consisted of 20 blind people in Sulaymaniyah, 10 males and 10 females, who had three main characteristics: they were all over 25 years old, married and employed. The most important results show that most of the blind females felt inferior, but males did not However, most families of the blind females felt ashamed and inferior because of their blind member, Socially, the blind males are more likely to feel embarrassed about making friends. It can be said, the research shows that in education the blind students are not treated well by the teachers. Also, the poor buildings of the schools and lack of audio recordings of scientific resources are the major problems for the blind people. Lack of scientific resources that are written in braille was also a problem.

Importance of job autonomy at the companies in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Job autonomy is the respect for employees to choose their own methods of approaching the work demands besides, Innovative culture promotes innovation and innovation creates value for organizations further, job satisfaction is one of the many important concepts that are required to reach high performances by the staff, in this respect, this paper assumes that job autonomy and job satisfaction have positive effects on employee innovative behavior in Kurdistan. To do then we have organized a survey questionnaire and visited various in Sulaymaniyah city in Kurdistan, as a result 191 data has been used and found that true regression analysis that job satisfaction and job autonomy positively related to employees’ innovative behaviors in the region, it is recommended that residential managers should give autonomy to their employees in their responsibilities for the sake of their job satisfaction and performances

Estimating atmospheric radon deviation using statistical coefficients: Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq, as a case of study

ABSTRACT The authors studied the atmospheric radon concentration with associated meteorological parameters variation during the dust events from July to November 2017. We obtained the meteorological parameters data in weather station of Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. In the environmental monitoring plan, the atmospheric radon fluctuated from 15 to 48 Bq m–3 around the mean value of 31.5 ± 7 Bq m–3 within the summer. In autumn, varied from 22 to 46 Bq m–3 with a mean value of 34 ± 12 Bq m–3. We employed this to determine the radon level anomalously. Using the modified statistical coefficients, such as the residual deviation (RD), residual fluctuation ratio (RFR), F-test, and p-value coefficients. Among the atmospheric radon fluctuation values, particularly one anomalous (42 Bq m–3) on 25 July was determined because the excessive value of the RD was 1.9 σ, and the RFR value was 66 %. Corresponding to our coefficients criteria, the minimum level of atmospheric radon (22 Bq m–3) does not consider anomalous because of increasing wind speed. Based on this, our method for determining the atmospheric radon anomalies that are influenced by the missed factors beyond the mentioned meteorological parameters is accurate.

A Comparison of In-class Student Engagement and School Environment between Refugee and Host Community Students

As wars and persecutions persist in many parts of the world, education and integration programmes for refugees have received more attention in recent years. This research attempts to illuminate differences between the host community and refugee students through students' eyes in the Kurdistan region of Iraq- Sulaymaniyah city. Our main research aims were to have a quantitative understanding of the differences and associations between the elements of in-class student engagement (preparations for classes, active listening and participation) and school environment (social environment: student-teacher relationship, student-student relationship and physical environment). The sample consisted of 193 grade 8 and 9 students in Sulaymaniyah province (104 host community students and 89 Syrian refugee students). The comparative analysis was made based on the available data and study statistics. The statistical analysis showed that there were significant statistical differences between the two groups of students regarding preparation for classes and class participation, while there was not a significant difference between them regarding active listening in class. Significant differences related to social and environment satisfaction were also revealed. Through correlation tests, associations were found between in-class student engagement and social environment elements.

Molecular Study of ACE2 Gene Polymorphism of COVID-19 Infection among the Kurdish Population in Kurdistan Region- Iraq.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a current pandemic infection of the human respiratory system, which is caused by which caused by Sever Acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection was classified by World Health Organization (WHO) as a universal pandemic in February 2020; there have been 494.587.638 confirmed cases and 6.170.283 deaths. The present study investigated the molecular genetics of the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene in correlation to COVID-19 patients in the Kurdish population. Eighty-six individuals were clinically diagnosed with COVID-19 and control groups. After the genomic DNA extraction these participants the target 1, 2 and 8 exons of the ACE2 gene were amplified using the PCR technique, and then the Sanger sequencing technique was performed to analyze genetic variants of the ACE2 gene in 70 DNA samples of COVID-19 hospital patients at Emergency Hospital in Erbil city, Sarchnar Hospital in Sulaymaniyah city, Lalav Hospital in Duhok city and Wafa Hospital in Halabja city from Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The current study was designed into two groups control group and a patient group. The patient group was divided into two subgroups, severe and mild patients of different ages and genders. As a result, there were no mutations at the positions 1, 2 and 8 exons sequences, while single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected and identified three different types of mutation at intron position: twenty-six of c.12405 del T, two of c.12407 T>G, and two of c.12406 G>A in a total 86 participants. This result shows that genetic difference does not impact the COVID-19 infection severity among the Kurdish population regarding ACE2 gene polymorphism.

Validity of Limestone Aggregates for Using in Asphalt Concrete Mixtures for Surface Layer of Roads

In this paper, limestone quarries in the Bazian region, west of Sulaymaniyah city, northern Iraq, were evaluated geotechnically to examine their suitability for developing asphalt concrete for the top layer of roadways. Two samples were collected to perform geotechnical testing, including physical, chemical, and permanence tests. From the physical results, it is evident that the coarse and fine aggregate grain sizes demonstrated conformity to the American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM-C136 as well as the requirements of the fine aggregate standards ASTM-C117, which fall within the coarse, fine, and filler areas. Moreover, the findings revealed that the flat granules are 22% and the longitudinal granules are 35%. Based on these results, it did not go over the limits set by British standards, so it meets the requirements for concrete work. Another promising finding of durability tests was 21.8%, which represented the highest weight loss. This is an important finding in the understanding of the suitability of the aggregate to American and Iraqi standards in concrete work. A further novel finding of stability tests demonstrated the cement's suitability with Iraqi standards and the American standard C131-C535-2003. Finally, the results of Marshall's test for density, creep, and stability reveals the conformity with the Iraqi specification for asphalt concrete works D2726-05, where the density value was 2.292 and the percentages of creep and stability were 12.2 kN and 2.9 mm, respectively. The results of examining the cement asphalt were in accordance with the specifications required for concrete works, where the optimum percentage of asphalt for the design of the asphalt mixture for the surface layer was 4.8. Also, the percentage of airspace was 4.1 according to the American standard D2041.

Using the Kurdish language in the EFL classrooms: An investigation of teachers' and students' perceptions and attitudes between two institutes in Sulaymaniyah city

Studying and applying English as a foreign language in Kurdistan Region has been used in academic and non-academic fields. The use of the first language (L1) in Learning English in a nation where it is not the primary language is known as English as a foreign language (EFL). For instance, since English isn't the Nation's official language, students in Iraq studying it are categorized as EFL students. Sessions are a source of ongoing debate among professionals and academics throughout the globe, especially whether it helps or hinders English teaching. The researcher wants to see whether the Kurdish language helps teach English in academic places. Two institute students were selected randomly. This research focused on classroom dynamics regarding the amount of L1 usage in English lecture halls in Kurdistan. This study aimed to show instructors' and students' opinions and attitudes on using first-language and second-language classrooms. The two teachers and two high and two low-achiever students were interviewed, and the lessons were watched and videotaped for six sessions. The results revealed that using Kurdish too often can demotivate learners. Thus, the students who were questioned expressed their displeasure with the inappropriate usage and use of L1 in L2 lessons. This study examines applying the first language in EFL Iraqi Kurdistan institutes. Scholars and EFL instructors throughout the globe have discussed how utilizing L1 in EFL classrooms may be an aid or a burden, depending on how we look at it.

Optimization of Locations for Bioswales Stormwater Management Using BMP Siting Tool - Case Study of Sulaymaniyah City-KRG-Iraq

Today, urban Stormwater management is one of the main concerns of municipalities and stakeholders. Drought and water scarcity made rainwater harvesting one of the main steps toward climate change adaptation. Due to the deterioration of the quality of urban runoff and the increase of impermeable urban land use, the treatment of urban runoff is essential. Best Management Practice (BMP) and Low Impact Development (LID) approaches are necessary to combat climate change consequences by improving the quantity and quality of water resources. The application of Bioswales along urban streets and roadways can reduce the stress on water resources, recharge groundwater and prevent groundwater pollution. While Sulaymaniyah City has a combined sewer network, the application of Bioswales makes wastewater treatment possible in all seasons. This study aimed to determine suitable locations for LID as one of the methods of urban runoff management in Sulaymaniyah City, KRG Iraq. The research modeled and optimized the placement of Bioswales using the BMP Sitting Tool (BST) in the ArcGIS program. Results of the study suggested a total area of 104329 m2 in 530 locations for the installation of the Bioswale system. Also, results showed that land use parameters and soil hydrological groups could be considered important factors in selecting a suitable location for Bioswale system establishment.

The Impact of Insulin Staging in the Context of Pharmaceutical Care on Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The problem of polypharmacy and the nature of the disease make patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus highly vulnerable to drug therapy problems, especially those who are on insulin therapy. Despite this challenge, reaching the desired clinical outcome and using an appropriate insulin regimen are also considered a controversial issue among clinicians. The current study is designed to explore the impact of insulin staging regimens in the context of pharmaceutical care on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study is a randomized interventional comparative study of a few groups. It was conducted at the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre in Sulaymaniyah City in Iraq from January to August 2022. Patients with T2DM who were on insulin therapy were enrolled in this trial. The participants were divided into two groups, the interventional and non-interventional groups. The insulin regimen was modified, and pharmaceutical care process was performed for the intervention group. Drug therapy problems (DTPs) and clinical parameters were monitored both groups over the course of six months. A total of 67 patients with T2DM on insulin were included in this study, and of them, 73% were females, with a mean age of 57.34 ± 7.825 years. The groups were randomly divided into intervention and non-intervention groups. After six months of applying insulin staging in the context of pharmaceutical care, FPG (Mean Diff.= 72.25, 95% CI of diff.= 20.44 to 124.1), HbA1c (Mean Diff.= 2.087, 95% CI of diff.= 1.151 to 3.023) and DTP were significantly improved in the intervention group. Implementing the insulin staging approach within the context of the pharmaceutical care process showed a significant impact on controlling plasma glucose levels.

The Effects of Different Water Types on the Dissolution, Physical Appearance, and Compressive Strength of Gypsum Rock

Dissolution of gypsum rock in water is significant, which may result in hydrocarbon reservoir formation and evaporate deposits. However, the complexity of the gypsum dissolution process is still of interest because of its uncleanness that requires more critical analysis. The objectives of this experimental study are emphasis on the dissolution characteristics of gypsum rock under room temperature and by various types of water; namely: deionized, tap, fresh, acidic, well, and normal rainwatre. In addition, the influences of dissolution on gypsum rock's mechanical and physical characteristics. Gypsum rock was obtained from Agjalar area, in the southwest of Sulaymaniyah city, Northern Iraq. Experimental results show that well water is the most effective type to dissolve gypsum and cause significant reductions in the mechanical characteristics of gypsum rock.

The Impact of Servant Leadership on Positive Affectivity: Mediating by Career Adaptability

Career adaptability (CA) in terms of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence exhibited like a mediator between servant leadership and positive affectivity and is the main focus of the present study's conceptual model. In Sulaymaniyah city in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, hotel workers collected information. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the collected data from five-star hotel workers at Sulaymaniyah. The constructs are meaningful and dependable via exploratory factor analysis with reliability testing. Factor analysis demonstrates high convergent and discriminative validity of the results. A complete mediator linking servant leadership and good effectiveness were found to be the CA. In hotel business, embracing a servant leadership approach may enhance personal resources and improve career adaptability.

Studying the inhibitory effect of local honey, black seed oil against some bacterial isolates with a comparisons

The current research aimed to investigate the antibacterial activity of two types of honey alone and in combination with black seed oil and compare their effects. The first type of honey, the mountain type, was obtained from some beehive of Sulaymaniyah city, while the second type (Lowlander) was obtained from beehive in Balad city of Salah Al-Deen.
 The bacterial species used were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Proteus mirabilis categorized into clinical and environmental groups. Antibacterial activity of the honeys was assayed using the Disc diffusion method. Different concentrations were conducted ranged from 20-100%. Results had revealed that the environmental bacterial isolates were affected mostly toward both honey types. However, the mountainous honey showed inhibitory effect against the Gram negative isolates. Mixture of honey in general with black seed oil had significantly differed and at some points decreased the effect while the black seed alone showed effect toward the environmental isolates at the absolute concentration.
 

SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LEFT SIDE COLONOSCOPY OR SIGMOIDOSCOPY VERSUS TOTAL COLONOSCOPY IN PATIENTS LESS THAN 45 YEARS OLD AGE PRESENTED WITH THE PERIANAL DISEASE AT KURDISTAN CENTER FOR GASTROENTEROLOGY/SULAIMANIYAH

Background 
 Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are recommended tools for diagnosing colorectal diseases, but their relative effectiveness needs to be clarified. Direct comparisons of colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy in the same population would help inform patients, providers, and policymakers about patients presented with perianal features and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening options.
 Objectives 
 To evaluate the ability of each of these two modalities (colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy) to reach the diagnosis in patients presenting with features suggestive of perianal disease and to determine factors that predict safely performing left-sided colonoscopy in patients less than forty-five years old given with features suggestive of perianal disease. 
 Materials and Methods
 This prospective cross-sectional study will be conducted between the 1st of January 2021 and the 1st of January 2022 in the department of KCGH (Kurdistan center for gastrointestinal and Hepatology) / Teaching- Hospital, Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq. One thousand patients presented with features (bright red bleeding per-rectum, blood on toilet tissue, pain and itching in anal region, anal soiling) of perianal disease were subjected to sigmoidoscopy and extended to full colonoscopy. The patients are divided into two groups, each group of 500 patients. The first group (basic group) includes patients younger than 45 years and the second group (comparison group) includes patients aged equally and more than 45 years.
 Results
 The mean age of the primary group is about 33 years. All patients underwent sigmoidoscopy and extended to total colonoscopy with terminal ileal intubation; in the basic group, we have 48 (4.8%) patients with left side polyps (10 large and 38 small polyps) and 16 (1.6%) right side polyps (2 large and 14 small polyps), in this group, we have only 6 (0.6%) patients with left side colonic mass and no cases of right side colonic mass, while in comparison group we have 115 (11.5%) cases with left side colonic polyp (27 large and 88 small polyps) and about 86 (8.6%) cases of right side colonic polyp, regarding detecting mass in this group we have 20 (2.0%) cases of left side colonic mass and 6 (0.6%) cases of right side colonic mass.. 
 Conclusion
 Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy are important tools for investigating patients presenting with perianal features. While both are sensitive to detecting pathology in the left side of the colon, our study concluded that although colonoscopy is the ideal procedure for detecting lesions in the whole colon (proximal & distal to splenic flexure), limited colonoscopy up to splenic flexure can be safely carried out in patients less than 45 years old presented with perianal diseases.

Physicochemical Characterization and Evaluation of Seasonal Variations of Landfill Leachate and Groundwater Quality around Tanjaro Open Dump Area of Sulaymaniyah City, Kurdistan, Iraq

The current study is concerned with the primary environmental assessment of the physicochemical characterization of seasonal fluctuations in the leachate of Tanjaro open dump site in Sulaymaniyah City, and its impact on the quality of the groundwater. The primary characteristics of the leachates were their high levels of organic and inorganic components and their toxicity because of the presence of heavy metal concentrations. For almost all physicochemical parameters, the leachate from the Tanjaro area dumping has incredibly high values. All heavy metals were present in leachate, with the exception of cadmium and mercury, albeit at levels below their respective permitted limits. The characterization revealed that Leachate 1 (L1) may be referred to as young leachate, whereas Leachate 2 (L2) and Leachate 3 (L3) can be referred to as old leachate due to their pH values. It was indicated that the Tanjaro dumping is operating and in the early stages of stabilization. BOD5/COD was around 0.63, and the leachate was highly biodegradable in the anaerobic phase. Groundwater, which contains little to no organic matter, was not found to be severely affected by monitoring wells located close to the dumpsites. The conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, Mn, and Fe were some of the values that went above the WHO guidelines. Correlation analysis was used as a preliminary descriptive technique to establish the strength of the association between the relevant variables. Some parameters were discovered to be statistically significantly correlated with one another, pointing to a close connection between these parameters.

Aeromonas sobria as a potential candidate for bioremediation of heavy metal from contaminated environments.

The uncontrolled discharge of industrial wastes causes the accumulation of high heavy metal concentrations in soil and water, leading to many health issues. In the present study, a Gram-negative Aeromonas sobria was isolated from heavily contaminated soil in the Tanjaro area, southwest of Sulaymaniyah city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq; then, we assessed its ability to uptake heavy metals. A. sobria was molecularly identified based on the partial amplification of 16S rRNA using novel primers. The sequence was aligned with 33 strains to analyze phylogenetic relationships by maximum likelihood. Based on maximum tolerance concentration (MTC), A. sobria could withstand Zn, Cu, and Ni at concentrations of 5, 6, and 8mM, respectively. ICP-OES data confirmed that A. sobria reduced 54.89% (0.549mM) of the Cu, 62.33% (0.623mM) of the Ni, and 36.41% (0.364mM) of the Zn after 72h in the culture medium. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that A. sobria accumulated both Cu and Ni, whereas biosorption was suggested for the Zn. These findings suggest that metal-resistant A. sobria could be a promising candidate for heavy metal bioremediation in polluted areas. However, more broadly, research is required to assess the feasibility of exploiting A. sobria in situ.