West Of Iraq Research Articles

Effect of Climate Change on Wetland Areas in West Iraq Using Satellite Data and GIS Techniques

Iraq is considered to amongst those countries in the Middle Eastern region that are most exposed to the effects of climate change, which will have notable effects on wet areas and lakes. Natural or industrial water resources must be paid particular attention due to their importance in preserving environmental and biological systems, in addition to their economic and social importance. As a result of the effects of climatic change, water resources in Iraq have seen a multitude of changes. The aim of this study is to determine changes in the wetland area around AL-Razzaza Lake, Karbala province, Iraq, during the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2023. Landsat 5 satellite data from 2000, 2005, and 2010, and Landsat 8 and 9 data for 2015 and 2023, respectively, were used in this analysis, which was conducted using NDWI as a free, open-source program (ArcMap 10.8) to detect these changes; NDWI is a natural water anisotropy index used to detect the surface area of bodies of water in satellite images. The results revealed a clear decrease throughout the study period, as the wetland area of the lake in 2000 was 1189.7 km2, which represents a decrease of 34.3% compared to the total area of the lake (1810 km2); it decreased by 52.7% in 2005 (855.5 km2) and continued to decrease for 2010, 2015, and 2023, by 79.2%, 80%, and 85%, (376.5 km2, 362.9 km2, and 270.4 km2, respectively). The wetland area of Al-Razzaza Lake decreased between 2000 and 2023 by 919.3 km2, that is, an average of 40 km2per year. It was found that the lake wetland area sharply declined over the study period due to a lack of water surface resources via the Euphrates River, as well as climatic changes and poor water resource management. It is anticipated that the lake will lose more than half its current wetland area by 2040 if the current decline continues. These results are considered important in terms of preparing a strategic plan to preserve water bodies and wet areas in Iraq, including Al-Razzaza Lake. Remote sensing and GIS technologies have played a major and essential role in detecting such changes. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2024-010-09-013 Full Text: PDF

The Impact of Human Activities on Air Pollution in the Fallujah City, Al-Anbar Province – West Iraq

Air pollutant field study and laboratory sample analyses revealed that most of the air pollutants in Fallujah City come from various human activities. These activities: Factories, Bakeries, Private electric generators, etc represent the major sources of gaseous and particulate pollutants. Those emissions have affected the air quality of the air in study areas. This research aimed to identify air pollutant concentrations, and their effects, and develop immediate solutions to reduce their health and environmental impacts. Air pollutant measurements were taken for four sites, with each site having generators and bakeries, another five sites representing industrial activities, and another site representing the residential areas. These measurements which included total suspended particles (TSP), PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphate dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4) and (CO) were conducted in the winter and summer seasons. The plaster and asphalt factories and industrial district locations recorded the highest concentrations of particle pollutants (TSP, PM10, and PM2.5) and gases (NO2, SO2, CH4, and CO). It was also observed that there was an increase in the concentrations of total suspended particles, in addition to some gases measured at the sites of bread ovens and private electric generators, especially in the summer. Most of the sites recorded values higher than the local environmental allowable limits. The high concentrations of air pollutants measured at the study sites are due to the increased demand for electrical energy and the use of private electrical generators to compensate for the lack of electrical energy emitted by high air pollutants. In addition to the emissions of cement, plaster, and asphalt factories and the large quantities of suspended particles they release into the atmosphere resulting from crushing operations and loading operations for raw materials, in addition to the polluting gases they release resulting from the use of black oil, as well as the use of black oil as fuel in the bakeries, which leads to an increase in pollutant concentrations will, therefore, negatively affect air quality.

Projections of temperature and precipitation trends using CMhyd under CMIP6 scenarios: A case study of Iraq's Middle and West

Climate change is becoming a leading issue in the 21st century due to its devastating environmental and socioeconomic impacts. It is believed to have significant impacts on the water resources and groundwater in the Middle East region, especially in Iraq. In this study, three different global climate models, under the 6th IPCC report, were downscaled under two SSPs scenarios in the middle and west of Iraq. The downscaled models were fixed for bias using CMhyd (climate model data for hydrologic modeling) over the study area. This was achieved using data from four locally chosen weather stations from 1983 to 2022. Three CMIP6 global models were considered and compared. These were the Australian Community Climate and Earth-System Simulator version 1 (ACCESS-CM2), the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model version 2 (BCC-CSM2-MR), and the sixth version of the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC6).The findings of this study show that the temperature and precipitation changes in the three models under two scenarios in the future period (2023–2050) show an increasing trend compared to the observation period (1983–2014). The results of the generated predictions show that there will be an increase in annual maximum temperatures by this century's end, by 1.26–2.08 °C under scenario SSP2–4.5 and 1.57–2.34 °C under scenario SSP5–8.5 across all study stations. The study found that the annual increase in precipitation over the observed period varies between scenarios (SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5), ranging from +3.56 to +3.87% for SSP2–4.5 and + 7.22% to +12.61% for SSP5–8.5. The results should help improve our understanding of the effects of climate change on the study region and encourage planners and stakeholders to identify optimal strategies for mitigating them.

Prevalence of nephrocalcinosis among a sample of preterm babies at Fallujah city in the west of Iraq

Prevalence of nephrocalcinosis among a sample of preterm babies at Fallujah city in the west of Iraq

Caffeine consumption and its effect among medical students in Anbar, Iraq

Background: Caffeine consumption is considered a global issue, and the prevalence of caffeine consumption has dramatically increased among young adults. Objectives: To assess the frequency of caffeine consumption, its sources, attitudes, and adverse effects among medical students in Fallujah and Anbar Universities in the west of Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, and a convenience sample was used to choose medical students from Anbar and Fallujah universities in the Anbar district in June 2022. The questionnaire consisted of questions about social characteristics such as age, gender, academic study level, and caffeine consumption-related questions. Results: Out of the total (415), female students comprised 63.1% of the participants. The findings revealed that 34% of the participants consumed a caffeinated beverage once a day, 40% drank two to three times a day, 15.4% consumed caffeine once a week, and 57.6% had at least one cup each time. There was no statistically significant association between the adverse effects of caffeine and gender and the frequency of caffeine intake. Conclusion: The findings of the current study reveal that caffeine consumption is common among medical students in the Anbar district.

Molecular cytogenetic analysis of multi-miscarriage products of conception in clinical cases from Al-Anbar Governorate, west of Iraq

Most clinical miscarriages often occur throughout the first trimester of pregnancy, with fetal chromosomal abnormalities being identified as the primary reason for such occurrences. The objective is to analyze the fetal chromosomal aberrations in the product of conception among Iraqi patients suffering from recurrent miscarriages. The cross-sectional study was performed on 60 cases of products of conception in women suffering from multiple miscarriages, obtained from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is located in Ramadi Teaching Hospital for Child and Maternity, as well as other Private Clinics in the Ramadi City. Long-term culture of conventional cytogenetic analysis using the G-banding technique was employed to determine the chromosomal disorder of fetal tissue part or villus samples. Fetal chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 86.7 %. Numerical chromosomal abnormalities were revealed in 98.1 %, while structural abnormalities were detected in 1.9 %. Additionally, the commonest gestation loss occurs in parents under 35 years in the first trimester (92.3 %). Trisomy 21 was the most frequent (46.2 %) in gestational loss. Fetal chromosomal abnormalities have been linked with gestational loss in Iraqi couples. Therefore, it is recommended that cytogenetic analysis should be performed to identify the genetic cause of recurrent miscarriage. This is important for providing appropriate genetic counseling and educating couples about the risk of future pregnancies.

A study of the Characteristics of Wastewater on the Euphrates River in Iraq

Heavy metal toxicity and persistence are becoming major issues for people. These heavy metals mostly gather in wastewater from effluents released by different industries. The effectiveness of hazardous metal particle removal is currently just one recent trend in research; another is the efficient re-use of these particles as catalysts. The study was conducted for five sites on the Euphrates River in Anbar Governorate, western Iraq (Al Muḩammadī, Al-Khalidiya, Al-Habbaniya, Al-Saklawiya, Amirya Al-Falluja) with four stations for each site (the beginning of the estuary, after the estuary and before the estuary) and for four seasons (Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring) from October 2021 to October 2022 to study spatial and temporal variation on the physical and chemical properties of the Euphrates River water in these locations. Sampling sites on the Euphrates River were selected based on these sites of waste, pollutants and heavy metal components that may flow into the river without environmental control. So, the study aimed at investigating the distribution of heavy metals (HMs: Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd)) in the sediments of the river for five sites in the west of Iraq. In the edge of the river (water) the Hardness, Salinity, algaes have been examined and for (sediments) the compounds (nitrite (NO2) and Sulfate (SO4)) and HMs concentration were measured too, and a qualitative study was conducted during the different seasons and sites. 79 types of algae were identified and some species prevailed in all studied sites. The quantitative study showed an increase in the number of algae species indicative of pollution in the sites in each station (the beginning, before and after the estuary), which confirms that these sites are affected by the untreated sewage pollutants thrown into the Euphrates River in those sites. The average concentrations of HMs and compounds in the sediments were as follows: SO4> NO2>Mn>Fe>Cu>Ni>Pb>Cd. The analysis showed that the pollution of cites by the HMs was as follows Al Muḩammadī, Al-Khalidiya, Al-Habbaniya, Al-Saklawiya, Amirya Al-Falluja cites concentrations are higher in sediments.

Knowledge and practice regarding prevention of osteoporosis among Iraqi women

Background: Osteoporosis is known to cause long-acting disability. This study aimed to explore the knowledge, and preventive practice among women attending the primary health centers (PHC) in Al Ramadi City, west of Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and March 2022. A simple random sampling technique was recruited to collect samples using face-to-face interviews of women during the routine visit to PHCs. Univariate and bivariate were used to analyze the data. The statistical package for the social sciences was used for data analysis. Results: Two hundred and fifty women were interviewed with a mean age of 37.9 ±11.3 years. The majority of them were married (87.0%), and unemployed or housewives (66.0%). Although, most of the participants heard about osteoporosis (238, 95.2%), and the possibility to cause pain before the occurrence of fracture (67.6%), the average knowledge score on osteoporosis was 55.75 ± 18.87. Furthermore, the surveyed women reported that practices of sunlight exposure (p=0.000), calcium-rich foods (p=0.003), and Vitamin D supplementation (p=0.022) are significantly related to reducing the risk of Osteoporosis. Healthcare providers played a significant role to support women with osteoporosis-related knowledge. Conclusion: Although most women heard about the disease, their level of knowledge was modest, which might affect the measures necessary to prevent the disease.

Oil-polluted groundwater in central and west Iraq as indicator of potential new hydrocarbon plays

The old land of Iraq is characterized by the presence of many oil seepages that date back to the Babylonian time. During the last few years, the country has witnessed an accelerating pattern of earthquakes that may have activated some of the major old faults and released entrapped hydrocarbons that eventually mixed with groundwater. The recent phenomenon of mixing hydrocarbons with this water has resulted in significant economic losses. Many geochemical analyses were conducted for four samples of oil contaminated with groundwater in the Karbala and Najaf regions and compared them with five samples of seep oil in the Ramadi region and one sample of bitumen extracted from the Lower Fars (Fatha) formation of Kifl-1 oil well, to find out the origin of these oils and to identify potential reservoirs that could hold important undiscovered oil reserves. Results indicate that the groundwater oils were highly mature and originated from Lower Cretaceous carbonate sources deposited under upwelling deep water, anoxic conditions. This is roughly corresponding to the bitumen extract sample of the Lower Fars Formation taken from the Kifl-1 oil well, confirming that these oils belong to the reservoir units in this formation and may therefore contain economically amounts of oil.

The most important characteristics of Kubeisa dialect as one qiltu dialects

This research presents briefly Iraqi Arabic dialects including KIA which is under investigation. It sheds on the main characteristics which are the main concern in this research which distinguish the qiltu dialects from other gilt dialects. This may be due to the fact that Kubeisa is a small town located far from urban regions which remains a "virgin territory" that the dialect spoken by its people requires analysis and investigation . In addition to the investigation of segmental phonemes and sounds in context (Deflexion) in Kubeisa Iraqi Arabic (KIA), this study also aimed at pointing out whether this dialect belongs to "qiltu - dialects" or "gilt - dialects" spoken in Iraq. Then the dialect under investigation in this research, i-e., segmental phonemes of KIA are presented. The phonological analysis of the segmental phonemes of KIA was the focus of the current study's explanatory qualitative design, which involved gathering and analyzing qualitative data. The analysis of taped content, comprising sentences and words said by KIA speakers using a tape-recording equipment, is the focus of the current work. In addition, audio recording equipment is used. This study is a qualitative inquiry that is based on the words and writing created by a small group of KIA speakers. This study is descriptive since it deals with information that was gathered in the form of Instead of statistics, use recorded speech or conversations. This research concentrates on conducting interviews with KIA speakers and leveraging the instruments for recording audio activity. In this research, the researcher uses interviews which consist of several preset topics that are addressed to people who become the research subjects. To acquire qualitative data, the current study used semi-structured interviews. A semi-structured interview is one in which questions are prepared ahead of time but the interviewer is permitted to add several questions that were not planned ahead of time during the interview Also, it presents a brief survey of the main dialects used in the west of Iraq, namely HIA and RA (Dlaim Arabic). This research presents the most important results and discussion of findings of data analysis. In conclusion, the most important points in which the research is conducted are presented.

Karstification Processes in Haditha Vicinity, West Iraq

In the valley of the Euphrates River to the south of the Haditha city (West Iraq), the dissolution of the carbonate rocks which underlie residual soil gives rise to numerous sinkholes. These sinkholes are a potential hazard to human safety and damage to the existing infrastructure. The exposed rocks in the area under consideration belong to the Euphrates Formation of the Early Miocene age, specifically the Middle Member of the formation. Tens of sinkholes have developed with different shapes, sizes, activities, and maturities, others are under development indicating that the karstification process is still ongoing. Some of the sinkholes have spectacular scenes and can be used for touristic purposes. The karstification process has a negative impact on the infrastructure in the Haditha vicinity, especially the Hadith Dam, where extraordinary treatments to the foundation of the dam were considered to be in a safe status. We have studied different published articles and reports, which dealt with the karstification in the Haditha vicinity. Moreover, we have interpreted satellite images, and topographical and geological maps to recognize the existing sinkholes and study them. Filed trips were performed for long interrupted intervals (1984 until 2022) to collect significant data and perform field photographs for the interesting scenes.

The Lower Silurian (Hot Shale) Source Rocks of Western Iraq: Depositional Model and Stratigraphic Distribution

The Hoseiba Member, an Early Silurian basal mature hot shale of the Akkas Formation (Silurian) consists of about 80% of the Paleozoic hydrocarbon potential system, it is organic-rich with total organic carbon up to 16% as the main source for the Paleozoic gas resources in Iraq. The hot shale is the main source of rocks that are penetrated in deep wells in the western Iraqi desert such as Akkas-1, Qaim-1, and Khleisia -1, which are distributed due to paleo uplift in the restricted regional basin in the west, south, and northwest Iraqi desert and wedged to north thrust zone in Ora area of extreme northern Iraq, Ora subbasin to Aljezira NW and in the west where the approved source rocks of ‘Hot shale” Akkas -Widyian subbasin (Rephrase). The Hoseiba Member, basal hot shale in the Akkas Formation in Iraq and their correlative units are extended within neighboring countries Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Oman, and south Turkey. Qualitative and quantity of Hot Shales source rocks Silurian are Excellent in Akkas well -1 (0.95-16.62%) TOC in Akk-1 Akkas sub-basin west Iraq and an average thickness (30 m.) with 1-9.94% TOC in Kh-1 Al-Jezira sub-basin NW Iraq. The hot shale distribution was controlled by the Caledonian uplift that created paleo-high in northern Iraq and moderately deep to the northwest, and deep depression deposition in west and south desert Iraq. The hot shale expulsion and migration of hydrocarbon are controlled by the underlying main reservoir of the Khabour Formation K1 sandstone ember by block faulting

Impact of family structure and sociodemographic characteristics on parents headed families in Ramadi City, Iraq

Background: Several factors in the family profile contribute significantly to determining the effective policy when heading the family. This study aims to evaluate the sociodemographic and economic burdens on parents-headed families in Ramadi City, west of Iraq. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional household-based survey was conducted from 1st to 28th February 2019 among Iraqi people residents in Ramadi city, Anbar province. A multistage sampling technique was recruited to identify the eligible sample. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview (face-to-face) the respondents. Data from 267 households have undergone univariate and bivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression, odds ratio (OR), and confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated to explore the predicting variables. The statistically significant is considered at less than 0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 43.88 (± 12.1) years (range: 25 to 69 years). Out of the total surveyed people, 52.8% were young (less than 44 years), male-headed families (59.6%), low educated level (65.5%), unemployed (52.4%), married (67.4%) and headed big families of seven members and above (43.1%). History of chronic diseases and smoking habits was positive among 46.4% and 45.7% of respondents, respectively. Findings of the binary logistic regressions showed that history of smoking (OR = 7.201, 95% CI: 3.254 to15.936), families of 7 members and above (OR = 6.239, 95% CI: 2.938 to 13.250), unhappy (OR = 5.237, 95% CI: 2.140 to 12.818), aged 44 years and above (OR = 3.518, 95% CI: 1.581 to 7.829), being single (unmarried, divorced, widow) (OR = 2.697, 95% CI: 1.230 to 5.914), and had a monthly income of less than USD400 (OR = 2.333, 95% CI: 1.112 to 4.859) are significantly associated with female-headed family. Conclusion: Priority must be given to some elements such as genetic, physical differences, biopsychosocial factors, and the economic situation when discussing parents' behavior in heading the family.

Prevalence of Human Adenoviruses in Respiratory Tract-infected Patients in Anbar Governorate (West of Iraq): A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Background: Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are a significant worldwide problem that causes viral respiratory tract infections affecting millions worldwide each year, especially in children and immunocompromised adults. Objective: To know the prevalence of HAdVs strains 3, 4, 7 among respiratory tract infected patients aged between 15–42 years in Anbar province (west of Iraq) using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) test with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Material and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done between 22th of January 2021 - October 11, 2021 to notice the frequency of HAdVs in Anbar governorate children and adults with respiratory infections from the various general hospitals and private clinics. Depending on our questionnaires, blood samples were taken from all those patients for hematological and serological parameters. The ELIZA test with PCR has been done depending on the manufacturer’s instructions. Results: A total of 104 respiratory tract Infected patients, 11(10.6%) patients were ELISA IgM positive, 9(8.7%) of ELISA IgM positive patients were positive using PCR technology. The 6(5.8%) patients were ELISA IgG positive for HAdV. Out of 32 mild pneumonia patients, 1(3.1%) was positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Out of 46 moderate pneumonia patients, 6(13.0%) were positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Out of 26 sever pneumonia patients, 4(15.4%) were positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Out of 32 mild pneumonia patients, 1(3.1%) was positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Out of 46 moderate pneumonia patients, 6(13.0%) were positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Out of 26 sever pneumonia patients, 4(15.4%) were positive for HAdV using IgM ELIZA. Conclusion: The prevalence of HAdVs strain 7 in children with respiratory infection was 4.8%, whereas its prevalence in adults in age groups 18–50 and 51+ years was 2.9% for each group using the IgM ELIZA test.

Prevalence of hypertension among intermediate school children in Ramadi city, west of Iraq

Background: Adolescent hypertension is associated with significant health problems and can be progressive into adulthood. Objective: The study was conducted to assess the prevalence of hypertension among intermediate school children (12–15 years) in Ramadi city and identify some of the possible associated factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was done on a sample of students who attended governmental intermediate schools in Ramadi city during the first school term (between October 1, 2019, and January 31, 2020). A total of 1817 pupils from different schools were included in this study. Blood pressure was measured for every child to obtain blood pressure percentile. Blood pressure percentile was derived from the blood pressure table in “THE FOURTH Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood pressure in children and Adolescents”. Weight and height were measured for every child to obtain the body mass index. Associated factors (age, gender, residence, physical activity, sleeping hours per day, and family history of hypertension) were assessed by a questionnaire specially prepared for this purpose. Results: In this study, the prevalence of hypertension was 87 (5.7%), and prehypertension was 148 (9.8%) among intermediate school children in Ramadi city. The prevalence was nearly the same for males and females: without significant association with increasing age. Blood pressure was significantly influenced in children whose parents were hypertensive, a child who was obese, physically inactive, sleep for more than 10 hours per day. Conclusion: Hypertension prevalence was found among adolescents in Ramadi city, west of Iraq. Efforts are needed to diagnose those cases and to explain the expected risk factors to their families.

Association of white blood cell counts, procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, troponin, and ferritin with mortality in severe COVID-19

Objectives/Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, healthcare professionals suggested a wide range of recommendations in the fields of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Laboratory biomarkers are considered one of the crucial diagnostic tools for COVID-19, assessing its severity and progress predictor. Owing to the lack of consensus regarding changes in biomarkers and their correlations, researchers are encouraged to detect more interesting findings. A few studies were conducted in Iraq considering this aspect. This study aimed to investigate certain biomarkers in patients with severe COVID-19 and their relations to mortality outcomes. Also, this study aimed to identify the correlation between these markers in severe disease. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Fallujah Teaching Hospital, west of Iraq, which included all admittance with severe COVID-19 between September 20, 2021, and February 30, 2022. A questionnaire was designed to collect socio-clinical characteristics and in-hospital outcomes (recovery/death). Procalcitonin (PCT) and certain biomarkers were analyzed, based on that outcome, and correlations between these markers were assessed. Results: For 75 patients who were enrolled in this study, the mean age was 62.3 ± 14.3 years, of which females constituted 62%. The most preponderance age was ≥60 years with a statistically significant higher rate of death (37.3%) when compared to other ages (P = 0.007), while other socio-clinical characteristics revealed nonsignificant differences. High PCT levels were found in 34.7% of the enrolled patients, while neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and elevated levels of troponin, ferritin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were the prominent abnormal biomarker findings. However, only ferritin and troponin mean levels revealed significant differences in relation to the outcomes (P = 0.019 and 0.010, respectively). A moderate positive correlation was found between PCT and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (r = 0.586, P = 0.005), and also PCT correlates positively with CRP (r = 0.49, P = 0.005) and troponin (r = 0.41, P = 0.001). Additionally, there were significant positive correlations of troponin with IL-6 (r = 0.41, P = 0.005) and PCT (r = 0.37, P = 0.001). Also, IL-6 correlates positively with troponin (r = 0.62, P = 0.005). Conclusions: We found an elevated level of PCT in almost three-quarters of patients with severe COVID-19, with a non-significant difference with the specific recovery/death outcomes. In addition, high troponin levels, neutrophilia, and lymphopenia regardless of the outcome were found. Also, there were valuable correlations between certain biomarkers in patients with COVID-19.

Evaluation of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 treated with or without convalescent plasma therapy: A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: The socio-clinical characteristics have been considered an important variable associated with COVID-19 and a predictor of morbidity and mortality. Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) was one of the modalities used worldwide for COVID-19 treatment. In Iraq, there is a paucity of studies evaluating the socio-clinical variables of patients with severe COVID-19 treated with CPT. Objectives: This study aims to describe the socio-clinical characteristics of patients with severe COVID-19 treated with and without CPT in one of the main COVID-19 treatment centers in Iraq. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between May 15 and August 14, 2020, at the main COVID-19 treatment center in Anbar Governorate, west of Iraq. Out of 529 hospitalized patients, a total of 438 with severe disease were enrolled in the study. Results: The participants’ mean age was 49.9±13.8 years. The majority of the subjects were males, aged ≥40 years, residing in urban areas. 65.2% of the patients had at least one comorbidity, and 6.4% were smokers. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus represented the two commonest comorbid conditions. All patients have required oxygen therapy; 41.1% were performed with continuous positive airway pressure. Male patients aged ≥60, and patients with comorbidities received CPT at a higher frequency. Conclusion: This study corroborates the findings from other studies that certain socio-clinical characteristics had an association with hospitalization related to severe COVID-19. Convalescent plasma was administered in more than one-fifth of the COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Anbar during the early pandemic phase.

الصوتيات المقطعية للّهجة الكبيسية العراقية العربية مع الإشارة إلى اللغة الإنكليزية القياسية

This study examines one of the Iraqi dialects “spoken in the town of Kubeisa in the west of Iraq. It conducts a phonological analysis for phonemes in isolation with reference to Standard English (SE). This study examines one of the Iraqi dialects” spoken in the town of Kubeisa in the west of Iraq. It conducts a phonological analysis for phonemes in isolation. In the present study, a phonological analysis of the segmental phonemes of KIA with reference to SE was conducted using an explanatory qualitative approach, and qualitative data were collected and analyzed in this context. The basic picture needs to be clarified, expanded upon, or explained through qualitative data collection. An explanatory study aims to provide an explanation and rationale for the descriptive data. In the present study, the researcher uses judgment sampling to select the informants from the Kubiesa community. The participants who are involved have different educational backgrounds, namely, naive speakers, half- educated speakers, and educated speakers. The present study involves several procedures for data analysis. First, descriptive analysis will be used to present the results of qualitative data obtained from instruments which are mentioned before. Second, thematic analysis will be used to present qualitative data obtained from a semi structure and follow up interviews. In analysis of data, the model adopted is Roach (2009). This model is the forerunner in establishing the classification and description of Segmental Phonemes which are adopted in this study. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is also referred to when required to help in the analysis of the utterances chosen to be analyzed from KIA data depending on the data collected from native speakers of KIA.

Measurement and assessment of mobile network electromagnetic radiation pollution in Ramadi, Iraq

The electromagnetic radiation produced by cellular towers in Ramadi city, west of Iraq, is measured and analyzed in this research. This contains basic nodes, hub repeaters, and feeders for transmitting the carrier throughout the entire Ramadi city as well as the surrounding areas. As a result, this research focused on this area to measure and assess energy to determine if it is safe for people or has over the danger threshold. The study region was split into fifty-five mobile phone tower locations. In general, electric field intensity levels surpass 1.7 V/m, which is dangerous and should be reduced. However, apart from a few sites (2, 3, 35, 36, 45, 51, and 53), the magnetic field intensity and radiation density are acceptable based on the findings. The energy severity criteria are based on LATNEX corporation's guidelines.

Evaluation of Seepage on the Right Side of Haditha Dam, West of Iraq

The study aims to assess the water seepage through the right side of Haditha dam structures in western Iraq, using the finite elements method by an advanced computer software (SEEP/ W, 2012), the earth fill dam is 9 km long on the Euphrates River. Many attempts were done to ascertain the results of the program on a supposed earth dam and compare the results with the other analytical methods. The comparison reveal to very close results, and this indicate the suitability of the software for Haditha dam structures seepage analysis. After the verification of the results, then the real design information of the dam was input to analyse the dam, the input data are the height of the dam, width, slope of upstream and downstream, dimensions of the core, hydraulic conductivity of the different materials of the dam and the foundations. The results obtained from the SEEP/W2012 software were compared with the actual field data of the seepage amount for years (1989 - 2017) and with the water level in the dam reservoir for different periods. The result of comparison gave an idea to the efficiency of the dam protection against the seepage.Through the SEEP/ W data, which simulates the dam sections, levels and discharges that calculated by the software, which is compatible with the field monitoring data, it can be said that the software was able to simulate the actual conditions of the dam and identify the weakness zones. Where the results displayed that the asphaltic diaphragm in good condition and efficient on the right side of the dam. The grouting curtain in the right side is efficient, except for the area between the two stations 15 and 25, the zone between two stations need a continuous monitoring. The results also reflect that earth fill materials and the central core of the dam are efficient, and seepage within permissible design values.