Risk Factors for Stroke in Sulaimaniyah Iraqi Kurdistan Region-Iraq

Background: Stroke is a frequent medical problem and a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Several conditions and lifestyle factors have been associated with stroke. Aim: To evaluate risk factors in stroke patients in Sulaimani city. Results: 110 patients with stroke were included in this study, hypertension was found to be the most common risk factor in current study. Out of 110 cases, 83 (75.5%) were hypertensive. Peak stroke-prone age was (60 - 69) year for male, (70 - 79) year for female. We found a statistically significant relation between level of TSC, LDL with ischemic stroke (r = 0.4047, P Conclusion: Hypertension is the leading risk factor of stroke. It is therefore essential to detect and treat hypertension at its outset. High value of atherogenic index mostly associated with ischemic stroke .while no relation found with haemorhagic stroke.

Evaluation of Selected Site Location for Subsurface Dam Construction within Isayi Watershed Using GIS and RS Garmiyan Area, Kurdistan Region

Garmiyan area suffers from many water problems such as poor rainfall rate, water shortage, aridity and absence of groundwater in many places. Hence the subsurface dam is the best solution due to many advantages such as low cost of construction, least maintenance, low evaporation, no contamination, utilization of the land over the dam and better storage. The objective of this study is to evaluate the suitability of the selected site location for subsurface dam construction, to serve as strategic water supply storage, to solute the aridity and water shortage in this area of arid to semi arid climate in Isayi watershed within the stream deposits. Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing through satellite images and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) interpretation and analysis have facilitated the investigation with more accuracy. ArcGIS helped in construction of thematic maps of the studied area. The geologic, structural, geomorphologic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic characteristics with GPR survey show the suitability of the selected site location for construction of subsurface dam. According to the standard water quality for domestic, irrigation and livestock the water quality of all water samples are within the recommended range and the best time to be chosen, for construction of the subsurface dam, is during the autumn season from September to November.

GIS Based Soil Erosion Estimation Using EPM Method, Garmiyan Area, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Using empirical model is one of the approaches of evaluating sediment yield. This research is aimed at predicting erosion and sedimentation in Garmiyan area at Kurdistan Region, Iraq used EPM （erosion potential model） incorporating into GIS （geographic information system） software. This basin area is about 1,620 km2. It has a range of vegetation, slope, geological, soil texture and land use types. The spatial distribution of gully erosion shows three main zones in the studied area （slight to moderate gully, high gully and sever fluvial erosion）. They form about 10%, 89% and 1% of gully erosion in the studied area respectively. The results of the EPM model show that the values of the coefficient of erosion Z are classified as moderate to high erosion intensity. They increase northward due to increasing of slope, elevation and rate of precipitation that generate Hortonian overland flow, which is due to high discharge and huge fluvial erosion power that cause ground surface erosion to produce large quantity of sediment. The results of GSP （spatial sediment rate） are increasing northward similar to Z due the same reasons, while the value of total sediment rate, shows different values for each watershed because they are mainly affected by the total watershed area.

Evaluation of the Direct UTM Coordinates Transformation Method Based on the Standard 7-Parameters Transformation

GNSS(global navigation satellite system)observations produce the geodetic position including latitude,longitude,and altitude(or ellipsoidal height)concerning the global reference datum WGS84(Word Geodetic System 1984),which usually should be converted to another local datum to get the desired position meaning in a physical sense,coordinates of points in the local datum are usually calculated by the seven-parameter transformation method.This paper aims to validate the methods of position transformation between WGS84 and the Iraqi local datum Karbala 1979 using the UTM(universal transverse Mercator)projected coordinates directly.The proposed algorithm was tested for 10 ground control points in Erbil city and many selected points in other different cities over all Iraqi territory.The control points are measured by the CHCNAV i73 GNSS receiver.For the evaluation procedure,the RMSE(root mean square error)of the transformed coordinates is calculated with an average value of±10.715 m as an estimated uncertainty of the direct UTM coordinates transformation method over Erbil city territory,and more than±12 m over different places over Iraqi territory.

Specific VpU Codon Changes were Significantly associated with gp120 V3 Tropic Signatures in HIV-1 B-subtype

After infection and integration steps, HIV-1 transcriptions increase sharply and singly-spliced mRNAs are produced. These encode Env （gpl20 and gp41） and auxiliary proteins Vif, Vpr and VpU. The same localization within the unique structure of the mRNAs suggests that the VpU sequence prior to the Env could affect the Env polyprotein expression.The HIV-I infection process begins when the gpl20 subunit of the envelope glycoprotein complex interacts with its receptor（s） on the target cell. The V3 domain of gpl20 is the major determinant of cellular co-receptor binding. According to phenotypic information of HIVol isolates, sequences from the VpU to V3 regions （119 in R5- and 120 X4-tropic viruses; one per patient） were analysed. The binomial correlation phi coefficient was used to assess covariation among VpU and gpl20v3 signatures. Subsequently, average linkage hierarchical agglomerative clustering was performed. Beyond the classical V3 signatures （R5-viruses： SI1, E25D; X4-viruses： SllKR, E25KRQ）, other specific V3 and novel VpU signatures were found to be statistically associated with co-receptor usage. Several statistically significant associations between V3 and VpU mutations were also observed. The dendrogram showed two distinct large clusters： one associated with R5-tropic sequences （bootstrap=0.94）, involving： （a） H13NPv3, E25Dv3, Sllv3, T22Av3 and Q61Hvpu, （b） E25Av3 and L12Fvpu, （c） D44Evpu, R18Qv3 and D80Nvpu; and another associated with X4-tropic sequences （bootstrap=0.97）, involving： （i） E25Iv3 and V10Avpu, （ii） 0-1insVvpc, H13Rv3, I46Lvpc, I30Mv3 and 60-62delvpu, （iii） SllKRv3 and E25KRQv3. Some of these pairs of mutations were encoded always by one specific codon. These data indicate the possible VpU mutational patterns contributing to regulation of HIV-I tropism.

Local Geoid Model Generation Using the Geometrical Approach

The global navigation satellite systems(GNSS)provide an accurate three-dimensional positioning including the geodetic(ellipsoidal)height(h),which is,in most cases,must be transformed to the local/regional orthometric height(H)to have physically the desired meaning of the elevation above the national vertical datum(e.g.,MSL(Mean Sea Level)).Usually,the local orthometric heights are determined based on the value of geoid undulation(N),which is obtained by methods of gravimetrical observations or derived by methods of interpolation utilizing the local geoid models(LGM).The current paper highlights one of the methods of generating LGM that is based on the geometrical relationship between the global datum WGS84 and the Iraqi datum Karbala 1979.The DGPS(Differential GPS)method is used to get the geodetic coordinates of about 97 selected points to cover the experimental area,within the boundaries of Erbil municipality,which has been partitioned into four parts.Therefore,four LGM were generated individually for each one of the four parts with an estimated uncertainty equal to±0.076 m.

Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability to Pollution Using VLDA and COP Models in Halabja Saidsadiq Iraq

Groundwater aquifer in the HSB (Halabja and Saidsadiq Basin) is considered being one of the most important aquifers in terms of water supplying in Kurdistan Region, NE of Iraq. The growing of economics, irrigation and agricultural activities inside the basin makes it of the main essentials to the region. Therefore, pollution of groundwater is of specific worry as groundwater resources are the principal source of water for drinking, agriculture, irrigation and industrial activities. Thus, the best and practical arrangement is to keep the pollution of groundwater through. The current study aims at the evaluation of the vulnerability of groundwater aquifers of the study area. Two models were applied, to be specific VLDA and COP to develop maps of groundwater vulnerability for contamination. The VLDA model classified the area into four classes of vulnerability with each covered area: low (2%), moderate (44%), high (53%) and very high (1%). While four vulnerability classes were accomplished dependent on COP model including very low, low, moderate and high vulnerability classes with coverage areas of 1%, 37%, 2% and 60% respectively. To confirm the suitability of each map for assessment of groundwater vulnerability in the area, it required to be validated of the theoretical sympathetic of current hydrogeological conditions. In this study, groundwater age evaluated utilizing tritium isotopes investigation and applied it to validate the vulnerability results. Based on this validation, the outcome exhibits that the vulnerability classes acquired utilizing VLDA model are more predictable contrasted with the COP model.

Disadvantages of using pacifier in infants:a systematic review

Background and aim:Newborns with normal evolution have a biological inherited tendency for sucking.The satisfaction of this physiological necessity through excessive use of a pacifier and baby bottle in long time leads to multiple probable complications in children.Considering this important fact made the researchers to carry out the present study with the aim of systematic reviews of the disadvantages of the pacifier using on infants by using the texts studying and the writer experiences and the comments of the experts.Methods:All published studies in foreign databases during 2008-2018 were checked by using the key words of pacifier nutrition,non-exclusive nutrition,breastfeeding and human breast milk from Latin databases,such as CINHAL,PubMed,Web of Science and Scopus.Results:Fourteen studies were reviewed,aimed at analyzing the types of drawbacks to use of pacifier in infants.Finally,the types of drawbacks to using the pacifier were discussed in terms of the studies,frequency in the areas of oral and dental disorders,speech disorders,otitis media,sleep disorders,nutritional disorders and cognitive disorders.Conclusion:It seems that appropriate counseling about the way of breastfeeding should be used to replace the negative and false education of associates and informing the parents about the emotional needs of the child,as well as the emphasis on removing the pacifier from the age of one,is one of the things that can be effective in eliminating the factors involved in the aforementioned disorders.