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Geographical differences in semen characteristics: Comparing semen parameters of infertile men of the United States and Iraq

Palani A, Sengupta P, Agarwal A, Henkel R

Andrologia, 2020 Apr;52(3):e13519.
PMID: 32003032 DOI: 10.1111/and.13519

The declining trend of male fecundity is a major global health and social concern. Among numerous other confounding factors, variations in male fertility parameters in different regions have repeatedly been suggested to be influenced by geographic locations. The impact of overall lifestyle, behavioural patterns, ethnicity, work stress and associated factors upon health differ greatly between developed and developing countries. These factors, individually or in combination, affect male reproductive functions ensuing the discrepancies in semen qualities in connection with geographic variations. However, reports comparing semen characteristics between developed and developing countries are sparse. The present study finds its novelty in presenting a comparison in semen parameters of infertile men in the United States (n = 76) that fairly represents the population of a highly developed region and Iraq (n = 102), the representative of male populations of a developing region. Samples were collected and analysed according to WHO (WHO laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen, WHO; 2010) criteria by means of the Mann-Whitney test. The US population demonstrated lower sperm concentration, total count, and total and progressive sperm motility with a higher seminal total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as compared to the Iraqi population. This report encourages further investigations concerning the confounding factors leading to such alterations in semen qualities between these two geographic areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq/epidemiology
Traditional foodstuffs and household food security in a time of crisis

Muhialdin BJ, Filimonau V, Qasem JM, Algboory H

Appetite, 2021 10 01;165:105298.
PMID: 33989697 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105298

Traditional foodstuffs play an important role in household food security. No research has, however, attempted to examine traditional foodstuffs in light of disasters and crises. Such research can provide a useful outlook on how traditional foodstuffs can aid households in a situation of disrupted food supply. This outlook becomes relevant in view of future disastrous events that can undermine household food security, especially in poor disadvantaged communities. This study examined the role of traditional foodstuffs during a major crisis. The study adopted an ethnographic perspective and the method of semi-structured household interviews to explore how traditional foodstuffs were used by communities in the city of Mosul, Iraq, under the ISIS administration and during the liberation war (2016-2017). The study showcased the critical role of traditional foodstuffs in survival of local households. It highlighted the importance of cross-generational knowledge of traditional foodstuffs in community preparedness for disasters and crises. The study proposed to integrate traditional foodstuffs into governmental strategies on household food security in Iraq, and beyond. It suggested including traditional foodstuffs in the humanitarian food supply chains in the regions prone to disasters and crises. Future research should examine the prerequisites for such inclusion, especially from the viewpoint of societal and political acceptance of traditional foodstuffs and methods of their production.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Comparison study of CR-39 and CN-85 detectors to evaluate the alpha radioactivity of some samples of drinks in Iraq

Hashim AK, Hatif AR, Ahmed NM, Wadi IA, Al Qaaod AA

Appl Radiat Isot, 2021 Jan;167:109410.
PMID: 33065401 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2020.109410

Radon and progeny concentration measurements in various drink samples are intrinsically important for assessing the health risks resulting from daily consumption of these drinks. In this study the comparison between two Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs), the CR-39 and the CN-85 has been conducted for the purpose of evaluating the radon concentration, annual effective dose, the rate of exhalation of radon and the effective radium content in thirty-two different samples of soft drink, water, and milk available in the local Iraq markets. The results showed that there are significant differences in the measurement results for the two detectors. The annual effective dose of the investigated samples is still below the limit of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recommendation in the measurements of both detectors.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Hepatitis C virus prevalence and genotyping among hepatocellular carcinoma patients in Baghdad

Al-Kubaisy WA, Obaid KJ, Noor NA, Ibrahim NS, Al-Azawi AA

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(18):7725-30.
PMID: 25292053

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause for cancer death in the world, now being especially linked to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. This case-control study consisting of 65 HCC patients and 82 patients with other malignant tumours as controls was conducted to determine the association of HCV markers with HCC. Serum of each participant was obtained for detection of HCV Ab and RNA by DNA enzyme immunoassay (DEIA). Twenty six per cent (26.0%) of HCC patients had positive anti-HCV which was significantly greater than the control group (p=0.001). HCC patients significantly have a risk of exposure to HCV infection almost 3 times than the control group (OR=2.87, 95% C.I=1.1-7). Anti-HCV seropositive rate was significantly (p=0.03) higher among old age HCC patients and increases with age. Males with HCC significantly showed to have more than 9 times risk of exposure to HCV infection (OR=9.375, 95 % CI=1.299-67.647) than females. HCV-RNA seropositive rate was (70.8%) significantly higher among HCC patients compared to (22.2%) the control group (p=0.019). The most prevalent genotype (as a single or mixed pattern of infection) was HCV- 1b. This study detected a significantly higher HCV seropositive rate of antibodies and RNA in HCC patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq/epidemiology
Poor Knowledge and Practice Towards Breast Cancer among Women in Baghdad City, Iraq

Hasan TN, Shah SA, Hassan MR, Safian N, Azhar ZI, Syed Abdul Rahim SS, et al.

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(15):6669-72.
PMID: 26434892

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among females worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and practice about breast cancer and its related factors among women in Baghdad city, Iraq.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 508 women aged 18 to 55 years from four non-governmental organizations (NGO) in Baghdad city, Iraq. A self-administered questionnaire on breast cancer knowledge and practice was distributed to participants during weekly activity of the NGO.
RESULTS: A total of 61.2% of the respondents had poor knowledge, only 30.3% performed breast self-examination (BSE) and 41.8% said that they did not know the technique to perform BSE. Associations between knowledge and marital status and age were significant. For practice, working status, education, age and family income were significant. After controlling for cofounders, the most important contributing factors for poor knowledge among respondents were marital status and not performing BSE, with adjusted odds ratio of 1.6 and 1.8 respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer knowledge and practice of BSE are poor among women in Baghdad city, Iraq. More promotion regarding breast cancer signs and symptoms and also how to perform BSE should be conducted using media such as television and internet as these constituted the main sources of information for most women in our study.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Fulltext Enhancing Women's Quality of Life: Exploring the Impact of Mastectomy with and without Breast Reconstruction among Breast Cancer Survivors in Iraq

Hassan BAR, Mohammed AH, Ahmed AA, Al Zobair AA, Wayyes AM, Al-Jawadi HK, et al.

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2024 Mar 01;25(3):1097-1105.
PMID: 38546092 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.3.1097

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mastectomy, a common intervention for breast cancer, has substantial implications for a woman's quality of life (QoL). However, the literature on QoL outcomes following mastectomy-with or without breast reconstruction (BR) is scant. This study aims to assess and compare the QoL among Iraqi women post-mastectomy, examining the impacts of undergoing BR.
METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive cross-sectional study across multiple centers in Iraq from April to September 2021. Our cohort consisted of 404 women who had a mastectomy for breast cancer treatment, 154 of whom also chose to have BR. Utilizing the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer's (EORTC) tools specifically, select domains from EORTC QLQ-BR23, QLQ-C30, and QLQ-BRECON23-we evaluated various facets of their QoL.
RESULTS: The mean QoL score was 54 out of 100, with patients who did not undergo BR reporting slightly higher scores (55) compared to those who did (52). Notably, social and sexual functioning scores were statistically superior in the non-BR group. Satisfaction with surgery, sexual function, and breast aesthetics were the lowest rated aspects among BR patients, indicating a considerable gap between expectations and outcomes. Marital status and the type of mastectomy notably influenced body image and sexual function. A significant portion of patients (100 out of 250) opted out of BR due to recurrence concerns, while 26.2% (106 out of 154) pursued BR to restore their pre-mastectomy physique.
CONCLUSION: Contrary to the anticipated benefits of BR, our findings suggest that women who underwent the procedure reported a lower QoL compared to those who did not. The outcomes highlight the discrepancy between expected and actual benefits of BR, suggesting a pressing need for comprehensive rehabilitation programs. These programs should aim to enhance the QoL for post-mastectomy patients and provide in-depth counseling to align expectations with the potential realities of BR.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Fulltext The negative impact of living environment on intelligence quotient of primary school children in Baghdad City, Iraq: a cross-sectional study

Ghazi HF, Isa ZM, Aljunid S, Shah SA, Tamil AM, Abdalqader MA

BMC Public Health, 2012;12:562.
PMID: 22839101 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-562

Environmental factors play a very important role in the child development process, especially in a situation like that of Iraq. Thirteen years of economic sanctions followed by the 2003 war and 8 years of unstable security have affected the daily life of Iraqi families and children. The objective of this study was to assess the associations between living environment domains and child intelligence quotient (IQ) score.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Fulltext Health related quality of life among Iraqi immigrants settled in Malaysia

Daher AM, Ibrahim HS, Daher TM, Anbori AK

BMC Public Health, 2011;11:407.
PMID: 21624118 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-407

Migrants everywhere face several demands for health and maintaining good health and quality of life could be challenging. Iraqis are the second largest refugee group that has sought refuge in the recent years, yet little is known about their health related quality of life (HRQOL). The study aims at assessing the HRQOL among Iraqis living in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq/ethnology
Fulltext The distinctive profile of risk factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in comparison with other head and neck cancer types

Abdulamir AS, Hafidh RR, Abdulmuhaimen N, Abubakar F, Abbas KA

BMC Public Health, 2008;8:400.
PMID: 19055849 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-400

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and other head and neck cancer (HNCA) types show a great epidemiological variation in different regions of the world. NPC has multifactorial etiology and many interacting risk factors are involved in NPC development mainly Epstein Barr virus (EBV). There is a need to scrutinize the complicated network of risk factors affecting NPC and how far they are different from that of other HNCA types.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq/epidemiology
Fulltext Validity and reliability of anti-diabetic medication adherence scale among patients with diabetes in Baghdad, Iraq: a pilot study

Mikhael EM, Hussain SA, Shawky N, Hassali MA

BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care, 2019;7(1):e000658.
PMID: 31354953 DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000658

Background: Medication non-adherence is a common problem among patients with diabetes. Patient-reported medication adherence scales are the most commonly used method to assess patient medication adherence, but up to today there is no specific tool for assessing medication adherence among patients with diabetes in Arab countries. This study aimed to develop and validate a new tool for assessment of adherence to antidiabetic medications among Iraqi patients with diabetes.
Methods: The Iraqi Anti-Diabetic Medication Adherence Scale (IADMAS) consists of eight items. The face and content validity of the IADMAS were established via an expert panel. For convergent validity, the IADMAS was compared with the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ). For concurrent validity, the IADMAS was compared with glycosylated hemoglobin. A total of 84 patients with types 2 diabetes were recruited from a diabetes center in Baghdad, Iraq. Test-retest reliability was measured by readministering the IADMAS to the same patients 4 weeks later.
Results: Only 80 patients completed the study (response rate: 95%). Reliability analysis of the IADMAS showed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.712, whereas that of the MAQ was 0.649. All items in the IADMAS showed no significant difference in the test-retest analysis, indicating that the IADMAS has stable reliability. There was no difference in the psychometric properties of the IADMAS and the MAQ. The sensitivity and specificity of the IADMAS were higher than that of the MAQ (100% vs 87.5% and 33.9% vs 29.7%, respectively).
Conclusion: The IADMAS developed in this study is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing antidiabetic medication adherence among Iraqi patients.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq/epidemiology
Fulltext Cannabis and amphetamine use among adolescents in five Asian countries

Peltzer K, Pengpid S

Cent Asian J Glob Health, 2017;6(1):288.
PMID: 30881756 DOI: 10.5195/cajgh.2017.288

Introduction: There has been a global increase in illicit drug use among young people. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lifetime cannabis and amphetamine use, as well as to explore factors associated with substance use among adolescents in five Asian countries: Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.
Methods: 38,941 school children (mean age 15.4 years, SD=1.5) completed the cross-sectional Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Topics covered in the questionnaire included cannabis and amphetamine use. Personal, parental, and environmental attributes were explored as predictors of cannabis and amphetamine use. Logistic regression was used to assess the contribution of potential predictors on lifetime cannabis and lifetime amphetamine use.
Results: Overall, the prevalence of lifetime cannabis use was 0.9% and lifetime amphetamine use was 1.0% among research participants. Cannabis use was influenced by male gender (Kuwait, Mongolia), parental smoking habits (Kuwait, Iraq), and current cigarette smoking in all countries. Amphetamine use was associated with suicidal ideation (Kuwait, Malaysia, Vietnam), school truancy (Malaysia, Mongolia, Vietnam), being a victim of physical assault (Kuwait, Mongolia), bullying victimization (Iraq, Malaysia, Vietnam), as well as anxiety and current cigarette use in all countries.
Conclusions: Our preliminary results show the importance of personal attributes such as mental distress and environmental stressors on lifetime cannabis and lifetime amphetamine use. Future prospective studies are needed to identify causal relationships among personal attributes, parental attributes, environmental stressors, and illicit substance use.
Study name: Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Highly deleterious variations in COX1, CYTB, SCG5, FK2, PRL and PGF genes are the potential adaptation of the immigrated African ostrich population

Al-Shuhaib MBS, Al-Kafajy FR, Badi MA, AbdulAzeez S, Marimuthu K, Al-Juhaishi HAI, et al.

Comput Biol Med, 2018 09 01;100:17-26.
PMID: 29960146 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2018.06.019

Because of variable inconvenient living conditions in some places around the world, it is difficult to collect reliable physiological data for ostriches. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive in silico insight for the nature of polymorphism of important genetic loci that are related to physiological and reproductive traits. Sixty-nine mature ostriches ranging over half of Iraq were screened. Six exonic genetic loci, including cytochrome c oxidase I (COX1), cytochrome b (CYTB), secretogranin V (SCG5), feather keratin 2-like (FK2), prolactin (PRL) and placenta growth factor (PGF) were genotyped by PCR-single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP). Thirty-six novel SNPs, including seventeen nonsynonymous (ns) SNPs, were observed. Several computational software programs were utilized to assess the extent of the nsSNPs on their corresponding proteins structure, function and stability. The results showed several deleterious functional and stability changes in almost all the proteins studied. The total severity of each missense mutation was evaluated and compared with other nsSNPs accumulatively. It is evident from the extensive cumulative in silico computation that both p.E34D and p.E60K in PGF have the highest deleterious effect. The cumulative predictions from the present study are an impressive guide for the genotypes of African ostriches, which bypassed the expensive protocols for wet laboratory screening, to identify the effects of variants. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of its kind on the analyses and prediction outcome of missense mutations in African ostrich populations. The highly deleterious nsSNPs in the placenta growth factor are possible adaptive mutations which might be associated with adaptation in extreme and new environments. The flow and protocol of the computational predictions can be extended for various wild animals to identify the molecular nature of adaptations.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Fulltext Development and validation of a comprehensive diabetes self-management scale

Mikhael EM, Hassali MA, Hussain SA, Shawky N

Diabetes Metab Syndr, 2019 03 18;13(3):1717-1721.
PMID: 31235083 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2019.03.025
Matched MeSH terms: Iraq; Iraq/epidemiology
Fulltext Iraqi parents' views of barriers to childhood immunization

Al-Lela OQ, Bahari MB, Al-Abbassi MG, Salih MR, Basher AY

East Mediterr Health J, 2013 Mar;19(3):295-7.
PMID: 23879083

Deficiencies in knowledge about immunization among parents often leads to poor utake or errors in immunization dosage and timing. The aims of this study were to determine Iraqi parents' views of barriers to immunization and beliefs about ways to promote immunization. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 528 Iraqi parents with children who had incomplete immunization status. The main barriers to immunization agreed by the parents were lack of vaccine availability (51.5% of parents) and parents' lack of education (42.4%), while 88.4% of parents thought that lack of funding was not an important barrier. More than 60% of the parents suggested promoting childhood immunization via the media, and 77.5% thought that an increase in funding would not remove barriers to childhood immunization. Better vaccine availability in public health clinics and improving parents' literacy might enhance immunization uptake in Iraq.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Prediction of groundwater flowing well zone at An-Najif Province, central Iraq using evidential belief functions model and GIS

Al-Abadi AM, Pradhan B, Shahid S

Environ Monit Assess, 2015 Oct;188(10):549.
PMID: 27600115 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-016-5564-0

The objective of this study is to delineate groundwater flowing well zone potential in An-Najif Province of Iraq in a data-driven evidential belief function model developed in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. An inventory map of 68 groundwater flowing wells was prepared through field survey. Seventy percent or 43 wells were used for training the evidential belief functions model and the reset 30 % or 19 wells were used for validation of the model. Seven groundwater conditioning factors mostly derived from RS were used, namely elevation, slope angle, curvature, topographic wetness index, stream power index, lithological units, and distance to the Euphrates River in this study. The relationship between training flowing well locations and the conditioning factors were investigated using evidential belief functions technique in a GIS environment. The integrated belief values were classified into five categories using natural break classification scheme to predict spatial zoning of groundwater flowing well, namely very low (0.17-0.34), low (0.34-0.46), moderate (0.46-0.58), high (0.58-0.80), and very high (0.80-0.99). The results show that very low and low zones cover 72 % (19,282 km(2)) of the study area mostly clustered in the central part, the moderate zone concentrated in the west part covers 13 % (3481 km(2)), and the high and very high zones extended over the northern part cover 15 % (3977 km(2)) of the study area. The vast spatial extension of very low and low zones indicates that groundwater flowing wells potential in the study area is low. The performance of the evidential belief functions spatial model was validated using the receiver operating characteristic curve. A success rate of 0.95 and a prediction rate of 0.94 were estimated from the area under relative operating characteristics curves, which indicate that the developed model has excellent capability to predict groundwater flowing well zones. The produced map of groundwater flowing well zones could be used to identify new wells and manage groundwater storage in a sustainable manner.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Assessment of groundwater nitrate contamination hazard in a semi-arid region by using integrated parametric IPNOA and data-driven logistic regression models

Rizeei HM, Azeez OS, Pradhan B, Khamees HH

Environ Monit Assess, 2018 Oct 04;190(11):633.
PMID: 30288624 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-7013-8

Groundwater hazard assessments involve many activities dealing with the impacts of pollution on groundwater, such as human health studies and environment modelling. Nitrate contamination is considered a hazard to human health, environment and ecosystem. In groundwater management, the hazard should be assessed before any action can be taken, particularly for groundwater pollution and water quality. Thus, pollution due to the presence of nitrate poses considerable hazard to drinking water, and excessive nutrient loads deteriorate the ecosystem. The parametric IPNOA model is one of the well-known methods used for evaluating nitrate content. However, it cannot predict the effect of soil and land use/land cover (LULC) types on calculations relying on parametric well samples. Therefore, in this study, the parametric model was trained and integrated with the multivariate data-driven model with different levels of information to assess groundwater nitrate contamination in Saladin, Iraq. The IPNOA model was developed with 185 different well samples and contributing parameters. Then, the IPNOA model was integrated with the logistic regression (LR) model to predict the nitrate contamination levels. Geographic information system techniques were also used to assess the spatial prediction of nitrate contamination. High-resolution SPOT-5 satellite images with 5 m spatial resolution were processed by object-based image analysis and support vector machine algorithm to extract LULC. Mapping of potential areas of nitrate contamination was examined using receiver operating characteristic assessment. Results indicated that the optimised LR-IPNOA model was more accurate in determining and analysing the nitrate hazard concentration than the standalone IPNOA model. This method can be easily replicated in other areas that have similar climatic condition. Therefore, stakeholders in planning and environmental decision makers could benefit immensely from the proposed method of this research, which can be potentially used for a sustainable management of urban, industrialised and agricultural sectors.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Determination of biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen for semi-arid river environment: application of soft computing models

Tao H, Bobaker AM, Ramal MM, Yaseen ZM, Hossain MS, Shahid S

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Jan;26(1):923-937.
PMID: 30421367 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-3663-x

Surface and ground water resources are highly sensitive aquatic systems to contaminants due to their accessibility to multiple-point and non-point sources of pollutions. Determination of water quality variables using mathematical models instead of laboratory experiments can have venerable significance in term of the environmental prospective. In this research, application of a new developed hybrid response surface method (HRSM) which is a modified model of the existing response surface model (RSM) is proposed for the first time to predict biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO) in Euphrates River, Iraq. The model was constructed using various physical and chemical variables including water temperature (T), turbidity, power of hydrogen (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), alkalinity, calcium (Ca), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate (SO4), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS) as input attributes. The monthly water quality sampling data for the period 2004-2013 was considered for structuring the input-output pattern required for the development of the models. An advance analysis was conducted to comprehend the correlation between the predictors and predictand. The prediction performances of HRSM were compared with that of support vector regression (SVR) model which is one of the most predominate applied machine learning approaches of the state-of-the-art for water quality prediction. The results indicated a very optimistic modeling accuracy of the proposed HRSM model to predict BOD and DO. Furthermore, the results showed a robust alternative mathematical model for determining water quality particularly in a data scarce region like Iraq.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Fulltext On the investigation of COVID-19 lockdown influence on air pollution concentration: regional investigation over eighteen provinces in Iraq

Hashim BM, Al-Naseri SK, Al Maliki A, Sa'adi Z, Malik A, Yaseen ZM

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Sep;28(36):50344-50362.
PMID: 33956319 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13812-x

At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China, and later spread throughout the world, including Iraq. To control the rapid dispersion of the virus, Iraq, like other countries, has imposed national lockdown measures, such as social distancing, restriction of automobile traffic, and industrial enterprises. This has led to reduced human activities and air pollutant emissions, which caused improvement in air quality. This study focused on the analysis of the impact of the six partial, total, and post-lockdown periods (1st partial lockdown from March 1 to16, 2020, 1st total lockdown from March 17 to April 21, 2nd partial lockdown from April 22 to May 23, 2nd total lockdown from May 24 to June 13, 3rd partial lockdown from June 14 to August 19, and end partial lockdown from August 20 to 31) on the average of daily NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations, as well as air quality index (AQI) in 18 Iraqi provinces during these periods (from March 1st to August 31st, 2020). The analysis showed a decline in the average of daily PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations by 24%, 15%, and 8%, respectively from March 17 to April 21, 2020 (first phase of total lockdown) in comparison to the 1st phase of partial lockdown (March 1 to March 16, 2020). Furthermore, the O3 increased by 10% over the same period. The 2nd phase of total lockdown, the 3rd partial lockdown, and the post-lockdown periods witnessed declines in PM2.5 by 8%, 11%, and 21%, respectively, while the PM10 increases over the same period. Iraqi also witnessed improvement in the AQI by 8% during the 1st phase of total lockdown compared to the 1st phase of partial lockdown. The level of air pollutants in Iraq declined significantly during the six lockdown periods as a result of reduced human activities. This study gives confidence that when strict measures are implemented, air quality can improve.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Secondary metabolites produced by marine streptomyces as antibiofilm and quorum-sensing inhibitor of uropathogen Proteus mirabilis

Younis KM, Usup G, Ahmad A

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2016 Mar;23(5):4756-67.
PMID: 26538254 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5687-9

Quorum-sensing regulates bacterial biofilm formation and virulence factors, thereby making it an interesting target for attenuating pathogens. In this study, we investigated anti-biofilm and anti-quorum-sensing compounds from secondary metabolites of halophiles marine streptomyces against urinary catheter biofilm forming Proteus mirabilis without effect on growth viability. A total of 40 actinomycetes were isolated from samples collected from different places in Iraq including marine sediments and soil samples. Fifteen isolates identified as streptomyces and their supernatant screened as anti-quorum-sensing by inhibiting quorum-sensing regulated prodigiosin biosynthesis of Serratia marcescens strain Smj-11 as a reporter strain. Isolate Sediment Lake Iraq (sdLi) showed potential anti-quorum-sensing activity. Out of 35 clinical isolates obtained from Urinary catheter used by patient at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, 22 isolates were characterized and identified as Proteus mirabilis. Isolate Urinary Catheter B4 (UCB4) showed the highest biofilm formation with highest resistance to used antibiotic and was chosen for further studies. Ethyl acetate secondary metabolites extract was produced from sdLi isolate. First, we determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of sdLi crude extract against UCB4 isolate, and all further experiments used concentrations below the MIC. Tests of subinhibitory concentrations of sdLi crude extract showed good inhibition against UCB4 isolate biofilm formation on urinary catheter and cover glass using Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy respectively. The influence of sub-MIC of sdLi crude extract was also found to attenuate the quorum sensing (QS)-dependent factors such as hemolysin activity, urease activity, pH value, and motility of UCB4 isolate. Evidence is presented that these nontoxic secondary metabolites may act as antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing by competing with quorum-sensing signals for receptor binding.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq
Megacities' environmental assessment for Iraq region using satellite image and geo-spatial tools

Tao H, Hashim BM, Heddam S, Goliatt L, Tan ML, Sa'adi Z, et al.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(11):30984-31034.
PMID: 36441299 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24153-8

Urban areas are quickly established, and the overwhelming population pressure is triggering heat stress in the metropolitan cities. Climate change impact is the key aspect for maintaining the urban areas and building proper urban planning because spreading of the urban area destroyed the vegetated land and increased heat variation. Remote sensing-based on Landsat images are used for investigating the vegetation circumstances, thermal variation, urban expansion, and surface urban heat island or SUHI in the three megacities of Iraq like Baghdad, Erbil, and Basrah. Four satellite imageries are used aimed at land use and land cover (LULC) study from 1990 to 2020, which indicate the land transformation of those three major cities in Iraq. The average annually temperature is increased during 30 years like Baghdad (0.16 °C), Basrah (0.44 °C), and Erbil (0.32 °C). The built-up area is increased 147.1 km2 (Erbil), 217.86 km2 (Baghdad), and 294.43 km2 (Erbil), which indicated the SUHI affects the entire area of the three cities. The bare land is increased in Baghdad city, which indicated the local climatic condition and affected the livelihood. Basrah City is affected by anthropogenic activities and most areas of Basrah were converted into built-up land in the last 30 years. In Erbil, agricultural land (295.81 km2) is increased. The SUHI study results indicated the climate change effect in those three cities in Iraq. This study's results are more useful for planning, management, and sustainable development of urban areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Iraq

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