Evaluation Of Spatial Factors’ Impact On Physical Integration Of Informal Settlements: Erbil City – Iraq

This thesis studies one of the distinct topics of the urban environment in cities which discusses the integration of urban areas through the spatial dimension. The integration of informal settlements considers all dimensions of the urban development such as social, economic, and spatial. This study focuses on the spatial integration of these settlements. This research is concerned with how to achieve sustainable urban environment in developing cities by investigating the integration of informal settlements on the basis of the impact of spatial aspects. The objectives of this research are to identify and specify key spatial factors that influence the physical integration of informal settlements in the urban fabric of Erbil city, to determine the physical integration within the informal study area and with surrounding neighborhoods, and to determine the most influential spatial factors on the integration of the informal settlements

The effect of early weaning on iron status among exclusively breastfed infants

Background and objective: Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for all newborns to gain optimal physical and neurodevelopmental growth. Despite all its advantages, prolonged breastfeeding alone without weaning places the child at risk of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, which is the commonest micronutrient deficiency worldwide among infants. We investigated the effect of early weaning on the iron status of infants. Methods: We selected 100 infants; all of them were six months old. Fifty of them were exclusively breastfed for four months and started weaning between four to six months while continued to breastfeed till the age of six months (early-weaning group). Another 50 infants were exclusively breastfed for six months without starting weaning (no-weaning group). Then we investigated both groups at the age of six months for both iron and hematological studies. Results: In the present study, both study groups shared some similarities. In both groups, females accounted for more than half of the cases, the majority of the infants were residing in the urban areas, and most of the infants were delivered by cesarean section. The final result of the iron study and hematological parameters in the no-weaning group was significantly lower as compared to the early-weaning group. Both serum ferritin and serum iron were 7.42 ng/ml and 25.66 µg/dl, respectively, in the no-weaning group and were 23.94 ng/ml and 46.98 µg/dl respectively in the early-weaning group. Hemoglobin level was 10.84 gm/dl in the no-weaning group compared to 11.54 gm/dl in the early-weaning group. Conclusion: We concluded that early weaning had a great role in the prevention of both iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in exclusively breastfed infants. Keywords: Exclusive breastfeeding; Early weaning; Iron status.</jats:p

Morphological and Molecular Study of Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus (Bertolani, 1982); A new Species of Freshwater Eutardigrada in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;Dactylobiotus parthenogeneticus&nbsp;&lt;/i&gt;was obtained from the outflow stream of Smaquli Dam, located in Erbil Governorate, within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. During July 2022, a sample collection was conducted at the study site. The collected samples consisted of populations of &lt;i&gt;D. parthenogeneticus&lt;/i&gt;, which were found in conjunction with green algae. The sampling process involved passing a volume of 50 liters of water through a hand net equipped with mesh components measuring 0.45 µm. The initial characterization of this species was conducted through the examination of its morphological features and measurements, alongside the utilization of DNA barcoding techniques. The acquisition of molecular data was accomplished through the process of sequencing the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. These data were subsequently archived in the GenBank database, where they were assigned the unique accession numbers OR501571. The specimens that were collected were determined to belong to &lt;i&gt;D. parthenogeneticus&lt;/i&gt; based on the analysis of morphological and molecular analysis. The present observation represents the first documented occurrence of this species within the geographical boundaries of Iraq. Tardigrades offer valuable perspectives on the dynamics of ecosystems, and the interactions between trophic levels, and can serve as indicators of the overall health of an ecosystem and maintaining its balance.&lt;/p&gt

Spatiality of Outdoor Social Activities in Neighborhood Urban Spaces: An Empirical Investigation in Erbil City Neighborhoods

The physical characteristics of urban spaces play a role in outdoor social interactions, which are considered crucial for promoting social sustainability; however, the spatiality of social outdoor activities in neighborhood urban spaces is less investigated. To address this gap, four neighborhoods of varying urban tissue patterns in Erbil City were selected for detailed investigation. The social context of outdoor social activities as a framework consisting of three components&mdash;physical form features, uses (activities), and users&mdash;was suggested for assessing the socio-spatial characteristics of outdoor social activities. Data were collected through direct observation. ArcGIS Pro&rsquo;s visualization tools, the Kernel density geoprocessing tool, and SPSS v27 were used to map the spatial distributions of outdoor activities, and their centers of formation across urban spaces illustrated in topographic density maps. A total of 3565 outdoor activities conducted by 7134 users were recorded. The findings indicate significant differences in the density and intensity of activity types, gender associations with urban form characteristics, strong relationships between land use and outdoor social activities, and concentrations of activity centers in areas of mixed land use. The study also reveals the absence of elderly individuals, high populations of children in older cases/areas, significant associations with gender, an even distribution of females and males in traditional organic urban tissue, and the presence of females in spaces with lower connectivity and greater privacy. This study provides valuable insights into urban planning, focusing on the spatiality of outdoor social activities, integrating intersubjective and objective spatiality, and understanding the built environment&rsquo;s influence on urban life by revealing socially desired urban form characteristics

Biological Evaluation of Garcinia kola Heckel

Garcinia kola belongs to the Garcinia genus of the Clusiaceae family and Malpighiales order. It contains more than 180 members all over the globe. It is found all over Asia and in tropical African countries. In Africa, traditionally, G kola is used to manage and treat cancer, diabetes, malaria, analgesics, hypertension, and other numerous ailments. �is review aimed to comprehensively update relevant information regarding the pharmacological potential of Garcinia kola. Electronic databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Wiley, Google Scholar, Hindawi, and Springer extracted valuable information from original scienti�c research papers. Inclusion Criteria. Antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antibacterial, medications, antiviral, traditional medicine, ethnopharmacology, toxicity, cytotoxic action, chemical composition, mineral elements, GCMS analysis, and any other related phrases were used as �lters to �nd studies. Exclusion Criteria. Data from questionable online sources, as well as thesis reports and review publications, were excluded from this investigation. �e investigation revealed that seeds of G. kola are very e�cient as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antihypertension, antianalgesic, and anti-in�ammatory. �e study also found that too much consumption of the seeds caused low fertility and toxicity. However, the safety and e�cacy of G. kola have not been wholly assessed in humans, and further well-designed clinical trials are needed to corroborate preclinical �ndings. �e mechanism of action of the seed extract should be examined. �e standard dose and safety of the seed should be establishe

Sinapic Acid Attenuate Liver Injury by Modulating Antioxidant Activity and Inflammatory Cytokines in Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Rats

Sinapic acid (SA) is a natural pharmacological active compound found in berries, nuts, and cereals. The current study aimed to investigate the protective effects of SA against thioacetamide (TAA) fibrosis in rats by histopathological and immunohistochemical assays. The albino rats (30) were randomly divided into five groups (G). G1 was injected with distilled water 3 times/week and fed orally daily with 10% Tween 20 for two months. G2&ndash;5 were injected with 200 mg/kg TAA three times weekly for two months and fed with 10% Tween 20, 50 mg/kg silymarin, 20, and 40 mg/kg of SA daily for 2 months, respectively. The results showed that rats treated with SA had fewer hepatocyte injuries with lower liver index (serum bilirubin, total protein, albumin, and liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, and AST) and were similar to that of control and silymarin-treated rats. Acute toxicity for 2 and 4 g/kg SA showed to be safe without any toxic signs in treated rats. Macroscopic examination showed that hepatotoxic liver had an irregular, rough surface with micro and macro nodules and histopathology expressed by Hematoxylin and Eosin, and Masson Trichrome revealed severe inflammation and infiltration of focal necrosis, fibrosis, lymphocytes, and proliferation bile duct. In contrast, rats fed with SA had significantly lower TAA toxicity in gross and histology and liver tissues as presented by less liver tissue disruption, lesser fibrosis, and minimum in filtered hepatocytes. Immunohistochemistry of rats receiving SA showed significant up-regulation of HSP 70% and down-regulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin (&alpha;-SMA) protein expression compared to positive control rats. The homogenized liver tissues showed a notable rise in the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) actions with significantly lower malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to that of the positive control group. Furthermore, the SA-treated rats had significantly lower TNF-a, IL-6, and higher IL-10 levels than the positive control rats. Thus, the findings suggest SA as a hepatoprotective compound due to its inhibitory effects on fibrosis, hepatotoxicity, liver cell proliferation, up-regulation of HSP 70, and downregulation of &alpha;-SMA expression, inhibiting lipid peroxidation (MDA), while retaining the liver index and antioxidant enzymes to normal

RETRACTED: Jabbar et al. Sinapic Acid Attenuate Liver Injury by Modulating Antioxidant Activity and Inflammatory Cytokines in Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Rats. Biomedicines 2023, 11, 1447

The journal retracts the article titled &ldquo;Sinapic Acid Attenuate Liver Injury by Modulating Antioxidant Activity and Inflammatory Cytokines in Thioacetamide-Induced Liver Cirrhosis in Rats&rdquo; [...