Kurdistan Journal of Applied Research (KJAR)
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The Causes of Variation Orders and Their Effects on Cost and Time of Projects in Sulaimani Governorate
Get PDFVariation orders are a permanent phenomenon in the construction of projects and industries around the world, and particularly in the province of Sulaymaniyah. Where construction industries suffer from variation orders. It includes an amendment of the initial scope of work as in the awarded contract. This study analyses the causes of variation orders and their effects on cost and time of projects in Sulaimani governorate. This study involves a questionnaire survey to selected 36 causes and 10 effects of variation orders from the perspective of owner, design consultant, and contractors. A total of 223 completed questionnaire sets were returned out of 270 questionnaires distributed among the practitioners. Then the data was analyzed statistically. Also, 40 projects at different construction sectors that constructed during 2007-2013 were investigated by calculating cost and time overrun because of variation orders. The results showed that in Sulaimani governorate the most effective causes of variation orders are owner's financial problems, preparing typical design for different districts, errors and omission in design, desired profitability of contractor and lack of adequate or appropriate site before design stage to construct of project. On the other hand of impacts of variations, the study discovered that top five effects of variation orders on the projects are: schedule overrun, cost overrun, productivity degradation, dispute between contract stockholders and payment delay. Also, all projects affected by cost and time overruns at average of 20 percent of cost and 65.4 percent of time of project
Tracking of The Most Significant Laboratory Parameters For The Identification of Covid-19: An Overview on The Different Blood Tests
Get PDFAn outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began in China during December 2019 which unexpectedly spread to other countries and caused high mortality all over the world. COVID-19 disease primarily manifests as a respiratory tract infection. However, emerging data indicate that it should be regarded as a systemic disease for affecting multiple systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal and immune system. There is an accelerated need for detecting the laboratory tests that can aid in identifying infected people and asymptomatic carriers to control the virus transmission process. Although the clinical manifestation of COVID-19 has been widely defined, an overview of the most significant laboratory findings in patients with COVID-19 infection is still limited. Elevation was the predominate result among most of the laboratory parameters while a few decreased in value. Laboratory data have shown that most patients had a decrease in lymphocyte count, Eosinophils count and albumin level. Also, laboratory data recorded an elevation in Leukocyte, ESR, PT, D-dimer, PCT, CRP, ALT, AST, Bilirubin, Creatinine, CK, LDH, Ferritin, Troponin, Myoglobin, IL-6, IL10 and TNF. In general, the parameters had more prominent laboratory abnormalities in severe cases than with non-severe cases. It is well known that laboratory tests results play an important role and can support the early diagnosis of many diseases. This study was carried out to review the abnormalities among the laboratory tests and track the parameters that showed a frequently significant result supporting the primary detection of SARS-COV-2 infection
The Effect of Using Cement Kiln Dust as a Partial Replacement of Cement on The Mechanical Properties of Concrete: Review and Modelling
Get PDFThere have been many efforts in reusing Cement Kiln Dust (CKD), a by-product of cement manufacturing, in various areas of civil works. These efforts have been made due to the necessity of the material for proper disposal, because of its very fine texture and the fact that if not handled properly, it will be harmful to human health and the environment. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of incorporating CKD in concrete as an approach of reusing it. In the current study, the effect of using cement kiln dust on the mechanical properties of concrete as a partial replacement of cement was reviewed. The investigated mechanical properties were compressive strength for the curing ages of 7 and 28 days and tensile and flexural strengths, modulus of elasticity, and water absorption for the curing age of 28 days. It was concluded that replacing cement with CKD leads to detrimental effects on all mechanical properties of concrete. There were sufficient amount of data to establish correlations between the amount of cement replacement with CKD, and its effect on all mechanical properties of concrete except for water absorption. Regression analyses were performed and model equations with acceptably high R2s were prepared. The optimal CKD content regarding all mechanical properties was concluded to be 10% by the cement weight, at which 7 and 28 days compressive strengths, 28 days tensile and flexural strengths, and elastic modulus decreased by amounts of 11%, 12%, 8%, 9%, and 8% respectively
Immunological Approaches and Different Strategies for Vaccine Development Against SARS-COV-2
Get PDFGlobally, SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is considered as pandemic viral infection by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the immunological response aspect, a very limited understanding has been progressed, mainly innate and adaptive immunity responses toward the virus. SARS-COV-2 causes severe respiratory disease and sometimes ended with the death. The body of the patients has ability to develop the immunity to cure the patient and more importantly both humoral and cellular immunity have studied against SARS-COV-2. There are different immune responses against the viral infection as it has seen in other previous diseases such as SARS-COV and MESR. On the base on immune response detected in recovered patients, scientists have started to develop the vaccines. Moreover, there are different strategies that used by researchers and pharmacological companies to develop vaccines including attenuated or killed viruses, RNA of a spike protein, and vector expressing a particular protein of the virus. The common antibodies have detected to work against SARS-COV-2 in sera of infected or recovered patients are immunoglobin G ( IgG) and immunoglobin M (IgM). The sera of patients recovered from COVID-19, after tittering of immunoglobulins (IgG titer) can be used for either treatment of disease or prophylaxis of infection by SARS-COV-2. This study gives an update on the current immunological approaches and vaccination strategies for the emerging SARS-COV-2, and discusses the challenges and hurdles to overcome for developing efficacious vaccines against this dangerous pathogen
MSVPWM Based-SAPF For Harmonic Mitigation in The Distribution Network Under Unbalanced Condition
Get PDFUnbalanced input source voltages generate extra current harmonics in addition to non-linear loads which distorts the power quality in the entire power systems. Three-phase multi-level neutral point clamped (NPC) converter based shunt active harmonic filter (SAHF) are used as a solution to overcome problems due to current harmonics. In this work, synchronous reference frame (d-q) algorithm is selected to detect the harmonic current components, Proportional-integral (PI) controller is utilized to ameliorate the storage of energy in the dc-link capacitor and the multilevel space vector pulse width modulation (MSVPWM) strategy determines the switching pulses of NPC inverter. Under balanced input supply voltages condition, the proposed MSVPWM achieved a mitigation of source current THD of 3.58 % as compared to 28.57 % prior to compensation on non-linear load. Furthermore, the MSVPWM technique was compared with and without compensation under unbalanced input source voltages and the results shows that the proposed method achieved reduction in source current THD of 3.96 % as compared to 29.76 % after and before compensation respectively. The proposed MSVPWM based-SAPF model was also compared with conventional SVPWM under balanced and unbalanced input supply voltages conditions. The results show that MSVPWM performed better than CSVPWM. The simulated results obtained by MATLAB/SIMULINK power system environment. All the results for the presented work are within IEEE-519 harmonics standard with non-linear loads under balanced and unbalanced voltages condition. 
Is It Scaly Anteater or Bat A Real Origin of The 2019-Novel CoV: A Probable Hypothesis?
Get PDFToday, the emerging of the new coronavirus 2019nCoV possesses a global health problem and little is known about its origin. In the current investigation, an evolutionary and molecular epidemiological analysis have provided of this new emerged virus. The phylogenetic trees for animal coronaviruses with the novel coronavirus-2019 have been created using a number of available complete protein sequences of envelope (E), membrane (M), nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins. The phylogenetic trees analysis illustrated that 2019nCoV in all four proteins are very closely related with coronaviruses isolated from Pangolin (scaly anteater) and Bat-SARS-like-coronavirses because all of them are clustered in the same clade. Whereas, the 2019nCoV is less closely related to coronavirses isolated from Rousettus bat (fruit bat) and MERS coronaviruses isolated from camel because they are gathered in the same clade only in two of the four studied proteins, nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S). In the conclusion, the new 2019nCoV is more likely to be originated from Bat-SARS-like-coronaviruses or/and coronavirus isolated from Pangolin after adaptation and evolution in the human hosts. Because of the number of infected cases to date indicates a very quick human-to-human transmission. Thus, necessitates a very rapid active surveillance using accurate method to find the original host where the 2019nCoV emerged. This will help in further understanding and creating a better approach to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak
The Thermal Performance of Vernacular Houses as An Identity of Kurdish Traditional Architecture
Get PDFNature in general and especially climate, play a decisive role in defining the architecture of a place or people over time. Therefore, it is more convenient to look at architecture as a mirror reflects people's adaptation and behavior to the environment over time. Because of mainstream design with low-tech conditions, the climate is the predominant power that characterizes the building types. In this manner, as long as the climate differs from one place to another, the vernacular architecture is going to be differs as well, due to the environmental conditions. Traditional houses were adopted to meet the basic psychological and physiological needs of man through the most rational elements, such as building floor plans (spatial organization), materials, shapes, details and floor effects in various ranges. As a result, these architectural features marked the identity features of local architecture in the city. For this reason, the paper focuses on testing the thermal performance of some types of vernacular houses commonly used in the city of Sulaimani, especially in the traditional zone of the city. To achieve the research objectives, the study followed experimental analytical methodology, using outputs of the most appropriate software (Design Builder) to test the performance of three common types of local traditional houses (single and double floors). It appears that the type L with single floor is the most efficient, but the U shape with single floor recorded the highest number of days throughout the year when energy was needed.
 
The Correlation Between Lipid Profile and Renal Function Tests in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease in Erbil city, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Get PDFCardiovascular disease patients frequently suffer from the incidence of renal dysfunctions, the prevalence of the correlation, however, remains ambiguous. This study aims to see how CVD and renal function are related to the subjected group of patients suffer from symptoms of CVD. The method recruited for this objective was using of serum lipid profile test as a marker for evaluating the CVD and making correlations to the blood urea, serum uric acid, and serum creatinine levels as markers for assessing renal function on 159 individuals with CVD symptoms in Erbil city. Two statistical analysis methods (The linear regression and Pearson’s correlation) were employed for determining the existence from a lack of relationship between them. The results showed a statistically significant correlation p<0.05 by both methods between the renal function markers and TC. The UA was correlated to TG, LDL-C, and VLDL-C p<0.05 by regression analysis. The SCr was correlated to TG and LDL-C p<0.05 by both methods, and to VLDL by regression analysis. According to the outcome of the current study both lipid profile and renal function markers are correlated in mostly a statistically significant manner. Yet, the results are not conclusive, further studies are needed in this area for indemnify the irrefutable evidence concerning this relation
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Medical Students of Sulaimani Regarding Modern Lifestyle and Its Effect on Health
Get PDFThe objectives of this study are to assess level of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students about modern lifestyle and its impact upon health, in association with different colleges. A cross sectional study was conducted among 420 students, in a convenient sampling way, Data collected from 18th to 22nd of September 2019 in a self-administrated manner from four different medical colleges (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Veterinary.) in university of Sulaimani. Data entered on Excel sheets and analyzed with SPSS program version 22. Chi square was used to get the association P value equal and less than (0.05) regarded statistically significant. Most of the students (82.1%) had heard about a modern lifestyle with highest percentage of participants (90.5%) from college of medicine, and (69.3%) knew that technology has a major role in creating a modern lifestyle, with a significant P value of (0.001). Nearly half of the students (54.5%) believed to be living a modern lifestyle and most of them (66.2%) were from college of dentistry. About (49.5%) of students believed that financial status can sometimes put limits on lifestyle choice with most of them (52.7%) being from college of dentistry with p value of (0.001). Majority of students (995%) used social media with most of them (97.4%) being from college of medicine. Nearly (66%) of participants didn’t exercise and highest percentage (78.1%) from college of pharmacy with a significant (P value 0.007). Participants in general had good knowledge and positive attitude regarding the topic, but they had a negative practice with managing stress, time and depression and had negative habits regarding exercise and having healthy diet. In addition college of medicine had highest knowledge and attitude among the four medical colleges, but regarding the practice college of pharmacy was the best
Patient’s Information Toward Some Modifiable Risk Factors of Ischemic Heart Disease
Get PDFIschemic heart disease (IHD), , is the condition of heart problems, caused by narrowed coronary arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle. There is a shortage of study of bachelor students. The goal of this research was directed to assess level of patient’s information toward some modifiable risk factors of IHD at Rania teaching hospital in Kurdistan region of Iraq during the period of (20th October 2019 - 10th February 2020). A non- probability purposive sample of (143) patients; the study instrument was constructed of total (42) items for the purpose of data collection. The content validity of the instrument was determined through a panel of (12) experts. Reliability of the instrument was determined through the use of internal consistency reliability (split half) approach which was estimated as r = (0.83) the data were collected through the use of interview technique (face to face approach), the computer files is used to organizing and coding it. The data analyzed by Statistical approaches which includes: descriptive and inferential statistical and chi- square, data analysis (SPSS version 25). The outcome showed that most of the sample rang from the age (25-40) years and most of them were male from urban, more than half of them were unemployed but nearly half of them were graduated from primary school. 32.2% of them diagnosed by cardiovascular disease. However more than half of them had a high level of information about IHD as a general, and the TV was the first source of their information but more than half of them were overweight, 65% did not do regular exercise, 52.4% were relatively stressful. Also, the study demonstrated that there is no significant association between socio demographic data and level of patient’s information toward some modifiable risk factors of IHD, with age, gender, educational level and occupation with IHD, at p value greater than 0.05. The study recommended to ministry of health and directorate of health in Rania city to develop and supervise the center of dietary regimen and halls of exercise for the people to implement their information and practice i