[en] The output response of a radiation rate monitor contains a G-M nuclear detector, it has been reported. The analysis of time distribution for nuclear radiation events and for detector output pulses have been carried out theoretically. The monitor is exposed to a gamma source (Cs- sup 1 sup 3 sup 7) at different exposure rate values, within the range of (4.16 MR/h-250 R/h). Our results show some events lost (about 60% at 1 R/h) up to complete losses at 250 R/h, which is undertaken nonlinearity behaviour. The dead time increases also with resistance quenching value. It is concluded that the response of a such monitor depends on exposure rate and resistance quenching value. Therefore, the response needs a nonlinearity compensation when a high radiation intensity is detected. (author)

[en] Two experiments have been carried out to evaluate the effect of Prosolvin, a synthetic prostaglandin, on oestrus synchronization in local Awassi ewes during the breeding season. In the first experiment, 8 Awassi ewes, aged about 3 years, and weighing on average 59.9 ± 4.4kg were used. In experiment 2, 22 local awassi ewes, at different ages, and weighing on average 53.0 ± 9.7 kg were used. The animals were divided into 2 groups in both experiments. Animals in group 1 (n= 15), received 2 i.m. injections of 1 ml of prosolvin at 11 day interval, whereas animals in group (n= 7) were considered as controls and received no treatment. Three fertile awassi rams were introduced to all animals 18 hours after the second injection of prosolvin for 5 days for oestrus detection and natural mating. Concentrations of progesterone hormone were measured in the blood using radioimmunoassay. The results from experiment 1 indicated that oestrus was induced in 1 animal in group 1, 44 hours after prosolvin injection, and was mated, conceived and lambed. Oestrus was induced in two animals in group 2 and mated, 44 hours after the second prosolvin injection, but only 1 animal conceived and lambed. The results obtained from experiment 2 showed that 47.7 % of the treated animals showed oestrus behaviour and mated within 68 hours after the second injection of Prosolvin, with an average of 54.3 ± 12.8 hours, which was significantly (p<0.05) to controls. None of the animals in the control group exhibited oestrus within 5 days of the introduction of the rams.There was significant (p<0.05) difference within the treated animals to the treatment. Among the treated ewes that showed oestrus, 71.4 % conceived and lambed. Progesterone concentrations dropped sharply within 24 hours after the second injection of prosolvin in 60 % of the animals that conceived and lambed. It could be concluded that synthetic prostaglandin could be used in oestrus synchronization of local Awassi ewes in the breeding season. (Author). 35 Tabs., 27 Refs

[en] Chemical and isotopic analyses of natural water samples which were selected and collected from various areas in Syria, have been carried out in order to determine the highest D/H ratios using stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry technique (SIRMS). We found that the D/H ratio is proportional to the daily evaporation average and reverse to the water mean depth (h). The chemical composition of the investigated water samples does not play any definite effect on D/H value. (Author)

[en] TXRF technique was used to determine selenium and some other trace elements such as: Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb in serum. These elements were coprecipitated by APDC. The evaporation method was used to increase the detection limits (DL) of the method. The errors obtained were evaluated by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method (Author)

[en] A combination of several exploration techniques was carried out at the main phosphatic outcrop of Ain Laylon in the Syrian coastal region. The survey was extended along an E-W profile parallel to Wadi Al-Mzeraa over a distance of about 23 km from Ain Laylon site towards the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea. The techniques used in this survey included soil radon emanometry, gamma ray spectrometry and soil geochemistry, with the purpose of evaluating the effects of weathering and erosion on the uranium-hearing phosphate formations in the study ares. Soil radon concentration and gamma ray total count rates found to be ranging between 115-472 pCi/l and 52-520 cps over the main phosphate deposit of Ain Layton and between 16-241 pCi/l and 15-300 cps along the profile of Wadi Al-Mzeraa - Rwemiyeh respectively. Some suitable elements such as U, Zn, Pb, Cr, Fe and Sr were also analyzed to trace the dispersion pattern of uranium and its controls throughout the area. The results showed that the distribution of both radon emission and gamma ray activity, in accordance with chemical uranium and some associated trace elements, were almost identical over the study area. The anomalously high values in all cases were basically found to be related to the main phosphatic outcrop and to the reprecipitation processes at their vicinity following the alteration of the phosphates. The prevailing topographic conditions of the drainage system has probably played a crucial role in carrying the uraniferous solutions from its phosphatic source down to the nearby sedimentary environment. This appears to be sufficient enough to produce an anomalous halo resulting in the detection of some relatively high radon and gamma values of about 7 and 15 times the background respectively, especially close to the main phosphate outcrop. A notable gradual decrease was then observed at the following sampling sites along the pathway west of Ain Laylon site approaching the background level at a distance of about 9 km away from the main phosphate formations (Author)

[en] These experiments were carried out for two consecutive growing seasons 1994-1995 using four Syrian's cotton varieties certified by Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform of five main cotton growing areas in Syria. Al-Ghab (var-Aleppo 33/1), Aleppo (var-Aleppo 40), Al-Raka (var-Raka 5), Al-Hasaka (var-Aleppo 40) and Der-el-Zor (var-Der 22), to evaluate the response of different cotton varieties in term of seed cotton yield and lint properties to different irradiation doses 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 Gy, as well as the control. The seeds were hand planted 7-10 days after being exposed to gamma radiation, results revealed that almost all Syrian cotton varieties studied were irresponsive to gamma irradiation and in some cases if any response obtained to any parameter, the response was not repetitive . (author). 17 refs., 1 fig., 8 tabs

[en] An experiment on Syrian Awassi ewes and yearlings was conducted out-side the normal breeding season to study the possibility of inducing oestrus and increasing birth rate as an attempt to improve the reproductive efficiency, in addition to evaluating the possibility of early pregnancy diagnosis using progesterone radioimmunoassay kits. One-hundred-and fifty-five local female awassi sheep (96 ewes and 59 ewe lambs) were divided into 4 groups. Group T1 (n= 50 ewes) were fitted with itravaginal sponges containing 60 mg of medroxy progesterone acetate (MAP) for 14 days followd by 600 IU of pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) at sponge withdrawal, whereas the control group C1 (n= 46 ewes) received no treatment. Group T2 (n= 41 yearlings) were fitted with itravaginal sponges containing 60 mg of MAP for 14 days followed by 400 IU PMSG at sponge withdrawal, whereas the control group C2 (n= 18 yearlings) received no treatment. The females in both T1 and T2 groups responded to the hormonal treatment, and showed oestrus behaviour within 36-48 h of sponge withdrawal. Total oestrus rate was 96% and 92.7% for groups T1 and T2, respectively. Lambing rates were 80%, 32.6%, 78.0% and 5.6% for groups T1, C1, T2 and C2, respectively. Twinning rates increased to 32.5% and 33.3% for groups T1 and T2, respectively, compared to 6.7% and 0% for groups C1 and C2, respectively. There were no significant differences in pregnancy duration between groups T1 (151.7 ± 1.7 days), and T2 (154.4 ± 1.5 days), and between single (154.4 ± 1.8 daus and 151.5 ± 1.6 days) and twin-born lambs (151.7 ± 1.5 days and 150.8 ± 1.3 days) for single and twin born lambs in groups T1 and T2, respectively. Hormonal treatment had no effect on the overall average lamb birth weight, which was 4.3 ± 1.0 Kg, 4.4 ± 0.7 Kg and 3.9 ± 1.0 Kg for groups T1, C1, and T2, respectively, and the birth weight for the only lamb born in group C2 was 4.0 kg. However, average birth weight for single born lambs was significantly (P<0.05) higher than twin-born lambs, reaching 5.0 ± 0.6 Kg and 3.9 ± 0.5 Kg, 4.7 ± 0.6 Kg and 3.0 ± 0.5 Kg for single and twin-born lambs in groups T1 and T2, respectively. There were no significant differences in average birth weight between male and female lambs. Average birth weight were 4.4 ± 0.9 Kg vs. 4.2 ± 1.0 Kg, 4.1 ± 0.7 Kg vs. 4.5 ± 0.7 Kg and 4.2 ± 1.0 Kg vs. 3.6 ± 1.0 Kg for male and female lambs in groups T1, C1 and C2, respectively. Average progesterone concentration between days 17-19 post-mating in the conceived and lambed animals was 19.3 ± 7.1 n mol/1 (range 8.3-37.9 n mol/1) for group T1, and 17.6 ± 8.3 n mol/1 (range 8.4-52.0 n mol/1) for group T2. Early pregnancy diagnosis was 100%. It was concluded that, it is possible to induce and synchronize oestrus, and to increase the twinning rate in Syrian Awassi sheep out-side the normal breeding season, using intravaginal sponges and pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin. In addition, early pregnancey diagnosis could be successfully determined in female Awassi sheep between days 17-19 post-mating. (author). 67 refs., 7 figs., 13 tabs

[en] Three indirect radiochemical methods for determination of lead 210 in environmental samples have been compared. These are Cerenkov counting gross alpha and beta counting and alpha spectrometry. Lower limit of detection counting efficiency, chemical recovery and analysis time. For the three methods have been compared. The results, based on radiochemical analysis of reference and natural samples, have been shown that the studied methods can be used for determination of lead 210 in environmental samples with low levels. (author). 19 refs., 8 tabs

[en] Scales produced by Oil production operations contain relatively high concentrations of natural radionuclides especially radium isotopes (Ra-226, Ra-228, Ra-224) and their daughters. These scales deposit in oil surface equipment such as separator tanks, tubular, and storage tanks. In this work, naturally occurring radionuclides and radiation exposure levels in some Syrian oil lines have been determined. Radiation measurements have shown high radiation exposure in some production sites and reached about 23 μSv/hr (production wellhead) which is higher than the normal background (0.09 - 012 μSv/hr). The highest value of the exposure around storage tanks was about o.5 μSv/hr. Moreover, the highest concentration of radionuclides in scales were found to be 47000 Bq/Kg and 55000 Bq/Kg for Ra-226 and Ra-228 respectively while in sludge samples, the Ra-226 concentration was about 24.2 Bq/Kg, a relatively very low activity. In addition, results have shown that soil contamination can occur by disposal of produced water to the surrounding environment. Furthermore, the present paper shows some of protection procedures, which should be followed by workers for radiation protection. (author). 10 refs., 4 tabs

[en] For the past 25 years the IAEA and FAO have run a joint programme to help Member States develop, test and apply technologies which will help to improve the productivity of their livestock. At the present time, this programme involves over 40 technical co-operation projects and 160 research contracts. The IAEA Laboratories at Seibersdorf produce and distribute the kits which are used for measuring hormone levels and for diagnosing diseases. Last year (1988) over one million assay units were dispatched for use in various projects technically supported by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division. 2 refs., 8 figs