Background: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) leads to activation of T-helper cells (Th-1 and Th-2) which are involved in the synthesis and release of different cytokines which may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Objectives: To evaluate the endothelial function in patients with acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: This case-control study involved 31 patients with toxoplasmosis aged 19 - 47 years matched with 20 healthy subjects. Anti-T. gondii antibody (IgG, IgM, IgA) was determined by direct antigen-antibody reaction. Interleukin-6(IL-6), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and human malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured. Results: IgM, IgG and IgA levels were high in the infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, IL-6 serum level was high in the infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.01). In addition, ET-1 level was high in acute toxoplasmosis (7.29 ± 4.59 pg/mL) compared with controls (3.11 ± 1.69 pg/mL) (P < 0.01). In addition, MDA serum level was high (9.34 ± 4.17 nmol/mL) compared with controls (2.87 ± 1.13 nmol/mL), (P < 0.01). In acute toxoplasmosis IgM serum level was significantly correlated with IgG (r = 0.55, P = 0.001), IgA (r = 0.57, P = 0.0008), IL-6 (r = 0.45, P = 0.01), ET-1 (r = 0.51, P = 0.003) and MDA (r = 0.85, P = 0.0001). Conclusions: Acute toxoplasmosis is associated with significant oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory changes which contribute to development of endothelial dysfunction
RMK Al-Zaid, AT Al-Musawi, SJ Mohammad
The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between IBD and oral symptom and mucosal lesions in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that has been done in (Kurdistan center for Gastroenterology and hepatology) of Teaching Hospital in Sulaymaniyah-Iraq, which included 101 patients previously diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease who were interviewed regarding manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease especially oral manifestations. Required data were collected through a specially designed questionnaire,
Results: The patients’ mean age was 45.74±12.58 years. Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease w
... Show MoreUnderstanding of in-situ stress profiles and orientations plays a vital role in designing a successful hydraulic fracturing treatment. This paper is an attempet to examine the effect of lithology and in situ stress on geometery of hydraulic fractures. A hydraulic fracturing design simulator software called FracproPT with various capabilities for designing most of hydraulic fracture was used for simulate and optimize the hydraulic fracturing. For studying purpose, three different cases of stress gradient contrast between different formations are considered in this study (0.4, 0.5 and 0.75 psi/ft). The results obtained from the simulator showed that lithologies surrounding the pay zone have an effect on the fracture
... Show MoreBackground: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common disorder that affects women of various ages and impacts all aspects of life. This condition negatively influences quality of life. Fractional CO2 laser (10600nm) is the recent method for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fractional CO2 laser (10600nm) in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. Materials & Methods: This study was done from July 2020 to February 2021conducted at the laser institute for postgraduate studies university of Baghdad, patients collected from a private clinic and the Department of
... Show MoreThis study aimed to measure digital stress among students at the University of Baghdad and to identify differences in digital stress based on gender (male–female), academic level (first–fourth year), and field of study (scientific–humanities). The study sample consisted of 200 students from the University of Baghdad. The "Digital Stress" scale, developed by the researcher specifically for this study, was applied, and the descriptive-analytical method was adopted. After administering the scale and analyzing the results using appropriate statistical methods, the findings indicated that university students experience a high level of digital stress, while no statistically significant differences were found in digital stress accord
... Show MoreCurrently, one of the topical areas of application of machine learning methods is the prediction of material characteristics. The aim of this work is to develop machine learning models for determining the rheological properties of polymers from experimental stress relaxation curves. The paper presents an overview of the main directions of metaheuristic approaches (local search, evolutionary algorithms) to solving combinatorial optimization problems. Metaheuristic algorithms for solving some important combinatorial optimization problems are described, with special emphasis on the construction of decision trees. A comparative analysis of algorithms for solving the regression problem in CatBoost Regressor has been carried out. The object of
... Show MoreThe objective of this paper was to study the laser spot welding process of low carbon steel sheet. The investigations were based on analytical and finite element analyses. The analytical analysis was focused on a consistent set of equations representing interaction of the laser beam with materials. The numerical analysis based on 3-D finite element analysis of heat flow during laser spot welding taken into account the temperature dependence of the physical properties and latent heat of transformations using ANSYS code V.10.0 to simulate the laser welding process. The effect of laser operating parameters on the results of the temperature profile were studied in addition to the effect on thermal stresses and dimensions of the laser w
... Show MoreJalal Jaafar Al-Awqati is a military figure who played a significant role in developing the Iraqi Air Force after the July 14, 1958 revolution. His personality crystallized during his studies. He was a thoughtful person, a good communicator, a man of few words, and held firm principled positions. He was known for his unique way of thinking. He was not violent in his daily dealings. He believed in democracy as a political doctrine and saw it as the best means and sure guarantee for solving the country's problems.