Introduction: Although it is discouraged, community pharmacy customers can obtain oral corticosteroids (OCSs) without prescriptions from some community pharmacies in Iraq. Medication abuse is defined as the use of medication for non-medical reasons. Objectives: The study aimed to determine demographics, beliefs, and perceptions associated with the abuse of oral corticosteroids for non-illness reasons among community pharmacy customers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in fall 2018 in four provinces in Iraq. Customers of 19 community pharmacies asking for OCSs for themselves without a prescription were administered a paper survey. This study used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to measure the relationship between the motivational factors and the abuse of OCSs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the use of OCSs for non-illness and six TRA factors: Normative belief, behavioral belief, evaluation of the behavior, motivation to comply, subjective norms and attitude toward behavior. Results: The study enrolled 141 participants (98 women and 43 men) taking asking for OCSs without prescription. Dexamethasone was the most commonly used OCSs (59.6%). Friends were the primary recommenders for corticosteroids abuse (28.4%). The main reasons for using OCSs were to increase appetite and gain weight (53.9 %). Approximately one-third (36.2 %) of the participants gained weight after using OCSs. The regression analysis of the TRA variables showed two factors were significantly related to the abuse of OCSs. Age had a significant inverse relationship with the abuse of OCSs and the "good appearance" belief had a significant positive association with OCS abuse. Conclusion: Some Iraqi community pharmacy customers use non-prescribed oral corticosteroids to increase appetite and gain weight. Improve body appearance represents the dominant incentive that urges people to use OCSs without prescription. Health officials and healthcare practitioners need to promote people's awareness about the risks of misusing OCSs through education programs and advertisements in public health settings, media, and social media. Article Type: Original Research
To determine the relationship between herpes simplex virus 1, 2 and neurological disorders, sixty samples from patients with neurological diseases were collected (40 patients with Multiple sclerosis and 20 patients with Parkinson’s disease) all of whom attended both the Neurological science Hospital as well as the Neuropathology consultation Department in Baghdad Hospital In Iraq. The samples were collected in the time frame between November 2017 and April 2018. The ages of the patients that were investigated were between (17-76) years and compared to a control group consisting of 25 samples collected from apparently healthy individuals. All the studied groups were subjected to the measurement of anti-HSV 1, 2 IgG antibodies by the means
... Show MoreBackground: This study aimed to determine the value of Beta angle for a sample of Iraqi adults with class I skeletal and dental relations and to verify the existence of sexual dimorphism and to find out the relation between this angle and other craniofacial measurements. Materials and Methods: Sixty dental students (23 males and 37 females) with an age ranged between 20-31 years old and having class I skeletal and dental relations were chosen for this study. Each student was subjected to clinical examination and digital true lateral cephalometric radiograph. The radiographs were analyzed using AutoCAD 2007 computer program to measure the angular and linear variables. Descriptive statistics were obtained for the measurements for both genders
... Show MoreBackground: The long term survival of dental implants is evaluated by the amount of crestal bone loss around the implants. Some initial loss of bone around dental implants is generally expected. There is reason to believe that reflecting a mucoperiosteal flap promotes crestal bone loss in the initial phase after an implant has been inserted. The surgical placement of a dental implant fixture is constantly changing and in recent years, there has been some interest in developing techniques that minimize the invasive nature of the procedure, with flapless implant surgery being advocated. The purpose of this study was to compare the radiographic level of the peri- implant bone after implant placement between traditional flapped surgery and f
... Show MoreAromatic Schiff-bases are known to have antibacterial activity, but most of these compounds are sparingly soluble in water. The present work describes the synthesis of new Schiff-bases derived from branched aminosugars. Treatment of 3-Amino-3-Cyano-3-Deoxy-1,2:5,6-Di-O-Isopropylene-α-D-Allofuranose (1) with the aldehydes (2) under reflux in methanol afforded the Schiff-bases (3) in good yields. The new Schiff-bases were in accord with their NMR, IR spectral data and elemental analysis.
n this research, some thermophysical properties of ethylene glycol with water (H2O) and two solvent mixtures dimethylformamide/ water (DMF + H2O) were studied. The densities (ρ) and viscosities (η) of ethylene glycol in water and a mixed solvent dimethylformamide (DMF + H2O) were determined at 298.15 K, t and a range of concentrations from 0.1 to1.0 molar. The ρ and η values were subsequently used to calculate the thermodynamics of mixing including the apparent molar volume (ϕv), partial molar volume (ϕvo) at infinite dilution. The solute-solute interaction is presented by Sv results from the equation ∅_v=ϕ_v^o+S_v √m. The values of viscosity (B) coefficients and Falkenhagen coefficient(A) of the Jone-Dole equation and Gibbs free
... Show MoreThe study aimed at identifying youth and sport forums from planning and leadership point of view and their relation with organizational culture. The researchers used the descriptive method on (140) worker in Baghdad youth and sport forums. A scale was designed for measuring planning and leadership in youth and sport forums as well as designing a scale for measuring organizational culture. After the application of the main experiment, the results showed that both youth and sport forum administration scale and organizational culture scale are appropriate to the study community. Finally the researchers recommended using these scales by workers in youth and sport forums and involving administration mangers in periodical training courses
... Show MoreIn this study Microwave and conventional methods have been used to extract and estimate pectin and its degree of esterification from dried grapefruit and orange peels. Acidified solution water with nitric acid in pH (1.5) was used. In conventional method, different temperature degrees for extraction pectin from grape fruit and orange(85 ,90 , 95 and 100?C) for 1 h were used The results showed grapefruit peels contained 12.82, 17.05, 18.47, 15.89% respectively, while the corresponding values were 5.96, 6.74, 7.41 and 8.00 %, respectively in orange peels. In microwave method, times were 90, 100, 110 and 120 seconds. Grapefruit peels contain 13.86, 16.57, 18.69, and 17.87%, respectively, while the corresponding values were of 6.53, 6.68, 7.2
... Show MoreThe present study was carried to evaluate antibacterial activity of Acetone, Alcholic (cold and hot) and Aqueaus(water) extracts of Citrus aurantifoliaseeds,against growth of some bacteria isolated from burns infections(Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Escherichia coli, Klebsiellapneumonia,Staphylococcusaureus)fromKindy HospitalIn Baghdad from March to June 2012.Antibiotic Sensitivity was done for all isolated bacteria used in this study.Results showed variation in antibacterial activity of different extracts against all tested bacteria by well diffusion technique in agar and measuring the diameter of inhibition zone, at concentration 250Mg-ml. Acetone extract had the greatest inhibitory effect followed by hot alcoholci extract, and then cold alcohol
... Show MoreBackground: The present in-vitro study was undertaken to evaluate and compare fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different bulk fill composite restorations (EverX posterior, Alert, Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill, and SDR). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Forty-eight human adult maxillary premolar teeth were selected for this study. Standardized extensive class II MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except those that were saved as intact control. The teeth were divided into six groups of eight teeth each (n=8): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate the effectiveness of educational program on female students’ knowledge toward premenstrual syndrome.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design study conducing on (140) student purposely in four secondary schools at Al-sadder city (70) student for study group and (70) for control group. The prevalence of PMS selected through American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) (2015) criterias to select PMS students before program. The education program were set in four steps, the first step (pre-test) is to assess the knowledge , before the implementation of the program, the second step is implementing the program, following two steps post-test I and II between each test two weeks. Validity is determined