Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by the new respiratory virus SARS-CoV2. It has a tropism in the lung tissues where excess target receptors exist. Periostin plays a role in subepithelial fibrosis associated with bronchial asthma. Since the Coronavirus's target is the human respiratory system, Periostin has been recently described as a valuable new biomarker in the diagnosis and evaluation of disease in patients with COVID-19 lung involvement. Objectives: To assess the level of Periostin in the serum of COVID-19 patients and to correlate its role in disease severity and prognosis. Subjects and Methods: Periostin serum levels were measured for 63 patients attending three main COVID-19 Control Centers in Baghdad, compared to 25 healthy subjects, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) from January 2021 to April 2022. Results: Serum levels of Periostin among studied groups with (mild - moderate, severe - critical, post-COVID, and controls) were (17.3, 664, 597, and 48) ng/dl respectively. The serum concentration of Periostin was highly significant in (severe- critical and post-COVID) than in other groups. Conclusions: The elevated level of serum Periostin in COVID-19 patients correlated with disease severity and post-COVID lung complications. The high Periostin level is consistent with high inflammatory markers, which might be used as an indicator of COVID-19 severity and predict a bad prognosis.
The co-occurrence of metabolic syndrome with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) will potentiate the morbidity and mortality that may be associated with each case. Fasting triglycerides-glucose index (TyG index) has been recommended as a useful marker to predict metabolic syndrome. Our study aimed to introduce gender-specific cut-off values of triglycerides- glucose index for diagnosing metabolic syndrome associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The data were collected from Baghdad hospitals between May - December 2019. The number of eligible participants was 424. National cholesterol education program, Adult Treatment Panel III criteria were used to define metabolic syndrome. Measurement of fasting blood glucose, lipid pro
... Show MoreBackground: Vitamin D improves innate immunity by enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides. The antimicrobial action of cathelicidin is widespread and effective against cariogenic bacteria. This research aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the level of salivary cathelicidin concerning dental caries experience.
Subjects and Methods: A case-control study was carried out, and the sample was composed of 80 females; the study group involved 40 females with a serum vitamin D concentration of less than 10 ng/ml. In addition to the control group involving 40 females wh
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetes mellitus type 2 has been known for many years as the most common endocrine metabolic disorder that affect the oral cavity and cause many oral diseases including candidiasis. In this study, the incidence of Candida spp. in the saliva of controlled and uncontrolled diabetic patients were determined and compared with non diabetic group. Material and method: The sample consists of 200 subjects: 100 diabetic patients [57 (28.5%) uncontrolled diabetes, 43 (21.5%) controlled diabetes] and 100 (50%) non diabetic groups. Saliva samples was obtained from the subjects and cultured on selective media using appropriate microbiological method to observe the presence of Candida spp. Results: The results revealed a significant associat
... Show MoreAbstract in English The aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of rehabilitation exercises in conjunction with aquatic therapy for those suffering from sacroiliitis in football players. The researcher used the experimental approach, using the experimental design (pre-measurement, post-measurement). Similar to the objectives and procedures of the research, the researcher assumed the following: the existence of significant differences. Statistics between pre- and post-measurements in variables in favor of post-measurement for the following variables (degree of pain and level of balance). The experimental approach was used with a pre- and post-measurement design on one group of football players with sacroiliitis, nu
... Show MoreThe study aimed to prepare a set of qualifying exercises to improve the muscular strength of the muscles surrounding the ankle joint by applying different resistances according to the nature of the movement of this joint, which is one of the second moving joints (flexion, extension and rotation of the right and left) in order to increase the efficiency of all muscles working on this joint according to those movements and identification On the impact of these exercises and assume that there will be statistical differences between the two tests of the research sample. The researcher used the semi-articulated experimental method with a pre- and post-test for one group. The injury was evaluated on the women's national team players durin
... Show MoreThis growing interest of the international scientific specialized commissions is due to the role that the audit committee can play, as one of companies’ governance tools, to increase the accuracy and transparency of the financial information disclosed by the companies, through its oversight role on the process of preparing financial reports, its supervision on the internal audit function within the companies, and supporting its independency, as well as coordinating the efforts between the internal control unites and the external auditor represented by the (Board of Supreme Audit) to clear the observations and irregularities in order to reduce the fraud cases.
This research was built on an applied sample of audit committee works
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to show the level of banking leadership trends in the importance of organizational confidence and its reflection in the dimensions of the strategic position the research was applied in a bank (Al- Mansour Investment, Business Bay), and the Questionnaire Was adopted as a tool to collect data and information from the number of the sample (15) who are in allocation (Department Manager, Department Manager Department Manager, Division Officer, Unit Officer) and he used the statistical program (spss) to calculate (standard deviation, arithmetic mean, percentages, regression, analysis,F-test coefficient of determination R2, Coefficieent, square Kay and the research reached a number of conclusions, the mos
... Show MoreSurface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based plastic optical fiber sensor for estimating the concentration and refractive index of sugar in human blood serum. The sensor is fabricated by a small part (10mm) of optical fiber in the middle is embedded in a resin block and then the polishing process is done, after that it is deposited with about (40nm) thickness of gold metal. The blood serum is placed on gold coated core of an Optical grade plastic optical fiber of 980 µm core diameter.