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.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is still considered a worldwide leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Within the last decades, different modalities were used to assess severity and outcome including Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), imaging modalities, and even genetic polymorphism, however, determining the prognosis of TBI victims is still challenging requiring the emerging of more accurate and more applicable tools to surrogate other old modalities
Background: Orthodontic mini-implants are increasingly used in orthodontics and the bone density is a very important factor in stabilization and success of mini-implant. The aim of this study was to observe the relationship among maximum bite force (MBF); body mass index (BMI); face width, height and type; and bone density in an attempt to predict bone density from these variables to eliminate the need for CT scan which have a highly hazard on patient. Materials and Methods: Computed tomographic (CT) images were obtained for 70 patients (24 males and 46 females) with age range 18-30 years. The maxillary and mandibular buccal cortical and cancellous bone densities were measured between 2nd premolar and 1st molar at two levels from the alveol
... Show MoreThis work is focused on studying the effect of liquid layer level (height above a target material) on zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO and ZnO2) production using liquid-phase pulsed laser ablation (LP-PLA) technique. A plate of Zn metal inside different heights of an aqueous environment of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with molarity (10-3 M) was irradiated with femtosecond pulses. The effect of liquid layer height on the optical properties and structure of ZnO was studied and characterized through UV-visible absorption test at three peaks at 213 nm, 216 nm and 218 nm for three liquid heights 4, 6 and 8 mm respectively. The obtained results of UV–visible spectra test show a blue shift accomp
... Show MoreFifty-Four paddy samples, 45 soil samples, and nine irrigation water samples of some paddy fields at Alfurat Alawsat Area, Iraq were collected to investigate the microbial quality including total count bacteria (TCB), molds and yeast, total coliform (TC), and E. coli bacteria. Paddy samples were processed at the laboratory level to produce rice at 32 and 36 whiteness, and the microbial quality of the produced rice was conducted too. The results showed that all irrigation water samples were overpassed the FDA limit for E. coli. All paddy samples were exceeded the good limit of TCB, but no sample exceeded the acceptable limit. Most paddy samples were exceeded the FDA limit for molds and yeast, and few paddy samples exc
... Show MoreBackground: Complete seal of the root canal system following its chemo-mechanical debridement plays a pivotal role for achieving successful endodontic treatment. This can be established by reducing the gaps between the core filling material and root canal wall. Aim: To assess and compare the dislocation resistance of root canals obturated with GuttaFusion® and TotalFill BC sealer versus single cone obturation technique and TotalFill BC sealer after instrumentation of the canals with WaveOne, ProTaper Next and ProTaper Universal system. Material and Method: Sixty extracted human permanent mandibular premolars were conducted in the current study. The teeth were decorated and left the root with 15mm length; the roots were divided randomly i
... Show MoreThe study aimed to identify the social support and its relation with death anxiety for
olds who are listed at the Palestinian ministry of social affairs in the Jerusalem governorate,
the researcher uses the descriptive method and she bases her research on two types of
criterion: the social support and the criterion of death anxiety, these two criterion are applied
on a stratified random sample, amounted to (184) of the elderly.
The results show no statistical differences in the level of social support for olds who
are listed at the Palestinian ministry of social affairs according to the variables of sex.
Whereas there are statistical differences in the level of social support for those olds according
to the variab
Founding a System to secure deposits and protecting the depositors is considered one of the important and exchanged subjects out there in the banking system/field in Iraq at the current time, and the reason behind the exchange and spread of this subject is due to the financial crisis of which the banking sector is suffering from and the stumbling of many banks, those factors have had led to the insecurity of the depositors and their mistrust towards banks, thus, it is necessary to create a system to secure deposits in which depositors would be compensated for the losses caused by the banks' failures. in addition, it could be a countermeasure system which maintains the banking stability, protects the rights of depositors and gains
... Show MoreDisease responses of eight wheat cultivars , Saber Beg. , Abu-Ghraib 3, Mexipak , Tamoz 2,Tamoz 3 , IPA 95 ,IPA 99 and Tahadi which were grown in four different sowing date , 25 th October , 19th September , 14th December and 8 January , to leaf rust disease caused by Puccinia recondita were investigated under natural infection conditions at the experimental farm , College of Agriculture , Abu-Ghraib, during the growing season of 1997-1998.Results of this study revealed that IPA 95, IPA 99 and Tahadi showed moderate resistant reaction, while Tamuz 3 was moderateley susceptable . Abu-Ghraib , Saber Beg, Tamuz 2 and Mexipak showed susceptible yeaction to the causal agent . The first sowing date was not suitable for disease progress in compars
... Show MoreBack ground: Oral isotretinoin is recommended
for sever nodulocystic acne in the doses 0.5-
2mg/kg/day which is usually associated with higher
incidence of adverse effects. To reduce the
incidence of side-effects and to make it more costeffective,
the lower dose regimen of isotretinoin has
been used.
Aim: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of
oral isotretinoin 10mg and 20mg/day in acne
vulgaris.
Methods: one hundred and twenty patients with
acne vulgaris were randomized into two treatment
regimens each consisting of 60 patients. The first
was treated with 10mg/day and the second group
with 20mg/day for 24 weeks. Fifty five patients
from the first group and 47 patients from the second