Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health concern, with inappropriate antibiotic use in dentistry significantly contributing to this problem. While regional studies have examined dental students' antibiotic-related knowledge and practices, comprehensive evidence from Iraq remains limited. Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness of antimicrobial stewardship principles and prescribing practices among Iraqi dental students and interns. Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among dental students in the clinical phase of education (fourth and fifth years) and dental interns from multiple Iraqi universities. The survey was distributed from October 2023 to June 2025 to assess the knowledge of antibiotics, awareness of prudent antibiotic use, and self-reported prescribing practices. Correlation analyses were performed to examine associations between knowledge, awareness, and practice domains. Results The participants (n = 569) demonstrated strong theoretical knowledge of antibiotics and a high awareness of prudent antibiotic use. However, a consistent gap between knowledge and clinical practice was identified. Knowledge and awareness domains were positively correlated, while both were inversely associated with practice scores, thus indicating a more cautious prescribing behavior among students with higher knowledge levels. A limited access to prescribing guidelines, insufficient practical training, and variability in institutional support were identified as key factors that influence the prescribing behavior. Differences between universities highlighted the significant role of educational environment and curriculum structure (p < 0.05). Conclusion Although Iraqi dental students possess adequate knowledge and awareness regarding antibiotic use and AMR, translating this understanding into consistent clinical practice remains challenging. Higher knowledge levels were associated with restrained prescribing, thus reflecting responsible antimicrobial stewardship rather than poor practice. These findings underscore the need to integrate structured antimicrobial stewardship training, standardized prescribing guidelines, and practical decision-making support into dental education. Strengthening these components is essential to bridge the knowledge–practice gap and prepare future dental practitioners to contribute effectively to combating AMR through responsible, evidence-based prescribing.
The earth's surface comprises different kinds of land cover, water resources, and soil, which create environmental factors for varied animals, plants, and humans. Knowing the significant effects of land cover is crucial for long-term development, climate change modeling, and preserving ecosystems. In this research, the Google Earth Engine platform and freely available Landsat imagery were used to investigate the impact of the expansion and degradation in urbanized areas, watersheds, and vegetative cover on the land surface temperature in Baghdad from 2004 to 2021. Land cover indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Water Index, and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDVI, NDWI, an
... Show MoreBoth traditional and novel techniques were employed in this work for magnetic shielding evaluation to shed new light on the magnetic and aromaticity properties of benzene and 12 [n]paracyclophanes with n = 3–14. Density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP functional and all-electron Jorge-ATZP and x2c-TZVPPall-s basis sets was utilized for geometry optimization and magnetic shielding calculations, respectively. Additionally, the 6-311+G(d,p) basis set was incorporated for the purpose of comparing the magnetic shielding results. In addition to traditional evaluations such as NICS/NICSzz-Scan, and 2D-3D σiso(r)/σzz(r) maps, two new techniques were implemented: bendable grids (BGs) and cylindrical grids (CGs) of ghost atoms (Bqs). BGs a
... Show MoreAbstract: The aim of the current study was to investigate the possible protective effect of graded doses (5, 10, and 15mg/kg) of pyridoxine hydrochloride intraperitoneally injected against (15mg/kg) doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in female rats. Fifty-six (56) Wistar albino female rats were utilized weighing 180-200 gm allocated into eight groups, seven rats each; Group I: negative control distilled water; Group II: Pyridoxine (5mg/kg); Group III: Pyridoxine (10mg/kg); Group IV: Pyridoxine (15mg/kg); Group V: doxorubicin (15 mg/kg); Group VI: Pyridoxine (5 mg/kg) prior to doxorubicin (15 mg/kg); Group VII: Pyridoxine (10 mg/kg) prior to doxorubicin (15 mg/kg); Group VIII: Pyridoxine (15 mg/kg) prior to doxorub
... Show MoreThis research examines the relationship between dinar deposits and U.S. dollar payments at the Central Bank of Iraq using monthly data for the period 2016–2025. The ARDL model, the GRU neural network, and a hybrid ARDL–GRU model are applied. The results show that dollar payments are stationary at level, while dinar deposits become stationary after first differencing, with a significant positive long-run cointegrating relationship. The linear ARDL model has limited ability to capture sudden shocks, whereas the hybrid ARDL–GRU model achieves superior forecasting performance both in-sample and out-of-sample. The findings confirm the Central Bank of Iraq’s efficiency in managing domestic and foreign liquidity and maintaining market stab
... Show MoreIn this study, the effect of intersecting ribs with inclined ribs on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of a high aspect ratio duct has been numerically investigated. The Relative roughness pitch (P/e) is 10 and the Reynolds number range from 35,700 to 72,800. ANSYS (Fluent-Workbench 18.0) software has been utilized to solve the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the Standard k-ε turbulence model. Three ribbed models have been used in this study. Model 1 which is a just inclined ribs, Model 2 which has a single longitudinal rib at the center with inclined ribs and Model 3 which has two longitudinal ribs at the sides. The results showed that the heat transfer rate has been enhanced when the int
... Show MoreA new benzylidene derivative, namely N-benzylidene-5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (BPTA), has been synthesized and instrumentally confirmed with Elemental Analysis (CHN), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray. The mutualistic complementary dependence of BPTA with TiO2 nanoparticles as anti-corrosive inhibitor on mild steel (MS) in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid has been tested at various concentrations and various temperatures. The methodological work was achieved by gravimetric measurement methods complemented with surface analysis. The synthesized inhibitor concentrations were 0.1 mM to 0.5 mM and the temper
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