Despite their potential as a sustainable energy technology, the operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in sub-freezing conditions remains a critical challenge due to the risk of ice formation and performance degradation. This study introduces a new passive thermal management technique using strategically arranged multi-layer phase change materials (PCMs) to address this challenge. A numerical model was developed to evaluate the thermal behavior across various PCM configurations, incorporating one, two, and three layers arranged both in parallel and series with distinct melting points ranging from 55 to 65 ◦C. The results show that multi-layer PCM configurations provide significant improvements over the single-layer base

Irisin is a novel myokine and adipokine, its role during pregnancy and its association with some metabolic risk factors especially pre-pregnancy body mass index (pre-BMI) need more evaluation. The aim of the study is to find whether the pre-BMI could predict irisin levels during normal pregnancy and to clarify associations of irisin with some pathological parameters.

Irisin levels were estimated by ELISA in sera of 59 normal pregnant women who enrolled from December 2016 to May 2017 at Maternity Hospital, Zakho city, Kurdistan region (Iraq). Thirty-two normal-weight pregnant (pre-BMI≤24.9 kg/m², Age=24.03 mean±3.7standard deviation) and 27 overweight/obese-pregnant (pre-BMI>25 kg/m², Age=27.6 mean±3.9

Social determinants of health (SDH) profoundly influence diabetes outcomes; nevertheless, their impact on the Iraqi diabetic population remains under researched. The objectives of this study were To investigate the relationship between particular social determinants of health (SDH) variables namely food and housing insecurity, social support, income, and education and clinical outcomes, including HbA1c levels, medication adherence, and patient satisfaction among Iraqi diabetic patients. A cross-sectional study involving 212 diabetic patients in Iraq was conducted. Participants attending a healthcare facility in Iraq filled out validated questionnaires regarding social determinants of health, medication adherence, and satisfaction. HbA1c rea

Endothelin-I (ET-I) is one of the potent vasoconstrictors secreted from endothelial cells when needed. Many studies revealed the elevation of serum ET-I with human diabetes and microangiopathies. Since insulin resistance is a case of mixed diabetic and pre-diabetic cases, many risk factors beyond obesity and inflammation are proposed. The current study aims to demonstrate the association between serum ET-I and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sera of 73 subjects were enrolled currently (control= 35 subjects, and 38 with T2DM for more than 7 years), aged (40-60) years old, with distinct body mass index (BMI) ≤ 25 for control volunteers and (BMI) ≥ 25 for obesity and diabetes

ervical cancer is one of the most frequently diag nosed malignancies representing the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in females’ worldwide, with approximately 500,000 new cases diagnosed and 280,000 deaths occurring each year. Mxi1, an antagonist of c-Myc, maps to human chromosome 10q24-q25, a region altered in a substantial fraction of prostate tumors, in prostate cancer, where a high frequency of loss and mutation of the MXI1 gene has been reported. The aim of present study was to find out the possible association of exon deletion of MXI1 gene with incidence of cervical abnormalities and cancers in some Iraqi married women. The present study include collection of 120 scraping cervical cells samples from women clinically di

Background: The gene responsible for encoding the protein of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) has been found to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in different ethnic populations. But the association of +49A/G CTLA-4 polymorphism with susceptibility of RA among Iraqi Arab populations has not yet been determined. Methods: One hundred and seventy-eight patients were examined, 67 of them were males (mean age 54.71 ± 10.4 years), while 167 were examined for the control group, of whom 64 were males and the rest were females. CTLA-4 DNA genotyping was carried on to determine the +49 A/G (rs231775) polymorphism using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Enzyme-linked immuno

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel syndrome with discomfort and changed bowel habits in the absence of obvious structural abnormalities. It is more common among adolescents and young age groups. Aim: Aims of the study is to identify the prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndrome among medical students of AL- Kindy College of medicine, and to Exploring the effect on IBS prevalence of general demographic form to observe the association between anxiety and IBS. Data were collected on a sample of University of Baghdad, Al-Kindy College of Medicine students in Baghdad, Iraq. The study was conducted over a period for 6 months From December 2020 to June 2021. This study enrolled 250 students who were selected rand

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation, involvement of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands may occur as extra-articular mani¬festations in this disease. This study aimed to provide evidence of altered in function and composition of salivary gland in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by determine salivary flow rate and some biochemical parameters(total protein, amylase, peroxidase) and to investigate the relationship between disease activity and changes in function and composition of salivary gland. Materials and Methods: Fifty five patients with RA (7 males and 48 females) were enrolled in this study with age range (20-69) years. The patients were separated int

Background: Several studies linked the development of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) to genetic variations in the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene, though a disparity in findings was underlined among children with different ethnic origins. Objective: This study examined the relationship between MDR1 variants (rs2032582 and rs2032583) and the risk of developing SRNS in Iraqi patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). Methods: This case-control study included children with steroid-sensitive INS (SSNS; n=30) and SRNS (n=30) from the Babylon Hospital for Maternity and Pediatrics. Sanger sequencing was used to determine the participants’ genotypes. Results: The rs2032582 genotypes and alleles were not associated