Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airflow limitation that is preventable but not curable. It is associated with persistent symptoms that cause a considerable burden on individual productivity at work, and daily activities, and reduced quality of life, also burdening the healthcare system and society. Objectives: The study aims to measure the burden of COPD on patients in terms of daily activities and work productivity. It also seeks to investigate some inflammatory biomarkers' levels and their correlation with selected outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 stable COPD patients who were diagnosed and treated according to the GOLD guidelines at Kirkuk General Hospital's chest and Internal Medicine consultation clinics, and in private internist clinics in Kirkuk City, Iraq between January and April 2023. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-COPD) measured the Burden of COPD. The symptom burden was assessed by the COPD assessment test (CAT). The level of IL-6 monoclonal antibodies was measured via a Roche Cobas 6000 analyzer and TNF-α using the ELISA sandwich technique. All these devices and machines were authorized by the Ministry of Health, Iraq. Results: The mean age was (54.1 ± 8.12) years, 62.5% being males and 37.5% being females; 41.7% were public sector employees, and 39.2% were self-employed. Due to COPD, the overall work loss was (45.9±18.91) days, the mean percentage of absenteeism was (10.9% ± 12.31%), activity impairment was (47.5% ±17.79%) among all patients, presenteeism was (40.8 ± 15.05%,) and COPD-related retirees were 14.2% of the study group. The mean CAT score (19.3±5.63) was high and the most troubling symptom among patients was chest tightness. WPAI-COPD scores were higher in older age and longer disease duration. The levels of biomarkers were above the reference ranges, the mean IL-6 level was (69.4 ± 35.29) pg/ml, and the mean TNF-α was (72.3 ± 22.45) pg/ ml. Conclusions: COPD patients exhibit a disease burden in terms of productivity loss at work and activity impairment that increases with aging and disease duration. COPD patients with low BMI are more prone to a decline in lung functions and to worse symptoms.
Abstract
This research aims to determine the role of the quality of higher education in achieving organizational excellence at the universities of Baghdad and Al-Nahren, was based on research on the main hypothesis is:First:- There is correlation and between the quality of higher education dimensions (continuous improvement, measurement and analysis, the culture of the organization, optimal use of resources , customer satisfaction) and organizational excellence dimensions (strategic planning, focusing on the market and the customer, information and analysis, the effectiveness of operations, processes and resources), Second:- Second, there is the impact of relationship sig
... Show MoreBreast cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related death in women worldwide. Amplification or over-expression of the ERBB2 (HER/neu) gene occurs in approximately 15-30% of breast cancer cases and it is strongly associated with an increased disease recurrence and a poor prognosis. Determination of HER2/neu status is crucial in the treatment plan as that positive cases will respond to trastuzumab therapy. It has been used to test for HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry as a first step and then to study only the equivocal positive cases (score 2+) by in situ hybridization technique. The aim of our study is to compare between immunohistochemistry and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) in assessment of human epidermal growth factor (HER2/neu)
... Show MoreBacteriocins were partially purified by ammonium sulphate 50% concentraction, bacteriocin activity of Pediococcus acidilactici-FMAC278 was 25600 U/ml with 5.8 folds and 7.6% yeild, the activity decrease to 12800 U/ml after dialysis with 6.3 folds and 3% yield, On the other hand the bacteriocin activity of Weissella paramesenteroides-DFR6 was 12800 U/ml with 2.7 folds and 8.8% yeild, after dialysis the activity became 6400 U/ml with 5.1 fold and 3.4% yield, Chicken Sausage were made by adding 0.25, 0.5 and 1% particaly purified bacteriocin to study its effect on microorganisms and increasing shelf life of Sausage. It is found that bacterial numbers were decreased after 3 days of storage at refrigerator at 0.5% conc. While the molds decrea
... Show MoreKE Sharquie, AA Al-Bayatti, AI Al-Ajeel, AJ Al-Bahar, AA Al-Nuaimy, Saudi medical journal, 2007 - Cited by 63
A series of 4-(methylsulfonyl)aniline derivatives were synthesized in order to obtain new compounds as a potential anti-inflammatory agents with expected selectivity against COX-2 enzyme. In vivo acute anti-inflammatory activity of the final compounds 11–14 was evaluated in rat using an egg-white induced edema model of inflammation in a dose equivalent to 3 mg/Kg of diclofenac sodium. All tested compounds produced significant reduction of paw edema with respect to the effect of propylene glycol 50% v/v (control group). Moreover, the activity of compounds 11 and 14 was significantly higher than that of diclofenac sodium (at 3 mg/Kg) in the 120–300 minute time interval, while compound 12 expressed a comparable effect to that of di
... Show MoreSoil is a crucial component of environment. Total soil analysis may give information about possible enrichment of the soil with heavy metals. Heavy metals, potentially contaminate soils, may have been dumped on the ground. chromium, nickel and cadmium,
The study aimed to identify the importance of time in the Faculties of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at the University of Baghdad, as well as to identify the relationship between time management and the level of staff functional performance. The research population consisted of the staff members who work in the Faculties of Physical Education and Sports Sciences for Girls in Al-Jadriya for the academic year 2017-2018. A random sample of 50 staff members from each faculty were selected, that is the total number was (100) staff members. The researchers identified the concept of time management and functional performance, after that a questionnaire consisting of (39) statements and (6) parts presented to a specialized group of experts
... Show MoreThe study aimed to identify the importance of time in the Faculties of Physical Education and Sports Sciences atthe University of Baghdad, as well as to identify the relationship between time management and the level of staff functionalperformance. The research population consisted of the staff members who work in the Faculties of Physical Education andSports Sciences for Girls in Al-Jadriya for the academic year 2017-2018. A random sample of 50 staff members from eachfaculty were selected, that is the total number was (100) staff members. The researchers identified the concept of timemanagement and functional performance, after that a questionnaire consisting of (39) statements and (6) parts presented to aspecialized group of experts. The
... Show MoreThe research in Islamic history is considered a title for the glory of the nation and a mirror for the intellectual and mental maturity of the men of the Islamic state who played an important role in saving humanity from darkness to light and from ignorance to knowledge and to show their position in building the Islamic state, and to highlight the importance of their conquests of neighboring cities and the expansion of Islam, and for this reason they appear The importance of writing on the topic (The Battle of Dumat al-Jandal and its impact on the era of the Prophethood and the Rightly Guided Caliphate). The reason for choosing this topic was to show the status of Dumat al-Jandal and its importance in the Islamic state and its great role
... Show MoreBackground: Soft Laser has been advantageous in medical applications and is widely used in clinical practice. It is applied because it doesn’t cause the significant thermal effects or tissue hurt when irradiated. The blood response to low power laser radiation provides information about processes of laser radiation interaction with live creatures. Objective: The aim of the current work was to evaluate the laser-induced changes of in vitro erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in patients with breast cancer by irradiating a human blood sample using a green laser and comparing its effects before and after irradiation with the same power density (100mW/c
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