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.
The concept of the separation worry is considered one of the common disorders in children. The causes and effects of this worry influence the child mental and cognitive ability and the child ability to communicate with others, has friendship and the ability of adaptive with the environment, peers and teachers and it also influences the child's academic and social performance.
The importance of this study is represented in handling the working memory, one of important subject in cognitive psychology. Many universal studies show that the working memory is very important in several daily functions such as continuous attention, followinstructions, implement instructions of many steps, the moment of information remembering and keep focusin
Pregnancy and childbirth are physiological states characterized by sudden hormonal and immunologically described changes. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of maternal variables (age, previous abortion, placental position, and fetal position) on some physiological biomarkers, such as oxytocin (OT), prolactin (PRL), cortisol, and insulin growth factor 2 (IGF -2) and some immune biomarkers such as programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in Iraqi women undergoing caesarean section (CS). Blood samples were collected from 48 pregnant women in the age range (16-43 years) and serum was obtained to determine the levels of the above biomarkers. The effect of
... Show MoreThe research aims to identify the level of psychological pollution in Iraqi society and the significant differences in psychological pollution in the Iraqi society according to variables. A sample of (600) individuals randomly selected from all governorates of Iraq, with (285) males and (315) females was used in the current study. The researcher adopted the scale of (Muhammad, 2004) psychological pollution consisting of (118) items, which limited (46) items after modification distributed into four areas: denial and abuse of the civilized identity, attachment to foreign formal aspects, effeminacy, and anarchism. The results of the research showed that there is no statistical significance among the individuals of the research sample. They
... Show MoreObesity is a common disease that resulted from over-nutrition in adults and children. It rarely causes damage to the centers of food in the brain. Obesity is defined as an increased body weight from its natural limit which is resulted from the accumulation of excessive amounts of fatty tissue incredibly up to 20% in males, 30 % in females unless this increase is not due to an increase in muscles as in athletes or accumulation of water in the body which is resulted from Mesothelioma or the magnitude of the skeleton.Obesity is the increase of the total average of fat in the body compared to other tissues, which causes an increasing body weight, thereby increasing body mass. The fatty child has an increase in the stored fatty layer under th
... Show MoreNumerous physiological and biochemical changes are linked to menopause. The current study was intended to examine the transforms linked to anthropometric measurements and bone-related factors. In this study of 80 women which included; they comprised 40 premenopausal women and 40 postmenopausal women. waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), hip circumference (HC), moreover waist to hip ratio are among the anthropometric measurements (W-HR) recorded by standard procedures. The plasma samples were tested for the following biochemical parameters: bone-related parameters [calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), uric acid (UA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)] and serological agglutination tests [rheumat
... Show MoreObjective: Chronic periodontitis (CP) is a common inflammatory disease that causes destruction to the supporting tissues of the teeth. Many treatment modalities tried to stop the disease progression. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the regenerative methods that used in adjunct to conventional periodontal treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of PRP by monitoring the lymphocyte count before and after its application to the periodontal pocket. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients, with CP and a pocket depth equal to or deeper than 4 mm, subjected to scaling, root planing, and PRP injection into the pocket. The lymphocyte count measured before an
Background: We aimed to investigate the accuracy of salivary matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-8 and -9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 in diagnosing periodontitis and in distinguishing periodontitis stages (S)1 to S3. Methods: This study was a case–control study that included patients with periodontitis S1 to S3 and subjects with healthy periodontia (controls). Saliva was collected, and then, clinical parameters were recorded, including plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level. Diagnosis was confirmed by assessing the alveolar bone level using radiography. Salivary biomarkers were assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: A total of 45 patients (15
... Show MoreIn order to get advanced results, we must stand at the pointsthat have been observed by the trainers that are of significance inthe sport of fencing and concern for capacity optical (traceoptical and precision visual animation), so we must learn some ofthese types of capacity, whichever is more influential in the gamefencing so that they add a new axis to the player to pick andchoose in order to achieve the desired goal and raise the level ofthe game.The study aimed to identify the relationship between the visualtracking and accuracy of visual animated face and the results ofcompetitions Sabre of the other.Used a much more descriptive approach to study relational on asample of players clubs Sabre and the way intentional, whoqualified to the
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