Background: Levetiracetam is a member of the new antiepileptic drugs and has a broad spectrum effect, used as an adjunctive therapy in addition to monotherapy in the treatment of partial onset-seizures. The effect of levetiracetam on the development of embryo nervous system after maternal exposure during pregnancy has not been identified. Objective: to evaluate the effect of antiepileptic drug, levetiracetam (LEV) within its therapeutic dose 350mg/Kg body weight on albino female rat to clarify its effect on the developing cerebral cortex histologically. Material And Methods: Ten pregnant female rats were separated into two groups, control group and experimental group. They were obtained from the animal house of the high institute of infertility diagnosis and assisted reproductive technologies/Al-Nahrain university. They were maintained in environmentally controlled room at a temperature of 21–28±4Cº, 40–60% humidity, 12 hours light-dark cycle, in a noise free environment. Oral administration of 350mg/Kg of LEV to the experiment group while physiologic saline was given to control group. Results: microscopic assessment of the cerebral cortex defects in the cerebrum of the treated group when compared with the control group. There was disorganization of the cortical layers where boundaries were dimmed, the depth of the six layers were overlapping, decreased proportion of the stellate cells in the external granular layer therefore, reducing layer outline, vascular congestion and hemorrhage. Furthermore, observation shows cellular degeneration, necrosis, and nucleus karyorrhexis. Conclusion: this study demonstrate that they must take care from giving Levetiracetam to pregnant female because it induces histological changes in the brain of the newborn rat.
Background: Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) is a prototypical resistant bacterium in root canal infections and a leading cause of endodontic treatment failure. German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flower extract has been used as a traditional medicine to treat infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of chamomile extract on the removal of E. faecalis root canal biofilm. Materials and Methods: Chamomile flower extract was prepared and subjected to detailed chemical analysis. For the in vitro biofilm model, human mandibular premolars (n=48) with 18-20mm working length were used. Root canal preparation was performed using the ProTaper® Next system. Each sample was split longitudinally and reassem
... Show MoreChanges in mechanical properties of material as a result of service in different conditions can be provided by mechanical testing to assist the estimation of current internal situation of these materials, or the degree of deterioration may exist in furnaces serviced at high temperature and exceed their design life. Because of the rarity works on austenitic stainless steel material type AISI 321H, in this work, ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, hardness, and absorbed energy by impact are evaluated based on experimental data obtained from mechanical testing. Samples of tubes are extracted from furnace belong to hydrotreaterunit, also samples from un-used tube material are used to make comparisons between these properti
... Show MoreThe present study was set to demonstrate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection and its effects on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through determining their serum levels of anti-dsDNA and IL-18 antibodies. For this purpose, the sera from 132 SLE and/or toxoplasmosis patients and 30 healthy women, were collected. The study sample was divided into four groups of SLE, toxoplasmosis, SLE coinfected with toxoplasmosis, and healthy control. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were examined for all the samples using ELISA kit. The results showed a high mean level of anti-Toxoplasma IgG among SLE patients coinfected with toxoplasmosis (104.8792±12.31585pg/ml) in comparison to that in toxoplasmosis patients (91.1705±12.577
... Show MoreThe study presents the modification of the Broyden-Flecher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) update (H-Version) based on the determinant property of inverse of Hessian matrix (second derivative of the objective function), via updating of the vector s ( the difference between the next solution and the current solution), such that the determinant of the next inverse of Hessian matrix is equal to the determinant of the current inverse of Hessian matrix at every iteration. Moreover, the sequence of inverse of Hessian matrix generated by the method would never approach a near-singular matrix, such that the program would never break before the minimum value of the objective function is obtained. Moreover, the new modification of BFGS update (H-vers
... Show MoreBackground: This study aimed to compare the surface microhardness (MH) and mineral content of white spot lesions(WSLs) after using bioactive glass (BAG)casein phosphopep-tides-amorphous calcium phosphate(CPP-ACP),and nanohydroxyapatite(Nano-HAP) under pHcycling. Material and method:18 sound maxillary first premolar were used for the study.10 were selected for the vickers microhardness test, For Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX), the remaining 8 premolar teeth were used, 40 sections of enamel blocks (Four from each tooth) were produced from the middle part of the buccal and palatal surfaces of teeth for MH test while 48 sections of enamel blocks (Six from each tooth) were produced for EDX analysis. Enamel slabs were
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to compare the effects of three methods: problem-based learning (PBL), PBL with lecture method, and conventional teaching on the understanding of thermodynamics, group work and self-directed learning skills among physics undergraduates. The actual sample size comprises of 122 students, who were selected randomly from the Physics Department, College of Education in Iraq, for academic year 2011-2012. In this study, the pre and posttest were done and the instruments were administered to the students for data collection. Inferential statistics were employed to analyze data. The independent variables were the PBL, the PBL with lecture method, and the conventional teaching. Dependent variables of statistical analysis were
... Show MoreFree Piston Engine Linear Generator (FPELG) is a modern engine and promising power generation engine. It has many advantages compared to conventional engines such as less friction, few numbers of parts, and high thermal efficiency. The cycle-to-cycle variation one of the big challenges of the FPELG because it is influence on the stability and output power of the engine. Therefore, in this study, the effect of ignition time on combustion characteristics is investigated. The single-cylinder FPELG with spark ignition (SI) combustion type by using compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel type was set to run. LabVIEW is used to run the engine and control of input parameters. All experimental data
Background: This study aimed to compare the surface microhardness (MH) and mineral content of white spot lesions(WSLs) after using bioactive glass (BAG)casein phosphopep-tides-amorphous calcium phosphate(CPP-ACP),and nanohydroxyapatite(Nano-HAP) under pHcycling. Material and method:18 sound maxillary first premolar were used for the study.10 were selected for the vickers microhardness test, For Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX), the remaining 8 premolar teeth were used, 40 sections of enamel blocks (Four from each tooth) were produced from the middle part of the buccal and palatal surfaces of teeth for MH test while 48 sections of enamel blocks (Six from each tooth) were produced for EDX analysis. Enamel slabs were divi
... Show MoreBackground: Uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia is the main difficulty facing staff treating patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. Sevelamer and calcium-containing phosphate binders have been associated with cost burden and tissue calcification, respectively. Therefore, the current trial was targeted to investigate the efficacy of a new phosphate binder, ferric citrate, in a sample of Iraqi patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. Keywords: Ferric citrate, Hemodialysis Phosphate binder
Low-intensity laser irradiation has been explored as an alternative, non-invasive method to encourage chronic wounds to heal. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low level laser therapy (biostimulation) using semiconductor diode laser with wavelength (785 nm) on the enhancement of chronic wound healing. Fifty patients with chronic wounds were selected to be treated with Low Level Laser Therapy. Their ages ranged between 1 to 76 years. The wound sites were distributed in the lower limb, upper limb, trunk , perineum and head (70%,14%,12%,2%,2%, respectively). Application of laser therapy by noncontact method few millimeters from the skin for 15 minutes per one session twice weekly for two months ; ie,16 sessions for each patient. R
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