Background: Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gingiva and bone supporting the teeth. Smoking, which is an important risk factor for periodontitis, induce oxidative stress in the body and cause an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of smoking on periodontal health status by estimating the levels of salivary SOD level in non-smokers (controls) and light and heavy smokers and to test the correlation between the SOD enzyme level and the clinical periodontal parameters in each group. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 75 male, with age ranged from 35 to 50 years. Clinically, the periodontal parameters used in this study were Plaque index (PLI). Gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), Bleeding on probing (BOP) and clinical attachment level (CAL), unstimulated saliva sample were collected from all subjects and the levels of superoxide dismutase enzyme was analyzed for each group , and correlate the mean of salivary enzyme levels with the clinical periodontal parameters. Results: Highly significant differences in PLI between (non smokers/heavy smokers) and (light smokers/heavy smokers).On the other hand no significant difference in gingival index between groups. There were a high association between severity of smoking & probing pocket depth and there is association between severity of smoking and clinical attachment loss. There were a significant difference in the level of salivary superoxide dismutase enzyme between the (non smokers/light smokers) groups & between (heavy smokers/light smokers) &there were highly significant differences between (non smokers/heavy smokers) groups. There is no correlation between the activities of the salivary superoxide dismutase enzyme and the clinical periodontal parameters except in SOD with (BOP score 0 and PPD score 1&score 3) in heavy smokers group. Conclusions: Superoxide dismutase enzyme can be used as biomarker for estimating the level of oxidative stress on smoking habits.
Background: Vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency is common in different age groups in both genders especially among pregnant women and neonates where it is associated with several adverse outcomes including preeclampsia and preterm delivery.
Objectives: To assess the extent of vitamin D deficiency/ insufficiency among mothers and their neonates and some factors related to it and identify some adverse outcomes of the deficiency/ insufficiency on neonates (preterm birth and low birth weight).
Subject and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 88 Iraqi pregnant women and neonates admitted to “Al-Elwiya teaching hospital for maternity” in Baghdad- Al
... Show MoreCriticism is inherently impolite and a face-threatening act generally leading to conflicts among interlocutors. It is equally challenging for both native and non-native speakers, and needs pre-planning before performing it. The current research examines the production of non-institutional criticism by Iraqi EFL university learners and American native speakers. More specifically, it explores to what extent Iraqi EFL learners and American native speakers vary in (i) performing criticism, (ii) mitigating criticism, and (iii) their pragmatic choices according to the contextual variables of power and distance. To collect data, a discourse-completion task was used to elicit written data from 20 Iraqi EFL learners and 20 American native speaker
... Show MoreThis study aims to identify the teaching problems that teachers of students with intellectual disabilities face, in addition to exploring the solutions suggested by them in order to overcome such problems or challenges. The researchers used a qualitative approach in order to understand the teachers' perceptions about these problems in a more in-depth way. The interview tools (in-depth and semi-structured interviews) were used to collect data from (3) female teachers from special education programs in the Asir region. The results revealed a number of themes including problems related to students, teachers and the teaching methods they use, curricula, school environment, and school administration. Moreover, the results indicated that famil
... Show MoreThe unemployment is considered from the most danger problems that our society face them in current time & in the near future , because it makes prodigality for element of human being , particularly age of youth who have ability to work & producing , that resulted in negative effects forecast to dire consequences social and economical dangers . In the same time as will be stated in our explanation in the following in our research , because the unemployment has ability to help to prepare good environment to grow crime , actions of violence that mostly are main cause to decrease living level of majority of citizens & in increasing numbers who became under poverty , the unemployment is economical problem as it is psycholo
... Show MoreHeavy metals especially lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) are noxious pollutants with immense health hazards on living organisms, these pollutants enter aquatic environment in Iraq mainly Tigris and Euphrates rivers via waste water came from different anthropological activities, This study investigated capacity of dried and ground root of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in removing the heavy metals from their aqueous solutions. Effects of initial concentrations of the heavy metals and pH of their aqueous solutions were studied. Results of this study revealed excellent biosorption capacity of water hyacinth root in general, removal of Pb was the highest and Cr was lowest. The results showed that the Pb, Cu and C
... Show MoreThis study was done to determine the concentration of several heavy metals in the water of Al-Saddah agricultural drainage in Al-Saddah District in Babylon Province/Iraq. The concentrations of six heavy metals were measured (Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg, Fe, Zn). It was found that Pb concentration ranged from 0.06 mg/L at St.2 in autumn to 0.13 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Fe concentrations ranged from 0.04 mg/L at St.2 in autumn and winter to 0.41 at St.2 in Summer. Cd concentrations ranged from 0.008 mg/L at St.2 in summer to 0.05 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.01 mg/L at St.1 in both autumn and winter to 0.63 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Hg concentrations was ranged from 0.002 mg/
This work studied the facilitation of the transportation of Sharqi Baghdad heavy crude oil characterized with high viscosity 51.6 cSt at 40 °C, low API 18.8, and high asphaltenes content 7.1 wt.%, by reducing its viscosity from break down asphaltene agglomerates using different types of hydrocarbon and oxygenated polar solvents such as toluene, methanol, mix xylenes, and reformate. The best results are obtained by using methanol because it owns a high efficiency to reduce viscosity of crude oil to 21.1 cSt at 40 °C. Toluene, xylenes and reformate decreased viscosity to 25.3, 27.5 and 28,4 cSt at 40 °C, respectively. Asphaltenes content decreased to 4.2 wt. % by using toluene at 110 °C. And best improvement in API of the heavy crude o
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