Toxoplasmosis is a widespread infection usually caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite. It occurs in humans and other warm blooded animals, causing severe problems. It was found that there is an alteration in the trace elements concentrations levels associated with some human diseases. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the concentrations of some trace elements (Mg, Fe , Zn, and Cu) in the sera of 60 immunocompetent patients with chronic toxoplasmosis and 82 healthy individuals as a control group. Measuring the serum level of seropositivity rate of anti-T. gondii antibodies was done by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Kit, while the concentrations of trace elements were measured by absorption spectrophotometry

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disease characterized by bilateral stenosis starting at the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA), with the development of a collateral network of vessels. It is an established cause of stroke in the pediatric age group. Despite its increasing prevalence in various parts of the world, it remains largely underrecognized in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq. This is the first case of MMD in an Iraqi patient undergoing surgery. Case description: A 12-year-old boy presents with a 3-months history of progressive behavioural changes. MRI revealed diffuse infarcts of different ages. MRA and CT angiography revealed extensive asymmetrical steno-occlusive changes of t

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a significant cause of infertility due to ovulation dysfunction in women of childbearing age. Although the pathogenesis of PCOS is still not clear, many studies have shown that many factors within the ovary promote infection. With this syndrome, the disruption of the natural monthly ovulation process causes an imbalance in the body's hormones, and the high level of insulin in the body and the blood sugar imbalance leads to the occurrence of hyperandrogenism, which is the main factor for the occurrence of pathogens, in addition to genetic factors, if any. This study aims to identify this disease and its most important causes, symptoms, and modern treatments to prevent and get rid of it. Polycystic

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is important for high yield and good quality of potato tubers. In this dissertation, I seek to study the response of different potato cultivars under different N fertilizer rates and how that can impact tuber quality, examine the performance of active optical sensors in improving a potato yield prediction algorithm, and evaluate the ability of active optical sensors (GreenSeeker (GS) and Crop Circle (CC)) to optimize a N recommendation algorithm that can be used by potato growers in Maine. This research was conducted at 11 sites over a period of two years (2018–2019) in Aroostook County, Maine; all sites depended on a rainfed system. Three potato cultivars, Russet Burbank, Superior, and Shepody, were planted u

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complication of gestation that is characterized by impaired glucose tolerance with first recognition during gestation. It develops when ?- cell of pancreas fail to compensate the diminished insulin sensitivity during gestation. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mother adiponectin level and ?- cell dysfunction with development gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other parameters in the last trimester of pregnancy. This study includes (80) subjects ( pregnant women) in the third trimester of pregnancy, (40) healthy pregnant individuals as control group aged between (17 - 42) years and (40) gestational diabetes mellitus patients with aged between (20 - 42) years. The f

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the long-term deposition of mucus in the middle ear cleft. It is the leading cause of childhood hearing loss and a common childhood infection. It can impair communication and life quality. OME's direct and indirect costs are also crucial. Improving OME care is crucial. This study examines intranasal mometasone's efficacy in treating otitis media with effusion. A clinical trial study was conducted during a period from January 2021 to June 2022. It included 80 patients suffering from otitis media with effusion bilaterally (160 ears) who had an intact tympanic membrane and tympanometry type B. These patients were included only if they had a hearing change or loss noted by the parents or by the patien

Realizing robust interconnectivity in a rapidly changing network topology is a challenging issue. This problem is escalating with the existence of constrained devices in a vehicular environment. Several standards have been developed to support reliable communication between vehicular nodes as the IEEE 1609 WAVE stack. Mitigating the impact of security/mobility protocols on limited capability nodes is a crucial aspect. This paper examines the burden of maintaining authenticity service that associated with each handover process in a vehicular network. Accordingly, a network virtualization-based infrastructure is proposed which tackles the overhead of IEEE 1906 WAVE standard on constrained devices existed in vehicular network. The virtualized

BACKGROUND: The primary cause of blindness in diabetics is diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common microvascular complication of diabetes, and visual impairment. Visfatin is an adipocytokine that aids in insulin activity during gestational diabetes and pregnancy.

AIM: This study aimed to estimate serum visfatin levels in DR, proliferative (PDR), non-proliferative (NPDR), and healthy subjects (HS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 120-patient case-control study with a history of T2DM for more than 5 years as well as 30 healthy subjects enrolled in the study. Patients group divided into three sub-groups, DM, PDR, and NPDR. Visfatin levels w