Background: Studies discussing the correlation between biochemical markers of bone turnover and the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Iraqi women are rare. This study is devoted to find out the significance of serum osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN) levels with the incidence of osteoporosis and its major complication (fracture).Objectives: to investigate the significance of bone turnover biochemical markers; serum osteocalcin and serum osteopontin in evaluating osteoporosis for postmenopausal Iraqi women with and without history of vertebral fracture, as well as to explore the relationship of these markers with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: Fifty seven postmenopausal women whose ages are fifty years old and over, categorized into two groups: osteoporosis postmenopausal women (n=30), and healthy postmenopausal women (n=27). All sera samples were analyzed for serum alkaline phosphatase, calcium and phosphorous by using spectrophotometric kit. Serum OC and OPN levels were measured by immunoassay (ELISA) kits. BMD were measured by (DEXA). Results: BMD and T-score were significantly lower in osteoporotic postmenopausal group as compared with healthy group (p=0.0001). Serum OC levels and serum OPN levels were elevated significantly in osteoporotic postmenopausal group as compared with healthy group (p=0.0001).Conclusions: The levels of OC and OPN in serum could be used as a biochemical indicator in the early diagnosis of osteoporosis postmenopausal women
Background: Meclizine hydrochloride (MCZ) is an antihistamine that is used as an antiemetic to prevent and cure nausea and vomiting. Because of its limited water solubility and first-pass metabolism, it exhibits variable absorption. Objective: To formulate and evaluate MCZ as an intranasal in situ gel with increased residence time and permeability. Methods: We made an inclusion complex of MCZ using various cyclodextrins as a complexing agent to help the drug dissolve better. The complexes were studied, and the ones that were better at dissolving were chosen to be used in the creation of an in situ gel with poloxamer 407 (17–20% w/v) and hyaluronic acid (0.25–0.75% w/v). Prepared formulas were subjected to various evaluation tes
... Show MoreObjective: The current investigation focused on Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumanni), due to its growing significance as a hospital infection-causing pathogen and its resistance to several medications.Material and Method: Sixty-five isolates of A. baumannii were isolated from wound samples of patients admitted to different hospitals in Baghdad between January and April of 2023. Two types of methods were used in the detection of biofilm formation: the first one was Congo red agar method and the second one was microtiter plate method. Genotypic detection of various virulence factors associated with A. baumannii was performed using monoplex, multiplex, and ERIC-PCR.Result and Discussion: To use the PCR method to examine
... Show MoreRigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) are essential materials in structural applications due to their thermal insulation, lightweight properties, and mechanical strength. However, evaluating and comparing their compressive performance is complicated by differences in formulation parameters such as density, aging, and crosslink density. This study proposes a standardized normalization approach to evaluate compressive properties across diverse RPUF formulations by adjusting all data to a common reference density. Samples were subjected to controlled aging conditions and analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) to investigate the relationship between crosslinking behavior and mechanical performance. The results demonstrate
... Show MoreA band rationing method is applied to calculate the salinity index (SI) and Normalized Multi-Band Drought Index (NMDI) as pre-processing to take Agriculture decision in these areas is presented. To separate the land from other features that exist in the scene, the classical classification method (Maximum likelihood classification) is used by classified the study area to multi classes (Healthy vegetation (HV), Grasslands (GL), Water (W), Urban (U), Bare Soil (BS)). A Landsat 8 satellite image of an area in the south of Iraq are used, where the land cover is classified according to indicator ranges for each (SI) and (NMDI).
Background: Waterpipe and cigarette are two products of tobacco consumption, tobacco use has detrimental effects on the oral cavity, numerous studies around the world have reported a significant relationship between smoking and increase dental caries and viable count of cariogenic bacteria, Materials and Methods: unstimulated saliva was collected from 84 subjects and divided equally into three groups waterpipe smokers, cigarette smokers, and non-smokers all of the participants are adult male aged between 25-60 years, dental caries was measured by use DMFT index, while S.mutans and S.sobrinus were isolated by using a selective medium SB 20M (Sugar bacitracin-20 modified) agar Results: this present study showed a significant (p≤0.01)
... Show MoreThis study was initiated to examine the tomato-infecting viruses belonging to the Tobamovirus and Potexvirus genera in Iraq. Field observations and surveys were carried out for three successive cropping seasons (2020/21 to 2022/23) in selected tomato production areas. The purpose was to identify the main viruses associated with tomato epidemics and assess the impact of different tomato cultivars on disease occurrence. A total of 700 tomato leaf samples were collected from seven governorates (Baghdad, Diyala, Babylon, Najaf, Kerbala, Nasiriya, and Basrah) and tested using pathogen-specific immunostrip kits. The survey showed a presence of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Pepper mild mottle virus (
... Show MoreThe recent advances in technology, the increased dependence on electrical energy and the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) were all factors in the increased need for smart, efficient and reliable energy systems. This introduced the concept of the Smart Grid (SG). A SG is a potential replacement for older power grids, capable of adapting and distributing energy based on demand. SG systems are complex. They combine various components and have high requirements for real time reliable operation. This paper attempts to provide an overview of SG systems, by outlining SG architecture and various components. It also introduces communication technologies, integration and network management tools that are involved in SG sys
... Show MoreThe genus Acinetobacter is a major cause of nosocomial infections; it is increasingly being associated with various epidemics and has become a widespread concern in a variety of hospitals worldwide. Multi-antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, is now recognized to be of great clinical significance. Numerous reports relay to the spread of A. baumannii in the hospital settings which leads to enhanced nosocomial outbreaks associated with high death rates. However, many other Acinetobacter spp. also can cause nosocomial infections. This study focused on the role of Acinetobacter spp. as nosocomial pathogens in addition to their persistence, antimicrobial resistance patterns and epidemiology.