Objective Thalassemic patients present with multiple immune abnormalities that may predispose them to oral Candida, however this has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to assess oral candidal colonization in a group of patients with β-thalassemia major both qualitatively and quantitatively. Study design The oral mycologic flora of 50 β-thalassemia major patients and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects was assessed using the concentrated oral rinse technique. Candida species were identified using the germ tube test and the Vitek yeast identification system. Results Oral Candida was isolated from 37 patients (74%) and 28 healthy subjects (56%; P = .04). The mean candidal count was significantly higher in thalassemic patients compared with the healthy group (P < .05) and in patients who had surgical splenectomy compared with nonsplenectomized patients (P = .04). Conclusion Oral Candida colonization and candidal counts are significantly higher in β-thalseemia major patients than in healthy subjects. Surgical splenectomy may increase the quantity of colonizing oral candidal organisms in thalassemic patients.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systematic autoimmune disorder with chronic inflammation changes of unknown etiology. Various synovial inflammatory and proliferative alterations may contribute to the cartilaginous tissues and invasive bony tissues, leading to destructive joints and malformed bones. This disease is mostly due to infective microorganisms or genetic susceptibility causing immune system disturbances through triggering both T-cells and B-cells. Furthermore, different immune cells may secret cytokines, which are responsible for some RA pathogenesis activity. From ninety individuals, serum sample was collected; thirty of them were normal and sixty cases were patients with RA attended a privet medical clin
... Show MoreIntroduction: Although it is discouraged, community pharmacy customers can obtain oral corticosteroids (OCSs) without prescriptions from some community pharmacies in Iraq. Medication abuse is defined as the use of medication for non-medical reasons. Objectives: The study aimed to determine demographics, beliefs, and perceptions associated with the abuse of oral corticosteroids for non-illness reasons among community pharmacy customers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in fall 2018 in four provinces in Iraq. Customers of 19 community pharmacies asking for OCSs for themselves without a prescription were administered a paper survey. This study used the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to measure the relation
... Show MoreA new design of manifold flow injection (FI) coupling with a merging zone technique was studied for sulfamethoxazole determination spectrophotometrically. The semiautomated FI method has many advantages such as being fast, simple, highly accurate, economical with high throughput . The suggested method based on the production of the orange- colored compound of SMZ with (NQS)1,2-Naphthoquinone-4-Sulphonic acid Sodium salt in alkaline media NaOH at λmax 496nm.The linearity range of sulfamethoxazole was 3-100 μg. mL-1, with (LOD) was 0.593 μg. mL-1 and the RSD% is about 1.25 and the recovery is 100.73%. All various physical and chemical parameters that have an effect on the stability and development of
... Show MoreBackground: The excessive use and abuse of antibiotics contribute to bacterial resistance, raising the risk of complications and treatment failures. This study investigates adherence to antibiotic prescriptions among Iraqi dental patients, highlighting implications for antimicrobial resistance.Objective: To assess adherence levels and identify factors influencing antibiotic therapy compliance among dental patients.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in which adult dental patients aged 18 and older, who had been prescribed antibiotics within the past year, participated. The modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 items was used to evaluate adherence, and data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics software V26.Results: Amon
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The current study aimed to identify the quality of health services provided by the Omani health sector through the comparison between public and private hospitals in Dhofar Governorate, Oman. A questionnaire has been developed to collect data from 360 patients who received health services in one public Hospital (Sultan Qaboos) and three private Hospitals (Badr Al-Sama, Lifeline, and Al-Hakeeim). The data were analyzed using independent samples T-Test and One Way ANOVA. The results of the study showed that the quality levels of health services offered in private hospitals were better than public hospitals. The study results also reveled that there are significant differences between public hospitals and private hos
... Show MoreNormal thyroid function is essential for neonatal growth and brain development. In a newborn infant with severe disease, endocrine regulation of hormones can be affected by abnormal metabolism. The assessment of thyroid parameters results in the recognition of a dysfunction and its association with disease severity
Due to the potential cost saving and minimal temperature stratification, the energy storage based on phase-change materials (PCMs) can be a reliable approach for decoupling energy demand from immediate supply availability. However, due to their high heat resistance, these materials necessitate the introduction of enhancing additives, such as expanded surfaces and fins, to enable their deployment in more widespread thermal and energy storage applications. This study reports on how circular fins with staggered distribution and variable orientations can be employed for addressing the low thermal response rates in a PCM (Paraffin RT-35) triple-tube heat exchanger consisting of two heat-transfer fluids flow in opposites directions throug
... Show MoreBackground: Normal thyroid function is essential for neonatal growth and brain development. In a newborn infant with severe disease, endocrine regulation of hormones can be affected by abnormal metabolism. The assessment of thyroid parameters results in the recognition of a dysfunction and its association with disease severity. Objective: This study aimed to assess thyroid function profiles in critically ill neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) compared with healthy controls. Additionally, we aimed to detect the presence of TD and its possible association with critical illness. Methods: A case-control study was performed in 100 neonates, comprising 50 sick neonates and 50 healthy controls. We measured thyroid functio
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Experimental investigation of the influence of inserting the metal foam to the solar chimney to induce natural ventilation are described and analyzed in this work. To carry out the experimental test, two identical solar chimneys (without insertion of metal foam and with insertion of metal foam) are designed and placed facing south with dimensions of length× width× air gap (2 m× 1 m× 0.2 m). Four incline angles are tested (20o,30o,45o,60o) for each chimney in Baghdad climate condition (33.3o latitude, 44.4o longitude) on October, November, December 2018. The solar chimney performance is investigated by experimentally recording absorber pl
... Show MoreBackground: Secretory Immunoglobulin A (SIgA) is a subclass of Immunoglobulin A (IgA), It is an antibody that plays an important role in mucosal immunity. It is the main immunoglobulin found in mucous secretions from mammary glands, tear glands and salivary glands, every pathologic process in the body involves the immune system, and periodontal inflammation is one of them and is not an exception. Material and methods: this study was consisted of 60 healthy male participants of an age ranged between (35-50) years old ; 25 of them with generalized moderate chronic periodontists(Clinical Attachment Loss equal to 3-4mm at ≥ 30% of the sites; 20 participants with plaque induced gingivitis and 15 participants had clinically healthy pe
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