Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative aging disease, with idiopathic PD being most common. Gastrointestinal tract disorders (GITD) and microbiota changes may trigger idiopathic PD. Neurotoxins from microbiota can travel from the gut to the brain via the brain-gut axis (BGA), leading to α-syn protein misfolding and dopaminergic neuron death. Methods: The aim of the current study was to investigate the link between PD and GITD by measuring several biochemical and immunological markers in 142 patients. The biochemical markers measured were vitamins B6, B12, and D, calcium, serotonin, ghrelin, dopamine, and α-syn protein. The immunological markers included transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). All markers were measured using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Results: PD patients were significantly older (63.76±12.29 years) compared to GITD and control groups (41.00±15.54 and 41.25±18.30 years, respectively). Males predominated in the PD group (74.5%), while females were more common in the GITD and control groups. PD and GITD patients showed significantly lower levels of vitamins and neurotransmitters but higher calcium and α synuclein compared to controls. Immunological markers were elevated in PD and GITD groups, with significant differences between them (P-value < 0.001). Conclusion: The study concluded that certain biochemical and immunological markers provide strong evidence of the brain-gut axis's involvement in the initiation of idiopathic Parkinson's disease.
Background: Conventional MR imaging is essential for diagnosis and evaluation of the posterior fossa tumors Objectives: To assess the value of diffusion weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient in making distinction between different histological types of posterior fossa tumors.
Type of the study: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: Brain MRI and DWI assessed 19 patients (12 female and 7 male) with MRI diagnosis of posterior fossa tumors. absolute ADC values of contrast -enhancing solid tumor region and ADC ratio of solid tumor to ADC of normal -appearing deep White matter were compared with histological diagnosis postoperatively .The m
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In this study, mucilage was extracted from Malabar spinach and tested for drag-reducing properties in aqueous liquids flowing through pipelines. Friction produced by liquids flowing in turbulent mode through pipelines increase power consumption. Drag-reducing agents (DRA) such as polymers, suspended solids and surfactants are used to reduce power losses. There is a demand for natural, biodegradable DRA and mucilage is emerging as an attractive alternative to conventional DRAs. Literature review revealed that very little research has been done on the drag-reducing properties of this mucilage and there is an opportunity to explore the potential applications of mucilage from Malabar spinach. An experi
... Show MoreThe current research focuses on examining the isohyets in a set of (3) climatic maps of Iraq. Two of these maps were published in the Iraq Climate Atlas and the third one was published in an English source about the geography of Iraq. The first map represents the period from 1923-to-1944, the second is for the period from 1961-to-1990, whereas the third represents the period from 1971-to-2000. Comparing among these three maps, it has become clear that there are noticeable changes of rain in Iraq. In the first map, which represents the decade of the twenties, thirties and early forties, Iraq was located between two Isohyet lines (127 mm) in the far south and (1270 mm) in the far north. As for the second map, which represents the sixties,
... Show MoreHerpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common human pathogen that causes severe infections in newborns and immunocompromised patients. Conjunctivitis or corneal epithelial keratitis is caused by HSV type 1 all over the world and at all times of the year. The present study was aimed at detecting HSV in patients suffering from conjunctivitis. One hundred and ten (110) clinical samples (90 patients and 20 controls, both males and females) of eye conjunctiva swabs were collected from patients of different ages. The samples were analyzed using qPCR and ELISA techniques. The qPCR results revealed that HSV was present in 47 (52.2%) of the 90 patients who were infected. Of these patients, 25 (48.0%) were males and 22 (57.8%) were females, indicati
... Show MoreClavicle fractures are common injuries in young, active individuals. The majority of the fractures (80% to 85%) occur in the mid-shaft of the bone and account for approximately 2.6% of all fractures. For many years the standard treatment of fracture clavicle was the "figure-of-eight" bandage but several indications for operative fixation, the position of plate fixation for clavicle fracture remains controversial. The aim of this study is to compare between anterio—inferior and anterior-superior plating of mid-shaft displaced clavicle fracture in complications, plate prominence, nonunion, malunion and range of motion. This study is a prospective study conducted in Al-Kindy teaching hospital .A total of 30 patients with fracture mid –sh
... Show MoreThe histological structure of Pycnonotus leucotis was investigated to fill the dearth of information on the histology of mid-brain from available literature and help understand its brain. The brain is wide and short and its length 1.5 cm, and it consists of three regions. The middle region is the mesencephalon. The mesencephalon was divided into optic tectum and tegmentum. The optic tectum consists of six main layers, while the tegmentum contains nuclei of cranial nerves.
Background: Doxorubicin is considered one of the most effective anticancer drugs, yet it is use is limited by its side effect mediated by the generation of reactive oxygen species. Omega-7, an antioxidant has shown to have a cardioprotective effect.
Aim of the study: evaluate a possible protective effect of omega-7 against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in male rats.
Methods: twenty-eight male rats were divided into 4 groups (7 for each group). Group 1 (Negative control): healthy animals received normal saline orally as the vehicle for eight successive days and were sacrificed on day 9. Group 2 (positive control): animals that r
... Show MoreWaste is one of the most important problems affecting the city’s environment and its urban landscape, which results from the activities and activities of man and the natural environment. Its sources have varied between residential, commercial, industrial, medical and hazardous, and its spread in cities, on roads and on abandoned open lands, has led to significant negative effects and risks to human health and the environment.
Therefore, there were serious attempts to deal with waste and follow sequential steps that formed a waste management system such as (collection, sorting, transport, then treatment and disposal). Preventing and reducing waste, then recycling and recovering by composting or burning, and ending with bu
... Show MoreA groundwater quality assessment has been carried out in northeast part of Anbar governorate in western Iraq. We analyzed hydrochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids presence of ions to describe groundwater quality. The study area has the only confined aquifer within the geological formation extended in area. Values of groundwater hydrochemical parameters were ranged from (7) to (7.9) for ph, (1599) to (6800) µmhos/cm for electrical conductivity (EC) and (1048) to (4446) mg/l for total dissolved solids (TDS). The origins and types of groundwater in the area were of marine origin and MgCl2 water type while only (6) samples were of continental origin and Na2SO4 wate
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