Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials and Methods: Fifty Iraqi women having babies born with NTDS, referred to the genetic clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, were included in this study (the study group) as well as 37 healthy women having normal children (the control group). This study was conducted from November, 2002 till October, 2003. Analysis of total serum homocysteine level for all women was done using a computerized HPLC system. Results : the age of women in both groups was comparable (mean+SD in the study group was 26.2+5.14 years vs. 26.3+4.57 years in the controls). Among the study group, 4 (8%) had normal tHcy level; 44 (88%) had mildly elevated level, and only 2 (4%) had moderately elevated tHcy level, while all (100%) women in the control group had their tHcy level within normal level. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusions : Women become at an increased risk of delivering a baby with NTD when having an elevated tHcy level in their sera, and that tHcy level is an important marker in maternal serum that is associated significantly with pregnancy outcome.
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Stereolithography (SLA) has become an essential photocuring 3D printing process for producing parts of complex shapes from photosensitive resin exposed to UV light. The selection of the best printing parameters for good accuracy and surface quality can be further complicated by the geometric complexity of the models. This work introduces multiobjective optimization of SLA printing of 3D dental bridges based on simple CAD objects. The effect of the best combination of a low-cost resin 3D printer’s machine parameter settings, namely normal exposure time, bottom exposure time and bottom layers for less dimensional deviation and surface roughness, was studied. A multiobjective optimization method was utilized, combining the Taguchi me
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This study aims at identifying the extent of SMS usage and understanding the role it plays in satisfying users' needs and motivations. In order to achieve this aim, an analytical descriptive method was adopted by conducting a field survey among students at Petra University.
The study resulted in many conclusions, the most important of which is that using SMS meets the students' cognitive, social and communicational needs and desires, the highest being communicating with friends at 75%, followed by exchanging songs and videos at 52%, as well as exchanging photos at 45%. In regards to their motivation for using text messaging, forgetting daily problems scored highest at 81.4% and spending free time followed at 77.4%. This proves th
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The study aimed to investigate the effect of different times as follows 0.5, 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 hrs, type of solvent (acetone, methanol and ethanol) and temperature (~ 25 and 50)ºc on curcumin percentage yield from turmeric rhizomes. The results showed significant differences (p? 0.05) in all variables. The curcumin content which were determined spectrophotometrically ranged between (0.55-2.90) %. The maximum yield was obtained when temperature, time and solvent were 50ºC, 3 hrs and acetone, respectively.
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