Background: Antimicrobial prescribing patterns have an important role in the emergence of resistance, and community pharmacists have a substantial influence on this issue. Objective: To assess community pharmacists' behaviors and attitudes toward antimicrobial dispensing, determine their proportions and categories, and examine the underlying rationales for this practice. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Iraq was conducted from June to August 2023, using a self-administered validated questionnaire. The attitudes, practices, and motivations driving the distribution of antimicrobials without a prescription (AWP) were explored in three areas. Results: A sizable proportion (61.6%) of respondents rejected dispensing AWP at community pharmacies. Patients primarily seek antibacterials from community pharmacies owing to budget constraints, according to 82.7% of respondents, rather than for consultation and diagnostic services. The most powerful element in a pharmacist's decision to administer AWP is that patients will seek antimicrobials from another pharmacy if they are not dispensed by the pharmacist, owing to the pharmacist's experience in infection management. The study found that 50%–74% of patients who visited community pharmacies sought AWP. Antimicrobials are most commonly provided without a prescription for cold and flu and urinary tract infections (37.3% and 27.7%, respectively). Conclusions: The majority of pharmacists regularly dispense AWP. To guarantee compliance with Iraqi legislation and laws governing AWP distribution, ongoing training programs should be created to educate the public on the most effective methods.
This study investigates the changes occurring in the province of Basra using geospatial methods and analyzes the variations in land surface temperature among the various types of land cover. For the months of July and December in the years 2013 and 2021, Landsat images were used in Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS, and satellite images were processed using ArcGIS 10.8 software. The study's categories for land use and land cover were generated through the application of supervised classification techniques, and the land surface temperature was calculated using data from a satellite sensor's brightness temperature. According to the study's findings, there has been an increase in urban areas (including barren land). From 2013 to 2021, a greater correlati
... Show MoreBackground. Dental implantation has become a standard procedure with high success rates, relying on achieving osseointegration between the implant surface and surrounding bone tissue. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a promising alternative to traditional dental implant materials like titanium, but its osseointegration capabilities are limited due to its hydrophobic nature and reduced surface roughness. Objective. The aim of the study is to increase the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of PEEK by treating the surface with piranha solution and then coating the surface with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) by electrospraying technique. Materials and Methods. The study includes four groups intended to investigate the effect of pir
... Show MoreTeachers' self-efficacy plays a very important role in the process of teaching English language, and teachers have primary role in determining what is needed or what would work best with their students. The sample consists of eighty-seven English language teachers in secondary schools in Baghdad/Kaarkh2. Self-efficacy questionnaire of fifteen items was constructed. Face, content validity and reliability were verified. Then, pupils' marks for the first semester were taken as their achievement.The main finding of the study indicates that:
English language teachers' self-efficacy has effect on their pupils' achievement.
In the light of the findings of the present study, several conclusions, recommendations and suggestions for further
In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared using an eco-friendly method synthesized in a single step biosynthetic using leaves aqueous extract of Piper nigrum, Ziziphus spina-christi, and Eucalyptus globulus act as a reducing and capping agents, as a function of volume ratio of aqueous extract(100ppm) to AgNO3 (0.001M), (1: 10, 2: 10, 3: 10). The nanoparticles were characterized using UV-Visible spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared AgNPs showed surface Plasmon resonance centered at 443, 440, and 441 nm for sample prepared using extract Piper nigrum, Ziziphus spina-christi, and Eucalyptus respectively. The XRD pattern showed that the strong intense peaks
Expanded use of antibiotics may increase the ability of pathogenic bacteria to develop antimicrobial resistance. Greater attention must be paid to applying more sustainable techniques for treating wastewater contaminated with antibiotics. Semiconductor photocatalytic processes have proven to be the most effective methods for the degradation of antibiotics. Thus, constructing durable and highly active photocatalytic hybrid materials for the photodegradation of antibiotic pollutants is challenging. Herein, FeTiO3/Fe-doped g-C3N4 (FTO/FCN) heterojunctions were designed with different FTO to FCN ratios by matching the energy level of semiconductors, thereby developing effective direct Z-type heterojunctions. The photodegradation behaviors of th
... Show MoreA new series of Sulfamethoxazole derivatives was prepared and examined for antifibrinolytic and antimicrobial activities. Sulfamethoxazole derivatives bear heterocyclic moieties such as 1,3,4-thiadiazine {3}, pyrazolidine-3,5-diol {4} 6-hydroxy-1,3,4-thiadiazinane-2-thione {5} and [(3-methyl-5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)diazenyl] {8}. Their structures were elucidated by spectral methods (FT-IR, H1-NMR). Physical properties are also determined for all compound derivatives. Recently prepared compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activity in the laboratory. Each screened compound showed good tendency to moderate antimicrobial activity.
The present work reports on the performance of three types of nanofiltration membranes in the removal of highly polluting and toxic lead (Pb2+) and cadmium (Cd2+) from single and binary salt aqueous solutions simulating real wastewaters. The effect of the operating variables (pH (5.5-6.5), types of NF membrane and initial ions concentration (10-250 ppm)) on the separation process and water flux was investigated. It was observed that the rejection efficiency increased with increasing pH of solution and decreasing the initial metal ions concentrations. While the flux decreased with increasing pH of solution and increasing initial metal ions concentrations. The maximum rejection of lead and cadmium ion
... Show MoreThe hydrological process has a dynamic nature characterised by randomness and complex phenomena. The application of machine learning (ML) models in forecasting river flow has grown rapidly. This is owing to their capacity to simulate the complex phenomena associated with hydrological and environmental processes. Four different ML models were developed for river flow forecasting located in semiarid region, Iraq. The effectiveness of data division influence on the ML models process was investigated. Three data division modeling scenarios were inspected including 70%–30%, 80%–20, and 90%–10%. Several statistical indicators are computed to verify the performance of the models. The results revealed the potential of the hybridized s
... Show MoreCoronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 primarily occurs through binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), which is abundantly expressed in various anatomical sites, including the nasopharynx, lungs, cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. This study aimed to nurses' knowledge and protective health behaviors about prevention of covid-19 pandemic complications.
A descriptive design stud