The nation-building process in fragile states is complex, often involving multifaceted challenges and opportunities. A pertinent example is Iraq post-2003, which serves as a model to study the intricacies of rebuilding a nation in the aftermath of conflict. During this period, we witnessed a significant international intervention aimed at establishing democratic governance, fostering economic development, and restoring social stability. Iraq’s nation-building journey showcases both successes and shortcomings. Establishing a representative government marked a step towards inclusivity and political participation, yet sectarian tensions persisted, hindering cohesive national identity. Economic initiatives aimed to harness Iraq's oil resou

The relationship of hyperuricemia to kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension and the risk of cardiovascular diseases remain controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of uric acid (UA) levels to find the higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with end stage renal disease that have diabetic nephropathy (DN), nephropathy with hypertension (NH) and patients with both diabetic nephropathy with hypertension (DNH). This study deals with 115 patients with end-stage renal disease under hemodialysis sub-grouped into 35 patients with (DN), 40 patients with (NH), and 40 patients with (DNH). Some biochemical parameters were determined in the serum of all participants such as HbA1c, fasting blood glucose (FBG), UA, urea,

Background: The marginal seal is essential for sealant success because penetration of bacteria under the sealant might allow caries onset or progression. The aim of the present study was to estimate and compare the microleakage of pit and fissure sealant after various methods of occlusal surface preparation. Materials and methods: Thirty non-carious premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons were equally divided into three groups. In group one, occlusal fissures were opened with round carbide bur, in group two, occlusal surfaces of the teeth were cleaned with a dry pointed bristle brush and samples of group three were cleaned with a slurry of fine flour of pumice in water using rubber cup. Then fissures of all teeth were etched using 35% p

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an autoimmune inflammatory pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of OLP, using CD34 stain to highlight the blood vessels for measuring the microvessel density (MVD) as well as to evaluate the relation of this marker with the degree of inflammation Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining technique was used to evaluate angiogenesis using CD34 in 46 paraffin blocks 10 of them obtained from normal mucosa and 36 from cases diagnosed as lichen planus , 20 of them diagnosed as Reticular type while 16 as erosive type. Severity of inflammation was divided into mild, moderate and severe accordi

The qualified subjects for this study included 33 patients with benign and malignant oral tumors aged 15-75 years and 31 matched age and gender healthy subjects used as control. Proteins measurements included total protein, albumin, globulines in sera and saliva samples, and immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) in sera samples of control and patients. Meanwhile, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to differentiate between protein patterns in both serum and saliva samples among the studied groups. The gel was also stained for glycoprotein to evaluate as well the changes in glycoprotein contents. For total protein, the results revealed a signifigant increase (P?0.01) in both samples (serum and saliva) of patient group. Albumin conce

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting 5% of the world population. FKBP51 is an important immunophilin modular protein of the glucocorticoid receptor (GC).

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels and immunocytochemical distribution of FKBP51 and GR in lymphocyte cells of asthmatic patients, by use of immunocytochemistry method, and to assesslevels ofstress hormones (cortisol and ACTH) by radioimmuniassay (RIA).

The results showed significantly increased nuclear localization and decreasedcytoplasmic distribution of FKBP51, while they showed a significant increase in nuclear localization and a non-significant decrease in cytoplasmic distribution of GRin asthmatic patients(P<0.05).

Cort

Background: The present study was planned to show the accuracy of clinical examination and tympanometry in diagnosis of middle ear effusion.
Patients and Methods: The study involved 80 patients (160 ears )suspected to have otitis media with effusion (OME) from different age groups ; 56 were males and 24 were females .
Clinical assessment for all patients included otoscopy , pneumatic otoscopy and audiological assessment by using pure tone audiometry and tympanometry then comparing the results to
findings at myringotomy as the gold standard for presence or absence of fluid in the middle ear.
Results : Fluid whether serous or glue was found in 100 ears ( 62.5 %) where as sixty ears were dry, sensitivity , sp

Background: Obesity is a public health concern worldwide associated with significant health risks and comorbid conditions. Obesity might be a strong factor that can induce left ventricular systolic dysfunction and eventually cause heart failure independent to coronary artery disease or other morbidities. In uncomplicated obese subjects, diastolic dysfunction is caused by hemodynamic and metabolic factors.
Objectives: To assess the left ventricular (systolic and diastolic) function in a sample of overweight and obese subjects using different Echocardiographic tools and exploring the percentage and type of diastolic dysfunction in those people.
Subjects and methods: one hundred seven (107) normal adult males subjects with a mean age