Introduction: 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 relationship between the motivational factors and the abuse of OCSs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between the use of OCSs for non-illness and six TRA factors: Normative belief, behavioral belief, evaluation of the behavior, motivation to comply, subjective norms and attitude toward behavior. Results: The study enrolled 141 participants (98 women and 43 men) taking asking for OCSs without prescription. Dexamethasone was the most commonly used OCSs (59.6%). Friends were the primary recommenders for corticosteroids abuse (28.4%). The main reasons for using OCSs were to increase appetite and gain weight (53.9 %). Approximately one-third (36.2 %) of the participants gained weight after using OCSs. The regression analysis of the TRA variables showed two factors were significantly related to the abuse of OCSs. Age had a significant inverse relationship with the abuse of OCSs and the "good appearance" belief had a significant positive association with OCS abuse. Conclusion: Some Iraqi community pharmacy customers use non-prescribed oral corticosteroids to increase appetite and gain weight. Improve body appearance represents the dominant incentive that urges people to use OCSs without prescription. Health officials and healthcare practitioners need to promote people's awareness about the risks of misusing OCSs through education programs and advertisements in public health settings, media, and social media. Article Type: Original Research
Breast cancer is one of the most important malignant diseases all over the world. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing around the world and it is still the leading cause of cancer mortality An Approximately 1.3 million new cases were diagnosed worldwide last year. With areas rising increasing, risk factors for breast cancer including obesity, early menarche, alcohol and smoking, environmental contamination and reduced or late birth rates become more prevalent. In Iraq, breast cancer ranks first among types of cancers diagnosed in women. This study was conducted on one hundred twenty women with breast cancer that was evaluated and investigated for the possible role of the risk factors on the development of breast cancer in females. T
... Show MoreBackground: Human teeth considered to be an important etiological host factor in relation to dental caries through its morphology and composition. Elements may incorporate in tooth structure during pre and post-eruptive period changing the resistance for caries. The aims of this study were to determine the concentration of selected major (Calcium and phosphorus) and trace elements (Ferrous iron, nickel, chromium and aluminum) in permanent teeth and enamel among a group of adolescent girls in relation to severity of dental caries Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 25 girls with an age of 13-15 years old referred by Orthodontists for extractions of upper first premolars (two sides). Tooth and enamel samples were prepared for
... Show MoreCyclophosphamide is chemotherapeutic agent that utilized for the treatment of different malignancies; however its’ used associated with numerous adverse effects. Vitamin B2 and vitamin B12 suggested having myeloprotective effect. This work is designed to investigate the myeloprotective effect of both vitamins against cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression. One hundred adult rats of both sexes were used in this study. The animals were randomly enrolled into ten groups of 10 rats each. Group I: Control group. Group II: Cyclophosphamide-treated. Group III and Group IV Orally-administered vitamin B2 (10, and 40 mg/kg/day), respectively alone for 7 days. Group V:
... Show MoreDensity functional theory (DFT) with B3LYP level and 6-311G[Formula: see text] basis sets for light atoms like N and O and SDD basis sets for heavy atoms like Sn is used to examine the interaction of tin dioxide nanocrystals with nitrogen dioxide as a function of temperature from 273[Formula: see text]K to 373[Formula: see text]K through a Gaussian 09W software program. Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy of activation and reaction are calculated. The situation of transition of SnO2 clusters toward nitrogen dioxide is investigated. According to the findings, the activation energy of SnO2 clusters with nitrogen dioxide increases as the temperature rises (in negative value). Gauss view 0
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Focused research aims to provide a framework cognitive analytical nature of real estate investments and how they evaluated in the light of the assessment tools of modern theory of real options, and the possibility to rely on that theory in the detection of the true value of projects, real estate investments that would maximize the value of the investment decision taken, and the analysis of those projects that arise in the real estate markets and environments is the organization, which she was to make sure cases and high-risk, compared with entrances techniques, discounted cash flow (net present value). Based on the assumption lies in the possibility of the application of the implic
... Show MoreThe textile industries play a prominent role in reviving the national economy, but they are currently suffering from several problems, including the high costs of their activities, the low quality of their production processes, and accordingly, the hexagonal diffraction approach came to help analyze production activities to determine which of them are the most expensive and do not have a benefit or cost greater than Its benefit as a result of waste and losses that accompany its implementation. And by applying to the Iraqi mechanical carpet factory, the research reached several conclusions, the most important of which is the presence of several sources of waste and loss, such as activities and operations that do not add value, whi
... Show MoreThis research is considered one of the important researches in Maysan Governorate, as it focuses on the construction of helicopter airport project in the oil fields of the Maysan Oil Company, where the oil general companies in Maysan Governorate suffer from the cost of transporting the foreign engineering experts and the governing equipment of sustaining oil industry from Iraq's international airports to oil fields and vice versa. Private international transport companies transport foreign engineering from the oil fields to Iraqi airports and vice versa, and other international security companies take action to provide protection for foreign engineering experts during transportation. Hence, this process is very costly.
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... Show MoreThe study aimed to evaluate the distance learning experience in light of the spread of the Corona pandemic - Covid19 - from the teachers' point of view in Islamic Science Institutes in the Sultanate of Oman, which was applied during the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year. The study sample consisted of (77) teachers from The Islamic Science Institutes of The Sultan Qaboos Higher Center for Culture and Science. The researchers prepared a questionnaire to evaluate the reality of the experience. The study results revealed, the followings: The Department of Educational Affairs and Training at The Sultan Qaboos Higher Center for Culture and Science was able to a moderate degree in the rapid transition to a distance learning s
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