Background: Despite the importance of vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is lower among RA patients than in the general population. Objective: To determine the extent of COVID-19 knowledge among RA patients and their attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was performed through face-to-face, individual-based, semi-structured interviews in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, rheumatology unit. A convenient sample of RA patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was included until the point of saturation. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Twenty-five RA patients participated in this study. Regarding knowledge about COVID-19, most participants were able to define COVID-19, realize its contagious nature, and see the need for masks to get protection from this infection, while only a minority knew COVID-19 symptoms. Most participants obtained information about COVID-19 from TV programs and the public. Regarding COVID-19 vaccines, about 1/4 of the participants knew vaccine side effects, and only 12% of them had positive attitudes toward the vaccine. Additionally, 19 participants were unwilling to take the vaccine. The most common reasons behind this reluctance to take the vaccine include fear of the vaccine's short- and long-term side effects and the worsening of RA. Conclusion: RA patients' knowledge about COVID-19 and its vaccines was poor, and their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines were negative.
<p>Analyzing X-rays and computed tomography-scan (CT scan) images using a convolutional neural network (CNN) method is a very interesting subject, especially after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this paper, a study is made on 423 patients’ CT scan images from Al-Kadhimiya (Madenat Al Emammain Al Kadhmain) hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, to diagnose if they have COVID or not using CNN. The total data being tested has 15000 CT-scan images chosen in a specific way to give a correct diagnosis. The activation function used in this research is the wavelet function, which differs from CNN activation functions. The convolutional wavelet neural network (CWNN) model proposed in this paper is compared with regular convol
... Show MoreThis study was conducted in Baghdad, Iraq from December 2021 to May 2022. The goal was to determine the effect of Toxoplasma gondii on liver function by examining the relationship between Toxoplasma infection and hormones. One hundred and twenty male patients with Chronic liver disease (CLD) (age:14-75 years) and 120 control males (age: 24-70 years) participated in this study. Serum samples were taken from all individuals and were then analysed for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies. Hormonal tests were conducted for all participants which included (Cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, insulin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH). Biochemical tests included (Prothrombin time PT, international normalized ratio INR and albumin); liver enzymes
... Show MoreIntroduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a common protozoan disease in Iraq characterized by localized ulcers, primarily on exposed skin. This study aimed to investigate the hematological parameters of infected patients using a complete blood count (CBC) in the endemic area of Diyala Governorate, northeast of Baghdad. This has been studied in newly diagnosed, untreated individuals and patients receiving sodium antimony gluconate. Methodology: Hematological screening was performed on blood samples from 161 patients with microscopically diagnosed cutaneous leishmaniasis before and after treatment. Anti-Leishmania IgG was also assessed by ELISA in seropositive and seronegative subjects. Results: The newly diagnosed, untreated pati
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: CRC is one of the most common cancers in the world. K-ras is proto-oncogene with GTPase activity that is lost when the gene is mutated. Analysis of K-ras mutational status is very important for CRC treatment, being the most important predictors of resistance to targeted therapy. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the frequency and spectrum of K-ras mutation among Iraqi patients with sporadic CRC. PATIENTS, MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 35 cases with sporadic CRC; their clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. The FFPE blocks were used for DNA extraction; PCR amplification of K-ras gene and hybridization of allele-specific oligoprobes were performed. The assay covers 29 mutations in the K-ras gene (codons 1
... Show MoreAbstract:
Objective: The study aim is to assess knowledge of secondary schools female students regarding dysmenorrhea; find out the effectiveness of education program on secondary schools students and also to identify relationship between education program and certain variables.
Methodology: The quasi-experimental design (pretest and posttest) on one hundred students 4th year in Khawla Bint Al-Azwar secondary school for females at morning shift in Al Nasiriya City, data collection started at 4th March to 18th March 2018. A non-probability (purposive) sample of (100) students (50) student from scientific branch and (50) students from literary branch. Data have been collected through using a questionnaire modeled and made up of
The present study conducted to study epipelic algae in the Tigris River within Baghdad city for one year from September 2011 to August 2012 due to the importance role of benthic algae in lotic ecosystems. Five sites have been chosen along the river. A total of 154 species of epipelic algae was recorded belongs to 45 genera, where Bacillariophyceae (Diatoms) was the dominant groups followed by Cyanophyceae and Chlorophyceae. The numbers of common types in three sites were 47 species. Bacillariophyceae accounted 88.31% of the total number of epipelic algae, followed by Cyanophyceae 7.14 % and Chlorophyceae 4.55%. A 85 species (29 genera) recorded in site 1, 103 species (34 genera) in site2, 112 species (35 genera) in site3, 96 species
... Show MoreThe study seeks the relationship between the mathematical-procedural Knowledge and the logical-mathematical intelligence among students at the third stage in mathematics department. To this end, three questions were arisen: what is the level of mathematical-procedural Knowledge among the third stage students in mathematics department regarding their gender? Do male or female students have more logical-mathematical intelligence and are there significant differences base on their gender? What kind of correlation is between the level of mathematical-procedural Knowledge and the logical-mathematical intelligence of male and female students in the third stage in the mathematics department? A sample of (75) male and female students at the thir
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