Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive airflow limitation that is preventable but not curable. It is associated with persistent symptoms that cause a considerable burden on individual productivity at work, and daily activities, and reduced quality of life, also burdening the healthcare system and society. Objectives: The study aims to measure the burden of COPD on patients in terms of daily activities and work productivity. It also seeks to investigate some inflammatory biomarkers' levels and their correlation with selected outcomes. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study on 120 stable COPD patients who were diagnosed and treated according to the GOLD guidelines at Kirkuk General Hospital's chest and Internal Medicine consultation clinics, and in private internist clinics in Kirkuk City, Iraq between January and April 2023. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-COPD) measured the Burden of COPD. The symptom burden was assessed by the COPD assessment test (CAT). The level of IL-6 monoclonal antibodies was measured via a Roche Cobas 6000 analyzer and TNF-α using the ELISA sandwich technique. All these devices and machines were authorized by the Ministry of Health, Iraq. Results: The mean age was (54.1 ± 8.12) years, 62.5% being males and 37.5% being females; 41.7% were public sector employees, and 39.2% were self-employed. Due to COPD, the overall work loss was (45.9±18.91) days, the mean percentage of absenteeism was (10.9% ± 12.31%), activity impairment was (47.5% ±17.79%) among all patients, presenteeism was (40.8 ± 15.05%,) and COPD-related retirees were 14.2% of the study group. The mean CAT score (19.3±5.63) was high and the most troubling symptom among patients was chest tightness. WPAI-COPD scores were higher in older age and longer disease duration. The levels of biomarkers were above the reference ranges, the mean IL-6 level was (69.4 ± 35.29) pg/ml, and the mean TNF-α was (72.3 ± 22.45) pg/ ml. Conclusions: COPD patients exhibit a disease burden in terms of productivity loss at work and activity impairment that increases with aging and disease duration. COPD patients with low BMI are more prone to a decline in lung functions and to worse symptoms.
The current research aims to identify: 1. The level of mathematical construct among the Department of Mathematics students in the colleges of education and basic education. 2. The level of effective mathematical operations in both sides of the brain at the Department of Mathematics students in the colleges of education and basic education. 3. The strength and direction of the correlation between the mathematical construct and effective mathematical operations on both sides of the brain at the Department of Mathematics students in the colleges of Education and Basic Education. To investigate the research objectives, the researcher formulated zero-main hypothesis for each aim and from the same hypothesis, three sub-zero hypotheses are deri
... Show MoreThe organizational structure of relations between states is among the main features that distinguished the twentieth century as the era of international organization, especially after the increase in the number of political units after World War II in which regionalism was crystallized as a phenomenon. It is not modern, as there are many blocs such as the European Union that have developed in it, the idea of regional bloc is prominent, especially in Europe, as it emerged after a controversy revolved around what was called globalism in the face of Globalism vs. Regionalism. Regional, as the proponents of the global orientation saw the establishment of a global organization that includes all countries, as the best way to achieve inte
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The paper aims to measure an aggregated banking stability index reflecting the degree of stability of the banking system to help policy makers to take the necessary actions to avoid financial crises facing banks and to achieve a banking system with high efficiency in terms of banking risk.
Therefore, the problem of paper is that the Central Bank of Iraq did not seek until 2016 to build a aggregated index for the purpose of identifying the stability of the banking situation in Iraq, but rather on the adoption of scattered indicators, which depend on the mechanism of relative changes in those indicators for the purpose of identifying the situation of b
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to detect the relationship between organic content in the sediment of Rivers Tigris and Diyala, at two locations south of Baghdad, with some environmental factors and the benthic invertebrates and values of diversity indices. Monthly samples collected from the area for the period November 2007 to October 2008. Results showed differences in the physical and chemical characteristics of the two sites, Where the annual average in Tigris and Diyala were respectively for: water temperature (19, 20) C°, pH (8, 8), dissolved oxygen (4, 8) mg / l , Biochemical oxygen Demand BOD5 (3,44 ) mg/l, TDS (632,1585) mg / l, TSS (42, 44) mg / l, turbidity (28,74) NTU, and total hardness as CaCO3 (485,823) mg / l ,Sulfat
... Show MoreThe rapid increase in the number of older people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia represents one of the major challenges to the health and social care systems because of a large number of people affected. Early detection of AD makes it possible for patients to access appropriate services and to benefit from new treatments and therapies, as and when they become available, and to plan for the future. The onset of AD starts many years before the clinical symptoms become clear. A biomarker that can measure the brain changes in this period would be useful for early diagnosis of AD. Potentially, the electroencephalogram (EEG) can play a valuable role in early detection of AD. Damage caused to the brain due to AD leads t
... Show MoreThe results showed the spread of disease blight leaves caused by injury fungus Alternaria in different areas of cultivation in the city of Baghdad where he was recording the highest rate and the severity of the disease of 100% and 80%, respectively, in the Abu Ghraib area and the least of 20% and 12% respectively in the Amiriya district results showed test pathogenicity of the fungus pathogen emergence of symptoms of the disease superficial discoloration Authority of black paper when wound areas and yellowing of leaves about race as centrist and leaky latest country clear ????? on Central race after 48 hours ....
This research was conducted in order to monitor and measure the dimensions of media policy in satellite channels directed from the point of view of the communicator, and this research is classified among the descriptive studies, as the researcher used the survey method to answer the questions that were formulated in light of the research problem represented by the main question: What are the dimensions of media policy in Directed satellite channels? .
To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used the following tools:
The questionnaire, in order to survey the attitudes of communicators about the extent to which the media policy during crises reflects on their professional standards. The research community is represente
The mass attenuation coefficient for beta particles through pure Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and flax fibers- reinforced PVC composite were investigated as a function of the absorber thickness and the absorber to source distance. The beta particles mass attenuation coefficients were obtained using a NaI(Tl) energy selective scintillation counter with 90Sr/ 90Y beta source having an energy range from (0.546-2.275) MeV. Pure PVC polymer samples were prepared by compacting the PVC powder in a mould at high pressure (10bar) and temperature about 140°C for 30 minutes. A hot press system was used for this process. The experimentally obtained values of mass attenuation coefficients for 90Sr and 90Y were found to be 7.72 cm2.g-1and 0.842 cm2.g-1 r
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