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.
This research aims to modify the components of stainless steel alloy by the method of surface engineering through the single diffusion coating technique in order to obtain new alloys with high efficiency in resisting harsh environmental conditions. Steam a mixture of sodium chloride ( ) and sodium sulfate ( ) at a temperature of 900 and then compare it with the base alloy. The results showed that the alloys produced in this way are very efficient. The results showed that the aluminum coating showed high efficiency in resisting oxidation and provided better protection for a longer time compared to the uncoated alloy due to the oxide crust layer formed with high adhesion as well as the aluminum-rich phases, whether the phase
... Show MoreThe liability limit liability limit and reinsurance re factors insurance are important in influencing the achievement of company's competitive goals and achieve success and excellence in the market and because the limit of liability and reinsurance aimed to increase output with the stability of inputs leading to increased insurance business and increase profits. The study was based on two variables presidents interact with each other to form the intellectual and philosophical framework has two ( the limit of liability and reinsurance ) . The study was launched from a problem expressed by a number of targeted questions answered from the elucidation of theoretical philosophy and intellectual goals of these variables and highlight the impor
... Show MoreAbstract. In this scientific work, we investigate the problem of the practical necessity of achieving the adequacy of translation activities with active translation from Russian into Arabic in various fields of translation. Based on the material of the latest suffix vocabulary, a serious attempt is made to clarify and specify the rules for the development of translator's intuition when translating from Russian into Arabic and vice versa. Based on the material collected by the latest suffix vocabulary, we try to make an attempt to reveal the role of suffix word creation in highlighting the general rules for achieving translation equivalence. The paper examines the process of creating words in multi-family languages, the difference between th
... Show MoreIn the present study, the effects of brake pad particles of lung and liver histological sections were evaluated for (60) adult male mice. The animals were divided into three groups ( A,B,C) according to the periods of exposure (4, 8, and 12) weeks respectively exposed to brake pad particles in addition to the control groups (F) exposed to fresh air only. A special inhalation chamber designed locally has been used to expose the animals. The exposure to brake pad particles was (2.228) µg/m³ for 30 min/day, 5 days/week for (4,8and12) weeks respectively.
The examination in group (A) of the histological sections of the lung showed the thickness of interalveolar septa. Also, a congestion of alveolar capillary was marked indicat
... Show MorePrevious data indicated the effectiveness of silibinin as intraocular pressure (IOP) - lowering agent. The present study was performed to evaluate the interaction of silibinin with pilocarpine or cyclopentolate in lowering IOP in normotensive rabbits. The effects of topically instilled silibinin hemisuccinate solution (0.75%) alone or adjunctly combined with 2% pilocarpine or 1% cyclopentolate on the IOP of normotensive rabbits were evaluated using indentation tonometry. The results showed that 0.75% solution of silibinin was found more potent than pilocarpine (2% drops) in lowering IOP of normotensive rabbits, while their combination results in longer duration of action. Moreover, the elevated IOP values produced by cyclopentolate (1%drops
... Show MorePrevious data indicated the effectiveness of silibinin as intraocular pressure (IOP) - lowering agent. The present study was performed to evaluate the interaction of silibinin with pilocarpine or cyclopentolate in lowering IOP in normotensive rabbits. The effects of topically instilled silibinin hemisuccinate solution (0.75%) alone or adjunctly combined with 2% pilocarpine or 1% cyclopentolate on the IOP of normotensive rabbits were evaluated using indentation tonometry. The results showed that 0.75% solution of silibinin was found more potent than pilocarpine (2% drops) in lowering IOP of normotensive rabbits, while their combination results in longer duration of action. Moreover, the elevated IOP values produced by cyclopentolate
... Show MoreBackground: Tap waters play an important role in fulfilling the people needs for drinking and domestic purposes. Contaminate the tap water with different pollutants has become an issue of great concern for 90% of people who are depended on the tap water as the main source of drinking. Pollutants can make their way easily into the delivering pipes which suffer from the leaking resulting in decreasing the quality of water. Objective: Therefore, assess the water quality for drinking purpose by calculating the water quality index is an important tool to ascertain whether the water is suitable for human consumption or not. Methods: In the present work, the water quality of the Al-Salam, western region of Baghdad city, Iraq was investigated for 7
... Show MoreThe current research aims to identify pictorial coding and its relationship to the aesthetic taste of art education students. The research community consisted of (10) plastic artworks, and (3) artworks were selected as a sample for analysis and decoding. With the aim of the research, the research tool was prepared as it consisted of an analysis form, and the researcher used statistical methods: Equation (Cooper) to find the percentage of agreement between the arbitrators and the equation (Scott) to calculate the validity of the tool, and the correlation coefficient (Pearson) to extract stability in the method of segmentation half. Shape formations and achieve encryption of the plastic image through decoding symbols, meanings, and the sig
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