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 is the first record of a new species of cyanobacteria Westiellopsis akinetica in the Iraqi environment, Samples were collected on June 2013 and the existence of it was not documented before. We isolated and purified this species ten years ago in Iraq, but we couldn't identify accurately based on all taxonomic handbooks. This is due to the species features being different from the other documented species in the available taxonomic lectures. It resembled many species by morphological characteristics such as Fischerella muscicola, Fischerella thermalis, Westiellopsis biateralis SA16. Westiellopsis interrupta, Westiellopsis persica SA33, Westiellopsis prolifica and Symphyonema bifilamentata. Describing a new species of the Westiellops
... Show MoreBackground: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL9) has an important role recruiting the T-lymphocytes and immune response after infection by inducing T-cells accumulation around the areas associated with infections. However, this role is poorly known in relation with Toxoplasma gondii infection and also in association with thyroid hormones, which the present study is focused on. Methods: Eighty-seven women were included in this study for the period between September 2021 and February 2022. Blood samples of uninfected healthy pregnant, in addition to aborted and pregnant women infected with toxoplasmosis, were collected. Sera were then obtained and stored at -10°C. Toxo-latex agglutination test was done, followed by detec
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Abstract
Personality is one of the most important elements that should be developed in university student. Thus, we have to develop the positive traits and neutralize the negative traits of students as well as we have to pay attention to the level of student achievement at the same time, the researcher designed a scale to measure the traits of study sample. The research come out with a number of recommendations and proposals, the most important of which Enhancing the positive characteristics of university students in order to reach them to the level of mature personality with mental health. Enhancing the positive role of the high level of achievement by motivating the stude
... Show MoreAltruism is one of good qualities of human being expressing his highness and triumph. Self control has A signifies in a lot of psychological, educational, Social, ethical and healing fields Where the higher self control relates with high degrees of carefulness accuracy, problem solving, choice. judgment and decision making. the present study aimos at measuring altruism among university students , self control among them , recognizing the statistically differences significance on self control among university students according to gender variable and recognizing the correlation between attruism and self control among university students . the sample consists of the basic application one (200) students (100) males and (100) males that had
... Show MoreThis study aimed to show the relationship between mental health and shyness for university students in Baghdad and Al – Mustansiria university which its subject was (200) students , ( 100) males and ( 100) females , Mental Health scale which is constructed by (Al – Janabi 1991) and developed by (Hassan 2006) was used for this aim ,The scale of shyness was built according to a questioner to the students and according to previous publications and studies .
Multiple regulation analysis step - wise was used for data analysis in order to identify the possibility to find single or couple indications for the independent variable (mental
... Show MoreThe study seeks to examine the level of personal efficacy and its relation to mental alertness among university students. Besides, the statistically significant differences in regard of students' gender, and the correlation between male and female. To do this, the researcher adopted two scales: one to measure the personal efficacy which was made up by (abed al-jabaar, 2010) included (26) items, and the other to measure the mental alertness that designed by (abed Allah, 2012) included (36) items. A total of (120) student were selected randomly from three-different colleges at the Al-Mustansiriyah University for the academic year 2016-2017. The findings revealed there are no significant differences among students in regard of the personal
... Show MoreThe study aims to identify the level of existential frustration and the level of recrimination among the students of universities, identify the statistical differences between the existential frustration and recrimination based on gender, and finally, identify the correlation between the existential frustration and recrimination. To do this, the researcher adopted the existential frustration scale of ( al-saaedi, 2009) that consisted of (43) item, he also adopted the recrimination scale of ( al-zugeibi,2008) which composed of (31) item. The total sample was (120) male and female student were chosen randomly from four colleges within the university of Baghdad for the academic year ( 2015-2016). The results revealed that the targeted sampl
... Show MoreThe current research presents a study of the sculptural body in the space of the theatrical show through reviewing most of the ideas, propositions and workings presented by philosophers and directors within the space of the show, that there were various experiences of employing those spatial formations through the mediator (the space) based on sculpturing the body in achieving those formations, which contributed in building a symbolic picture of various structural connotations. That was formulated through the research chapters, which include the first chapter (the methodological framework) which consists of two sections. The first section (the duality of space formation and imaginations). The second section (sculptural body sequences in
... Show MoreThe present study was conducted to examine toxicological effects of copper sulfate (Cu) in common carp fish (Cyprinus carpio L.). The LC50 (median lethal concentrations) of copper on Cyprinus carpio were 3.64, 3.36, 3.04, 2.65 mg/L respectively. In general, behavioral responses of the fishes exposed to copper included uncontrolled swimming, erratic movements, loss of balance, swam near the water surface with sudden jerky movements. Haematological parameters such, red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), mean cell volume (MCV) mean cell haemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were studied. The obtained results indicated that the (RBC) and (WBC) have increas
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