The present study aimed to assess the potential impact of serum concentration of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (the active form of osteocalcin) and fibroblast growth factor-23 on the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetics with carotid artery calcification and the possible association with metabolic changes in relation to glucose and minerals homeostasis.

This study included 52 men with carotid artery calcification type 2 diabetes mellitus. These patients were categorized; as follows: group A includes 30 patients who had cardiovascular disease and group B includes 22 patients who had no cardiovascular disease. These groups were compared with 25 apparently healthy control (Group C). 

It has been shown

The primary goal of in-situ load testing is to evaluate the safety and performance of a structural system under particular loading conditions. Advancements in building techniques, analytical tools, and monitoring instruments are prompting the evaluation of the appropriate loading value, loading process, and examination criteria. The procedure for testing reinforced concrete (RC) structures on-site, as outlined in the ACI Building Code, involves conducting a 24-h load test and applying specific evaluation criteria. This article detailed a retrofitting project for an RC slab-beams system by utilizing carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets to strengthen the structure following a fire incident. The RC structure showed indicators of deter

The aim of the current study was to develop a nanostructured double-layer for hydrophobic molecules delivery system. The developed double-layer consisted of polyethylene glycol-based polymeric (PEG) followed by gelatin sub coating of the core hydrophobic molecules containing sodium citrate. The polymeric composition ratio of PEG and the amount of the sub coating gelatin were optimized using the two-level fractional method. The nanoparticles were characterized using AFM and FT-IR techniques. The size of these nano capsules was in the range of 39-76 nm depending on drug loading concentration. The drug was effectively loaded into PEG-Gelatin nanoparticles (≈47%). The hydrophobic molecules-release characteristics in terms of controlled-releas

The art of batik is one of the ancient arts that has a long history in East Asian countries, especially in Indonesia, where it was considered a traditional craft with which many Indonesian tribes lived. This art began to move to other continents and develops and progresses due to the artist’s connection to the surrounding technological and intellectual development, as art became more outgoing and liberated, it helped the artist to create and innovate in his designs. In this research, he focuses on modern performance methods through which print paintings can be produced through design elements, especially calligraphy, to create aesthetic and creative effects in the productive work. The current research aims to identify the various perfo

Water has a great self-generating capacity that can neutralize the polluting interventions carried out by humans. However, if human activities continue this uncontrolled and unsustainable exploitation of this resource, this regenerating capacity shall fail and it will be jeopardized definitively. Shatt Al-Arab River in South of Iraq. It has an active role in providing water for irrigation, industry, domestic use and a commercial gateway to Iraq. in the last five years Shatt Al-Arab suffered from a rise in pollutants due to the severe decline in sewage networks, irregular networks and pesticide products, as well as the outputs of factories and companies that find their way to water sources and lead to a widespread collapse of water quality.

Background: Antimicrobial prescribing patterns have an important role in the emergence of resistance, and community pharmacists have a substantial influence on this issue. Objective: To assess community pharmacists' behaviors and attitudes toward antimicrobial dispensing, determine their proportions and categories, and examine the underlying rationales for this practice. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Iraq was conducted from June to August 2023, using a self-administered validated questionnaire. The attitudes, practices, and motivations driving the distribution of antimicrobials without a prescription (AWP) were explored in three areas. Results: A sizable proportion (61.6%) of respondents rejected

Contamination of the operating theatre is a major cause of nosocomial infection. This report aimed to show the types of microorganisms and their percentages cultivated from operating theatres of 16 health directorates of 14 Iraqi governorates (3 health directorates in Baghdad and 1 in each other 13 governorates) that was reported to the Pollution Control Section at Ministry of Health in Iraq from first of January to the end of June 2018. The data of all health directorates have included cultivation taken from governmental and private hospitals. Duhok, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Nineveh were not involved in this report due to unavailability of their data during the above period. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureu

In this manuscript, the effect of substituting strontium with barium on the structural properties of Tl_0.8Ni_0.2Sr_2-xBr_xCa₂Cu₃O_9-δcompound with x= 0, 0.2, 0.4, have been studied. Samples were prepared using solid state reaction technique, suitable oxides alternatives of Pb₂O₃, CaO, BaO and CuO with 99.99% purity as raw materials and then mixed. They were prepared in the form of discs with a diameter of 1.5 cm and a thickness of (0.2-0.3) cm under pressures 7 tons / cm², and the samples were sintered at a constant temperature o

Abstract: Iatrogenic furcal root perforations are serious complications during dental treatment. This study was aimed to compare the sealing ability of new bioceramic root repair material TotalFill® with the other perforation repair materials (GIC, MTA and Biodentine) using a dye- extraction method.Materials and Methods: Forty extracted, human mandibular molars with non-fused well developed root were collected. Artificial perforations were made from the external surface of the teeth. Then the teeth were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups (n= 10) according to the type of repair material used in this study; Medifil glass ionomercement, TotalFill® bioceramic root repair material, BiodentineTM and MTA Plus. The specimens were then im

order to increase the level of security, as this system encrypts the secret image before sending it through the internet to the recipient (by the Blowfish method). As The Blowfish method is known for its efficient security; nevertheless, the encrypting time is long. In this research we try to apply the smoothing filter on the secret image which decreases its size and consequently the encrypting and decrypting time are decreased. The secret image is hidden after encrypting it into another image called the cover image, by the use of one of these two methods" Two-LSB" or" Hiding most bits in blue pixels". Eventually we compare the results of the two methods to determine which one is better to be used according to the PSNR measurs