Background: The occurrence of seizures in bacterial meningitis is important, as it has been reported to increase the risk of complications; however, its frequency and predictors are not well studied yet. Objective: To assess the frequency, clinical, and biochemical predictors of seizures in children with acute bacterial meningitis. Method: A cross-sectional study recruited confirmed acute bacterial meningitis cases based on positive CSF culture and sensitivity among children aged 2 months to 15 years admitted to the Central Child Teaching Hospital emergency department in Iraq. Patients were divided into two groups based on seizure at presentation time. Demographic characteristics [age, gender, residence, duration of fever and disease, prese

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of methotrexate (MTX) with and without vitamin A (Vit. A) on some biochemical parameters and histological structure in male rabbits liver. Twenty male rabbits weighing 1250-1480 gm were divided into four equal number groups. The first group was given 2 ml distilled water as control group. The second group was given MTX (20 mg/kg), the third group was given Vit. A (5000 IU), while the fourth group was given MTX (20 mg/kg) +Vit. A (5000 IU) in alternative days. Following four weeks of treatment, lipid profile total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), [low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)]; in addition to thyroid hormones tr

Background Obstructing dentinal tubules is a valuable approach for managing dentin hypersensitivity. Although various agents promote dentin remineralization, direct comparisons between theobromine, bioactive glass (BAG), and nano-hydroxyapatite (Nano-HAP) under simulated oral conditions remain limited. To fill this gap, this in vitro study aimed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of these three treatments on exposed cervical dentin. The assessment focused on their chemical, morphological, and mechanical effects on dentin. Materials and methods Forty-eight human dentin slabs were obtained from the cervical portions of twelve sound premolar teeth. Baseline Raman spectroscopy and VMH tests were done to exclude outliers. All specimens we

This paper presents the effect of Cr doping on the optical and structural properties of TiO2 films synthesized by sol-gel and deposited by the dip- coating technique. The characteristics of pure and Cr-doped TiO2 were studied by absorption and X-ray diffraction measurement. The spectrum of UV absorption of TiO2 chromium concentrations indicates a red shift; therefore, the energy gap decreases with increased doping. The minimum value of energy gap (2.5 eV) is found at concentration of 4 %. XRD measurements show that the anatase phase is shown for all thin films. Surface morphology measurement by atomic force microscope (AFM) showed that the roughness of thin films decrease with doping and has a minimum value with 4 wt % doping ratio.

Aim: To determine the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-2) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the difference in its expression level between positive and negative HPV-16 (human papilloma virus- 16) OSCC patients. Methods: This study was conducted on 33 biopsies obtained from patients with OSCC and 10 normal oral mucosa as controls. In situ hybridization (ISH) was used to investigate the presence of HPV-16, while immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to estimate the expression level of TIMP-2. Results: The TIMP-2 was expressed in 27 (81.8%) of OSCC sections with no significant difference between its expression level in HPV-16 positive and HPV-16 negative OSCC cases (p=0.058). TIMP-2 was found to be hig

Introduction and Aim: Beta-thalassemia is a serious inherited genetic disorder and an increasing health burden globally. Beta -thalassemia is caused by genetic globin abnormalities within the hemoglobin beta (HBB) gene. This study aimed to characterize the HBB gene mutations in beta -thalassemia among southern Iraqi patients. Materials and Methods: The study included 30 beta -thalassemia patients referred to the Thi-Qar Center for Genetic Diseases, Iraq and 15 control samples from a random group of apparently healthy individuals. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood sample collected from each individual. The DNA was amplified for specific regions of the HBB gene and the amplified products sequenced. The sequences generated were analysed for

iNKT cells, sometimes known as the immune system's "Swiss Army knife," have become key components of cancer vaccination treatments. Glycolipids that activate iNKT cells, including α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer), have been used to create self-adjuvanting anti-tumor vaccinations and can boost the immune response to co-delivered cancer antigens. The chemicals synthesis of ganglioside antigens, specifically (Neu5Gc) GM3 and GM3 antigen, and conjugations to αGalCer, and packaging into liposome as effective platforms for their in vivo deliverying are the main topics of this work. In mouse and human cell experiments, liposome containing, (Neu5Gc) GM3-αGalCer, GM3-αGalCer, and equimolar quantities of conjugates have thoroughly describe