Mutations in genes encoding proteins necessary for detoxifying oxidative stress products have been predicted to increase susceptibility to lung cancer (LC). Despite this, the association between waterpipe tobacco smoking (WP), genetic polymorphisms, and LC risk remains poorly understood. This is the first study to explore the relationship between WP tobacco smoking and these genetic factors. Previously, we investigated the association of GSTP1 SNPs (rs1695-A/G and rs1138272-C/T) with LC in Iraqi males who smoke WP. Here, we expanded our analysis to include GSTM1 (active/null) and GSTT1 (active/null) genotypes, both individually and in combination with GSTP1 SNPs. Multiplex PCR and RFLP-PCR assays were utilized to determine the genotypes of

Introduction: Carrier-based gutta-percha is an effective method of root canal obturation creating a 3-dimensional filling; however, retrieval of the plastic carrier is relatively difficult, particularly with smaller sizes. The purpose of this study was to develop composite carriers consisting of polyethylene (PE), hydroxyapatite (HA), and strontium oxide (SrO) for carrier-based root canal obturation. Methods: Composite fibers of HA, PE, and SrO were fabricated in the shape of a carrier for delivering gutta-percha (GP) using a melt-extrusion process. The fibers were characterized using infrared spectroscopy and the thermal properties determined using differential scanning calorimetry. The elastic modulus and tensile strength tests were dete

Machine learning models have recently provided great promise in diagnosis of several ophthalmic disorders, including keratoconus (KCN). Keratoconus, a noninflammatory ectatic corneal disorder characterized by progressive cornea thinning, is challenging to detect as signs may be subtle. Several machine learning models have been proposed to detect KCN, however most of the models are supervised and thus require large well-annotated data. This paper proposes a new unsupervised model to detect KCN, based on adapted flower pollination algorithm (FPA) and the k-means algorithm. We will evaluate the proposed models using corneal data collected from 5430 eyes at different stages of KCN severity (1520 healthy, 331 KCN1, 1319 KCN2, 1699 KCN3 a

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology is rapidly expanding in nursing and society. However, its use in healthcare comes with a number of challenges and concerns. The authors of this article use the sociotechnical model to consider the expanding use of AI in nursing and healthcare from a global perspective. Select references from the literature are used to support this important discussion for nurses and other healthcare professionals. Artificial intelligence is a major innovation that, if used properly, can reduce errors and improve efficiency and healthcare quality. It has also been shown to increase patient support, healthcare access and patient care. Here the authors address some of the limitations and challenges of

           In this research, radon concentrations in some types of healthy drinking water samples available in Iraq's market were measured using a technique called Durridge RAD-7-H₂O with closed loop. Then the rate of annual effective dose in human taken this water is determined.

          It was found that, radon concentrations in studied samples ranged between 1.2 Bq.m^-3 to 142 Bq.m^-3. The results of the radon concentrations and the rate of annual effective dose for drinking water samples were significantly lower than the USEPA and WHO recommended limits that equal 500 Bq/m³ and 1 mSv/y resp

The current study sheds light on the measurement and estimation of the radioactivity of radionuclides (²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰k) in natural waters of different regions of Nineveh Governorate in Iraq.15 samples were collected from different sources of natural waters, where gamma-ray spectroscopy was used using NaI)TI) sodium iodide detector to determine the concentration of radioactivity in the samples. According to the results, the radioactivity concentration in the tested water sample were ​​ranged from 0.36 ± 0.04-1.57 ± 0.09with an average value of 0.69 ± 0.06 Bq/l for ²³⁸U, and 2.9 ± 0.02-0.88 ± 0.03 with an average value of 0.65 ± 0.03 Bq/l for ²²⁶Ra Bq/l