chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease with episodes of exacerbation. Variable factors including infectious pathogen can predispose for this exacerbation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of intestinal protozoa in COPD exacerbation. A total of 56 patients with COPD were included in this study. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the frequency of exacerbation during the last 6 months: those with ≤1 exacerbation (32 patients) and those with ≥2 exacerbations (24 patients). Stool specimens from each patient were collected two times (one week interval) examined for intestinal parasite. In univariate analysis, rural residence and parasitic infection were more common among patie

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common health problem that has a worldwide distribution. Apart from the direct effect of the virus on the liver, there are many extrahepatic manifestations among which the probable effect on bone turnover associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between treated and untreated chronic HBV infection with BMD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which included a total of 48 patients with chronic HBV (28 patients treated with tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate [TDF] antiviral drug and 20 patients have not yet started treatment). Other age- and sex-matched 30 apparently healthy individuals were recruited to represent the hea

The study of the validity and probability of failure in solids and structures is highly considered as one of the most incredibly-highlighted study fields in many science and engineering applications, the design analysts must therefore seek to investigate the points where the failing strains may be occurred, the probabilities of which these strains can cause the existing cracks to propagate through the fractured medium considered, and thereafter the solutions by which the analysts can adopt the approachable techniques to reduce/arrest these propagating cracks.In the present study a theoretical investigation upon simply-supported thin plates having surface cracks within their structure is to be accomplished, and the applied impact load to the

Background BK polyomavirus is one of the common post-transplant viral infections, affecting ∼15% of renal transplantation recipients (RTR), leading to graft loss in more than half of cases. Objectives Study the rate of detection of BK virus (BKV) in RTRs in Pap-stained urine cytology specimens. Methods A single center study, urine samples were collected from 99 RTR patients, with 15 Living Donors (LD) and 15 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were taken as controls. And urine cytology smears were Pap stained for detection of decoy cells (DCs). Results Out of the 99 RTRs, 27 (27.3%) patients were decoy positive, 8 out of these 27 patients had uncommon DCs, and 5 out of these 27 cytology positive patients (18.5%) had biopsy proven B

Several studies have claimed that AgNPs’ safety is not completely verified. The current work studied the CNS and renal genetic abnormalities (as manifested by modifications in NF-κB transcription) in mice treated with diverse AgNP concentrations. The findings revealed that as the amount of AgNPs was elevated, NF-κB production increased considerably.

The governmental projects are considers the prevailing in Iraq, as most of the projects implemented by the Government, the major role played by governmental projects in the provision of services to citizens and improve the economic situation in the country in general, in addition to the huge number of these projects implemented by the governmental organizations and the large failure rates of it , and because of the fact that these projects are stumbled  before they reach the stage of failure, The aim of this research to identify the main factors for the stumble projects in addition to identifying the most influential factor on the causes and consequences of it , like (cost overruns , time overruns , delay and scope

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene contains some single nucleotide polymorphisms, which have been associated with serum high-density lipoprotein concentration and other lipoproteins. This study is done for determining of cholesteryl ester transfer protein polymorphism and evaluate its effect on serum lipid profile concentrations in some hyperlipidemic patients compared with healthy subjects in Salah Al-din governorate-Iraq. Blood samples were taken from (90) patients suffering from hyperlipidemia, and (70) samples that were apparently healthy controls.  Serum lipid concentrations were measured by enzymatic assays. The polymorphism was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.&n

Transient drop in the heart beat or transient heart block (AVB) may be consider the main cause of syncope or presyncope inpatients with bifascicular block and syncope According to the Guidelines for cardiac pacing pacemaker consider part of treatment. Aims of our study were to evaluate whether there is role for EPS in patients BFB and to evaluate the symptoms after pacing. 42 patients were enrolled in this study, with mean age value (63.4± 12.2years), suffer from interventricular conductive defect and syncope; patients underwent EPS on admission time, and pacemaker implantation accordingly and programmed follow up for the device in the last four years. Our patients were 25 (59.5%) male and 17 (40.5%)female, all of them with syncope o

Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is the
most common rheumatic cause of diffuse pain and
multiple regional musculoskeletal pain and disability.
Objective: is to assess the contribution of serum
lipoprotein (A) in the pathogenesis of FMS patients.
Methods: One hundred twenty two FMS patients
were compared with 60 healthy control individuals
who were age and sex matched. All FMS features and
criteria are applied for patients and controls; patients
with secondary FMS were excluded. Serum
Lipoprotein (A): [Lp(A)], body mass index (BMI), &
s.lipid profile were determined for both groups.
Results: There was a statistical significant difference
between patients &controls in serum lipoprotein