Background: Palmoplantar psoriasis is a therapeutically challenging condition that can significantly impact patient quality of life as it directly affects activities. However, despite this impact, few clinical studies address treatment. Herbs and their extracts have been used for treatment of skin disease for centuries. One of the most popular herbs in our society is black cumin or seed of blessing oil (Nigella Sativa); this plant had diverse clinically useful activity.
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology and Venereology in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq during the period between January and October 2003. In this singleblind randomly controlled therapeutic study, thirty patients were enrolled, their ages ranged from 22-65 years. There were 18` females and 12 males. The patients were divided into 2 groups; group A (20 patient) instructed to use nigella sativa 10% ointment twice daily for 3 months, while group B (10 patient) used a control ointment(Vaseline) . Statistical analyses were carried out by computer using ttest, and chi-square when needed.
Results: twenty-four patients completed the study. In group A (18 patients), we noted a significantly reduction of the thickness and fissuring of the skin of the affected part which was also become very soft after 3 months of therapy. The response of patients to treatment was good in 50%, moderate in 27.8% and mild response in 22.2%. The satisfaction of patients with treatment was full in 61.1%, partial in 27.8%, and no satisfaction in 11.1%. In group B (6 patients), the lesions showed no significant reduction after 3 months and the response of patients to treatment was good in 16.6%, moderate in 33.4%, and mild response in 50%. The satisfaction of patients with treatment in this group was full in 16.6%, partial in 50%, and no satisfaction in 33.4%. The difference in outcome after 12 weeks between the 2 study groups was statistically significant.
Conclusion: The ointment of the black cumin is considered as a very good remedy for the palmoplantar psoriasis. This remedy is considered to be very safe, cheap and easy to prepare with no serious side effects as compared to the previous ointments for this type of psoriasis.
Huge number of medical images are generated and needs for more storage capacity and bandwidth for transferring over the networks. Hybrid DWT-DCT compression algorithm is applied to compress the medical images by exploiting the features of both techniques. Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) coding is applied to image YCbCr color model which decompose image bands into four subbands (LL, HL, LH and HH). The LL subband is transformed into low and high frequency components using Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to be quantize by scalar quantization that was applied on all image bands, the quantization parameters where reduced by half for the luminance band while it is the same for the chrominance bands to preserve the image quality, the zig
... Show MoreA new Turbidimetric method characterized by simplicity, accuracy and speed for determination of Hydronium ion by continuous flow injection analysis. The method was based on the formation of complex Zn3[Fe(CN)6] for Zinc(II) that was eluted by Hydronium ion from cation exchanger column with Potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) for the formation of a pale yellow precipitate and this precipitate was determined using homemade Linear Array Ayah-5SX1-T-1D continuous flow injection analyser. The optimum parameters were 2.7 mL.min-1 flow rate using H2O as a carrier stream, 1.7 mL.min-1 reagent stream, 110 L sample volume and open valve for the purge of the sample segment. Data treatment shows that linear range 0.01-0.1 mol.L-1 for each acids (HClO
... Show MoreLiquid-crystalline organic semiconductors exhibit unique properties that make them highly interesting for organic optoelectronic applications. Their optical and electrical anisotropies and the possibility to control the alignment of the liquid-crystalline semiconductor allow not only to optimize charge carrier transport, but to tune the optical property of organic thin-film devices as well. In this study, the molecular orientation in a liquid-crystalline semiconductor film is tuned by a novel blading process as well as by different annealing protocols. The altered alignment is verified by cross-polarized optical microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. It is shown that a change in alignment of the
In order to reduce hydrostatic pressure in oil wells and produce oil from dead oil wells, laboratory rig was constructed, by injecting LPG through pipe containing mixture of two to one part of East Baghdad crude oil and water. The used pressure of injection was 2.0 bar, which results the hydrostatic pressure reduction around 246 to 222 mbar and flow rate of 34.5 liter/hr fluid (oil-water), at 220 cm injection depth. Effects of other operating parameters were also studied on the behavior of two phase flow and on the production of oil from dead oil wells.
Abstract
This Research aims for harnessing critical and innovative thinking approaches besides innovative problem solving tools in pursuing continual quality improvement initiatives for the benefit of achieving operations results effectively in water treatment plants in Baghdad Water Authority. Case study has been used in fulfilling this research in the sadr city water treatment plant, which was chosen as a study sample as it facilitates describing and analyzing its current operational situation, collecting and analyzing its own data, in order to get its own desired improvement opportunity be done. Many statistical means and visual thinking promoting methods has been used to fulfill research task.
... Show MoreAbstract
Objective: the idea of this study to improve transdermal permeability of Methotrexate using eucalyptus oil, olive oil and peppermint oil as enhancers.
Method: eucalyptus oil (2% and 4%), peppermint oil (2% and 4%) and olive oil (2% and 4%) all used as natural enhancers to develop transdermal permeability of Methotrexate via gel formulation. The gel was subjected to many physiochemical properties tests. In-vitro release and permeability studies for the drug were done by Franz cell diffusion across synthetic membrane, kinetic model was studied via korsmeyer- peppas equation.
Result: the results demonstrate that safe, nonirritant or cause necrosis to rats' skin and stable till 60 days gel was successfully formulated.<
Trialeurodes irakensis sp. n. is describe and illustrated from Iraq. T.vaporariorurn (westwood)
is reported and for the first time for the Iraqi fauna. A ke to species of Trialeurodes found in
Iraq is presented.
Notes are given regarding new record species of the braconid parasite short note in Iraq. That is Apanteles angalcti it is found to parasitize early larval instaxs of Ectomyslois ceratontae, one of the most serious pests of pomegra- nate fruit.