Background: clinically significant macular edema (CSME) is the commonest cause of visual loss in patients with diabetes mellitus and laser focal photocoagulation is the golden standard for treating it. Patients and Methods: A frequency doubled Nd: YAG laser was used to treat all eyes included in this study with diabetic maculopathy. Thirty eyes of three insulin dependent and twenty six non insulin dependent diabetic Iraqi patients were included. The study involved twenty six males, three females and followed for one year. Their ages were ranging between 36- 59 years, all of them from patients attending ophthalmic out-patient department in the medical city in the period between January 2005 and June 2006. Eyes divided in to two groups (fifte

As many expensive and invasive procedures are used for the diagnosis or follow-up of clinical conditions, the measurement of cell-free DNA is a promising, noninvasive method, which considers using blood, follicular fluid, or seminal fluid. This method is used to determine chromosomal abnormalities, genetic disorders, and indicators of some diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, pre-eclampsia, and some malignancies. Cell-free DNA, which are DNA fragments outside the nucleus, originates from an apoptotic process. However, to be used as a marker for the previously mentioned diseases is still under investigation. We discuss some aspects of using cell-free DNA measurements as an indicator or marker for pathological conditions.

Background: long term survivorship in total knee arthroplasty is significantly dependant on prosthesis alignment, several studies have correlated poor outcome with malalignment of the components. The debate on the optimal system for femoral alignment is now largely resolved, but there is still controversy about whether intramedullary or extramedullary systems are better for the tibial side.

Objecives :  is to determine whether intramedullary or extramedullary tibial alignment guide is better for accurate sagital tibial prosthesis alignment in total knee replacement arthroplasty.

Patients and methods: Of 65 patients recruited, only 48 patients (55 knees) were met the

Background: The microorganisms can impend the life of health care professional and particularly the dental practitioners. They can be transmitted by different ways like airborne and droplet transmission. The current study was carried out to identify whether the arch wires that received from the manufactures are free from microbial contamination and to determine the bacterial species attached to the arch wires. Materials and Methods: This study involved eighty samples, consisted of two types of arch wires (nitinol and stainless-steel) from four companies (3M, G&H, Jiscop, OrthoTechnology). These wires inserted in a plane tube that contains 10 -ml of (Tris [tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane] and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) tri

Background: A carefully planned clinical medical education is critical for the provision of supportive clinical educational environment. The latter will ensure effective teaching, active learning and good attitudes and performance at the bedside. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical learning environment at AL-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: A descripitive cross-sectional study involved resident doctors from Internal Medicine and Surgery departments who had six months or more residency training in the respective departments. Data were collected using the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure. Data where analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0 and presented us

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) contaminated sites at Al-Rumaila Iraqi oil fields have been characterized as a part of soil remediation project. Activity of radium isotopes in contaminated soil have been determined using gamma spectrometer High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) and found to be very high for Al-Markezia, Al-Qurainat degassing stations and storage area at Khadhir Almay region. The activity concentration of samples ranges from 6474.11±563.8 Bq/kg to 1232.5±60.9 Bq/kg with mean value of 3853.3 Bq/kg for ²²⁶Ra, 843.59±8.39 Bq/kg to 302.2±9.2 Bq/kg  with mean value of 572.9 Bq/kg for ²³²Th and 294.31±18.56 Bq/kg to 156.64±18.1 Bq/kg with mean value of 225.5 for ⁴⁰K. S

The tremendous benefits of using cellular phones, which began to increase and unprecedented spread worldwide last decade, were accompanied by harmful effects on the environment due to the increase in electromagnetic radiation (EMR) which be emitted from mobile phone towers. This effect on humans, animals, and plants, which is considered a form of environmental pollution, was sensed by developed countries and Environmental protection organizations. These countries have established restrictions and enacted laws to reduce their negative impact on living beings. The field survey included six major hospitals and 38 schools were distributed over the central neighbourhoods in Al-Najaf city. The results showed that power density (PD) measurement

         Toxoplasma gondii is an protozoan intracellular coccidian protozoan parasite. Latent toxoplasmosis threat to immunocompetent individuals. Diabetic patients are more susceptible to infect with toxoplasmosis due to their low level of immunity response. The purpose of this research is to define the association between toxoplasmosis and diabetes mellitus and detection serum levels of chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protien-1 and transforming growth factor-β) in diabetic patients infected with toxoplasmosis. Serum samples were collected from 120 diabetic patients and 50 healthy individuals as a control group  from the Imamein Kadhimein Medical City in Baghdad. In order&nbs

Background: Oxidative stress is a deleterious process that can be an important mediator of damage to cell structures and consequently various disease states. Exposure to free radicals from a variety of sources has led organisms to produce a series of defense mechanisms. The antioxidant ceruloplasmin is a copper-containing ferroxidase that can oxidize ferrous iron (Fe2+) to its nontoxic ferric (Fe3+) form. Ferrous iron (Fe2+) is extremely damaging because of its ability to generate toxic free radicals. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory oral mucosal disease of unknown etiology. Previous studies reported that reactive oxygen species may be involved in the pathogenesis of lichen planus. The aim of this study was to estimate the