Background: The nail organ has an important functional and aesthetic importance. Nail Growth Rate (NGR) has attracted the attention of many investigators not only due to the importance of the nail apparatus but also as a tool to reflect health.
Objective: To study the effects of smoking and age on nail growth.
Patients and methods:The study was conducted at the Department of Physiology and the Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad during the period from January 2011 to May 2011.
Nail growth measurement was performed by etching a T – mark on the nail plate of the right and the left thumbs with a wide bore needle. The vertical distance between the point of meeting of the T and the proximal nail fold was measured using (vernier). A second measurement was performed one month later. The difference between the 2 readings was divided by the number of days between the readings to give the NGR.
Results:The NGR was measured in a total of 106 subjects. The subjects were divided into 3 groups:
Group1 (Smoker male subjects): 23 subjects were included in this group. Their ages ranged between 20 and 59 years with a mean of 35.87 +11.72 years. Group 2 (Non-smoker male subjects): 34 subjects were included. Their ages ranged between 13 and 52 years with a mean of 31.76 + 10.16 years.Group 3 (Non-smoker female subjects): 49 subjects were included. Their ages ranged between 8 and 58 years with a mean of 27.49 +11.66 years. NGR measurement in:
Group 1:The mean growth rate in the right thumb was 95.4 + 28.8 microns/day, and for the left thumb was 96 + 34 microns/day.
Group 2:The NGR was 105.6 + 34.35, and 103.4 + 34.24 microns /day, for the right thumb and the left thumb respectively. .
Group 3: The NGR was 100 .5 + 33.52 microns/day for the right thumb and 101.6 + 31.77 microns /day for the left thumb.
Conclusion: Age was inversely correlated with nail growth in right and left thumbs in all groups. The duration of smoking and number of cigarettes was inversely related to nail growth, but it did not reach statistical significance.
Background: Smoking is the major environmental risk factor that has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of periodontal diseases. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been associated with the immunopathology of periodontitis. Objectives: To determine the influence of smoking on salivary Interleukin-8 level from smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis and periodontally healthy control subjects.
Materials and Methods: Un-stimulated saliva samples were collected of 90 participants: 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers with chronic periodontitis, as well as 30 periodontally healthy control subjects. The clinical parameters such as the pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, and gingiv
... Show MoreThe community service in its various forms topped up the alternative short term custodial sentence in some crimes, and experience has shown the success of this alternative in sparing the convicted negative effects of custodial sentences in all social, psychological and even economic aspects and on the other hand addressing the problem of overcrowding prisons. This penalty consists of requiring the convicted person to work certain hours in specific areas and within a certain period determined by the legislator. Through comparative analytical studies between Western and Arab legislation, we found there are such major differences in the ways in which [community service] has been worked out that it is impossible, indeed irresponsible, to tra
... Show MoreIn this research, the electrical characteristics of glow discharge plasma were studied. Glow discharge plasma generated in a home-made DC magnetron sputtering system, and a DC-power supply of high voltage as input to the discharge electrodes were both utilized. The distance between two electrodes is 4cm. The gas used to produce plasma is argon gas which flows inside the chamber at a rate of 40 sccm. The influence of work function for different target materials (gold, copper, and silver), - 5cm in diameter and around 1mm thickness - different working pressures, and different applied voltages on electrical characteristics (discharge current, discharge potential, and Paschen’s curve) were studied. The results showed that the discharge cur
... Show MoreThe study addresses the problem of stagnation and declining economic growth rates in Arab countries since the eighties till today after the progress made by these countries in the sixties of the last century. The study reviews the e
... Show MoreBackground: An accurate adaptation of the crown to the finish line is essential to minimize cement dissolution and to preserve periodontium in fixed partial denture cases. An accurate adaptation of crown is possible only when preparation details are captured adequately in the impression and transferred to cast. For these reasons, gingival displacement is necessary to capture subgingival preparation details.The aim of the present study is to measure in vivo the horizontal displacement of the gingival sulcus obtained by using three new cordless retraction materials (Magic Foam Cord®, Racegel and Astringent Retraction Paste) in comparison to medicated retraction cord. Materials and method: Thirty-two patients requiring porcelain fused to me
... Show MoreThe vacancy of natural resources is undoubtedly limited by time. The sustainable development principle recommends modern technology for its protection and renewal. This project conducted analyses on two underground water sources in the north of Algeria (Mechroha Province). Besides, the use of the hardness factor and the adoption of the titration method, which is the determining the concentration of an unknown solution using a known solution concentration, have permitted the characterization of the examples taken and to verify their conformity to the standard required, the results found showed HT=6.66 French degrees (oF) ) for Ain Guilloume water spring in comparison to Ain Messai water spring H
Yohimbine is actually confirmed in the United States to be utilized for erectile dysfunction; and recently such drug has become commonly used in body-building communities for its presumed lipolytic and sympathomimetic effects. But ingestion of such drug can bring about epileptic neurotoxic effects.
Many antiepileptic drugs can be utilized to counteract myoclonic seizure; furthermore, diazepam can be used to oppose such type of seizure; in addition, surrogate therapeutic options such as omega 3 may also be utilized.
In this study, twenty-four (24) mice of both sexes weighing 20-25g were randomly-allocated into 4 groups (6 animals each group) as follows: Group I-
... Show MoreThe research aims to analyze the impact of exchange rate fluctuations (EXM and EXN) and inflation (INF) on the gross domestic product (GDP) in Iraq for the period 1988-2020. The research is important by analyzing the magnitude of the macroeconomic and especially GDP effects of these variables, as well as the economic effects of exchange rates on economic activity. The results of the standard analysis using the ARDL model showed a long-term equilibrium relationship, according to the Bound Test methodology, from explanatory (independent) variables to the internal (dependent) variable, while the value of the error correction vector factor was negative and moral at a level less than (1%). The relationship bet
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetes mellitus has been suggested
to be the most common metabolic disorder
associated with magnesium deficiency, and because
available data suggest that adverse outcomes are
associated with hypomagnesemia, it is prudent that
routine surveillance for hypomagnesemia be done
and the condition be treated whenever possible.
Aim of the study:To explore the serum Mg
concentrations of diabetic patients and healthy
controls in our locality.
Mehtods: One hundred and forty four diabetic
patients (22 with type I and 122 with type II diabetes
mellitus) recruited from the outpatient diabetes clinic
at the Specialized Center For Endocrine DiseasesBaghdad (62 patients), National Diabetes Center-Al
The products of composites material are very sesetive to many variables, such as manufacturing process, additive materials, …. etc. Filler or additive plays a major role to determine the formation of the properties and behavior of the composites. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate-based compounds were produced and characterized. The work is concerned to prepare samples of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - zinc-ferrite (ZnFe2O4) with different addition ratio as zinc-ferrite (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20) wt% obtained from mixing the solution with a hot pressing method applied under optimum conditions. The densities of the composites for all samples were calculated. Through the work the diffusion of zinc-ferrite i
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