The frenzy caused by the horrific news on the TVs and the social media about COVID19 brings to the forefront the catastrophic epidemics in the past that led to mass deaths and haunt the imagination of historians and public alike. Works of fiction often depict the disastrous consequences of these epidemics, both real and imagined, focusing on the gothic experience the characters endure and their struggle to survive the disasters. This article explores this major issue in a contemporary novel, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Fever 1793 (2000). It chronicles the journey of the female protagonist and her struggle to survive and achieve autonomy during the historical yellow fever that hit Philadelphia more than two centuries ago, which stuck to the me

Objective: The study the association of procalcitonin (PCT) and c-reactive protein (CRP) levels in COVID-19 patients and it's role as a guide in progress and management of those patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study analyzed 200 CIOVID-19 patients in a single privet center in Baghdad, Iraq from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2022. Demographic data like age, sex, and clinical symptoms were recorded. High sensitivity CRP and PCT in the serum were measured via dry fluorescence immunoassay (Lansionbio-China). Results: Out of 200 patients, 50 had moderate Covid and 150 had severe disease. Mean serum PCT levels was 0.039±0.05 ng/mL in the moderate group (range 0.011-0.067) and 0.43±0.21 ng/mL in the severe group (range 0.21

       Background: viruses are responsible for a large proportion of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Other causes of LRTIs are bacteria: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus being the most common. Sputum samples are commonly used in the microbiological laboratory for diagnosing lower respiratory infections. Objective: The aim of this study to evaluate the causative bacteria and antibiotics sensitivity in culture of sputum samples. Patients Methods: A retrospective study performed in the microbiology department of Al Immamin Al Kahdimin Medical laboratory in Baghdad. The results of sput

Background: Tumor-like overgrowth lesions of the oral mucosa are pathological growths that project above the normal contour of the oral surface. A practical classification can be made according to the site of origin, the etiology and the histological appearance. The aim of this article is to evaluate and analyze patients with gingival and alveolar ridge tumor-like overgrowth lesions in terms of surgical treatment, diagnosis and outcome. Materials and Methods: Patients complaining of these lesions were treated by surgical excision under local or general anesthesia; the excised lesions were submitted for histopathological examination, during the follow up period the patients were examined for complications and recurrence. Results: Pyogenic gr

Background: Tumor-like overgrowth lesions of the oral mucosa are pathological growths that project above the normal contour of the oral surface. A practical classification can be made according to the site of origin, the etiology and the histological appearance. The aim of this article is to evaluate and analyze patients with gingival and alveolar ridge tumor-like overgrowth lesions in terms of surgical treatment, diagnosis and outcome. Materials and Methods: Patients complaining of these lesions were treated by surgical excision under local or general anesthesia; the excised lesions were submitted for histopathological examination, during the follow up period the patients were examined for complications and recurrence. Results: Pyogenic gr

This research sheds light on those discrepancies in the use of ornaments, adornment and perfumes, as well as the art of cosmetics, in two important civilizations, namely, the Mesopotamian civilization as the earlier civilization, and the civilization of Yemen, which represents the first Arab civilization. Through the foregoing, our research includes two topics, the first topic included the history of the use of decorations, ornaments and perfumes in the civilization of Mesopotamia, while the second topic included the study of ornaments, adornment and cosmetic art in the ancient civilization of Yemen. And then the research came out with a number of conclusions that the researcher considers very important to highlight the differences and f

Background: It had been found that passive smoking may have the same harmful effect as tobacco cigarettes smoking. Aims: This study was conducted to determine the effect of passive smoking on salivary glutathione peroxidase and selenium in relation to dental caries severity. Settings and Design: The sample consisted of 120 children aged 5 years old, classified into four groups according to the number of cigarettes smoked by their fathers daily: Passive smoking children of 5-10 cigarettes, those of 10–15 cigarettes daily, those of 15–20 cigarettes daily and non-passive smoking children of no smokers indoor (the control group). The sample was further classified according to dental caries severity into three groups: mild (DMFS values <4

Abstract Aim: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects communication and social interaction of children. It is a heterogeneous disease with various clinical presentations. Some genes are involved in its pathogenesis. It has been suggested that environmental exposure to lead can increase the risk of autism. The aim of our study was to compare blood lead levels among autistic and non-autistic children. Material and Method: This retrospective study included 107 children (60 with autism and 47 without autism) referred from the different Iraqi provinces, in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017, to the poisoning consultation center in Baghdad. Data collection including age, gender, residence, referral source, family history and blood lead l