Background: Despite the importance of vaccines in preventing COVID-19, the willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccines is lower among RA patients than in the general population. Objective: To determine the extent of COVID-19 knowledge among RA patients and their attitudes and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: A qualitative study with a phenomenology approach was performed through face-to-face, individual-based, semi-structured interviews in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, rheumatology unit. A convenient sample of RA patients using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs was included until the point of saturation. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Twenty-five RA pa

     Radio protective effects of metformin and its ability to alter the spontaneous and induced genotoxic and cytotoxic levels effects on human peripheral blood lymphocytes were investigated in this study. Metformin, a hypoglycemic oral drug,  is a biguanide derived from Galega officinalis that is widely utilized in controlling type 2 diabetes mellitus. Whole blood samples from 10 healthy donors (5 males and 5 females) were exposed to two doses of gamma-rays (1 and 2 Gray). Lymphocytes in cultures were treated with metformin (10 and 50µM) before gamma-irradiation. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus test was used to evaluate the protective effects of metformin on radiation induced genomic damage, cytostasis and

Seventy-six urine specimens were collected from of patients suffering from recurrent
urinary tract infections (UTIs). Specimens were bacteriologically analyzed, fifty
(65.8%) of isolated bacterial strains were belonged to E.coli. 100% of isolated
uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC)strains displayed a biofilm positive phenotype under
optimized condition using microtiter plate assay. 21 of E.coli strains classified as highly
positive biofilm producers (42%), and 29 (58%) as weakly positive biofilm producers.

Abstract Inflammation of periodontal tissues is the consequence of interaction between periodontal pathogens and immune system. This is associated with increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, which may exert destructive effect to the periodontal tissues when released over long period. The aim of this study was to chronologically track the homeostasis of oral keratinocytes following removal of periodontal pathogens. This was done by investigating expression of selected inflammatory markers and integrity of epithelial monolayers in vitro. Rat oral keratinocytes were stimulated with heat-killed Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis over 7-days then bacteria were washed away and epithelial cells re-cultured for 3-

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most form of leishmaniasis disease prevalent in Iraq. CL remains a public health problem in numerous endemic countries because of the absence of safe, effective, and high-cost drugs for treatment. Macrophages are the main inhabitant cell for Leishmania; they phagocyte and allow parasite multiplying. Phagocytosis and anti-leishmanial activity of macrophage are the main factors in the elimination of Leishmania parasites. Phagosome-resident amastigotes also evade innate host defense mechanisms. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have an important effect in stimulating the production of oxygen species. The objective of this study was to examine macrophages cytotoxicity upon exposure to L. tropica and Ag NPs. Se

Leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Iraq, where both forms of the disease, cutaneous and visceral, are found. The effect of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) with mean particle size less than 100 nanometer (nm) on viability and growth rate of Leishmania donovani promastigotes was evaluated. The anti-leishmanial activity of different concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1 μg/ml) of ZnO NPs was investigated on promastigotes growth rates and viability in comparison to promastigotes exposed to the same concentrations of sodium stibogluconate (Sb) (pentostam).The inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of ZnO NPs were calculated after 24 , 48 and 72 hr which were (0.871, 0.156 and 0.120 μg/ml) respectively with significant (p< 0.05

Background: 37% phosphoric acid (PA) is the traditional enamel etching technique prior to bracket ‎adhesion, yet it has been implicated in numerous enamel injuries. The purpose of the current study was to create a calcium phosphate (CaP) etching paste in a ‎‎simplified capsule ‎formula that can underpin clinically ‎adequate bracket bond strength ‎without jeopardizing the ‎integrity of enamel upon ‎the debracketing procedure. Materials and Methods: micro-sized hydroxyapatite (HA) powder was mixed with 40% PA solution to prepare ‎experimental acidic CaP paste. Sixty human premolars were ‎assigned into two groups of 30 each. ‎Enamel conditioning was accomplished using 37% PA-gel‎ for control group and CaP paste for e

Quantum dots (QDs) of zinc sulfide (ZnS) was prepared by chemical reaction with different potential of hydrogen (pH) and used to fabricate organic quantum dot hybrid junction device. The optical properties of QDs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis.) and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometer. The results show that the prepared QDs were nanocrystalline with defects formation. The energy gap (E_g)calculated from PL were 3.64, 3.53 and 3.35 eV for pH=8, 10 and 12 respectively. This decreasing of energy gaps is results of the effect the pH solution increases, which in turn leads to the shifted of the PL spectrum toward red shifted, which makes the energy bands at surface states are shallow ban

 Abstract Objective: Comparison of femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction (FS-SMILE) versus Femtosecond laser Insitu keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) regarding dry eye disease (DED) and corneal sensitivity (CS) after those refractive surgeries. Methods: A comparative prospective study conducted for a period of 2 years; from March 2017 until February, 2019. Enrolled patients were diagnosed with myopia. Fifty patients (100 eyes) were scheduled for bilateral FS-SMILE and the other 50 patients (100 eyes) had been scheduled for bilateral FS-LASIK. Both groups were followed for six months after surgery. The age, gender, and preoperative refraction for both groups were matched. Complete evaluation of dry eye disease had been

 Abstract Objective: Comparison of femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction (FS-SMILE) versus Femtosecond laser Insitu keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) regarding dry eye disease (DED) and corneal sensitivity (CS) after those refractive surgeries. Methods: A comparative prospective study conducted for a period of 2 years; from March 2017 until February, 2019. Enrolled patients were diagnosed with myopia. Fifty patients (100 eyes) were scheduled for bilateral FS-SMILE and the other 50 patients (100 eyes) had been scheduled for bilateral FS-LASIK. Both groups were followed for six months after surgery. The age, gender, and preoperative refraction for both groups were matched. Complete evaluation of dry eye disease had been