Back ground: Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) are important devices used in treatment of asthma. It has got lots of benefits and some drawbacks depending on usage technique, with proper technique and training the drawbacks can be minimized.

Objectives:  Estimate the percentage of asthmatic patients using the metered dose inhalers improperly both in technique and dose, and detect the main factors associated with its improper use.

Background: Estimation of the in situ expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) in aborted women compared with normal human pregnancy .
Patients and Methods: A technique utilizing in situ hybridization(ISH) was performed to detect and determine the in situ expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) mRNA using paraffin embedded sections of curettage samples obtained from 42 women, who were divided into two groups: 30 women with first trimester abortion and 12 women with induced abortion as control.
Results: The levels of the in situ expression of both Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) mRNA were found to be highly significant increased in group 1 as compared with group 2
(p<0.01), with a significant positive correla

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for serious infections. At least three different exopolysaccharides, alginate, polysaccharide synthesis locus (Psl), and pellicle exopolysaccharide (Pel) make up the biofilm matrix in P. aeruginosa . The effect of temperature on the biofilm formation and gene expression was examined by microtiter plate and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). To be able to determine the effect of temperature on biofilm formation and gene expression of P. aeruginosa, 303 clinical and environmental samples were collected. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 61 (20.1%) and 48 (15.8%) of the clinical and e

Background: The desire for an attractive appearing fixed orthodontic appliance fueled the use of ceramic brackets and clear accessories. Elastics are one of the most versatile materials available to orthodontists so studying their effect on the esthetic appearance is important. This an in vivo study, conducted to evaluate the effect of exposing stretched clear elastomeric ligatures to the oral environment from four different companies (OrthoTechnology, Morelli, Ortho Organizer, and Ormco). Materials and Methods: A total of 240 elastomeric modules were examined, 60 modules from each brand. Each of the 60 patients enrolled in the study, received 4 elastomeric modules on the 4 lower incisors, one from each brand. The specimens were placed on t

Objective: to assess the risk factors of coronary artery disease patients.
Methodology: A non-probability (purposive) sample of (100) patients. The study population consisted of
a sample of adults from both genders whose ages were 30 years and more, and was newly diagnosed as
having CAD by coronary angiography in the cardiac catheterization unit of An Nasiriyah heart center.
Results: The result of the study showed that the most common modifiable risk factors were low HDL-C
levels (58%), smoking (53%), hypertension (46%), diabetes mellitus (34%), obesity (30%), high
triglycerides (19%), hypercholesterolemia (17%), and high LDLC (14%). All these factors were positively
and significantly associated with the development

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were biosynthesized using the cell free supernatant of putative probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei A26. Several biological activities of biogenic AgNPs were investigated in respect to in vitro anti-oxidant and anti-tumor potentials.  Anti-oxidant potentials were screened in terms of free radical scavenging activity against two free radicals, 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and resazurin dye. AgNPs exhibited a potent scavenging activity against resazurin dye (91±0.046%) with an EC₅₀ concentration of 146.823 µg/ml, while scavenging of DPPH was significantly (P≤0.05) reduced to 72.330±0.114% using a higher EC₅₀ concentration of 176.12 µg/ml. The

Salivary peroxidases have biological functions of particular importance to oral health. The aim of this paper is to shed the light on saliva and serum total peroxidases activity as well as the activity of each of salivary peroxidase (SPO) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in patients with oral tumors. The studied participants were divided into two groups: the first group included 18 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and 20 age and gender-matched healthy controls while the second group consisted of 20 oral ossifying fibroma patients and 23 age and gender-matched healthy controls. Total peroxidases activity was determined, and its specific activity was calculated in serum and whole mixed saliva as well as in the supernatant and pellet fractions

Monocytes are considered a key mediator of inflammatory cytokine secretions during inflammation. This study evaluates CD 14 expression in gastritis tissue biopsies of H. pylori and none H. pylori gastritis. This cross-sectional study involved 60 gastritis patients that have been classified into H. pylori positive (n=30) and H. pylori negative (n=30). Formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks were sectioned and immune-peroxidase staining with anti-CD14, then compared between study groups and clinical parameters. The results showed a marked difference in the percentage of expression in mild and severe intensity of inflammation sub-groups, the results showed a higher percentage of CD14 immunoreactivity (18.29±5.84 vs. 10.2±3.89, p=0.