Background: Acute appendicitis is a common surgical
problem that is associated with an acute-phase reaction.
Previous studies have shown that cytokines and acutephase proteins are activated and may serve as indicators for
appendicitis.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate of serum
levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in correlation to the severity
to acute appendicitis.
Methods: This is a prospective study from December 2008
to March 2009 of patients who had appendectomy in
Department of Surgery, Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital -
Baghdad/Iraq. Serum for estimating levels of interleukin-6
(IL-6) was taken pre-operatively. Depending on the
macroscopic evidence during the operation and the
histopathol

There are no researches in Iraq concerned identification and ecology of protozoa in sediment. The present study has been dealt with free-living protozoa community of the Tigris river bank sediment in Baghdad city. Variable species of vegetation (reeds and wild grasses) were observed to grow at both sides of the river.
For the present study three sites were chosen at the east side of river Tigris. Monthly samples were collected from the sediment of each site over a period from January to October 2012.Total of 22 taxa were found, 12 of ciliates, 5 of each flagellates and sarcodines in the sediment samples. The highest numbers of protozoan 15 taxa were recorded from each of the sites 1&3 and little less taxa (13) were found in site 2

The aim of this study is to propose reliable equations to estimate the in-situ concrete compressive strength from the non-destructive test. Three equations were proposed: the first equation considers the number of rebound hummer only, the second equation consider the ultrasonic pulse velocity only, and the third equation combines the number of rebound hummer and the ultrasonic pulse velocity. The proposed equations were derived from non-linear regression analysis and they were calibrated with the test results of 372 concrete specimens compiled from the literature. The performance of the proposed equations was tested by comparing their strength estimations with those of related existing equations from literature. Comparis

The c.orrosion rate of  low carbon  steel  in 4M  hydrochlwic acid with and without  presence of thiourea has b.een studied  by gravimetric ahd gasometric methods  over the temperature range 303-333 K.

The percentage protection of steel increases  vvith the decrease of thimuea concentrations at  various  temperature range  303-333 K and

approaching highest  protection  (86.82%) at 303K  by using  I X 1 o-4 M

of thiourea. The high concentration .of thiourea  ( lxlo-3 M), enl1ances.

the  corrosion rates and  act  as dcpolariser for  the hydrogen  evolution

reaction,&n

The records of Primary Health Care Centres (Al-Risafa section of Baghdad) were inspected for communicable diseases during the period January-April 2006. There were 8622 recorded cases (the diagnosis was based on a clinical examination and laboratory findings), which were distributed as 4782 (55.5%), 1430 (16.6%), 1604 (18.6%) and 806 (9.3%) for Sadar city, Risafa, A'adhamyiah and Mada'in, respectively. The highest frequency was reported for chicken pox (42.7%), followed by mumps and typhoid fever (20 and 13.7%, respectively), while diphtheria and cholera were not recorded. These three most frequent diseases were further analyzed, and their distribution showed a significant difference (P ? 0.001). April was the month of the highest recorded

Twenty five vaginal swabs from outpatients' healthy women were collected from Kamal Al-Samarai Hospital, Baghdad, to isolate and identify of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Three isolates were diagnosed as L. acidophilus which represents 15% of the total number of lactic acid bacterial (LAB) isolates; other LAB types represent 65% (20 isolates).The ability of L. acidophilus to produce surlactin was detected after measuring its biological activity to inhibit the adhesion of biofilm formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to surfaces using test tube method. It was found that all isolates were able to produce surlactin but the activity of surlactin was varying in each isolate. Surlactin produced by isolates 1 and 13 was the most effective. Biological appl

Background: This study aimed to assess the effect of tooth shape ratio on mandibular incisor arrangement. Materials and methods: The sample included dental casts of some dental students and orthodontic patients having Class I dental and skeletal patterns with normal occlusion and severe crowding. The sample was divided into two groups according to the severity of crowding into: group I had Class I normal occlusion with mild or no crowded mandibular dentition and group II had Class I malocclusion with severe crowded mandibular dentition. Each group comprising of 40 subjects (20 males and 20 females). The mesio-distal and facio-lingual crown diameters were measured manually for each cast using modified vernier caliper gauge. Descriptive sta

Physical model tests were simulated non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) spill in two-dimensional
domain above the water table. Four laboratory experiments were carried out in the sand-filled
tank. The evolution of the plume was observed through the transparent side of this tank and the
contaminant front was traced at appropriate intervals. The materials used in these experiments
were Al-Najaf sand as a porous medium and kerosene as contaminant.
The results of the experiments showed that after kerosene spreading comes to a halt (ceased) in
the homogeneous sand, the bulk of this contaminant is contained within a pancake-shaped lens
situated on top of the capillary fringe.

Background: Ultrasound guided core needle biopsy is becoming a gold standard in the work up of suspicious breast lesion. In Iraq, radiologists are not taking the lead in core needle biopsy performance.

Objectives: To evaluate the radiologist performance of core needle biopsy highlighting the precession and accuracy of the procedure, the concordance of ultrasound and histopathology, and identifying challenges facing the radiologist during the procedure.

Subjects and Methods: A prospective study involving a total of 50 patients with ultrasound (US) BIRADS IV or V.  Ultrasound guided core needle biopsy was performed for each patient. Surgical pathol