Background: Tobacco smoking and tuberculosis (TB) are two major public health problems; Associations between smoking and tuberculosis including death from tuberculosis have been reported , A reduction in smoking could be expected to have a significant impact on TB incidence and prevalence .
Objectives: to assess the effect of smoking on tuberculosis.
Methods: This study was conducted from June 2011 to June 2012 in 200 patients, adult ( aged 17 years and more), newly diagnosed patients of pulmonary tuberculosis, at the chest and Respiratory Disease Specialized Center in Baghdad. Demographic data, presenting symptoms, data on smoking, and recurrence of disease were compared. Information on smoking status, tobacco smoking was collected from patients using a specialized questionnaire.
Smoking categories were grouped into ever for current / past smokers) and never.
Results: A total of 200 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, including 116 smokers and 84 non-smokers, were evaluated. The smokers were higher than non-smokers. Smokers were mostly male (p=0.001) there was statistically difference (P value = 0.05) for the duration of smoking, and for the number of cigarettes per day (p < 0.001). Regarding the symptoms of TB, there was statistically difference in occurrence of hemoptysis (P value 0.034) but there was no statistically difference between smokers and non-smokers in relapse rate.
Conclusion: We conclude that smoking may increase the risk of pulmonary TB in men. The risk increase with increasing the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. Hemoptysis significantly different with regard to the patients’ smoking status.
Joints are among the most widespread geologic structures as they are found in most each exposure of rock. They differ greatly in appearance, dimensions, and arrangement, besides they occur in quite different tectonic environments. This study is important because joints provide evidence on what kind of stress produced them (history of deformation) and also because they change the characteristics of the rocks in which they occur. The Measured data of joints from the studied area which are located in the high folded zone – Northeast of Iraq, were classified according to their relationship with the tectonic axes by projecting them stereographically using Schmidt net in GEOrient ver.9.5.0 software. The joint systems revealed the orientation of
... Show MoreA solar updraft tower power plant (solar tower) is a solar thermal power plant that utilizes a combination of solar
air collector and central updraft tube to generate an induced convective flow which drives pressure staged turbines to generate electricity.
This paper presents practical results of a prototype of a solar chimney with thermal mass, where the glass surface is replaced by transparence plastic cover. The study focused on chimney's basements kind effect on collected air temperatures. Three basements were used: concrete, black concrete and black pebbles basements. The study was conducted in Baghdad from August to November 2009.
The results show that the best chimney efficiency attaine
... Show MoreTraining and retraining of teachers have become a central issue in Iraq recently especially in-service training of English teachers on the new curricula (Iraq opportunities). English teachers should be objectively evaluated and assessed.
A sample of (40) trained teachers of English is included in the study and a questionnaire is used as the main instrument of the study.
The main findings of the study were the following:
1. The trainees were serious in training on the new course (item 6) the programme helped increase their information (item 4) and motivate them towards better teaching (item 3). The aims of the programme were clear (item1). The programme helped develop their teaching skills (item 2) and was comprehensive (item 5).
The type of groundwater in the studied area is slightly brackish. In general, the dominant water type is calcium-sulfate. The reasons behind these different chemical groundwater types can be referred to the active ion exchange between the groundwater of the Dammam aquifer and Rus Formation. The groundwater of the Dammam unconfined aquifer is not suitable for human drinking in all the parameters properties. The groundwater class is fair in the Qasir Al-Ukhaider area, while the Shebcha area and Al-Salman area are poor class except the eastern part of Al-Salman area is very poor.
The Mauddud Formation was one of the important and widespread Lower Cretaceous period formations in Iraq. It has been studied in three wells (EB. 55, EB. 58, and EB. 59) within the East Baghdad Oil Field, Baghdad, central Iraq. 280 thin sections were studied by microscope to determine fauna, the formation composed of limestone and dolomitized limestone in some parts which tends to be marl in some parts, forty species and genus of benthic foraminifera have been identified beside algae and other fossils, three biozones have been identified in the range which is: Orbitolina qatarica range zone (Late Albian), Orbitolina sefini range zone (Late Albian – Early Cenomanian) and Orbitolina concava range zone (Early Cenomanian), The age of
... Show MoreShoulder immobilization is one of the injuries that lead to disability and loss of movement in the joint within a short time, which called the researchers to find appropriate therapeutic means to rehabilitate this injury. They prepared a rehabilitation program accompanying the reflexology technique to rehabilitate the injury of the immobilized shoulder of the small degree and improve the range of movement and muscle strength working on the shoulder joint The sample was selected from the male patients aged (40-50) years. The muscle strength test was used using the force sensor, the shoulder range test from the flexion and extension position and the visual analog test to measure the level of pain. The study concluded that the pre-rehabilitati
... Show MoreAnchusa strigosa - prickly alkanet from Boraginaceae grows in roadsides, and fields of a broad range of habitats from mediterranean woodlands, to steppe vegetation, to true desert. It is commonly known as" him him" or "lisan al thawr". Anchusa can withstand hard weather conditions and hence is widely cultivated. The color of its flowers can range from pure white to deep cobalt blue. Various parts of A. strigosa are used in traditional medicine for treating several diseases or symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bronchitis, cough, and diarrhea. The goal of this study was to examine the cytotoxic effect of the crude extract of A. strigosa roots and leaves and their fractions against various tumor cell lines: adenoc
... Show MoreThe isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from patients with various infections in hospitals, the isolates were identified and accurately diagnosed by phenotypic examination and biochemical tests, as well Vitek-2, and then genetic detection and diagnosis of many of the pathogenic factors associated with Staphylococcus aureus using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and testing for association by antibiotic resistance and production of some toxins by Staphylococcus aureus. After performing analysis of statistical, it was set up that the correlation coefficient of the PCR technique using virulence genes, sensitivity test to antibiotics and other virulence factors were significant at p < 0.05, but was insignificant with the
... Show More