Cesarean section, which was introduced into clinical practice as a lifesaving procedure for both the mother and the baby, is one of the most common surgeries performed in modern obstetrics. Formerly it was performed in interest of the mother; currently it is frequently done for fetal indication. As other procedures of some complexity, its use follows the health care inequity pattern of the world; underuse in low income setting, and adequate or even unnecessary use in middle and high income setting (1).
The first modern cesarean section was performed by German gynecologist Ferdinand Adolf Kehrer in 1881. Cesarean section is often performed when a vaginal delivery would put the baby's or mother's life or health at risk. Many are also performed upon request (2).
Pregnancy and delivery are considered a normal physiological state in women; however, of all deliveries approximately 10% are considered high risk, some of which may require Cesarean section (3).
The cesarean delivery rate has increased throughout the world. Cesarean rates have increased over the past 40 years from approximately 5% to more than 30% in many industrialized countries (4). The cesarean rate is approximately 21.1% for the most developed regions of the globe, 14.3% for the less developed regions, and 2% for the least developed regions (5).
Recent studies reaffirm earlier recommendations of the world health organization (WHO), about optimal C-section rates, addressing that the best outcomes of mothers and babies appear to occur with C-section rates of 5% to 10%, while rates above 15% seem to do more harm than good (6).
In US the cesarean rate increased dramatically during the 1970s and early 1980s this may be accredited to the improved technology in detecting pre-birth distress, and began to decline in the late 1980s (based on data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey). Between 1989 and 1996 the total cesarean rate decreased as a result of a decrease in the primary rate and an increase in the rate of vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC). Since 1996, these trends have reversed, and increases have been rapid and sustained for primary and repeat Cesareans over the past decade (7).
According to the Iraq Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2006 (Iraq MICS 2006) (8), about 20% of births were delivered by C-section (Table 1). Moreover, a brief and rapid survey of C-sections in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital, indicated that the emergency C-sections account only for 62.2% of the total number of C-sections performed outside the working hours during April 2010 (9).
To accommodate utilities in buildings, different sizes of openings are provided in the web of reinforced concrete deep beams, which cause reductions in the beam strength and stiffness. This paper aims to investigate experimentally and numerically the effectiveness of using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips, as a strengthening technique, to externally strengthen reinforced concrete continuous deep beams (RCCDBs) with large openings. The experimental work included testing three RCCDBs under five-point bending. A reference specimen was prepared without openings to explore the reductions in strength and stiffness after providing large openings. Openings were created symmetrically at the center of spans of the other specimens
... Show MoreIn this study, (50–110 nm) magnetic iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized by pulsed laser ablation of iron target in dimethylformamide (DMF) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. The structural properties of the synthesized nanoparticles were investigated by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, UV–VIS absorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of laser fluence on the characteristics of these nanoparticles was studied. Antibacterial activities of iron oxide nanoparticles were tested against Gram-positive; Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative; Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. The results sh
... Show MoreThis study concerns the removal of a trihydrate antibiotic (Amoxicillin) from synthetically contaminated water by adsorption on modified bentonite. The bentonite was modified using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB), which turned it from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic material. The effects of different parameters were studied in batch experiments. These parameters were contact time, solution pH, agitation speed, initial concentration (C0) of the contaminant, and adsorbent dosage. Maximum removal of amoxicillin (93 %) was achieved at contact time = 240 min, pH = 10, agitation speed = 200 rpm, initial concentration = 30 ppm, and adsorbent dosage = 3 g bentonite per 1L of pollutant solution. The characterization of the adsorbent, modi
... Show MoreMedication safety and effectiveness can be improved through interprofessional collaboration. The goals of this study were to measure the degree of physician–pharmacist collaboration within Iraqi governmental healthcare settings and to investigate factors influencing this collaboration.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Najaf Province using the Collaborative Working Relationship Model and Physician–Pharmacist Collaborative Instrument (PPCI). Four phar
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with increased oxidative stress and impaired endothelial function. Ticagrelor treatment improves antioxidant properties in addition to its antiplatelet effects. This study investigated the impact of Ticagrelor treatment on serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and other biochemical parameters in PAD patients. It also evaluated the potential diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility of specific biomarkers based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Seventy individuals were categorized into healthy control (n=40), baseline PAD patients not on Ticagrelor (B-PAD, n=30), and same PAD patients after treated with Ticagrelor (A-PAD, n=30). Parameters measured included SOD concent
... Show MoreDevelopment and population expansion have the lion's share of driving up the fuel cost. Biodiesel has considerable attention as a renewable, ecologically friendly and alternative fuel source. In this study, CaO nanocatalyst is produced from mango leaves as a catalysis for the transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) to biodiesel. The mango tree is a perennial plant, and its fruit holds significant economic worth due to its abundance of vitamins and minerals. This plant has a wide geographical range and its leaves can be utilized without any negative impact on its growth and yield. An analysis was conducted to determine the calcium content in the fallen leaves, revealing a significant quantity of calcium that holds potential fo
... Show MoreIn this paper, fire resistance and residual capacity tests were carried out on encased pultruded glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) I-beams with high-strength concrete beams. The specimens were loaded concurrently under 25% of the ultimate load and fire exposure (an increase in temperature of 700 °C) for 70 min. Subsequently, the fire-damaged specimens were allowed to cool and then were loaded statically until failure to explore the residual behaviors. The effects of using shear connectors and web stiffeners on the residual behavior were investigated. Finite Element (FE) analysis was developed to simulate the encased pultruded GFRP I-beams under the effect of fire loading. The thermal analyses were performed using the general-pu
... Show MoreObjectives The strategies of tissue-engineering led to the development of living cell-based therapies to repair lost or damaged tissues, including periodontal ligament and to construct biohybrid implant. This work aimed to isolate human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) and implant them on fabricated polycaprolactone (PCL) for the regeneration of natural periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues. Methods hPDLSCs were harvested from extracted human premolars, cultured, and expanded to obtain PDL cells. A PDL-specific marker (periostin) was detected using an immunofluorescent assay. Electrospinning was applied to fabricate PCL at three concentrations (13%, 16%, and 20% weight/volume) in two forms, which were examined through field emission
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