Objective: To identify barriers to healthcare access, to assess the health literacy levels of the foreign-born Arabic speaking population in Iowa, USA and to measure their prevalence of seeking preventive healthcare services. Methods: A cross-sectional study of native Arabic speaking adults involved a focus group and an anonymous paper-based survey. The focus group and the Andersen Model were used to develop the survey questionnaire. The survey participants were customers at Arabic grocery stores, worshippers at the city mosque and patients at free University Clinic. Chi-square test was used to measure the relationship between the characteristics of survey participants and preventive healthcare services. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the focus group transcript. Results: We received 196 completed surveys. Only half of the participants were considered to have good health literacy. More than one-third of the participants had no health insurance and less than half of them visit clinics regularly for preventive measures. Two participant enabling factors (health insurance and residency years) and one need factor (having chronic disease(s)) were found to significantly influence preventive physician visits. Conclusions: This theory-based study provides a tool that can be used in different Western countries where Arabic minority lives. Both the survey and the focus group agreed that lacking health insurance is the main barrier facing their access to healthcare services. The availability of an interpreter in the hospital is essential to help those with inadequate health literacy, particularly new arriving individuals. More free healthcare settings are needed in the county to take care of the increasing number of uninsured Arabic speaking patients.
Ischemic heart disease is a major causes of heart failure. Heart failure patients have predominantly left ventricular dysfunction (systolic or diastolic dysfunction, or both). Acute heart failure is most commonly caused by reduced myocardial contractility, and increased LV stiffness. We performed echocardiography and gated SPECT with Tc99m MIBI within 263 patients and 166 normal individuals. Left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were measured. For all degrees of ischemia, there was a significant difference between ejection fraction values measured by SPECT and echo
Diabetic mellitus is one of the main risk factors of fungal infections because poor glycemic control is associated with a high level of glucose in blood and saliva which could be treated as nutrient to fungi. This study aimed to isolate and identification of pathogenic fungi from diabetic patient. 140 samples were taken from different places of human body from the national center of diabetic patients that related to Mustansiriyah University / college of medicine and Al-yarmuk Hospital in Baghdad. 84 sample (60%) tested positive to fungi and 56 sample (40%) tested negative to fungi. The most frequented fungi isolated have been chosen for molecular identification by PCR (Millerozyma farinosa and Candida orthopsilosis) using specific pri
... Show MoreBackground: The displacement of artificial teeth during complete denture construction presents major processing errors in the occlusal vertical dimension which were verified at the previous trial denture stage. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of delay in processing after final flask closure and tension application on the vertical acrylic and porcelain teeth displacement of complete dentures constructed from heat cured acrylic and the results were compared with the conventional processing method. Materials and methods: forty samples of identical maxillary complete dentures were constructed from heat polymerized acrylic resin. These samples were subdivided into the following experimental subgroups in which each subgroup contai
... Show MoreA total number of 33 isolates of Pseudomoans aeruginosa were collected from different clinical samples, such as: burn, wound and urine from patients attending Al-Yarmouk teaching hospital and some private clinical laboratories in Baghdad city through the period from October to December 2016. On the other hand, 21 isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected from 38 different food samples; such as: vegetables and fruits, from different local markets in Baghdad city during the period from November to December 2016. All isolates were identified by using different bacteriological and biochemical assays and confirmed by Vitek-2 identification system. The antimicrobial susceptibility test for clinical and food isolates towards 17 antimicrobial a
... Show MoreBackground: presence of lingual vascular foramina and canals in the interforaminal regionmay increase the risk ofsurgical complications during implant placement or any surgical procedure in this area.Aim of this study is the radiological evaluation of the anatomic characteristic of the lingual foramina and their vascular canals in the anterior of the mandible using cone beam computed tomography. Materials and Methods: Prospective study including 72 Iraqi subjects (31 male and 41 female) ranging from 20 to 59 years, all subjects attended AL- Sharaa dental clinic in AL-Najaf AL-Ashraf city, scanned with CBCT from September 2016 to February 2017. Using 3dimentional and sagittal cross section to detect lingual foramina and their vascular canals
... Show MoreThe research deals with the concept of stigma as one of the important phenomena that cast a shadow over the nature of the individual, his being and his personality through the inferior view with which he confronts in society, and (Sartors) indicates in this regard that stigma may lead to negative discrimination that leads to many defects, in terms of obtaining On care, poor health, service, and frequent setbacks that can damage self-esteem. The first roots of this phenomenon go back to the Greek civilization and what the Greeks used to burn and cut off some parts of the body and then announce to the nation that the bearer of this sign is a criminal. In addition to the Arab peoples living from setbacks that contributed to the exacerbation
... Show MoreThis study was carried out to determine the heavy metal accumulation of Juncus rigidus Desfontaines, 1798 from three different regions of the Basrah Province in Southern of Iraq. Specifically, the concentrations of lead, nickel, and cadmium were determined in the roots, culms and leaves of the plant. The results indicated that the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead (Pb) 12.50± 3.58 mg kg-1and then in nickel (< 0.30). The lowest value was recorded for cadmium (< 0.05). As well, lead concentrations in J. rigidus varied in different locations and parts of the plant from undetectable in control to 12.66, 19.33, and 9.80 mg kg-1 in leaves, culm, and roots respective
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to an inability to produce insulin. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes is clinically associated with increased susceptibility to delay healing. Many recent researches have shown that stem cell therapy can be the best choice for treatment of this disease. The aims of this research were investigating regeneration of pancreatic beta cells of diabetic induced rabbits after stem cell transplantation. Materials and Methods: 64 rabbits weighting an average of (2.5 - 3 kg) were used in this experimental study, and divided into 4 groups as follows; group A ( contains 16 healthy rabbits regarded as control group ) , Group B ( contains 16 diabetic rabbits
... Show MoreThe simple and available technique of colorimetry and indirect X-ray fluorescence determination of tetracycline hydrochloride (in the form of colored complex with iron(III) ions) and cyanocobalamine (in the form of the colored thiocyanate complex with cobalt(II) ions) is offered. The analytes were separated from the accompanying components by sorption to polyurethane foam based on ethers. The conditions of sorption separation and measurement of analytical signal of these substances are optimized. The obtained results of tetracycline drugs and injection solution B12 vitamin are in satisfactory agreement with data declared by the manufacturer.