Introduction: Salivary melatonin is a critical antioxidant that contributes to oral health by mitigating oxidative stress. Psychological stress linked to thumb sucking may disrupt oral homeostasis, leading to conditions such as dental caries and fungal infections. Aim: This study explores the relationships between thumb sucking, salivary melatonin levels, dental caries, and the presence of Candida albicans (CA) in children. Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted with 60 children aged 4-5 years at the University of Baghdad’s College of Dentistry. Participants were divided into thumb-sucking (n=30) and non-thumb-sucking (n=30) groups. Salivary melatonin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), dental caries were assessed via the dmfs index, and CA counts were quantified on Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). Statistical analyses were performed, including t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation assessments. Results: Thumb-sucking children exhibited significantly lower salivary melatonin levels (28.620±2.278 pg/mL) compared to controls (34.525±2.142 pg/mL; p=0.044). The thumb-sucking group also had higher dmfs scores (15.033±1.449 vs. 8.667±0.899; p=0.000) and greater CA counts (18.900±1.048 vs. 13.583±0.549; p=0.000). Negative correlations were observed between salivary melatonin levels and the severity of dental caries, while positive correlations linked CA with dental caries. Conclusions: Thumb sucking adversely affects pediatric oral health by reducing salivary melatonin, increasing dental caries risk, and promoting fungal overgrowth. Early intervention to curb thumb-sucking behaviors may mitigate these risks and improve oral health outcomes.
Objective(s): To determine the impact of health education program toward their end-stage renal failure (ESRF)
patients’ knowledge through a follow-up approach each two months post program implementation for six months.
Methodology: "Follow-up" longitudinal design by using time series approach of data analysis and the application of
pre-post tests approach for the study group and the control group. The study is conducted in Al-Shahid Ghazi Hariri
Teaching Hospital for Surgical Specialties/Centre for Disease and Renal Transplant, and Al-Khayal private Hospital for
renal disease and transplantation during the period from August, 29th
, 2010 through February, 28th
, 2011. To achieve
the objectives of the study, purp
The global food supply heavily depends on utilizing fertilizers to meet production goals. The adverse impacts of traditional fertilization practices on the environment have necessitated the exploration of new alternatives in the form of smart fertilizer technologies (SFTs). This review seeks to categorize SFTs, which are slow and controlled-release Fertilizers (SCRFs), nano fertilizers, and biological fertilizers, and describes their operational principles. It examines the environmental implications of conventional fertilizers and outlines the attributes of SFTs that effectively address these concerns. The findings demonstrate a pronounced environmental advantage of SFTs, including enhanced crop yields, minimized nutrient loss, improved nut
... Show MoreThe research aims to clarify the response of the GDP to the M1 shock. It includes access to the results using standard methods, where the standard model was built according to quarterly data using the program STATA 17. According to the joint integration model ARDL, the research found a long-term equilibrium positive for the relationship between GDP and the money supply in Iraq, as the change in the money supply by a certain percentage will lead to a change in GDP by about 71% of that percentage. In the event of a shock in the Iraqi economy, the impact of the M1 will differ from what it was before the shock, as the shock will increase its effectiveness towards GDP by about 10% more than before the shock. At the same time, the relationship
... Show MoreImpact strength of self-compacted concrete is a field of interest, mostly when the concrete is produced from sustainable materials. This research's main objective is to clarify the ability to use two types of Portland limestone cement (Karasta and Tasluja) in self compacted concrete under impact loading, further to the economic and environmental benefits of the limestone cement. The impact loading was applied by a low-speed test, using the drop ball on concrete. Moreover, the study reveals the resistance of the grids reinforced concrete to impact loading by using polymer grid, and steel grid reinforced concrete slabs. Mixes reinforced by steel mesh had the highest results, indicating that the steel mesh was more robust because it had
... Show MoreIn this work, strains and dynamic crack growth were studied and analyzed in thin flat plate with a surface crack at the center, subjected to cycling low velocity impact loading for two types of aluminum plates (2024, 6061). Experimental and numerical methods were implemented to achieve this research. Numerical analysis using program (ANSYS11-APDL) based on finite element method used to analysis the strains with respect to time at crack tip and then find the velocity of the crack growth under cycling impact loading. In the experimental work, a rig was designed and manufactured to applying the cycling impact loading on the cracked specimens. The grid points was screened in front of the crack tip to measure the elastic-plas
... Show MoreTHE IMPACT OF BRITISH THEATER UPON IRAQI DRAMA
The research aims mainly to the role of the statement style costs on the basis of activity based on performance (PFABC) to reduce production cost and improve the competitive advantage of economic units and industrial under the modern business environment dominated by a lot of developments and changes rapidly, which necessitates taking them and criticize them to ensure survival and continuity. The research problem is the inability of traditional cost methods of providing useful information to the departments of units to take many administrative decisions, particularly decisions related to the product and calculating the costs of the quality of the sound and the availability of the need and the ability to replace methods capa
... Show MoreBackground: Debonding and fracture of artificial teeth from denture bases are common clinical problem, bonding of artificial teeth to heat cure acrylic and high impact heat cure acrylic denture base materials with autoclave processing method is not well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of autoclave processing method on shear bond of artificial teeth to heat cure denture base material and high impact heat cure denture base material. Materials and methods: Heat polymerized (Vertex) and high impact acrylic (Vertex) acrylic resins were used. Teeth were processed to each of the denture base materials after the application of different surface treatments. The sample (which consist of artificial tooth attached to the dentur
... Show MoreThe most significant function in oil exploration is determining the reservoir facies, which are based mostly on the primary features of rocks. Porosity, water saturation, and shale volume as well as sonic log and Bulk density are the types of input data utilized in Interactive Petrophysics software to compute rock facies. These data are used to create 15 clusters and four groups of rock facies. Furthermore, the accurate matching between core and well-log data is established by the neural network technique. In the current study, to evaluate the applicability of the cluster analysis approach, the result of rock facies from 29 wells derived from cluster analysis were utilized to redistribute the petrophysical properties for six units of Mishri
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