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.
This study wass carried out to investigate the incedence of powdery mildew disease on ornamental plants (Nasturtium) Tropaeolum majus L. caused by Oidiopsis haplophylli in some nurseries of Baghdad area and in fields at college of Agriculture /University of Baghdad. This study was conducted in tow succesive seasons of 2011-2012 (April and May). The survey indicated that the Mildew disease existe in the following nurseries (Al-Adhamiya 97.5% ,Palestine street 93.8%, Zayouna 86.0%, and 100% in two fields at college of Agriculture. It has been found that the disease severity was developed in Agriculture college fields successively from 12-4-2011 to 20-5-2011 and from 12-4-2012 to 20-5-2012 (18.0–98.0 % and 22.7–96.0% )for the two sea
... Show MoreThe aquatic crude extract of Silybum marianum dry grains prepared by melting them in distil water by the method of soak and shake. The effect of Silybum marianum crude extract studied in vitro on three tumor cell line the Hep-2, AMN-3 and RD for 24, 48 and 72 hours of exposure, and one cell line of normal cells REF for 72 hr exposure. The results showed that the prescence of toxic effect of the aquatic crude extract on the cell lines of Hep-2, AMN-3 and RD at 10 and 100 µg/ ml upto the higher concentrations when they exposed to the extract for 48 hr. as compared with the control treatment, and when the exposure period increased to 72 hr. the toxic effect started at low concentrations (5 and 10 µg/ ml) as compared with the control g
... Show MoreBasketball is one of the most popular and popular games that have a large audience both globally and locally because of the magic it contains in terms of performance. For this sport to be a success, fundamental factors must exist and these factors is the referee. The referee plays a large and important role in the success of the game and the establishment and application of rules.The research aimed at identifying the effect of special on the development of referee's physical abilities. The researcher used the experimental method. The subjects were (12) first class basketball referees. The researcher recommended using special exercises due to their great role in developing the physical abilities of first class basketball referees
This study compared and classified of land use and land cover changes by using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on two cities (Al-Saydiya city and Al-Hurriya) in Baghdad province, capital of Iraq. In this study, Landsat satellite image for 2020 were used for (Land Use/Land Cover) classification. The change in the size of the surface area of each class in the Al-Saydiya city and Al-Hurriya cities was also calculated to estimate their effect on environment. The major change identified, in the study, was in agricultural area in Al-Saydiya city compare with Al-Hurriya city in Baghdad province. The results of the research showed that the percentage of the green
The research utilizes data produced by the Local Urban Management Directorate in Najaf and the imagery data from the Landsat 9 satellite, after being processed by the GIS tool. The research follows a descriptive and analytical approach; we integrated the Markov chain analysis and the cellular automation approach to predict transformations in city structure as a result of changes in land utilization. The research also aims to identify approaches to detect post-classification transformations in order to determine changes in land utilization. To predict the future land utilization in the city of Kufa, and to evaluate data accuracy, we used the Kappa Indicator to determine the potential applicability of the probability matrix that resulted from
... Show MorePlatelet‐rich fibrin (PRF) has been widely used in regenerative dentistry due to many growth factors produced. Periostin, a matricellular protein, is a reliable marker for tissue regeneration. Periostin is part of the cellular matrix and regulates bone homeostasis. This study aims to explore the efficacy of PRF in improvement of the clinical periodontal parameters as an adjunct to the scaling and root planing and to evaluate periostin level in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) at baseline, 1‐ and 3‐month recall visits. Fourteen periodontitis patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited in this study. Two contralateral periodontal pockets with 4–6 mm in depth in each patient were sel
Abstract Daily dressing changes cause distress and pain for victims of burn injuries. The study aimed to determine the effect of music in reducing the pain and anxiety of thermally burned children during routine dressing changes. This quantitative study employed a randomized controlled trial design. The participants comprised 80 children at the Specialized Burns Hospital, in Baghdad, Iraq who were divided into two groups. The intervention group were exposed to three generic musical pieces (children’s music, nature sounds, and classical music) for 10-15 minutes. The researchers used the Objective Pain Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and physiological parameters to measure the children’s responses immediately before the dressing cha
... Show MoreFlexible pavements are subjected to three main distress types: fatigue crack, thermal crack, and permanent deformation. Under severe climate conditions, thermal cracking particularly contributes largely to a considerable scale of premature deterioration of pavement infrastructure worldwide. This challenge is especially relevant for Europe, as weather conditions vary significantly throughout the year. Hydrated lime (HL) has been recognized as an effective additive to improve the mechanical properties of asphalt concrete for pavement applications. Previous research has found that a replacement of conventional limestone dust filler using hydrated lime at 2.5% of the total weight of aggregates generated an optimum improvement in the mec
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