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.
In today's cities, it is easy to see large numbers of vacant lands and unused abandoned sites in downtown areas that are not only ugly but also potentially becoming fertile ground for criminal activities that endanger residents and visitors and contribute to the further degradation of neighborhoods,
can provide reuse of spaces Neglected opportunities to reshape the appearance of the city and to improve the city center for its users that the presence of many neglected sites, whether they were abandoned buildings or sites for destroyed buildings in Mosul after the war on ISIS and with large areas amid the urban fabric led to the emergence of the research problem is (lack of urban planning to reactivate abandoned sites within the ci
... Show MoreVitamins k is an important fat-soluble vitamin that can be obtained from plants, bacteria and animals and is necessary for the blood clotting. It plays a key function as a cofactor in the synthesizing of blood clotting proteins in the liver; recently, the interest for its functions in extra-hepatic tissue has increased. Vitamin k deficiency is usually caused by abnormal absorption rather than in the lack of vitamin in food. Apart from its impact on clotting, chronic subclinical deficiency of vitamin K maybe a risk factor for many diseases such as osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, cancer, insulin resistance, neurodegenerative diseases and others, while current food intake guidelines be focused on the daily dose necessary to avoid blood loss.
... Show MoreThe current research aims to test the relationship of the entrepreneurial leadership and its factors (strategic factors, communication factors, personal factors, motivational factors) in managing the organizational crisis and its stages (detection of warning signs, readiness and prevention, containment of damages, restoration of activity, learning) among a sample of companies of the Ministry Water resources (Al-Fao State Company for the implementation of irrigation projects, Al-Rafidain Company for the implementation of dams, Iraq Company for the implementation of irrigation projects), as well as standing at the level of interest of the research companies in the search variables and their factors and stages, there is no doubt tha
... Show MoreAppeared in the light of globalization growing convergence of the distances between the countries in world, this convergence is causing mixing of cultures to become culture is a universal one culture, There are positives and negatives of this mixing and mingling of cultures, consider Loss of cultural identity is one of the biggest negatives the Arab cultural infrastructure in general and Iraq in special. In addition consider subject to not keep the cultural identity is the most important Arab issues and dangerous to our Arab identity in various fields, including design and architecture, highlights here the subject of research on the impact of globalization on the identity of the interior spaces, cafés of Baghdadi, one of the historical
... Show MoreThe problem of the study is concerned with the work of The Iraqi Airways Company in political, economic, and social environment that suffers instability for many years. This has its negative outcomes regarding its decisions of providing services to its markets and customers as a result of the orientations, behavior, and marketing values the company management adopted. The aim of this study is to investigate the marketing philosophy adopted by the management and to identify the extent it suits the materialistic and the human capacities of the company and its current environmental circumstances within the marketing culture common to the thoughts and behaviors of the management and their employees. And in order to achiev
... Show MoreThe research aims to investigate the relationship and impact of e-governance as an independent variable in achieving creative performance as a dependent variable. These variables have been studied in the Directorate of Passports Affairs, and seek to come up with a set of recommendations that help in promoting e-governance in the researched organization, and the researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical approach, included The sample (122) of the total (194) individuals distributed in several administrative levels (officers, associates, and administrative staff). By adopting the questionnaire, which included (49) paragraphs as the main tool for the collection of data and information, as well as personal interviews and field obs
... Show MoreAim: The current study was aimed to determine the relationship between the orthodontic force applied by monobloc and the salivary level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes, considering the time factor after insertion of the appliance and whether there is a correlation between these enzymes. Materials and methods: A sample of 28 growing patients requiring orthodontic treatment with myofunctional appliance (Monoblock) was taken for the current study with an age range 9 to 12 years,all patients had Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion with no or mild crowding, the sample was selected using simple random sampling. Only 16 subjects (10 males and 6 females) were included who follow certain inclusion criteria.
... Show MoreThis research aims to underscore the significance of women's emotional intelligence in enhancing the effectiveness of the Board of Directors, a crucial component of internal governance, particularly during crises. Despite strides made in recent decades in appointing women to senior roles in government, business, and education, challenges persist in improving women's leadership opportunities, especially in developing countries. The study utilizes statistical methods, including Pearson's correlation, to analyze the relationships between variables within a sample of banks listed on the Iraqi securities market, comparing periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2019 and 2020). The goal is to measure the impact of female emotiona
... Show MoreVisceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic infection caused by an intracellular growth of Leishmania spp. in macrophage cells. The autoimmune disorder is a condition takes place when the immune system produces antibodies which incorrectly attacked its own body tissues. VL has been involved as an effect or on the autoimmune aspect. This study was conducted to identify the auto antibodies profile in patients infected with VL. The presences of auto antibodies in 21 Iraqi children infected with VL were tested for laboratory autoimmune aspect. The highest percentage of seropositive in Leishmania patients was observed for anti-ds DNA, anti-Mi-2, anti-Ku and anti-PCNA antibodies (90.5%, 90.5%, 90.5% and 61.9%) respectively, while the lowest percen
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