Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials and Methods: Fifty Iraqi women having babies born with NTDS, referred to the genetic clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, were included in this study (the study group) as well as 37 healthy women having normal children (the control group). This study was conducted from November, 2002 till October, 2003. Analysis of total serum homocysteine level for all women was done using a computerized HPLC system. Results : the age of women in both groups was comparable (mean+SD in the study group was 26.2+5.14 years vs. 26.3+4.57 years in the controls). Among the study group, 4 (8%) had normal tHcy level; 44 (88%) had mildly elevated level, and only 2 (4%) had moderately elevated tHcy level, while all (100%) women in the control group had their tHcy level within normal level. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusions : Women become at an increased risk of delivering a baby with NTD when having an elevated tHcy level in their sera, and that tHcy level is an important marker in maternal serum that is associated significantly with pregnancy outcome.
The pretreatment process can be considered one of the important processes in wastewater treatment, especially coagulation process to decrease the strength of many pollutants. This paper focused on using powdered date seeds as natural coagulant in addition to chemical coagulants (alum and ferric chloride) to find the optimum dosage of each coagulant that makes efficient removal of turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from domestic wastewater as a pretreatment process, then finding the optimum combined dosages of date seeds with alum, date seeds with ferric chloride that make efficient removal for both pollutants. Concerning turbidity, the optimum dosage for date seeds, alum and ferric chloride were 40 mg/l (79%), 70
... Show MoreBackground: Prolonged infections caused by High-risk HPVs have the potential to cause cancer in the regions of the body where they infect cells, including the cervix or the oropharynx, which refers to the rear part of the throat. Aims: To detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) -IgM , IL-10 and TNF among Iraqi women Methods: A total of 89 blood sample were collected from females with various cervical lesions and 40 blood samples were collected from apparently healthy along with a control group of 40 healthy females. The presence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) -IgM, IL-10 and TNF in the collected samples was assessed using the ELISA technique. Results: The positivity rate of HPV IgM was 13.5%. This positivity was higher among individuals age
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is one of the most frequently observed malignancy in females worldwide. Today, tamoxifen (TAM) is considered as the highly effective therapy for treatment of breast tumors. Oxidative stress has implicated strongly in the pathophysiology of malignancies. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the levels of oxidants and antioxidants in patients with newly diagnosed and TAM-treated BC. Sixty newly diagnosed and 60 TAM-treated women with BC and 50 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Parameters including total oxidant capacity (TOC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and catalase (CAT) activity were determined before and after treatment with TAM. The serum levels of TOC and oxidative stress index (OSI) were
... Show MoreBackground: This in vitro study evaluated the fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different composite restorations (Low-shrinkage Filtek P90, nanohybrid Filtek Z250 XT and SDR bulk fill). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Fifty human adult maxillary premolar teeth were selected for this study. Standardized extensive class II MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except those that were saved as intact control. The teeth were divided into five groups of ten teeth each (n=10): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with endodontic treatment, (Group 3) resto
... Show MoreLead remediation was achieved using simple cost, effective and eco-friendly way from industrial wastewater. Phragmitesaustralis (P.a) (Iraqi plant), was used as anovel biomaterial to remove lead ions from synthesized waste water. Different parameters which affected on adsorption processes were investigated like adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, and adsorbent particle size, to reach the optimized conditions (maximum adsorption). The adsorption of Pb (?) on (P.a) involved fast and slow process as a mechanism steps according to obey two theoretical adsorption isotherms; Langmuir and Freundlich. The thermos dynamic adsorption parameters were evaluated also. The (?H) obtained positive value that meanes adsorption of lead ions was an endothermic
... Show MoreLead remediation was achieved using simple cost, effective and eco-friendly way from industrial wastewater. Phragmitesaustralis (P.a) (Iraqi plant), was used as anovel biomaterial to remove lead ions from synthesized waste water. Different parameters which affected on adsorption processes were investigated like adsorbent dose, pH, contact time, and adsorbent particle size, to reach the optimized conditions (maximum adsorption). The adsorption of Pb (?) on (P.a) involved fast and slow process as a mechanism steps according to obey two theoretical adsorption isotherms; Langmuir and Freundlich. The thermos dynamic adsorption parameters were evaluated also. The (?H) obtained positive value that meanes adsorption of lead ions was an endothermic
... Show MoreDue to the lack of statistical researches in studying with existing (p) of Exogenous Input variables, and there contributed in time series phenomenon as a cause, yielding (q) of Output variables as a result in time series field, to form conceptual idea similar to the Classical Linear Regression that studies the relationship between dependent variable with explanatory variables. So highlight the importance of providing such research to a full analysis of this kind of phenomena important in consumer price inflation in Iraq. Were taken several variables influence and with a direct connection to the phenomenon and analyzed after treating the problem of outliers existence in the observations by (EM) approach, and expand the sample size (n=36) to
... Show More