Abstract Background: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) proto-oncogene is overexpressed or amplified in approximately 15%-25% of invasive breast cancers. Approximately 35% of HER2-amplified breast cancers have coamplification of the topoisomerase II-alpha (TOP2A) gene encoding an enzyme that is a major target of anthracyclines. Hence, the determination of genetic alteration (amplification or deletion) of both genes is considered as an important predictive factor that determines the response of breast cancer patients to treatment. The aims of this study are to determinate TOP2A status gene amplification in a set of Iraqi patients with breast cancer that have had an equivocal (2+) and positive HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry

Aspect-based sentiment analysis is the most important research topic conducted to extract and categorize aspect-terms from online reviews. Recent efforts have shown that topic modelling is vigorously used for this task. In this paper, we integrated word embedding into collapsed Gibbs sampling in Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). Specifically, the conditional distribution in the topic model is improved using the word embedding model that was trained against (customer review) training dataset. Semantic similarity (cosine measure) was leveraged to distribute the aspect-terms to their related aspect-category cognitively. The experiment was conducted to extract and categorize the aspect terms from SemEval 2014 dataset.

     Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial chronic systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a lack of immune tolerance to autoantigens such as nuclear antigens. The aim of the study is to assess the interferon-alpha (IFN-α) serum level in Iraqi patients with SLE and determine its potential relation to different clinical and laboratory parameters and disease activity. 100 SLE patients were all females and with a mean of age 31.3 ± 10 years (16-63years) and disease duration of 5.8 ± 3.7years (1 month to 15 years). The average of SLEDAI score ranged from 2 to 22 with a mean of (8.53 ±3.42). Proteinuria, ESR, creatinine and AST were significantly higher (65% vs. 10% and 0.62±0.11 vs. 0.70±0.14 mg/dl resp

Background: Extracorporeal Shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is widely used in treating patients with ureteralstones because it is effective, safe, and noninvasive. Based on factors such as size and the location of stones,there is a significant variation in the overall stone-free rate (SFR).Aim of the study: To evaluate the effect of ureteral wall thickness (UWT), stone attenuation, the time fromfirst attack of pain till first session of ESWL and stone/ rib density on the outcome of SWL in the treatmentof upper ureteral stones (UUS).Patient and methods: A prospective study when 127 patients with radio-opaque UUS ranging from 7 to 20mm and treated by ESWL were included in this study. The effect of (stone/ 12th rib) density by KUB, ureter

Perimenopausal bleeding, is a very common problem, which is an alarming symptom for both; women and their doctors because of the rising fears of cellular changes or tumor of endometrium. In our study we tried to prove that collecting endometrial samples using the outpatient method of Pipelle is as effective as collecting the endometrial samples in the traditional method of Dilation and Curettage (DandC) in operation theatre which necessitates general anesthesia. Ninety four patients more than 40 years old were included in the study, all of them were complaining of abnormal uterine bleeding (pregnant ladies and ladies using hormonal contraception were excluded from the study) and endometrial samples were collected first in outpatient

Neonatal mortality is an indicator to assess maternal and neonatal care.1 Iraq has been suffering from wars, economic hardship, terrorism and internal displacement for last 4 decades.2 The impact of such suffering on health was reported.3 However, the impact of terrorism on health infrastructure which in turn manifested in neonatal mortality was neglected. This study carried out to demonstrate the effect of war against terrorism on neonatal mortality in Iraq.

Abstract Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) results from sequential genetic alterations in a normal hematopoietic stem cell or its progenitors giving rise to an autonomous clone that dominates the bone marrow leading to marrow failure. MicroRNAs are short non-coding nucleic acid sequences that regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by base-pairing with their target mRNAs. MiRNAs can be secreted into extracellular fluids and carried to target cells by vesicles or bound to proteins. Intracellular and circulating miRNAs are believed to be useful markers in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of various cancers. Practically, circulating miRNAs are more stable at room temperatures and extreme conditions. Purpose: This study aim

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with polymorphic expression. B cells have an essential contribution in immune system activation via the production of different cytokines and functioning as potent antigen-presenting cells. Therefore, a drug that particularly targets B cells may represent an ideal therapeutic approach for SLE. Rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody causing transient B-cell depletion, has been used to manage SLE. This study aims to assess Rituximab effects on lupus nephritis (LN) patients when added to conventional immunosuppressants. Twenty four patients, 15-32 years old, with class III/IV/V LN were involved in this study. All were on steroids before lupus nephritis occurrence. They were

Ultrasound is a mechanical energy which can generate altering zones of compression and rarefaction along its path in the tissues. Ultrasound imaging can provide a real time screening for blood and multiple organs to aiding the diagnostic and treatment. However, ultrasound has the potential to deposit energy in the blood and tissues causing bio effects which is depending on ultrasound characteristics that including frequency and the amount of intensity. These bio effects include either a stable cavitation presented non thermal effects or inertial cavitation of harmful effect on the tissues. The non-thermal cavitation can add features in diagnostic imaging and treatment more than the inertial cavitation. Ultrasound Contrast agents are a micro

Objectives: Small field of view gamma detection and imaging technologies for monitoring in vivo tracer uptake are rapidly expanding and being introduced for bed-side imaging and image guided surgical procedures. The Hybrid Gamma Camera (HGC) has been developed to enhance the localization of targeted radiopharmaceuticals during surgical procedures; for example in sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsies and for bed-side imaging in procedures such as lacrimal drainage imaging and thyroid scanning. In this study, a prototype anthropomorphic head and neck phantom has been designed, constructed, and evaluated using representative modelled medical scenarios to study the capability of the HGC to detect SLNs and image small organs. Methods: An anthropom

Background: This study aimed to apply a high-power pulsed alexandrite laser in vitro, the researchers tested different exposure periods, pulse lengths, and laser fluencies to see which dosage was most successful against S. aureus bacteria, which had developed resistance to many antibiotics. Method: Three bacteria samples were exposed to laser beams for 30 seconds with a 5ms pulse duration and a laser fluency of 5J/cm2. The process was repeated with laser fluencies of 10, 15, and 20. Results: The study was carried out by using different doses of Alexandrite laser. Results: There are significant differences (p = 0.05) in the mean number of bacteria colonies exposed for 30 and 60 seconds at any laser fluencies utilized in the present i

Objectives: Recently, there have been important advances in the clinical application of targeted hybrid near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent-radioactive tracers. ICG-99mTc-nanocolloid, for example, is already being used by some centres for sentinel lymph node biopsy in head and neck cancer. The radioactive component allows imaging at depths which would not be possible with NIR alone and, once exposed, the NIR fluorescence reporter can be imaged at very high resolution. Gamma detection is currently carried out with a separate hand-held gamma camera or with a non-imaging probe. Visualisation of NIR fluorescence during surgery requires a dedicated NIR camera, several of which are available commercially. We describe a novel hand-held hybrid NIR-gamm

The study aimed to evaluate the level of MMP‑2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in comparison with that in remission status, and healthy subjects, and to find its correlation with hematologic parameters. This study included sixty newly diagnosed AML patients. Remission status was assessed after induction chemotherapy. The overall survival (OS) was determined after 6 months. The plasma MMP‑2 level was measured at diagnosis by enzyme immunoassay. Twenty‑eight healthy individuals were recruited as a control group. Plasma MMP‑2 was higher in AML patients than in healthy individuals (P = 0.005). The level of MMP‑2 was much higher in the M5 subtype than in the other subtypes (P = 0.0001). There was no statistically significant d

Background: Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) is gram-negative bacterium, which causes Legionnaires’ disease as well as Pontiac fever. Objective: To determine the frequency of Legionella pneumophila in pneumonic patients, to determine the clinical utility of diagnosing Legionella pneumonia by urinary antigen testing (LPUAT) in terms of sensitivity and specificity, to compares the results obtained from patients by urinary antigen test with q Real Time PCR (RT PCR) using serum samples and to determine the frequency of serogroup 1 and other serogroups of L. pneumophila. Methods: A total of 100 pneumonic patients (community acquired pneumonia) were enrolled in this study during a period between October 2016 to April 2017; 92 sam

Purpose: Studying the activity of acid phosphatase, which is the marker of lysosomal activity in the mammary glands of rats at different stages of the physiological maturation [virgih, pregnancy, lactation and Post lactation] Methods: Forty, female, albino rats were used in this study. They were divided into four groups according to their physiological states [virgin, pregnancy, lactation and post lactation]. The mammary glands, after suitable fixation and sectioning, were employed for routine haematoxylin and eosin stain and for acid phosphatase demonstration Results: Acid phosphatase activity was weakly diffuse in the secretory tubules of virgin rats, the diffuse and granular activity of this enzyme was increased during pregnancy in the s

Objective: To assess the impact of a social support for pregnant women upon their pregnancy outcome Methodology: A descriptive purposive study was used to assess the impact of a social support on their pregnancy outcomes. The study was conducted from (22 \ September \ 2020 to 15 \ February \ 2021). A non-probability sample (purposive sample) was selected from 100 women. Data were collected through an interview with the mother in the counseling clinic, during the third trimester of pregnancy, as well as after childbirth in the labor wards to assess the outcome of pregnancy. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages). Results: The most important thing observed in this study was the positive pregnancy outcome