Estimation of Radiation Dose from Most Common Pediatrics Radiographic Examinations within Main Central Hospitals in Najaf City, Iraq

          تضمنت هذه الدراسة تقييم جرعة الدخول الاشعاعية المستلمة من قبل المرضى الاطفال الذين يجرون بعض فحص التصوير الطبي للصدر، البطن، والجمجمة. تمت الدراسة في مستشفيين رئيسيين في محافظة النجف حيث تضمنت الدراسة ثلاثة اجهزة شعاعية للتصوير الطبي. تم تقسيم عينة الدراسة الى اربعة فئات عمرية 0-1 , 1-5 , 5-10   و10-15 سنة. اجريت الحسابات باستخدام عوامل التعرض الاشعاعي والتي تشمل فرق الجهد والتيار الكهربائي لأنبوبة الاشعة السينية والمسافة بين مركز الاشعة وسطح جلد المريض بالإضافة الى عمر المريض. وقد حسبت جرعة الدخول الاشعاعية لكل من الفحص الامامي الخلفي للصدر والبطن والجمجمة. وتم تحليل النتائج ومقارنتها مع الحدود المسموحة دوليا لكل فحص شعاعي. وقد وجدت الدراسة ان الجرعة الاشعاعية الناتجة عن أي فحص تزداد بزيادة عمر الطفل.  وقد سجلت المستشفى رقم 1 بجهازها رقم 2 اقل الجرع الاشعاعية حيث كانت جرع الدخول الاشعاعية لها 19.93-67.66 ملي كري لأشعة الصدر، 39.03-82.63 ملي كري لأشعة البطن، و35.47-94.27 ملي كري لفحص الجمجمة. بينما اعلى الجرع الاشعاعية سجلت في المستشفى رقم 2 بالجهاز ذو الرقم 1 وكما يلي: بالنسبة لأشعة الصدر كانت اقل جرعة247.51 ملي كري واعلى جرعة 2393.12 ملي كري، ولأشعة البطن كانت اقل جرعة 269.05 ملي كري واعلى جرعة 5106.15 ملي كري، اما لأشعة الجمجمة كانت اقل جرعة 430.96 ملي كري والاعلى كانت 3072.77 ملي كري. وقد استنتجت الدراسة ان معظم الجرع الاشعاعية المسجلة للأطفال ضمن الحدود المسموح بها دوليا مع بعض القيم اعلى من ذلك.In this study the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) received by pediatrics patients undergoing chest, abdomen and skull X-ray examinations was estimated. The study was conducted in two hospitals in Najaf city where three radiographic systems were considered. The study participants were classified into four age groups 0-1 ,  1-5 ,  5-10  and  10-15  years. Calculations were performed using exposure factors, kVp, mAs and focal-skin distance, together with patient data age. The ESD was calculated for the involved patients who underwent an Antero-posterior (AP) chest, abdomen and skull X-ray examination. The resulted data were analyzed and compared with international dose references. For all studied radiographic examinations and all X-ray machines, the ESD increases with age. The lowest recorded radiation dose was from hospital 1 machine 2. In this facility ESD ranged from 19.93  µGy to  67.66  µGy for chest X-ray, from  39.03  µGy to  82.63  µGy for abdomen (AP), and from  35.47  µGy to  94.27  µGy for skull (AP). In contrast the highest dose levels are recorded from hospital 2 machine 1; the minimum ESD for chest X-ray is 247.51  µGy and the maximum is  2393.12  µGy; for abdomen X-ray the lowest ESD is  269.05  µGy and the highest value is  5106.15  µGy; and for skull X-ray minimum values is  430.96  µGy and the maximum value is  3072.77  µGy. In conclusion, for the considered pediatrics examinations, most of ESD values are within the international acceptable level and some are higher >100%

Biotreatment of AL-KARAMA Teaching Hospital Wastewater Using Aerobic Packed Bed

This study is aimed to use the aerobic packed bed in biotreatment of the wastewater which is discharge from AL-KARAMA teaching hospital in Baghdad. The performance of packed-bed treatment method was examined for elimination of the organic compounds from wastewater under aerobic conditions. In this research different parameters were studied. They were: inoculums concentration, circulation rate of wastewater through the bed, packing type and the temperature. Results showed that the system efficiently removed about 82% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 80% of the Biological oxygen demand (BOD). Percent reduction in turbidity was about 92% and reduction in nitrate concentration was about 87%. It was found that best performance of the packed bed method was obtained at temperature of 37 oC, circulation rate of 10 L/min and inoculums concentration of 3%

Osmotic drug delivery system of valsartan

The objective of this study is to design and evaluate a new EOP called swellable elementary osmotic pump (SEOP) of the freely water soluble drug, amitriptyline hydrochloride (1 g /mL) by adding water swellable polymers in the core. The hydrophilic polymers included in the core retard the highly water soluble drug by producing hydrogel within the core, which may restrict and delay the solvent contact with drug molecules and may increase the diffusional length of the solvent to achieve a constant release rate. Thus, this technology can be exploited to achieve constant drug release at predetermined rate especially for highly water soluble drugs

Life Table of the Green Lacewing Apertochrysa sp. (Neuroptera:Chrysopidae) Reared on Rice Moth Corcyra cephalonica(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The survivorship from egg to adult emergence and fertility of Apertochrysa sp. fed on Corcyra cephalonica were studied in laboratory and population parameters of Apertochrysa sp. were used for construction of life table under ideal condition in laboratory free from natural enemies. The highest mortality occurred in eggs (44.3%) followed by mortality (15.4%) in 2nd instar larva and in pupal stage (11.4%). The sex ratio (proportion of female to male) was 1:1.4. The maximum life span of female was 38 days. The highest number of eggs produced per female was 6.33 at seventh day of oviposition. The gross reproductive rate (GRR) was 19.48 females per female per generation. The net reproductive rate (Ro) was 2.28 females per female per generation. Mean generation time (T) was 40.6 days, while the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) was 0.02 female per female per day. The finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.02 females per female per day. The population double time (DT) was within 14.8 day

A study of serious adverse drug reactions with antiepileptic drugs: a pharmacovigilance study

Background: Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. There are currently more than 25 drugs in the market for the treatment of epilepsy, many of which have similar efficacy but differ in their tolerability profile. Besides unmatched beneficial potential of antiepileptic drugs, it is associated with many adverse reactions too. This study aims to identify the serious adverse reactions caused by prescribed antiepileptics, reported at the pharmacovigilance centre of government tertiary care centre.Methods: This is a retrospective, pharmacovigilance study of the antiepileptic drugs adverse reactions reported over a period of 1 year at a tertiary care centre.Results: A total of 120 ADRs of antiepileptic drugs were reported and collected at the pharmacovigilance centre. According to the WHO-ART system organ classification of ADRs, 78% of ADRs belonged to skin and appendages disorder. Based on the modified Hartwig and Siegel scale of severity, 60.8% ADRs were mild, 18.5% were moderate and 20.8 % were severe ADRs. The severe ADRs included: Steven-Johnson syndrome, Toxic epidermal necrolysis, Erythroderma, DRESS syndrome and Acute pancreatitis. Phenytoin has been found to be the antiepileptic drug causing the most number of severe ADRs amongst the prescribed antiepileptics. According to the modified Schumock and Thornton criteria most of the severe ADRs were not preventable.Conclusions: This study analyses the ADRs associated with antiepileptics reported at the pharmacovigilance centre. 20.8% ADRS were severe, this indicates that the epileptic patients should be closely monitored for ADRs, to avoid clinically significant harmful consequences. The awareness of ADRs would help physicians to identify patients with greater risk of ADRs and therefore, might benefit from ADRs monitoring and reporting programmes

A Comparative Study of Serum Amyloid A2 with Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Peptide antibody in the prognosis of a Group of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Iraq

Abstract:         Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by joint inflammation and the presence of autoantibodies, mostly Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACCP) which are released when the body loses its ability to distinguish between self and foreign molecules. Serum amyloid A2 (SAA2) is an acute phase protein produced in response to inflammatory conditions including RA. Objectives: To investigate the prognostic ability of SAA2 in comparison with ACCP and the prediction of disease activity and response to treatment by Methotrexate and Etanercept in Iraqi RA patients.   Patients and methods: A case control study, on a total of 150 individuals; 100 patients and 50 healthy controls. The study was carried out between November 2021 to February 2022 in Baghdad Teaching Hospital. The patients were recruited according to the American College of Rheumatology 2010 criteria. The biomarkers’ levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The levels of ACCP and SAA2 in RA patients were significantly higher compared to healthy controls (p0.05) but significantly from those who have received etanercept (p≤0.02). A significant positive correlation was found between ACCP and SAA2 (r=0.553, p<0.001), with the sensitivity being (72%, 97%) and the specificity being (98%, 84%) respectively. Conclusion: ACCP and SAA2 have promising prognostic ability and disease activity prediction of RA with response to treatment (Methotrexate, Etanercept).

Formulation and invitro evaluation of oral extended release microspheres of aceclofenac using various natural polymers

In the present work, bioadhesive microspheres of Aceclofenac using Sodium alginate along with Carbopol 934, Carbopol 971, HPMC K4M as copolymers were formulated to deliver Aceclofenac via oral route. The results of this investigation indicate that ionic cross-linking technique Ionotropic gelation method can be successfully employed to fabricate Aceclofenac microspheres. The technique provides characteristic advantage over conventional microsphere method, which involves an “all-aqueous” system, avoids residual solvents in microspheres. FT-IR spectra of the physical mixture revealed that the drug is compatible with the polymers and copolymers used. Micromeritic studies revealed that the mean particle size of the prepared microspheres was in the size range of 512-903µm and are suitable for bioadhesive microspheres for oral administration. The in-vitro mucoadhesive study demonstrated that microspheres of Aceclofenac using sodium alginate along with Carbopol934 as copolymer adhered to the mucus to a greater extent than the microspheres of Aceclofenac using sodium alginate along with Carbopol 971 and HPMC K4M as copolymers. The invitro drug release decreased with increase in the polymer and copolymer concentration. Analysis of drug release mechanism showed that the drug release from the formulations followed non-Fickian diffusion and the best fit model was found to be Korsmeyer-Peppas. Based on the results of evaluation tests formulation coded T4 was concluded as best formulation

Improving the Antibacterial Activity of Ceftazidime by Inulinase Purified from Staphylococcus Aureus

Inulinase is an enzyme catalyzing the hydrolysis of inulin, a plant stored polysaccharide, into fructoses and fructo- oligosaccharides that have a large spectrum of applications ranging from food industry to bioethanol production and pharmacology.Eight isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from agricultural rhizosphere soil samples with isolation percentage(32%)   and screened for higher inulinase production and found that Staphylococcus aureusS3 was the best producer. Inulinase was  partially purified with ammonium sulfate at 70% saturation and the specific activity reached to (7.01)U/mg protein. Inulinase led to enhancement ceftazidime activity against the bacteria and  gram positive bacteria more sensitive than negative bacteria to combination of inulinase and ceftazidime. These finding indicate that antistaphylococcal activity of ceftazidime antibiotic has increased in the presence of inulinase enzyme and the inulinase may be useful adjuvant agent for the treatment of S. aureus infections in combination with this antibiotic

A case of Kartagener syndrome with rhinolalia clausa

Kartagener syndrome is an autosomal recessive genetic ciliary disorder comprising of a classic triad of sinusitis, situs inversus and bronchiectasis. It's the one of primary ciliary dyskinesia disorders with manifestations present from childhood. Most patients of PCD have situs inversus. We present a case of 18 year-old women with recurrent lower and upper respiratory tracts infections, and rhinolalia clausa.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Novel acridine-based thiosemicarbazones as ‘turn-on' chemosensors for selective recognition of fluoride anion: a spectroscopic and theoretical study

New thiosemicarbazide-linked acridines 3a–c were prepared and investigated as chemosensors for the detection of biologically and environmentally important anions. The compounds 3a–c were found selective for fluoride (F−) with no affinity for other anions, i.e. −OAc, Br−, I−, HSO4−, SO42−, PO43−, ClO3−, ClO4−, CN− and SCN−. Further, upon the gradual addition of a fluoride anion (F−) source (tetrabutylammonium fluoride), a well-defined change in colour of the solution of probes 3a–c was observed. The anion-sensing process was studied in detail via UV–visible absorption, fluorescence and 1H-NMR experiments. Moreover, during the synthesis of acridine probes 3a–c nickel fluoride (NiF2), a rarely explored transition metal fluoride salt, was used as the catalyst. Theoretical studies via density functional theory were also carried out to further investigate the sensing and anion (F−) selectivity pattern of these probes