Serum Cortisol and BMI in Chronic Diseases and Increased Early Cardiovascular Diseases

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cortisol, and it is related to BMI in the chronic diseases which may increase early cardiovascular disease (CVD) in old Iraqi. The subjects were 116 adults, aged 51-71 years. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumferences (WC) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) were used as a measure of adiposity. Investigation showed highly significant difference between patients in BMI ranges, most of male were in an obese weight range (48.5%), as well in women. There were no significant correlations between serum cortisol concentration and age both gender groups. While there were highly significant correlations between cortisol level and BMI, waist, and WHR (except in female subjects), also there were highly significant correlations between cortisol level and SBP,DBP (mmHg)only in male. In both groups, total cholesterol concentration, FBS, and A1C were significantly correlated with serum cortisol. Negatively correlated has been observed between serum cortisol and HDL-C in men but not in women. In men, the results of cortisol with CV risk factors (dyslipidemia, D.M, hypertension, at least 2 risk factors and three risk factors) show significant differences (p>0.0). In summary, there is a major association between cortisol levels, obese, and chronic diseases. These conclusions promote the hypothesis that the opposing effect of adiposity on the chronic diseases might be mediated by cortisol. This association could cause early development of cardiovascular diseases even in males

The relationship between duration of infertility and intrauterine insemination: a multi-centers study

Abstract Introduction: The duration of infertility should be considered as a factor that may affect the outcome of Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART). The aim of the present work is to examine the outcome of infertility treatment in relation to duration of infertility. Materials and methods: One hundred fifty-two couples with mild male infertility factor were involved in this retrospective study. Sixty nine couples from Allow In vitro Fertilization center (IVF), and remaining (83 couples) from Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment; Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad-Iraq. Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) had been done for all couples using the same ART. Results: The mean age of men was 35.88 ± 0.57 years and the duration of infertility was 5.44 ± 0.29 year (range=1-19 years). The higher pregnancy and life-birth rates was demonstrated in those couples suffering from infertility for duration less than 4 years in compare to those who had duration more than 10 years (P<0.003, r=-0.869). Abortion rate was observed in those couples who had duration more than 10 years in compare to those who have duration of infertility less than 4 years (P<0.0014). The linear life-birth rate, in both IVF centers, shows decrease by increase in the duration of infertility. Conclusion: The researchers conclude that by increase in the duration of infertility the outcome of assisted reproductive techniques -IUI will be decreased markedly. Keywords: Infertility; ART; IUI; Life birth rat

Date seed extract as preservatives

The increasing demand for minimally-processed. extended shelflife foods and rcpons of ehemical preservatives as having potential toxicity demands food manufacturers to find altcrnative snurccs of anTimicrobial compounds. Food infection and into.~ication are considered as the most common causes of foodborne dir.eases worldwide. Foodbome pathogens cau.ing these diseases find their way in foods through cros, COnTamination. improper handling and temp<;'rature abuse. Food ,poilage microorganisms. On the other hand. cause products to lose thcir quality which renders them unacceptable to consumcrs, Shon shclflife of food products because of spoilage is one of thc major problems of the food induslTy. Examples of food spoilage microorganisms include P-<f:llJO",UlW;' ''':nlgillU.m. 8acilh,,· :Wblilis. I.acrolwdlllls 51' .. StJccho,-o"'yc-es cere,'i,i"e and AS/H'I"gilltr;, lIig"I"

Synthesis And Characterization Of 3D-Printed Functionally Graded Porous Titanium Alloy

This study aims to 3D print titanium alloy constructs incorporating gradient of porosities, from the fully dense core to the porous outer surface. Gradient porous specimens were prepared using selective laser melting (SLM). Fully dense specimens fabricated by SLM were used as the control group. Characterization of samples was done using X-ray tomography, uniaxial compression testing, and optical and scanning electron microscopes. The biocompatibility of fabricated samples was investigated using human periodontal ligament stem cells via assessment of cell attachment, viability, and proliferation by direct and indirect assays. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test. Characterization of constructs reveals interconnected gradient porosities and higher contact angle in porous samples. The introduction of porosity leads to a significant decrease in compression strength. However, Young’s modulus of the samples with gradient porosity was more similar to the natural bone modulus. The surface microstructure consists of loosely bonded spherical particles. Biocompatibility of the dense and porous samples is appropriate. Although the porosity size led to a reduced cell proliferation rate in the gradient sample, the extract of the gradient sample results in more cell proliferation than the dense sample’s extract. The study demonstrates that a biocompatible functionally graded porous titanium structure can be well fabricated by SLM, and this structure leads to a good match of Young’s modulus to that of the bone

PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL FORMS OF MALARIA AMONG FEBRILE HIV-INFECTED CHILDREN SEEN AT USMANU DANFODIYO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, SOKOTO, NIGERIA

Background: Malaria and HIV infections are major health problems facing the world today. Sub-Saharan Africa with 10 percent of world’s population harbors more than half the burden of the scourge. The present study determined the prevalence and clinical forms of malaria among febrile HIV-infected children aged 3months to 15years, seen in Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study among febrile HIV-infected children and their control cohort were carried out between May and October 2016. The participants had the following investigations: malarial parasite, packed cell volume, random blood sugar, retroviral test. &nbsp;Results: A total of 140 febrile HIV-infected children aged 3 months to 15 years and 140 febrile HIV-negative age- and gender-matched children were recruited; 100 of the HIV-infected children were on ART and cotrimoxazole. The prevalence of malaria among the febrile HIV-infected children was 71.4% (100/140) which was significantly lower than the prevalence of 94.3% (132/140) among the control group (χ2 27.72, p=0.001). Among the febrile HIV-infected children that had malaria, 54(54.0%) had uncomplicated malaria while 46(46.0%) had severe malaria. Of the 132 controls that had malaria, 48(36.4%) had uncomplicated malaria and 84(63.6%) had severe malaria (χ2 =7.184, p=0.007). Conclusion: Malaria is a problem in HIV-infected children. Since nearly half of the febrile HIV-infected children had severe form of malaria, it is recommended that health promotion, intermittent malaria prophylaxis, early diagnosis and prompt effective treatment should be instituted for HIV-infected children. This may prevent severe form of malaria and its attendant mortality

Incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the United Arab Emirates; Comparison of Six Diagnostic Criteria: The Mutaba’ah Study

BACKGROUND: For more than half a century, there has been much research and controversies on how to accurately screen for and diagnose gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). There is a paucity of updated research among the Emirati population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The lack of a uniform GDM diagnostic criteria results in the inability to accurately combine or compare the disease burden worldwide and locally. This study aimed to compare the incidence of GDM in the Emirati population using six diagnostic criteria for GDM. METHODS: The Mutaba’ah study is the largest multi-center mother and child cohort study in the UAE with an 18-year follow-up. We included singleton pregnancies from the Mutaba’ah cohort screened with the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 24–32 weeks from May 2017 to March 2021. We excluded patients with known diabetes and with newly diagnosed diabetes. GDM cumulative incidence was determined using the six specified criteria. GDM risk factors were compared using chi-square and t-tests. Agreements among the six criteria were assessed using kappa statistics. RESULTS: A total of 2,546 women were included with a mean age of 30.5 ± 6.0 years. Mean gravidity was 3.5 ± 2.1, and mean body mass index (BMI) at booking was 27.7 ± 5.6 kg/m(2). GDM incidence as diagnosed by any of the six criteria collectively was 27.1%. It ranged from 8.4% according to the EASD 1996 criteria to 21.5% according to the NICE 2015 criteria. The two most inclusive criteria were the NICE 2015 and the IADPSG criteria with GDM incidence rates of 21.5% (95% CI: 19.9, 23.1) and 21.3% (95% CI: 19.8, 23.0), respectively. Agreement between the two criteria was moderate (k = 0.66; p < 0.001). The least inclusive was the EASD 1996 criteria [8.4% (95% CI: 7.3, 9.6)]. The locally recommended IADPSG/WHO 2013 criteria had weak to moderate agreement with the other criteria, with Cohen’s kappa coefficient ranging from (k = 0.51; p < 0.001) to (k = 0.71; p < 0.001). Most of the GDM risk factors assessed were significantly higher among those with GDM (p < 0.005) identified by all criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate discrepancies among the diagnostic criteria in identifying GDM cases. This emphasizes the need to unify GDM diagnostic criteria in this population to provide accurate and reliable incidence estimates for healthcare planning, especially because the agreement with the recommended criteria was not optimal

EFFECT OF MULTIMEDIA ACTIVITIES IN BLENDED LEARNING ON LISTENING SKILLS AND SATISFACTION IN A COLLEGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of proposed multimedia activities in blended learning on students’ listening skills and satisfaction in a college English language course at the Royal University for Woman (RUW) in Bahrain. The study attempted to assess the effects of the proposed strategy on the students’ listening skills and satisfaction with the multimedia listening activities in the OPL (Orientation Program Lower). Results indicated that experimental group students scored higher level in their listening post-test than those in the control group. Experimental group students were satisfied with the courses designed.KEYWORDS: multimedia activities, interactive multimedia, listening comprehension, blended learning

Preparation and Preliminary Dielectric Characterization of Structured C\u3csub\u3e60\u3c/sub\u3e-Thiol-Ene Polymer Nanocomposites Assembled Using the Thiol-Ene Click Reaction

Fullerene-containing materials have the ability to store and release electrical energy. Therefore, fullerenes may ultimately find use in high-voltage equipment devices or as super capacitors for high electric energy storage due to this ease of manipulating their excellent dielectric properties and their high volume resistivity. A series of structured fullerene (C60) polymer nanocomposites were assembled using the thiol-ene click reaction, between alkyl thiols and allyl functionalized C60 derivatives. The resulting high-density C60-urethane-thiol-ene (C60-Thiol-Ene) networks possessed excellent mechanical properties. These novel networks were characterized using standard techniques, including infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The dielectric spectra for the prepared samples were determined over a broad frequency range at room temperature using a broadband dielectric spectrometer and a semiconductor characterization system. The changes in thermo-mechanical and electrical properties of these novel fullerene-thiol-ene composite films were measured as a function of the C60 content, and samples characterized by high dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss were produced. In this process, variations in chemical composition of the networks were correlated to performance characteristics

Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Therapy in the Arab World: A New Model of Advanced Practice

This study aimed at suggesting a new model for advanced practice in the diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy in the Arab World by presenting a comparative study between the different medical imaging techniques, the concepts, benefits, risks and medical applications of these techniques has been presented with details. Attempting For building a new model of advanced practice for the diagnostic role of  imaging and radiation therapy in the Arab World; by analyzing the current status of the imaging and radiation therapy in the Arab World, and then surveying the different medical imaging techniques. Then  to suggest a model of best practices upon the outcomes of the study

Optimization of organic meso-superstructured solar cells for underwater IoT² self-powered sensors

The effectiveness of the mesoporous TiO₂ layer, which acts as an active n-type semiconductor layer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), was investigated by varying AgVO₃ doping. To optimize the meso-superstructure, the doping concentration was varied from 0% to 25% using experimentally validated simulations. Moreover, performance comparisons between the experimentally fabricated DSSCs based on natural beetroot dye and the commonly used N719 dye were made. A 15% doping concentration was found optimum for our DSSC, which delivered an output power of 19.24 mW, 6.1% power conversion efficiency, and an open-circuit voltage, Voc , of 0.5 V and a short-circuit current density, Jsc , of 21 mA/cm² in diffused light conditions. Based on these performance results, we integrated our optimized DSSC in an underwater sensing unit as a light harvester