Prevalence Rate of Rheumatoid Arthritis among Patients Attending Rheumatology Consultation Clinic at Baquba Teaching Hospital

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes progressive and painful of multiple joints damage. Objective: To explore the prevalence of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) among middle-aged and older of Iraqi patients attended the outpatients’ clinics. Patients and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st February to 31st July 2022 at the rheumatology outpatient clinic at the Baquba teaching hospitals, Diyala province, Iraq. The eligible patients were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Diagnosis of RA is based on clinical and serological parameters in accordance with criteria issued by  American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) guideline. Descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analysis was performed. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0 software. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 417 patients with an average age of 55.05 (+10.31) (ranged 40-79 years) have been included in the study. More than half were females (57.8%), married (74.3%), unemployed (67.9%), and  41.0%  doctor-diagnosed arthritis. The prevalence of RA in adults was 0.96% compared to 2.34% in doctor-diagnosed arthritis group (females 1.75% vs. males 0.59%, P= 0.011). Results of the multiple logistic regressions showed that older age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.100, 95% CI: 1.070 to 1.130) was associated significantly with "doctor-diagnosed arthritis" (p < 0.001). The female patients (OR = 4.928, 95% CI: 2.826 to 8.593), single or had no spouse (unmarried, widow, divorce) (OR = 5.076, 95% CI: 2.742 to 9.396) and had diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 7.251, 95% CI: 4.247 to 12.378) were associated significantly with "doctor-diagnosed arthritis" (p < 0.001). Conclusion: With aging, the Iraqi females who have no spouse and suffer from diabetes mellitus become more vulnerable to symptomatic arthritis

Prevalence of text neck syndrome among Iraqi medical students: a cross-sectional study

Background: Excessive use of portable electronic devices causes neck flexion and the emergence of text neck syndrome (TNS). This study aims to explore the prevalence of TNS among medical students during the COVID-19 lockdown in Iraq. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional web-based study was conducted from 1st to 20th March 2021 at the faculty of medicine, Diyala University, Iraq. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among the medical students using Google Form through social media (WhatsApp group). The semi-structured questionnaire included the sociodemographic, the valid smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV), and the neck disability index (NDI). Univariate, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the data. SPSS version 16. The statistical significance is considered at less than 0.05. Results: Out of 273 medical students included in the study, 59.3% were males, unmarried (88.3%), and from the 1st year (21.6%). The mean age of students was 21.27 ± 1.74 years. The prevalence of text neck syndrome was 64.5%. About two-thirds (61.5%) of students were addicted to their smartphones and used them more than five h/daily (63.7%). Factors associated with neck disability were the students who did not warm up neck muscles before using the smartphone (OR = 8.796, 95% CI: 1.724 to 24.884), addicted to the smartphone (OR = 6.803, 95% CI: 3.455 to 13.397), experienced increase in daily hours using the smartphone during the COVID-19 related quarantine (OR = 5.370, 95% CI: 2.523 to 11.427), maintained smartphone use five hours and more daily (OR = 2.818, 95% CI: 1.422 to 5.587), had neck pain (OR = 2.876, 95% CI: 1.356 to 6.098), the female gender (OR = 2.756, 95% CI: 1.221 to 6.221), and those who did not have a frequent break when using the smartphone (OR = 2.693, 95% CI: 1.329 to 5.454). Conclusion: In conclusion, the prevalence of neck disability was high among the surveyed medical students. Addiction and excessive smartphone use with a lack of attention to warm up the neck muscles before usage was the most prominent predictors of neck disability

Influence of Ectopic Beats on the Average, Maximum, and Minimum Heart Rates

Background: Heart rate metrics including the average heart rate, maximum heart rate, and minimum heart rate reflect the physiological condition of the heart. Clinically, determining the impact of ventricular and atrial ectopic beats on those three metrics is important because they indicate how hard the heart is working. Objective: To investigate the changes in heart rates of ventricular and atrial ectopic patients. Patients and Methods: In this study, data from 90 persons (30 with ventricular ectopic beats, 30 with atrial ectopic beats, and 30 healthy people) were gathered and analyzed to see what changes in heart rate metrics may occur in patients with ectopic beats. Results: According to our results, the three heart rate metrics in almost all three groups are statistically insignificant (p-value > 0.05). The average heart rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in ventricular ectopic patients than in atrial ectopic patients. The effect of age and gender on heart rate metrics were statistically assessed. Conclusion: Despite the fact that no significant differences were found in all groups, there were certain differences that require further examination. One of the long-term objectives is to expand this study to incorporate electrocardiography (ECG) analysis in order to complete the comparison between the three groups

Efficient and sustainable remediation of refinery wastewater using electrocoagulation and advanced oxidation techniques

Effluent wastewater from industrial processes needs to be properly treated before being discharged into the environment. Conventional procedures for handling this wastewater can be problematic due to the presence of toxic elements, time constraints, and complexity. However, a new electrochemical procedure has been developed as an effective method for remediation. In a recent study, refinery wastewater was successfully treated using an electrochemical technique combined with ultrasonic irradiation and photocatalysis. The study found that electrocoagulation, which uses cheap and recyclable metal electrodes, was a simple, efficient, practical, and cost-effective way to handle refinery wastewater. Various parameters were investigated, including electrode metals, operating time, applied voltage, pH, inter-electrode gap, and temperature. The aim was to determine the optimal configuration for pollutant removal. The study also focused on the synergistic effects of combining electrocoagulation and photocatalysis to improve the efficiency of contaminant removal in oily wastewater. By integrating these two treatment technologies, the researchers aimed to enhance pollutant removal rates, energy efficiency, and overall system performance. The research provided valuable insights into the feasibility, optimization parameters, and applicability of the electrocoagulation-photocatalysis process for remediating organic contaminants in oily wastewater industrial effluents. The results showed that electrocoagulation, especially when combined with ultrasonic irradiation and TiO2 photocatalysis, was highly effective in pollutant removal within a short timeframe. These findings support the implementation of this procedure for remediating most industrial wastewater.In conclusion, the study contributes to the development of more effective and sustainable water treatment strategies. The electrocoagulation-photocatalysis process shows promise in addressing the remediation of organic contaminants in oily wastewater from industrial processes

Application of paper sludge ash and incinerated sewage ash in emulsified asphalt cold mixtures

Certain disadvantages could have appeared while using hot mix asphalt (HMA), such as the release of unhealthy gases into the environment (environmental issues), difficulty in sustaining the temperature over long distances (logistical issues), and consuming a sufficient amount of energy while preparing and laying down (practical and economic issues). To overcome the aforementioned issues, this study aimed to develop rapid-curing emulsified asphalt cold mixes (EACM) comprising a cementitious filler made from industrial by-product materials. Paper sludge ash (PSA) is used as an active filler for application in the EACM rather than conventional mineral filler. Additionally, to maximize the effect of PSA’s hydraulic activity, incinerated sewage ash (ISA) is utilized as an activator at a concentration of 0%–4% by mass of the aggregates. The results demonstrate that the use of waste PSA significantly improves the indirect tensile stiffness modulus (ITSM) by around 10 times more after 2 days than the traditional emulsified asphalt cold mixes. In addition, the improvement in ITSM was around 30% and 65% for 6%PSA+1%ISA and 6%PSA+4%ISA mixes, respectively. Furthermore, the rutting for the 6%PSA+1%ISA and 6%PSA+4%ISA mixes decreased to around 19% and 11% in comparison to the traditional 131-pen HMA. The formation of hydration products and rapid demulsification of asphalt emulsion, which results in binding within the mixtures, are responsible for the increased ITSM and rutting resistance. As a result, environmental issues are minimized, and energy preservation may be maintained

Spectrum of Pituitary disorders: A retrospective study from Basrah, Iraq [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Pituitary disorders spectrum includes a wide variety of diseases.This study aimed at a comprehensive description of such disorders for patients from  Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism Center (FDEMC) in Basrah (Southern Iraq). Methods: Retrospective data analysis of FDEMC for the period from January 2012 through June 2017. We included all patients with pituitary disorders who have MRI pituitary. Results: The pituitary disorders were more common among women. Those with macroadenoma were older than those with microadenoma with nearly equal gender prevalence of macroadenoma. Pituitary adenoma constituted the bulk of pituitary disorders in this registry (67.2%). Growth hormone secreting adenoma were the commonest adenoma seen in 41.0% followed by clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma(NFPA)in 31.4% and prolactinoma in 26.9%. About 64.8% of pituitary adenoma was macroadenoma. Macroadenoma was seen in 73.4 % of growth hormone secreting adenoma, 61.2% in NFPA and 62.0% of prolactinoma (of them six were giant prolactinoma) Conclusion: Pituitary adenoma constituted the bulk of pituitary disorders in Basrah, growth hormone secreting adenoma is the commonest adenoma followed by NFPA and prolactinoma due to referral bias. A change  in  practice of pituitary adenoma treatment is needed

Staged humerus lengthening with monolateral fixation followed by a circular frame: Technique of fixator change

Monolateral external fixator (MEF) has been commonly used for limb lengthening in both upper and lower extremities. Since MEF can only lengthen or shorten the bone, sagittal, coronal, and torsional deformities need to be corrected acutely at the time of MEF application. Acute correction, particularly torsional correction, may endanger the radial or peroneal nerves. Gradual correction of torsion may be safely achieved using a circular external fixator (CEF) frame. We present a case study of humeral lengthening with derotation to describe a technique, whereby it is possible to first lengthen with MEF and then derotate with CEF. This is a case report of a 14-year-old boy with a history of neonatal sepsis and growth arrest of the proximal humerus that led to a short right humerus and loss of external rotation. Humerus lengthening was achieved (6.6 cm) using MEF. Conversion to CEF was done after the distraction phase and prior to regenerate bone consolidation. Two 2/3 rings were connected to the proximal and distal fixation half-pins, and then the six connecting struts were added. The rotation deformity correction was then performed gradually to achieve 60° of external rotation. The described technique to convert the MEF into CEF is versatile and can be employed in the clinic safely and without sedation

Treatment of unicameral bone cyst: systematic review and meta analysis

PURPOSE: Different treatment modalities have been utilized to treat unicameral bone cyst (UBC), but evidence has not been fully described to support one treatment over another and the optimal treatment is controversial. The aim of this quantitative systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of different UBC treatment modalities. METHODS: We utilized Pubmed to isolate retrospective studies on patients with UBC who received any kind of treatment. The included studies needed to have a minimum sample size of 15 patients, and have provided data on radiographic healing outcome. RESULTS: Sixty-two articles were selected for the meta-analysis from a total of 463 articles. The cumulative sample size was 3,211 patients with 3,217 UBC, and male to female ratio was 2.2:1. The summary or pool estimate of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injection resulted in a healing rate of (77.4 %) that was comparable to bone marrow injection (77.9 %). A higher healing rate was observed with MPA injection when inner wall disruption was performed. The pool estimate of bone marrow with demineralized bone matrix injection was high (98.7 %). UBC healing rate after surgical curettage was comparable whether autograft or allograft was utilized (90 %). UBC treatment with flexible intramedullary nails without curettage provided almost 100% healing rate, while continuous decompression with cannulated screws provided 89 % healing rate. Conservative treatment indicated a healing rate of 64.2, 95 % CI (26.7–101.8). CONCLUSIONS: Active treatment for UBC provided variable healing rates and the outcomes were favorable relative to conservative treatment. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies and reporting bias, the interpretation of these findings should be handled with caution

Effect of BMI on chemerin in serum on femals undergoing ICSI

Back ground: Serum chemerin levels are associated with both body fat percentage and BMI, and elevated chemerin levels are associated with metabolic problems and inflammatory shifts. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of BMI in serum and follicular fluid &nbsp;chemerin and Leptin level on patients undergoing ICSI. Patients and methods: This study was performed by participating 44 women undergo ICSI procedure devided in to two groups based on BMI in to non-obese group, theirBMI&lt;30 and obese group there BMI&gt;30 . Both groups are infertile women who attend high institute of infertility diagnosis and assisted reproductive technologies at Al-NAHRAIN university In AL-KADHIMIA city in BAGHDAD. From NOVEMBER 2021 to the end of MAY 2022. Blood sample was drown from each patient at day of oocyte pick up for serum &nbsp;chemerin measurements Also follicular fluid is collected for &nbsp;chemerin and Leptin level. Results: The result in non obese group showed a significant positive correlation was found between Serum chmrin levels, indicating a strong effect size (p&lt; .001). This suggests that as Serum &nbsp;chemerin levels rise, so will FF &nbsp;chemerin

The Effectiveness of Educational Pillars Based on Vygotsky's Theory in Achievement and Information Processing Among First Intermediate Class Students

The aim of the research is to identify the effectiveness of the educational pillars strategy based on Vygotsky's theory in mathematical achievement and information processing of first-grade intermediate students. In pursuit of the research objectives, the experimental method was used, and the quasi-experimental design was used for two equivalent groups, one control group taught traditionally and the other experi-mental taught according to the educational pillars strategy. The research sample consisted of (66) female students from the first intermediate grade, who were inten-tionally chosen after ensuring their equivalence, taking into account several factors, most notably chronological age and their level of mathematics, and they were dis-tributed equally into two groups, one experimental and the other control. The re-search tools were represented in the teacher's handbook for the application of the educational pillars strategy, the achievement test in mathematics, and the test of information processing skills. The researchers applied the experiment in the first semester of the (2019/2020) academic year. One of the researchers taught the ex-perimental group by applying the educational pillars strategy, while the control group studied according to the usual method. The mathematical achievement test and the data processing skill test were applied to the experimental and control re-search groups, and then the data necessary for statistical analysis and access to results were obtained. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the two groups and control groups in the mathematical achievement test. There were also statistically significant differences between the mean scores of the two groups on the test of the skill of information processing, and the size of the effect was calculated by describing a function of the effectiveness of the strategy on the two independent variables (mathematics achievement, information processing), as it became clear that the educational pillars strategy based on Vygotsky's theory has great effectiveness. On mathematics achievement and on developing students' information processing skill