Tikrit Journal of Pure Science

Several children have recurring bacterial illnesses that can last for long periods and have little prospect of recovery. A compromised immune system may be the cause on occasion, but other factors may include the environment they live in or a lack of care. The study\'s purpose was to determine how age affected children\'s immune blood factor levels. This study involved 45 children with recurrent bacterial infections and aimed to assess levels of specific immune components. These were IgM, IgG, and C4. In addition, both sexes had a complete blood count (CBC) at ages 1-7 years. The concentration of these components in the agar was determined by immunodiffusion, and the results were compared with those of negative control samples. Patients and controls had similar rates for the other immunological variables. When the entire blood count was compared to control samples, the white blood cell count (granulocytes, lymphocytes, and WBC) decreased. Still, the other immunological parameters remained unchanged between patients and controls. In contrast, when compared to control samples, the patients\' IgM and C4 levels were much lower. Females showed lower WBC and granulocyte counts than males, and their IgM rates were lower. Compared with older ages and control samples, the first age group (ages 1-3) showed a noticeable decline in blood parameters, except for IgM.

American cockroaches are among the most important vectors of parasitic infections. Limited and unclear data are available on parasitic contamination caused by this cockroach in Iraq, particularly in Salah al-Din Province. This study aimed to evaluate the parasitic contamination carried by American cockroaches in some areas of Salah al-Din Province. A total of 150 American cockroach specimens were collected from 4 locations (homes, schools, hospitals, and restaurants), and parasitic contamination on both internal and external surfaces was examined microscopically using Lugol's iodine. The results show that 100 cockroaches were contaminated with various parasites, with internal surfaces showing higher contamination (78%) than external surfaces. 20 different species of parasites were recorded in the present study: Nectotherus ovalis, Giardia lamblia, Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichomonas hominis, and Enterobius vermicularis had the highest prevalence in all samples, while Trichuris trichiura, Hymenolepis eggs, Diphyllobothrium latum, Taenia sp., and Balantidium coli (trophozoite) were less prevalent. Homes and Schools in Dhuluiya/Salah al-Din Province, Iraq, recorded the highest levels of contamination in this study. In conclusion, this study indicates potential public health risks in the selected areas, which may serve as sources of transmission for medically important parasites, and that homes and restaurants need improved hygiene.

The basidiomycete Inocutis tamaricis is a medicinal fungus belonging to the family Hymenochaetaceae. This study evaluates the biological activities of a protease enzyme extracted from I. tamaricis, focusing on its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antitumor potential. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion method against several pathogens at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 μg/ml. The results demonstrated that the enzyme has exclusive inhibitory activity against gram-positive bacteria, specifically Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus, but shows no activity against gram-negative bacteria or yeasts. Notably, E. faecalis showed greater sensitivity to the enzyme than S. aureus at all tested concentrations.
Antioxidant capacity was evaluated via the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The enzyme showed a dose-dependent response, achieving maximum effectiveness (74.88%) at 200 μg/ml, with activity decreasing proportionally at lower concentrations. Furthermore, antitumor assessments were conducted on the breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and a normal human dermal fibroblast line (HdFn). The findings revealed that the concentration of 400 μg/ml resulted in the lowest cell viability for both lines (40.5% for MCF-7 and 75.7% for HdFn). The calculated IC50 values were 118.6 μg/ml for the cancerous MCF-7 cells and 781.7 μg/ml for the normal HdFn cells. These results indicate that the protease enzyme from I. tamaricis possesses significant antioxidant properties and selective antitumor activity with low toxicity to normal cells, highlighting its potential for pharmaceutical applications.

Otitis media is a prevalent condition affecting individuals of all ages, often accompanied by symptoms such as ear pain, fluid accumulation, and possible hearing loss. Bacterial infections are among the leading causes, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae frequently implicated. This study aimed to identify the bacterial agents responsible for otitis media among patients attending hospitals in Diyala Governorate. A total of 172 ear swab samples were collected between September 1, 2024, and January 1, 2025. Bacterial identification was carried out using biochemical tests and the VITEK 2 system. The findings revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the most prevalent isolate (36%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae (11% each). Other less frequent isolates included Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Infection was more common among males, individuals aged 16–30, those with lower educational levels, urban residents, and smokers. These results emphasize the necessity of enhanced public health awareness, accurate microbial diagnostics, and responsible antibiotic use to improve treatment outcomes and combat antimicrobial resistance.

The study deals with determining the concentrations of heavy metals—silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn)—in 8 springs within the Shaqlawa district in the Erbil Governorate, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The samples were collected during two seasons: the first in summer 15-8-2024 and the other in winter 15-1-2025. The values of Ag, Al, As, Ba, Cd, CO, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Ni, Cr, Pb, Se and Zn as µg/L ranged between 0.617 and 0.843, 4.92 and 10.70, 0.305 and 1.01, 30.20 and 49.30, 0.10 and 0.324, 0.13 and 1.49, 3.97 and 9.85, 0.992 and 1.35, 0.43 and 1.100, 57.4 and 73.30, 1.00 and 1.00, 0.20 and 1.140, 1.63 and 2.69, 1.26 and 2.30, and 54.5 and 123.0 µg/L, respectively. The results indicated that, according to WHO guidelines, the concentrations of all heavy metals were within allowable levels for drinking water, except for lithium, which was recorded at high levels at all sites. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) ranged from 76.455 to 88.213 in the summer season and 77.045 to 96.585, below the critical limit of 100, indicating that the water sources were generally not contaminated with heavy metals. Nevertheless, the single-factor contamination index (SFPI) indicated a high lithium concentration at all sites and considered them contaminated. At the same time, other metals recorded low levels at all sites, indicating that they were not contaminated.

High-quality thin films of nickel oxide (NiO) and cadmium oxide (CdO) were deposited on porous silicon wafers and glass slides using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Laser pulses at 1064 nm and 700 mJ were used at a low pressure of 10⁻³ Torr, followed by a 60 min annealing at 300 °C to stabilize the films. A porous silicon wafer was prepared using a (10 min) photochemical etching process, resulting in a surface with a favorable diffusion of the particle distribution. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the distribution of CdO and NiO particles on the porous silicon surface at (200 pulses) and (300 pulses) for CdO and NiO, respectively. The results showed that increasing the pulse count improved the homogeneity and regularity of the particle distribution on the porous silicon surface, while simultaneously reducing the particle size. The etching process facilitated surface dispersion and the formation of a homogeneous nanolayer on the porous silicon films, as evidenced by the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of CdO and NiO. UV-Vis analysis revealed that CdO and NiO deposited on glass slides exhibit strong absorption at short wavelengths, with film thickness amplifying this absorption.

In this work, cerium oxide thin films were prepared by thermochemical spraying. The material was deposited on different segments, including glass, crystalline silicon and porous silicon. An atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to analyze surface roughness and morphological homogeneity of the thin films, where its AFM images showed clear differences in roughness and surface homogeneity between samples. Nanoscale compositions appeared more clearly in the silicon wafers compared to glass and photoluminescence analysis (PL) technology was used for the study of optical emissions and locations of oriented lengths, where this technique revealed a major emission at 863.2 nm in the case of sedimentation on porous silicon, indicating the effect of the concentration on the optical properties, as well as the use of UV-visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry technology to determine the energy facets and absorption properties, where it showed that the energy gap differs by different substrates and was its highest value when deposition was on glass (3.46 eV). According to UV-Vis measurements, these results open the way for multiple applications in optical reagents and other optical devices.

To develop solar cell technology, it is essential to focus on improving its efficiency at the temperatures typically encountered during operation. This study used third-generation quantum-dot solar cells (ITO/NiO/GaAs/CdTe/ZnO/Al). These cells exhibit electrical and optical properties suitable for photovoltaic applications. The impact of temperature on the performance of quantum dot solar cells is simulated using Silvaco Atlas, a tool for simulating experimental solar cells. The temperature in this work ranged from (300 K) to (350 K). The results confirmed a decrease in the solar cell's overall photovoltaic performance with increasing temperature. The electricity conversion performance decreased from (11 %) to (9.36 %), and the fill component reduced from (81.06 %) to (78.14 %). The open-circuit voltage also decreased from 0.98 V to 0.87 V. The short-circuit current density decreases slightly from (13.839 mA/cm2) to (13.7642 mA/cm2) with increasing temperature. The maximum energy of the solar cell also decreased from (2.2×10-11W) to (1.87×10-11 W) with growing temperature. This study revealed that the optimal temperature for the solar cell is 300 K, i.e., room temperature.

The increasing use of smart technologies and mobile devices has significantly impacted healthcare, improving medical services both inside and outside hospitals. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension are major global economic and social challenges. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables the integration of connected devices to monitor patients' health and provide doctors with real-time information. However, very few studies on implementing a patient monitoring system in Iraqi hospitals exist that can effectively guide most health organizations in their patient care endeavors.
Therefore, this study aims to examine the capabilities and challenges of implementing a patient monitoring system for chronic diseases in Iraqi hospitals, focusing on technological and human obstacles that may hinder its adoption.
A qualitative, exploratory research design was used to collect data from doctors, hospital staff at Dolyia Hospital, and patients in Dolyia City, Salah al-Din Province, through personal interviews and an electronic questionnaire. SPSS software was used for data analysis.
The findings indicate a positive relationship between medical staff's digital competence and the successful implementation of the system. Additionally, a statistically significant link was found between effective digital infrastructure and the success of the chronic disease monitoring system.

The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of hepatitis B and C among males and females and different age groups in Duhok City. Samples were collected from the central laboratory of Duhok Health Department, informed consent was obtained from the patients, and then 2 ml of venous blood was drawn. Tests were performed to diagnose viral infection using ELISA technique. The results of the current study showed that the number of infections with hepatitis B virus was higher than type C was 51.3% and 48.7% respectively. It also showed that the number of infected males was higher than females, as the percentage of males infected with hepatitis B and C virus was 50.6% and 58.9%, while the percentage of infected females was 49.4% and 41.1% respectively, the results also showed that the highest age group infected with the virus is the group (18-28) as the percentage of those infected with viral hepatitis B and C reached 35% and 51% respectively, while the lowest age group infected with the virus was ≥ 40, as the percentage of those infected with viral hepatitis B and C reached 24% and 14% respectively. We conclude from the study that the prevalence of hepatitis B is higher than C, the results also showed that male gender and age are considered risk factors for hepatitis B and C, as the results showed a positive relationship between the prevalence of viral infection with types B and C and males and young ages