The present work evaluated the differences in mechanical properties of two athletic prosthetic feet samples when subjected to impact while running. Two feet samples designated as design A and B were manufactured using layers of different orientations of woven glass fiber reinforced with unsaturated polyester resin as bonding epoxy. The samples’ layers were fabricated with hand lay-up method. A theoretical study was carried out to calculate the mechanical properties of the composite material used in feet manufacturing, then experimental load-deflection  test was applied at 0 degree position and 25 degree dorsiflexion feet position  and impact test were applied for both feet designs to observe the behavior

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative aging disease, with idiopathic PD being most common. Gastrointestinal tract disorders (GITD) and microbiota changes may trigger idiopathic PD. Neurotoxins from microbiota can travel from the gut to the brain via the brain-gut axis (BGA), leading to α-syn protein misfolding and dopaminergic neuron death. Methods: The aim of the current study was to investigate the link between PD and GITD by measuring several biochemical and immunological markers in 142 patients. The biochemical markers measured were vitamins B6, B12, and D, calcium, serotonin, ghrelin, dopamine, and α-syn protein. The immunological markers included transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), tu

Respiratory tract infections in sheep are among the important health problems that affect all sheep ages around the world. Nine bacterial isolates obtained from sheep with respiratory tract infections were selected to be used in the current study. The isolates included 3 Staphylococcus aureus, 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 2 Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following the primers design by the Primer3Plus software tool and optimization of the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the primers were validated for their use in the multiplex PCR experiments. The MFEprimer program was used to check the suitability of the primer set combinations for multiplex PCR. The MFEprimer software was successful in designing the multiplex-PCR experiments and de

Background: Rituximab is a chimeric IgG1 kappa immunoglobulin that has been genetically modified to incorporate human constant region sequences together with murine light- and heavy-chain variable region sequences. People use it to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain malignancies. Objective: The study aimed to assess the potential association between the serum levels of Factor I, CD59, interleukins (IL)-6, and interferon-gamma (IFN)-γ and the response to Rituximab treatment in Iraqi rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the rheumatology center at Baghdad Teaching Hospital. Ninety adult patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and are receiving  Rituximab intravenous i

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different techniques for extraction and purification of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). An isolate of the virus free of possible contamination with other viruses infecting the same host and transmitted by the same vector Bemisia tabaci Genn. was obtained. This was realized by indicator plants and incubation period in the vector. Results obtained revealed that the virus infect Nicotiana glutinosa without visible symptoms, while Nicotiana tabaccum var. White Burley was not susceptible to the virus. The incubation period of the virus in the vector was found to be 21 hrs. These results indicate that the virus is TYLCV. Results showed that Butanol was more effective in clarification the

The invasion and spread of cancer cells are two of the most notable characteristics of malignant tumors. Recent studies suggest that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been linked to this significant occurrence. It is linked to the absence of the epithelial brow and the presence of mesenchymal facial hair. The aims of the present study were to explore the immunohistochemical staining of vimentin and E-cadherin ex vivo as EMT markers and assess their potential as predictive biomarkers for transitional cell cancer (TCC). In this study, 55 paraffin-embedded biopsies from TCC patients and 10 autopsies that appeared to be normal were included. Immunohistochemistry was used to produce patterns of vimentin and E-cadherin expression. W