BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 can effect clinical presentation and course of ankylosing spondylitis. Different detection techniques of HLA-B27 are available with variable sensitivities and specificities. OBJECTIVE: To compare serologic and molecular diagnostic techniques of detecting HLA-B27 status and to correlate it with some clinical variables among ankylosing spondylitis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were reported. HLA-B27 status was determined in all patients by real-time PCR using HLA-B27 RealFast™ kit; ELISA method was used as well to detect soluble serum HLA-B27 antigens using Human Leukocyte Antigen® kit. RESULTS:

The effect of time (or corrosion products formation) on corrosion rates of carbon steel pipe in aerated 0.1N NaCl
solution under turbulent flow conditions is investigated. Tests are conducted using electrochemical polarization
technique by determining the limiting current density of oxygen reduction in Reynolds number range of 15000 to 110000
and temperature range of 30 to 60oC. The effect of corrosion products formation on the friction factor is studied and
discussed. Corrosion process is analyzed as a mass transfer operation and the mass transfer theory is employed to
express the corrosion rate. The results are compared with many proposed models particularly those based on the
concept of analogy among momentum, heat,

In this research constructed N2 laser system by use developed method of electric discharge. In this method used four step of electric discharge by using four capacitors, three spark gaps, high tension power supply varying in range from 12kV to 24 kV and three resistors, this method called three stage blumlein circuit. The breakdown time delay of these parallel spark gaps cement strong ultraviolet preionization in the laser channel, thus the result of these amendments the laser output is many doubled and is more increasing than that obtained using the one and two stage blumlein circuits. This system has been designed and operated to give pulse laser with wavelength at 337.1 nm. This laser system can operate without mirrors and optical res

The consumption of fresh fruits has increased nowadays due to the lifestyle of the consumers. Maintaining the quality and nutritional value of cut fruits during storage is difficult compared to whole fruits. Deterioration of internal and external quality usually occurs in freshly harvested fruits. It is necessary to use different techniques to maintain the quality and increase the shelf life of the freshly cut product. This research studied the effect of treating apple slices with cold plasma once and with filtered water again on quality characteristics (hardness, moisture content, sugar content, carbohydrate content, and color) after being stored for five days. The best treatment was determined using two different pressures of the plasma j

The equation of Kepler is used to solve different problems associated with celestial mechanics and the dynamics of the orbit. It is an exact explanation for the movement of any two bodies in space under the effect of gravity. This equation represents the body in space in terms of polar coordinates; thus, it can also specify the time required for the body to complete its period along the orbit around another body. This paper is a review for previously published papers related to solve Kepler’s equation and eccentric anomaly. It aims to collect and assess changed iterative initial values for eccentric anomaly for forty previous years. Those initial values are tested to select the finest one based on the number of iterations, as well as the

The Taylor series is defined by the f and g series. The solution to the satellite's equation of motion is expanding to generate Taylor series through the coefficients f and g. In this study, the orbit equation in a perifocal system is solved using the Taylor series, which is based on time changing. A program in matlab is designed to apply the results for a geocentric satellite in low orbit (height from perigee, hp= 622 km). The input parameters were the initial distance from perigee, the initial time, eccentricity, true anomaly, position, and finally the velocity. The output parameters were the final distance from perigee and the final time values. The results of radial distance as opposed to time were plotted for dissimilar times in

This paper describes the problem of online autonomous mobile robot path planning, which is consisted of finding optimal paths or trajectories for an autonomous mobile robot from a starting point to a destination across a flat map of a terrain, represented by a 2-D workspace. An enhanced algorithm for solving the problem of path planning using Bacterial Foraging Optimization algorithm is presented. This nature-inspired metaheuristic algorithm, which imitates the foraging behavior of E-coli bacteria, was used to find the optimal path from a starting point to a target point. The proposed algorithm was demonstrated by simulations in both static and dynamic different environments. A comparative study was evaluated between the developed algori

In this work, a single pile is physically modeled and embedded in an upper liquefiable loose sand layer overlying a non-liquefiable dense layer. A laminar soil container is adopted to simulate the coupled static-dynamic loading pile response during earthquake motions: Ali Algharbi, Halabjah, El-Centro, and Kobe earthquakes. During seismic events with combined loading, the rotation along the pile, the lateral and vertical displacements at the pile head as well as the pore pressure ratio in loose sandy soil were assessed. According to the experimental findings, combined loading that ranged from 50 to 100% of axial load would alter the pile reaction by reducing the pile head peak ground acceleration, rotation of the pile, and lateral displacem