Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common health problem that has a worldwide distribution. Apart from the direct effect of the virus on the liver, there are many extrahepatic manifestations among which the probable effect on bone turnover associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the association between treated and untreated chronic HBV infection with BMD. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which included a total of 48 patients with chronic HBV (28 patients treated with tenofovir-disoproxil-fumarate [TDF] antiviral drug and 20 patients have not yet started treatment). Other age- and sex-matched 30 apparently healthy individuals were recruited to represent the healthy controls. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry on the anteroposterior lumbar spine (L1–L4 spine) views, from which T-score was calculated. Liver function tests were also evaluated from serum samples. Results: Treated patients showed a lower T‑score (−0.48 ± 0.72) than either healthy individuals (1.08 ± 0.84) or untreated patients (0.78 ± 0.51), with highly significant differences. In multivariate regression, only disease duration (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 9.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.8–16.68) and TDF treatment (adjusted OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 4.18–97.05) were significantly associated with BMD. Conclusions: Prolonged use of TDF in the treatment of HBV infection can significantly reduce BMD. Moreover, BMD can also be inversely affected in long-standing HBV, regardless of treatment regimen.
Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are considered an emerging technology in the industrial and educational fields. This technology is essential in the deployment of the intelligent transportation system, which is targeted to improve safety and efficiency of traffic. The implementation of VANETs can be effectively executed by transmitting data among vehicles with the use of multiple hops. However, the intrinsic characteristics of VANETs, such as its dynamic network topology and intermittent connectivity, limit data delivery. One particular challenge of this network is the possibility that the contributing node may only remain in the network for a limited time. Hence, to prevent data loss from that node, the information must reach the destina
... Show MoreThis research studies the effect of particle packing density on sintering TiO2 microstructure. Sintering experiment was conducted on compacts involving of monodisperse spherical TiO2 particles. The experimental results are modeled using L2-Regression technique in studing the effect of two theoretical values of 55% and 69% of initial packing densities. The mathematical simulation shows that the lower values of density compacts sintered fast to theoretical density and this reflects that particle packing density improved densification rate because of the competing influence of grain growth at higher values of densities.
In this paper, there are two main objectives. The first objective is to study the relationship between the density property and some modules in detail, for instance; semisimple and divisible modules. The Addition complement has a good relationship with the density property of the modules as this importance is highlighted by any submodule N of M has an addition complement with Rad(M)=0. The second objective is to clarify the relationship between the density property and the essential submodules with some examples. As an example of this relationship, we studied the torsion-free module and its relationship with the essential submodules in module M.
Algorithms using the second order of B -splines [B (x)] and the third order of B -splines [B,3(x)] are derived to solve 1' , 2nd and 3rd linear Fredholm integro-differential equations (F1DEs). These new procedures have all the useful properties of B -spline function and can be used comparatively greater computational ease and efficiency.The results of these algorithms are compared with the cubic spline function.Two numerical examples are given for conciliated the results of this method.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune diseasecharacterized by chronic inflammationthat affects joints and cartilage. Bone complications such asRA-relatedosteoporosis are one of the most extra-articular manifestations. Many inflammatory mediators are released during RA disease pathophysiology; these mediators stimulate osteoclast genesis of bone by direct effects on RANKL and OPG. The study aimedto measure RANKL, OPG in RA patients treated with Etanercept only and other groups treated with Methotrexate onlyat baseline and after three months to evaluate bone state. An observational case-control prospective study was done on 30 RA patients who received MTX, 30 RA patients who received ETN, and 30 healthy,age-matched control groups. The
... Show MoreThe purpose of this paper is to study the properties of the
partial level density ( ) l g and the total level density g ( ),
numerically obtained as a l sum of ( ) l g up to 34 max l , for
a Harmonic – Oscillator potential well. This method applied the
quantum – mechanical phase shift technique and concentrated
on the continuum region. Also a discussion of peculiarities of
quantal calculation for single particle level density of energy –
dependent potential