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.
The research tackles the nature of relationship between the Orthodox Church and the state in the Russian Federation. At the beginning of the nineties of the last century, the church had been performed a different role in its relationship with the state, and it had an effect over the internal and foreign policies for the Russian Federation. In political history of Russia, the church’s existence became an evident too much in comparing with the previous historical period, starting with the educational and political system, whether through a symbolic participating roles as what happened in the inauguration ceremony to take over responsibility of the head of state or taking actual roles such as influencing on the process of holding elections d
... Show MoreThis study aimed to provide a conceptual model for the use and benefits of the e-Government as related to administrative fraud and financial corruption. The study also looked into their concepts, forms, dimensions and types and the role of e-Government on fraud reduction, corruption in administration and finance and its impact on the government performance. From the result, it is revealed that there is need for electronic government for implementation in order to curb the rate of fraud and administrative and financial corruption and improve the quality of service provision for better performance
The harmonic oscillator (HO) and Gaussian (GS) wave functions within the binary cluster model (BCM) have been employ to investigate the ground state neutron, proton and matter densities as well as the elastic form factors of two- neutron 6He and 16C halo nuclei. The long tail is a property that is clearly revealed in the density of the neutrons since it is found in halo orbits. The existence of a long tail in the neutron density distributions of 6He and 16C indicating that these nuclei have a neutron halo structure. Moreover, the matter rms radii and the reaction cross section (𝜎𝑅 ) of these nuclei have been calculated using the Glauber model.
Three cohesionless free flowing materials of different density were mixed in an air fluidized bed to study the mixing process by calculating performance of mixing index according to Rose equation (1959) and to study the effect of four variables (air velocity, mixing time, particle size of trace component and concentration of trace component) on the mixing index and as well as on mixing performance. It was found that mixing index increases with increasing the air velocity, mixing time and concentration of trace component until the optimum value. Mixing index depends on the magnitude of difference in particle size The first set of experiments (salt then sand then cast iron) give higher mixing index and better performance of mixing than the
... Show MoreStructure of unstable 21,23,25,26F nuclei have been investigated
using Hartree – Fock (HF) and shell model calculations. The ground
state proton, neutron and matter density distributions, root mean
square (rms) radii and neutron skin thickness of these isotopes are
studied. Shell model calculations are performed using SDBA
interaction. In HF method the selected effective nuclear interactions,
namely the Skyrme parameterizations SLy4, Skeσ, SkBsk9 and
Skxs25 are used. Also, the elastic electron scattering form factors of
these isotopes are studied. The calculated form factors in HF
calculations show many diffraction minima in contrary to shell
model, which predicts less diffraction minima. The long tail
The gravity method is a measurement of relatively noticeable variations in the Earth’s gravitational field caused by lateral variations in rock's density. In the current research, a new technique is applied on the previous Bouguer map of gravity surveys (conducted from 1940–1950) of the last century, by selecting certain areas in the South-Western desert of Iraqi-territory within the provinces' administrative boundary of Najaf and Anbar. Depending on the theory of gravity inversion where gravity values could be reflected to density-contrast variations with the depths; so, gravity data inversion can be utilized to calculate the models of density and velocity from four selected depth-slices 9.63 Km, 1.1 Km, 0.682 Km and 0.407 Km.
... Show MoreBackground: periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease causing destruction of the tooth supporting structures, initiated by dental plaque and modified by environmental and genetic risk factors. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is responsible for the production of prostaglandin E2, an important mediator in the chronic periodontitis (CP) pathogenesis. Polymorphisms in COX-2 gene have linked to CP in different populations. Aim: To study the association between Cyclooxygenase-2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs689466 (-1195A/G SNP) and chronic periodontitis in a sample of Iraqi population. Methods: One hundred Iraqi subjects divided into two groups: case group consisted of 70 CP patient (35 males and 35 females) with age range 30-55 year
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