Introduction: The therapeutic efficacy of erythropoietin (EPO) may be diminished by the formation of anti-erythropoietin antibodies (AEAs), potentially resulting in therapy failure. Objectives: This retrospective study included 84 hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated with recombinant EPO and aimed to evaluate the association between serum AEA and treatment response. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study included eighty-four Iraqi patients with ESRD who had been on recombinant human EPO for more than 6 months and had hemoglobin levels below 11 g/dL. Serum AEA levels were measured in all patients to evaluate their association with treatment response and to investigate correlations with demograph

Modeling forward kinematics with neural networks allows for efficient handling of nonlinear relationships and realistic error correction in time-critical applications by relying on accurate training data. This paper presents a Multi-Layer Feed-Forward Neural Network (MLFFNN) to solve the forward kinematics of a 3-DOF robot. The proposed MLFFNN consists of 50 hidden neurons and was trained using 628319 samples to find only the position (x, y, z) of the end-effector. Data were generated by MATLAB, assuming an incremental motion of joints. The joint variables ( , , and ) are the inputs of the NN, which outputs the positions of the end effector (x, y, z) calculated using the Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) method. The results demonstrate that t

In hemodialysis patients, pain associated with needle insertion into an arteriovenous fistula is a physical and psychological problem. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of pre‐puncture application of an ice pack, EMLA cream, or lidocaine spray to reduce pain associated with access puncture.

The current work aims to evaluate the association between genetic mutations in thymidylate synthetase (TYMS gene in exon1 and partial regions of promotor and intron 1 [877 bp, 657,220–658,096 bp]) and the therapeutic outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Iraqi patients. An observational cross-sectional study involving 95 RA patients with established RA patients based on their methotrexate treatment responsiveness. Genetic sequencing of the TYMS gene was performed for all patients according to the instruction manuals of the sequencing company (Macrogen Inc. Geumchen, South Korea). Four polymorphisms were identified by sequencing 95 randomly selected patients in the noncoding region of TYMS

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) offers small loans with easy repayment system and till now these institutions have served millions of needy people around the globe. This study highlights the hurdles influence the smooth working and growth of Microfinance institution in Egypt. The structured interviews were conducted from the top and mid-level managers of MFI's. This study revealed that interest rate, political and economic conditions, corruption, customer outreach, competition and technology are the important elements for MFI's success. It is evident that lack of use of technology and less importance drawn on customer outreach programs are the main challenges of MFI's in Egypt. This study provides a roadmap for practitioners and strategic