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 level of RANKL and OPG was measured at baseline and after three months of therapy by immunoenzymatically assay (ELISA). The results were tabulated and statistically analyzed usingthe statistical package for social science. The result demonstrated that RANKL level had a positive correlation with age and disease duration in contrast to OPG level showed a negative correlation with age and duration of disease. In the patients group treated with MTX at baseline, the RANKL level was significantly higher (181.336±65.583) than post-therapy (166.097±69.229), while the OPG level at baseline significantly lower (594.398±133.238) than post therapy (614.499±150.879). In ETN treated patients, the level of RANKL in baseline was significantly higher than (231.247±73.134) RANKL level post-therapy (200.363±76.807), while OPG level in baseline waslower (463.263±96.392) than post therapy (503.608±107.692). The study demonstrated in baseline RANKL/OPG ratio significant higher (0.4340±0.234) than post therapy (0.3690±0.222). All RA patients had or were at high risk for osteoporosis.Both Etanarcept and methotrexate produce insignificant differences on OPG and RANKL levels, in the same time this biomarkers are not good indicators for bone state.
Five fish species were collected from Tigris river at Al-Adhamiyah region, Baghdad during the period from September to December 2011. These fishes were examined for ectoparasites. They were infected with 13 species of parasites which included one species of ciliated protozoans and 12 species of monogeneans. Among such parasites, Ligophorus imitans Euzet et Suriano, 1977 is reported for the first time in Iraq. In addition, eight new host records in Iraq were reported in the present study.
Efficiency of Pisum sativum plants in using tricalcium super phosphate (TSP) in presence and absence of mycorrhizal fungi was evaluated in the field experiment in College of Science / Al-Mustansiriyah University. The experiment comprised of (6) treatments prepared from the interaction of two levels of inoculation [non-inoculation with fungus F0 and inoculation with Glomus mosseae fungus (F1)]. And three levels of phosphorus: 0,20,40 Kg P/ha. The experimental size was (1x2)m. Irrigation and hand-weeding were done when needed. The following plant measurements were recorded: (Shoots dry weight, concentration of N and P% in addition to percentage of root infection with mycorrhizal fungi at flowering 50% of plants. The re
... Show MoreThis research aims to investigate the role of quality management in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of settling accounts tax in terms of achieving satisfaction in charge of the hand and the increase of tax revenue on the other hand, by testing the main hypothesis of the study and the sub-hypotheses in the Income and Sales Tax Department in Jordan for the period 2000-20
... Show Moreيتعرض قانون الموازنة العامة الاتحادية للطعن بعدم الدستورية كغيره من القوانين، بل أن الطعن فيه يكاد يكون سنوياً حال نشره في الجريدة الرسمية ، وتوجه إليه المطاعن بعدم الدستورية إما عن إجراءات تشريعه أو لمضامينه المتعارضة مع الدستور نصاً أو روحاً ، ولكنّه إذا كانت مدة الطعن بعدم دستورية القوانين كافة متاحة دون قيد زمني محدد ولا تتطلب سوى إجراءات إقامة الدعوى العامة وأخصها قيام شرط المصلحة في حالة الدعوى ال
... Show MoreThe important factor in the success of construction projects is its ability to objective estimate of the cost of the project and adapt to the changes of the external environment, which is affected by a lot of elements and the requirements of the competitive environment. The faces of those projects are several problems in order to achieve particular goals. To overcome these difficulties has been the development of research in the last two decades and turn the focus on the role of the cost of project management, by providing information and assist management in planning and control of the budget among the main elements of the project, namely, (time-cost-quality),The research aims at the possibility of developing and implementing mechanisms
... Show MoreChemical bath deposition was used to synthesize ZnO nanorods (NRs) on glass and fluorine_doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. X-ray diffraction was performed to examine the crystallinity of ZnO nanorod. Results showed that ZnO NRs had a wurtzite crystal structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images showed that glass sample had rod-like structure distribution with (50 nm) diameter and average length of approximately (700 nm), whereas the FTO-coated glass sample had 25 nm diameter and average length of approximately 950 nm. The direct optical transition band gaps of the glass and FTO_coated glass samples were( 4 and 4.43 eV), respectively. The structural and optical properties of the synthesized ZnO p
... Show MoreGenerally fossil based fuels are used in internal combustion engines as an energy source.
Excessive use of fossil based fuels diminishes present reserves and increases the air pollution in
urban areas. This enhances the importance of the effective use of present reserves and/or to develop
new alternative fuels, which are environment friendly. Use of alternative fuel is a way of emission
control. The term “Alternative Gaseous Fuels” relates to a wide range of fuels that are in the
gaseous state at ambient conditions, whether when used on their own or as components of mixtures
with other fuels.
In this study, a single cylinder diesel engine was modified to use LPG in dual fuel mode to study
the performance, emis
In this work, the plasma parameters (electron temperature and
electron density) were determined by optical emission spectroscopy
(OES) produced by the RF magnetron Zn plasma produced by
oxygen and argon at different working pressure. The spectrum was
recorded by spectrometer supplied with CCD camera, computer and
NIST standard of neutral and ionic lines of Zn, argon and oxygen.
The effects of pressure on plasma parameters were studied and a
comparison between the two gasses was made.
The object of this work is to investigate the effect of the addition of methanol on the shelf life and color characteristics of novolak resin. Different percentages were added and two mechanisms were suggested for the addition. High ortho structure (1, 2-3) novolak resin was prepared and used in the above investigation. Experimental determination using FT-IR and UV-spectroscopy showed that on the addition of 30% of methanol and according to the second mechanism of addition novolak shelf life increased to 12 months without obvious decomposition and color change. It is suggested that methanol plays an important role in the inhabitation of the reactive sites on the resin that are responsible for the oxidation of the polymer when exposed to
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