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.
Adhesion (type 1 fimbriae) and host defense avoidance mechanisms (capsule or lipopolysaccharide) have been shown to be prevalent in Escherichia coli isolates associated with urinary tract infections. In this work, 50 uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) isolated from children with urinary tract infections were genotypically characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. We used two genes; fimH and kpsMTII, both of them previously identified in uropathogenic E.coli (UPEC) isolates. The PCR assay results identified fimH (90.0)% and kpsMTII (72.0)% isolates. In the present study, was also demonstrated that these genes may be included in both or one of them within a single isolate.
Breast cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related death in women worldwide. Amplification or over-expression of the ERBB2 (HER/neu) gene occurs in approximately 15-30% of breast cancer cases and it is strongly associated with an increased disease recurrence and a poor prognosis. Determination of HER2/neu status is crucial in the treatment plan as that positive cases will respond to trastuzumab therapy. It has been used to test for HER2/neu by immunohistochemistry as a first step and then to study only the equivocal positive cases (score 2+) by in situ hybridization technique. The aim of our study is to compare between immunohistochemistry and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) in assessment of human epidermal growth factor (HER2/neu)
... Show MoreThe design of components subjected to contact stress as local compressive stress is important in engineering application especially in ball and socket Joining. Two kinds of contact stress are introduced in the ball and socket joint, the first is from normal contact while the other is from sliding contact. Although joining two long links (drive shaft in steering cars) will cause the effect of flexural and tensional buckling stress in hollow columns through the ball and socket ends on the failure condition of the joining mechanism. In this paper the consideration of the combined effect of buckling Load and contact stress on the ball and socket joints have been taken, epically on the stress distribution in the contact area. Different
... Show MoreBackground: This in vitro study was carried out to investigate the effect of post space regions (coronal, middle and apical), the effect of post types ( Manually Milled Zirconia post, Prefabricated Fiber post, prefabricated Zirconia post) and the type of cement used (GIC, self-adhesive resin cement) on the bond strength between the posts and root dentin by using push-out test. Material and methods: Forty eight mandibular premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons (single rooted) were instrumented with ProTaper system (hand use) and obturated with gutta percha for ProTaper using AH26® root canal sealer following the manufacturer instructions. After 24 hours, post space was prepared using Zirix and Glassix drills no.3 creating 8 mm dept
... Show MoreThe aim of this work was to capture solar radiation and convert it into solar thermal energy by using a storage material and the heat transfer fluid like oil and water and comparison between them, we used the evacuated tube as a receiver for solar radiation, The results showed that the oil better than water as storage material and the heat transfer fluid and the effective thermal conductivity material and good for power level, rates and durations of charge and discharge cycles.
Background: EBV infection in tissue micro-environment is challenged by the precisely regulated survivaland apoptosis mechanisms. Abnormal bcl-2 proto-oncogene expression in colonic carcinomas allowsaccumulation and propagation of these genetically altered cells.Objective: To analyze the relevant concordance of BCL-2 gene , EBNA1 s and LMP-1-EBV expression inissues from a group of Iraqi patients with colonic adenocarcinomas.Patients and Methods: One hundred (100) tissue biopsies, belonged to (40) patients with colorectalcancers, (40) patients with benign colon tumors, and (20) apparently normal colorectal control tissues,were enrolled in this study. The detection of EBNA1 s and LMP-1-EBV as well as BCL-2 was done byimmunohistochemist
... Show MoreBackground:Parkinson’disease(PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system characterized by resting tremor, bradykinesia, cogwheel rigidity, and impairment of postural reflexes; the frequency of PD increases with aging.Clinically Parkinson's disease characterized by two groups of symptoms: motor and non-motor symptoms.Non-motor symptoms can be categorized as autonomic, cognitive/psychiatric (may include depression, dementia, anxiety, hallucinations), sensory and rapid eye movements (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD).
Objectives:The objectives of this study are to find out the frequency of the non-motor symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson disease in a group of patients in Baghd
... Show MoreEP/ metal composites were prepared as adhesives between two steel rods. Epoxy resin (EP) was used as a matrix with metal as fillers (Al, Cu, Fe,).
The preparation method for tensile adhesion tests includes two steel rods with adhesive composites between the rods to measure adhesion strength Sad and adhesion toughness Gad.
Results of tensile adhesion tests show that EP/ metals composite have maximum strength Sad for certain weight percentage of metals 2.95 and 9MPa at 10% for EP/Al and EP/Cu composite and 8.2MPa at 40% for EP/Fe composites
A hand lay-up method was used to prepare Epoxy/ metal composites. Epoxy resin (EP) was used as a matrix with metal particles (Al, Cu, and Fe) as fillers.
The preparation method includes preparing square panels of composites with different weight percentage of fillers (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%). Standard specimens (88mm in diameter) for thermal conductivity tests were prepared to measure thermal conductivity kexp.The result of experimental thermal conductivity kexp, for EP/metal composites show that, kexp increase with increasing weight percentage, For EP/ Al and EP/Cu composites, and it have have maximum values of 0.33 and 0.35 W/m.K, respectively. While kexp for EP/ Fe composite show slight increase with maximum value of 0.186 W/m.K.