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.
Identification of complex communities in biological networks is a critical and ongoing challenge since lots of network-related problems correspond to the subgraph isomorphism problem known in the literature as NP-hard. Several optimization algorithms have been dedicated and applied to solve this problem. The main challenge regarding the application of optimization algorithms, specifically to handle large-scale complex networks, is their relatively long execution time. Thus, this paper proposes a parallel extension of the PSO algorithm to detect communities in complex biological networks. The main contribution of this study is summarized in three- fold; Firstly, a modified PSO algorithm with a local search operator is proposed
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In this study, mucilage was extracted from Malabar spinach and tested for drag-reducing properties in aqueous liquids flowing through pipelines. Friction produced by liquids flowing in turbulent mode through pipelines increase power consumption. Drag-reducing agents (DRA) such as polymers, suspended solids and surfactants are used to reduce power losses. There is a demand for natural, biodegradable DRA and mucilage is emerging as an attractive alternative to conventional DRAs. Literature review revealed that very little research has been done on the drag-reducing properties of this mucilage and there is an opportunity to explore the potential applications of mucilage from Malabar spinach. An experi
... Show MoreSoil wetted pattern from a subsurface drip plays great importance in the design of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system for delivering the required water directly to the roots of the plant. An equation to estimate the dimensions of the wetted area in soil are taking into account water uptake by roots is simulated numerically using HYDRUS (2D/3D) software. In this paper, three soil textures namely loamy sand, sandy loam, and loam soil were used with three different types of crops tomato, pepper, and cucumber, respectively, and different values of drip discharge, drip depth, and initial soil moisture content were proposed. The soil wetting patterns were obtained at every thirty minutes for a total time of irrigation equ
... Show MoreAll-optical canonical logic units at 40 Gb/s using bidirectional four-wave mixing (FWM) in highly nonlinear fiber are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Clear temporal waveforms and correct pattern streams are successfully observed in the experiment. This scheme can reduce the amount of nonlinear devices and enlarge the computing capacity compared with general ones. The numerical simulations are made to analyze the relationship between the FWM efficiency and the position of two interactional signals. © 2015 Chinese Laser Press
Data centric techniques, like data aggregation via modified algorithm based on fuzzy clustering algorithm with voronoi diagram which is called modified Voronoi Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm (VFCA) is presented in this paper. In the modified algorithm, the sensed area divided into number of voronoi cells by applying voronoi diagram, these cells are clustered by a fuzzy C-means method (FCM) to reduce the transmission distance. Then an appropriate cluster head (CH) for each cluster is elected. Three parameters are used for this election process, the energy, distance between CH and its neighbor sensors and packet loss values. Furthermore, data aggregation is employed in each CH to reduce the amount of data transmission which le
... Show MoreStrangeness in design generally and in advertisement design specifically is manifested in various images and creative propositions and shapes that depart the traditional and conventional framework to elevate design to virtual intellectual worlds related to the inspirational and imaginative range of the creative designer, which makes the forms of strangeness a means for persuasion and astonishment which achieves the functional and aesthetic objectives of the advertisement. The two researchers identified the research question "what is the concept of strangeness in the commercial advertisements design? The research objective has been determined by identifying the concept of strangeness in the commercial advertisement design. Strangen
... Show MoreTelevision culture has become the most dangerous of our time. It manipulates with minds and hearts together; and forms consciousness. It transforms societies into actual forces rejecting certain principles by guiding the media landscape through visible connotations acceptable to the public; or provokes the citizen against elements that put a burden on the viewer or the public in order to create a positive reaction to the subject of combating terrorism by combining these ads in line with what the public wants of security and tranquility and a decent living after suffering from terrorism in the past years.
Therefore, this research deals with television advertisements as one of the most important fo
... Show MoreElectrical distribution system loads are permanently not fixed and alter in value and nature with time. Therefore, accurate consumer load data and models are required for performing system planning, system operation, and analysis studies. Moreover, realistic consumer load data are vital for load management, services, and billing purposes. In this work, a realistic aggregate electric load model is developed and proposed for a sample operative substation in Baghdad distribution network. The model involves aggregation of hundreds of thousands of individual components devices such as motors, appliances, and lighting fixtures. Sana’a substation in Al-kadhimiya area supplies mainly residential grade loads. Measurement-based
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate the levels of Psychological well-being among elderly people and To find out the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and psychological well-being among elderly people who live in Geriatric centers. Methodology: A descriptive study in which evaluation approach is applied to achieve the objectives of the study the period of the study was from 29 December 2014 to 25 may 2015, The sample is non-probability (purposive sample) of 60 elderly people and selecte according to criteria of sample and for the purpose of the study , ( 40 ) are from Al Rashad and ( 20 ) Sleek
This study investigated the healing effects of topical application of zerumbone, a well‐known anti‐inflammatory compounds loaded on nanostructured lipid carrier gel (Carbopol 940) (ZER‐NLCG) on excisional wounds in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. Diabetic rats with inflicted superficial skin wound were topically treated with ZER‐NLCG, empty NLCG, and silver sulfadiazine cream (SSDC) once daily for 21 days. Wound tissue samples were analyzed for proinflammatory cytokines, namely, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐1