Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is inflammation of the sacroiliac joints and spine, associated with clinical symptoms such as pain and stiffness in the vertebral column, after which, in a considerable number of individuals, new bone growth occurs. Objective: The current research study attempted to find out whether the presence of SNPs in TNF receptor [TNFRSF1A (rs767455), TNFRSF1B (rs1061622)] encoding genes could influence patients' outcomes to etanercept in a specimen of Iraqi AS patients. Patients and methods: Sixty patients with established AS receiving only etanercept were selected to be enrolled in this research with a mean age of 40.75 ± 8.67 years, 51 patients of them were males and only 9 patients were females. Patients were classed as "responders" if just obtained a BASDAI 50 clinical response and as "non-responders" if they can't achieve a BASDAI 50 clinical elaboration after at least 6 months treatment. After PCR products amplification of purified blood DNA, TNF receptor (TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B) genes SNPs were established by Sanger sequencing. Results: The analysis of this study expressed that there was a significant incidence of TT genotype of rs1061622 (P = 0.022) in responder group, whereas the TG genotype of the same SNP was considerably present in the group that did not respond (P = 0.002). Finally, a non-significant difference existed in alleles and genotypes frequency between responder and non-responder groups of rs767455 SNP in TNFRSF1A gene. Conclusions: The wild TT genotype of rs1061622 predicts etanercept responsiveness in ankylosing spondylitis patients. The TG genotype of the same SNP increases the probability of non-responding
English has for long been one of the most widely used media of communication globally, especially in the Malaysian universities. It has been termed as a Lingua Franca because it is shared with other languages which are considered first languages by different speakers. For this reason, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has attracted a number of researchers to investigate its variety via other languages in various communities. The objective of this paper is therefore to establish the strategies which are employing by the international students at the National University of Malaysia/ UniversitiKebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) as an example of one of the Malaysian universities; when they e
... Show MoreThe study aimed to estimate the content of lead and determine the quality of the internal coating of metal cans through electrical conductivity as well as to determine the accuracy of the information card for some types of canned food that available in local markets. The information card test showed that all of these samples contained the name of the food, trade mark, country origin, weight, and components, as was indicated by the company producing in all of them except for the C12 sample which was otherwise, and the batch number was mentioned in all samples except for the C3 and C17 which was not clear and not mentioned in the C21, and the validity period was observed (produce and fini
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research is to design a list of the scientific and moral values that should be found in the content of the computer textbook for the second intermediate grade, as well as to analyze the content of the above- mentioned book by answering the following question:
What is the percentage of availability of scientific and moral values in the content of the computer textbook for Second Intermediate grade issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Education / the general directorate of the curriculum, for the academic year (2017-2018)?
In order to achieve the research objectives, the descriptive method (content analysis method) was adopted. The research community has been iden
... Show More
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is the refractive technique that began with a physical scraping of the epithelial layer of cornea subsequent by laser treatment. Post this procedure to about 48 hours the removed epithelial layer regenerated to protect the eye again. The regeneration process (called re-epithelization) started from the limbus of the cornea toward the central part of it. The re-epithelization mechanism consists of a change in cell density (mitosis) and cell concentration (migration) with a velocity in two directions: radial and tangential. In the present study, an estimation for both radial (responsible for the overlapped layers toward the outward direction of the cornea) and tangential comp
... Show MoreThe phenomenon of poverty is one of the most important phenomena facing the world at large. Despite the tremendous technological progress witnessed by mankind and despite the unprecedented high levels of world economic production, poverty remains the greatest challenge facing the world. Statistics and studies have shown that poverty is caused by several problems: (health, social, economic, educational, etc.) These problems are obstacles to the ability to obtain employment opportunities, which leads in the beginning to the growth phenomenon of unemployment, and ultimately to the growth of poverty.
The results of a range of research in the field of psychology have confirmed that children from poor homes suffer from a high level of
... Show MoreA large number of researchers had attempted to identify the pattern of the functional relationship between fertility from a side and economic and social characteristics of the population from another, with the strength of effect of each. So, this research aims to monitor and analyze changes in the level of fertility temporally and spatially in recent decades, in addition to estimating fertility levels in Iraq for the period (1977-2011) and then make forecasting to the level of fertility in Iraq at the national level (except for the Kurdistan region), and for the period of (2012-2031). To achieve this goal has been the use of the Lee-Carter model to estimate fertility rates and predictable as well. As this is the form often has been familiar
... Show More