Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative autoimmune disease mediated by autoreactive T cells against myelin-basic proteins. Cytokines are suggested to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Among these cytokines is interleukin-2 (IL-2). Aim of the study: To investigate the association between IL2+166 G/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2069763) and MS in Iraqi patients. Serum level of IL-2 was also detected. Anti-rubella IgG antibody was further determined in the sera of patients. Patients and methods: Eighty MS patients (28 males and 52 females; age mean ± SD: 39.2 ± 16.1 years) and 80 healthy control matched patients for age (32.15 ± 16.13 years) and gender (28 males and 52 females) were en

Many researchers consider Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) engine mode as a promising alternative to combustion in Spark Ignition and Compression Ignition Engines. The HCCI engine runs on lean mixtures of fuel and air, and the combustion is produced from the fuel autoignition instead of ignited by a spark. This combustion mode was investigated in this paper. A variable compression ratio, spark ignition engine type TD110 was used in the experiments. The tested fuel was Iraqi conventional gasoline (ON=82).

The results showed that HCCI engine can run in very lean equivalence ratios. The brake specific fuel consumption was reduced about 28% compared with a spark ignition engine. The experimental tests showed that the em

In the geotechnical and terramechanical engineering applications, precise understandings are yet to be established on the off-road structures interacting with complex soil profiles. Several theoretical and experimental approaches have been used to measure the ultimate bearing capacity of the layered soil, but with a significant level of differences depending on the failure mechanisms assumed. Furthermore, local displacement fields in layered soils are not yet studied well. Here, the bearing capacity of a dense sand layer overlying loose sand beneath a rigid beam is studied under the plain-strain condition. The study employs using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and finite element method (FEM) simulations. In the FEM, an experiment

Polymer metal complexes of poly ethylene glycol acetal and Ag (I), Cu (II), Ni (II), Mn (II), Co (III) and Hg (II) were prepared from the reaction of PEG with aldehyde derived from Erythro-ascorbic acid (pentulosono-ɣ-lactone-2, 3- enedianisoate). All these compounds were characterized by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and FTIR spectra and aldehyde was also characterized by (U.V-Vis), 1HNMR,13CNMR, and mass spectra. It has been established that, the polymer and its metal complexes showed good activities against four pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli ,Klebsiellapneumonae, Staphylococcusaureus, Staphylococcus Albus) and two fungal (Aspergillus Niger,Yeast). The polymer metal complexes showed higher activity than the free polymer. The

There is currently a pressing need to create an electro-analytical approach capable of detecting and monitoring genosensors in a highly sensitive, specific, and selective way. In this work, Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, Polypyrrole, and gold nanoparticles nanocomposite (f-MWCNTs-GR-PPy-AuNP) were effectively deposited on the surface of the ITO electrode using a drop-casting process to modify it. The structural, morphological, and optical analysis of the modified ITO electrodes was carried out at room temperature using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemi

This research deals with unusual approach for analyzing the Simple Linear Regression via Linear Programming by Two - phase method, which is known in Operations Research: “O.R.”. The estimation here is found by solving optimization problem when adding artificial variables: Ri. Another method to analyze the Simple Linear Regression is introduced in this research, where the conditional Median of (y) was taken under consideration by minimizing the Sum of Absolute Residuals instead of finding the conditional Mean of (y) which depends on minimizing the Sum of Squared Residuals, that is called: “Median Regression”. Also, an Iterative Reweighted Least Squared based on the Absolute Residuals as weights is performed here as another method to

Objective: The antimicrobial efficacy of three disinfection solutions: 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) and Listerine mouthwash were investigated as routine chair-side gutta-percha (GP) disinfection reagents. Design: four groups of gutta percha points were contaminated with E. faecalis bacteria then disinfected by immersion in different solutions (5.25% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, Listerine mouth wash and distilled water as control) after 1 and 7 days culturing periods. The antibacterial efficacy of these disinfection solutions was evaluated by using colonies per units (CPU) Methods: Forty GP cones (F3 Dentsply) were sterilized with ethylene oxide gas before immersed contamination within broth m