Background: The gene responsible for encoding the protein of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) has been found to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in different ethnic populations. But the association of +49A/G CTLA-4 polymorphism with susceptibility of RA among Iraqi Arab populations has not yet been determined. Methods: One hundred and seventy-eight patients were examined, 67 of them were males (mean age 54.71 ± 10.4 years), while 167 were examined for the control group, of whom 64 were males and the rest were females. CTLA-4 DNA genotyping was carried on to determine the +49 A/G (rs231775) polymorphism using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Enzyme-linked immunosor- bent assay (ELISA) was also applied here to measure the antibodies level for cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti- CCP) and Rheumatoid factor (RF). Results: The frequency of AG and GG genotypes in CTLA-4 + 49 were significantly higher among RA patients in comparing with controls (55.61% vs 42.51%, OR=2.18, 95% CI=1.62–3.79, P=0.003) and (20.22% vs 10.77%, OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.31–6.46, P = 0.002) respectively. G allele frequency was also significantly higher among RA cases (52.24% vs. 31.73%, OR = 3.02; 95% CI = 1.61–7.39, P = 0.001). The frequencies of the AA genotype and A allele, however, were significantly lower in cases than controls (24.15% vs 46.70%, P = 0.001) and (47.75% vs 68.26%, P = 0.001) respectively. Moreover, the levels of Anti-CCP and RF were raised signifi- cantly among RA patients than controls (P = 0.0001), but none of these parameters were correlated with ge- notypes of CTLA-4. Conclusions: Carries of CTLA-4 + 49 AG and GG alleles were at a high risk of developing functional disability of RA, unlike the AA allele carriers.
Acidizing is one of the most used stimulation techniques in the petroleum industry. Several reports have been issued on the difficulties encountered during the stimulation operation of the Ahdeb oil field, particularly in the development of the Mishrif reservoir, including the following: (1) high injection pressures make it difficult to inject acid into the reservoir formation, and (2) only a few acid jobs have been effective in Ahdeb oil wells, while the bulk of the others has been unsuccessful. The significant failure rate of oil well stimulation in this deposit necessitates more investigations. Thus, we carried out this experimental study to systematically investigate the influence of acid treatment on the geomechanical properties of Mi4
... Show MoreSince the beginning of the twentieth century, the art of composition has witnessed major transformations that accompanied the transformations that occurred in the cognitive field. The plastic artists rejected the prevailing artistic line, and sought to create a new artistic format that accommodates the new social and cultural problems. So was the announcement of the era of modernity in the late nineteenth century, with the birth of the impressionism movement that gave a place to challenge all that is familiar. . And he drew the attention of the researcher, and for that he chose the research title (Characteristics of Modernity in the Works of Saleh Al-Jumayyi (Analytical Study)) The researcher divided the research as follows:
Methodolo
Psychological aspects are a major influence and motivation factor in many cinematic and television works such as television series. There are many films that dealt with psychological issues through the personality affected by psychological projections and complexes that lead towards abnormal behavior and actions in most cases, so the researchers chose the title and the research problem was raised through the following question: What is the mechanism that fulfills a psychological role in the narrative film? The objectives of the research were to reveal the mechanism used to instill psychological contents in the feature film? As for the limits of the research, it was an intentional sample, and the researchers adopted the descriptive anal
... Show MoreObjective(s): This study aims at determining the effectiveness of an educational program on knowledge of high school students' knowledge about substance abuse and its health consequences, and to find out the association between students’ knowledge about substance abuse and its health consequences and their demographic data of age, socioeconomic status, and educational level of parents.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental study is conducted for the period of October 28th, 2019 to March 30th, 2020. The study sample included a nonprobability “purposive” sample of (124) male students (62) students for the control group and (62) students for the study group, aged (14-19) years who are selected from Al-Hikma High School for Boys in Kirk
Three cohesionless free flowing materials of different density were mixed in an air fluidized bed to study the mixing process by calculating performance of mixing index according to Rose equation (1959) and to study the effect of four variables (air velocity, mixing time, particle size of trace component and concentration of trace component) on the mixing index and as well as on mixing performance. It was found that mixing index increases with increasing the air velocity, mixing time and concentration of trace component until the optimum value. Mixing index depends on the magnitude of difference in particle size The first set of experiments (salt then sand then cast iron) give higher mixing index and better performance of mixing than the
... Show MoreThe rise of online platforms has transformed the discourse landscape, enabling users to create and share content actively, thereby shaping public perceptions and societal narratives. Understanding the dynamics of this discourse is essential for comprehending its socio-political implications. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) concerning online platforms, exploring how language is utilized across various digital contexts to influence identity formation and social inequalities. Methodologically, the review systematically searches electronic databases, including Google Scholar and ProQuest, using keywords related to CDA and online platforms. A total of 30 relevant studies are purpo
... Show MoreElectrocardiogram (ECG) is an important physiological signal for cardiac disease diagnosis. With the increasing use of modern electrocardiogram monitoring devices that generate vast amount of data requiring huge storage capacity. In order to decrease storage costs or make ECG signals suitable and ready for transmission through common communication channels, the ECG data
volume must be reduced. So an effective data compression method is required. This paper presents an efficient technique for the compression of ECG signals. In this technique, different transforms have been used to compress the ECG signals. At first, a 1-D ECG data was segmented and aligned to a 2-D data array, then 2-D mixed transform was implemented to compress the
When embankment is constructed on very soft soil, special construction methods are adopted. One of the techniques is a piled embankment. Piled (stone columns) embankments provide an economic and effective solution to the problem of constructing embankments over soft soils. This method can reduce settlements, construction time and cost. Stone columns provide an effective improvement method for soft soils under light structures such as rail or road embankments. The present work investigates the behavior of the embankment models resting on soft soil reinforced with stone columns. Model tests were performed with different spacing distances between stone columns and two lengths to diameter ratios of the stone columns, in addition to different
... Show MoreAbstract:
The research aims to improve the insurance service through the marketing commission as a tool that enables the insurance companies to achieve a competitive advantage. The researcher, by observing the challenges faced by insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, raised the main question of the research: Is there an effect of the marketing commission on the competitive advantage of insurance companies? The data was obtained through the financial statements and annual reports of the research sample companies (the National General Insurance Company, the Iraqi General Insurance Company, Al-Hamra Private
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to diagnose the nature of the relationship between the dimensions of organizational immunity with its dimensions represented by (organizational memory, organizational DNA, organizational learning) in enhancing the strategic capabilities of the company with its dimensions represented by (marketing capabilities, administrative capabilities, technological capabilities, creative capabilities), and the degree of arrangement of those dimensions According to priority, as well as revealing the differences in the respondents’ response to the two variables according to the personal and functional variables, and the importance of the expected results, the researchers adopted the questionnaire as a tool for collecting da
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