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.
Various simple and complicated models have been utilized to simulate the stress-strain behavior of the soil. These models are used in Finite Element Modeling (FEM) for geotechnical engineering applications and analysis of dynamic soil-structure interaction problems. These models either can't adequately describe some features, such as the strain-softening of dense sand, or they require several parameters that are difficult to gather by conventional laboratory testing. Furthermore, soils are not completely linearly elastic and perfectly plastic for the whole range of loads. Soil behavior is quite difficult to comprehend and exhibits a variety of behaviors under various circumstances. As a result, a more realistic constitutive model is
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The aim of this research is to highlight the importance of achieving customer satisfaction by using information technology and Internet networks in the process of purchasing flight tickets, and switching from the traditional method of purchasing and payment operations to the electronic method, to reduce the financial and non-financial risks associated with the traditional purchasing process, as well as saving time, effort and costs for the customer. The researcher used the deductive approach in linking the variables (achieving customer satisfaction and Internet of Things technology for booking electronic tickets)
... Show MoreAn experimental investigation has been made to study the influence of using v-corrugated aluminum fin on heat transfer coefficient and heat dissipation in a heat sink. The geometry of fin is changed to investigate their performance. 27 circular perforations with 1 cm diameter were made. The holes designed into two ways, inline arrangement and staggered in the corrugated edges arrangement. The experiments were done in enclosure space under natural convection. Three different voltages supplied to the heat sink to study their effects on the fins performance. All the studied cases are compared with v-corrugated smooth solid fin. Each experiment was repeated two times to reduce the error and the data recorded after reaching t
... Show MoreThis study includes the preparation of the ferrite nano ferrite CuxAl0.3-XNi0.7Fe2O4 (where: x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3) M using the auto combustion method (sol-gel), and citric acid was used as fuel for auto combustion. The ferrite samples were checked by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopes (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX). They showed that the prepared compound has a face-centered cubic structure (FCC). The lattice constant increases with an increase in the percentage of doping of the copper ions, and a decrease for the aluminum ion and that the compound is porous and its grains are spherical, and there are no other
... Show MoreAn atomic force microscope (AFM) technique is utilized to investigate the polystyrene (PS) impact upon the morphological properties of the outer as well as inner surface of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) porous fibers. Noticeable a new shape of the nodules at the outer and inner surfaces, namely "Crater nodules", has been observed. The fibers surface images have seen to be regular nodular texture at the skin of the inner and outer surfaces at low PS content. At PS content of 6 wt.%, the nodules structure was varied from Crater shape to stripe. While with increasing of PS content, the pore density reduces as a result of increasing the size of the pore at the fiber surface. Moreover, the test of 3D-AFM images shows that the roughness of both su
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The aim of this research is to determine the most important and main factors that lead to Preeclampsia. It is also about finding suitable solutions to eradicate these factors and avoid them in order to prevent getting Preeclampsia. To achieve this, a case study sample of (40) patients from Medical City - Oncology Teaching Hospital was used to collect data by a questionnaire which contained (17) reasons to be investigated. The statistical package (SPSS) was used to compare the results of the data analysis through two methods (Radial Bases Function Network) and (Factorial Analysis). Important results were obtained, the two methods determined the same factors that could represent the direct reason which causes Preecla
... Show MoreThe catalytic cracking of three feeds of extract lubricating oil, that produced as a by-product from the process of furfural extraction of lubricating oil base stock in AL-Dura refinery at different operating condition, were carried out at a fixed bed laboratory reactor. The initial boiling point for these feeds was 140 ºC for sample (1), 86 ºC for sample (2) and 80 ºC for sample (3). The catalytic cracking processes were carried out at temperature range 325-400 ºC and initially at atmospheric pressure after 30 minutes over 9.88 % HY-zeolite catalyst load. The comparison between the conversion at different operating conditions of catalytic cracking processes indicates that a high yield was obtained at 375°C, according to gasoline pr
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The extremes effects in parameters readings which are BOD (Biological Oxygen Demands) and DO(Dissolved Oxygen) can caused error estimating of the model’s parameters which used to determine the ratio of de oxygenation and re oxygenation of the dissolved oxygen(DO),then that will caused launch big amounts of the sewage pollution water to the rivers and it’s turn is effect in negative form on the ecosystem life and the different types of the water wealth.
As result of what mention before this research came to employees Streeter-Phleps model parameters estimation which are (Kd,Kr) the de oxygenation and re oxygenation ratios on respect
... Show MoreIn this study, sulfur was removed from imitation oil using oxidative desulfurization process. Silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO-11) was prepared using the hydrothermal method with a concentration of carbon nanotubes (CNT) of 0% and 7.5% at 190 °C crystallization temperature. The final molar composition of the as-prepared SAPO-11 was Al2O3: 0.93P2O5: 0.414SiO2. 4% MO/SAPO-11 was prepared using impregnation methods. The produced SAPO-11 was described using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms). It was found that the addition of CNT increased the crystallinity of SAPO-11. The results showed that the surface area of SAPO-11 containing 7.5% CNT was 179.54 m2/g, and the pore volume was 0.31
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