Background: Beta thalassemia major (β-TM) is an inheritable condition with many complications, especially in children. The blood-borne viral infection was proposed as a risk factor due to the recurrent blood transfusion regimen (hemotherapy) as human parvovirus B19 (B19V). Objective: This study investigated the B19V seroprevalence, DNA presence, B19V viral load, and B19V genotypes in β-TM patients and blood donors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study incorporating 180 subjects, segregated into three distinct groups each of 60 patients, namely control, β-TM, and β-TM infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). For the B19V prevalence in the studied group, the ELISA technique and real-time PCR were used. The genotyping was followed by the resultant sequence. Results: Both B19V IgM and IgG antibody positivity rates are higher among β-TM patients compared to controls. The B19V IgM (35%) and B19V IgG (21.67%) antibodies positivity in β-TM patients compared to 23.3% and 18.33% positivity in the controls was significantly observed. The prevalence of B19V was (8.3%), and the viral copy number in β-TM patients ranged from ≥104– 106 copies/ml than in controls. The B19V genotype 1 subtype a was the only genotype according to the VP1-VP2 region (288 pb) in this study. Conclusions: The prevalence of B19V in patients may be higher than in controls. B19V screening in high-risk groups, such as blood donors, may considerably reduce the prevalence of B19V.
Durability of hot mix asphalt (HMA) against moisture damage is mostly related to asphalt-aggregate adhesion. The objective of this work is to find the effect of nanoclay with montmorillonite (MMT) on Marshall properties and moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixture. Two types of asphalt cement, AC(40-50) and AC(60-70) were modified with 2%, 4% and 6% of Iraqi nanoclay with montmorillonite. The Marshall properties, Tensile strength ratio(TSR) and Index of retained strength(ISR) were determined in this work. The total number of specimens was 216 and the optimum asphalt content was 4.91% and 5% for asphalt cement (40-50) and (60-70) respectively. The results showed that the modification of asphalt cement with MMT led to increase Marsh
... Show MoreCopper selenide (Cu2Se) thin films were prepared by thermal evaporation at RT with thickness 500 nm. The heat-treating for (400 &500) K for the absorber layer has been investigated. This research includes, studying the structural properties of X-ray diffraction (XRD) that show the Cu2Se thin film (Cubic) and has a polycrystalline orientation prevalent (220). Moreover, studying the effect of annealing on their surface morphology properties by using Atomic Force Microscopy AFM. Optical properties were considered using the transmittance and absorbance spectra had been recorded when wavelength range (400 - 1000) nm in order to study the absorption coefficient and energy gap. It was found that these films had allowed direct transitio
... Show MoreThis paper presents an application of a Higher Order Shear Deformation Theory (HOST 12) to problem
of free vibration of simply supported symmetric and antisymmetric angle-ply composite laminated plates.
The theoretical model HOST12 presented incorporates laminate deformations which account for the effects
of transverse shear deformation, transverse normal strain/stress and a nonlinear variation of in-plane
displacements with respect to the thickness coordinate – thus modeling the warping of transverse crosssections more accurately and eliminating the need for shear correction coefficients. Solutions are obtained in
closed-form using Navier’s technique by solving the eigenvalue equation. Plates with varying number of
This paper studies the effect of mean wind velocity on tall building. Wind velocity, wind profile and wind pressure have been considered as a deterministic phenomenon. Wind velocity has been modelled as a half-sinusoidal wave. Three exposures have been studied B, C, and D. Wind pressure was evaluated by equation that joined wind pressure with mean wind velocity, air density, and drag coefficient.
Variations of dynamic load factor for building tip displacement and building base shear were studied for different building heights, different mode shapes, different terrain exposures, and different aspect ratios of building plan. SAP software, has been used in modelling and dynamic analysis for all case studies.
... Show MoreWater is an essential aspect of life and important in evolution. Recently the potable water quality topic has received much attention. The study aims to determine drinking water quality in Al-Najaf City by collecting samples throughout Al-Najaf city and comparing the results with the Iraqi guidelines (IQS 417) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, as well as to calculate the WQI. Samples were tested in the laboratory between December 2021 and June 2022. The results showed that multiple parameters exceeded the allowable limits during both testing periods; during winter months, the results of TDS and turbidity exceeded the upper limits in multiple locations. Total hardness values also
... Show MoreThe construction of embankment for roadway interchange system at urban area is restricted due to the large geometry requirements, since the value of land required for such construction is high, and the area available is limited as compared to rural area. One of the optimum solutions to such problem is the earth reinforcement technique which requires a limited area for embankment construction. Gypseous soil from Al-Anbar governorate area was obtained and subjected to various physical and chemical analysis to determine it is properties. A laboratory model box of 50x50x25 cm was used as a representative embankment; soil has been compacted in five layers at maximum dry density (modified compaction) and an aluminum reinforcement strips were i
... Show MoreIn this paper, an Integral Backstepping Controller (IBC) is designed and optimized for full control, of rotational and translational dynamics, of an unmanned Quadcopter (QC). Before designing the controller, a mathematical model for the QC is developed in a form appropriate for the IBC design. Due to the underactuated property of the QC, it is possible to control the QC Cartesian positions (X, Y, and Z) and the yaw angle through ordering the desired values for them. As for the pitch and roll angles, they are generated by the position controllers. Backstepping Controller (BC) is a practical nonlinear control scheme based on Lyapunov design approach, which can, therefore, guarantee the convergence of the position tracking
... Show MoreEpithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process comprising cellular and molecular events which result in cells shifting from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype. Periodontitis is a destructive chronic disease of the periodontium initiated in response to a dysbiotic microbiome, and dominated by Gram-negative bacteria in the subgingival niches accompanied by an aberrant immune response in susceptible subjects. Both EMT and periodontitis share common risk factors and drivers, including Gram-negative bacteria, excess inflammatory cytokine production, smoking, oxidative stress and diabetes mellitus. In addition, periodontitis is characterized by down-regulation of key epithelial markers such as E-cadherin together with up-regulation of
... Show MoreStatement of the Problem. The use of orthodontic fixed appliances may adversely affect oral health leading to demineralizing lesions and the development of gingival problems. Aims of the Study. The study aimed to coat orthodontic archwires with chlorhexidine hexametaphosphate nanoparticles (CHX-HMP NPs) and to evaluate the elusion of CHX from CHX-HMP NPs. Materials and Methods. A solution of CHX-HMP nanoparticles with an overall concentration of 5 mM for both CHX and HMP was prepared, characterized (using atomic force microscope and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy), and used to coat orthodontic stainless steel (SSW) and NiTi archwires (NiTiW). The coated segments were characterized (using scanning electron microscopy
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