Systemic lupus Erythematosus is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology affecting multiple organ system. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species are claimed to play a role in this disease. However, the potential of Nitrosative/Oxidative Stress to elicit an autoimmune, response remain till now largely unexplored in humans. This study was done to investigate the status and contribution of nitrosative/oxidative stress in Iraqi patients for systemic lupus erythematosus. Blood samples from 19 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and 19 age-and sex- matched apparently healthy controls were evaluated for serum levels of nitrosative/oxidative stress markers including nitric oxide, peroxynitrite and malondialdehyde. Nitric oxide levels were

A few examinations have endeavored to assess a definitive shear quality of a fiber fortified polymer (FRP)- strengthened solid shallow shafts. Be that as it may, need data announced for examining the solid profound pillars strengthened with FRP bars. The majority of these investigations don't think about the blend of the rigidity of both FRP support and cement. This examination builds up a basic swagger adequacy factor model to evaluate the referenced issue. Two sorts of disappointment modes; concrete part and pulverizing disappointment modes were examined. Protection from corner to corner part is chiefly given by the longitudinal FRP support, steel shear fortification, and cement rigidity. The proposed model has been confirmed util

The problem of internal sulfate attack in concrete is widespread in Iraq and neighboring countries.This is because of the high sulfate content usually present in sand and gravel used in it. In the present study the total effective sulfate in concrete was used to calculate the optimum SO3 content. Regression models were developed based on linear regression analysis to predict the optimum SO3 content usually referred as (O.G.C) in concrete. The data is separated to 155 for the development of the models and 37 for checking the models. Eight models were built for 28-days age. Then a late age (greater than 28-days) model was developed based on the predicted optimum SO3 content of 28-days and late age. Eight developed models were built for all

The electrical properties of CdO/porous Si/c-Si heterojunction prepared by deposition of CdO layer on porous silicon synthesized by electrochemical etching were studied. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of CdO (50:50) thin film prepared by rapid thermal oxidation were examined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed formation of nanostructured silicon layer the full width half maximum (FWHM) was increased after etching. The dark J-V characteristics of the heterojunction showed strong dependence on etching current density and etching time. The ideality factor and saturation current of the heterojunction were calculated from J-V under forward bias. C-V measurements confirmed that the prepared heterojunctions are abrupt

In this work, the superconducting CuBa2LaCa2Cu4O11+δ compound was prepared by citrate precursor method and the electrical and structural properties were studied. The electrical resistivity has been measured using four probe test to find the critical temperature Tc(offset) and Tc(onset). It was found that Tc (offset) at zero resistivity has 101 K and Tc (onset) has 116 K. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis exhibited that a prepared compound has a tetragonal structure. The crystal size and microscopic strain due to lattice deformation of CuBa2LaCa2Cu4O11+δ were estimated by four methods, namely Scherer(S), Halder-Wagner(H-W), size-strain plot (SSP) and Williamson-Hall, (W-H) methods. Results of crystal sizes obtained by these meth

The dental amalgam of radioactive materials in the restoration of teeth because of its readily adaptable to existing materials in the oral cavity in addition to mechanical properties such as hardness mechanical resistance Alndgat and others in this study were prepared Almlagm used Guy dental restoration of silver alloy tin plus some elements to improve the characteristicsmechanical such as copper, zinc or indium in addition to mercury

In this study, investigations of structural properties of n-type porous silicon prepared by laser assisted-electrochemical etching were demonstrated. The Photo- electrochemical Etching technique, (PEC) was used to produce porous silicon for n-type with orientation of (111). X-ray diffraction studies showed distinct variations between the fresh silicon surface and the synthesized porous silicon surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis was used to study the morphology of porous silicon layer. AFM results showed that root mean square (RMS) of roughness and the grain size of porous silicon decreased as etching current density increased. The chemical bonding and structure were investigated by using fourier transformation infrared spec

Background: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) leads to activation of T-helper cells (Th-1 and Th-2) which are involved in the synthesis and release of different cytokines which may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Objectives: To evaluate the endothelial function in patients with acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: This case-control study involved 31 patients with toxoplasmosis aged 19 - 47 years matched with 20 healthy subjects. Anti-T. gondii antibody (IgG, IgM, IgA) was determined by direct antigen-antibody reaction. Interleukin-6(IL-6), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and human malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured. Results: IgM, IgG and IgA levels were high in the infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, IL-

Two novel demountable shear connectors for precast steel-concrete composite bridges are presented. The connectors use high-strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the steel beam with the aid of a special locking configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connectors promote accelerated construction and overcome typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connectors allow bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (1) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (2) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (3) steel beams can be replaced, while precast

This work presents an innovative approach to enhancing the performance of concrete with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates using titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Traditional limestone coarse aggregates were partially replaced with 30% and 50% RAP aggregates; a subset of mixtures containing RAP aggregates was treated with TiO2 nanoparticles. The rheological, mechanical, and long-term properties of concrete, along with changes in its chemical composition following the addition of RAP and TiO2, were evaluated. Results revealed that using 30% and 50% RAP in concrete mixtures reduced their compressive strength by 18% and 27%, respectively. However, using TiO2 in those mixtures enhanced their compressive strength by 8.7% an