Objectives: Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized with bone mass loss and microstructure, resulting in fragility fractures. Continued secretion of Osteopontin (OPN), osteonectin (ON), osteocalcin (OCN), Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Ca+2 lead to bone remodeling disorders, followed by bone loss and osteoporosis (OP). The current study aims to investigate the biochemical proteins OPN, OCN, and ON in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and determine whether we could use them as good indicators for OP diagnostics. Materials and Methods: Case- control study carried out between December 2022 and July 2023. OP disease was confirmed among 108 Iraqi postmenopausal women randomly selected from different Iraqi hospitals, Baghdad, Iraq. Their ages ranged between 45 and 70 years. According to DEXA scan results 70 samples were OP +ve results, while 40 samples were -ve (healthy control). Blood samples collected from all participants in order to assess the levels of Ca+2, PTH, OPN, OCN, and ON by employing the ELISA technique. Results: High significant increase (P≤0.01) detected in PTH, OPN, and OCN serum levels, whereas, a significant decrease in Ca+² and ON, in OP patients as a comparison to control group. Conclusion: OPN, OCN, and ON measurements are accessible, inexpensive, and easy to use and could be considered a good indicators for OP diagnostics; beside to a DEXA scan as a sensitive monitoring indicator for early detection of osteoporosis.
Hot-wire cutting is one of the important, non-traditional thermomechanical way to cut polymer, usually expanded foam and extruded foam, in low volume manufacturing. The study and analysis of Hot-Wire cutting parameters play an important role to enhance the quality and accuracy of the process and products. The effects on the surface have been investigated by using experimental tests designed according to the Taguchi orthogonal array (OA). In this study, four parameters with five levels for each parameter have been used: [temperature of wire (A) (100, 120, 130, 150, 160) °C], [diameter of wire (B) (0.3,0.4,0.5,0.7,0.8) mm], [velocity of cutting (C) (200, 300,400,500,600) mm/min], [and density of foam (D) (0.01,0.0
... Show MoreTwo tests were carried out to measure the standard flat fan nozzles wear during a specific period of an accelerated wear procedure. The first test aimed at getting 10% increase in the flow rate compared to the nominal flow rate, which is the threshold to replace the nozzles according to the nozzles testing standards. The second test was to wear the nozzles intensively (100 hours of accelerated wear), which represents the use of nozzles beyond the allowed threshold. The results showed that the flow rate reached 1.31 l·min−1 (equal to 10% increase) for the tested nozzles after 35 hours of the wear test. For the second test, the 10% increase of the flow rate was r
The present research investigates joints welding of 304L austenitic stainless steel using metal inert gas (MIG) welding method. The research explores the effect of process parameters (arc voltage, wire feed rate, and electrode wire diameter) on the mechanical properties of stainless steel. The above variables are varied respectively with 18.5, 19, 19.5 V, 116, 127, 137 mm/s, and 0.8, 1, 1.2 mm, with E308L as a filler electrode. The design matrix of the experiments was determined using the design of experiment (DOE) program Minitab 17 based on the levels of input elements used. The Taguchi orthogonal matrix methodology (Taguchi) technique was used to develop some empirical analysis for the maximum tensile strength and proper surface
... Show MoreThe electrospun nanofibers membranes (ENMs) have gained great attention due to their superior performance. However, the low mechanical strength of ENMs, such as the rigidity and low strength, limits their applications in many aspects which need adequate strength, such as water filtration. This work investigates the impact of electrospinning parameters on the properties of ENMs fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) solved in N, N-Dimethylformamide (DMF). The studied electrospinning parameters were polymer concentration, solution flow rate, collector rotating speed, and the distance between the needle and collector. The fabricated ENMs were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand the surface morphology and es
... Show More10 sites were selected for investigating zebra mussels in the Tigris River for the study that was conducted for the period from January to December 2020. The results of this investigation showed that zebra mussels were recorded in the Tigris at Taji on sites 7, 8, 9 and 10, while it was not found in the Tigris at Kut on sites 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This is the first time that this species was ever recorded in the Tigris. It was found that the sites where zebra mussels appeared had a clear impact on the decrease in the total organic carbon %age and turbidity (NTU). High dissolved oxygen values were observed in the sites where zebra mussels were recorded, and the appearance of zebra mussels in these sites caused a clear decrease in
... Show MoreFor the period from February 2014 till May 2014, one hundred and nine lactose fermenter clinical isolates from different samples (urine, stool, wound swab, blood, and sputum) were collected from Alyarmok, Alkadimiya, and Baghdad teaching hospitals at Baghdad governorate. Identification of all Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were carried out depending on macroscopic, microscopic characterizations, conventional biochemical tests, and Api 20E system. Fifty-three (48.62%) isolates represented K. pneumoniae; however, 51.73% represented other bacteria. Susceptibility test was achieved to all fifty-three K. pneumoniae isolates using five antibiotic disks (Ceftazidime, Ceftriaxone, Cefotaxime, Imipenem, and Meropenem). Most of tested isolates (90
... Show MoreOne of the bigger problems in drinking water is disinfection by-products (DBPs) that come from chlorinated disinfection. This study’s goal was to evaluate the drinking water in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Ibn Sina Hospital and Ibn-Al-Nafis Hospital. Samples were collected between October 2018 and September 2019. Physical and chemical characteristics of the water were studied, including (temperature, hydrogen ion (pH), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, free residual chlorine, total organic carbon (TOC), total trihalomethanes (THMs), total halo acetic acid (THAAs)). Data analysis showed the highest value of study temperatu
... Show MoreThe arise of Islam as a multidimensional changing phenomenon with its own revolutionary and comprehensive character was inherent with a lot of alterations in social aspects , and this is explicit particularly in the scope of urban life and town planning . Essentially, Islamic style of life has its own urban identity. The urbanization process in Islam has been developed across two integrated sides, the first one concerned on ideational and theoretical aspects , while the other associated with practice .Many urban centers emerged during the Islamic era since the erection of Basrah , the first Islamic town in the middle of the 7th. centaury. Some contemporary urban concepts , both environmental and social could be noticed in Islamic
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