Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells within the bone marrow. In most patients, monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chains or light chains are produced and are associated with organ dysfunction. The growth factor B-cell activating factor (BAFF) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma due to its ability to promote B-cell survival, expansion, and differentiation. Objective: to measure the circulatory level of B-cell activating factor in multiple myeloma patients in relapsed and remission states and explore its possible correlations with the clinical staging, β2-microglobulin, and interleukin-6. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 60 multiple myeloma patients, with 30 in remission and 30 in relapse, as well as 20 healthy individuals serving as a control group. The study was conducted in the Hematology department of Baghdad Teaching Hospital in the Medical City Complex from January to September 2020. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique was used to measure plasma levels of B-cell activating factor, β2-microglobulin, and interleukin-6. Results: The B-cell activating factor levels were significantly higher in multiple myeloma patients compared to the control, and in relapsed patients compared to those in remission. The level of B-cell activating factor increased with advanced disease, in both remission and relapse states. There are positive correlations with β2-microglobulin and interleukin-6 levels in both relapsed and remission states. Conclusion: Increased B-cell activating factor level in relapse more than remission states is a useful biomarker of disease activity in multiple myeloma and has positive correlations with β2-microglobulin and interleukin-6 levels.
Composite materials are widely used in the engineered assets as aerospace structures, marine and air navigation owing to their high strength/weight ratios. Detection and identification of damage in the composite structures are considered as an important part of monitoring and repairing of structural systems during the service to avoid instantaneous failure. Effective cost and reliability are essential during the process of detecting. The Lamb wave method is an effective and sensitive technique to tiny damage and can be applied for structural health monitoring using low energy sensors; it can provide good information about the condition of the structure during its operation by analyzing the propagation of the wave in the
... Show MoreThe paper sheds light on the meanings of colours as a significant medium reflecting the world linguistic image which represents the culture of any country since language is closely related with culture. Language goes hand in hand with people's daily expressions, specifically those cultural ones. Language is a way to store historical and cultural information, and is a means of transferring the experience of a group to outside groups.
The world linguistic image identifies the standards of human behavior in dependence upon the human view of the surrounding world, along with the type of behavior with which the world interacts and to whose challenges and effects it responds. So, multi-cultural people perceive the sam
... Show MoreExperiments research is done to determine how saturated stiff clayey soil responds to a single impulsive load. Models made of saturated, stiff clay were investigated. To supply the single pulse energy, various falling weights from various heights were tested using the falling weight deflectometer (FWD). Dynamic effects can range from the major failure of a sensitive sensor or system to the apparent destruction of structures. This study examines the response of saturated stiff clay soil to a single impulsive load (vertical displacement at the soil surface below and beside the bearing plates). Such reactions consist of displacements, velocities, and accelerations caused by the impact occurring at the surface depth induced by the impact loads
... Show MoreThis study offers numerical simulation results using the ABAQUS/CAE version 2019 finite element computer application to examine the performance, and residual strength of eight recycle aggregate RC one-way slabs. Six strengthened by NSM CFRP plates were presented to study the impact of several parameters on their structural behavior. The experimental results of four selected slabs under monotonic load, plus one slab under repeated load, were validated numerically. Then the numerical analysis was extended to different parameters investigation, such as the impact of added CFRP length on ultimate load capacity and load-deflection response and the impact of concrete compressive strength value on the structural performance of
... Show MoreIn this paper, split-plate airlift electrochemical reactor as an apparatus with new configuration for wastewater treatment was provided. Two aluminum plates were fixed inside the reactor and present two functions; first it works as split plates for internal loop generation of the airlift system (the zone between the two plates acts as riser while the other two zones act as downcomer) and second it works as two electrodes for electrocoagulation process. Simulated wastewater contaminated with zinc ions was used to test the performance of this apparatus for zinc removal by studying the effect of different experimental variables such as initial concentration of zinc (50-800 ppm), electrical current density (2.67-21.4 mA/cm2), init
... Show MoreThe beginning of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and its worldwide transmission has led the World Health Organization to formally address the pandemic. The pandemic has imposed influential impacts on different environmental, economic, social, health, and living aspects. Publishing in scholastic journals was not immune from these impacts.
The peculiarity of the theater does not lie in its dramatic content because many literary genres and other artistic styles share with it in this content. The peculiarity of the theater lies in contemplating the drama through what is architectural, and this architectural axis is what distinguishes its character. It is a spatial poetry which is composed by the laws of physics and chemistry, (Weight, height, distance, rhythm, gravity, impulses and chemical excretions). i.e., what cannot be expressed in words. This is a game of space to exchange and organize energy and communicate in space by the living body, which contains the possibilities of the living drawing in space: in the time and place. This research deals with the importance of the
... Show MoreObjective(s): The study aims at evaluating pregnancy-related health behaviors for pregnant women, and to identify the association between pregnancy-related health behaviors and their demographic characteristics of pregnant woman’s age, education, employment, residential area and monthly income.
Methodology: A descriptive study is carried out for the period from December 14th, 2020 to June 20th, 2021. This study was conducted through a non-probability (convenience) sample of 150 pregnant women attending, Abo Ghareeb primary health care sector in Abo Ghareeb spend. The sample has been collected by using the instrument to gather data and accomplish the study's objectives. A questionnaire is composed of (29) items and it is divided into