Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients’ subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.
Nanofluids, liquid suspensions of nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in deionized (DI) water, brine, or surfactant micelles, have become a promising solution for many industrial applications including enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon geostorage. At ambient conditions, nanoparticles can effectively alter the wettability of the strongly oil-wet rocks to water-wet. However, the reservoir conditions present the greatest challenge for the success of this application at the field scale. In this work, the performance of anionic surfactant-silica nanoparticle formulation on wettability alteration of oil-wet carbonate surface at reservoir conditions was investigated. A high-pressure temperature vessel was used to apply nano-modification of oil-wet
... Show MoreMetal oxide nanoparticles demonstrate uniqueness in various technical applications due to their suitable physiochemical properties. In particular, yttrium oxide nanoparticle(Y2O3NPs) is familiar for technical applications because of its higher dielectric constant and thermal stability. It is widely used as a host material for a variety of rare-earth dopants, biological imaging, and photodynamic therapies. In this investigation, yttrium oxide nanoparticles (Y2O3NPs) was used as an ecofriendly corrosion inhibitor through the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spe
... Show MorePoly urea formaldehyde –Bentonite (PUF-Bentonite) composite was tested as new adsorbent
for removal of mefenamic acid (MA) from simulated wastewater in batch adsorption
procedure. Developed a method for preparing poly urea formaldehyde gel in basic media by
using condensation polymerization. Adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of
water pH, temperature, contact time, adsorbent dose and initial MA concentration .Effect of
sharing surface with other analgesic pharmaceuticals at different pH also studied. The
adsorption of MA was found to be strongly dependent to pH. The Freundlich isotherm model
showed a good fit to the equilibrium adsorption data. From Dubinin–Radushkevich model the
mean free
The aim of this research is to assess the validity of Detailed Micro-Modeling (DMM) as a numerical model for masonry analysis. To achieve this aim, a set of load-displacement curves obtained based on both numerical simulation and experimental results of clay masonry prisms loaded by a vertical load. The finite element method was implemented in DMM for analysis of the experimental clay masonry prism. The finite element software ABAQUS with implicit solver was used to model and analyze the clay masonry prism subjected to a vertical load. The load-displacement relationship of numerical model was found in good agreement with those drawn from experimental results. Evidence shows that load-displacement curvefound from the finite element m
... Show MoreThe main purpose of this paper, is to characterize new admissible classes of linear operator in terms of seven-parameter Mittag-Leffler function, and discuss sufficient conditions in order to achieve certain third-order differential subordination and superordination results. In addition, some linked sandwich theorems involving these classes had been obtained.
This paper presents the effect of relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearity on cross-focusing of two intense laser beams in a collisionless and unmagnetized plasma. It should be noted here that while considering the self-focusing due to relativistic electron mass variation, the electron ponderomotive density depression in the channel may also be important. Therefore/these two nonlinearties may simultaneously affect the self-focusing process. These nonlinearities depend not only on the intensity of one laser but also on the second laser. Therefore, one laser beam affects the dynamics of the second beam and hence the process of cross-focusing takes place. The electric field amplitude of the excited electron plasma wave (EPW) has been cal
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