Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory, immune mediated disease of the central nervous system, mostly affecting young adults with mean age of 30 years, twice as high in women compared to men. The etiology of MS is not fully elucidated. MS symptoms are directly related to demyelination and axonal loss, along with other psychological symptoms, can result in functional limitations, disability and reduced quality of life (QoL). The QoL assessments in patients with a chronic disease may contribute to improving treatment and could even be of prognostic value. The goals of this study were to compare the QoL of Iraqi patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS),using three different diseases modifying therapies(DMTs) administered orally, subcutaneously, and by slow infusion; namely, fingolimod,interferonB-1b, and natalizumab, respectively. And to assess the role of disability status, educational status, occupational status, MS duration, and treatment duration as a predictor for the QoL. Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis (FAMS) questionnaire version 4 was used to assess QoL. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were tested by univariate and multivariate regression analyses to assess the contribution of these predictors to QoL. No significant differences were found in symptoms, thinking/fatigue subscales and FAMS total scores among the three DMTs. In conclusion: Iraqi MS patients using InterferonB-1b, fingolimod or natalizumab have a comparable low level of QoL. The expanded disability status scale (EDSS) is negatively associated with QoL of MS patients in all of the three therapies, while other predictors such as occupational status, educational status, smoking habit and MS duration have different impact in different treatments.
Bipedal robotic mechanisms are unstable due to the unilateral contact passive joint between the sole and the ground. Hierarchical control layers are crucial for creating walking patterns, stabilizing locomotion, and ensuring correct angular trajectories for bipedal joints due to the system’s various degrees of freedom. This work provides a hierarchical control scheme for a bipedal robot that focuses on balance (stabilization) and low-level tracking control while considering flexible joints. The stabilization control method uses the Newton–Euler formulation to establish a mathematical relationship between the zero-moment point (ZMP) and the center of mass (COM), resulting in highly nonlinear and coupled dynamic equations. Adaptiv
... Show MoreDetecting the optimum layer for well placement, which requires a diverse assortment of tools and techniques, represents a significant challenge in petroleum studies due to its critical impact on minimizing drilling costs and time. This study aims to evaluate integrated geological, petrophysical, seismic, and geomechanical data to identify the optimum zones for well placement. Three different reservoirs were analyzed to account for lateral and vertical variations in reservoir properties. The integrated data from these reservoirs provides many tools for reservoir development, especially to detect appropriate well placement zones based on evaluations of reservoir and geomechanical quality. The Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) was construct
... Show MoreNew derivatives of Schiff bases were synthesized from the aldehyde derivative (Ma2) which was produced by reacting the mefenamic acid (Ma) with thionyl chloride to obtain the acid halide derivative (Ma1). Compound (Ma1) was dissolved in DMF and mixed with p-hydroxybenzaldehyde which was previously dissolved with pyridine to obtain the aldehyde derivative (Ma2). In the final step, derivatives of Schiff bases were synthesized by reacting the aldehyde (Ma2) with a number of different aromatic primary amines in the presence of glacial acetic acid to obtain the new derivatives Ma [3-10]. The new prepared compounds were characterized by melting points and with spectral data FT-IR, 13C-NMR and 1H-MNR (some of them). The vital effectiven
... Show MoreObjectives: To determine the impact of an educational program on nurses’ knowledge
and practices concerning neurogenic bladder rehabilitation for spinal cord injured persons
through a follow-up approach each two months post program implementation for six
months.
Methodology: "Follow-up" longitudinal design by using time series approach of data
analysis and the application of pre-post tests approach for the study and the control
groups. The study was carried out at Ibn Al-Kuff hospital for (SCI) in Baghdad governorate
from 5th of July 2010 to 15th of October 2011. To achieve the objectives of the study, a
non-probability (purposive) sample of (60) nurses (males and females) were working in SCI
units were selec
In this study, thin film of pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and ZnO doped with Ga2O3 films with different concentrations (0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09)wt% were prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The powder mixture was then sintered in a furnace at 1273 K for 5 h. The resulting powders were thoroughly ground and then pressed using a special press to form discs with a diameter of 1 cm and a thickness of 0.5 cm. The deposition was carried out under a vacuum of 2.5×10−2 mbar on various substrates, including glass for AFM measurements and n-type crystalline silicon wafers for the gas sensor. AFM results revealed a progressive increase in both grain size and roughness with moderate doping and irregularity at high doping levels. Gas-sensing meas
... Show MoreHigh frequency (HF) communications have an important role in long distances wireless communications. This frequency band is more important than VHF and UHF, as HF frequencies can cut longer distance with a single hopping. It has a low operation cost because it offers over-the-horizon communications without repeaters, therefore it can be used as a backup for satellite communications in emergency conditions. One of the main problems in HF communications is the prediction of the propagation direction and the frequency of optimum transmission (FOT) that must be used at a certain time. This paper introduces a new technique based on Oblique Ionosonde Station (OIS) to overcome this problem with a low cost and an easier way. This technique uses the
... Show MoreThe Manganese doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles of the cubic zinc blende structure with the average crystallite size of about 3.56 nm were synthesized using a coprecipitation method using Thioglycolic Acid as an external capping agent for surface modification. The ZnS:Mn2+ nanoparticles of diameter 3.56 nm were manufactured through using inexpensive precursors in an efficient and eco-friendly way. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy are used to examine the structure, morphology and chemical composition of the nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activity of (ZnS:Mn2+) nanocrystals was investigated by measuring the diameter of inhibition zone using well diffusion mechanism
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