Chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42 ng/ml, the TNF-a level which was 123.6 ng/ml, and the IL-1B level which was 204.365 pg/dl were significantly higher in patients compared to control 3.28 (1.58–4.99) ng/ml, 56.47 (9.38–77.01) ng/ml and 67.887 (15.493–122.689)pg/dl respectively. There was no correlation between serum YKL-40 and disease activity, while there were significant associations observed with TNF-α (r=0.5,p =0.0001) and IL-1β (r=0.41, p=0.001). YKL-40 indicating good levels of RA prediction at 2.47 ng/ml, sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 58.6%, accuracy 78.1%, PPV 80.9%, and NPV 70.8%. In conclusion, a higher level of serum YKL-40 is found in RA patients. The findings from our study suggest a strong association between YKL-40 and the proinflammatory biomarkers. As a result, these biomarkers together might play a role in RA pathogenesis, and YKL-40 may be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for RA.
For over a decade, educational technology has been used sparingly in our schools and universities. Online training courses have been used since 2003 to fill the gaps in our learning system and to add extra program besides classroom learning. This paper aims to investigate the Iraqi EFL instructors’ participating in online training courses and its influence on the process of teaching and learning.
The sample of present study consists of 30 instructors from University of Baghdad. The questionnaire of sixteen items was constructed. After ensuring validity and reliability of questionnaire, it was applied on March 2013 and the result shows that most of instructors improve their teaching methods b
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Abstract
Indeed, being busy with the understanding of religion is the best sort of worship that the almighty God has given each period of time a number of scholars and wise men. They receive what has been passed down to them from their great ancestors, and those who are willing to learn will learn, their students preserve their knowledge through teaching and writing. Thus, the scholars were pioneers in this field due to the value and importance of their knowledge. They have strived in learning, explaining, and writing new subjects.
One of those scholars is sheikh (Abdulrahman Al-Penjweni) who passed away 1319 AH in one of the villages of the city of Sulaimani in Iraq. He was one of the wisest scholars, a br
... Show Moreon the subject of the provisions of recitation among students of the Islamic Sciences Colleges).
The researchers adopted the experimental method and chose an experimental design for the two equivalent groups by post-test. The research sample consisted of (60) male and female students from (second stage) - Department of Qur’an Sciences and Islamic Education - University of Diyala, and the two researchers were rewarded between the two groups of research in the following variables: (Chronological age calculated in months, degrees of recitation rulings subject in the previous year, the two researchers studied the same research groups, and lasted for an entire semester, the researchers prepared the observation card to measure the ru
... Show MoreThe research seeks to design a program of guidance in the form of emotional perception rational to reduce the fear of failure, to identify the effect of method of emotional perception rational in reducing the fear of failure. To achieve these objectives, the researcher adopted the null-hypotheses, which assume there are no statistically significant differences in the degree of fear of failure (for the control group) in the pre-posttest. There are no statistically significant differences in the fear of failure (for the experimental group) in the pre-posttest. There were no statistically significant differences in the fear of failure of the groups (experimental and control) after the application of the program in the post-test. In order to
... Show MoreNew vision of Mr. Abdul Mahdi Al-Muttafiqi in the light of unpublished documents
In order to a chive the aim of the research the researcher chose the (Nebras kindergarten) to be the search sample .the member of the sampleFrom(males and fameless)and the researcher chose the class of(butterfly) as experimental group to do the pantomime consist of(15)males and fameless, and put(singles, senses ,double senses and communal senses)in the binging of the experiment the researcher applied the measurement of(AL Kaswany and other)as(pre_ test)which prepare to measure, the movement skills for kindergarten, the measurement have the validity and reliability to knowledge the difference between the two experiment. The experiment continue from(20/1/201to 20/2/2014)in the end of experiment the researcher applied the measurement of(AL
... Show MoreThe issues of journalists and media employees in general and photojournalists in particular have become important issues, especially as those issues are closely linked to the success or failure of the media process.
This research deals with (the issues of Iraqi photojournalists working in local and foreign institutions in Iraq - a case study in 2012), because of the ambiguity in identifying those issues, which focused on the issues of this research.
This was done through the research community of members of the Association of Iraqi photojournalists in Baghdad exclusively of (64) photographers and television photographers to identify the problems encountered in their work
... Show MoreBackground: Malignant lymphoma is a term that describes primary tumors of the lymphoreticular system, almost all of which arise from lymphocytes.MMP-1 is the most ubiquitously expressed interstitial collagenase, a subfamily of MMPs that cleaves stromal collagens. It is also called collagenase-1.TIMPs which inhibits MMP activity and thereby restrict extracellular matrix breakdown, TIMP-1 is a stromal factor that has a wide spectrum of functions in different tissues. Material and Methods: This study was performed on (68) formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks, histopathologically diagnosed as lymphoma (head and neck lesions). Immunohistochemical staining of MMP1and TIMP1 was performed on each case of the study sample. Results: The expressio
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