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.
In this research, non-thermal plasma system of argon gas is designed to work at normal atmospheric pressure and suitable for work in medical and biotechnological applications. This technique is applied in the treatment of the Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria and show the role of the flow rate of Argon gas on the killing rate of bacteria, and it obtained a 100 % killing rate during the time of 5 minutes at the flow Argon gas of 5 liters/ min.
The problem of solid waste from domestic, industrial, commercial and medical sources is one of the most important problems facing the local administration in all Iraqi cities. The danger of this problem increases with the rapid increase in the population, changing lifestyles, consumption patterns, limited land suitable for landfill, and high costs of collection and disposal. This research aims to solve these problems by determining the locations of current landfills located in the outskirts of Baghdad Governorate. The ArcGIS program was used, where the sites of the landfills were determined on the map and through the available data about the areas. it was concluded that the existing landfill sites do not meet environmental conditions and
... Show MoreIn the field of residential community planning, one of the appropriate places to study the mutual influences between man and the environment, away from the influences, concepts and mechanisms of contemporary planning theories are isolated environments in rural areas, and the marshlands in Iraq represent one of these models. These areas still retain the planning patterns of residential communities for thousands of years. This research attempts to conduct a descriptive study of traditional settlement patterns, which relied on the capabilities of the surrounding areas to provide planning and architectural solutions based on the environmental factor. Establishing such a clear framework for these impacts can help in any future interventi
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to make the inventory for Umbelliferae family for the purpose of identifying the samples that were collected over long periods and saved in the herbarium of Iraq Natural History Museum/ University of Baghdad. We found that the herbarium plants were very large and varied from different parts for Iraq, in different and varied environments, which collected and arranged according to a very specific system in the herbarium for remaining an important source to all graduate students and researchers to take advantage for these plants. Also, the flowering and fruiting periods for these plants in Iraq were recorded in different regions. Most these plants begin to flower in the spring and thrive at fields and farms.
... Show MoreHerpes labialis is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus, characterized by an eruption of small and usually painful blisters on the skin of the lips, mouth, gums, or the skin around the mouth. Although there is no successful treatment available, the local use of compounds with effective anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects may be of value in this respect. This project was designed to evaluate clinically the local use of silymarin, a group of flavonoids with powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activity, in the treatment of herpes simplex ulcer. Fifty three patients with herpes labialis ulcers (HLU) were enrolled in this randomized, single blinded, placebo controlled clinical study, and they were al
... Show MoreThe winds of change witnessed by the Ottoman Empire after the constitutional coup in 1908 carried the breezes of freedom, writers and journalists were finally able to express themselves, this change was reflected on intellectual and cultural life and on freedom of publication and expression , perhaps the first thing that was affected by this change was the press, it entered a new phase in which it got rid of those restrictions and limitations imposed by the Ottoman Sultanate concerning the right to issue newspapers and freedom of publication. Iraq was the first to witness a new phase of press relief, before the constitutional coup, it was possible to count on the fingers of the hand how many newspapers were issued, that number doubled to
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to investigation the optimization of the machining parameters (spindle speed, feed rate, depth of cut, diameter of cutter and number of flutes of cutter) of surface roughness for free-form surface of composite material (Aluminum 6061 reinforced boron carbide) by using HSS uncoated flat end mill cutters which are rare use of the free-form surface. Side milling (profile) is the method used in this study by CNC vertical milling machine. The purpose of using ANFIS to obtain the better prediction of surface roughness values and decreased of the error prediction value and get optimum machining parameters by using Taguchi method for the best surface roughness at spindle speed 4500 r.p.m, 920mm/rev feed rate, 0.6mm de
... Show MoreMetal contents in vegetables are interesting because of issues related to food safety and potential health risks. The availability of these metals in the human body may perform many biochemical functions and some of them linked with various diseases at high levels. The current study aimed to evaluate the concentration of various metals in common local consumed vegetables using ICP-MS. The concentrations of metals in vegetables of tarragon, Bay laurel, dill, Syrian mesquite, vine leaves, thymes, arugula, basil, common purslane and parsley of this study were found to be in the range of, 76-778 for Al, 10-333 for B, 4-119 for Ba, 2812-24645 for Ca, 0.1-0.32 for Co, 201-464 for Fe, 3661-46400 for K, 0.31–1.
... Show MoreIn this paper solar radiation was studied over a region of Baghdad (Latitude 33.3o and longitude 44.4o). The two parts of global solar radiation: diffuse and direct solar radiation were estimated depending on the clearance index of measured data (Average Monthly mean global solar radiation). Metrological data of measured (average monthly mean diffuse and direct solar radiation) were used to comparison the results and show the agreement between them. Results are determined by applying Liu and Jordan two models (1960). Excel 2007program is used in calculation, graphics and comparison the results.