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.
Since the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century, Saudi Arabia tried to pursue an open foreign policy towards many countries in the Horn of Africa, especially with Ethiopia and Somalia, due to the geostrategic qualities that these two countries possess.Despite the development of Saudi foreign policy towards Ethiopia and Somalia, it was soon affected by the tension after the events that the Gulf states went through, that is, the Qatari crisis with Saudi Arabia,especially after most of the countries of the Horn of Africa adhered to a policy of neutrality towards the Gulf-Gulf crisis.
Thus it is expected that despite the geographical proximity and the historical, economic and political relations between Saudi Ara
... Show MoreIn this study, active knife and fixed knife of single-row disc silage machine has three different clearance C1, C2 and C3 (1, 3 and 5 mm) and it is tried in three different working speed V1, V2 and V3 (1.8, 2.5 and 3.7 km / h) and PTO speed (540 min-1) and machine's fuel consumption (l/h), average power consumption (kW), field energy consumption (kW/da), product energy consumption (kW/t), field working capacity (da/h), product working capacity (t/h) and Chopping size distribution characteristics of the fragmented material were determined. It has been found that knife-counter knife clearances smaller than 3 mm (1 mm) and larger (5 mm) have a negative effect on machine performance in general. In terms of fuel and power consumptions, the m
... Show MoreA survey conducted at Dalmaj marsh, Al-Diwaniya Province during 2013 revealed that the marsh encounters a considerable part of the Iraqi vertebrate fauna including 147 species belonging to five classes; Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia. Some species are of globally conservation importance. The present results are discussed with the pertinent literature.
This paper presents a numerical simulation of the flow around elliptic groynes by using CFD software. The flow was simulated in a flume with 4m long, 0.4m wide, and 0.175m high with a constant bed slope. Moreover, the first Groyne placed at 1m from the flow inlet with a constant the Groyne height of 10cm and a 1cm thickness, and the width of Groynes equals 7cm. A submergence ratio of the elliptic Groynes of 75% was assumed, corresponding to a discharge of 0.0057m3/sec. The CFD model showed a good ability to simulate the flow around Groynes with good accuracy. The results of CFD software showed that when using double elliptic Groy
... Show MorePOSSIBILITY OF APPLICATION THE BALANCED SCORECARD IN THE IRAQI INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES: A PROPOSED MODEL
In this research, the water quality of the potable water network in
Al-Shuala Baghdad city were evaluated and compare them with the
Iraqi standards (IQS) for drinking water and World Health
Organization standards (WHO), then water quality index (WQI) were
calculator: pH, heavy metals (lead, cadmium and iron), chlorides,
total hardness, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solid and
electrical conductivity. Water samples are collected weekly during
the period from February 2015 to April 2015 from ten sites. Results
show that the chlorides, total dissolved solid and electrical
conductivity less than acceptable limit of standards, but total
hardness and heavy metals in some samples higher than acceptabl
The aim of the present work, was measuring of uranium concentrations in 25 soil samples from five locations of Al-Kut city. The samples taken from different depths ranged from soil surface to 60cm step 15 cm, for this measurement of uranium concentrations .The most widely used technique SSNTDs was chosen to be the measurement technique. Results showed that the higher concentrations were in Hai Al- Kafaat which recorded 1.49 ± 0.054 ppm . The uranium content in soil samples were less than permissible limit of UNSCEAR(11.7ppm).