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.
Surge pressure is supplemental pressure because of the movement of the pipes downward and the swab pressure is the pressure reduction as a result of the drill string's upward movement. Bottom hole pressure is reduced because of swabbing influence. An Investigation showed that the surge pressure has great importance for the circulation loss problem produced by unstable processes in the management pressure drilling (MPD) actions. Through Trip Margin there is an increase in the hydrostatic pressure of mud that compensates for the reduction of bottom pressure due to stop pumping and/or swabbing effect while pulling the pipe out of the hole. This overview shows suggested mathematical/numerical models for simulating surge pressure problems ins
... Show MoreThis research discussed and analyzed the formulation of a strategy to manage tax compliance risks, as an applied research in the General commission for Taxes. The questionnaire was used as a research tool to identify the factors that stimulate or retard the research sample from being compliant. The K-means clustering method was also used to enable the classification of the research sample's views into four behaviors, some of these views pose tax-compliance risks. The research concluded that risk management is a continuous process and that all departments of the General commission for Taxes are responsible for its implementation to enable them to deal with the behavior of the taxpayer towards tax compliance. And it recommended
... Show MoreThe emergence of COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented escalation in different aspects of human activities, including medical education. Students and educators across academic institutions have confronted various challenges in following the guidelines of protection against the disease on one hand and accomplishing learning curricula on the other hand. In this short view, we presented our experience in implementing e-learning to the undergraduate nursing students during the present COVID-19 pandemic emphasizing the learning content, barriers, and feedback of students and educators. We hope that this view will trigger the preparedness of nursing faculties in Iraq to deal with this new modality of learning and improve it should t
... Show MoreBackground: With the increase in composite material use in posterior teeth, the concerns about the polymerization shrinkage has increased with the concerns about the formation of marginal gaps in the oral cavity environment. New generation of adhesives called universal adhesive have been introduced to the market in order to reduce the technique sensitive bonding procedures to give the advantage of using the bonding system in any etching protocol without compromising the bonding strength. The aim of the study was to study marginal adaptation of two universal adhesives (Single bondâ„¢ Universal and Prime and Bond elect) using 3 etching techniques under thermal cycling aging. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight sound maxillary first premola
... Show MoreA pulsed (TEA-0O2) laser was used to dissociate molecules of silane ethylene (C2I-14) and ammonia (NH3) gases, through collision assisted multiple photon dissociation (MPD) to deposit(SiC i_xNx) thin films, where the X-values are 0, 0.13 and 0.33, on glass substrate at T,----648 K. deposition rate of (0.416-0.833) nm/pulse and thickness of (500-1000)nm .Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) was used to study the nature of the chemical bonds that exist in the films. Results revealed that these films contain complex networks of the atomic (Si, C, and N), other a quantity of atomic hydrogen and chemical bonds such as (Si-N, C-N, C-14 and N-H).Absorbance and Transmittance spectra in the wavelength range (400-1100) nm were used to stud
... Show MoreBackground: To evaluate the ISO depth of cure of bulkfill composites and depth of cure which determined by Vickers microhardness test. Materials and Methods: Bulkfill resin composite specimens (n=150) were prepared of three bulkfill composite materials (TetricEvo Ceram, Quixfil and SDR) and light cured by Flash max p3 for 3, 10, 20 seconds and by wood pecker for 10, 20 seconds respectively, a mold was filled with one of the three bulkfill composites and light cured. The specimens removed from the mold and scraped by plastic spatula and the remaining length (absolute length) was measured which represent the ISO depth of cure. After that the specimens were returned into the mold and a microhardness indentation device applied on the specimen
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to extract the effective material from the dry nests of termites and detect its antibacterial activity against some pathogenic bacterial isolates and inhibit synthesis of its biofilm. Termites dry nests were collected and the effective material was extracted then the antibacterial activity was detected using the disc diffusion assay. Results were showed that the extract have antibacterial material from the Termites dry nests, this extract showed antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) at (21.5mm) and Gram negative bacteria ( Enterobacter sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) at (26 mm and 20 mm) respectively by inhibiting their growth, as well as its effect on biofilm production o
... Show MoreNosocomial infections (NIs) are hospital-acquired associated infections, and also contracted due to the infections or toxins that exist in some location, like hospital. Therefore in our study, 4 Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates were obtained from dairy product (Lactobacillus brevis, L. acidophilus, Lactococcus raffinolactis and Lactococcus lactis) and were tested for Bacteriocin production to select Lactococcus lactis among them. Cell free supernatant (CFS), Lipid and partial purification of protein La. Lactis had high inhibitory effect against test pathogens (E. coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus). 30 isolates that diagnosed by Vitec, were isol
... Show MoreShapes have differed in terms of their temporality, tools, technical variations, aesthetic functions and dimensions. The beginnings started with manual primitive techniques that have played an a significant artistic role in the ancient civilizations, then developed with the technological development and the digital technologies that encompassed various programs and specialist means in the graphic design, so that its visual outputs in the textbook that is considered a communication means that has an effect and attracts the recipient. That is what made the researcher search and investigate this topic describing the research problem as follows: What are the shapes as alternatives to the words in the design of the textbook? The research obje
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