Cytokines are signaling molecules between inflammatory cells that play a significant role in the pathogenesis of a disease. Among these cytokines are interleukins (ILs) 17A and 33, and accordingly, the current case-control study sought to investigate the role of each of the two cytokines in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Sixty-eight relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) Iraqi patients and twenty healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to determine serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33. Results revealed that IL-17A and IL-33 levels were significantly higher in MS patients than in controls (14.1 ± 4.5 vs. 7.5 ± 3.8 pg/mL; p < 0.001 and 65.3 ± 16.3 vs. 49.3 ± 20.0 pg/mL; p < 0.001, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that IL-17A was a very good predictor of MS (area under curve [AUC] = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.779 - 0.960; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 10.2 pg/mL; sensitivity = 80.8%; specificity = 75.0%). A similar prediction was presented by IL-33, but the AUC value was lower (AUC = 0.762; 95% CI = 0.63 - 0.89; p < 0.001; cut-off value = 56.4 pg/mL; sensitivity = 70.6%; specificity = 70.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirmed the significance of IL-17A and IL-33 in MS risk, and under three models of analysis, the estimated odds ratios for IL-17A (1.50, 1.49 and 1.50, respectively) and IL-33 (1.05, 1.05 and 1.06) were above 1.0. Patients stratified by gender (male and female), expanded disability status scale (EDSS: < 3 and ≥ 3) or medication (pre- and post-medication) showed no significant differences in serum levels of IL-17A and IL-33 for each stratum. However, with regard to response to medication, it was found that responding patients showed significantly higher levels of IL-33 than non-responders (70.9 ± 12.2 vs. 57.2 ± 18.2 pg/mL; p = 0.018). This difference was not observed when considering IL-17A. Pearson correlation analysis between IL-17A and IL-33 revealed that both cytokines were not significantly correlated. In conclusion, the study indicated that IL-17A and IL-33 were up-regulated in serum of MS patients, and this up-regulation was not influenced by age, gender, EDSS or medication status, but the elevated level of IL-33 was more pronounced in patients who responded to medication.
Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastics in an inert atmosphere has been regarded as a creative method, since pyrolysis can convert plastics waste into hydrocarbons that can be used either as fuels or as a source of chemicals.
Natural Iraqi kaolin clay was used to synthesis the NaX nano- zeolite by hydrothermal conditions with average particle size equal to 77.63nm.Thermal decomposition kinetics of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in the absence and presence of catalysts nano NaX Zeolite was investigated. Thermal and catalytic degradation of HDPE was performed using a thermogravimetric analyzer in nitrogen atmosphere under non-isothermal conditions 4, 7 and 10 °C/min heating rates were employed in thermogravimetric anal
... Show More This research deals with the financial reporting for the non-current assets impairment from the viewpoint of international accounting standards, especially IAS 36 "Impairment of assets”. The research problem focused on the non-compliance with the requirements of IAS 36 which would negatively affect the accounting information quality, and its characteristics, especially the relevance of accounting information, that confirms the necessity of having such information for the three sub-characteristics in order to be useful for the decisions of users represented
Objectives: The study aimed to assess the needs of nurses' knowledge toward post operative wound care and to constructed health educational program upon nurses who are working in surgical wards, to determine the relation between nurses' knowledge and their demographical characteristic which includes ( age, gender, level of education, number of years experience in the surgical wards, years of experience in nursing service, and number of attending an educational sessions), and to identify the impact of the health educational program on their knowledge through perform post-test every two months after imp
Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the application of monitoring indicators for maternal, newborn and
child health through the evaluation of impact and coverage health indicators and to evaluate the usefulness of the
application of these indicators at sub primary health care centers in Baghdad City.
Methodology: A descriptive comparative design, which is using the evaluation approach, has been steered at
Sub Primary Health Centers of Baghdad City in order to evaluate the application; impact and coverage, and the
usefulness of monitoring indicators for maternal, newborn and child health from December 4th 2017 to April 29th
2018. A multistage, "non-probability" convenient, sample is selected for the present study. A t
Objectives: The study aims to (1) Assess the parents' efficacy for child healthy weight behavior. (2) Identify the difference in parents’ efficacy for child healthy weight behavior between the groups of parent’s gender, family’s socioeconomic status, child’s gender, and child’s birth order, (3) Find out the relationship between parents’ age, child’s age, child’s body mass index, family’s socioeconomic status, the number of children in the family and parents’ efficacy for child healthy weight behavior.
Methodology: A descriptive correlational study is conducted for the period from November 11th, 2018 to March 25th, 2019 to assess the parents' efficacy for child healthy weight behavior. The study was carried-out in (
This research aims to show the most important approaches applicable in forming the accounting standards , the importance approaches used to formulate local accounting standards & the need to cancel or develop the unified accounting system in Iraq besides activate the local auditing & accounting standards council to issue accounting standards able to save the relevance & Reliable accounting information that serve the decisions of stockholders and others of stakeholders in the incorporate companies , especially the companies listed in the Iraq securities exchange , So this study based partially on analyzing the questionnaire form which has been designed to inquiry the specialists and experts opinion about the accoun
... Show MoreColonialism as a movement was very popular in Europe more than two centuries before. It aimed at controlling and exploiting several countries in Africa and Asia in addition to imposing their power and control on uninhabited islands. It received adherence and criticism as well. There also appeared activists and nations who stood against it and its practices. English novels discussed this notion greatly by pointing out the bad practices of the colonizers and how the colonized received them. This paper explores two narrative fictions that tackle the different aspects of the term. While Defoe, in Robinson Crusoe (1719), shows a colonial European figure who expresses his superiority, Wells, in “The Country of the Blind” (1904), deconstructs
... Show MoreDrawbacks of Implementing Electronic Management in the Ministry of Education (A sample: Oman Educational Portal) from the Point of View of IT Staff. The study aimed at discovering the drawbacks of implementing electronic management in the Ministry of Education (a sample: Oman Educational Portal) from the point of view of IT staff, and that is by answering the following questions: - What are the main drawbacks (administrative, financial, technical and drawbacks related to human resources) that hinder implementing the electronic management in the Ministry of Education (a sample: Oman Educational Portal) from the point of view of IT staff? - Are there any statistical significance differences at the level (0.05) between study samples on the
... Show MoreThe purpose of this study was to measure serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP7), Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), Growth Hormone (GH), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and insulin in acromegaly patients and healthy controls. The acromegaly group had 60 patients, while the population group had 30 people who had never had acromegaly before. The concentration of IGFBP7, IGF-1, GH, IL-6, and insulin were determined. The results of the present study indicate that IGFBP7 level in the acromegaly group was significantly lower (1.690.07 ng/mL vs. 2.740.12 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.001). IGF-1, GH, IL-6, and insulin concentrations were also significantly higher in acromegaly patients. The diagnostic accuracy (2.194) was exce
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