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.
This study is concerned with organizational learning and its impact on total quality management in the education sector. Organizational learning is a process that provides the educational sector with the ability to adapt and respond rapidly to developments and changes in a better way according to its main dimensions (Mental Models, Personal Mastery, Team Learning, Shared Vision, System Thinking) by adopting the philosophy of Total Quality Management (TQM) in accordance with its basic dimensions (leadership, customer satisfaction, participation of workers, continuous improvement, training and education). The main purpose of this study is to know (the impact of the Senge model of organizational learni
... Show MoreThis research aims to study the target costing and value chain with their complimentary relationship in reducing product costs, meeting the needs of customer, and achieving strategic competitive advantage for manufacturing corporations in response to face international competition, technological development and continuous changing expectations of customers. No doubt, the target costing and value chain both currently occupy a great deal of the attention of managers and accountants at the manufacturing corporations due to the significance to insure their continuity, growth and development. This significance has been the main motive to examine the role of target costing and value chain in a sample of public corporations of the
... Show MoreTo investigate the research objectives, the researchers put the following hypothesis:
There was no statistically significant difference at the level of (0.05) between the average score of the students of the experimental group who studied the language of rhetoric according to model of learning method, and the average score of the students of the control group who studied the same article in the traditional way acquiring rhetorical concept. The researchers relied on the experimental design with the partial setting of the post-test, which depends on the experimental group that is taught using the model of the learning method, and the control group taught using the traditional method.
... Show MoreThe present paper aims at investigating the linguistic image portrayed by UNICEF reports on the Iraqi child from a critical discourse analysis perspective during Covid19 pandemic (2020). The paper attempts to fill a gap in research literature concerning the linguistic construction of the Iraqi child by the UNICEF reports during the critical health crisis of Covid19. Van Leeuwen’s (2008) approach of social actor representation has been adopted for this purpose. From Van Leeuwen’s approach, the category of determination (single determination and overdetermination) has been selected to be the main analytical tool for its high compatibility with the set of objectives put forward to figure out how such a globally effective and
... Show MoreThe polymeric complexes were obtained from the reaction of polymeric Schiff base.N-crotonyl-2-hydroxyphenylazomethine (HL), with divalent metals Pt (II), Cr (II). The modes of bonding and overall geometry of the complexes were determine through spectroscopic methods and compared with that reported from analogous monomeric ligand. This study revealed square planer geometry around the metal center for [Pt(L)Cl] and distorted octahedral geometry for Cr complex [Cr(L)Cl(H2O)2].
Since 1990 internal combustion engines and variable systems has been considered as emission. Noise can be defined as undesirable sound, and in high levels it can be considered ahealth hazard. Large internal combustion engines produce high levels of noise. In many countries there are laws restricting the noise levels in large engine rooms and fixed applications. Locomotives engines have the minimum emission influence because of noise control techniques capability.
In this paper study on a single cylinder internal combustion engine was conducted. The engine works by adding ethanol to gasoline, at variable speeds, without adding ethanol, and with adding 10 and 20% ethanol in volumetric ratio. Using one sound insulator or two or with
... Show MoreThe research aims to explore the difficulties that encounter teaching geography of cities as perceived by female students. A total of (113) third stage female students / Geography Dept / college of education for women were chosen as a sample for the study. To collect the required data, a questionnaire was used as an instrument; it consisted of six parts represent teaching difficulties. It was a three-point Likert scale instrument with 1 signifying ‘main difficulty, 2 ‘sub-difficulty, and 3 ‘no difficult'. The difficulties organized in descend order, to analyze data, SPSS tool was used. The results revealed that the difficulties of content ranged (2.15-1.18), difficulties of education techniques ranged (2.47-2.04), difficulties of t
... Show MoreThis study investigated the treatment of dairy wastewater using the electrocoagulation method with iron filings as electrodes. The study dealt with real samples collected from local factory for dairy products in Baghdad. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize five experimental variables at six levels for each variable, for estimating chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. These variables were the distance between electrodes, detention time, dosage of NaCl as electrolyte, initial COD concentration, and current density. RSM was investigated the direct and complex interaction effects between parameters to estimate the optimum values. The respective optimum value was 1 cm for the distance between electrodes, (6
... Show MoreThe experimental and numerical analysis was performed on pipes suffering large plastic deformation through expanding them using rigid conical shaped mandrels, with three different cone angles (15◦, 25◦, 35◦) and diameters (15, 17, 20) mm. The experimental test for the strain results investigated the expanded areas. A numerical solution of the pipes expansion process was also investigated using the commercial finite element software ANSYS. The strains were measured for each case experimentally by stamping the mesh on the pipe after expanding, then compared with Ansys results. No cracks were generated during the process with the selected angles. It can be concluded that the strain decreased with greater angles of con
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