Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory, systemic rheumatic condition that mostly affects the axial skeleton. Tenascin-C (TN-C) is a hexameric glycoprotein of considerable size, upregulated in many inflammatory conditions, while Interleukin-17 (IL-17) a cytokine that plays an important role in SpA symptoms. Objective: to investigate the upregulation between the serum levels of TN-C and IL-17 in Iraqi axSpA patients and the disease characteristics. Patients and Methods: Seventy-four axSpA patients and 28 matched controls were studied. Fifty-four patients received a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) and 20 did not. Serum TN-C and IL-17 concentrations were determined using the ELISA technique. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was assessed. For statistical tests, Chi Square, Mann Whitney, Independent Samples T, and Pearson's correlation tests are used. Results: Patients mean age was 35.6±0.9 years, 65 males and 9 females, and disease duration was 5.18±0.6 years. 47.4% were smokers, 47% had inflammatory low back pain, and HLA-B27 was present in 91%. BASDAI mean was 6.1±0.4 in non-TNFi and 2.6±0.3 in those on TNFi. The serum TN-C concentration was significantly increased in patients, especially those on non-TNFi (79±9.6 pg/mL) compared to those on TNFi (69.1±3.2 pg/mL) and control (53±3.9 pg/mL) (p=0.003). Serum IL-17 was significantly elevated in those receiving TNFi (877.9±257 pg/mL) compared to non-TNFi (487.2±234 pg/mL) and control (182.4±36.6 pg/mL) (p=0.033). The TN-C significantly correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r=0.27, p=0.02) and with hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (r=0.26, p=0.02). TN-C and IL-17 were non-significantly related (r=0.14, p=0.2). Conclusions: axSpA Patients demonstrated high levels of serum TN-C, particularly in those not receiving TNFi, and high IL-17 levels in those receiving TNFi, suggesting that there is an association with tissue injury from the disease and stimulation of immunological and resident tissue cells. Patients who had not received TNFi showed significantly higher disease activity than others.
The problem of Multicollinearity is one of the most common problems, which deal to a large extent with the internal correlation between explanatory variables. This problem is especially Appear in economics and applied research, The problem of Multicollinearity has a negative effect on the regression model, such as oversized variance degree and estimation of parameters that are unstable when we use the Least Square Method ( OLS), Therefore, other methods were used to estimate the parameters of the negative binomial model, including the estimated Ridge Regression Method and the Liu type estimator, The negative binomial regression model is a nonline
... Show MoreIsobaric Vapor-Liquid-Liquid equilibrium data for the binary systems ethyl acetate + water, toluene + water and the ternary system toluene + ethyl acetate + water were determined by a modified equilibrium still, the still consisted of a boiling and a condensation sections supplied with mixers that helped to correct the composition of the recycled condensed liquid and the boiling temperature readings in the condensation and boiling sections respectively. The VLLE data where predicted and correlated using the Peng-Robinson Equation of State in the vapor phase and one of the activity coefficient models Wilson, NRTL, UNIQUAC and the UNIFAC in the liquid phase and also were correlated using the Peng-Robinson Equation of State in both the vapo
... Show MoreCompound 4-(((6-amino-7H-[1, 2, 4] triazolo [3, 4-b][1, 3, 4] thiadiazin-3-yl) methoxy) methyl)-2, 6-dimethoxyphenol (6) was synthesized by multi steps. The corresponding acetonitrile thioalkyl (7) was cyclized by refluxing with acetic acid to afford 4-(((6-amino-7H-[1, 2, 4] triazolo [3, 4-b][1, 3, 4] thiadiazin-3-yl) methoxy) methyl)-2, 6-dimethoxyphenol (8). Two new series of 4-(((6-(3-(4-aryl) thioureido)-7H-[1, 2, 4] triazolo [3, 4-b][1, 3, 4] thiadiazin-3-yl) methoxy) methyl)-2, 6-dimethoxyphenol (9a-c) and of 4-(((6-(substitutedbenzamido) 7H-[1, 2, 4] triazolo [3, 4-b][1, 3, 4] thiadiazin-3-yl) methoxy) methyl)-2, 6-dimethoxyphenol (10a-c) were synthesized as new derivatives for fused 1, 2, 4-trizaole-thiadiazine (8). The antioxidant
... Show MoreBackground: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system of unknown etiology. Different techniques and magnetic resonance image sequences are widely used and compared to each other to improve the detection of multiple sclerosis lesions in the spinal cord. Objective: To evaluate the ability of MRI short tau inversion recovery sequences in improvementof multiple sclerosis spinal cord lesion detection when compared to T2 weighted image sequences. Type of the study: A retrospective study. Methods: this study conducted from 15thAugust 2013 to 30thJune 2014 at Baghdad teaching hospital. 22 clinically definite MS patients with clinical features suggestive of spinal cord involvement,
... Show MoreGross domestic product (GDP) is an important measure of the size of the economy's production. Economists use this term to determine the extent of decline and growth in the economies of countries. It is also used to determine the order of countries and compare them to each other. The research aims at describing and analyzing the GDP during the period from 1980 to 2015 and for the public and private sectors and then forecasting GDP in subsequent years until 2025. To achieve this goal, two methods were used: linear and nonlinear regression. The second method in the time series analysis of the Box-Jenkins models and the using of statistical package (Minitab17), (GRETLW32)) to extract the results, and then comparing the two methods, T
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The Research Includes Two Variables : First , Academic Accreditation with his dimensions ( Educational Context , Educational Inputs , Educational Process , Educational Outputs , Feedback ) , And The Second : Strategic Performance With His dimensions ( Financing , Satisfaction Stakeholders , Internal Processes , Learning And Growth ) , The Research Highlights On The Academic Accreditation System Which Is Considered A Major And Important Systems Can Through Which Administration Of Activities And Programs Institutions Of Higher Education , As This research aims to determine his relationship And The Extent Of Its Effect In The Strategic Performance , And It Includes The Research C
... Show MoreIn the present work, Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize process variables and find the best circumstances for indirect electrochemical oxidation of mimicked wastewater to remove phenol contaminants using prepared ternary composite electrode. The electrodeposition process is used for the synthesis of a ternary composite electrode of Mn, Co, and Ni oxides. The selected concentrations of metal salts of these elements were 0.05, 0.1, and 1.5 M, with constant molar ratio, current density, and electrolysis time of 1:1:1, 25 mA/cm2, and 2 h. Interestedly, the gathered Mn-Co-Ni oxides were deposited at both the anode and cathode. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) facilitated the qualitative char
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