Background: The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19, a respiratory syndrome. It causes inflammation and damages several organs in the body. miRNAs play a role in regulating the infection resulting from SARS-CoV-2. MicroRNA-155, a kind of microRNA linked to viral defences, can affect the immune responses during COVID-19. Objectives: Examination of the involvement of microRNA-155 in the development and severity of COVID-19, as well as finding the correlation between microRNA-155 and viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease. Materials and Method: A case-control research study was performed between October 2022 and June 2023. It included a cohort of 120 hospitalised individuals with severe cases of COVID-19, together with 115 individuals with mild cases of COVID-19 and apparently healthy individuals. A real-time PCR procedure was applied to determine microRNA-155 expression in the studied groups and the viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease. Results: MicroRNA-155 was expressed in severe cases threefold more than its expression in mild cases of COVID-19 and healthy individuals. Also, a strong association was demonstrated between microRNA-155 and viral load (copies/mL) in severe COVID-19. Conclusion: MicroRNA-155 could be used as a biomarker for severe COVID-19 conditions and could have a role in disease severity and infectious particles of the virus. Since it is positively correlated with viral load (copies/mL) in severe cases of the disease
A number of glow discharge experiments has been carried out in a relatively large-volume metallic vacuum chamber containing argon at low pressure and immersed in an inhomogeneous magnetic field generated by a solenoidal coil capable of delivering 2100G. Two Paschen curves demonstrating the dependence of the discharge voltage on sparking parameter Pd and magnetic field strength B were deduced. A graphical correlation showing the behaviour of the voltage difference from the two curves on the ratio B/Pd was constructed. Investigations showed a reduction in the nominal impedance of the discharge device of nearly 20% when B reaches a value of 525G. Plasma confinement regions were found around the internal surface of the chamber at the entranc
... Show MoreBackground: EBV infection in tissue micro-environment is challenged by the precisely regulated survivaland apoptosis mechanisms. Abnormal bcl-2 proto-oncogene expression in colonic carcinomas allowsaccumulation and propagation of these genetically altered cells.Objective: To analyze the relevant concordance of BCL-2 gene , EBNA1 s and LMP-1-EBV expression inissues from a group of Iraqi patients with colonic adenocarcinomas.Patients and Methods: One hundred (100) tissue biopsies, belonged to (40) patients with colorectalcancers, (40) patients with benign colon tumors, and (20) apparently normal colorectal control tissues,were enrolled in this study. The detection of EBNA1 s and LMP-1-EBV as well as BCL-2 was done byimmunohistochemist
... Show MoreThe load shedding scheme has been extensively implemented as a fast solution for unbalance conditions. Therefore, it's crucial to investigate supply-demand balancing in order to protect the network from collapsing and to sustain stability as possible, however its implementation is mostly undesirable. One of the solutions to minimize the amount of load shedding is the integration renewable energy resources, such as wind power, in the electric power generation could contribute significantly to minimizing power cuts as it is ability to positively improving the stability of the electric grid. In this paper propose a method for shedding the load base on the priority demands with incorporating the wind po
... Show MoreWhen the depth of stressed soil is rather small, Plate Load Test (PLT) becomes the most efficient test to estimate the soil properties for design purposes. Among these properties, modulus of subgrade reaction is the most important one that usually employed in roads and concrete pavement design. Two methods are available to perform PLT: static and dynamic methods. Static PLT is usually adopted due to its simplicity and time saving to be performs in comparison with cyclic (dynamic) method. The two methods are described in ASTM standard.
In this paper the effect of the test method used in PLT in estimation of some mechanical soil properties was distinguished via a series of both test methods applied in a same site. The comparison of
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetes mellitus is one of the commonest chronic disorders worldwide with a rapid rise in prevalence. In Iraq its prevalence is high especially in elderly age group. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have higher vulnerability for complications, whether microvascular or macrovascular. Ocular complications are common in diabetes mellitus, and comprise diabetic retinopathy, diabetic papillopathy, cataract, glaucoma, dry eye disease and diabetic keratopathy. Diabetic keratopathy involves endothelial and epithelial tissues of the cornea, leading to persistent epithelial defect, corneal erosion, or corneal ulcers.
Aim of the Study: To compare the mean corneal endothelial cell count between patients wi
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background: Neuropilin 1(NRP1) is considered a novel non - tyrosine kinase co- receptor for the vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). First discovered on migrating neurons. NRP1is suggested to be up-regulated in cells of different types of cancer and implicated with advanced disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation in expression of NRP1 in oral, laryngeal and skin squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and methods: Tissue sections from 120 formalin fixed- paraffin embedded blocks histopathologically diagnosed as oral, laryngeal and skin SCC (40 blocks for each),immunohistohemically stained in immunoperoxidase method with monoclonal antibodies to NRP1, the localization of expression was examined and the res
... Show MorePseudomonas aeruginosa produces an extracellular bioï¬lm matrix that consists of nucleic acids, exopolysaccharides, lipid vesicles, and proteins. Alginate, Psl and Pel are three exopolysaccharides that constitute the main components in biofilm matrix, with many biological functions attributed to them, especially concerning the protection of the bacterial cell from antimicrobial agents and immune responses. A total of 25 gentamicin-resistant P. aeruginosa selected isolates were enrolled in this study. Biofilm development was observed in 96% of the isolates. In addition, the present results clarified the presence of pelA and pslA in all the studied isolates. The expression of these genes was very low. Even though all biof
... Show MoreThe current study aimed to detect the effect of gentamicin stress on the expression of hla (encodes hemolysin) and nuc (encodes nuclease) genes of Staphylococcus aureus. Fifty-eight isolates identified as S. aureus were isolated locally from different clinical specimens. Disk diffusion method was used to detect the resistance to S. aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of gentamicin was estimated by broth microdilution method. hla and nuc genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction technique. The biofilm was evaluated using the microtiter plate method in the presence and absence of gentamicin at sub-MIC. The results showed that 18 (31%) and 40 (69%) S. aureus isolates were sensitive and resistant to gentamicin, respectiv
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