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
Pultruded materials made of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) come in a broad range of shapes, such as bars, I-sections, C-sections, etc. FRP materials are starting to compete with steel as structural materials owing to their great resistance, low self-weight, and cheap maintenance costs, especially in corrosive conditions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a novel concrete Composite Column (CC) using Encased I-Section (EIS) as a reinforcement in contrast to traditional steel bars by using Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) as I-section (CC-EIS) to evaluate the effectiveness of the hybrid columns which have been built by combining GFRP profiles with concrete columns. To achieve the aims of this study, nine circular co
... Show MoreKlebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as one of the eight most essential causes of urinary tract infection (UTI), with increasing resistance to antibiotics, especially carbapenems. About one hundred-eight urine samples were collected from inpatients and outpatients who attended. They were collected at three Baghdad hospitals: two from Karkh (AL-Yarmouk Hospital and Al-karamu Hospital) and one from Rusafa (AL-Baghdad Educational Hospital). A minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) test was done using the Microtiter plate method and demonstrated different resistance levels against meropenem antibiotics. Gene expression of blaOXA-48 and blaVIM-1 genes was performed when treated with meropenem antibiotic using the Real-time PCR technique. Th
... Show MoreRecently, gallbladder stones have been contained bile salt saturated a proximal 70 % cholesterol. This led us to investigate how can use transformer Streptococcus salivarius with plasmid pMG36bsh to fragment cholesterol of gallstones in vitro. Total mRNA of S. salivarius was produced using easy-spinTM, total RNA extraction kit and PCR cDNA-RT to observe the change after percent pMG36bsh vector and prepare S. salivarius have two copies from bsh genes (cgh, bsh) to fragment gallstone in bacterial culture. Our data shows increase bacterial bsh expression help to reduce gallstones concentration in culture when bile salt presented as stimulating agent for the association bsh genes were 77% compare with wild type has the reducing concentration ra
... Show MoreEnvironmental exposures to lead remain a serious problem in the developing and industrializing countries. Children are the highest risk aged-group for lead poisoning. This study was designed to assess lead exposure in Al-Fallujah city by analyzing blood lead levels in children and adults and to explain the relationship between blood lead levels, hematological parameters and ferritin levels in the children. The study was performed on-(90) subjects, (65children and 25 adults).Venous blood samples were taken for estimation of hematological parameters, serum ferritin levels and blood lead levels. The children group was subdivided into four groups as: group (A) (low ferritin, low Hb), group (B) (low ferritin, normal Hb), group (C) (normal fer
... Show MoreFrictional resistance occurs whenever sliding happens, negatively impacting treatment outcomes and duration. It is a clinical challenge and must be dealt with efficiently to achieve the best orthodontic results. Aims of this study: compare and evaluate the static frictional forces under the wet condition to mimic the oral environment produced by using a polycrystalline ceramic bracket, monocrystalline ceramic bracket, 0.014 of an inch nickel-titanium (Rhodium coated archwires, and ilusio aesthetic archwires), and 0.019 x 0.025 of an inch stainless steel (Rhodium coated archwires, and ilusio aesthetic archwires). Ninety-six aesthetic brackets (48 monocrystalline and 48 polycrystalline brackets) were used and stored in different incub
... Show MoreBackground: Acute appendicitis is regarded as one of the most common inflammation that needs surgical intervention. Different scoring systems have been used for diagnosing of acute appendicitis. ALVARADO score is one of the most widely used score in diagnosing of acute appendicitis, but the accuracy of the latter is insufficiently low in Middle-East patients. Thus a new scoring system called RIPASA score has been designed for diagnosing of acute appendicitis in those patients. The aim of this study is to use RIPASA score and compare its result with ALVARADO score in diagnosing of acute appendicitis.
Subjects and Methods: The study includes 200 patients with symptoms and signs of
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background:Hydrogen absorption and related degradation in the mechanical properties of Ni-Ti based orthodontic wires has been demonstrated following exposure to fluoride prophylactic agents. This study was designed to investigate the effects of three fluoride containing agents on the load deflection characteristics of heat activated nickel titanium arch wires during unloading phase. Material and method: Eighty specimens of heat activated nickel titanium arch wires were obtained from Ortho Technology Company, half of which had a 0.016 inch round and 0.019x0.025 rectangular. Ten specimens from both wire size were immersed in one of the tested fluoride prophylactic agents (neutral sodium fluoride gel, stannous fluoride gel or phos-flu
... Show MoreIntroduction: Biliary atresia (BA) is a disease characterized by a biliary obstruction of unknown origin. Viral agents have been proposed in the aetiology of BA such as cytomegalovirus (CMV). This virus also considered as a one of agents that can infect the liver and cause hepatitis. The aim of this study was to determine the role of CMV in children with both chronic hepatitis (negative for hepatitis B and C) and have biliary atresia in the same time.Material and Methods: A retrospective study done on 13 liver tissue paraffin blocks of children with chronic hepatitis (negative for hepatitis B and C) and biliary atresia (extra and intra). The diagnosis was based on the presence of HCMV protein (pp65) by using immunohistochemistry.Res
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