Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial chronic systemic autoimmune disease. It is characterized by a lack of immune tolerance to autoantigens such as nuclear antigens. The aim of the study is to assess the interferon-alpha (IFN-α) serum level in Iraqi patients with SLE and determine its potential relation to different clinical and laboratory parameters and disease activity. 100 SLE patients were all females and with a mean of age 31.3 ± 10 years (16-63years) and disease duration of 5.8 ± 3.7years (1 month to 15 years). The average of SLEDAI score ranged from 2 to 22 with a mean of (8.53 ±3.42). Proteinuria, ESR, creatinine and AST were significantly higher (65% vs. 10% and 0.62±0.11 vs. 0.70±0.14 mg/dl respectively) while the PLT was significantly lower (231.9±88.8 vs. 282.3±67.3 103/mL) (p< 0.001) among SLE patients as compared to control. Serum levels of IFN-α were increased in the SLE patients compared to control, and no significant difference has been observed (208.7±530.0 vs. 63.7±34.8 pg/ml) respectively (P=0.245). Interferon-alpha showed a significant negative correlation with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) in the active and inactive groups. There were no significant variations in all study parameters across IFN-α serum levels (p greater than 0.05). In conclusion, the results suggest a risk effect for female gender and age in etiology of SLE. IFN-α could not be considered as biomarker or to have a risk effect in SLE patients or perpetuate the disease activity. No evidence for any correlation between the IFN-α serum level and any clinical manifestations or laboratory investigation of the disease in current study except for age and disease duration, which suggests them as a risk factor for increasing the IFN-α serum level.
The aims of this study are to measure the defect rate and analyze the problems of production of ready concrete mixture plant by using Six Sigma methodology which is a business strategy for operations improvement depending basically on the application of its sub-methodology DMAIC improvement cycle and the basic statistical tools where the process sigma level of concrete production in the case study was 2.41 σ.
The current study is descriptive; it focuses on studying the contemporary geopolitical problem, and sectarian differences in Caucasus. Nagorno-Karabakh is considered an important disputed region nowadays. Many parties and states participated in this dispute, especially after the conflict had developed into an open war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Thus, the study aims to examine the causes of the conflict in this region, analyze the international positions on this conflict, and find if Armenia was able to occupy this region. The methodology adopted by the researchers is the functional approach, and the theory of power analysis that Cohen created for analyzing all strengths that drove each of the parties t
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to know the effect of two strategies of active learning, the five fingers and traffic signals, on the first grade intermediate level student's achievement and personal intelligence. The research sample was chosen from the Al- Mansour intermediate school for boys, including (101) students divided into three groups chosen randomly which represented the first experimental group (32) students, the second experimental group (34) students, and the control group (33) students. To achieve the research aims, the research prepared a physics achievement test containing (26) items, and a personal intelligence test containing (20) items. The psychometric characteristics, of the tests were checked up the following results were
... Show MoreBackground: Diagnosis and treatment planning can be difficult with conventional radiographic methods as the orthodontic-surgical management of impacted canines requires accurate diagnosis and precise localization of the impacted canine and the surrounding structures. This study was aimed to localize and evaluate weather there is any differences in the diagnostic information provided by multi-slice computed tomography three dimensional volumetric CT images and two dimensional reconstructed panorama images (derived from CT) in subjects with impacted maxillary canines. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients including 24 female and 6 male with mean age of 18 years with suspected unilaterally or bilaterally impacted maxillary canines were evalu
... Show MoreIn this study, polymeric coating was developed by incorporating nano graphene in the polymer blend with applications to oil storage tanks. The oil storage tanks samples were brought from the oil Pipeline Company / Doura refinery in Baghdad. The coating polymer was formed with a blend (epoxy resin and repcoat ZR). The proportion of mixing the mixture was 3:1:1 epoxy resin 21.06 gm: repcoat ZR 10.53 gm: hardener 10.53 gm. The blend/graphene was prepared using in stui-polymerization method with different weight percentage 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt % added to blend. The resulting solution was put in a glass tube on a magnetic stirrer for one hour at a temperature of 40 °C. The result of contact angle and water absorption the best ratio of 3wt
... Show MoreThe dangers of (Israel's) integration with Arab countries in the middle east region will threaten the Arab security structure dimension, which the latter makes the Arab regional system vulnerable for distortion due to its nominal and symbolic value which is far from the Arab self and questioning with its effectiveness in comparing with the real capabilities to Arab countries in achieving the common targets. So, how to assess the different problems that began to hit the structure of the Arab regional system? and how to pledge an allegiance after putting forward what is known as the American Deal of the Century for the administration of former US President Donald Trump for making another step toward normalization with (Israel)?. The reveal
... Show MoreTwo homopolymeric and three copolymeric additives for base oil were synthesized using octyl acrylate (OA) and tert-butyl acrylamide (TBA) monomers. The two additives named P1 and P2 are the homopolymers of TBA and OA, respectively, whereas copolymeric additives named Co1, Co2, and Co3 were synthesized by varying the ratios of TBA:OA as 1:3, 3:1 and 1:1, respectively. The prepared polymers were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Based on the solubility of synthesized polymers in base oil and reactivity ratios of TBA/OA copolymer (0.222, 0.434) calculated by Fineman-Ross method, P2, Co1, Co2 and Co3 were selected to evaluate their performance as pour point depressant (PPD), viscosity improver (VII), and anticorrosion addit
... Show Moren this research, some thermophysical properties of ethylene glycol with water (H2O) and two solvent mixtures dimethylformamide/ water (DMF + H2O) were studied. The densities (ρ) and viscosities (η) of ethylene glycol in water and a mixed solvent dimethylformamide (DMF + H2O) were determined at 298.15 K, t and a range of concentrations from 0.1 to1.0 molar. The ρ and η values were subsequently used to calculate the thermodynamics of mixing including the apparent molar volume (ϕv), partial molar volume (ϕvo) at infinite dilution. The solute-solute interaction is presented by Sv results from the equation ∅_v=ϕ_v^o+S_v √m. The values of viscosity (B) coefficients and Falkenhagen coefficient(A) of the Jone-Dole equation and Gibbs free
... Show MoreAbstract: New copper(II) complexes with mixed ligand benziloxime (BOxH) and furfural-dehydeazine (FA) using classical (with and without solvent) and microwave heating methods have been prepared. The resulting complexes have been characterized using physico-chemical techniques. The study suggested that the ligands formed neutral complexes had general formulas [Cu(FA)(BOXH)(Ac)2] and [Cu(FA)(BOX)(OH)] in neutral (or acidic) and basic medium, respectively. Accordingly, hexa-coordinated mono-nuclear complexes have been investigated by this study and having distorted octahedral geometry. The effect of laser have been studied on solid ligands and solid complexes, no effect have been observed on most compounds through the results of melting poin
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