When embankment is constructed on very soft soil, special construction methods are adopted. One of the techniques is a piled embankment. Piled (stone columns) embankments provide an economic and effective solution to the problem of constructing embankments over soft soils. This method can reduce settlements, construction time and cost. Stone columns provide an effective improvement method for soft soils under light structures such as rail or road embankments. The present work investigates the behavior of the embankment models resting on soft soil reinforced with stone columns. Model tests were performed with different spacing distances between stone columns and two lengths to diameter ratios of the stone columns, in addition to different

Background Psoriasis is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin conditions; its prevalence ranges from 1 to 3%. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine that enhances inflammation, is overexpressed in synovium and skin plaques in psoriasis. TNF-α plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. IL-10 is the most crucial cytokine for reducing excessive immune responses and decreasing pro-inflammatory reactions in all autoimmune disorders.   Objective To evaluate the effect of Apremilast on ILـ10, TNFـα, and BMI in obese psoriatic patients.   Methods Thirty patients included in this investigative study to measure the concentrations of TNFـα, ILـ10 and BMI, before and after receiving Apremilast. TNFـα and

Bacteriophage of E. Coli interspecies from sewage samples were isolated , the phage particles were isolated from two different sewage samples . The first sample was collected from sewage sample of Baghdad university and the second sample was isolated from domestic sewage sample , first sample showed phages specialized for three E. Coli interspecies bacteria (first plate ) and two E. Coli interspecies bacteria (second plate ) , meanwhile second sample showed phage specialized for two E. Coli. interspeciesThe study of appearance of E coli phages from first sample showed three types of E. coli phages with different size of inhibition zone ( 1 , 0.7,0.5 )Cm respectively ( first plate ) , meanwhile E. Coli interspecies bacteria showed phages

Background: University dental students perceived a higher level of stress prior to the final exam associated with raised salivary alpha-amylase levels which could be considered as a useful noninvasive biomarker for measuring acute stress. Using a Helkimo anamnestic and clinical dysfunction scoring for temporomandibular disorders can give a better insight about the association of this marker and temporomandibular disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluation level of salivary alpha-amylase in stressor students with temporomandibular disorders and the relation between the marker in relation to temporomandibular disorders severity. This might give a better understanding to the role of psychological stress as an etiological factor for deve

Background: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a disorder of systemic inflammatory condition. Its important features are represented by recurrent oral, genital ulcerations and eye lesions. Aims. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare cytological changes using morphometric analysis of the exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in Behçet’s disease patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Behçet’s disease. Methods. Twenty five Behçet’s disease patients have been compared to 25 healthy volunteers as a control group. Papanicolaou stain was used for staining the smears taken from buccal epithelial cells to be analyzed cytomorphometrically. The image analysis sof

Background: The Initial (primary) stability is one of the factors that play an important role in the success of the dental implants. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the initial stability of dental implant with horizontal plate by using five analytical tests: insertion torque, removal torque, resonance frequency analysis, push-in test and pull-out test. Materials and methods: Two different lengths of dental implants (5mm and 10mm) were tested in this study; each dental implant was 4mm in diameter with a square threads shape of 1mm pitch and 0.5mm depth. The crestal area was 4.2mm diameter contained a right angle margin circumferential ring while the apical area was tapered with two self-tapping grooves. In this study, the initial s

The present study aimed to evaluate sera TGF- ?1 concentration in patients with urinary bladder carcinoma (UBC). All malignant of them was transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) type , patients with urinary bladder disorders (UBD ) and healthy control , and to study the correlation between sera TGF-?1 levels and tumor stages and grades in UBC patients . A direct ELISA test was used to quantify the seraTGF-?1 concentrations in sera of 58 patients with urinary bladder carcinoma UBC of different grades (G) and stages (T) all malignant of them was transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) type , 15 from patients with UBD and 15 healthy subjects . Sera levels of TGF-?1 were elevated in patients with UBC and UBD compared to healthy (P ? 0