It was aimed to understand the interleukin-4 (IL-4) role in etio-pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two approaches were adopted. In the first one, a quantitative expression of IL4 gene was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and such findings were correlated with some demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters, which included gender, duration of disease, disease activity score (DAS-28), rheumatoid factors (RFs), C-reactive protein (CRP) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP) antibodies. In the second approach, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL4 gene (rs2243250) was inspected by DNA sequencing using specific primers. Fifty-one Iraqi RA patients (22 males and 29 fem

      The level of adipokines (interleukin-6 and vaspin) in hyperthyroid patients treated with carbimazole drug was determined. Eighty-five male and female participated in this study, with mean age from 20-70 years. They included: negative control group of thirty euthyroid persons represented group 1, twenty-five hyperthyroid patient (positive control) included in the second group and thirty hyperthyroid patients treated with carbimazole drug for one year or less comprised the third group. By vein puncture, blood was collected, and serum was isolated and preserved at –20 C. Adipokines (interleukin-6 and vaspin) were estimated by using ELISA method. The results demonstrated that the the increase of IL-6 level was highly significant

Leishmania causes disease ranging from self-healing cutaneous to fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Leishmaniasis is reported endemic in 88 countries, including Iraq, in which 82% in low-income countries. The diseases develop following the bite of sand flies injecting Leishmania promastigotes into skin. Promastigotes transform into amastigotes in vivo multiplying within macrophages. In this study we have investigated the ability of axenic procyclic promastigotes of cutaneous Leishmania tropica and visceral Leishmania donovani survive in M199 media with or without Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) added. Three time incubation periods were adopted (24, 48 and 72) hours and the results showed that L. tropica was able to survive and multiply in both

       Background: viruses are responsible for a large proportion of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Other causes of LRTIs are bacteria: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus being the most common. Sputum samples are commonly used in the microbiological laboratory for diagnosing lower respiratory infections. Objective: The aim of this study to evaluate the causative bacteria and antibiotics sensitivity in culture of sputum samples. Patients Methods: A retrospective study performed in the microbiology department of Al Immamin Al Kahdimin Medical laboratory in Baghdad. The results of sput

The recent advances in technology, the increased dependence on electrical energy and the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) were all factors in the increased need for smart, efficient and reliable energy systems. This introduced the concept of the Smart Grid (SG). A SG is a potential replacement for older power grids, capable of adapting and distributing energy based on demand. SG systems are complex. They combine various components and have high requirements for real time reliable operation. This paper attempts to provide an overview of SG systems, by outlining SG architecture and various components. It also introduces communication technologies, integration and network management tools that are involved in SG sys

This study was designed to highlight the role of Epstein Barr viruses (EBV) as a possible causative effect in multiple sclerosis (MS) through testing the viral load along with both biochemical and immunological parameters in female MS patients. We also aimed at finding the effects of different types of treatment line on the various study aspects. The results of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed first an increased level of EBV EBNA1IgG IL-17A (96.13±27.60 pg/ml) in sera of female MS patients (0.05±0.01 U/ml, n=50) compared with the control group (n=40). We confirmed this result using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) which also showed a significantly higher EBV load in MS patients (22.61±12.72 copi

Background: Meclizine hydrochloride (MCZ) is an antihistamine that is used as an antiemetic to prevent and cure nausea and vomiting. Because of its limited water solubility and first-pass metabolism, it exhibits variable absorption. Objective: To formulate and evaluate MCZ as an intranasal in situ gel with increased residence time and permeability. Methods: We made an inclusion complex of MCZ using various cyclodextrins as a complexing agent to help the drug dissolve better. The complexes were studied, and the ones that were better at dissolving were chosen to be used in the creation of an in situ gel with poloxamer 407 (17–20% w/v) and hyaluronic acid (0.25–0.75% w/v). Prepared formulas were subjected to various evaluation tes

Incivility in nursing education can negatively affect the academic achievement. As there is no tool in Arabic to assess incivility among nursing students, there is a need for a valid and reliable tool.