Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent clinical condition, that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Objective: To assess the level of soluble HLA-E (sHLA-E) as a biomarker in the diagnosis and immunopathogenesis of GERD patients. Methods: The case-control prospective study included 40 GERD patients who were consulted at the Gastroenterology Unit of AlKindy Teaching Hospital, as along with 40 healthy control subjects. The study period extended from January 2023 to May 2024. Blood was drawn from both groups and serum was separated to assesssHLA-E using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in sHLA-E levels between GERD patients and healthy controls (P=0.021). The median sHLA-E level was significantly higher in GERD patients (0.370 ng/mL) compared to controls (0.148 ng/mL). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of soluble HLA-E (sHLA-E) in predicting GERD. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the discriminatory ability of sHLA-E with a vlue of 0.649 (95% CI: 0.534-0.752, p = 0.021). The optimal cutoff value for sHLA-E was determined to be ≤0.65 ng/mL, with a sensitivity of 85.1%, specificity of 27.3%, positive predictive value of 65.9%, negative predictive value of 69.4%, and accuracy of 35.0%. Conclusion: The study provides evidence of an association between elevated sHLA-E levels and GERD. It also suggests that sHLA-E has a moderate discriminatory ability as a biomarker in predicting GERD. © 2025, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
This work introduces a newly synthesized triazole derivative, 5-([(2-furanyl)methyl]-thiomethyl)-4-(naphtha-2-yl)-3-hydroxyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole (FTNT), as an effective corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel A106 G/B in 0.1 M HCl solution. The structure of the novel derivative was confirmed by FTIR, 1 H NMR, and 13 C NMR spectra. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements reveal that FTNT markedly suppresses corrosion, with inhibition efficiency reaching 81.6% at 600 ppm. Thermodynamic analysis indicates spontaneous, physisorption/chemisorption-augmented adsorption of FTNT on the steel surface, best described by the Freundlich isotherm. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) surface examination demonstrated that a protective FTNT coating precipitated on
... Show MoreThis paper is an attempt to clarify the impact of Postcolonialism, one of the most
challenging fields of study that has emerged in recent years, on representations of women in
once-colonised countries and in Western locations. It discusses the influence of cultural
differences on the status and identity of a woman who experience ‗multiculturalism‘. The
study is an analytical reading of a contemporary novel written by the Iraqi writer Betool Al-
Kudairi. The emphasis lies on the clash between two different cultures and traditions
represented by the British mother and the Iraqi father and its effect on the life and identity of
the protagonist. The main focus is on idea of ‗hybrid identity‘ and the absence of th
The aim of this study is to investigate the kinetics of copper removal from aqueous solutions using an electromembrane extraction (EME) system. To achieve this, a unique electrochemical cell design was adopted comprising two glass chambers, a supported liquid membrane (SLM), a graphite anode, and a stainless-steel cathode. The SLM consisted of a polypropylene flat membrane infused with 1-octanol as a solvent and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) as a carrier. The impact of various factors on the kinetics constant rate was outlined, including the applied voltage, initial pH of the donor phase solution, and initial copper concentration. The results demonstrated a significant influence of the applied voltage on enhancing the rate of c
... Show MoreThis study applies a discourse analysis framework to explore the portrayal of women in Maysloon Hadi’s novel (The Black Eyes) (2011), using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Norman Fairclough’s tri-dimensional model (1989) as the analytical foundation. It investigates the roles and challenges women face in the novel. While there is growing interest in the portrayal of women in literature, Iraqi literature—especially from the perspective of Iraqi women writers remains underexplored. Hadi’s *The Black Eyes* provides a unique case to examine this intersection. Despite the novel’s rich narrative, which offers insight into Iraqi women’s lives, there is a lack of comprehensive CDA to understand how its language constructs
... Show MoreCompression is the reduction in size of data in order to save space or transmission time. For data transmission, compression can be performed on just the data content or on the entire transmission unit (including header data) depending on a number of factors. In this study, we considered the application of an audio compression method by using text coding where audio compression represented via convert audio file to text file for reducing the time to data transfer by communication channel. Approach: we proposed two coding methods are applied to optimizing the solution by using CFG. Results: we test our application by using 4-bit coding algorithm the results of this method show not satisfy then we proposed a new approach to compress audio fil
... Show MoreThis study aims at describing the identity crisis of Diaspora people (Arab -American) in "Laila Halaby's" novel "Once in A promise Land". Halaby tackles the issues of racism, exclusion, and instability of identity that affect the Arab American community after the terrorist event of eleventh of September. She sheds light on the experiences of her significant characters Salwa and Jassim in America, clarifying how this event weakened their social position and turns their presence in America questionable. "Halaby" describes the bitterness of her characters who are induced into a dream of belonging to a land that transcends their original culture and religious values as well as their language. "Halaby" explains the subsistence in America involvi
... Show MoreBackground: 37% phosphoric acid (PA) is the traditional enamel etching technique prior to bracket adhesion, yet it has been implicated in numerous enamel injuries. The purpose of the current study was to create a calcium phosphate (CaP) etching paste in a simplified capsule formula that can underpin clinically adequate bracket bond strength without jeopardizing the integrity of enamel upon the debracketing procedure. Materials and Methods: micro-sized hydroxyapatite (HA) powder was mixed with 40% PA solution to prepare experimental acidic CaP paste. Sixty human premolars were assigned into two groups of 30 each. Enamel conditioning was accomplished using 37% PA-gel for control group and CaP paste for e
... Show MoreBiodiesel is popular as an eco-friendly fossil fuel alternative. Neem oil is manufactured from Azadirachta indica seeds. Transesterifying triglycerides with alcohol in the presence of a synthesized CaO nanocatalyst is the most common biodiesel synthesis procedure—recent advances, difficulties, and prospects in laser feedstock pretreatment to boost reactivity and reduce energy use. Oil pre-treatment with a 540-nm green laser is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This study examined neem oil with and without laser pretreatment for biodiesel synthesis. CaO nanocatalysts were synthesised using Sol–gel and characterised using XRD and SEM. According to catalyst recyclability, the CaO nanocatalyst did not lose activity after five re
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