A case–control study (80 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus [HBV] infection and 96 controls) was performed to evaluate the association of an IL12A gene variant (rs582537 A/C/G) with HBV infection. Allele G showed a signifcantly lower frequency in patients compared to controls (31.2 vs. 46.9%; probability [p]=0.009; corrected p [pc]=0.027) and was associated with a lower risk of HBV infection (odds ratio [OR]=0.49; 95% confdence interval [CI]=0.29–0.83). A similar lower risk was associated with genotypes CG (17.5 vs. 29.2; OR=0.25; 95% CI=0.08–0.81; p=0.02) and GG (10.0 vs. 16.7; OR=0.25; 95% CI=0.07–0.91; p=0.036), but the pc value was not signifcant (0.12 and 0.126, respec‑ tively). Serum IL35 levels showed signifcant difere

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the backscattering electron coefficient for SixGe1-x/Si heterostructure sample as a function of primary electron beam energy (0.25-20 keV) and Ge concentration in the alloy. The results obtained have several characteristics that are as follows: the first one is that the intensity of the backscattered signal above the alloy is mainly related to the average atomic number of the SixGe1-x alloy. The second feature is that the backscattering electron coefficient line scan shows a constant value above each layer at low primary electron energies below 5 keV. However, at 5 keV and above, a peak and a dip appeared on the line scan above Si-Ge alloy and Si, respectively, close to the interfacing line

Objectives: To assess the changes in blood vessel stiffness and digital pulse wave amplitude because of flowmediateddilatation, and to explore how these two variables change when endothelial dysfunction isexperimentally induced.Method: The experimental study was conducted at the departments of physiology at the College of Medicine,Mustansiriyah University, and the College of Medicine, Al-Iraqia University, Baghdad, Iraq, from October 14, 2021, toMay 31, 2022, and comprised healthy young males who were subjected to the flow-mediated dilatation techniqueon the left brachial artery. Pulse transit time and the amplitude of the digital pulse wave were measured duringreactive hyperaemia for 2.5 minutes from the left middle finger using a

Retainers have the potential to detrimentally impact periodontal health and contribute to tooth decay.

This study was achieved to investigate the accumulation of some heavy metals included: Cadmium, Lead and Nickel in the tissues (gill, intestine, liver, muscles and skin) of Silurus triostegus Heckel, 1843 (Siluriformes, Siluridae) and its larval stage of the nematode Contracaecum sp. (Rhabditida, Anisakidae). As well as to assess the infection patterns of Contracaecum among S. triostegus specimens which were purchased fresh from the local market in Baghdad. One hundred and nine nematodes specimens in larval stage were recovered from the fish host; the overall prevalence of Contracaecum sp. was 38.6%. The sex of the host was not significantly (P ˃ 0.05) associated with the infection of this nematode.
Results showed that the overall me