Background: The excess mortality associated with
rheumatoid arthritis is largely due to
cardiovascular disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is of
primary importance in atherogenesis. The intimamedia thickness of extracranial carotid arteries is a
measurable index of the presence of
atherosclerosis.
Objective: To assess carotid intima-media
thickness in rheumatoid arthritis by Doppler
ultrasound.
Methods: Fifty two Iraqi patients with rheumatoid
arthritis were studied and compared with another
fifty two, healthy individuals matched for age and
sex as a control group. Full history was taken and
complete clinical examination was done for all
individuals in both groups. Rheumatoid arthritis
diagnosis was

Abstract: The utility of DNA sequencing in diagnosing and prognosis of diseases is vital for assessing the risk of genetic disorders, particularly for asymptomatic individuals with a genetic predisposition. Such diagnostic approaches are integral in guiding health and lifestyle decisions and preparing families with the necessary foreknowledge to anticipate potential genetic abnormalities. The present study explores implementing a define-by-run deep learning (DL) model optimized using the Tree-structured Parzen estimator algorithm to enhance the precision of genetic diagnostic tools. Unlike conventional models, the define-by-run model bolsters accuracy through dynamic adaptation to data during the learning process and iterative optimization

Efficient and cost-effective drilling of directional wells necessitates the implementation of best drilling practices and advanced techniques to optimize drilling operations. Failure to adequately consider drilling risks can result in inefficient drilling operations and non-productive time (NPT). Although advanced drilling techniques may be expensive, they offer promising technical solutions for mitigating drilling risks. This paper aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of advanced drilling techniques in mitigating risks and improving drilling operations when compared to conventional drilling techniques. Specifically, the advanced drilling techniques employed in Buzurgan Oil Field, including vertical drilling with mud motor, managed pres

In this study, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles incorporated with cement were synthesis by a simple casting method as a function concentration of TiO₂ (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1, and 2 wt%). The prepared samples were characterized using the technique of Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and UV-Visible spectrophotometer, which was used to measure the adsorption spectra. The observed photocatalytic efficiency of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NP) incorporated with cement was investigated by decomposing the dye methyl blue (MB) solution under sunlight irradiation. According to the slope, the value of the k constant at the best sample is 0.8wt%, k=0.8265 min^-1. FESEM image of the TiO₂

An analytical method and a two-dimensional finite element model for treating the problem of laser heating and melting has been applied to aluminum 2519T87and stainless steel 304. The time needed to melt and vaporize and the effects of laser power density on the melt depth for two metals are also obtained. In addition, the depth profile and time evolution of the temperature before melting and after melting are given, in which a discontinuity in the temperature gradient is obviously observed due to the latent heat of fusion and the increment in thermal conductivity in solid phase. The analytical results that induced by  laser irradiation is in good agreement with numerical results.

Reading is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and the text, resulting in comprehension. The text presents letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge, skills, and strategies to determine what that meaning is. Reading comprehension is much more than decoding; it results when the reader knows which skills and strategies are appropriate for the type oftext, and understands how to apply them to accomplish the reading purpose.Reading comprehension is important because without it reading is nothing more than tracking symbols on a page with your eyes and sounding them out leaving the reader with no information. Instead of promoting traditional approaches, reading should be taught

Simple, sensitive and accurate two methods were described for the determination of terazosin. The spectrophotometric method (A) is based on measuring the spectral absorption of the ion-pair complex formed between terazosin with eosin Y in the acetate buffer medium pH 3 at 545 nm. Method (B) is based on the quantitative quenching effect of terazosin on the native fluorescence of Eosin Y at the pH 3. The quenching of the fluorescence of Eosin Y was measured at 556 nm after excitation at 345 nm. The two methods obeyed Beer’s law over the concentration ranges of 0.1-8 and 0.05-7 µg/mL for method A and B respectively. Both methods succeeded in the determination of terazosin in its tablets

Automatic speaker recognition may achieve remarkable performance in matched training and test conditions. Conversely, results drop significantly in incompatible noisy conditions. Furthermore, feature extraction significantly affects performance. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients MFCCs are most commonly used in this field of study. The literature has reported that the conditions for training and testing are highly correlated. Taken together, these facts support strong recommendations for using MFCC features in similar environmental conditions (train/test) for speaker recognition. However, with noise and reverberation present, MFCC performance is not reliable. To address this, we propose a new feature 'entrocy' for accurate and robu

The present study aimed to determine the serum sex hormone levels among Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) patients before and after 3 months of oral administration of 5-α reductase inhibitor(finasteride). Forty BPH patients and 40 healthy men from Amara city were involved in this study, their ages were between 40-59 year. They were all subjected  to direct estimation of hormones by MinVidas method including Testosterone (T), Estradiol (E2), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Prolactin (PRL), and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) before and after 3 months of treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) (the healthy individuals didn’t take finasteride).The results showed that T level was significantly lo