Background: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system of unknown etiology. Different techniques and magnetic resonance image sequences are widely used and compared to each other to improve the detection of multiple sclerosis lesions in the spinal cord. Objective: To evaluate the ability of MRI short tau inversion recovery sequences in improvementof multiple sclerosis spinal cord lesion detection when compared to T2 weighted image sequences. Type of the study: A retrospective study. Methods: this study conducted from 15thAugust 2013 to 30thJune 2014 at Baghdad teaching hospital. 22 clinically definite MS patients with clinical features suggestive of spinal cord involvement, patients were imaged with sagittal short tau inversion recovery sequences and sagittal T2 weighted. Results: The mean age of the patients was 32.5 ± 6.7years; female to male ratio was 2.7:1. The total number of spinal cord MS lesions was 44 of them 86.4% in the cervical spine, 68.2%of the lesions had less than one vertebra extension,79.6% of the lesions did not show changes in the spinal cord morphology. There was a significant upgrading in the lesions conspicuity at short tau inversion recovery sequence comparing to T2 weighted image, P<0.001. A significant difference had been found in artifact grading between both sequences; P<0.001. Conclusions: short tau inversion recovery magnetic resonance image sequences improve detection of MS spinal cord plaques compared with T2 weighted image and itincreasesthe conspicuity of the visualized T2weighted image lesions, but also it accentuates theartifacts more than T2weighted image.
The existence of the Internet, networking, and cloud computing support a wide range of new technologies. Blockchain is one of these technologies; this increases the interest of researchers who are concerned with providing a safe environment for the circulation of important information via the Internet. Maintaining solidity and integrity of a blockchain’s transactions is an important issue, which must always be borne in mind. Transactions in blockchain are based on use of public and private keys asymmetric cryptography. This work proposes usage of users’ DNA as a supporting technology for storing and recovering their keys in case those keys are lost — as an effective bio-cryptographic recovery method. The RSA private key is
... Show MoreThis study investigated the feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion of giant reed (GR) inoculated with waste manure as a co-substrate for biogas production. The performance of co-digestion was evaluated in 4 anaerobic digesters operated in batch mode at different conditions. The effects of alkali pretreatment with NaOH (4% w/v) solution, inoculum type, and thermal condition were studied. The results demonstrated that the alkali-pretreatment of GR enhanced the biogas generation by about 15% at mesophilic conditions. Thermophilic conditions enhanced the biogas recovery from both alkali-free and alkali pretreated GR by 15% and 127%, respectively. The kinetic study of the co-digestion process of GR for biogas recovery suggeste
... Show MoreThe Aqra - Bekhme, Shiranish, Tanjero and Kolosh formations outcrop in the High Folded Zone, Northern Iraq in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah governorates. The formations have been studied at two selected geological sections (Bekhme Gorge and Zarda Bee). In this study, these formations are investigated based on both benthic and planktonic foraminifera. Depending on foraminifer’s investigation, three biozones have been recognized; two biozones are identified in the benthic foraminifera and the third one is identified in the planktonic foraminifera as follow:
- Siderolites calcitropodes - Orbitoides apiculatus - Omphalocyclus macroporus Assemblage zone.
- Loftusia morgani range zone.
- Aba
Achieving reliable operation under the influence of deep-submicrometer noise sources including crosstalk noise at low voltage operation is a major challenge for network on chip links. In this paper, we propose a coding scheme that simultaneously addresses crosstalk effects on signal delay and detects up to seven random errors through wire duplication and simple parity checks calculated over the rows and columns of the two-dimensional data. This high error detection capability enables the reduction of operating voltage on the wire leading to energy saving. The results show that the proposed scheme reduces the energy consumption up to 53% as compared to other schemes at iso-reliability performance despite the increase in the overhead number o
... Show MoreIn this study, light elements 19F ,22Na for (α,n) and (n,α) reactions as well as α-particle energy from a threshold energy to 10 MeV are used according to the available data of reaction cross sections. The more recent cross sections data of (α,n) and (n,α) reactions are reproduced in fine steps 86.4 KeV for 22Na (n,α) 19F in the specified energy range, as well as cross section (α,n) values were derived from the published data of (n,α) as a function of αenergy in the same fine energy steps by using the principle inverse reactions. This calculation involves only the ground state of 19F ,22Na in the reactions 19F (α,n) 22Na , 2
... Show MoreThere are different types of young isolated NSs: radio pulsars, compact central X-ray sources in supernova, magentas: anomalous x-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs).This paper shows that the value of magnetic field (B), characteristic age ( ), spin down luminosity ( equilibrium period ( and Flux density ( ) was determined depending on some properties of pulsar star, such as the value of period of the pulsar (P) and the time derivative period ( for sample stars which were adopted. The model that which adopted is Hallo Cone Model. The results showed that the Normal pulsar stars have a big magnetic field, equilibrium period and Spin down than the Millisecond pulsar stars.But Millisecond pulsar stars have large values of
... Show MoreA dynamic experimental study of thermal decomposition of low density polyethylene has been carried out with two different heating rates .As usual , we can determine the activation energy of any polymer using( 3 - 6 ) TGA experiment as minimum , but in this work , we estimate the activation energy of LDPE using two of TGA experiments only
Background: Synthetic vertebral body replacement has been widely used recently to treat different spinal conditions affecting the anterior column. They arrange from trauma, infections and even tumor conditions
Objective: To assess the functional outcome of this modality in different spinal conditions.
Patients and Methods: twenty-seven cases operated from Oct. 2010 to Dec. 9 cases had spinal fractures, 8 cases with spinal tuberculosis, and 10 cases with spinal tumors. They were followed clinically for a mean period of 36 months.
Results: All the cases approached anteriorly. 5 cases had postoperative infection. No neurological worsening reported. we had dramatic neurological improvement in all spinal tuberculo
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
... Show MoreLate Paleocene –Early Eocene algae and benthic foraminifera were identified
from the Sinjar Formation that crop out in three selected section from northern
Iraq. The selected sections: (Derbandikhan ,Qara dagh, Wara Mali has been
measured in the field and closely sampled to undertake details. A number of (131)
samples were collected illustrating all the lithological changes along the sections,
The limestone in the studied section is rich in algae and large benthic foraminifera,
The investigation of the thin sections allowed us to identify the (47 ) species of
foraminifera and (34) species of algae , Five biozones were distinguished for algae
which are :a- Amphiroa iraquensis range zone ,b- Trinocladus perplexus