Background: Several infectious lung diseases often develop in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially during immunosuppressive medication, including disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The present study aimed to determine the role of respiratory tract bacterial infection in RA activity. Methods: Blood and sputum samples were collected from 31 patients with RA and 12 healthy subjects as control. The bacterial isolates were isolated and identified in collected sputum by biochemical tests and Vitec 2 system. Results: In the present study, thirty-one patients with RA were compared with 12 healthy subjects. Eight patients with RA were not infected with pathogenic bacteria (RA-NIPB) (25.8%). Twenty-three RA patients wer

In this work, 332 Al alloy was prepared and reinforced with (0.5% and 1%) nano-Al₂O₃ particles. The prepared unreinforced and reinforced 332 Al alloy with nano-Al₂O₃ were solution heat treated (T6) at 510 ̊C and aged at 225 ̊C with different times (1, 3, and 5 h). Hardness test was performed on all the prepared alloys. All prepared alloys were dry slided under different applied loads (5, 10, 15, and 20 N) against steel counterface surface using pin on disk apparatus. The results showed that refinement effect was observed after addition of nano-Al₂O₃ particles and a change in silicon morphology after performing the solution heat treatment. The results also showed that har

Sn effect on the phase transformation behavior, microstructure, and micro hardness of equiatomic Ni-Ti shape memory alloy was studied. NiTi and NiTiSn alloys were produced using vacuum induction melting process with alloys composition (50% at. Ni, 50% at.Ti) and (Ni 48% at., Ti 50% at., Sn 2% at.). The characteristics of both alloys were investigated by utilizing Differential Scanning Calorimetry, X- ray Diffraction Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope, optical microscope and vicker's micro hardness test. The results showed that adding Sn element leads to decrease the phase transformation temperatures evidently. Both alloy samples contain NiTi matrix phase and Ti₂Ni secondary phase, but the Ti₂Ni phase content dec

The hydatid materials were collected and studied, so they were contained 50 fertile human hydatid cases {33 (66%) females and 17 (34%) males}. They were collected from Al-Ramadi General Hospital during the period from December, 2003 to July, 2004 .Cysts were observed in 40 (80%) from the liver, 5 (10%) from the lungs, 3 (6%) from the kidney and 2 (4%) cysts from urinary bladder. The specimens were taken from patients of different ages. The in vitro viability of protoscoleces was assessed on the basis of flame cell activity and eosein exclusion, which were considered as criteria to determine the death or viability of protoscoleces. In addition to this movement (flame cell activity), another motility like constriction – relaxatio

The paper include studies the effect of solvent of dye doped in polymeric laser sample which manufactured in primo press way, which is used as an active (R6G) tunable dye lasers. The remarks show that, when the viscosity of the solvent (from Pure Water to Ethanol), for the same concentration and thickness of the performance polymeric sample is increased, the absorption spectrum is shifts towards the long wave length (red shift), & towards short wave length (blue shift) for fluorescence spectrum, also increased the quantum fluorescence yield. The best result we obtained for the quantum fluorescence yield is (0.882) with thickness (0.25mm) in Ethanol solvent in concentration (2*10-3mole/liter), while when we used the Pure Water as a solvent,

In this work, the plasma parameters (electron temperature and
electron density) were determined by optical emission spectroscopy
(OES) produced by the RF magnetron Zn plasma produced by
oxygen and argon at different working pressure. The spectrum was
recorded by spectrometer supplied with CCD camera, computer and
NIST standard of neutral and ionic lines of Zn, argon and oxygen.
The effects of pressure on plasma parameters were studied and a
comparison between the two gasses was made.

In order to study the effect of inoculation with mycorrhiza and fertilization with plant residues on the growth of plants, we used two factors: the first two levels of mycorrhiza inoculation, Glumus mossea (0 and 10 g.pot-1) and the second factor, four levels of plant residues (10 g.pot-1) celery plant residues, 10 g pot-1 mint residues, and 10 g pot-1 black bean seed residues. Mychorrizal treatment (10 g pot-1) increased the number of mycorrhiza spores and the infection percentage of mycorrhizal by 917.44% and 13088.23%, respectively; celery treatment (10 g.pot-1) increased the chlorophyll index in the leaves and height of the chard plant by 31.34% and 94.04%, respectively; and black seed treatment (10 g.pot-1) increased the percen

Background: Reduction in bond strength when bonding was done immediately after intracoronal bleaching procedure has been recognized. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of antioxidants (10% sodium ascorbate (SA), 0.1M thiourea and7% sodium bicarbonate (SB)) on reversing bonding strength of composite resin to bleached dentin. Materials and method: Sixty upper 1st premolar teeth, were selected, the crowns of the teeth were embedded in acrylic resin blocks exposing a flat dentin from the buccal surface, then divided into 6 groups (10 samples each). Bleaching for the experimental groups was performed using 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching gel (pola–office).Group A (Negative

Background and objectives: This study aimed at testing the effect of plastic sleeve or barrier, used to cover the guide of the light cure unit to prevent cross-infection, on the shear bond strength and site of bond failure of stainless steel and ceramic orthodontic brackets. Materials and methods: Forty orthodontic brackets; twenty stainless steel and twenty ceramic brackets bonded to forty extracted human maxillary first premolars using light cure adhesive cured with and without the use of a protective plastic barrier on the guide. Comparing the effect of this barrier on the shear bond strength and adhesive remnant index was performed using an independent t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The protective barrier had decreased the shear b