The study aimed to evaluate the benefits of transferrin saturation percentage (TSAT) and serum ferritin in assessing body iron status, which can influence erythropoietin treatment in patients with ESRD. Forty end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis participated in this study. Clinical data were obtained. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin, albumin, creatinine, and C-reactive protein were investigated. Thirty healthy people were enrolled as a control group. ESRD patients had a mean age of 45.1±13.9 years, with 60% being males. They exhibited significantly lower hematocrit (25.3±6.5%), and higher platelet (285.7±148.1x10^9/L) and WBC (9.4±3.1x10^9/L) counts compared to healthy controls (p<0.001 for each). The mean serum ferritin was (440.4±228.5 ng/mL), and high levels (≥300 ng/ml) were seen in 72.5% of patients, while 37.5% had functional iron deficiency. ESRD was associated with lower serum albumin (2.8±0.7 g/dL) and higher serum creatinine (5.7±2.4 mg/dL) levels (p<0.001 for each). In conclusion, about 72.5% of ESRD patients had high serum ferritin which was not a reliable index for iron stores and indicated an acute phase response. Combining transferrin saturation and serum ferritin showed low sensitivity in diagnosing iron status, determining iron status in only 47.5% of ESRD patients. The coexistence of anemia of chronic disorder and iron deficiency obscures the effectiveness of classical indices in assessing body iron status.
Background: Trauma to the anterior teeth is a common injury in young children. Themaxillary incisors being the most affected. Although root fractures are rare, theydo occur and were previously and often considered hopeless and were extracted.The time between the injury and the initiation of treatment, level of the fractureline, and stage of root development are some criteria to be considered whenchoosing a treatment approach for a complicated tooth fracture. This case reportdescribes the management of a traumatized immature maxillary central incisorwith Elise class IV fracture with vertical oblique subgingival fracture of the root.Materials and method: Apexification was carried out using biodentine followed byremoval of the fracture
... Show MoreMicro-perforated panel (MPP) absorber is increasingly gaining popularity as an alternative sound absorber in buildings compared to the well-known synthetic porous materials. A single MPP has a typical feature of a Helmholtz resonator with a high amplitude of absorption but a narrow absorption frequency bandwidth. To improve the bandwidth, a single MPP can be cascaded with another single MPP to form a double-layer MPP. This paper proposes the introduction of inhomogeneous perforation in the double-layer MPP system (DL-iMPP) to enhance the absorption bandwidth of a double-layer MPP. Mathematical models are proposed using the equivalent electrical circuit model and are validated with experiments with good agreement. It is revealed that the DL-
... Show MoreIn this study, Zinc oxide nanostructures were synthesized via a hydrothermal method by using zinc nitrate hexahydrate and sodium hydroxide as a precursor. Three different annealing temperatures were used to study their effect on ZnO NSs properties. The synthesized nanostructure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Atomic force microscope (AFM), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Their optical properties were studied by using UV -visible spectroscopy. The XRD analysis confirms that all ZnO nanostructures have the hexagonal wurtzite structure with average crystallite size within the range of (30.59 - 34
... Show MoreThe Ant System Algorithm (ASA) is a member of the ant colony algorithms family in swarm intelligence methods (part of the Artificial Intelligence field), which is based on the behavior of ants seeking a path and a source of food in their colonies. The aim of This algorithm is to search for an optimal solution for Combinational Optimization Problems (COP) for which is extremely difficult to find solution using the classical methods like linear and non-linear programming methods.
The Ant System Algorithm was used in the management of water resources field in Iraq, specifically for Haditha dam which is one of the most important dams in Iraq. The target is to find out an efficient management system for
... Show MoreLearning Disabilities are described as a hidden and puzzling disability. Children with these difficulties have the potential to hide weaknesses in their performance because they are a homogenous group of disorders that consist of obvious difficulties in acquiring and using reading, writing, Mathematical inference. Thus, the research aims to identify the disabilities of academic learning in (reading, writing, mathematics), identify the problems of behavior (general, motor, social). Identify the relationship among behaviour problems. The research also aims to identify the counseling needs to reduce the behavioral problems. The researcher adopted the analytical descriptive method by preparing two main tools for measuring learning disabiliti
... Show MoreIn this paper, the Active Suspension System (ASS) of road vehicles was investigated. In addition to the conventional stiffness and damper, the proposed ASS includes a fuzzy controller, a hydraulic actuator, and an LVDT position sensor. Furthermore, this paper presents a nonlinear model describing the operation of the hydraulic actuator as a part of the suspension system. Additionally, the detailed steps of the fuzzy controller design for such a system are introduced. A MATLAB/Simulink model was constructed to study the proposed ASS at different profiles of road irregularities. The results have shown that the proposed ASS has superior performance compared to the conventional Passive Suspension System (PSS), where the body displacemen
... Show MoreThis study reveals the results of a numerical simulation performed using the ABAQUS/CAE finite element program. The study aimed to provide a simulation model that can forecast the shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams confined with reinforcing meshes. Limited numerical studies have been conducted using geogrid or FRP mesh as shear reinforcement, with limited representation accuracy and limited material quality. The results were compared to published experimental findings in the literature. The finding of the finite element model and the experimental results were highly comparable; consequently, the model was determined to be valid. Following this, the domain of numerical analyses was broadened to include the investigation of m
... Show MoreThe present study experimentally and numerically investigated the impact behavior of composite reinforced concrete (RC) beams with the pultruded I-GFRP and I-steel beams. Eight specimens of two groups were cast in different configurations. The first group consisted of four specimens and was tested under static load to provide reference results for the second group. The four specimens in the second group were tested first under impact loading and then static loading to determine the residual static strengths of the impacted specimens. The test variables considered the type of encased I-section (steel and GFRP), presence of shear connectors, and drop height during impact tests. A mass of 42.5 kg was dropped on the top surface at the m
... Show MoreClobetasol propionate (CP) is a super potent corticosteroid widely used to treat various skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. However, its utility for topical application is hampered due to its common side effects, such as skin atrophy, steroidal acne, hypopigmentation, and allergic contact dermatitis. Microsponge is a unique three-dimensional microstructure particle with micro and nano-meters-wide cavities, which can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs providing increased efficacy and safety. The aim of the current study is to prepare and optimize clobetasol-loaded microsponges. The emulsion solvent diffusion method is used for the preparation of ethylcellulose (EC)-based microsponges. The impact of
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