Chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42 

A single-crystalline semi-polar gallium nitride (11-22) was grown on m-plane (10-10) sapphire substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Three-step approach was introduced to investigate the grain size evolution for semi-polar (11-22) GaN. Such approach was achieved due to the optimized gallium to ammonia ratio and temperature variations, which led to high quality (11-22) oriented gallium nitride epilayers. The full width at half maximum values along (-1-123) and (1-100) planes for the overgrowth temperature of 1080°C were found to be as low as 0.37° and 0.49°, respectively. This was an indication of the enhanced coalescence and reduction in root mean square roughness as seen by atomic force microscopy. Surface analysi

The objective of this study was to investigate the prophylactic roles of human enteric derived Lactobacillus plantarum L1 (Ll) and Lactobacillus paracasei L2 (L2), on EHEC O157:H7 infection in rodent models (In vivo). The Lactobacillus suspensions (L1 and L2) were individually and orally administered to experimental rats at a daily two consecutives of 100 μl (108 CFU/ ml/rat) for up to two weeks.  Thereafter, on the 8th day of experiment rats were orally challenged with one dose infection of EHEC (105 CFU/ml/rat). Animals mortality and illness symptoms have been monitored. There was no fatal EHEC infection in rats that had been pre‑colonized with the Lactobacillus strains, while most of EHEC infected rats were died (90%).  The

Silver nanoparticles synthesized by different species

In this study, a platinum(II) complex ([Pt(H2L)(PPh3)] complex) containing a thiocarbohydrazone as the ligand was tested as an anti-proliferative agent against ovarian adenocarcinoma (Caov-3) and human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) through MTT assays. Apoptotic markers were tested by the AO/PI double staining assay and DNA fragmentation test. Flow cytometry was conducted to measure cell cycle distribution, while the p53 and caspase-8 pathways were tested via immunofluorescence assay. Results demonstrated that the cytotoxic effect of the Pt(II)- thiocarbohydrazone complexes against Caov-3 and HT-29 cells was highly significant, and this effect triggered the activation of the p53 and caspase-8 pathways. Besides, apoptosis stimulated by th

insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) gene has been described in several studies as a candidate gene for growth. The present study attempts to identify associations between body weight traits and polymorphisms at 279 position of 5'UTR flanking region of IGF-1 gene in broiler chickens. Three hundred broiler chickens from two breeds (Cobb 500 and Hubbard F-15) were used in this study. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at 279 position of 5'UTR region of the IGF-1 gene was identified in 20.6 and 60.3% of Cobb 500 and Hubbard F-15, respectively, using the PCR-RFLP technique. Allele frequencies were 83.87 and 42.80% for the T allele and 16.13 and 57.20% for the C allele in Cobb500 and Hubbard-15 breeds, respectively. Genotype frequencies were

Background: Decalcification of surface enamel adjacent to fixed orthodontic appliances, in the form of white spot lesions, is a wide spread and familiar well-known side effect of orthodontic treatment. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of enamel protective agent (Clinpro white varnish) on shear and tensile bond strength of Dentaurum orthodontic stainless steel brackets by using 3M Unitek and Ormco as orthodontic adhesive agents. Materials and methods: Sixty-four extracted human upper first premolar teeth were selected and randomly divided into two groups with 32 teeth each, representing the shear and tensile bond strength testing groups. Then according to the type of bonding adhesive and the addition of Clinpro before

     Klebsiella pneumoniae is among the most frequent microorganisms isolated from infections of burn wounds. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the distribution of multi-drug resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae in two burn hospitals and the antibiotic resistance profile in different burn regions of the same patient. It was performed in two hospitals (Al-Zahraa and Al-Karama) in Al-Kut, Iraq, between January and May 2022. Totally, 100 burn swabs were collected from 40 patients of both genders suffering from burn wound infections, with ages ranging between 3 and 50 years. Klebsiella pneumoniae were isolated and identified using conventional methods followed by VITEK®2 system and confirmed via polymerase chain reaction targeting t