Background: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL9) has an important role recruiting the T-lymphocytes and immune response after infection by inducing T-cells accumulation around the areas associated with infections. However, this role is poorly known in relation with Toxoplasma gondii infection and also in association with thyroid hormones, which the present study is focused on. Methods: Eighty-seven women were included in this study for the period between September 2021 and February 2022. Blood samples of uninfected healthy pregnant, in addition to aborted and pregnant women infected with toxoplasmosis, were collected. Sera were then obtained and stored at -10°C. Toxo-latex agglutination test was done, followed by detection of IgM and IgG antibodies, which were identified in sera of cases and controls using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassay. Finally, an ELISA test for CXCL9 and thyroid hormones tests were performed as well. Results: CXCL9 levels showed a non-significant increase in comparison with the control group. This increase was observed during the first 5 months of abortion and pregnancy. Thyroid hormones T3 and TSH were significantly higher in the aborted and pregnant women than the control group. Whereas T4 results revealed lower levels in the same group in comparison to the control group, specifically during the first 5 months of abortion and pregnancy for most of the groups. Conclusion: Determining CXCL9 chemokine levels in female patients infected with Toxoplasma gondii might play an important role in early diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis, especially during the first 5 months of abortion or pregnancy as well as thyroid hormones levels can be influenced or affected by the parasite infection, which can provide an indicator of thyroid dysfunction in general.
Fabrication of porous clay refractory insulating specimens from Iraqi kaolin with different percentage of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste crumbs additions were investigated. After mixing and forming by hand molding, the specimens was dried and fired at 1300 oC. The structural, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the refractory insulating products were measured. Maximum addition of EPS (1.25 wt%) lead to reduce the linear shrinkage to less than 1.7% and increased apparent porosity up to 50 %. As well as, the density, Modulus of rupture and thermal conductivity were reduced to 1.39 g/cm3, 4.1 MPa and 0.21 W/m.K, respectively. The final outcome, addition of EPS showed good results in the formation of pores without distorting the
... Show MoreA Longitudinal opening is used to construct hollow core beam is a cast in site or precast or pre stressed concrete member with continuous voids provided to reduce weight, cost and, as a side benefit, to use for concealed electrical or mechanical runs. Primarily is used as floor beams or roof deck systems. This study investigate the behavior of six beams (solid or with opening) of dimension (length 1000 x height 180 x width120mm) simply support under partial uniformly distributed load, four of these beam contain long opening of varied section (40x40mm) or (80x40mm). The effect of vertical steel reinforcing, opening size and orientations are investigated to evaluate the response of beams. The experimental behavior based on load-deflection
... Show MoreThis study introduced the effect of using magnetic abrasive finishing method (MAF) for finishing flat surfaces. The results of experiment allow considering the MAF method as a perspective for finishing flat surfaces, forming optimum physical mechanical properties of surfaces layer, removing the defective layers and decreasing the height of micro irregularities. Study the characteristics which permit judgment parameters of surface quality after MAF method then comparative with grinding
Colloidal crystals (opals) made of close-packed polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were fabricated and grown by Template-Directed methods to obtain porous materials with well-ordered periodicity and interconnected pore systems to manufacture photonic crystals. Opals were made from aqueous suspensions of monodisperse PMMA spheres with diameters between 280 and 415 nm. SEM confirmed the PMMA spheres crystallized uniformly in a face-centered cubic (FCC) array. Optical properties of synthesized pores PMMA were characterized by UV–Visible spectroscopy. It shows that the colloidal crystals possess pseudo photonic band gaps in the visible region. A combination of Bragg’s law of diffraction and Snell’s law of refraction were used to calculate t
... Show MoreReliability is an essential measure and important component of all power system planning and operation procedures. It is one of the key design factors when designing complex, critical and expensive systems. This paper presents a fuzzy logic approach for reliability improvement planning purposes. Evaluating the reliability of the complex and large planned Iraqi super grid ;as Al- Khairat generating station with its tie set is intended to be compact to that grid; and determination of the given reliability improvement project are the major goals of the paper. Results show that the Iraqi super grid reliability is improved by 9.64%. In the proposed technique, fuzzy set theory is used to include imprecise indices of different components in normal
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate the clinical significance of open diagnostic testicular biopsy as prognostic predictor of
successful sperm retrieval among azoospermic infertile patients.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: Infertility clinic and assisted reproduction unit at the institute of embryo research and infertility
treatment, Baghdad University.
Patients: Sixty infertile azoospermic patients.
Intervention: Pieces of testicular tissue taking during open diagnostic multiple bilateral testicular biopsies was
prepared for histological examination and grouped according to well-defined histopathological patterns.
Measurement of testicular size and serum reproductive hormones (FSH, LH, Testosterone, and PRL) were done
Abstract
Objective(s): To evaluate high school male students' knowledge about substance use, to determine the effectiveness of the education program on high school mal students' knowledge about substance use.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental (pre-posttest) design was carried out to determine the effectiveness of an educational program on knowledge of high school students about substance use in AL-Kut city. The study was started from 20th h September 2022 to 24th November 2022. The sample was non-probability (purposive sample) sample of (60) student were selected according to the study that are working in Al Kut Education Directo
... Show MoreObjective: determine the effectiveness of an education program on youth's level of awareness towards
household waste control.
Methodology: A Quazi-experimental study was conducted. Non-probability (quota sample) of (80) young
persons is selected from Baghdad Governorate. They are divided into two equal groups of (40) subjects for the
study group which is exposed to the household waste control educational program. The remaining is the
control group which is not exposed to the educational program.
Results: The findings of the study indicated that youth of the study group have got benefits from the
implementation of the educational program towards household waste control and change has occurred to
their awareness tow