Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with various clinical types. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is significantly elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients compared with that of healthy controls. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum levels of GFAP in relation to disease activity in relapsing-remitting MS patients and to compare them with those of healthy controls. Method: This study involved 58 MS patients of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) type, 22 in an active stage of the disease and 36 in remission, and 50 healthy individuals as age- and sex-matched controls. Blood samples were taken from the patients at the MS Clinic of the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, and the serum levels of GFAP were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Results: Mean GFAP serum levels in 22 patients presenting in the active state of the disease (6.47±3.39 ng/ml) and 36 cases in remission were (5.33±2.82 ng/ml) (p=0.074) were determined as indicated. When RRMS patients (n=58) were compared with the healthy controls (n=50, 1.89±1.21), the difference in serum levels of GFAP was statistically significant (p<0.001). The area under the curve of the serum measures of GFAP obtained through the receiver operating characteristics was 0.903, which was also statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: GFAP biomarker is an indicator of disease activity in RRMS patients, and its serum level may correlate with the state of remission or exacerbation.
Thin films of Zinc Selenide ZnSe have been prepared by using thermal evaporation in vacuum technique (10-5Torr) with thickness (1000, 2700, 4000) A0 and change electrode material and deposited on glass substrates with temperature (373K) and study some electrical properties at this temperature . The graphs shows linear relation between current and voltage and the results have shown increases in the value of current and electrical conductivity with increase thickness and change electrode material from Aluminum to Copper
Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous mucocutaneous disease with life-threatening consequences. Rituximab (RTX) has recently emerged as an effective treatment for PV. Objectives: This study aims to determine changes in neutrophil and platelet counts for PV patients treated with RTX or corticosteroids combined with Imuran (azathioprine). Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. Thirty PV patients received two types of treatment: 15 patients were administered RTX and 15 patients took corticosteroids with Imuran (azathioprine). Neutrophil and platelet counts were detected at the hospital laboratory. Results
... Show MoreThe present study aimed to determine the serum sex hormone levels among Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) patients before and after 3 months of oral administration of 5-α reductase inhibitor(finasteride). Forty BPH patients and 40 healthy men from Amara city were involved in this study, their ages were between 40-59 year. They were all subjected to direct estimation of hormones by MinVidas method including Testosterone (T), Estradiol (E2), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Prolactin (PRL), and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) before and after 3 months of treatment with 5α-reductase inhibitor (finasteride) (the healthy individuals didn’t take finasteride).The results showed that T level was significantly lo
... Show MoreIn latest decades, genetic methods have developed into a potent tool in a number of life-attaching applications. In research looking at demographic genetic diversity, QTL detection, marker-assisted selection, and food traceability, DNA-based technologies like PCR are being employed more and more. These approaches call for extraction procedures that provide efficient nucleic acid extraction and the elimination of PCR inhibitors. The first and most important stage in molecular biology is the extraction of DNA from cells. For a molecular scientist, the high quality and integrity of the isolated DNA as well as the extraction method's ease of use and affordability are crucial factors. The present study was designed to establish a simple, fast
... Show MoreBackground: The aim of this study was to determine phototoxic effect of visible blue light on anaerobic periodontal pathogens namely Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Materials and methods: Strains of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis were isolated from pockets of systemically healthy patients aged between 35-55 years old with pocket depths of 5-6 mm, the bacteria cultured on special blood Agar plates solid media, then subjected to visible blue light emitted from commercially available light cure devise (LED curing light); that emits blue light (400-500nm) of 1000mw energy at different periods of time exposures, then the CFU of each plate was measured by direct colony count
... Show MoreThe paper is devoted to solve nth order linear delay integro-differential equations of convolution type (DIDE's-CT) using collocation method with the aid of B-spline functions. A new algorithm with the aid of Matlab language is derived to treat numerically three types (retarded, neutral and mixed) of nth order linear DIDE's-CT using B-spline functions and Weddle rule for calculating the required integrals for these equations. Comparison between approximated and exact results has been given in test examples with suitable graphing for every example for solving three types of linear DIDE's-CT of different orders for conciliated the accuracy of the results of the proposed method.
Combining different treatment strategies successively or simultaneously has become recommended to achieve high purification standards for the treated discharged water. The current work focused on combining electrocoagulation, ion-exchange, and ultrasonication treatment approaches for the simultaneous removal of copper, nickel, and zinc ions from water. The removal of the three studied ions was significantly enhanced by increasing the power density (4–10 mA/cm2) and NaCl salt concentration (0.5–1.5 g/L) at a natural solution pH. The simultaneous removal of these metal ions at 4 mA/cm2 and 1 g NaCl/L was highly improved by introducing 1 g/L of mordenite zeolite as an ion-exchanger. A remarkable removal of heavy metals was reported
... Show More1-[4-(2-Hydroxy-4, 6-dimethyl-phenylazo)-phenol]-ethanone (HL1) and 2-(4-methoxy-phenylazo)-3, 5- dimethyl-phenol (HL2) were produced by combination the diazonium salts of amines with 3, 5- dimethylphenol. The geometry of azo compounds was resolved on the basis of (C.H.N) analyses, 1H and 13CNMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopic mechanisms. Complexes of La (III) and Rh (III) have been performed and depicted. The formation of complexes has been identified by using elemental analysis, FTIR and UV-Vis spectroscopic process as well, conductivity molar quantifications. Nature of complexes produced have been studied obeyed mole ratio and continuous alteration ways, Beer's law followed through a concentration scope (1×10-4 - 3×10-4 M). High molar
... Show MoreA taxonomic keys was established of book and bark lice Order Psocoptera to isolated insects in Iraq from different localities of Baghdad and Babylon provinces. Thirteen species belong to eight genera and five families have been studied and described in details, these species were recorded for the first time in Iraq. These species are: Belaphopsocus badonneli New, 1971; Belaphotroctes oculeris Bodonnel, 1973; Embodopsocosis newi Bodonnel, 1973; Epipsocus stigamaticus Mockeord, 1991; Lepinotus huoni Schmidt and New, 2008; Liposcelies decolor Peramane 1925 Liposcelies paeta Pearman 1942 Liposclies bostrychphila Badonnel 1931; Liposclies brunnea Mostchulsky 1852; Liposclies entoophila Enderlein 1907; Neopsocopsis minuscule Li 2002 ;
... Show MoreA new tridentate ligand has been synthesized derived from phenyl(pyridin-3-yl)methanone. Three coordinated metal complexes were prepared by complexation of the new ligand with Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) metal salts. The new Schiff base “benzyl -2-[phenyl(pyridin-3-yl)methylidene]hydrazinecarbodithioate” and the new metal complexes were characterized using various physico-chemical and spectroscopic techniques. From the analysis results, the expected structure to the metal complexes are octahedral in geometry for Cu(II) complex, square planner for Ni(II) and tetrahedral for Zn(II) complex. The new compounds are expected to show strong bioactivity against bacteria and cancer cells.