Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene at locations -308G/A, -857C/T, and -863C/A with the tendency of being non-responder to etanercept.

Patients and methods: Between October 2020 and August 2021, a total of 80 patients (10 males, 70 females; mean age: 50 years; range, 30 to 72 years) with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving etanercept for at least six months were included. The patients were divided into two groups responders and non-responders, based on their response after six months of continuous treatment. Following polymerase chain reac

Cost is the essence of any production process for it is one of the requirements for the continuity of activities so as to increase the profitability of the economic unit and to support the competitive situation in the market. Therefore, there should be an overall control to reduce the cost without compromising the product quality; to achieve this, the management should have detailed credible and reliable information about the cost to be measured, collected, understood and to analyze the causes for the spread of deviations and obstacles the management faces, and to search for the factors that trigger the emergence of these deviations and obstacles

We report on using a CO₂ (10.6 µm) laser to debond the lithium disilicate veneers. Sixty-four sound human premolar teeth and 64 veneer specimens were used in the study. The zigzag movement via CO₂ laser handpiece along with an air-cooled jet to prevent temperature elevation above the necrosis temperature limit (5.5 C°) was applied. The optimal deboning irradiation time was super-fast, at about 5 seconds at 3 Watt CO₂ laser power. It is 20 times less than any previously published work for veneers debonding. The enamel beneath the debonded veneers has been assessed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and shear stress technique as criteria for the easiness of debonding. The

This research aims primarily to highlight personal tax exemptions A comparative study with some Arab and European regulations. And by conducting both theoretical comparative analyses. Most important findings of the study is the need to grant personal and family exemptions that differ according to the civil status of the taxpayer (single or married). In other words, the exemption increases as the number of family members depend on its social sense. Also taking into account some incomes that require a certain effort and looking at the tax rates, it is unreasonable for wages to be subject to the same rates applied to commercial profits.      

In this paper the variable structure control theory is utilized to derive a discontinuous controller to the magnetic levitation system. The magnetic levitation system model is considered uncertain, which subjected to the uncertainty in system parameters, also it is open-loop unstable and strongly nonlinear. The proposed variable structure control to magnetic levitation system is proved, and the area of attraction is determined. Additionally, the chattering, which induced due to the discontinuity in control law, is attenuated by using a non-smooth approximate. With this approximation the resulted controller is a continuous variable structure controller with a determined steady state error according to the selected control

CNC machines are widely used in production fields since they produce similar parts in a minimum time, at higher speed and with possibly minimum error. A control system is designed, implemented and tested to control the operation of a laboratory CNC milling machine having three axes that are moved by using a stepper motor attached to each axis. The control system includes two parts, hardware part and software part, the hardware part used a PC (works as controller) connected to the CNC machine through its parallel port by using designed interface circuit. The software part includes the algorithms needed to control the CNC. The sample needs to be machined is drawn by using one of the drawing software like AUTOCAD or 3D MAX and is saved in a we

All businesses seek to improve their levels of profits through various means, most notably their marketing channels, which ensure the delivery of their products to their customers in a safe manner in a timely manner. It considers losses to a minimum and that insurance companies place great interest in marine insurance losses because they often constitute huge amounts compared to other losses, hence the problem of research, which is centred on the type and size of the impact owned by the channel The Iraqi insurance company was chosen to be applied according to the intentional sample method because this company is closely related to the subject matter. The research has reached a set of conclusions, most notably that the choice of i

While the impact of the fourth Industrial Revolution on the economy keeps accelerating, the signs of the fifth industrial revolution, whose key is innovation and creativity started to evolve. However, the challenge of achieving sustainable development and its goals remains faced by the global organizations; In this situation, Islamic banks are exposed to many challenges among which is the challenge of keeping themselves abreast of the latest developments in the modern technology which in turn is a tool for continuity and competition. On the flip side, to avoid the negative impact that these changes can have such as an increased gap between financial innovations and the requirements of sustainable development. Islamic banks in the

Integrating Renewable Energy (RE) into Distribution Power Networks (DPNs) is a choice for efficient and sustainable electricity. Controlling the power factor of these sources is one of the techniques employed to manage the power loss of the grid. Capacitor banks have been employed to control phantom power, improving voltage and reducing power losses for several decades. The voltage sag and the significant power losses in the Iraqi DPN make it good evidence to be a case study proving the efficiency enhancement by adjusting the RE power factor. Therefore, this paper studies a part of the Iraqi network in a windy and sunny region, the Badra-Zurbatya-11 kV feeder, in the Wasit governorate. A substation of hybrid RE sources is connected to this

Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) offers small loans with easy repayment system and till now these institutions have served millions of needy people around the globe. This study highlights the hurdles influence the smooth working and growth of Microfinance institution in Egypt. The structured interviews were conducted from the top and mid-level managers of MFI's. This study revealed that interest rate, political and economic conditions, corruption, customer outreach, competition and technology are the important elements for MFI's success. It is evident that lack of use of technology and less importance drawn on customer outreach programs are the main challenges of MFI's in Egypt. This study provides a roadmap for practitioners and strategic