Biomarkers such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) have a role in the pathogenesis of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to explore the differences between serum levels of such biomarkers in severe and non-severe COVID-19 cases and compare them with normal people and to evaluate the sociodemographic variables and chronic diseases effect on the severity of COVID-19. The study included 160 subjects, divided into two groups, a case group of 80 patients, and a control group of 80 normal persons. The case group was divided into two subgroups: 40 severe COVID-19 patients and 40 patients with non-severe disease. Blood IL-6 was assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), PCT by an immunoassay, CRP by an immunoturbidimetric assay and NLR from CBC. The levels of IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR were significantly higher in the case group than in control group (p= 0.001, for all). However, there was no difference between these biomarkers level in the non-severe COVID-19 subgroup and the control group (p>0.05 for all). The proportion of severe COVID-19 was significantly higher in patients aged >50 years, and in patients with chronic diseases (p=0.046 and p=0.001, respectively). We also found a strong correlation between such biomarkers and old age, and chronic diseases with the disease severity. There was a significant difference in the level of the three biomarkers (IL-6, PCT, CRP, and NLR) between patients’ subgroups and the control group. In conclusion, since the levels of these biomarkers are correlated with the severity of the COVID-19 disease, and there was a difference in the levels between the groups with severe and non-severe symptoms, we suggest a role of these biomarkers in predicting the severity COVID-19 disease and its poor prognosis.
This study aims to encapsulate atenolol within floating alginate-ethylcellulose beads as an oral controlled-release delivery system using aqueous colloidal polymer dispersion (ACPD) method.To optimize drug entrapment efficiency and dissolution behavior of the prepared beads, different parameters of drug: polymer ratio, polymer mixture ratio, and gelling agent concentration were involved.The prepared beads were investigated with respect to their buoyancy, encapsulation efficiency, and dissolution behavior in the media: 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2), acetate buffer (pH 4.6) and phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). The release kinetics and mechanism of the drug from the prepared beads was investigated.All prepared atenolol beads remained f
... Show MoreThis study aims to encapsulate atenolol within floating alginate-ethylcellulose beads as an oral controlled-release delivery system using aqueous colloidal polymer dispersion (ACPD) method.To optimize drug entrapment efficiency and dissolution behavior of the prepared beads, different parameters of drug: polymer ratio, polymer mixture ratio, and gelling agent concentration were involved.The prepared beads were investigated with respect to their buoyancy, encapsulation efficiency, and dissolution behavior in the media: 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.2), acetate buffer (pH 4.6) and phosphate buffer (pH 6.8). The release kinetics and mechanism of the drug from the prepared beads was investigated.All prepare
... Show MoreMore than 450 distinct types of human papilloma virus recognized via recent molecular techniques. The low and high oncogenic risk-HPV genotypes have an association with a variety of benign and malignant tumors in the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal localizations. This study aimed to determine the rate of DNA detection of HPV genotype 6/11 in non-oncologic nasopharyngeal and palatine tonsillar tissues from pediatric patients subjected to adeno-tonsillectomies. A total number of 64 tissue specimens enrolled; 44 non-oncologic nasopharyngeal and palatine hypertrophied tissue specimens from 22 pediatric patients sustained combined adeno-tonsillectomies and compared to 20 nasal trimmed tissues with unremarkable pathological changes (in
... Show MoreBackground: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative autoimmune disease mediated by autoreactive T cells against myelin-basic proteins. Cytokines are suggested to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Among these cytokines is interleukin-2 (IL-2). Aim of the study: To investigate the association between IL2+166 G/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: rs2069763) and MS in Iraqi patients. Serum level of IL-2 was also detected. Anti-rubella IgG antibody was further determined in the sera of patients. Patients and methods: Eighty MS patients (28 males and 52 females; age mean ± SD: 39.2 ± 16.1 years) and 80 healthy control matched patients for age (32.15 ± 16.13 years) and gender (28 males and 52 females) were en
... Show MoreManipulation is a discursive concept which plays a key role in political discourse by which politicians can impose some impact on their recipients through using linguistic features, most prominent of which are personal pronouns (Van Dijk, 1995). The aim of this study is to investigate how politicians utilize the personal pronouns, namely; We and I and their possessive forms as a tool of manipulating the audience's mind based on Van Dijk's "ideological square" which shows positive-self representation and negative-other representation (Van Dijk,1998:p.69). To this end, American President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union speech was chosen to be the data of analysis. Only (8)
... Show MoreAbstract:
This research aims to the importance of oil in achieving economic
security in the Arab. Oil is not an ordinary subject and returns it significance to
the followings:
1. The importance of skipping a source of energy.
2. The importance of oil as raw material for petrochemical industry.
3. The importance of the oil sector as an area of foreign investment
4. The importance of oil in the marketing activities, transport, insurance
and various services
In addition to the importance of oil in general and the Arab oil has
additional strategic advantages such as geographic location, And the
magnitude of reserves and production of heavy investment costs are relatively
simple, And the ability to meet the
The study highlighted the transformation of value systems and educational patterns between past and present, especially with the introduction of modern variables and means, such as mobile phones, the internet, social media, and others. These factors have contributed both positively and negatively to the study. The study highlights the integral role of the school in collaboration with the family in guiding and educating children. It also emphasizes the active role of the school in developing students' abilities and skills, either attracting them to school or vice versa. This includes an examination of the essential skills required in education and their role in achieving a state of psychological well-being and systematically developing child
... Show MoreThis research addresses a problem manifested in a main question: what is the role of the digital media in marketing the artistic products? in order to determine the role played by the digital media in the disclosure and promotion of the artistic product, its price and places of distribution, as the basic elements of the marketing mixture.
This is a descriptive research in which the researcher used the survey method to check the opinions of a sample chosen according to the (proportion) method from the research community represented by instructors and students of the college of Fine Arts- University of Dayala.
... Show MoreAbstract:
The internal control is the tool through which it is possible to verify and ensure the implementation of tasks in accordance with the established plans and programs and to evaluate the level of performance that is implemented within the different companies.
A guarantee from the supplier with the absence of a specialized technical committee that follows up the stages of implementing the contract and disbursing all amounts of financial dues to the supplier before completing the implementation of the contract and overlooking the non-implementation of some clauses of the contract by the committee in charge of
... Show More