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.
Racism changes its meaning, shape, purpose or function according to various factors such as time, place, motives, and backgrounds; among others. It seems, however, to have deep roots back in the history of mankind. Such a concept stems from a perceived difference with the other. It is fed by the feeling of being hierarchically superior in opposition to another party that is depicted as inferior. Since ancient times, racism is disguised in different forms and manifests itself on various levels. It is a truism that this ideology can be best presented via language.
Due to its negative implication, racism lends itself to a critical kind of research. As such, this paper is a critical pragmatic investigation for this phenomenon a
... Show More
Research summary
Backbiting pronouns have gained great importance in contemporary textual linguistic studies, as they play a coordinating function in the text and link its parts.
Interpreters did not overlook the role of backbiting pronouns in achieving the function of consistency and coherence in the Qur’anic text, as they referred to this, including Ibn Ashour, who had many analytical practices related to referral issues and their complexities. The Qur'anic reference to the pronouns of backbiting, so the researcher traced these phenomena and their evidence in the Holy Qur'an, aiming to clarify their role in enriching the significance and in the coherence and harmony
... Show MoreNegotiation is considered as one of the most important kinds of communication in the contemporary organizations, which depend on the important role of managerial information systems in providing necessary and suitable information for success of the negotiation process.
Accordingly, this study aims at measuring the extent of the variables effect of managerial information system in the negotiation process.
To achieve this study, two hypotheses were chosen; the first is the correlation relation and the second is the effect, and statistical means represented by correlation coefficient "Spearman" and (R2) were used.
A Number of conclusions were
... Show MoreAn essential tool for studying the web is its ability to show how energy moves through an ecosystem. Understanding and elucidating the relationship between species variety and their placement within the inclusive trophic dynamics is also beneficial. A food web ecological model with prey and two rival predators under fear and wind flow conditions is developed in this article. The boundedness and positivity of the system’s solution are established mathematically. The stability and existence constraints of the system’s equilibria are examined. The proposed system’s persistence limitations are established. Additionally, the bifurcation analysis of every potential equilibrium is examined using the Sotomayor theorem. To describe the
... Show MoreAntioxidant status imbalance and inflammatory process are cooperative events involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate superoxide dismutase as a potential biomarkers of antioxidant imbalance, matrix-metaloprotinase-9, and interleukin -18 as biomarkers of inflammation in serum and to estimate the effects of other confounding factors gender, age and finally measuring the relation among the interested biomarkers.
This case - control study included 50 patients, and 45 of healthy subjects matched age –gender were also enrolled in this study as a control group. The focused  
... Show MoreBackground: Spleen is a hemopoietic organ which is capable of supporting elements of different systems. It is affected by several groups of diseases; inflammatory, hematopoietic, reticuloendothelial proliferation, portal hypertension and storage diseases. Ultrasound (US) may detect mild splenomegaly before it is clinically palpable. Knowledge of the normal range of spleen size in the population being examined is a prerequisite. Racial differences in splenic length could result in incorrect interpretation of splenic measurements and such differences would make it difficult to standardize expected splenic length and to determine non- palpable splenic enlargement.Objectives: To measure the normal values of splenic lengthin Iraqi subjects an
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to utilize the behavior of a mathematical model consisting of three-species with Lotka Volterra functional response with incorporating of fear and hunting cooperation factors with both juvenile and adult predators. The existence of equilibrium points of the system was discussed the conditions with variables. The behavior of model referred by local stability in nearness of any an equilibrium point and the conditions for the method of approximating the solution has been studied locally. We define a suitable Lyapunov function that covers every element of the nonlinear system and illustrate that it works. The effect of the death factor was observed in some periods, leading to non-stability. To confirm the theore
... Show MoreElectronic banking services appeared as a result of laying the foundations for the application of electronic automation in the banking field, and despite the clear expansion in its adoption and implementation as an inevitable necessity imposed by international and national developments, its application was not ideal according to the level that was expected to occur after the abandonment of traditional banking services, which produced some risks Which is evident in the absence of a legal system, whether at the level of proving and authoritative electronic banking services such as electronic signature, Or at the level of protecting the confidentiality of these services and ensuring that they are not exp
... Show MoreBackground: Periodontitis is an infection attributable to multiple infectious; it causes an interrelated cellular and humoral host immune responses. Recent reports have indicated that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) may contribute to pathogenesis of periodontitis. The HCMV can stimulate the release of cytokines from inflammatory and non-inflammatory cells and weaken the periodontal immune defense. This study aimed to reveal the presence of anti-CMV IgG, and determine the levels of ILâ€6 and TNF-α and to correlate the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) with cytokines levels. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with chronic periodontitis and 40 healthy control subjects (their age and sex were matched with the patients) were involved
... Show MoreDue to its association with hepatocellular carcinoma and being one of the ten most common malignancies worldwide, hepatitis C viral infection has become a severe public health concern. Therefore, establishing an accurate, reliable and sensitive diagnostic test for this infection is strongly advised. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been created to achieve this purpose. The current study was established to investigate the hepatitis C virus among Iraqi patients with chronic renal failure and to detect the virus immunologically by the fourth generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique and molecularly by real-time PCR. As a result, out of 50 patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis, 39 patients tes
... Show More