The present study was set to demonstrate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection and its effects on patients with systemic  lupus erythematosus (SLE) through determining their serum levels of anti-dsDNA and IL-18 antibodies. For this purpose, the sera from 132 SLE and/or toxoplasmosis patients and 30 healthy women, were collected. The study sample was divided into four groups of SLE, toxoplasmosis, SLE coinfected with toxoplasmosis, and healthy control. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were examined for all the samples using ELISA kit. The results showed a high mean level of anti-Toxoplasma IgG among SLE patients coinfected with toxoplasmosis (104.8792±12.31585pg/ml) in comparison to that in toxoplasmosis patients (91.1705±12.577

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of three methods: problem-based learning (PBL), PBL with lecture method, and conventional teaching on the understanding of thermodynamics, group work and self-directed learning skills among physics undergraduates. The actual sample size comprises of 122 students, who were selected randomly from the Physics Department, College of Education in Iraq, for academic year 2011-2012. In this study, the pre and posttest were done and the instruments were administered to the students for data collection. Inferential statistics were employed to analyze data. The independent variables were the PBL, the PBL with lecture method, and the conventional teaching. Dependent variables of statistical analysis were

The effect of different cutting fluids on surface roughness of brass alloy workpiece during turning operation was carried out in this research. This was performed with different cutting speed, while other cutting parameters had been regarded as constants(feeding rate , and depth of cut). Surface roughness of machined parts that will be tested by electronic surface roughness tester .The results show that the standard coolant gives the best values of surface roughness for fixed cutting speed ,followed by sun flower oil that has approximately the same effect, while the air stream as a coolant gave unsatisfied results for the evaluation of surface roughness.

In the other hand the best values of surface roughness were recorded for max

Background: to evaluate the effect of different dentifrices on the surface roughness of two composite resins (nanofilled-based and nanoceramic – based composite resins). Materials and methods: Forty specimens (diameter 12 mm and height of 2mm) prepared from different composite resin materials: Z350 (nanofilled composite, and Ceram-X (nanoceramic) .they were subjected to brushing simulation equivalent to the period of 1 year. The groups assessed were a control group brushed with distilled water (G1), Opalescence whitening toothpasteR (G2), Colgate sensitive pro-relief (G3) and Biomed Charcoal Toothpaste (G4). The initial and final roughness of each group was tested by surface roughness tester. The results were statistically analyzed using

Abstract: An unfavorable complication of root canal is vertical root fracture. The aim of present study is to evaluate the vertical root fracture of treated teeth filled with gutta percha and Resilon obturating material using different sealers. Forty mandibular premolars used in the study. Canals randomly divided into four groups (n=10). Group-A eugenol-based (Endofill) sealer with gutta percha; GroupB epoxy-amine (AH Plus) sealer with gutta percha; Group-C resin-based (Real Seal) sealer with Resilon; or Group-D epoxide-based (Perma Evolution) sealer with gutta percha. Roots mounted vertically in cold cure acrylic blocks and subjected to vertical loading with a crosshead speed of 1mm ̸min. The point at which fracture of the roots occurred

This research foxed on the effect of fire flame of different burning temperatures (300, 400 and 500)oC on the compressive strength of reactive powder concrete (RPC).The steady state duration of the burning test was (60)min. Local consuming material were used to mixed a RPC of compressive strength around (100) MPa. The tested specimens were reinforced by (3.0) cm hooked end steel fiber of (1100) MPa yield strength. Three steel fiber volume fraction were adopted in this study (0, 1.0and 1.5)% and two cooling process were included, gradual and sudden. It was concluding that increasing burning temperature decreases the residual compressive strength for RPC specimens of(0%) steel fiber volume fraction by (12.16, 19.46&24.49) and (18.20, 27.77 &3

Indium Antimonide (InSb) thin films were grown onto well cleaned glass substrates at substrate temperatures (473 K) by flash evaporation. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the polycrystalline of the films and the films show preferential orientation along the (111) plane .The particle size increases with the increase of annealing time .The transmission spectra of prepared samples were found to be in the range (400-5000 cm-1 ) from FTIR study . This indicates that the crystallinity is improved in the films deposited at higher annealing time.

The aim of this work is studying the binary system ??'??? Ni?)with two ratios (y=36,80) by using casting method for preparing the samples.Magnetic and Mechanical properties have been studidt different httrea^nttem^rature.All the alloys were found a ferromagnetic behavior and sensitive to the heat treatment. Best properties were found at the heat treatment 1100 C°.A significant different results were found above 1100C° for lower magnetic and mechanical values. This is possibly due to the change on the degree of magnetic moment orders, in which most of the moments are started to remove from coupled ferromagnetically.?

Given the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that ama

Infrared photoconductive detectors working in the far-infrared region and room temperature were fabricated. The detectors were fabricated using three types of carbon nanotubes (CNTs); MWCNTs, COOH-MWCNTs, and short-MWCNTs. The carbon nontubes suspension is deposited by dip coating and drop–casting techniques to prepare thin films of CNTs. These films were deposited on porous silicon (PSi) substrates of n-type Si. The I-V characteristics and the figures of merit of the fabricated detectors were measured at a forward bias voltage of 3 and 5 volts as well as at dark and under illumination by IR radiation from a CO2 laser of 10.6 μm wavelengths and power of 2.2 W. The responsivity and figures of merit of the photoconductive detector