BACKGROUND: HLA-B27 can effect clinical presentation and course of ankylosing spondylitis. Different detection techniques of HLA-B27 are available with variable sensitivities and specificities. OBJECTIVE: To compare serologic and molecular diagnostic techniques of detecting HLA-B27 status and to correlate it with some clinical variables among ankylosing spondylitis patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical and laboratory evaluations were reported. HLA-B27 status was determined in all patients by real-time PCR using HLA-B27 RealFast™ kit; ELISA method was used as well to detect soluble serum HLA-B27 antigens using Human Leukocyte Antigen® kit. RESULTS:

Background: This in vitro study measure and compare the effect of light curing tip distance on the depth of cure by measuring vickers microhardness value on two recently launched bulk fill resin based composites Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill and Surefil SDR Flow with 4 mm thickness in comparison to Filtek Z250 Universal Restorative with 2 mm thickness. In addition, measure and compare the bottom to top microhardness ratio with different light curing tip distances. Materials and Method: One hundred fifty composite specimens were obtained from two cylindrical plastic molds the first one for bulk fill composites (Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill and Surefil SDR Flow) with 4 mm diameter and 4 mm depth, the second one for Filtek Z250 Universal Restorative

Thin films ZrO₂: MgO nanostructure have been synthesized by a radio frequency magnetron plasma sputtering technique at different ratios of MgO (0,6, 8 and  10)% percentage to be used as the gas sensor for nitrogen dioxide NO₂. The samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and sensing properties were also investigated. The average particle size of all prepared samples was found lower than 33.22nm and the structure was a monoclinic phase. The distribution of grain size was found lower than36.3 nm and uninformed particles on the surface. Finally, the data of sensing properties have been discussed, where the

A total of 70 pregnant women with toxoplasmosis were studied to evaluate of some immunological aspects. The women were distributed into three groups: 37 women were IgG positive, 18 women were IgM positive and 15 women were IgG and IgM positive as well as 25 healthy women were considered as control group. Serum samples were collected and ELISA method was employed to assess levels of interleukins 4, 6, 10, Interferon gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). As compared with control the levels of cytokines were significantly increased in serum of three pregnant women groups with toxoplasmosis and the highest increase was observed in the IgM positi

This research aims to improve the radiation shielding properties of polymer-based materials by mixing PVC with locally available building materials. Specifically, two key parameters of fast neutron attenuation (removal cross-section and half-value layer) were studied for composite materials comprising PVC reinforced with common building materials (cement, sand, gypsum and marble) in different proportions (10%, 30% and 50% by weight). To assess their effectiveness as protection against fast neutrons, the macroscopic neutron cross-section was calculated for each composite. Results show that neutron cross-section values are significantly affected by the reinforcement ratios, and that the composite material PVC + 50% gypsum is an effect

content Analysis for Some Type of Pillows used in Iraqi houses

The current study aims to identify the artistic expression as well as the aspects of artistic expression by the painting among the kindergarten children. In order to fulfill the research's goals, a sample of (400) children were chosen randomly from 19 public kindergartens of 6 directorates at Al-Rusafa and Al-Karkh in Baghdad city. The children were asked to draw a particular view. The researcher  has adopted  Al-Hamedawi scale  (2009) consisted of  (16) items, which was exposed to group of (25) experts in  psychology, education,  measurement and evaluation,  artistic  education by painting  and plastics  to show  the items reliability. As the researcher applied T-test  for&nbsp