Chitinase-3-like 1 protein (YKL-40) is a glycoprotein primarily produced in the arthritic joint and plays a crucial role in inflammatory processes. The aim of the study is to establish the role of YKL-40 as a biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to proinflammatory biomarkers and disease activity. The study included 58 patients and 18 control. Diseases activity score (DAS-28) and clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were measured. Serum level of YKL-40, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1B (IL-1β), erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) were assessed. The results showed that the median serum YKL-40 level which was 5.42 ng/ml, the TNF-a level which was 123.6 ng/ml, and the IL-1B level which was 204.365 pg/dl were significantly higher in patients compared to control 3.28 (1.58–4.99) ng/ml, 56.47 (9.38–77.01) ng/ml and 67.887 (15.493–122.689)pg/dl respectively. There was no correlation between serum YKL-40 and disease activity, while there were significant associations observed with TNF-α (r=0.5,p =0.0001) and IL-1β (r=0.41, p=0.001). YKL-40 indicating good levels of RA prediction at 2.47 ng/ml, sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 58.6%, accuracy 78.1%, PPV 80.9%, and NPV 70.8%. In conclusion, a higher level of serum YKL-40 is found in RA patients. The findings from our study suggest a strong association between YKL-40 and the proinflammatory biomarkers. As a result, these biomarkers together might play a role in RA pathogenesis, and YKL-40 may be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for RA.
Land snails constitute an important group of mollusks distributed worldwide. This study reports on land snails found in Iraq. A survey of terrestrial gastropods was performed during their activity seasons in gardens, agricultural lands and nurseries in Iraq from March 2022 to September 2023. Fifteen terrestrial snails belonging to seven families were documented. The species Euchondrus michonii (Bourguignat, 1853) was identified and recorded based on several distinct conchological characters for the first time in Iraq. The recently collected specimens, along with those previously recorded in Iraq, were included in this checklist. Essential information on each species is also presented. As there is no previous checklist or study that
... Show MorePhosphorus (P) is an element that is potatoes require in large amounts. Soil pH is a crucial factor impacting phosphorus availability in potato production. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of P application rates on the P efficiency for tuber yield, specific gravity, and P uptake. Additionally, the relationship between soil pH and total potato tuber yield was determined. Six rates of P fertilization (0–280 kg P ha−1) were applied at twelve different sites across Northern Maine. Yield parameters were not responsive to P application rates. However, regression analysis showed that soil pH was significantly correlated with total potato tuber yield(R2 = 0.38). Sites with soil pH values < 6 had total tuber yields,
... Show MoreIs hardly day expire without hearing the news either Abuse Managementthe accounting standards or the existence of serious misstatements by someauditors.Which caused the demanding of many companies in the recent republication of the financial statements and the re-announcement of its financialresults. Such acts raise questioning about the role that should be played by theauditors, prompting agencies responsible for setting auditing standards to takeTo throw increasingly responsibility on the auditors in order to interest risksfraud The Risks of Fraud in their review of the financial statements.also The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in the U.S.called about the need of owning the Certified Public Accountants those whoaudits for
... Show MoreThe solution gas-oil ratio is an important measurement in reservoir engineering calculations. The correlations are used when experimental PVT data from particular field are missing. Additional advantages of the correlations are saving of cost and time.
This paper proposes a correlation to calculate the solution gas -oil ratio at pressures below bubble point pressure. It was obtained by multiple linear regression analysis of PVT data collected from many Iraqi fields.
In this study, the solution gas-oil ratio was taken as a function of bubble point pressure, stock tank oil gravity, reservoir pressure, reservoir temperature and relative gas density.
The construction of the new correlation is depending on thirty seven PVT reports th
The purpose of this study is to explore whether the adoption of Beyond Budgeting (BB) as a management accounting practice (MAP) contributes to developing intellectual capital (IC) and creating value in Iraqi companies. This requires an understanding of the views of the Iraqi managers about the nature of the information provided by this practice, which may be used to determine whether this information is relevant in the management of IC in the context of Iraq. This research aims also to explore the challenges of the adoption of the BB in planning and controlling IC in Iraq. The study adopts a qualitative approach and an interpretive paradigm. It also adopts a semi-structured interview method of collecting data from executive managers
... Show MoreThe building of Basrah University located in a rural area at Gramat Ali, its consist of seven colleges and very high number of students, lecturers ,and employers. Therefore, the intersections which leading to university building suffer congestion at morning peak hour (8-9) A.M and evening peak hour (2-3) P.M. In this study we collected the data in intersections which leading to university building at peak hour at same time, then we had analysis this data by using the highway capacity manual (HCM) and program (HCS). Also, we collected that data in University entries with classification of vehicles according to types and number of passengers at peak hour. Then we studied the number of proposals to riddance the congestion, such as the effe
... Show MoreThis study was designed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds on reducing glucose level for white albino mice. Twenty adults mice were used, divided randomly into four groups (five mice per each group). The first group (normal mice) was administrated with 0.1 ml of distilled water as a control, the second group (normal mice) was administrated with 0.1 ml of the plant extract, whereas the third and fourth groups (diabetic mice) were administrated with single dose of alloxan (150 mg/kg of the body weight) to induce diabetes, and the fourth group was administrated with 0.1 ml of the plant extract for 10 days, then blood glucose level was measured for all of the experimental animals (diabetic and no
... Show MoreCovalent modification of protein by drugs may disrupt self-tolerance, leading to lymphocyte activation. Until now, determination of the threshold required for this process has not been possible. Therefore, we performed quantitative mass spectrometric analyses to define the epitopes formed in tolerant and hypersensitive patients taking the β-lactam antibiotic piperacillin and the threshold required for T cell activation. A hydrolyzed piperacillin hapten was detected on four lysine residues of human serum albumin (HSA) isolated from tolerant patients. The level of modified Lys541 ranged from 2.6 to 4.8%. Analysis of plasma from hypersensitive patients revealed the same pattern and leve