The neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Nanoparticles of humic acid and iron oxide were impregnated on the inert sand to produce sorbent for treating groundwater contained of cadmium and copper ions by technology of permeable reactive barrier (PRB). Sewage sludge was the source of the humic acid to prepare the coated sand by humic acid—iron oxide (CSHAIO) sorbent; so, this work is consistent with sustainable development. For 10 mg/L metal concentration, batch tests at speed of 200 rpm signified that the removal efficiencies are greater than 90% at sorbent dosage 0.25 g/ 50 mL, pH 6 and contact time 1 h. The kinetic data was well described by the Pseudo first-order model indicating that physicosorption is the predominant mechanism. The maximum adsorption capacities (qmax) were c

Forest cover in Mosul Province experienced significant changes following the 2014 occupation. These changes can be effectively analyzed using multitemporal remote sensing imagery. This study aims to evaluate the ability of multi-temporal Landsat 8 images and the Forest Canopy Density (FCD) model to detect changes in forest canopy density in a protected forest in Mosul Governorate during the period from 2014 to 2025. The remote sensing data used in this research are Landsat 8 images captured on March 21, 2014, and April 4, 2025. The method employed is FCD modeling, which produces pixel-level canopy density estimates. The results of the FCD model are then used to analyze changes in canopy density following the occupation. The findings of this

The study aims to evaluate sustainable traffic management strategies for congested intersections in medium-sized Iraqi cities, with a focus on Al-Sa’a Intersection and Al-Jari Street in Hit City. These nodes face severe traffic congestion, delays, and infrastructure limitations that compromise urban mobility and sustainability. A multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) framework was employed to analyze three categories of interventions—engineering, planning, and administrative—based on five weighted criteria: traffic efficiency (40%), delay reduction (25%), cost (20%), environmental impact (10%), and social acceptance (5%). The methodology combined field data collection (traffic counts, travel time, and delays), GIS-based spatial analysis, an

Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory dermatological condition, exhibits heterogeneous responses to anti-TNF therapies such as etanercept (ETN), underscoring the need for predictive biomarkers. This study investigated the association of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) gene promoter polymorphisms (rs1143623 C/G, rs752338864 C/G, and rs1143627 C/T) with ETN efficacy in 80 Iraqi patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Patients were categorized according to treatment response: responders achieved ≥ 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), whereas non-responders demonstrated ≤ 50% reduction. Post-treatment serum IL-1β levels were significantly higher in non-responders (50.35 ± 15.81 pg/mL) compared to respo

The Tulostoma genus, known as stalkballs or stalked puffballs, belongs to the Agaricaceae family. This study was designed to identify an unknown fungal species collected from the Al‐Dujail district in Iraq based on morphological examination and molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Between April and July 2019, samples were collected from garden soil in the Al‐Dujail district, Salah Al‐Din Governorate, Iraq. Morphological characteristics were documented using light microscopy. Genomic DNA was extracted and purified, and the ITS region was amplified using conventional PCR with specific primers. The amplified products were sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted using MEGA11 software. Morp