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: The mean age of patients ± SD was (38.4±9.8) years. Male to female ratio was 9:1. Disease onset occurred <30 years in 78% of cases. All (100%) cases had lower back pain, 44 (54%) patients had enthesitis, 14 (16.9%) had peripheral arthritis, 12 (14.5%) had eye involvement, whil
Compassion competence is a nurse's ability to provide patient-centered care and communicate with patients in a sensitive and insightful manner. This descriptive cross-sectional survey study aimed to assess the compassion competence of a multinational group of nursing students.
A total of 1,158 undergraduate nursing students participated in this study, and stratified random sampling method was used to select participants from the 100 study level to the 400 or 500 level. Data were collected using the Compassion Competence Scale.
<This review paper examines the crucial impact of YouTube on learning English as a Foreign Language. Recently, learners’ interaction and development of their skills have been improved due to the integration of digital platforms into language education. YouTube is regarded as one of the most prevalent platforms due to its accessibility, multimodal content, and capacity to simulate real-life communication. This study tackles thirty selected research articles from various cultural and institutional backgrounds to identify the pedagogical benefits and challenges associated with using YouTube in teaching English. Conventional methods of teaching English as a foreign language encounter difficulties in improving students’ engagement and
... Show MoreThis paper aims to examine the effects of the gender differences on learners‟ motivation in learning the four skills of English as a foreign language as well as to identify the proper types of motivation for males and females via a qualitative semi-structured interview. The findings showed that all the males have extrinsic motivation in all four skills. On the other hand, females differ among themselves in their motivation. In conclusion, it is also the teachers‟ responsibility to guide and direct their learners to achieve better outcomes in learning the four EFL skills.
Background: Nutritional status during childhood is very important for individual development and growth. Nutrition has local and systemic effect on the oral health by affecting dental health and salivary composition. This study was aimed to determine effect of iron, sodium and potassium ions in saliva on the nutritional status and to determine the effect of nutritional status on caries severity among preschool children. Material and Methods: The sample consists of 90 children aged 4 and 5 years of both genders, selected from 6 kindergartens in Al-Resafa aspect of Baghdad province. Children classified according to their nutritional status into three groups (normalweight, underweight and overweight). Nutritional status was determined by usi
... Show MoreThis study aimed to explore self and public stigma towards mental illness and associated factors among university students from 11 Arabic‐speaking countries. This cross‐sectional study included 4241 university students recruited from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Syria, Sudan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt. The participants completed three self‐administrative online questionnaires—Demographic Proforma (age, gender, family income, etc.), Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale and Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. There was a significant difference in the average mean between the 11 countries (
Omentin (or intelectin) is a main visceral fat secretory adipokine. There is a growing interest to link omentin, obesity and co-morbidity factors. The aim of the present study is to evaluate serum omentin and its association to insulin resistance biomarkers, lipid profile and atherogenic indies. This cross – sectional study was conducted in Obesity Research and Therapy Unit-Alkindy College of Medicine by recruiting (115) individuals; 49 males /66 females. Subjects between (20 to 60) years of age were selected and classified into two groups according to their Body mass index (BMI). Group1 involved healthy lean volunteers (25 male/ 36 female; BMI 18.5 - 24.9). Group2 involved obese subjects; (24 male / 36 female with BMI ≥ 30). The s
... Show MoreDeepFake is a concern for celebrities and everyone because it is simple to create. DeepFake images, especially high-quality ones, are difficult to detect using people, local descriptors, and current approaches. On the other hand, video manipulation detection is more accessible than an image, which many state-of-the-art systems offer. Moreover, the detection of video manipulation depends entirely on its detection through images. Many worked on DeepFake detection in images, but they had complex mathematical calculations in preprocessing steps, and many limitations, including that the face must be in front, the eyes have to be open, and the mouth should be open with the appearance of teeth, etc. Also, the accuracy of their counterfeit detectio
... Show MoreIn this search, a new pyrophosphate technique was proved. The technique was employed to single- nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which diagnosis using a one-base extension reaction. Three Mycobacterium tuberculosis genes were chosen (Rpob, InhA, KatG) genes. Fifty-four specimens were used in this study fifty-three proved as drug-resistant specimens by The Iraqi Institute of Chest and Respiratory Diseases in Baghdad.; also one specimen was used as a negative control. The steps of this technique were by used a specific primer within each aliquot that has a short 3-OH end of the base of the target gene that was hybridized to the single-stranded DNA template. Then, the Taq polymerase enzyme and one of either α-thio-dATP, dTTP, dGTP, or dCTP
... Show MoreInterleukins (IL-2 and IL-4) are increased in asthmatics and were reported to induce resistance to steroid therapy in some patients who fail to get benefit from glucocorticoids when used in full dose and for long period of time. In this context, the present study was conducted on Iraqi patients to provide additional laboratory mean, beside the clinical diagnosis, for the decision whether the asthma is steroid sensitive or resistant by monitoring the level of immunoglobulins, complement proteins and interleukins among asthmatic patients (steroid sensitive or resistant) and the possible contribution of other factors like age, sex and environments in the development of steroid resistance. A total number of 55 asthmatics and 28 normal subjec
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