Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are said to be inherited in a multifactorial fashion, i.e. genetic-environmental interaction. Maternal nutritional deficiencies had long been reported to cause NTDs, especially folate deficiency during early pregnancy. More attention had been paid to the exact mechanism by which this deficiency state causes these defects in the developing embryo. The most significant of all researches was that connecting reduced folate and increased homocysteine level in maternal serum on one hand and the risk of developing a NTD baby on the other hand. Objectives : to determine the significance of homocysteine level in Iraqi mothers who gave birth to babies with NTDs as compared to normal controls. Patients, Materials and Methods: Fifty Iraqi women having babies born with NTDS, referred to the genetic clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital, were included in this study (the study group) as well as 37 healthy women having normal children (the control group). This study was conducted from November, 2002 till October, 2003. Analysis of total serum homocysteine level for all women was done using a computerized HPLC system. Results : the age of women in both groups was comparable (mean+SD in the study group was 26.2+5.14 years vs. 26.3+4.57 years in the controls). Among the study group, 4 (8%) had normal tHcy level; 44 (88%) had mildly elevated level, and only 2 (4%) had moderately elevated tHcy level, while all (100%) women in the control group had their tHcy level within normal level. This difference was statistically highly significant (p<0.001). Conclusions : Women become at an increased risk of delivering a baby with NTD when having an elevated tHcy level in their sera, and that tHcy level is an important marker in maternal serum that is associated significantly with pregnancy outcome.
Titanium alloys are broadly used in the medical and aerospace sectors. However, they are categorized within the hard-to-machine alloys ascribed to their higher chemical reactivity and lower thermal conductivity. This aim of this research was to study the impact of the dry-end-milling process with an uncoated tool on the produced surface roughness of Ti6Al4V alloy. This research aims to study the impact of the dry-end milling process with an uncoated tool on the produced surface roughness of Ti6Al4V alloy. Also, it seeks to develop a new hybrid neural model based on the training back propagation neural network (BPNN) with swarm optimization-gravitation search hybrid algorithms (PSO-GS
In this paper, an ecological model with stage-structure in prey population, fear, anti-predator and harvesting are suggested. Lotka-Volterra and Holling type II functional responses have been assumed to describe the feeding processes . The local and global stability of steady points of this model are established. Finally, the global dynamics are studied numerically to investigate the influence of the parameters on the solutions of the system, especially the effect of fear and anti-predation.
Computer simulations were carried out to investigate the dependence of the main perturbation parameters (Sun and Moon attractions, solar radiation pressure, atmosphere drag, and geopotential of Earth) on the orbital behavior of satellite. In this simulation, the Cowell method for accelerations technique was adopted, the equation of motion with perturbation was solved by 4th order Runge-Kutta method with step (1/50000) of period to obtain the state vectors for position and velocity. The results of this simulation have been compared with data that available on TLEs (NORD data in two line elements). The results of state vectors for satellites (Cartosat-2B, Gsat-14 an
Background: Most prevalent chronic liver disease in developed and developing nations is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. From fatty liver, which often has benign, non-progressive clinical history, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a more serious variant of fatty liver that can lead to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease encompasses broad spectrum of diseases. The gold standard for determining extent of hepatic fibrosis is still liver biopsy; however, number of noninvasive tests have been established to make diagnosis and assess effectiveness of treatment.
Objective: Aim of study was to assess effectiveness of the combination of fibroscan and
... Show MoreThis paper aims to investigate the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams considering fire resistance by adding Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA) to the concrete mix as partial coarse aggregate replacement. LECA is a type of porous clay with a uniform pore structure with fine, closed cells and hard, tightly sintered skin. The experimental work comprised four reinforced self-compacted concrete beams. All the specimens were identical in their geometrical layout of 1600×240×200 mm, reinforcement details, and support condition (simply supported). For all the beams, the main reinforcement was provided by two bars, each having a diameter of 12 mm, while a bar of 6 mm diameter was employed for the top and shear reinforc
... Show MoreAbstract The surface of kaolin was diagnosed by an AFM and the results were shown The height of the highest peak reached by a quantity of Kaolin surface is 2.5 µm, the granules, and their diameter with an average diameter of 666.1nm. Using Kaolin's adsorption properties, erythrosine was removed of its aqueous solution. It was determined that the maximal dye adsorption ranged 36.53–40.61%. The results of using the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin adsorption isotherms revealed that at temperatures of (298,308,318) K, the Freundlich model was followed, the Langmuir model did not match, and the Temkin model could only be partially applied. There is also physical adsorption. One of the three kinetic models of the
... Show MoreThe aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of binary solvent for regeneration of spent lubricating oil by extraction-flocculation process. The regeneration was investigated by bench scale experiments by using locally provided solvents (Heavy Naphtha, n-Butanol, and iso-Butanol). Solvents to used oil, mixing time, mixing speed and temperatures were studied as operating parameters. The performance on three estimated depended key parameters, namely the percentage of base oil recovered (Yield), percent of oil loss (POL), and the percent of sludge removal (PSR) were used to evaluate the efficiency of the employed binary solvent on extraction process. The best solvent to solvent ratio for binary system were 30:70 for Heavy Naph
... Show MoreBackground: Hypothyroidism is the most prevalent thyroid disorders worldwide. Hypothyroidism manifestations are wide spectrum, affecting various systems in human body including the nervous system. Hypothyroidism can cause neuropsychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression and diminishing in attention, memory and executive function. Aim: to investigate the level of anxiety and depression in patients with hypothyroidism receiving levothyroxine treatment. Method: a cross-sectional study was conducted at Baghdad Center for Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy from March to June 2022. The study population included patients of both genders, aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with hypothyroidism, were receiving levothyroxine treatment and
... Show MoreThe resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to ciprofloxacin has complicated the problem of treating staphylococcal associated infections in which MRSA is the causative agent since ciprofloxacin was the drug of choice to treat such infections. Our study investigated the incidence of Ciprofloxacin resistant S. aureus isolates that were also methicillin resistant among Iraqi patients. The obtained bacterial isolates were tested for Ciprofloxacin resistance using agar dilution method and the sequence of gyrA and parC. The results revealed that about 8% of the isolated MRSA strains were Ciprofloxacin resistant and the resistance was due to mutation in gyrA rather than parC.
Reservoir simulation models are utilized by oil and gas companies with a purpose to develop fields. Expansions and improvements in simulation software have lessened the time to develop a model. Simulating the reservoir aims to realize fluid flow, physical, and chemical procedures happening in a hydrocarbon reservoir adequately well for the reason of improving hydrocarbon recovery under various working stipulations. Grid-orientation effects are complicated problem in numerical reservoir simulation. These influences were coming when utilized of numerical utilization mechanism to conditions characterizing physically inconstant displacement procedure. These impacts happen in an assortment