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Lack of association between the eNOS rs1800779 (A/G) polymorphism and the myocardial infarction incidence among the Iraqi Kurdish population
Get PDFObjectives
The genetic polymorphisms of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene are strongly associated with several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in various populations. The current study aimed to investigate the association of the eNOS rs1800779 (A/G) polymorphism with the progress of myocardial infarction (MI).
Methods
Eighty-five healthy subjects and 80 patients with MI admitted to the Erbil Cardiac Centre in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq were enrolled in the study. All participants were Kurdish from the same ethnic group. The amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) was used to determine the rs1800779 (A/G) polymorphism of eNOS, and the nitric oxide (NO) serum level was detected by spectrophotometer.
Results
The genotypic frequencies of the eNOS rs1800779 AA (wild type), AG, and GG were 58.75%, 33.75%, and 7.50%, respectively, in the MI patients, and 49.41%, 43.53%, and 7.06%, respectively, for the control group. The frequencies of the A and the G alleles were 75.6% and 24.4%, respectively, in the MI group, and 71.2% and 28.8%, respectively, in the control subjects. The results revealed a lack of association of the rs1800779 genotype distribution with the level of NO serum and increased risk of MI.
Conclusion
The study concluded that there is a lack of association between the genotypes and alleles of the rs1800779 eNOS and susceptibility to MI in the studied population
Exosomal circular RNAs: New player in breast cancer progression and therapeutic targets
Get PDFBreast cancer is the most prevalent type of malignancy among women. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles of cell membrane origin that are released via exocytosis. Their cargo contains lipids, proteins, DNA, and different forms of RNA, including circular RNAs. Circular RNAs are new class of non-coding RNAs with a closed-loop shape involved in several types of cancer, including breast cancer. Exosomes contained a lot of circRNAs which are called exosomal circRNAs. By interfering with several biological pathways, exosomal circRNAs can have either a proliferative or suppressive role in cancer. The involvement of exosomal circRNAs in breast cancer has been studied with consideration to tumor development and progression as well as its effects on therapeutic resistance. However, its exact mechanism is still unclear, and there have not been available clinical implications of exo-circRNAs in breast cancer. Here, we highlight the role of exosomal circRNAs in breast cancer progression and to highlight the most recent development and potential of circRNAas therapeutic targets and diagnostics for breast cancer
Fluorescence Turns on-off-on Sensing of Ferric Ion and L-Ascorbic Acid by Carbon Quantum Dots
Get PDFThis study used a hydrothermal approach to create a sensitive and focused nanoprobe. Using an “on-off-on” sensing mechanism, the nanoprobe was employed to detect and quantify ferric ions and L-ascorbic acid. Synthesis of the carbon quantum dots was achieved with a single hydrothermal step at 180°C for 24 hours using hot pepper as the starting material. The prepared CQDs showed high fluorescence with a quantum yield of 30% when excited at 350 nm, exhibiting excitation-dependent fluorescence. The emission of the CQDs can be quenched by adding ferric ions, which can be attributed to complex formation leading to nonradiative photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Adding L-ascorbic acid, which can convert ferric ions into ferrous ions, break the complex, and restore the fluorescence of CQD. The linear range and LOD were (10–90) μM and 1 μM for ferric ions, respectively, and L-ascorbic acid’s linear range was (5–100) μM while LOD was 0.1 μM quantification of both substances was accomplished. In addition, orange fruit was used as an actual sample source for ascorbic acid analysis, yielding up to 99% recovery
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Future of Education
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study is to examine that Globalization has radically altered human society in the previous 150 years. With the internet of things, energy, and the cyber-physical systems governed by it coming to an end, conventional education faces an immense challenge. That will associate this tension with internet usage and reward students and teachers alike. It can be claimed that future education is entirely built on the internet of things, energy, and the cyber-physical systems ruled by it. As these systems end, traditional education confronts a massive challenge. This moves increases students' screening time, which influences their mental health.
Theoretical Framework: The paper speculates on the near future of research in Artificial Intelligence and Education (AIED), on the basis of three uses of models of educational processes with also evaluating literature available.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The classification algorithms SVM, Naive Bayes, and Random Forest benefit from 5-fold Cross-Validation with 206 students from Delhi NCR and outside. Researcher is finding for how are the ages distributed? How many students got mental health care? So, what did they do? Their ages? How many meals did they eat? After the COVID-19 virus spread in Delhi, India, the study looked at factors that led to an increased mental health burden for undergraduate students in the city. The dataset is constructed by combining data from several domains such as age, time, medium meals etc. Thus, researcher pre-processed the data and classified it into four categories based on their location within the Delhi NCR and outside the NCR. The suggested model is evaluated using a K field fold cross-validation test.
Findings: The findings have shown that practical implications of technology will positively impact education in the future, but it may also have severe implications. Teachers and students should grasp this chance to encourage greatness and break down the hurdles that keep many children and schools from reaching it. As a result, all countries must develop a more technologically advanced education system in the future.
Research, Practical and social implications: The study in advances in technology will have major distractions in the workforce as automation might replace more than fifty percent of jobs. It is crucial to teach students skills to thrive in digital workplace, engage positively with technology to explore its full potential. The contribution of this study about AI systems are technically feasible for instructor-learner interaction. It is important to foster AI literacy in students to break the barrier of misconceptions and make way for imagination, innovation with new perspectives in society.
Originality/Value: The value of the study is to educational institutions and related organizations seeking for role of artificial intelligence in education
New Tricholidic Acid Triterpenoids from the Mushroom Tricholoma ustaloides Collected in an Italian Beech Wood
Get PDFThe secondary metabolites produced by Tricholoma ustaloides Romagn., a mushroom species belonging to the large Tricholoma genus (Basidiomycota, Tricholomataceae), are unknown. Therefore, encouraged by the interesting results obtained in our previous chemical analyses of a few Tricholoma species collected in Italian woods, we aimed to investigate the secondary metabolites of Tricholoma ustaloides. The chemical analysis involved the isolation and characterization of secondary metabolites through an extensive chromatographic study. The structures of isolated metabolites, including the absolute configuration, were established based on a detailed analysis of MS, NMR spectroscopic, optical rotation, and circular dicroism data, and on comparison with those of related compounds reported in the literature. Two novel lanostane triterpenoids, named tricholidic acids B and C, together with triglycerides, a mixture of free fatty acids, five unidentified metabolites, and the known rare saponaceolides F and J, tricholidic acid, and tricholomenyn C, were isolated from an EtOAc extract of fruiting bodies of Tricholoma ustaloides that were collected in an Italian beech wood. This is the second example of isolation of tricholidic acid derivatives from a natural source. Saponaceolides F and J exhibited high cytotoxicity (IC50 values ≤ 10 μM) against a panel of five human cancer cell lines. The toxicity against myeloid leukemia (HL-60), lung cancer (A-549), hepatocellular cancer (HepG2), renal cancer (Caki-1), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cells was higher than that shown by the very well-known cytotoxic drug cisplatin
Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Awareness, Risk Level, Hand Washing, and Water Consumption for Hospital Staff in Sulaimaniyah City of Iraq
Get PDFCovid-19 impacted several sectors such as economic, political, social, sports and art activities etc. On the other hand, it influenced handwashing times, awareness, and risk levels for the hospital staff in Sulaimaniyah City. In this study, the effects of Covid-19 on awareness, risk level, and hand cleaning have been focused on by hospital staff in Sulaimaniyah City hospitals. A qualitative method using an electronic questionnaire was applied for data collection. The total number of participants was 404 hospital staff. The percentage ratio of female employees is higher than males in the health sector in the Sulaimaniyah Hospitals. Awareness by the hospital staff has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants aged more than 55 years were more at risk because of their age, and females more than 55 years had the most threat. Covid-19 impacted the increasing rate of washing hands by 38% and using materials for cleaning hands by 46% for the hospital staff in Sulaimaniyah City. The average grand total change percentage was 41%. Water consumption increased by 135% in the Sulaimaniyah Hospitals throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, fewer working hours in the hospitals led to a high-water consumption ratio among the employees in the hospitals
Understanding Challenges of Mathematics Education in Iraq: A Focus on Kurdistan Region
Get PDFMathematics is stereotyped as a ‘difficult’ subject in many parts of the world, and many other stereotypes about the subject abound. This study, therefore, determined and examined some of the psychological barriers to mathematics education that could be responsible for driving such stereotypes in Kurdistan region, Iraq. A questionnaire was used to collect data from students in five departments of the faculty of education at an International University in Kurdistan, Iraq and analysed through SPSS and Minitab. Results confirmation lack of self-confidence, anxiety, and attitude toward mathematics as some of the psychological barriers to mathematics for students in the region. The study further corroborated the assertion that teachers play a key role in influencing students’ attitudes toward mathematics but have a negligible or no role in enhancing students’ self-confidence in mathematics in the region. Additionally, attitude is shown to have a strong negative relationship with anxiety and self-confidence. Suggestions and recommendations to improve the situation are outlined in the paper
Cytostatic Effects of Avocado Oil Using Single-cell Gel Electrophoresis (Comet Assay)
Get PDFThe goal of this paper is to assess the mutagenicand genotoxic potentials of avocado oil made from the fruit pulp of Persea Americana, a member of the Lauraceae family.Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells are used in the 3-4,5 dimethylthiazol-2yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test to examine the possible antiproliferative and cytostatic qualities of different doses of avocado oil, and MCF-7 cells are used in the comet assay to examine the potential cytostatic effects of avocado oil extracted from the avocado fruit. DNA in human breast cancer cells is partially damaged by avocado oil. However, DNA damage at low, medium, and high levels was discovered in the positive control. Without positive control, the DNA damage level falls in the low, middle, and high ranges. The MTT assay shows that avocado oil exerts a dose-dependent cytostatic impact on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 379.2 μg/mL, which is the IC50 value that causes genotoxicity in the comet assay
Gender-based differences of inflammatory, coagulation, and cardiac markers in COVID-19 patients in Erbil city
Get PDFIn December 2019, a new coronavirus disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) appeared in Wuhan city and quickly became a global health issue. COVID-19 causes various symptoms ranging from no symptoms to potentially deadly pneumonia. The study aimed to understand the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on immune response and the differences in inflammatory, coagulation, and cardiac biomarkers between male and female patients. Between June 1st and November 1st, 2020, 95 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were studied at Zanko Hospital. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed using the real-time RT-PCR technique. All cases were analyzed for clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data. On average, the patients were 50.64 (SEM= 2.359) years old, with 61 males and 34 females. The patients had elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), which was 43.96 (SEM= 6.154), while the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 50.50 (SEM= 5.498). The mean of D-Dimer, ferritin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were 1.204 (SEM= 0.164), 534.7 (SEM= 61.48), and 366.6 (SEM= 36.81), respectively. There were no significant differences in the study's data mentioned above between male and female patients. In conclusion, inflammation is the most prominent symptom in COVID-19 patients, and males and females are nearly equally affected
Forecasting Electricity Generation in Kurdistan Region Using BOX-Jenkins Model
Get PDFThe objective of this research is to identify the best and most relevant statistical model for projecting electrical power generation in the KRI. Data was collected for this purpose throughout a 168-year period (2006-2019). The Box-Jenkins technique was used, and it was discovered that the series is unstable and not random after analyzing it. The essential transformations, namely the square root and the first difference, were used to achieve stability and randomization. The necessary transformations, such as the square root and the first difference, were used to achieve stability and randomness. the analysis showed that ARIMA (2,1,2) is the most appropriate model among the proposed models using some statistical criteria like (AIC, BIC, MSE, MAPE, and RMSE) were used to obtain the model that can be utilized in the prediction. A simulation was conducted in favor to the selected model