Objectives: Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is WNT/b-catenin pathway antagonist which plays a detrimental role in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). This research aimed to assess serum DKK-1 levels in diabetic patients who have and have not developed DR and, compare them with the control subjects finding out whether we can use it as an indicator for DR early diagnosis and to find out which one of the widely used two groups of antidiabetic treatments had the greater effect on this biomarker and hence on the progression of DR. Methods: The study participants were divided into two subgroups: First, 70 patients (36 male, 34 female) with type 2 diabetes mellitus, among them 35 patients diagnosed with DR and 35 with no evidence of DR, and secondly, non-diabetic controls (11 male, 9 female) were selected from the patients attending Ibn AL-Haitham hospital for ophthalmology and a specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes. Venous blood samples of all participants were drawn after an overnight fast, and serum samples were stored at -20ºC until DKK-1 assay. Results: Serum DKK-1 showed significantly lower levels in diabetic patients with (6.1 ± 2 ng/mL) or without DR (14 ± 6.2 ng/mL) when compared to those of controls (34 ± 12.25 ng/mL) (p 0.05). Furthermore, serum DKK-1 levels were lower in the late stage of DR compared to the early stage 5.6 ± 1.7 and 7 ± 1.9 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibitors cause a better increment in DKK-1 levels when compared to SU in the NDR group. Conclusions: Reduced serum levels of DKK-1 are related to the existence and worsening of DR and have the prospect to serve as an indicator for this condition.
A study has been performed to compare the beddings in which ductile iron pipes are buried. In water transmission systems, bends are usually used in the pipes. According to the prescribed layout, at these bends, unbalanced thrust forces are generated that must be confronted to prevent the separation of the bend from the pipe. The bed condition is a critical and important factor in providing the opposite force to the thrust forces in the restraint joint system. Due to the interaction between the native soil and the bedding layers in which the pipe is buried and the different characteristics between them. Also, the interaction with the pipe material makes it difficult to calculate the real forces opposite to the thrust forces and the way they
... Show MoreThe research seeks to identify the effectiveness of a selective program in modifying irrational thinking that causes anger among an important class of societies in general. namely teachers. Specifically female teachers because of the pressures they suffer because of the nature of this profession. It may develop into anger outburst, which may cause irrational thinking arose as a result of the different situations they are going through. The sample of the program consisted of (12) teachers in Egypt, from different educational sectors. The researcher intended to clarify the emotion of anger and the irrational thoughts associated with it and the contribution of the selective counseling program in modifying those irrational thinking. This was
... Show MoreThe world faced many communication challenges in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic, the most important of which was the continuation of schooling. Therefore, the research aimed to analyze the current reality of the studied universities in terms of strengths and weaknesses and measure the implementing level of quality requirements of e-learning. This research studies the impact of knowledge sharing in its dimensions (behavior, organizational culture, work teams, and technology) on the e-learning quality and its dimensions (e-learning management, educational content, evaluation ,and evaluation). After conducting the survey, there was a difference in the universities’ application of the quality requirements of e-learning, as the study
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This research seeks to test the influence of intellectual capital as an explanatory variable and its components (human capital, structural capital, relational capital) and sustainable competitive performance as a responsive variable and its components (reducing service delivery cycle time, rapid response to market demand, increasing customer satisfaction, providing better Quality of service, increasing market share)” through a field study, and here the research problem was diagnosed in an attempt to answer the following question: Is there awareness among the senior management within the private colle
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The research attempted to find an explanation and solution to a problem related to the fluctuation and decrease In the rate of return on assets for the research sample banks during the duration of the research, The search started from the hypothesis that, The effect of salary Domiciliation on the banking profitability of a sample of Iraqi banks participating in the salary settlement system for the period (2016-2019),The research used the descriptive historical approach, the quantitative analytical approach and the statistical approach. The research reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which is The effect of salary Domiciliation on banking profitability was achieved in three banks
... Show MoreThe technological developments in the field of communication have witnessed considerable impact in the variables which exist in following up and conveying the events which link it’s meaning to political implications. This makes a number of satellite channels depend on the techniques of propaganda and use them in the news bulletins to achieve political aims and ends related to its formational directives where those channels allotted a considerable time in its programming transmission map to concentrate on the security and political status to complete the image of the informational scene according to the logic of its propaganda and styles in processing news for daily events.The technological developments in the field of communication hav
... Show MoreBackground: The treatment of dental tissues proceeding to adhesive procedures is a crucial step in the bonding protocol and decides the clinical success ofrestorations. This study was conducted in vitro, with the aim of evaluating thenanoleakage on the interface between the adhesive system and the dentine treated by five surface modalities using scanning electron microscopy and energydispersiveX-ray spectrometry. Materials and methods: Twenty five extracted premolars teeth were selected in the study. Standardized class V cavities were prepared on the buccal and lingual surfaces then the teeth divided into five main groups of (5 teeth in each group n=10) according to the type of dentine surface treatment that was used: Group (A): dentine was
... Show MoreBackground: The treatment of dental tissues proceeding to adhesive procedures is a crucial step in the bonding protocol and decides the clinical success ofrestorations. This study was conducted in vitro, with the aim of evaluating thenanoleakage on the interface between the adhesive system and the dentine treated by five surface modalities using scanning electron microscopy and energydispersiveX-ray spectrometry. Materials and methods: Twenty five extracted premolars teeth were selected in the study. Standardized class V cavities were prepared on the buccal and lingual surfaces then the teeth divided into five main groups of (5 teeth in each group n=10) according to the type of dentine surface treatment that was used: Group (A): dentine was
... Show MoreThe knowledge related with lexical items can be realized as including relations of meaning a cross words. Words that share a similarity of meaning are called to be synonymous, and words that share a contrary of meaning are called to be antonymous. Both of them are universal linguistic phenomenon that exist in terms of linguistic system of every language. The present study aims at finding out areas of difficulty that Iraqi EFL learners encounter in the use of synonymy and antonymy, both on the recognition and production levels. Also tries to detect the main reasons behind such difficulties. A diagnostic test of two parts, namely, recognition and production, is designed. The test is built to include two linguistic phenomenon which are: synony
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