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.
Displacement is a problem that worries the human conscience and has received the attention of the international community. Furthermore, it has become one of the most urgent issues nowadays, especially when the number of displaced people in different countries are increased because of the causes of displacement and their political, economic, environmental, social and psychological effects. Iraq is one of the countries where displacement has taken place in several governorates, according to United Nations and International Organization for Migration (IOM), Iraq is considered the second largest country in the world after Syria in terms of the number of displaced people in 2015. Gratitude, a positive emotional response to benevolence, is a m
... Show MoreMercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead, were measured in sediment samples of river and marine environmental of Basra governorate in southern of Iraq. Sixteen sites of sediment were selected and distributed along Shatt Al-Arab River and the Iraqi marine environment. The samples were distributed among one station on Euphrates River before its confluence with Tigris River and Shatt Al-Arab formation, seven stations along Shatt Al-Arab River and eight stations were selected from the Iraqi marine region. All samples were collected from surface sediment in low tide time. ICP technique was used for the determination of mercury and arsenic for all samples, while cadmium and lead were measured for the same samples by using Atomic Absorption Spectrosc
... Show MoreObjective: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a major pregnancy complication that leads to maternal mortality. Here, we have scrutinized the correlation between serum levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in PIH.Methods: Serum samples were collected from 80 Iraqi women (40 women with PIH as patients group, 20 normotensive pregnant women as a positive control, and 20 normotensive non-pregnant women as a negative control) all groups were diagnosed clinically.Results: Serum of H2O2 and SOD levels was measured for all studied groups. Results showed that there were no significant variances in age and gestational age distribution between all studied groups. Furthermore, result showed that the serum level o
... Show MoreThe deficiency in the nurse staff in the health organizations consider an important problem that must be studied and solved basically , not only because it affect on the health organization and it's strategic goals , but also it affect the human being and it's health which can't be substituted with anything or delayed in it's treatment ,This research aims to necessary for health organizations to strategically help in maintaining the nurse staff and to keep that in it's strategic orientation and it's mission , moreover , the health organizations must study the reality of the nurse in the health organizations and know the causes beyond leaving the nurse staff the nurse job , and then remove
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia due to an inability to produce insulin. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes is clinically associated with increased susceptibility to delay healing. Many recent researches have shown that stem cell therapy can be the best choice for treatment of this disease. The aims of this research were investigating regeneration of pancreatic beta cells of diabetic induced rabbits after stem cell transplantation. Materials and Methods: 64 rabbits weighting an average of (2.5 - 3 kg) were used in this experimental study, and divided into 4 groups as follows; group A ( contains 16 healthy rabbits regarded as control group ) , Group B ( contains 16 diabetic rabbits
... Show MoreThis study was performed on the Tigris River (Baghdad city section) during the period between December 2016 and December 2018 to assess seasonal variation in water quality using the Overall Index of Pollution (OIP). The OIP is one of the reliable tools for the assessment of surface water quality. To calculate OIP-values, eight parameters were measured ( pH, Dissolved Oxygen "DO", Biological Oxygen Demand "BOD", Total Dissolved Solid "TDS", Total Hardness "TH", calcium "Ca", Sulphate "SO4" and Alkalinity). The results showed the anthropogenic activities impact of Baghdad population that directly discharge of "inadequate treated" waste water to the river. OIP values were acceptable (1˃OIP˃ 1.7) in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2018. However, in
... Show MoreThis research aims to know the role and impact of participation in the capabilities of human resources programs, and for the purpose of measuring it has been determined the dimensions of these two variables by relying on standards for this purpose, was chosen as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / device supervision and scientific calendar as one of the important departments in the ministry and includes a large number of individuals at different organizational levels for the purpose of answering a questionnaire prepared for the purpose of measurement and access to the results and the achievement of the objectives of the research and which ha
... Show MoreAmeloblastic fibroma is a rare benign tumor usually affects the first two decades of life. The neoplasm is more predominant in mandibular molar-premolar region and rarely affects the maxilla. In this report, we present a couple of Ameloblastic fibroma cases, affecting boys at their 1st decade. The lesions were presented as swellings of their maxilla, which is atypical location. Radiographic images showed well-defined radiolucency containing areas of radio-opacities and impacted teeth. Differential diagnosis was established as cystic/neoplastic conditions. The lesions were incised and histopathologically diagnosed as Ameloblastic fibroma, since they were composed of immature odontogenic mesenchymal and epithelial cells showing different c
... Show MoreThis research includes the application of non-parametric methods in estimating the conditional survival function represented in a method (Turnbull) and (Generalization Turnbull's) using data for Interval censored of breast cancer and two types of treatment, Chemotherapy and radiation therapy and age is continuous variable, The algorithm of estimators was applied through using (MATLAB) and then the use average Mean Square Error (MSE) as amusement to the estimates and the results showed (generalization of Turnbull's) In estimating the conditional survival function and for both treatments ,The estimated survival of the patients does not show very large differences
... Show MoreGlassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with carbon nanotubes CNT and C60 by attachment and solution evaporation techniques, respectively. CNT/Li+/GCE and C60/Li+/GCE were prepared by modifying CNT/GCE and C60/GCE in Li+ solution via cyclic voltammetry (CV) potential cycling. The sensing characteristics of the modified film electrodes, demonstrated in this study for interference of Mn2+ in different heavy metals ion esp. Hg2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+. The interfering effect was investigated that exert positive interference on the redox peaks of Mn2+. The modification of GCE with nano materials and Li+ act an enhancement for the redox current peaks to observe the effect of interference for Mn2+ in 1:1 ratio with different heavy metals ion.