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.
Visceral leishmaniasis(VL) or kala-azar is one of the world most neglected tropical diseases in mortality and fourth in morbidity, rK39 dipstick was used to diagnose the suspected infected patients as easiest and rapid technique for VL diagnostic, the disease out-coming required to the differentiation of cell mediated immunity either T-helper 1(Th-1) or (Th-2). One of main pointers that may be considered as one of immune evasion strategy in the host-parasite interplay is HLA-G level alteration. HLA-G Known as a special proteins (non-classical HLA class I) molecules which can suppress the immune system by T-cell functions impaired in the aid with target receptors as LILRB4. The development of the cell mediated immunity initiated with Interle
... Show MoreThe present study investigated the impact of fuel kind on the emitted emissions at the idling period. Three types of available fuels in Iraq were tested. The tests conducted on ordinary gasoline with an octane number of 82, premium gasoline with an octane number of 92, and M20 (consist of 20% methanol and 80% regular gasoline). The 2 liters Mercedes-Benz engine was used in the experiments.
The results showed that engine operation at idle speed emits high levels of CO, CO2, HC, NOx and noise. The produced emission levels depend highly on fuel type. The premium gasoline (ON=92) represents the lower emissions level except for noise at all idling speed. Adding methanol to ordinary gasoline (ON=82) showed high levels of emi
... Show MoreThe present paper addresses one of the most challenging topics in translation; namely legal translation in the framework of two different approaches; the classical (formal) and the more recent (functional). The latter approach is the outcome of the process of simplifying legal language known technically as Plain Language Movement. The advent of this movement dates back to the 1950s, in response to the widely-held complain about the awkwardness of the legal register. Within this framework, the salient features of legal language, at the various linguistic and textual levels, underwent reconsideration in favor of more publicly digested expressions. The paper then subjects two translations of a lease contract to analysis in the ligh
... Show MoreA simple, rapid and environmentally friendly dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method-based spectrophotometric method for the trace determination of folic acid has been developed. The proposed method is based on the formation of a deep yellow product via reaction of folic acid and 1,2-naphthoquine-4-sulfonate at pH = 9. The formed complex was extracted using a mixture of chloroform and ethanol. Then, the tiny organic droplets were measured at λ = 520 nm. At the optimum conditions, linearity was ranged from 0.05 to 1.5 μg/mL for the standard and samples, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.9996. The detection limits were 0.02, 0.027, 0.03, 0.02 and 0.04 μg/mL for standard, tablet (5 mg), tablet (1 mg), syrup and fl
... Show MoreThe High Power Amplifiers (HPAs), which are used in wireless communication, are distinctly characterized by nonlinear properties. The linearity of the HPA can be accomplished by retreating an HPA to put it in a linear region on account of power performance loss. Meanwhile the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex signal is very rough. Therefore, it will be required a large undo to the linear action area that leads to a vital loss in power efficiency. Thereby, back-off is not a positive solution. A Simplicial Canonical Piecewise-Linear (SCPWL) model based digital predistorters are widely employed to compensating the nonlinear distortion that introduced by a HPA component in OFDM technology. In this paper, the genetic al
... Show MoreThis paper investigates the issue of surface-type effects on traffic noise in Baghdad. Since the raw materials for both flexible and rigid paving are available from local sources, the decision on selecting the type of paving which depends on the budget of the project and the road's importance and function. Knowing that for high traffic volumes and a high percentage of heavy vehicles, rigid pavement is more suitable compared to flexible pavement. In Baghdad, some highways consist of flexible pavement and others of combined pavement (flexible segments and rigid segments), so the study of the effect of surface type on traffic noise becomes an important matter. This study selected three highways: one with flexible pavement a
... Show MoreLiquid-side mass-transfer coefficients (KLa) were measured in air-suction type fermentors using physical absorption of oxygen. A fermentor of 0. 5 m i.d. was used with a working capacity of 60 liters of liquid. Tap water was used as the liquid phase, and air was used as the gas phase. The bioreactor mixing system consists of shrouded-disk/curved-blade turbine with six evacuated bending blades. The effect of liquid submergence (S) was investigated. Further, the effects of the ratio of the impeller diameter (D) to the tank diameter (T), and the clearance of the impeller from the tank bottom(C) were also studied. The agitation speed (N) was varied in the range of 50-800 rpm. It was found that the value of K
... Show MoreThis paper investigates the issue of surface-type effects on traffic noise in Baghdad. Since the raw materials for both flexible and rigid paving are available from local sources, the decision on selecting the type of paving which depends on the budget of the project and the road's importance and function. Knowing that for high traffic volumes and a high percentage of heavy vehicles, rigid pavement is more suitable compared to flexible pavement. In Baghdad, some highways consist of flexible pavement and others of combined pavement (flexible segments and rigid segments), so the study of the effect of surface type on traffic noise becomes an important matter. This study selected three highways: one with flexible pavement and two with combined
... Show MoreThe present paper studies the generalized Φ- recurrent of Kenmotsu type manifolds. This is done to determine the components of the covariant derivative of the Riemannian curvature tensor. Moreover, the conditions which make Kenmotsu type manifolds to be locally symmetric or generalized Φ- recurrent have been established. It is also concluded that the locally symmetric of Kenmotsu type manifolds are generalized recurrent under suitable condition and vice versa. Furthermore, the study establishes the relationship between the Einstein manifolds and locally symmetric of Kenmotsu type manifolds.