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.
The research endeavors to harness the benefits stemming from the integration of constraint theory into construction project management, with the primary goal of mitigating project completion delays. Additionally, it employs fuzzy analysis to determine the relative significance of fundamental constraints within projects by assigning them appropriate weights. The research problem primarily revolves around two key issues. Firstly, the persistent utilization of outdated methodologies and a heavy reliance on workforce experience without embracing modern computerized technologies. Secondly, the recurring problem of project delivery delays. Construction projects typically encompass five fundamental constraint types: cost restrictions, tim
... Show MoreObjectives: The research aims to demonstrate the integration between Quantum Computing (QC) and Predictive Analysis (PA) and their role in reducing costs while achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study addresses the inefficiencies in calculating and measuring product costs under traditional systems and examines how QC and PA can enhance cost reduction and product quality to better meet customer needs. Additionally, the research seeks to strengthen the theoretical framework with practical applications, illustrating how this integration improves a company’s competitive position while promoting social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Methods: The study employs a descriptive analytical approach, focusi
... Show MoreThis research aims to assess the adoption of TQM in the Middle East Bank for Investment, and diagnosis means and techniques of technological innovation that applied in, as well as to determine the nature of the relationship between total quality management practices (operations management, employment relations, customer relations) and technological innovation (the incremental innovation of the service, incremental innovation process, a radical innovation of the service, a radical innovation of the operation), through use the checklists, derived from a study (Kim et al, 2012) the many styles of mathematical and statistical tools was adopted like the percentage, mean, duplicates, as well as the adoption of the Z test th
... Show MoreThis research aims to explore the status effects of the Sudden, and gradual of AI-Driven Cyber Security (AIDC), Big data analytics and Business Intelligence (BI) The strategic flexibility (SF) and entrepreneurship (ENT) on Iraqi internet services providers ISPs. The work fills an important lacunae in what the advanced dimensions of technology have with regard to its influencing both SF and ENT outcomes in developing economy context, where empirical evidences are scant. A cross-sectional survey based on a quantitative research methodology was conducted on 113 professionals in Iraqi telecommunication sector. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was adopted to examine 10 hypotheses concerning the relationship
... Show MoreManual fruit picking is labor-intensive and can damage fruit. Fully mechanized picking is efficient, but it also risks fruit damage. Therefore, semi-automated tools are needed to improve bitter orange picking. This paper presents a smart manual picker designed to facilitate picking while predicting fruit maturity based on picking force as well as various chemical and physical parameters using machine learning (ML). The study methodology consists of five stages: (1) manufacturing the smart picker, (2) picking 50 bitter orange samples, (3) measuring the characteristics of the bitter oranges in the laboratory, (4) training different ML models, and (5) identifying the most accurate model for predicting fruit maturity. The results indicate that
... Show MoreThe current research aimed to identify the tasks performed by the internal auditors when developing a business continuity plan to face the COVID-19 crisis. It also aims to identify the recovery and resuming plan to the business environment. The research followed the descriptive survey to find out the views of 34 internal auditors at various functional levels in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Spreadsheets (Excel) were used to analyze the data collected by a questionnaire which composed of 43 statements, covering the tasks that the internal auditors can perform to face the COVID-19 crisis. Results revealed that the tasks performed by the internal auditors when developing a business continuity plan to face the COVID-19 crisis is to en
... Show MoreGas and downhole water sink-assisted gravity drainage (GDWS-AGD) is a new process of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in oil reservoirs underlain by large bottom aquifers. The process is capital intensive as it requires the construction of dual-completed wells for oil production and water drainage and additional multiple vertical gas-injection wells. The costs could be substantially reduced by eliminating the gas-injection wells and using triple-completed multi-functional wells. These wells are dubbed triple-completion-GDWS-AGD (TC-GDWS-AGD). In this work, we design and optimize the TC-GDWS-AGD oil recovery process in a fictitious oil reservoir (Punq-S3) that emulates a real North Sea oil field. The design aims at maximum oil recovery us
... Show MoreSeeds of the two rice genotypes namely Amber 33 (A33) and Amber Baghdad (AB) were divided into two groups; the first was presoaked in different concentrations of ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) as chemical mutagen for different duration times (3, 6 and 12) hrs, and the other was exposed to different exposure times of ultra violate (UV-B) radiation (280-320 nm) as physical mutagen for different times (20, 40 and 60) min at room temperature. Treated and non-treated seeds were transferred into the callus induction medium containing 2.5 mg/L 2,4- dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.5 mg/L benzyl adenine (BA) under aseptic conditions. Calli were divided into two groups the first was treated with several EMS concentrations (0.0, 0.50. 1.0, 1
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