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.
This research was dealing with the aesthetic impact of encryption in form and content and aesthetic implications in the design of contemporary fabrics. That's where the design of the cloth is linked to the continuous development and continuous innovation and the pursuit of the all-new innovative designs and at the same time an unmarked Cryptographic with semantics and symbols reflect reality aesthetically pleasing and contains four chapters on the research :The first chapter discusses the research problem and its significance is the current quest ( encryption in form and content in contemporary designs fabrics and aesthetic implications ) in that it shows the importance of encryption in the design of fabrics and foundation design configu
... Show MoreThe catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of phenol has been studied in a trickle bed reactor
using active carbon prepared from date stones as catalyst by ferric and zinc chloride activation (FAC and ZAC). The activated carbons were characterized by measuring their surface area and adsorption capacity besides conventional properties, and then checked for CWAO using a trickle bed reactor operating at different conditions (i.e. pH, gas flow rate, LHSV, temperature and oxygen partial pressure). The results showed that the active carbon (FAC and ZAC), without any active metal supported, gives the highest phenol conversion. The reaction network proposed account
... Show MoreBackground: Due to their high prevalence rates, adolescent obesity and depression are among the most renowned public health concerns globally. Obesity is considered the leading cause of morbidity and death in Iraq in 2019. There is scarce research and surveys regarding the relationship between BMI and depression, especially in young Iraqi females.
Objectives: To explore the level of depression among adolescent girls, and to determine its association with Body Mass Index in the studies group.
Methods: Beck’s depression inventory questionnaire was used in 11 high schools for girls that were selected randomly from the schools in Baghdad/ AlKarkh from 1st of January 2023
... Show MoreThe concept of intertextuality was one of the problems that occupied the attention of critics and critics in targeting the structure of textual intertextuality between texts and their overlap in the process of producing meaning. Until intertextuality became a stable term and it can be monitored in the structure of the theatrical text and determining the mechanisms of this intertextuality between texts through fields and classifications agreed upon by the most important critics who wrote and considered intertextuality. Perhaps our previous research (the approach of exposure in the epistemological hallway to intertextuality) was an attempt to interview a terminology, which the researcher intended to monitor, through the mechanisms of inter
... Show MoreBackground: Smoking is considering a major risk factor for development and progression of periodontal disease. Investigations regarding the association between smoking and periodontal disease have consistently demonstrated negative periodontal effects and greater probabilities of established periodontal disease among smokers in comparison with non smokers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on periodontal health status and on the salivary levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), and to correlate the clinical parameters of periodontal health with the biochemical findings in smokers and non-smokers. Materials and methods: Unstimulated saliva sample was collected
... Show MoreIn view of the huge and speedy development of the information and communications technology sectores which cover all the life aspects. The traditional government started to adopt the Electronic Government Concept to deliver the information, services and product marketing to the beneficiaries through the Internet and Computer system. The E-government became inevitable necessity that should be applied in every country wishes to face the Modern technical development.
E-government is not on alternative of the traditional government but a supporter which can increase its efficiency by keeping away from the routine and Beaurucratic complexity, this will save the efforts, increase achievement and reduce costs, in addition to Provide Man
... Show MoreIdentification of pathogens and locating their inocul¬um source (S) are the first strategies toward successful disease management program the pretransplating seedl¬ing damping - off problem on vegetable crops was found to be caused by Pythium aphanidermatum and Rhizocto¬nia solani. Both fungi were isolated from peat (moss) for the first time in Iraq. In addition, considerable num¬ber of pathogenic fungi was found as contaminants in soil samples from Alrashidiah vegetable covered farming station. Among the isolated fungi were: Pythium apha¬nidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani phialophora spp., Cephalisporium spp Rizopus stolonfier and Botrytis cine¬rea, in addition to several
... Show MoreSuccinic acid is an essential base ingredient for manufacturing various industrial chemicals. Succinic acid has been acknowledged as one of the most significant bio based building block chemicals. Rapid demand for succinic acid has been noticed in the last 10 years. The production methods and mechanisms developed. Hence, these techniques and operations need to be revised. Recently, an omnibus rule for developing succinic acid is to find renewable carbohydrate Feedstocks. The sustainability of the resource is crucial to disintegrate the massive use of petroleum based-production. Accordingly, systematically reviewing the latest findings of bacterial production and related fermentation methods is critical. Therefore, this paper aims to stud
... Show MoreThis study is a trail to know if the genes controlling some of heavy metals resistance ( lead, zinc, cadmium, cromium) in two types of pathogenic bacteria E. coli as gram negative bacteria and S. aureus as gram positive bacteria, present on the β-lactamase plasmid. Ten isolates of each bacterial types which produced β-lactamase enzyme, were cultivated in the presence of acridine orange. The growing in the presence of acridine orange resulted in loss of the β-lactamase genes in S. aureus and E. coli, and loss of the heavy metals resistance in S. aureus, while the resistance of E. coli against heavy metals still without any change. The results indicate that the genes for heavy
... Show MoreDuring the period from September 2013 till the end of July 2014 ,a total of 340 birds Passer domesticus were collected from Tikrit city . The study revealed the infection of birds with seven species of cestoda helminthes , belonging to the genus Raillietin . These species included R. tetragona , R. echinobothrida , R. cesticellus and R. ransomi with prevalence infection of 36.1% , 30.1% . 15.0 % and 1.8 % respectively . And the genus Choanotaenia . These species included C. infundibulum and C. passerine with pervatence infection of 15.0% and 0.6% respectively . And the genus Anonchotuenia . The species included A.globate with prevantence infection 1.2% .
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