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 theatrical view reflects various connotations and intellectual and aesthetic implications, as the view includes a symbolic geometric, architectural and archetypal connotation suggestive of reality and nature, as theatrical art is the woman that reflects reality, specifically the significance of the theatrical view that reveals to us the philosophical, aesthetic and cognitive dimensions of theatrical trends, so the research came with the methodological framework, which It included the research problem (what is the significance of the scene as a symbolic system in the Iraqi theatrical performance), the importance of the research and the need for it, the research objective, the limits of the research and the most important terms.
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The Study addressed the effectiveness of dialogic communication in online public relations with an audience of higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates. The study aimed to know about the interest extent of higher education institutions through their websites with the elements of dialogic communication in online public relations to communicate with their audience. The researcher used survey methodology and content Analysis tool as an essential tool for collecting information. Some of the important results of the study are: The websites of higher education institutions in terms of indicators of ease of use; the main links on the websites are clearly available on the opening page, there is a map on the websites, reduce depe
... Show MoreIt included the introduction to the research and its importance, as the knee joint is one of the important joints in the human body that are susceptible to injury, and among these injuries is the roughness of the knee that occurs as a result of weakness and imbalance in the work of the quadriceps muscle, so its treatment is through rehabilitation exercises to treat weakness and gain flexibility and strength.Hence the importance of the research by developing rehabilitation exercises with different resistances in the water medium and restoring flexibility and muscular strength for patients with knee roughness for ages from 30-40 years, and the experimental method was used to solve the research problem, and the research sample included (6) of
... Show MoreA free convective heat transfer from the inside surface of a uniformly heated vertical circular tube has been experimentally investigated under a constant wall heat flux boundary condition for laminar air flow in the ranges of RaL from 6.9108 to 5109. The effect of the different sections (restrictions) lengths placed at the exit of the heated tube on the surface temperature distribution, the local and average heat transfer coefficients were examined. The experimental apparatus consists of aluminum circular tube with 900 mm length and 30 mm inside diameter (L/D=30). The exit sections (restrictions) were included circular tubes having the same inside diameter as the heated tube but with different lengths of
... Show MoreAbstract The wavelet shrink estimator is an attractive technique when estimating the nonparametric regression functions, but it is very sensitive in the case of a correlation in errors. In this research, a polynomial model of low degree was used for the purpose of addressing the boundary problem in the wavelet reduction in addition to using flexible threshold values in the case of Correlation in errors as it deals with those transactions at each level separately, unlike the comprehensive threshold values that deal with all levels simultaneously, as (Visushrink) methods, (False Discovery Rate) method, (Improvement Thresholding) and (Sureshrink method), as the study was conducted on real monthly data represented in the rates of theft crimes f
... Show MoreThe use of different materials in the art of ceramics is considered a new form of contemporary philosophical trends. That was introduced to art as a result of societal changes and transformations and rapid technological development. And it plays a very essential part in the beauty of the artistic structure. The contrast of using different materials in ceramics is considered a part of the old historical achievements since the art of ceramics used to follow strict standards. Which does not apply to contemporary ceramic, Because recently, it has become free from any religious and social control and created a whole new intellectual context, heading to new horizons in which it works with the newly added materials as a strategy to ensure the a
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The research aims to measure, assess and evaluate the efficiency of the directorates of Anbar Municipalities by using the Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA). This is because the municipality sector is consider an important sector and has a direct contact with the citizen’s life. Provides essential services to citizens. The researcher used a case study method, and the sources of information collection based on data were monthly reports, the research population is represented by the Directorate of Anbar Municipalities, and the research sample consists of 7 municipalities which are different in terms of category and size of different types. The most important conclusion reached by the research i
... Show MoreIn this research, a selection of some mineral water was selected on the basis of being the most marketed by the owners of shops in Najaf province, with six types, where daily samples of this water were taken by 50 ml for two months from (1/11/2018 -1/1/2019). The following ions concentrations were measured (Br-, Cl-, F-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+), pH and the electrical conductivity were measured and the results were compared with the allowable rates according to the international organizations. It was noted that they conform to international and Iraqi standards.