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 s

Monitoring and analysing of the vertical deformations or the settlements of the structures is one of the main research fields in geodetic applications, which is considered a precise periodic measurement, made at different epochs to investigate these deformations on heavy structures.
In this research, the deformation measurements were carried out on one of Baghdad University buildings,” Building of Computers Department” of dimensions (70.0 * 81.3 m.). Due to some cracks observed in their walls, it was necessary to monitor the vertical displacement of this building at some particular monitoring points by constructing a vertical network and measured in different epochs. The first epoch (zero epoch) was carried out in April 2006, the

This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal accumulation of Juncus rigidus Desfontaines, 1798 from three different regions of the Basrah Province in Southern of Iraq. Specifically, the concentrations of lead, nickel, and cadmium were determined in the roots, culms and leaves of the plant. The results indicated that the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead (Pb) 12.50± 3.58 mg kg^-1and then in nickel (< 0.30). The lowest value was recorded for cadmium (< 0.05). As well, lead concentrations in J. rigidus varied in different locations and parts of the plant from undetectable in control to 12.66, 19.33, and 9.80 mg kg^-1 in leaves, culm, and roots respective

Abstract  

This research aims to study and improve the passivating specifications of rubber resistant to  vibration. In this paper, seven different rubber recipes were prepared based on mixtures of natural rubber(NR)  as an essential part in addition to the synthetic rubber (IIR, BR_cis, SBR, CR)with different rates. Mechanical tests such as tensile strength, hardness, friction, resistance to compression, fatigue and creep testing in addition to the rheological test were performed. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)test was used to examine the structure morphology of rubber. After studying and analyzing the results, we found that, recipe containing (BRcis) of 40% from th

A potentiostatic study of the behaviour of Inconel (600) in molar sulphuric acid has been carried out over the temperature range 293-313 K. Values have been established for the potentials and current densities of the corrosion, active-passive transition, passivity and transpassive states. For corrosion, the current density (ic) and potential (Ec) have been determined from well-defined Tafel lines. The potential and current density prior to the commencement of passivity have been obtained corresponding respectively to the critical potential (Ecr( and to the current density (icr) for the active-passive transition state. The passive range was defined by the respective potentials and current densities for passive film formation and dissolutio