Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor hormone that has been identified as an important factor
responsible for the development of cardiovascular dysfunctions. ET-1 exerts its vasoconstrictor activity
through two pharmacologically distinct receptors, ETA and ETB that are found in vascular smooth muscle
cells (VSMCs) and the vasodilator activity through an ETB receptor located on endothelial cells. This study
aimed to show the impact of 1µM L-arginine (LA), 100µM tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), and their combined
effect on ET-1 activity in both lead-treated and lead-untreated rat aortic rings. This means, investigating how
endothelial dysfunction reverses the role of nitric oxide precursor and cofactor. In this study, Rat aortic rings
have been pre-incubated with BH4, LA and their combination. Subsequently, the aortic rings were preincubated with 200µM N-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 0.5µM BQ-123. Then, the vascular
response to cumulative doses of rat ET-1 was analyzed in each of the above-mentioned groups (LA, BH4, LA
& BH4, L-NAME, BQ-123), in the presence and absence of lead acetate 1µM Pb (C2H3O2)2. ET-1 efficacy and
potency were significantly decreased in the presence of LA, BH4, and LA and BH4 combination in the untreated
group, while it significantly increased in the presence of lead. In the second trial of experiments ET-1 efficacy
markedly decreased in BQ-123- incubated cells in both lead-treated and untreated aortic rings. In the presence
of lead, the efficacy of ET-1 was raised with the use of L-NAME. In conclusion, LA and BH4 can be considered
pharmacological agents to alter the potency of ET-1-induced vasoconstriction and concomitantly lower blood
pressure.
In this work, the possibility of a multiwavelength mode-locked fiber laser generation based on Four-Wave Mixing (FWM) induced by Fe2O3-SiO2 nanocomposite material is investigated for the first time. A multiwavelength mode-locked pulses fiber laser are generated from Ytterbium–doped fiber laser (YDFL) due to the combined action of high nonlinear absorption and high refractive coefficients of Fe2O3-SiO2 nanocomposite incorporated inside YDFL ring cavity. Up to more than 20 lasing lines in the 1040–1070 nm band with an equally lines separation of ~0.6 nm have been observed by just simple variation of passive modulation of the state of the polarization and the pump power altogether. Moreover, a passively mode-locked operation of YDFL laser
... Show MoreBackground: Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL9) has an important role recruiting the T-lymphocytes and immune response after infection by inducing T-cells accumulation around the areas associated with infections. However, this role is poorly known in relation with Toxoplasma gondii infection and also in association with thyroid hormones, which the present study is focused on. Methods: Eighty-seven women were included in this study for the period between September 2021 and February 2022. Blood samples of uninfected healthy pregnant, in addition to aborted and pregnant women infected with toxoplasmosis, were collected. Sera were then obtained and stored at -10°C. Toxo-latex agglutination test was done, followed by detec
... Show MoreThe research entitled "The political changes and economic developments in contemporary Turkish Backgrounds, manifestations and future possibilities" consists of the introduction, four sections and conclusions. The background details, its developments, and the transformation in the economic sector in Turkey were reviewed. The first section concentrated on the brief introduction about the political developments which happened since the independence of Turkey at 1923 with the highlight on the years after the receipt of the Freedom and Justice Party (Ak PARTi) the Turkish Government rule. The second section demonstrated the reality of Turkish economy before 2002, while the
... Show MoreIn the rapidly evolving telecommunications industry, accurate valuation of tangible assets remains a critical challenge that requires adherence to universally recognized standards. This study addresses the pressing need for transparent and precise asset valuation methodologies that are pivotal for informed investment decisions and financial reporting. It aims to bridge the theoretical and practical divide in asset valuation by applying International Valuation Standards (IVS) 300 and 400 to Asiacell Communications PJSC, a leading entity in the sector. Focusing on five key tangible assets from 2018 to 2022 – lands, buildings, plant and equipment, means of transport and transfer, and furniture and office equipment – the study emplo
... Show MoreImage compression is one of the data compression types applied to digital images in order to reduce their high cost for storage and/or transmission. Image compression algorithms may take the benefit of visual sensitivity and statistical properties of image data to deliver superior results in comparison with generic data compression schemes, which are used for other digital data. In the first approach, the input image is divided into blocks, each of which is 16 x 16, 32 x 32, or 64 x 64 pixels. The blocks are converted first into a string; then, encoded by using a lossless and dictionary-based algorithm known as arithmetic coding. The more occurrence of the pixels values is codded in few bits compare with pixel values of less occurre
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to compare the effects of three methods: problem-based learning (PBL), PBL with lecture method, and conventional teaching on self-directed learning skills among physics undergraduates. The actual sample size comprises of 122 students, who were selected randomly from the Physics Department, College of Education in Iraq. In this study, the pre- and post-test were done and the instruments were administered to the students for data collection. The data was analyzed and statistical results rejected null hypothesis of this study. This study revealed that there are no signifigant differences between PBL and PBL with lecture method, thus the PBL without or with lecture method enhances the self-directed learning skills bette
... Show MoreThe tunnel’s stability during construction is a very important matter. Some methods have been proposed for stability evaluation, but the hazard warning levels (HWLs) are more applicable among these methods. Despite monitoring and applying HWLs, several collapses in Shibli twin tunnels in Iran have cast doubts on the accuracy of this criterion in the presence of water. In this study, the critical strains under different water contents were measured through uniaxial compressive strength tests on 11 different shale and marl samples. A comparison of laboratory tests and numerical results shows that the influence of the moisture content on the critical strain is negligible. In addition, the results show that there is no dir
... Show MoreThis paper proposes a new approach, of Clustering Ultrasound images using the Hybrid Filter (CUHF) to determine the gender of the fetus in the early stages. The possible advantage of CUHF, a better result can be achieved when fuzzy c-mean FCM returns incorrect clusters. The proposed approach is conducted in two steps. Firstly, a preprocessing step to decrease the noise presented in ultrasound images by applying the filters: Local Binary Pattern (LBP), median, median and discrete wavelet (DWT),(median, DWT & LBP) and (median & Laplacian) ML. Secondly, implementing Fuzzy C-Mean (FCM) for clustering the resulted images from the first step. Amongst those filters, Median & Laplace has recorded a better accuracy. Our experimental evaluation on re
... Show MoreLet