John Updike’s use of setting in his fiction has elicited different and even conflicting reactions from critics, varying from symbolic interpretations of setting to a sense of confusion at his use of time and place in his stories.  The present study is an attempt at examining John Updike’s treatment of binary settings in Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories (1962) to reveal theme, characters’ motives and conflicts.  Analyzing Updike’s stories from a structuralist’s perspective reveals his employment of two different places and times in the individual stories as a means of reflecting the psychological state of the characters, as in “The Persistence of Desire”, or expressing conflicting views on social and political is

In globalization, the world became open area to competition for the attractive of investment, and the abilities of each country to win the confidence of investors depend upon the preparation to optimize circumstances.   The competitiveness is an essential means of expanding the capacity of developed to coexist in an international environment characterized by globalization. While competition describes the market structure, the behavior of investors and business, competitiveness is interested in the evaluation of business performance or countries and compare them in the conditions of competition available in these markets. Regarding Malaysia, which is depend on FDI-Export- Led Growth strategy,  it has taking on diffe

The levels of circulating angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors, namely vascular endothelial growth factor–A (VEGF-A) and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1), have been linked to the development of renal dysfunction due to the proliferation of microvasculature within the kidneys of type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. The study aims to scrutinize serum levels of VEGF and sVEGFR-1 in a sample of Iraqi diabetic nephropathy patients to support their reliability as markers for the prediction of nephropathy in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients as well as to assess the ACE inhibitor’s effect on the levels of these two markers. Method: The ninety participants of this case-control study were split into three gr

Objective(s): The present study aims at studying the relationship between immunoglobulin IgG, IgA,
IgM , as well as to C-3 and C-4 in brain tumours patients immunity (meningioms and gliomas).
Methodology: Forty sera of brain tumour patients were included 20 glioma and 20 meningioma was
tested to determine the levels of IgM, IgG IgA, C-3 and C-4 by using single radial immune-diffusion
technique and compared with 20 apparently healthy blood donors.
Results: The study revealed a significant decreasing in IgG levels in glioma as compare to meningioma
and control. The concentration of two other serum immunoglobulins and complement in both
meningioma and glioma show no significant differences with those in control group.

      The alterations in glyoxylate reductase and hydroxy-pyruvate reductase concentrations in the sera and the genetic alterations associated with calcium oxalate kidney stones in Iraqi patients were not studied previously so this study aimed to focus on these points. This study included 80 subjects; they were 50 patients with calcium oxalate stones compared to 30 apparently healthy controls. Biochemical investigations for kidney functions (creatinine, urea, and uric acid), were performed on the sera of both groups. Also, complete blood count, random blood sugar, and blood group tests. Furthermore, urine had been collected for General Urine Examination to visualize oxalate crystals in the urine of the patient. Also, the GRHPR

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious disease of the liver and signifies a major worldwide health concern. HBV Genotyping is vital for further epidemiological study, predicting the disease outcome and response to treatment. The current study aimed to determine hepatitis B virus genotypes in patients with chronic hepatitis B, and to validate possible associations with the baseline characteristics of the disease. A total of 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were enrolled in this study. Liver function tests, hepatitis B virus markers and DNA viral load were done using routine standardized procedures. HBV genotyping was performed using real time PCR. Genotype D was the most predominant in 64 (71.1%) of samples, while

The aim of the current study is to in evaluate the role of SOD activity in the previously reported oxidative stress in our laboratory(1), in the patients with different brain tumors. SOD activity was assayed according to riboflavin/NBT method and its specific activity was calculated in patients with benign and malignant brain tumors and control. Moreover the specific activity was compared in these samples according to gender and the occurrence of disease.Non significant elevation (P > 0.05) in SOD specific activity was observed in tissue of malignant tumors in comparison to that of in benign brain tumors. While a highly significant decrease (P < 0.001) of the specific activity was found in sera of malignant patients group in comparison to t

Objective: To investigate the relation between dyslipidemia and insulin resistance where it is one of the metabolic
disorders in patients with type-ΙΙ diabetes mellitus and compare the results with the control group.
Methodology: Blood samples were collected from (35) patients with type-ΙΙ diabetes mellitus, besides (35) healthy
individuals as a control group were enrolled in this study. The age of all subjects range from (20-50). Serum was
used in determination of glucose, insulin, lipid profile (cholesterol (Ch), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein
(HDL-Ch), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-Ch) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), for patients and control
groups. Insulin resistance (IR) was calculated acco