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
... Show MorePowder Silica (SiO2) was added to epoxy polymer with different weight percentages (3.75,7.5,11.25 and 15 wt%) for particle size  63 µm. Hand lay-up method it is used to prepared (Epoxy-Silica) composite, and cutting appropriate specimens for testing. Electrical strength varies nonlinearly with specimens thickness, also decreasing with average time for the rise of voltage decreases due to electro thermal effects. Clearly, electrical strength decreases with the increase of the proportion of added silica. The hardness, tensile strength and young modulus increased with the added silica increases due to changing in material characteristics from ductility to brittle. Microscopic cracks and irregularity deformation were a
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research is to test the ability of the true strength index To time and manage trading in the financial market to select the best stocks and achieve a higher return than the Simple buy and hold strategy. And To achieve the objectives of the research, it relied on the main hypothesis, which is By using the True Strength Index to manage trading decisions buying and selling, can be achieved higher returns than the buy and hold strategy . The research community has been identified with all stocks listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange. Implementing the financial research tests requires selecting a sample from the research community that fulfills the test requirements according to a number of conditions So (38) companies we
... Show MoreAbstract This research scrutinizes the impact of external magnetic field strength variations on plasma jet parameters to enhance its performance and flexibility. Plasma jets are widely used for their high thermal and kinetic energy in both medical and industrial fields. The study employs optical emission spectroscopy to measure electron temperature, electron density, and plasma frequency in a plasma jet subjected to varying magnetic field strengths (25, 50, 100, 150, and 250 mT). The results indicate that a stronger magnetic field results in higher electron temperature (1.485 to 1.991 eV), electron density (5.405 × 1017 to 7.095 × 1017), and plasma frequency 7.382 × 1012 to 8.253 × 1012 Hz. As well as the research investigates the influ
... Show MoreThe research aims to conduct a comparative study between the events (800) m and (1500) m track in the types of muscular strength and to identify the differences between them among Iraqi sports club players. The sample represented the players participating in the Iraqi Athletics Championship for the period between (02/11/2023) and (04 /11/2023), and their number was (16) players (8) for each event, as the selection was made intentionally. The researchers used the descriptive approach to achieve the goal of the research and used the statistical package (SPSS) to process the data statistically. According to the results collected, it was found that there was superiority among the intermediate track players (800) m in explosive power and the s
... Show MoreReactive Powder Concrete (RPC) could be considered as the furthermost significant modern high compressive strength concrete. In this study, an experimental investigation on the impact of micro steel fiber volume fraction ratio and gamma ray irradiation duration influence upon the compressive strength of RPC is presented. Three volume fraction ratios (0.0, 1.0 and 1.5) % was implemented. For each percentage of the adopted fiber ratios, six different irradiation duration was considered; these are (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) days. Gamma source (Cs-137) of energy (0.662) MeV and activity (6) mci was used. In a case of zero volume fraction ratio, the experimental results showed that gamma ray had a significant influence on the reducing of the
... Show MoreReactive Powder Concrete (RPC) could be considered as the furthermost significant modern high compressive strength concrete. In this study, an experimental investigation on the impact of micro steel fiber volume fraction ratio and gamma ray irradiation duration influence upon the compressive strength of RPC is presented. Three volume fraction ratios (0.0, 1.0 and 1.5) % was implemented. For each percentage of the adopted fiber ratios, six different irradiation duration was considered; these are (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) days. Gamma source (Cs-137) of energy (0.662) MeV and activity (6) mci was used. In a case of zero volume fraction ratio, the experimental results showed that gamma ray had a significant influence on the reducing of the
... Show MoreBackground: One of the most common complications of dentures is its ability to fracture, so the aim of this study was to reinforce the high impact denture base with carbon nanotubes in different concentrations to improve the mechanical and physical properties of the denture base. Materials and methods: Three concentrations of carbon nanotubes was used 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% in a pilot study to see the best values regarding transverse strength, impact, hardness and roughness test, 1 wt% was the best concentration, so new samples for control group and 1wt% carbon nanotubes and the previous tests were of course repeated. Results: There was a significant increase in impact strength and transverse strength when we add carbon nanotubes in 1wt%, compared
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