Abstract:

Background: Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), an adipokine that participate in a lipid metabolism or insulin resistance through a complex regulatory network. Recently, RBP4 was reported to be associated with many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors in patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aims to study the correlation of  serum RBP4 with some markers of glycemic control, dyslipidemia, hypertension and obesity in T2DM Iraqi patients.

Subjects and Methods: one hundred fifty participants were enrolled in this coss-sectional study, 120 of participants were T2DM patients and 30 were apparently healthy individuals to serve as control gro

     In the last few years, the literature conferred a great interest in studying the feasibility of using memristive devices for computing. Memristive devices are important in structure, dynamics, as well as functionalities of artificial neural networks (ANNs) because of their resemblance to biological learning in synapses and neurons regarding switching characteristics of their resistance. Memristive architecture consists of a number of metastable switches (MSSs). Although the literature covered a variety of memristive applications for general purpose computations, the effect of low or high conductance of each MSS was unclear. This paper focuses on finding a potential criterion to calculate the conductance of each MMS rather t

The Iraqi marshes are considered the most extensive wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and are located in the middle and lower basin of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which create a wetlands network and comprise some shallow freshwater lakes that seasonally swamped floodplains. Al-Hawizeh marsh is a major marsh located east of Tigris River south of Iraq. This study aims to assess water quality through water quality index (WQI) and predict Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations in Al-Hawizeh marsh based on artificial neural network (ANN). Results showed that the WQI was more than 300 for years 2013 and 2014 (Water is unsuitable for drinking) and decreased within the range 200-300 in years 2015 and 2016 (Very poor water). The develope

AIM: To determine the value of the combination of thin-section 3 mm ‎coronal and standard ‎axial DWI and their impact in facilitating the diagnosis of ‎‎acute brainstem infarction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted from the 1st of April 2017 to the end of February 2018 on 100 consecutive patients (66% were male, and 34% were female) with isolated acute ischemic infarction in the ‎brainstem. The abnormal MRI findings concerning the ischemic lesions were interpreted on standard axial 5 mm and thin-section coronal 3mm DWI. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied group was 69.2 ± 4.3 for male and 72.3 ± 2.5 years. The standard axial DWI can diagnose 20%, 6.7% and 6.7% of the infarctions in midbrain, pons an

In this study, the behavior of screw piles models with continuous helix was studied by conducting laboratory experimental tests on a single screw pile that has several aspect ratios (L/D) under the influence of static axial compression loads. The screw piles were inserted in a soft soil that has a unit weight of 18.72 kN/m3 and moisture content of 30.19%. Also, the soil has a liquid limit of 55% and a plasticity index of 32%. A physical laboratory model was designed to investigate the ultimate compression capacity of the screw pile and measure the generated porewater pressure during the loading process. The bedding soil was prepared according to the field unit weight and moisture content and the failure load was assumed correspondin

Volcaniclastic rocks of Al Muqdadiya Formation (Pliocene) in Injana area, southern Hemrin anticline, NE of Iraq, were studied ( petrographically, physically, mineralogically and geochemically , as well as the engineering properties) to assess the suitability of volcaniclastic rocks to use them in industry as refractories. The results show that the physical and engineering properties change with the temperature change. The bulk density and the specific gravity increase by increasing temperature while the apparent porosity, water sorption and the linear shrinkage decrease. On the other hand the compressive strength increase by increasing temperature. The volcaniclastics have very low thermal conductivi

The current study was conducted in Baghdad governorate (Karkh and Al-Rasafa regions) which included collecting 50 samples of freshly slaughtered sheep meat randomly collected from local slaughter areas and approved governmental slaughterhouses (25 liver and 25 ulna muscles). The results of the aflatoxin B1 detection showed that all samples were contaminated with this toxin at different concentrations ranging from 25–422 ppb and 65–492 ppb for each ulna muscles and liver, respectively. The histopathological and immunological study was conducted in meat samples containing higher and lower concentrations of the toxin. The results of the pathological study in the liver revealed that the concentration (492 ppb) caused thickening of t

In Present study, 25 clinical isolates of Proteus spp. of clinical samples, urine, wounds and burns collected from different hospitals in Baghdad city, all isolates were identified as Proteus mirabilis using different bacteriological media, biochemical assays and Vitek-2 system. It was found that 15 (60%) isolates were identifying as P. mirabilis. The susceptibility of P. mirabilis isolates to cefotaxime was 66.6 %, while to ceftazidime was 20%. Extended spectrum β-lactamses producing Proteus was 30.7 %. DNA of 5 isolates of P. mirabilis was extracted and detection for blaVEB-1 gene by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that the presence of this gene in all tested isolates, as an important indicator for increas