Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear transcription factor that controls gene expression. Its impaired expression was found to be related to different diseases. VDR also acts as a regulator of different pathways including differentiation, inflammation, calcium and phosphate absorption, etc. but there is no sufficient knowledge about the regulation of the gene itself. Therefore, a better understanding of the genetic and epigenetic factors regulating the VDR may facilitate the improvement of strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with dysregulation of VDR. In the present investigation, a set of databases and methods were used to identify putative functional elements in the VDR locus. Histone modifications, CpG I

Leishmania is the causative agent of leishmaniasis, a widely distributed disease. Amastigote forms of Leishmania are intracellular and reside within the macrophage of the vertebrate host. Previous studies showed that certain Leishmania species may scavenge host factors for survival, specially sphingolipids, the key element of the eukaryotic membranes. In this study we have investigated the survival of new world L. mexicana amastigotes in murine macrophage cell-line in the presence and absence of foetal bovine serum (FBS). Results showed that there was no significance in the infectivity of amastigotes and also the number of parasite per cell; such findings suggest that L. mexicana amastigotes have its own pathway of sphingolipid intake and c

Back ground: primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) is a socially distressing condition that can be troubling for children & their families. It affects 15-26% of five years olds. Several approaches are used to treat PNE including behavioral modification, alarms & drug therapy. Aim of the study: to determine the efficacy and safety of nasal desmopressin treatment in children with PNEPatients : fifty-four children with primary nocturnal enuresis with a mean age of ( 8.2) years ( range 6-15), underwent a 2 week observation period followed by entrance into a randomized controlled study, comparing desmopressin & placebo, lasting 4 weeks. The efficacy of the drug was measured in reduction of the number of wet nights per week. The enureti

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency. The diagnosis of this condition is still essentially clinical and there is difficulty in the clinical diagnosis, especially among elderly, children and patients with a typical presentation, so early and accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis is important to avoid its complications.Objectives: To evaluate the degree of accuracy of Alvarado scoring system in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.Method: Two hundred patients were admitted to the Alkindy Teaching Hospital from January 2011 to april 2014- presented with symptoms and signs suggestive of acute appendicitis. After examination and investigations all patients were given a score according to Alvarado sc

 Pun concept the design discourse for the cover of magazines the researcher chose the German magazine Der Spiegel as a model for that, as the research problem was manifested by the following question: What are the representations of puns in the covers of the German magazine (Der Spiegel)? The researcher has identified four chapters for this study as follows: The first chapter is devoted to research procedures, and the theoretical framework, which is like the second chapter, included the literature related to the topic of research according to the two interlocutors. A review of the concept of pun in the field of typographic design and the functions that puns achieve in that field, leading to the third chapter, which included the analysis

Displacement is a problem that worries the human conscience and has received the attention of the international community. Furthermore, it has become one of the most urgent issues nowadays, especially when the number of displaced people in different countries are increased because of the causes of displacement and their political, economic, environmental, social and psychological effects. Iraq is one of the countries where displacement has taken place in several governorates, according to United Nations and International Organization for Migration (IOM), Iraq is considered the second largest country in the world after Syria in terms of the number of displaced people in 2015. Gratitude, a positive emotional response to benevolence, is a m

Evaluating a reservoir to looking for hydrocarbon bearing zones, by determining the petrophysical properties in two wells of the Yamama Formation in Siba field using Schlumberger Techlog software. Three porosity logs were used to identify lithology using MN and MID cross plots. Shale volume were calculated using gamma ray log in well Sb-6ST1 and corrected gamma ray in well Sb-5B. Sonic log was used to calculate porosity in bad hole intervals while from density log at in-gauge intervals. Moreover, water saturation was computed from the modified Simandoux equation and compared to the Archie equation. Finally, Permeability was estimated using a flow zone indicator. The results show that the Yamama Formation is found to be mainly limest