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

    Two local fish Himri Carasobarbus luteus (Heckel, 1843)  and Hishni Liza abu (Heckel, 1843) were stained with Alizarin Red and featured some anatomical qualities which cleared the difference of the muscular and skeletal fabric for each fish. Since clear Histologic differences appeared in these two species, it was intended from this study the possibility of adopting a diagnosis between local fish species by staining bones and tissues.

Background: In this study we evaluate the effect of plasma treatment (oxygen and argon) gas in two different exposure times on the surface of heat cure and light cure acrylic resin. Materials and method: 100 specimens of heat cure and light cure acrylic resin were fabricated. The measurements of the samples were (75mm, 25mm and 4.5mm) length, width and depth respectively with stopper of 3mm depth. Two types of gas used oxygen and argon in (5,10) min by using (DC-glow discharge plasma device) then we apply cold cure soft lining material, with the help of Instron machine we test the shear stress value. Results: A highly significant effect after argon and oxygen gases treatment in both 5 and 10 min exposure times on shear bond strength to soft

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the roots of the maxillary posterior teeth and the maxillary sinus using spiral computed tomography, and measured the distances between the roots of the maxillary posterior teeth and the sinus floor. Materials and Methods: The sample of the present study was a total of 120 Iraqi subject (60 males & 60 females) aged (20-60) years old, who admitted to spiral Computed Tomography scan unit in AL-Zahraa hospital in AL-Kut city to have Computed Tomography scan of the brain and paranasal sinuses who had complaints of headaches or with suspicion of sinusitis but without pathological findings in maxillary sinuses. From November 2012 to April 2013, CT sagittal reconstruc

Background: Recent implant surgical approach aims to cause less trauma, invasiveness and pain as much as possible and to reduce patient and surgeon discomfort, time of surgery and time needed for functional implant loading. Flapless surgical techniques considered recently as one of the most popular techniques that may achieve these aims especially enhancing osseointegration and subsequently implant stability within less time than the traditional flapped surgical technique. So this study aimed to make a comparison between flapped and flapless surgical techniques in resulted implant stability according to resonance frequency analysis RFA and in duration of surgical operation. Materials and methods: A total of 26 patients with 41 implants (o

Begging is an ancient social phenomenon since the Man's creation. It was simple at its beginning to get a living and the family needed, but presently, this simple social phenomenon converted to a big phenomenon which controlled by competent groups away from the values and principles. Their doings are far from humanity representing by the cutting of a hand or a foot and facial distortion or removed eye as a way of attracting people's emotions to get material and incorporeal helps; these doings became a trade which is exchanged by slave traders. Furthermore, different illegal and greedy methods were followed as a way of blackmailing others; contrariwise other cases of begging are doing by a people who real poor and needy. In this case, the

The study investigates the relationship between the volatility of the Iraqi Stock Exchange Index (ISX), and the volatility of global oil prices benchmarks, Brent and West Intermediate Texas (WTI), in additional to the Iraqi Oil, Basra Crude Light (BSL) which represents the most exported Iraqi oil and the major influential factor on the Iraqi governmental revenues. Using monthly data covering the period: 1/2005-12/1205, econometrical and technical tools represented by Co-incretion, Vector Error Correction Model – VECM, Granger Causality, and Bollinger band were employed in order to explore the relationship between the variables.

The econometric analysis revealed the impact of the oil prices volatility on

The interaction in the city is reflected in the movement of people motivated by their activities and their economic and social goals, which include many variables subject to the planning process in the interpretation of this movement and the mapping of trends of transport intensity through the concept of transport function and its functional relationships with the uses of the earth in the sustainability and effectiveness of the movement of transport and Economic activity and population movement. Transport planners are concerned with the requirements of land use, which are linked to and included in the transport planning process as a factor for the future transport needs. There is a strong relationship between the transport system

In a resource-limited world, there is an urgent need to develop new economic models, from the traditional unsustainable industrial model of product consumption and disposal, to a new model based on the concepts of sustainability in its comprehensive sense, the so-called circular economy, using fewer resources in manufacturing processes and changing practices in product disposal to waste, by removing its use, recycling and manufacturing to start another manufacturing process. In an era of intense competition in domestic and global markets, the importance of the circular economy is highlighted in its ability to strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises in those markets, by reducing the cost and increasing the quality of the pro