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

Carbon dioxide geo-sequestration (CGS) into sediments in the form of (gas) hydrates is one proposed method for reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere and, thus reducing global warming and climate change. However, there is a serious lack of understanding of how such CO2 hydrate forms and exists in sediments. We thus imaged CO2 hydrate distribution in sandstone, and investigated the hydrate morphology and cluster characteristics via x-ray micro-computed tomography in 3D in-situ. A substantial amount of gas hydrate (∼17% saturation) was observed, and the stochastically distributed hydrate clusters followed power-law relations with respect to their size distributions and surface area-volume relationships. The layer-

Thin films of Mn2O3 doped with Cu have been fabricated using the simplest and cheapest chemical spray pyrolysis technique onto a glass substrate heated up to 250 oC. Transmittance and absorptance spectra were studied in the wavelength range (300 -1100) nm. The average transmittance at low energy was about 60% and decrease with Cu doping, Optical constants like refractive index, extinction coefficient and dielectric constants (εr), (εi) are calculated and correlated with doping process.

In order to scrutinize the impact of the decoration of Sc upon the sensing performance of an XN nanotube (X = Al or Ga, and XNNT) in detecting sarin (SN), the density functionals M06-2X, τ-HCTHhyb, and B3LYP were utilized. The interaction of the pristine XNNT with SN was a physical adsorption with the sensing response (SR) of approximately 5.4. Decoration of the Sc metal into the surface of the AlN and GaN led to an increase in the adsorption energy of SN from −3.4 to −18.9, and −3.8 to −20.1 kcal/mol, respectively. Also, there was a significant increase in the corresponding SR to 38.0 and 100.5, the sensitivity of metal decorated XNNT (metal@XNNT) is increased. So, we found that Sc-decorating more increases the sensitivity of GaNN

This research attempts to evaluate the role of the information system by highlighting its importance in providing date and information to the tax administration the process of tax accounting for those who are subject to income tax whether they are individuals or companies where the effective information system provides accurate and reliable information in a timely manner.

At the theoretical part of the research, the research approaches the problem of the research represented in that whether the information system, applied in the General Commission for Taxes, is capable of achieving its role in reducing the phenomenon of tax evasion. The existence of a set of things which in the Commission may lead to increase tax evasion by taxpa

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with an increasing prevalence worldwide and characterized by an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation. The most important factor that is responsible for oxidative stress and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is hyperglycemia. The major targets of ROS are proteins. The most common and widely used biomarker of severe oxidative protein damage is protein carbonyl content.

The study was designed to assess the serum level of protein carbonyl as a marker of protein oxidation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to evaluate the effect of age, body weight, waist circumference, diabetic control and disease duration on the level

The present study reports the effect of temperature and liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) on the cumene cracking reaction rate and selectivity by using a laboratory continuous flow unit with fixed bed reactor operating at atmospheric pressure. The prepared HX zeolite was made from Iraqi kaolin with good crystallinity .The activity and selectivity of prepared HX-zeolite was compared with standard HY zeolite and HX zeolite catalysts in the temperature range of 673-823K and LHSV of 0.7-2.5 h-1 . It was found that the cumene conversion increases with increasing temperature and decreasing LHSV at 823K and LHSV of 0.7 h-1 the conversions 65.32, 42.88 and 59.42 mol% for HY, HX and prepared HX catalysts respectively and at LHSV of 2.5 h-1 and th