Objective: Atorvastatin therapy is now recommended for reduction of cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM), based on convincing evidence of reductions in mortality and vascular events in major clinical outcome trials. The aim is to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on proinflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-6), HbA1c andleptin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Sixty fivenewly diagnosed T2DM patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups; group I treated with metformin only; in group II atorvastatin was added with metformin. Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled as control group. While maintaining their usual eating habits, fasting blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results

(1) Background: Sleeping disorders are frequently reported following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Different forms of sleeping disorders have been reported, such as sleepiness, insomnia, changes in sleeping latency, and others. (2) Methods: A case-control study with 62 patients who were victims of mild or moderate TBI with previous admissions to Iraqi tertiary neurosurgical centers were enrolled as the first group, and 158 patients with no history of trauma were considered as the control. All were 18 years of age or older, and the severity of the trauma and sleep disorders was assessed. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used to assess sleep disorders with average need for sleep per day and average sleep latency were assessed in

To determine the association between cigarette smoking and oxidative stress, a study was conducted in the period from January 2020 to April 2021, at College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq. The Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was utilized for measurement the antioxidant enzymes including: Glutathione superoxide (GPX) and catalase (CAT) and the biomarker of lipid peroxidation Malondialdehyde (MDA). Also, the gene expression of Nrf2 and HO-1were determined by using RT-PCR technique. The results indicate lower level of both GPX and CAT (p ≤ 0.001) in smokers compared with non-smokers. While the result of MDA indicate higher level in smokers (p≤0.001) compared with nonsmokers. The Nrf2 and HO-1 gene exp

: Cigarette smoking is a lifestyle behavior that causes significant adverse health effects. Cigarette smoke contains chemicals, many of which are lead to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can lead to apoptosis and autophagy. To estimate the association of Cigarette smoking with the autophagy and immunity, technology of real time polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) for gene expression of (LC3A, LC3B, LC3C, myd88) was used. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was utilized to measurement the amount of TNF-α protein. The ratios of LC3A/LC3B and LC3B/LC3C were calculated to estimate the autophagy flux. The results indicate the expression of LC3B, LC3C and Myd88 genes in smokers is increased significantly (p

This study gives an overview of the widely distributed herb plantain Plantago lanceolata and aqueous extraction of the plant, by study the effect of Plantago lanceolata aqueous extract on the hepatoprotective activity in albino female mice through measuring the three main liver enzymes aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with the histological effect of extract on liver. Mice were separated into eight groups treated intraperitonially for seven days: (1) control, (2) CCl4 (0.02%), (3) aqueous extract (250 mg/kg), (4) aqueous extract (500 mg/kg), (5) CCl4 (0.02%) plus aqueous extract (250 mg/kg), (6) CCl4 (0.02%) plus aqueous extract (500 mg/kg),(7) aqueous extract (250 mg/kg) plus CCl4 (0.02

Background: The irradiation of teeth with a laser results in an interaction between the light and the biological constituents of the dental hard substance, which is converted directly into heat.This thermal effect is the cause of the structural and chemical enamel changes.The combined treatment of topical fluoride agent with laser may increase fluoride uptake, and reduce progression of caries-like lesions. The aim of this study was to measure the uptake of the acidulated phosphate fluoride and sodium fluoride to the buccal and lingual caries-like lesion enamel surfaces before and after irradiated by Nd-YAG laser in comparison with matching control group. Materials and methods: The sample consisted of 30 human healthy upper premolar teeth wh

A comparison between the resistance capacity of a single pile excited by two opposite rotary machines embedded in dry and saturated sandy soil was considered experimentally. A small-scale physical model was manufactured to accomplish the experimental work in the laboratory. The physical model consists of: two small motors supplied with eccentric mass 0·012 kg and eccentric distance 20 mm representing the two opposite rotary machines, an aluminum shaft with 20 mm in diameter as the pile, and a steel plate with dimensions of (160 × 160 × 20 mm) as a pile cap. The experimental work was achieved taking the following parameters into consideration, pile embedment depth ratio (L/d; length to diameter) and operating freq

Preparation of superposed thin film (CdTe)1-xSex / ZnS) with concentration of (x= 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) at a temperature of substrate (Ts= 80 0C) by using Thermal Vacuum Evaporation System. The measurement of X-ray diffraction shows that the compounds CdTe, ZnS, (CdTe)1-xSex and (CdTe)1-xSex / ZnS have a polycrystalline structure, the C-V characteristic shows that the capacitance degrease by increasing the concentration (x) in reverse bias, while the I-V characteristic shows the current dark (Id) increase in forward and reverse bias by increasing (x) and the photocurrent (Iph) increase in reverse bias by increasing the concentration (x), the values of photocurrent are greater than from the values of the dark current for all concentrations

CdO:NiO/Si solar cell film was fabricated via deposition of CdO:NiO in different concentrations 1%, 3%, and 5% for NiO thin films in R.T and 723K, on n-type silicon substrate with approximately 200 nm thickness using pulse laser deposition. CdO:NiO/n-Si solar cell photovoltaic properties were examined under 60 mW/cm2 intensity illumination. The highest efficiency of the solar cell is 2.4% when the NiO concentration is 0.05 at 723K.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a form of the use of visible red and Near-infrared (NIR) light at low power, where a laser light photon is absorbed at the electronic level, without heat production. PBM can be applied in wide range of treatment to help the wound, inflammation, edema, and pain reduction. However, there is a lack of scientific documentation regarding its actual effects. Objectives: This study assesses the impact of PBM on the release of M1-related cytokine in monocyte cells with particular emphasis on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and Tumour Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α). Methods: Tamm-Horsfall Protein 1 (THP-1) macrophages M1 cells have been exposed to the light from the diode laser of 850nmat different doses (0, 0.6, 1.2 and 3.