Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the foremost cause of end-stage renal disease. Early detection of DN can spare diabetic patients of severe complications. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of red cell distribution width (RDW) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the detection of DN in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This cross-sectional study included a total of 130 patients with T2DM, already diagnosed with T2DM. The albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) in urine samples was calculated for each patient, according to which patients were divided into two groups: with evidence of DN when ACR ? 30 mg/g, and those with no evidence of DN when ACR < 30 mg/g. According to multivariate analysis, each of disease duration (OR = 4.43, 95% CI = 1.68-11.68, p = 0.003), HbA1c (OR = 6.4, 95% CI = 2.32-17.65, p < 0.001) and NLR (OR = 13.75, 95% CI = 1.68-11.68, p < 0.001) were independent predictors for DN. Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the diagnostic value of NLR revealed that the AUC was 0.736 (95% CI = 0.635-0.837), p < 0.001. The sensitivity and specificity of the test at the cut-off value of NLR = 3.35 was 69% and 89%, respectively. These data indicate that NLR is a simple non-expensive test that can be used regularly to investigate diabetic patients for the development of DN. Red cell distribution width (RDW), on the other hand, had no diagnostic value in this regard.
Capillary pressure is a significant parameter in characterizing and modeling petroleum reservoirs. However, costly laboratory measurements may not be sufficiently available in some cases. The problem amplifies for carbonate reservoirs because relatively enormous capillary pressure curves are required for reservoir study due to heterogeneity. In this work, the laboratory measurements of capillary pressure and formation resistivity index were correlated as both parameters are functions of saturation. Forty-one core samples from an Iraqi carbonate reservoir were used to develop the correlation according to the hydraulic flow units concept. Flow zone indicator (FZI) and Pore Geometry and Structure (PGS) approaches were used to identify
... Show MoreTheatrical production mechanisms were determined according to the extents of the theatrical performance, the directing plan, and the ideas that the theatrical performance seeks to convey to the audience. Accordingly, theatrical production mechanisms differ between one theatrical performance and another according to the requirements of each of them and the surrounding circumstances that accompany the production of theatrical performance, and in order to search for production mechanisms and their repercussions on the show. Theatrical The current research was divided into four chapters, namely (Chapter One - Methodology), which identified the research problem in the following question: What are the production mechanisms and their implicatio
... Show MoreBroyden update is one of the one-rank updates which solves the unconstrained optimization problem but this update does not guarantee the positive definite and the symmetric property of Hessian matrix.
In this paper the guarantee of positive definite and symmetric property for the Hessian matrix will be established by updating the vector which represents the difference between the next gradient and the current gradient of the objective function assumed to be twice continuous and differentiable .Numerical results are reported to compare the proposed method with the Broyden method under standard problems.
Aim To develop a low-density polyethylene–hydroxyapatite (HA-PE) composite with properties tailored to function as a potential root canal filling material. Methodology Hydroxyapatite and polyethylene mixed with strontium oxide as a radiopacifier were extruded from a single screw extruder fitted with an appropriate die to form fibres. The composition of the composite was optimized with clinical handling and placement in the canal being the prime consideration. The fibres were characterized using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and their thermal properties determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the composite fibres and gutta-percha were compared, dry and after 1 month storage in
... Show MoreThis study was carried out to prepare and characterize domperidone nanoparticles to enhance solubility and the release rate. Domperidone is practically insoluble in water and has low and an erratic bioavailability range from 13%-17%. The domperidone nanoparticles were prepared by solvent/antisolvent precipitation method at different polymer:drug ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 using different polymers and grades of poly vinyl pyrolidone, hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as stabilizers. The effect of polymer type, ratio of polymer:drug, solvent:antisolvent ratio, stirring rate and stirring time on the particle size, were investigated and found to have a significant (p? 0.05) effect on particle size. The best formul
... Show MorePoorly soluble drugs are often a challenge in product formulation. Generally, low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability of drugs have restricted their application in various fields. Nanosuspensions enhance the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Curcumin, a hydrophobic polyphenol, exhibits poor aqueous solubility (<1 μg/mL), and formulating it as nanosuspension can enhance its solubility. However, the optimal selection of preparation technique, solvent, stabilizer, and drug-to-stabilizer ratio is critical for formulation success for a successful formulation. This work aims to optimize the preparation process of Curcumin nanosuspension. In addition, it aims in screening of the effectiveness of different stabi
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