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 secondly, non-diabetic controls (11 male, 9 female) were selected from the patients attending Ibn AL-Haitham hospital for ophthalmology and a specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes. Venous blood samples of all participants were drawn after an overnight fast, and serum samples were stored at -20ºC until DKK-1 assay. Results: Serum DKK-1 showed significantly lower levels in diabetic patients with (6.1 ± 2 ng/mL) or without DR (14 ± 6.2 ng/mL) when compared to those of controls (34 ± 12.25 ng/mL) (p 0.05). Furthermore, serum DKK-1 levels were lower in the late stage of DR compared to the early stage 5.6 ± 1.7 and 7 ± 1.9 ng/mL, respectively. Furthermore, DPP-4 inhibitors cause a better increment in DKK-1 levels when compared to SU in the NDR group. Conclusions: Reduced serum levels of DKK-1 are related to the existence and worsening of DR and have the prospect to serve as an indicator for this condition.
This study deals with The Millstone (1965) which is a dramatic depiction of a single
mother heroine in a classic predicament. This novel is considered as representative of the age
in which it was written. The primary theme is her intense preoccupation with questions of
fatalism and will. The work also involves, both explicitly and implicitly, feminist concerns.
Because the central protagonist is a woman and the society in which she lives is depicted,
accurately, as deeply patriarchal and class-bound, the problem of the individual's capacity for
self-determination is inevitably tied to the feminist perspective.
- The problem of infertility considers one of the chronic problem a which faced the
individual & families equally . This problem causes a negative effects in psychological ,
social and development fields. The infertility contributes in weakening the human
development, when the human development has become as a centre point which centered
about individual preparing , rehabilitation, training and knowledge toreach to the required
excellence.
We think that , the infertility destroys the socially development; therefore the socially and
scientific institutions are working hard to find successful solution to resolve the problem
infertility through sophisticated and scientific methods. This problem
The research included studying a group of eight cuneiform texts dating back to the Old Babylonian era, specifically to the reign of King Larsa Rim-Sin, which were identified through studying the historical versions of these texts. These texts are confiscated, i.e. texts of unknown location, because they did not come through excavations, but rather came to the Iraqi Museum either by people who obtained them through digging, or stolen and smuggled texts that are retrieved by the General Authority for Antiquities; as is the case with our texts that were found smuggled to Jordan and were retrieved by the General Authority for Antiquities.
This paper proposes and studies an ecotoxicant system with Lotka-Volterra functional response for predation including prey protective region. The equilibrium points and the stability of this model have been investigated analytically both locally and globally. Finally, numerical simulations and graphical representations have been utilized to support our analytical findings
Bending effects on the transmission of optical signal are investigated on a single mode
optical fiber (SMOF) of 10 m length, core radius of 5 μm and optical refractive index difference
0.003. The bending radii (R) were between 0.08 and 0.0015 m. A great decrease in the amplitude is
shown for radii below 0.01 m. Sudden break down occurs for radii less than 0.0015 m. Birefringence
(B) is difficult to measure for long fibers. Meanwhile, B was found by comparing with calibrated
fiber of the same properties but of length of 0.075 m. The results show an increase in propagation
constant (Δβ) and the decrease in beat length (Lb), and show that bending decreases the critical radius
of curvature (Rc) related to B. The chang
This study aims to identify the Israeli policies towards Palestinian refugees during the period 1999-2010 which had seen several Israeli governments, whether left or right, The researcher found that there is continuity in decision-making and legislation in Israeli governments, regardless of political or ideological orientation towards refugees and the Palestinians during the study, which focused on two main axis, The first: refugee issue in the permanent negotiations where the researcher found that the Israeli position is fixed of the non-return of Palestinian refugees, and Increased the power of the Israeli position by U.S. The seconds axis: deals with Israeli legislation and the views taken by Israel which prevent the right of return f
... Show Moremany painters tried to mix colors with Music by direct employment through colorful musical pieces or the use of multiple instruments and techniques , or vice versa, including the French artist )Robert Stroben(, he transferred the piece of music to be depicted on the painting and worked on the tones of music (Johann Sebastian Bach) by dropping the color on the lines of the musical scale, for example (the C tone) ranging from brown to red ( Tone La A) from gray to orange, and so on, the presence of links and similarity factors between the world of music and the world of colors facilitated the process of linking musical notes with colors, the most famous of which was presented by the world (Newton) in the circle of basic colors and linking
... Show MoreThe research aims to identify the meaning of drug addiction, which being one of the behavioral-deviation signs. It largely seems similar to alcohol-addiction. World health organization has defined drug addiction as a sporadic or chronic-state of intoxication emerges of recurrent-consumption of drugs that impact harmfully on individual and society. The second aim is to study the psychological and health implications on drugs’ users and thirdly to design a psychological-program for those who take drugs.
Reading and analyzing Paula Vogel’s plays, the readers can attest that she achieves success in drama or theater because she is passionate about theater. Vogel is a modern American playwright who won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Her success and insight in playwriting or in adapting do not come all of a sudden; she is influenced by many writers. Vogel is influenced by many American dramatists, including Eugene O’ Neill, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Edward Albee, and by other non-American writers, including August Strindberg, Anton Chekhove, and Bertolt Brecht. Certainly, there were female playwrights who wrote preeminent plays and they influence Vogel as well. Nevertheless, dramas by female
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research that, the performance budget is the best style of budget styles that can help and contribute in forming preparing federal typical budget in Iraq , By taking advantage of the application of the principles of scientific rules that would ensure optimal allocation and investment of the financial resources of the state and achieve the best performance and the lowest possible cost, both with regard to the administrative and accounting side, reducing the waste of public money, so that can enhance the success , power , and safety of financial activity of managerial system that it focuses on the magnetite and quality of the work done and the objectives wanted to meet. so application of performance budget require
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