1,669 research outputs found

    Evaluation of the role of prolactin to prevent diabetic retinopathy

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    Abstract: Introduction: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a one of the long-term complications of DM and constitutes the leading cause of blindness in working-age individuals and affects a majority of diabetic patients by 20 years after disease onset. Objective: The aim of this study it investigation of the potential role of prolactin in the prevention of Diabetic retinopathy. Methods: The study was conducted on 90 diabetic patients who were divided into a group that included 37 patients without retinopathy and a group that included 27 patients with non-proliferative retinopathy and 26 patients with proliferative retinopathy who attended the Endocrinology clinic and Division at Tishreen University Hospital in Lattakia during the period from 2023 to 2024. Results: Independent samples T-test analysis showed Significant decreased in prolactin level in diabetic patients with DR in comparison to diabetic patients without DR (p=0.0001). Person correlation showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between prolactin levels and Glycosylated hemoglobin levels between patient groups. Conclusions: From this study it can be concluded that diabetic patients with retinopathy had lower level of prolactin and serum prolactin does seem to have protective role in diabetic retinopathy

    Blind Two-Dimensional Super-Resolution and Its Performance Guarantee

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    In this work, we study the problem of identifying the parameters of a linear system from its response to multiple unknown input waveforms. We assume that the system response, which is the only given information, is a scaled superposition of time-delayed and frequency-shifted versions of the unknown waveforms. Such kind of problem is severely ill-posed and does not yield a unique solution without introducing further constraints. To fully characterize the linear system, we assume that the unknown waveforms lie in a common known low-dimensional subspace that satisfies certain randomness and concentration properties. Then, we develop a blind two-dimensional (2D) super-resolution framework that applies to a large number of applications such as radar imaging, image restoration, and indoor source localization. In this framework, we show that under a minimum separation condition between the time-frequency shifts, all the unknowns that characterize the linear system can be recovered precisely and with very high probability provided that a lower bound on the total number of the observed samples is satisfied. The proposed framework is based on 2D atomic norm minimization problem which is shown to be reformulated and solved efficiently via semidefinite programming. Simulation results that confirm the theoretical findings of the paper are provided

    Mathematical Theory of Atomic Norm Denoising In Blind Two-Dimensional Super-Resolution (Extended Version)

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    This paper develops a new mathematical framework for denoising in blind two-dimensional (2D) super-resolution upon using the atomic norm. The framework denoises a signal that consists of a weighted sum of an unknown number of time-delayed and frequency-shifted unknown waveforms from its noisy measurements. Moreover, the framework also provides an approach for estimating the unknown parameters in the signal. We prove that when the number of the observed samples satisfies certain lower bound that is a function of the system parameters, we can estimate the noise-free signal, with very high accuracy, upon solving a regularized least-squares atomic norm minimization problem. We derive the theoretical mean-squared error of the estimator, and we show that it depends on the noise variance, the number of unknown waveforms, the number of samples, and the dimension of the low-dimensional space where the unknown waveforms lie. Finally, we verify the theoretical findings of the paper by using extensive simulation experiments.Comment: 19 page

    Intermediate Role of the Criterion of Focus on the Students Benefiting in the Relationship between Adopting the Criterion of Partnership and Resources and Achieving Community Satisfaction in the Palestinian Universities

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    The study aimed at identifying the intermediate role of the criterion of emphasis on students and beneficiaries in the relationship between adopting the criterion of partnership and resources and achieving the satisfaction of the society. The study used the analytical descriptive method. The study was conducted on university leadership in Al-Azhar, Islamic and Al-Aqsa Universities. The sample of the study consisted of (200) individuals, 182 of whom responded, and the questionnaire was used in collecting the data. The study reached a number of results, the most important of which were: The level of adoption by the Palestinian universities of the criterion of partnership and resources came to a large extent. The level of adoption by the Palestinian universities of the criterion of emphasis on the beneficiary students was very high. The criterion of partnership and resources to achieve the satisfaction of the community surrounding the Palestinian universities, the existence of a statistically significant impact of the adoption of the criterion of partnership and resources to strengthen the focus on students benefiting in Palestinian universities, The focus on the students benefiting from the satisfaction of the community surrounding the Palestinian universities, the existence of a statistically significant impact on the adoption of the criterion of partnership and resources to achieve the satisfaction of the community surrounding the Palestinian universities, The study presented a number of recommendations, most important of which are: Increase interest in the resource and partnership criterion through enhancing the university's resources and developing internal and external partnerships to serve the university and the society. Increase the focus on students and beneficiaries by providing an appropriate educational environment and academic programs that meet the needs of the labor market. Through the strengthening of existing community service centers and the establishment of new community centers, strengthening the partnership of industrial companies and promoting scientific research for the benefit of universities and society

    The Availability of the Resource Standard and Partnership as One of the Possibilities of Excellence in Palestinian Universities According to the European Model

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    The study aimed to identify the availability of the resource and partnership standard as one of the possibilities of excellence in Palestinian universities according to the European model. The study used the analytical descriptive method. The study was conducted on the university leadership at Al - Azhar and Islamic Universities, where the study population consisted of (282) individuals. The study sample consisted of (135) individuals, (119) of them responded, and the questionnaire was used in collecting the data. The study has reached a number of results, the most important of which is the existence of a high standard of resources and partnership in the Palestinian public universities operating in the southern governorates. The fields of the resource and partnership criteria were as follows: (79.8%) management of internal and external partnerships; management of technical resources (technology) (76.4%), Buildings, equipment and resources (76%), Finance Management (72.8%). The study presented a number of recommendations, the most important of which is: Increasing the interest of universities in applying the criteria of resources and partnership as one of the criteria of excellence, increasing the interest of universities in managing finance and obtaining funding for their various activities, periodic maintenance of buildings and equipment and ensuring their suitability to the requirements of the educational process

    Molecular Modeling Studies on the Binding Mode of the PD-1/PD-L1 Complex Inhibitors

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    The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint (ICP) overexpressed in various types of tumors; thus, it has been considered as an important target for cancer therapy. To determine important residues for ligand binding, we applied molecular docking studies to PD-1/PD-L1 complex inhibitors against the PD-L1 protein. Our data revealed that the residues Tyr56, Asp122, and Lys124 play critical roles in ligand binding to the PD-L1 protein and they could be used to design ligands that are active against the PD-1/PD-L1 complex. The formation of H-bonds with Arg125 of the PD-L1 protein may enhance the potency of the PD-1/PD-L1 binding

    Oxidative stress contributes to cobalt oxide nanoparticles-induced cytotoxicity and DNA damage in human hepatocarcinoma cells.

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    BackgroundCobalt oxide nanoparticles (Co(3)O(4)NPs) are increasingly recognized for their utility in biological applications, magnetic resonance imaging, and drug delivery. However, little is known about the toxicity of Co(3)O(4)NPs in human cells.MethodsWe investigated the possible mechanisms of genotoxicity induced by Co(3)O(4)NPs in human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, apoptosis, and DNA damage were assessed in HepG2 cells after Co(3)O(4)NPs and Co(2+) exposure.ResultsCo(3)O(4)NPs elicited a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in glutathione with a concomitant increase in lipid hydroperoxide, ROS generation, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity after 24- and 48-hour exposure. Co(3)O(4)NPs had a mild cytotoxic effect in HepG2 cells; however, it induced ROS and oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage, a probable mechanism of genotoxicity. The comet assay showed a statistically significant (P < 0.01) dose- and time-related increase in DNA damage for Co(3)O(4)NPs, whereas Co(2+) induced less change than Co(3)O(4)NPs but significantly more than control.ConclusionOur results demonstrated that Co(3)O(4)NPs induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in HepG2 cells through ROS and oxidative stress

    Determination of Sennosides A and B in Sudanese Medicinal Plant Senna alexandrina Pods and Leaves using Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

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    Senna alexandrina pods and leaves have been used in herbal medicine since ancient times. The extracts of this plant contain mainly anthraquinone glycosides that have a significant laxative effect. In this study, the sennosides A and B, the major constituents of Senna alexandrina were calculated via a simple and accurate HPLC method. The yield of sennoside A was found 1.22 and 1.83% in the pods and leaves, respectively. Whereas the yield of sennoside B was found 2.7 and 1.83% in the pods and leaves, respectively

    Preliminary phytochemical screening and antibacterial activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Sudanese medicinal plant Ziziphus spina-christi L leaves

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    In the current work ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Ziziphus spina-christi leaves were investigated for their phytochemical and antibacterial activity. Phytochemical screening was conducted using standard qualitative methods and the antibacterial activity was investigated using disc diffusion method. The microorganisms employed were six pathogenic bacteria; three Gram-positive: Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC1026), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC19659) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC29212); and three Gram-negative: Salmonella typhi (ATCC14038), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC15442) and Escherichia coli (ATCC10536). Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolics, terpenoids and tanins in ethanol extratct. Aqueous extract showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and tanins. Both extracts demonstrated varying levels of activity against Gram-positive bacteria, whereas all Gram-negative bacteria completely resistance to the extracts. Ethanol extract dominated aqueous extract in inhibiting the growth of the pathogenic bacteria under study. Highest antibacterial activity was observed with ethanol extract against S. aureus (18.1 mm), while minimum activity was observed with aqueous extract against B. subtilis (13.3 mm). The findings of this study indicated that the leaves of Z. spina-christi possess various secondary metabolites having the potential for the developing pharmaceutical drugs, especially antibacterial ones.Β 
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