Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common diabetic complications, and is a major cause of new blindness in the working-age population of developed countries. Progression of vascular abnormalities, including the selective loss of pericytes, formation of acellular capillaries, thickening of the basement membrane, and increased vascular permeability characterizes early nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). Capillary occlusion, as shown on fluorescein angiograms, is also one of the earliest clinically recognizable lesion of NPDR. In response to capillary non-perfusion, there is dilation of neighbouring capillaries, leading to early blood-retinal barrier breakdown, capillary non-perfusion, and endothelial cell injury and death. The resulting ischemia leads to increased production of growth factors, and the development of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), which is characterized by growth of new vessels and potential severe and irreversible visual loss. The exact pathogenic mechanism by which capillary non-perfusion occurs is still unclear but growing evidence now suggests that increased leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion and entrapment (retinal leukostasis) in retinal capillaries is an early event associated with areas of vascular non-perfusion and the development of diabetic retinopathy. The leukocytes in diabetic patients are less deformable more activated, and demonstrate increased adhesion to the vascular endothelium. This review summarizes the current literature on the role of leukocytes in the pathogenesis of capillary occlusion, and discusses the potential of leukostasis as a new promising target in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

In this article an investigation was conducted to evaluate the level of conformity of reinforcing steel rods produced from recycled scraps by Zliten Steel Factory (ZSF) with relevant to Libyan specifications and international standards. A series of experimental tests were conducted to find ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and hardness. Bending test has been conducted too. Reinforcing steel rods samples of 12 and 14 mm diameter were subjected to mechanical properties investigations. The tests were carried out for samples selected randomly through three batches at different time. Obtained results were compared with Libyan specifications (LNS-75) and ASTM standard (A-615). Results showed that the locally produced reinforcing steel were conform with the Libyan and international standards in terms of yield stress, ultimate tensile stress, and hardness.

Sustainable development is not a new concept to Islam, sustainable

development principles have existed for centuries in the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith.

However, sustainable development concept may have been recently adopted for

government and civic society in Islamic world. The Islamic perspective embraces that

everything on earth is created for humanity and God's award to people. Islam allows the

consumption of the natural environment without involving unnecessary destruction. Shariah

views that human activities should support environment, and protection of people’s rights,

and needs ensuring that human activities do not compromise the essentials of social,

economic and natural systems either now or in the future. The aim of this study is to

discover the application of Islam in sustainable development debate. Sustainable

development in the context of Islamic concept is taken as an opportunity to refresh the

relationship between human being and environment. This paper is focusing on literature

review.

Aims/hypothesis: Increasing evidence suggests that chronic, subclinical inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. We recently reported that a glycosylating enzyme, core 2 beta-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (core 2 GlcNAc-T), is implicated in increased leucocyte-endothelial cell adhesion in diabetic retinopathy via an upregulation mechanism controlled by TNF-alpha.

Subjects, materials and methods: We examined the functional link between circulating TNF-alpha and the activity and phosphorylation of core 2 GlcNAc-T in polymorphonuclear leucocytes of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Results: Plasma levels of TNF-alpha, although similar in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, were significantly higher than in age-matched healthy controls, and correlated well with the severity of retinopathy. Core 2 GlcNAc-T activity followed the same trend and was associated with phosphorylation of the enzyme. Finally, the observation that TNF-alpha levels are also linked to glycaemic values suggests that in patients, as well as in vitro, the glycosylation-mediated cell adhesion process that plays a role in diabetic retinopathy may involve glucose- and TNF-alpha-induced protein kinase beta2 activation, and subsequently raise activity of core 2 GlcNAc-T through increased enzyme phosphorylation.

Conclusions/interpretation: Our results reveal a novel rationale towards a specific treatment of diabetic retinopathy, based on the inhibition of core 2 GlcNAc-T activity and/or the blockage of cognate glycans.

Many questions enter our minds, which may take us to another world. However, this is a very brief paper about cosmology and its relation with man and culture with particular reference to reflection in built-form. It can be seen as an approach to amalgamate many subjects.

Purpose

This study sets out to explore the impact of organisational culture innovation on the adoption of information systems (IS) in Libya's oil and banking sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey questionnaire based on Cameron and Quinn's Organisational Culture Assessments Instrument (OCAI), 400 questionnaires were administered to middle and top management employees in more than 15 government and public organisations in Libya's oil and banking sectors.

Findings

The findings showed that there is a relationship between organisational culture innovations and the adoption of IS. The findings also showed that there are no differences in the organisational culture type between the two sectors covered in this study.

Originality/value

The findings imply that organisational culture innovations are influenced by other factors, which are worthy of investigation. The future implications of this research are also discussed.

Abstract

This paper is devoted to study the effect of corrugation geometry on the crushing behavior, energy absorption, failure mechanism, and failure mode of woven roving glass fibre/epoxy laminated composite tubes. A comprehensive experimental program has been carried out on two geometrically different types of composite tubes subjected to axial compressive loading conditions. A cylindrical composite tube has been fabricated and tested in order to provide a means of comparison with corrugated composite tube. Both are tested under the same condition to establish the effect of corrugation geometry. The results showed that the initial failure was dominated by interfacial failure, while a folded zone grows progressively down in a form of mushrooming failure. The results also showed that radial corrugated composite tube (RCCT) exhibited good energy absorption capability than circular composite tube (CCT).