Background: The prolonged retention of progesterone-infused intravaginal sponges in estrous synchronization protocols, results in alteration of vaginal microflora, disturbance of vaginal pH, and increased vaginitis in goats. These changes lead to the growth of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which need antibiotics to treat this condition. Probiotics have recently been suggested as an alternative method for the maintenance of vaginal health and improving animal fertility. Aim: To investigate the effects of probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum and L. acidophilus), in compared with enrofloxacin and a control group, on vaginal microflora, vaginal pH, vaginitis incidence, and fertility in Black Iraqi goats synchronized with the progesterone intravaginal sponges. Methods: Thirty adult black Iraqi goats, aged (2-4) years, were randomly divided into three separate groups, each group (n= 10). The first group received progesterone sponge only (control). The second group received progesterone sponges combined with 50 mg of intravaginal enrofloxacin. The third group received progesterone sponges combined with probiotic suspension (2×109 CFU/sponge L. plantarum and L. acidophilus). Vaginal swabs were collected prior to sponge insertion (Day 0) and immediately after sponge removal (Day 14), for bacterial isolation, pH measurement and cytological evaluation of vaginitis. Pregnancy diagnosed by ultrasound 28±3 after mating. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and chi-square tests. Results: The incidence of vaginitis was significantly increased (P<0.05) in all groups, observed 80%, 60%, and 50% in the control, enrofloxacin, and probiotic groups, respectively. The mean vaginal pH increased significantly in all groups (P<0.001) was highest in the control group (8.1±0.16) and lowest in the probiotic group (6.9±0.12) (F2, 27=9.73; P<0.05) after sponge removal. Escherichia coli was most predominant in all groups; it increased 90% in the control group and declined to 30% (P<0.05) and 40% (P<0.05) in the enrofloxacin and probiotic groups, respectively. Lactobacillus spp. increased to 70% in the probiotic group though not significantly (P>0.05). The pregnancy rates were 50% in the control group and 80% in both treated groups, with a highly significant difference among groups (χ²= 57.6; P<0.01). Conclusion: The application of the intravaginal probiotic modified vaginal microflora, maintained vaginal pH, decreased vaginitis and improved animal fertility. The probiotic efficacy was comparable to enrofloxacin without destroying beneficial bacteria.
The present paper examines the genre of death notices in Iraqi newspapers in terms of its schematic and socio-cultural structure. Adopting Swales&#39; [1990] rhetorical approach to genre analysis, the study has examined a corpus of 150 death texts
This study is an attempt to investigate the conceptual metaphor of UP and DOWN commonly used in Iraqi community. Some of the metaphorical expressions in Iraqi colloquial Arabicarewidely used by Iraqi speakers in everyday language. Ithas been analyzed by following the cognitive theory of metaphor (Lakoff& Johnson,1980).The study indicates that the Iraqi speakerexperiences more of the metaphorical expressions of UP and DOWN to referto many of the abstract concepts that shape his/her impression of everyday life situations.
Many athletes believe that it enhances the level of performance during training and competition, in addition to compensating for fluids during exercise when the levels of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere rise during the athlete's intensive training, as it increases the requirements for fluid compensation to avoid the risk of potential thermal disorders. If training continues for more than an hour causing fatigue, athletes are advised to drink carbohydrate drinks that quickly convert to glucose in the blood, while sodium should be included in the fluids consumed during exercise or matches that last more than (1-2 hours). The effect of drinking a drink containing 12% carbohydrates and electrolytes before each half of a simul
... Show MoreThis field experiment was conducted at Research Station B, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, Jadiriyah during the fall season of 2019-2020 to evaluate the effect of cultivation dates and soil fertilization source on the growth, yield and quality of broccoli. A split plot design within the RCBD design with three replicates was applied as the Max F1 hybrid broccoli seedlings were transferred to the field at two dates 25, Sep. 2019 and 15, Oct. 2019, which were symbolized as A and B, respectively, and occupied at the main plot. After two weeks of cultivation, the soil fertilizers were applied three times during the season in 20 days between each applicati
... Show MoreThe Back-Propagation (BP) is the best known and widely used learning algorithm in training multiple neural network. A vast variety of improvements to BP algorithm have been proposed since ninety’s. in this paper, the effects of changing the number of hidden neurons and activation equation are investigated. According to the simulation results, the convergence speed have been improved and become much faster by the previous two modifications on the BP algorithm.
In humans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the second most frequent gram negative nosocomial pathogen in hospitals and has the highest case-fatality rate of all hospital-acquired bacteremia because of the hardy resistance of these bacteria to mechanical cleansing as well as to disinfectant, and many antibiotics. The susceptibility of bacteria against the antibiotics is modulated by several local factors such as temperature which modified drug efficacy, so this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different temperature (20,42,45)Ċon the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the antimicrobial agents before and after irradiation. The samples collected from 150 persons suffering from
... Show MoreFarmers keep trying to avoid using chemical fertilizer without losing high yield. A field experiment was conducted in the fields of Agriculture College, University of Baghdad during winter seasons of 2015 and 2016 to investigate the response of three bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (Ibaa99, Abu-Ghraib3 and Buhooth22) to the frequency of spraying with biofertilizer (EM-1) (one time at tillering stage, twice at tillering and stem elongation stages and three times at tillering, stem elongation and booting stages) in addition to the control (without spraying), to the increase of grain yield. Randomized complete block design (RCBD), in split plots arrangement and four replications, was used. Spraying treatments were placed as main p
... Show MoreThe structural, optical properties of copper oxide thin films ( CuO) thin films which have been prepared by thermal oxidation with exist air once and oxygen another have been studied. Structural analysis results of Cu thin films demonstrate that the single phase of Cu with high a crystalline structure with a preferred orientation (111). X-ray diffraction results confirm the formation of pure (CuO) phase in both methods of preparation. The optical constant are investigated and calculated such as absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient and the dielectric constants for the wavelengths in the range (300-1100) nm.
In this work, analytical study for simulating a Fabry-Perot bistable etalon (F-P cavity) filled with a dispersive optimized nonlinear optical material (Kerr type) such as semiconductors Indium Antimonide (InSb). Because of a trade off between the etalon finesse values and driving terms, an optimization procedures have been done on the InSb etalon/CO laser parameters, using critical switching irradiance (Ic) via simulation systems of optimization procedures of optical cavity. in order to achieve the minimum switching power and faster switching time, the optimization parameters of the finesse values and driving terms on optical bistability and switching dynamics must be studied.
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