Objectives: Umbilical cord blood can be taken at birth and largely gives indication of fetal and maternal conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between sex hormones in cord blood and birth weight of newborns and pregnancy complications. Methods: Fifty cord blood samples were collected from newborns at labor room of Baghdad Teaching Hospital between May and October 2018. Blood was withdrawn from their mothers for lead analysis. Five milliliters (ml) of cord blood was taken, 3 ml was used for testosterone and estradiol analysis (using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and 2 ml for lead measurement by lead care analyzer. Newborns weight and head circumference were measured. Delivered women were divided into four groups: Women with normal pregnancy, women with pre-eclampsia, diabetic women and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women. Results: There was no significant difference in age between women in all groups (P > 0.05). Birth weights, estradiol, and testosterone were significantly different between groups. Estradiol was higher in cord blood of newborns of PCOS women (P < 0.05) than others. Testosterone was higher in cord blood of babies of PCOS and pre-eclampsia women compared with those of diabetes (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between male and female neonates regarding cord estradiol (3596.27 ± 1934.69, 3714.57 ± 1581.47 pg/ml respectively), and testosterone (393.18 ± 87.14, 361.43 ± 102.14 ng/ml respectively) (P > 0.05). Maternal lead levels correlated positively with cord lead (r = 0.905, P < 0.05), which correlated negatively with head circumference (r = −0.766, P < 0.05). Birth weight correlated negatively with estradiol (r = −0.295), but positively with testosterone (r = 0.006) (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Cord blood estradiol and testosterone levels do not differ between males and females. Estradiol was high in cord blood of PCOS mothers. Testosterone was high in cord blood of PCOS and pre-eclampsia mothers. The increase in cord lead causes decrease in babies head circumference.
Uropathogenic specific protein is a genotoxic protein targeting the DNA, leading to mutations and modifications in the normal cell's DNA and subsequently, cancer development. This study aims to determine the prevalence of the usp gene in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from females with urinary tract infections and study its correlation with biofilm formation. One hundred and five urine specimens were collected from female patients (20 to 55 years old) with urinary tract infections attending hospitals. Traditional laboratory methods using selective and differential culture media were used for initial bacterial isolation and identification, and molecular techniques that targeted a segment of the 16SrRNA gene with a specific primer pa
... Show MoreGold, silver and nickel used as electrodes in the fabrication of perovskite solar cell by using thermal evaporation deposition method with direct structure FTO\ TiO2\ MAPbI3\ spiro-MeOTAD\ metal electrode. The cell efficiency was compared between the electrodes material as a function of time to explaining the effect of these metals electrode on cell performance, X-ray diffraction pattern showed that the samples that contain gold and nickel do not contain a compound indicating the interaction of the metal with the components of the cell or the formation of a new compound, while in the cell containing silver it was found that silver iodide is fo
The importance of specifying proper aggregate grading for achieving satisfactory performance in pavement applications has long been recognized. To improve the specifications for superior performance, there is a need to understand how differences in aggregate gradations within the acceptable limits may affect unbound aggregate base behavior. The effects of gradation on strength, modulus, and deformation characteristics of high-quality crushed rock base materials are described here. Two crushed rock types commonly used in constructing heavy-duty granular base layers in the State of Victoria, Australia, with three different gradations each were used in this study. The gradations used represent the lower, medium, and upper gradation li
... Show MoreSustainable vegetative management plays a significant role in improving soil quality in degraded agricultural landscapes by enhancing soil microbial biomass. This study investigated the effects of grass buffers (GBs), biomass crops (BCs), grass waterways (GWWs), and agroforestry buffers (ABs) on soil microbial biomass and soil organic C (SOC) compared with continuous corn (
This research was aimed to the purification and characterization of cytosine deaminase as a medically important enzyme from locally isolated Escherichia coli; then studying its cytotoxic anticancer effects against colon cancer cell line. Cytosine deaminase was subjected to three purification steps including precipitation with 90% ammonium sulfate saturation, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose column, and gel filtration chromatography throughout Sephadex G-200 column. Specific activity of the purified enzyme was increased up to 9 U/mg with 12.85 folds of purification and 30.85% enzyme recovery. Characterization study of purified enzyme revealed that the molecular weight of cytosine deaminase produced by E. coli was about 48 KDa,
... Show MoreThis research delves into the realm of asphalt technology, exploring the potential of nano-additives to enhance traditional asphalt binder properties. Focusing on Nano-Titanium Dioxide (NT), Nano-Aluminum Oxide (NA), and Nano-Silica Oxide (NS), this study investigates the effects of incorporating these nanomaterials at varying dosages, ranging from 0% to 8%, on the asphalt binder’s performance. This study employs a series of experimental tests, including consistency, storage stability, rotational viscosity, mass loss due to aging, and rheological properties, to assess the impact of nano-additives on asphalt binder characteristics. The findings indicate a substantial improvement in the consistency of the asphalt binder with the add
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