Background: Oocytes are susceptible to alterations in the various fatty acid contents of follicular fluid (FF), which may influence maturation and embryogenesis. Different fatty acids exert various effects on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which needs further studies to uncover the involved mechanisms. Objectives: To assess FF fatty acids in women undergoing ICSI and to correlate them with ICSI parameters, namely the total count of aspirated oocytes, oocyte maturation rate, fertilization rate and percentage of good-quality embryos. Methods: Fifty women undergoing ICSI were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. FF samples were collected during oocyte retrieval and were analyzed for fatty acids using gas chromatography. Fatty acids were calculated as percentages of the total fatty acids. Results: The most common fatty acids found in the FF of women who underwent ICSI were palmitic acid, stearic acid, and oleic acid, with median (interquartile range) of 58.61%(21.66%), 26.27%(14.31%), and 20.13%(31.05%), respectively. Palmitic acid correlated inversely and significantly with oocyte maturation rate, fertilization rate, and percentage of good-quality embryos, with p=0.003, 0.037, and 0.028, respectively. Stearic acid correlated negatively and significantly with oocyte maturation rate (p=0.037) and fertilization rate (p=0.041). Furthermore, an inversely significant correlation was noticed between propionic acid and the percentage of good-quality embryos, as indicated by p=0.014. Conclusions: Palmitic, stearic, and propionic acids in the FF might influence ICSI parameters; thus, they might be used as markers of oocyte developmental competence. Nevertheless, further research is warranted.
The main objective of this research is to find out the effect of deviation in the aggregate gradients of asphalt mixtures from the Job Mix Formula (JMF) on the general mixture performance. Three road layers were worked on (wearing layer, binder layer, and base layer) and statistical analysis was performed for the data of completed projects in Baghdad city, and the sieve that carried the largest number of deviations for each layer was identified. No.8 sieve (2.36mm), No.50 sieve (0.3mm), and 3/8'' sieve (9.5mm) had the largest number of deviations in the wearing layer, the binder layer, and the base layer respectively. After that, a mixture called Mix 1, was made. This mixture was selected from a number of completed mixtures, and it
... Show MoreSpecialized Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates, called uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), cause most of urinary tract infections (UITs). Once bacteria reached the urinary tract of the host, they have to adhere to the host cell for the colonization. For this purpose, bacteria have different structures including fimbrial adhesins. Most of the UPECs contain type 1 fimbriae encoded by fim operon (fimB, E, A, I, C, D, F, G, H) which is responsible for the adhesive ability in these isolates. Ninety-four isolates of UPEC were obtained from UTI patients in Baghdad hospitals and their diagnosis were confirmed by the PCR method using 16srDNA as a housekeeping gene. The UPEC isolates were tested for their ability of adherence to the urothelial cells obtai
... Show MoreContemporary developments in various sciences and the impact of technological changes require an integrated vision of the activities and work of the organization in Iraq in light of the high costs of products and their low quality compared to imported products of high quality and low cost, and the need to use modern cost techniques based on a clear and specific philosophy that contributes to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of management In the business environment and how it can contribute to reducing product costs and being environmentally friendly at the same time, it is no secret that the main goal of most organizations is to maximize profitability and reduce costs to the minimum, but this matter is not achieved autom
... Show MoreBackground: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a disorder of systemic inflammatory condition. Its important features are represented by recurrent oral, genital ulcerations and eye lesions. Aims. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare cytological changes using morphometric analysis of the exfoliated buccal mucosal cells in Behçet’s disease patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Behçet’s disease. Methods. Twenty five Behçet’s disease patients have been compared to 25 healthy volunteers as a control group. Papanicolaou stain was used for staining the smears taken from buccal epithelial cells to be analyzed cytomorphometrically. The image analysis software has been used to
... Show MoreLiquefied petroleum gases (LPG) consist of hydrocarbons obtained by refining crude oil, either from propane or butane or a mixture of the two. There are often other components such as propylene, butylene or other hydrocarbons, but they are not the main component. The study aims to review previous studies dealing with designing an LPG system to deliver gas to residential campuses and buildings. LPG is extracted from natural gas NG by several processes, passing through fractionation towers and then pressuring into CNG storage tanks. Gas contains several problems, including gas leakage through the pipes and leads to fires or explosions in LPG storage and distribution tanks, so safety conditions were taken in the design and implementation. T
... Show MoreThe dimensions of bubbles were measured in a stirrer tank electrochemical reactor, where the analysis of the bubble size distribution has a substantial impact on the flow dynamics. The high-speed camera and image processing methods were used to obtain a reliable photo. The influence of varied air flow rates (0.3; 0.5; 1 l/min) on BSD was thoroughly investigated. Two types of distributors (cubic and circular) were examined, and the impact of various airflow rates on BSD was investigated in detail. The results showed that the bubbles for the two distributors were between 0.5 and 4.5 mm. For both distributors at each airflow, the Sauter mean diameter for the bubbles was calculated. According to the results, as the flow rate raised, the bubb
... Show MoreThis paper investigates the persuasive strategies of English and Arabic psychological advertisements through a multimodal discourse analysis, underlining their cultural and linguistic differences. This research paper is important because it has focused on the conceptual aspect of mental health, aiming to reveal how the interplay of visual and verbal elements constructs meaning and influences perception. This study, based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches, investigates 5 advertisements from each language using Kress and van Leeuwen's 2006 framework of Systemic Functional Grammar and semiotics. Results showed sharp differences whereby while the focal factors of English advertisements were directed at individualism, Ethos appeal,
... Show MoreThis paper examines bullying discourse in English posts on the X platform through a socio-critical discourse analysis, focusing on the linguistic and visual strategies through which bullying is constructed and sustained in digital interaction. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research analyzes 10 English posts using Fairclough’s (2001) Critical Discourse Analysis model to examine textual features, alongside Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework for analyzing visual meaning. The findings indicate that bullying discourse is shaped by implicit power relations, strategic lexical choices, evaluative language, and visual cues that function to intimidate, marginalize, or delegitimize targeted individuals. By demonstrating how language a
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