Background: Human semen contains high concentrations of fructose, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in bound and ionic forms for Zn and Cu. The presence of abnormal levels of fructose and those trace elements may affect spermatogenesis with regard to production, maturation, motility and fertilizing capacity of the spermatozoa.Objective: To evaluate the levels of fructose, Zn and Cu in seminal plasma in different groups of male infertility and to correlate their concentrations with various sperm parameters.Methods: The concentrations of fructose, Zn and Cu were measured in 114 semen samples from normozoospermic, oligozoospermic, astheno-zoospermic, and azoospermic men using the electrothermal-atomic absorption spectrometry for Zn and Cu determinatio
... Show MoreIn the present study, activated carbon supported metal oxides was prepared for thiophene removal from model fuel (Thiophene in n-hexane) using adsorptive desulfurization technique. Commercial activated carbon was loaded individually with copper oxide in the form of Cu2O/AC. A comparison of the kinetic and isotherm models of the sorption of thiophene from model fuel was made at different operating conditions including adsorbent dose, initial thiophene concentration and contact time. Various adsorption rate constants and isotherm parameters were calculated. Results indicated that the desulfurization was enhanced when copper was loaded onto activated carbon surface. The highest desulfurization percent for Cu2O/AC and o
... Show MoreCopper (1) oxide nanoparticles together with matrix polymers of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyaniline (PANI) composite films were synthesized, as these materials are of importance in optoelectronic applications. Nanoparticles of Cu2O were produced by chemical precipitation. Polymerization of aniline was carried out through polymerization in an acidic medium. Structural, thermal, and optical properties of PVA+PANI/Cu2O nanocomposite were inspected by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectroscopy). X-ray diffraction peaks at 29.53°, 36.34°, and 42.22° indicated the
... Show MoreThe current study was conducted on 100 females who were divided into two main groups; 60 with breast cancer and 40 healthy controls. Blood samples were collected from both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer and healthy women. The samples were appropriately processed for the analysis of trace elements (zinc, copper, and lead) by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS). The results showed a highly significant decrease (p< 0.01) in the mean serum level of zinc of in both pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer women (71.7 + 5.1 and 70.4 + 5.4 µg/dL, respectively) compared with healthy controls (89.7 + 10.2 and 97.5 + 13.2 µg/dL, respectively) . Also, a highly significant
... Show MoreSpectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of copper(II) ion. Synthesized (2,2[O-Tolidine-4,4-bis azo]bis[4,5-diphenyl imidazole]) (MBBAI) was used as chromogenic reagent at pH=5. Various factors affecting complex formation, such as, pH effect, reagent concentration, time effect and temperature effect, have been considered and studied. Under optimum conditions concentration ranged from (5.00-80.00) µg/mL of copper(II) obeyed Beer`s Low. Maximum absorption of the complex was 409nm with molar absorpitivity 0.127x104 L mol-1 cm-1. Limit of detection(LOD) and Limit of quantification were 1.924 and 6.42 μg/mL, respectively.
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