The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on semen parameters, level of sex hormone and sperm DNA integrity. Semen samples were collected from (85) infertile men and (40) healthy fertile men with range of age (38.191 ± 0.84) years during their attendance at High Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and ART, Al-Nahrain University from March to June 2016. Semen samples were obtained by masturbation after 72 hours of abstinence. Seminal fluid analyses included semen volume, sperm concentration, percent sperm motility, percent sperm morphology, and sperm chromatin integrity DNA fragmentation index (DFI]). Serum samples were collected from each subject for determination the level of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Prolactin (PRL), and Testosterone by ELISA method. The results revealed a highly significant (P≤ 0.01) increase in BMI and immotile sperm (%), and significant(P≤ 0.05) increase in semen liquefaction time, non-progressive motility (%), round cells counts and sperm DNA fragmentation in infertile men as compared to control group, while there was a highly significant (P≤ 0.01) decrease in progressive motility (%), and a significant (P< 0.05) decrease in the sperm concentration, sperm motility (%) and normal sperm morphology (%). The results showed statistically significant (P< 0.05) positive correlations between body mass index and sperm motility, progressive motility, non-progressive motility, immotile sperm, normal sperm morphology and sperm DNA fragmentation. No significant correlations were observed between body mass index and semen liquefaction time, semen PH, sperm concentration, round cells counts and age. In respect with level of serum hormones a significant (P< 0.05) decrease in level of FSH ,LH and testosterone was found ,while the level of prolactin showed a significant (P< 0.05) increase in infertile men when compared with control group. Significant (P< 0.05) negative correlation was observed between body mass index and serum level of prolactin and testosterone, while non-significant correlations were observed between body mass index and serum level of FSH and LH. In conclusion, this study has shown that body mass index has major effect on semen characteristics and sex hormones.
The objective of this paper is to improve the general quality of infrared images by proposes an algorithm relying upon strategy for infrared images (IR) enhancement. This algorithm was based on two methods: adaptive histogram equalization (AHE) and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE). The contribution of this paper is on how well contrast enhancement improvement procedures proposed for infrared images, and to propose a strategy that may be most appropriate for consolidation into commercial infrared imaging applications.
The database for this paper consists of night vision infrared images were taken by Zenmuse camera (FLIR Systems, Inc) attached on MATRIC100 drone in Karbala city. The experimental tests showed sign
Sheet piles are necessary with hydraulic structures as seepage cut-off to reduce the seepage. In this research, the computational work methodology was followed by building a numerical model using Geo-Studio program to check the efficiency of using concrete sheet piles as a cut-off or reducer for seepage with time if the sheet piles facing the drawdown technique. Al-Kifil regulator was chosen as a case study, an accurate model was built with a help of observed reading of the measuring devices, which was satisfactory and helped in checking the sheet piles efficiency. Through the study, three scenarios were adopted (with and without) drawdown technique, it was found that at the short time there's no effect of the drawdown technique on
... Show MoreThe effective insulation design of the stress grading (SG) system in form-wound stator coils is essential for preventing partial discharges and excessive heat generation under pulse-width modulation excitation. This paper proposes a method to find the optimal insulation design of the SG system aimed at reducing the dielectric and thermal stresses in the machine coil. The non-uniform transmission line model is used to predict the voltage propagation along the overhang, SG, and slot regions considering the variation in the physical properties of the insulation layers. The machine coil parameters for different insulation materials are calculated by using the finite element method. Two optimization algorithms, fmincon and particle swarm optimiz
... Show MoreCastellated columns are structural members that are created by breaking a rolled column along the center-line by flame after that rejoining the equivalent halves by welding such that for better structural strength against axial loading, the total column depth is increased by around 50 percent. The implementation of these institutional members will also contribute to significant economies of material value. The main objectives of this study are to study the enhancement of the load-carrying capacity of castellated columns with encasement of the columns by Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) and lacing reinforcement, and serviceability of the confined castellated columns. The Castellated columns with RPC and Lacing Reinforcement improve com
... Show MoreMassive multiple-input multiple-output (massive-MIMO) is considered as the key technology to meet the huge demands of data rates in the future wireless communications networks. However, for massive-MIMO systems to realize their maximum potential gain, sufficiently accurate downlink (DL) channel state information (CSI) with low overhead to meet the short coherence time (CT) is required. Therefore, this article aims to overcome the technical challenge of DL CSI estimation in a frequency-division-duplex (FDD) massive-MIMO with short CT considering five different physical correlation models. To this end, the statistical structure of the massive-MIMO channel, which is captured by the physical correlation is exploited to find sufficiently
... Show MoreThis paper investigated the fatigue life behavior of two composite materials subjected to different times of shot peening (2, 4 and 6 min).The first material prepared from unsaturated polyester with E-glass reinforcement by 33% volume fraction. While, the second one was prepared from unsaturated polyester with aluminum powder by2.5% volume fraction. The experimental results showed that the improvement in endurance limit was obtained (for the first material) at 2, 4 and 6 min shot peening times where the percentage of maximum improvement was 25% at shot peening time of 6 min. While, the endurance limit of the second material decreased at shot peening times of 2, 4 and 6 min where the percentage of maximum reduction was 29 % at shot peenin
... Show More
Codes of red, green, and blue data (RGB) extracted from a lab-fabricated colorimeter device were used to build a proposed classifier with the objective of classifying colors of objects based on defined categories of fundamental colors. Primary, secondary, and tertiary colors namely red, green, orange, yellow, pink, purple, blue, brown, grey, white, and black, were employed in machine learning (ML) by applying an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm using Python. The classifier, which was based on the ANN algorithm, required a definition of the mentioned eleven colors in the form of RGB codes in order to acquire the capability of classification. The software's capacity to forecast the color of the code that belongs to an ob
... Show MoreThe current research aims to find out the extent to which students of the Faculty of Education for Pure Sciences\/Ibn al-Haitham have owned laboratory academic skills, the researcher adopted a descriptive research approach to conform to the goal of the research, the research sample the consisted of 140 students from the Department of Chemistry Phase II, The research tool, which consisted of a measure of laboratory academic skills, which consisted of seven skills and consisted of 28 paragraphs (four paragraphs per field), was prepared and the pent-up scale was chosen because the selected sample were university students, and the results showed the ownership of students' skills of laboratory academic skills other than skill The use of the libr
... Show More