Background: The discriminative power of the classical WHO parameters in relation to male fertility is quite low, because they only address few aspects of sperm quality and function. This has led investigators to focus their attention on the male gamete and in particular its genome.Objective: To explore which of the sperm DNA damage parameters measured by comet assay are more reliable, and their relations with the standard semen parameters.Methods: Study was done on 40 infertile men selected from couples attending the Institute of Embryo Reasearch and Infertility Treatment at Al-Kadhimiya City/ Baghdad in the period between February 2009 and May 2009, with a history of infertility of ≥1 years; and 15 healthy volunteers of proven fertility serving as control. Samples were allowed to liquefy for at least 30 minutes at 37°C and then evaluated according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, 1999. The single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay was studied in the ejaculated spermatozoa. The exclusion criteria were the presence of azoospermia and severe oligospermia. Results were compared with the standard semen characteristics (concentration, motility and morphology).Results: Compared to healthy volunteers, infertile patients had highly significantly higher values of comet parameters (P = 0.00001). In all infertile patients, comet extent did not correlate with any of the classical semen parameters; whereas, tail length (μm), % DNA in tail, tail moment and olive moment had all significant negative correlations with the standard parameters. Significant positive correlations were observed between the studied comet parameters, except for the comet extent which was not significantly correlated with tail length and % DNA in tail (P = 0.06, P = 0.7; respectively).Conclusion: Comet assay is a very useful technique in assessing sperm DNA damage. Comet tail parameters and comet extent, may clarify different aspects of DNA damage, and together give a better insight to the integrity of the male genome.Keywards: sperm, comet extent, % DNA in tail, tail moment and olive moment
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 More
(5)
(5)
(4)
(16)
(12)
This paper critically looks at the studies that investigated the Social Network Sites in the Arab region asking whether they made a practical addition to the field of information and communication sciences or not. The study tried to lift the ambiguity of the variety of names, as well as the most important theoretical and methodological approaches used by these studies highlighting its scientific limitations. The research discussed the most important concepts used by these studies such as Interactivity, Citizen Journalism, Public Sphere, and Social Capital and showed the problems of using them because each concept comes out of a specific view to these websites. The importation of these concepts from a cultural and social context to an Ara
... Show More
In this study, derivatives of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) grafted with phthalic anhydride (PhA) and dyes were prepared to produce polymeric materials of PVA-g-PhA, PVA-g-PhA-anthocyanin, PVA-g-PhA-bromophenol blue, and PVA-g-PhAthymol blue. The materials were characterised by FTIR and 1 H NMR spectroscopies. The crystallinity of the polymers was evaluated with powder X-ray difraction, and the thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The synthetic procedure for the polymeric materials entailed the formation of esters. The FTIR spectra of the polymers confrmed their formation since the ester carbonyl group stretch was observed at approximately 1691–1716 cm−1 in each material. NMR spectroscopy confrmed the addition of t
... Show More
(1)
(1)
(36)
(35)
The using of waste products as a recycled material was one of the most important studies for saving money and reduces the pollution. Mortar and concrete mixes with (10, 20 and 30)% of brick, glass and tile powder as replacement by weight of cement was investigated. The concrete mixes using brick or glass as 10%replacement of cement exhibited enhancement in compressive strength about (6, 4.7 and 2.0)% and (7.2, 5.6 and 2)% at age 7, 28 and 90 days respectively compared to reference mix. The 20% replacement of glass powder also showed an increase in the compressive strength up to (8, 6.3 and 4) %at age 7,28 and 90 days respectively compared to reference mix. Finally concrete mix using (10, 20 and 30) % tile powder as replacement of cement sho
... Show MoreBackground: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has many difficulties which include port Insertion, Dissectionof the Calot’s Triangle , Grasping of the Gallbladder , Wall thickness, Adhesion and extraction of theGallbladder. Aim of the Study: To predict how difficult cholecystectomy will be from assessing the patientpreoperatively which, in turn, help in decreasing the risks on the patients and preventing post-operativecomplications. Patients and Methods: A prospective study conducted in the department of General Surgeryat Al-Ramadi Teaching Hospital for the period of nine months from 15th of May 2018 till the 15th of February2019. It included 60 patients, all of them were undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy for Gallstone. Patientswit
... Show More