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
Global warming has had considerable effects on vital ecosystems, which has also been caused by increased temperatures and CO2 that follow changes in different abiotic factors, which poses threats to mangrove forests environment. This research was conducted to examine the physiological and morphological characteristics of the Rhizophora apiculata mangrove regarding higher air temperature for the variety of tree species that respond to climate change. Seedlings were cultivated for three months in regulated growth chambers with three varying temperatures of 38°C, 21°C under CO2 at 450 ppm, and ambient CO2 concentration i.e., 450 ± 20 ppm under average temperature at 28°C as the control condition
... Show MoreA review of the literature on intellectual capital development was conducted using systemic criteria for the inclusion of relevant studies. The concepts behind the ideas explored in the present study were discussed in respect to the subject matter. Examining the past state of the art in the intellectual capital sector for achieving high levels of innovation performance provided a multidimensional picture of intellectual capital, innovation performance, and dynamic capabilities. The present review was designed to illustrate the correlation between intellectual capital and innovation performance, as well as the role of dynamic capabilities in moderating the relationship between these constructs. Accordingly, we presented an extensive
... Show MoreObjectives: In developing countries like Iraq, diarrhea was responsible for 70% of deaths among pediatrics. This study was designed to determine Iraqi mothers’ knowledge and malpractices associated with diarrhea management in pediatrics.Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was done on a convenient sample of mothers in Baghdad – Iraq. Data collection was done using a validated questionnaire specifically designed for this study.Result: Most participants preferred to consult physicians or pharmacists about pediatrics diarrhea management. Breastfeeding was stopped by 19% of participants, whereas 35% of mothers who depend on formulated milk discontinued it. Only 30% of participants use oral rehydration solution therapy always as a
... Show MoreBackground. To identify the most common retention protocols practiced by Iraqi orthodontists using a specially designed e-survey. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess the effect of sociodemographic factors on the participant’s choice. Methods. Two hundred and twenty-five questionnaires with 23 multiple choice questions were sent to members of the Iraqi Orthodontic Society. The questionnaire was organized into four sections representing information about sociodemographic status of the orthodontists, factors affecting the selection of the retention system, commonly used retainers in the upper arch and lower arch, and duration of the retention system. The chi-square test was used to test the significant association between differe
... Show MoreThe poster is one of the means which can be communicate with others through it, to transfer ideas that the designer want to focus on, for its importance to accomplish the poster. It’s a visual mean contact aim to submit an idea to the audience to get a clear idea, and that would be through the shapes and subject to submit the idea. Depend on that our goal in this study is to find out, what follows:1-Finding the relationship between the shape and the idea.And the study comes up with several results, like:1-The drawings that contain themes connected with what the designer want to achieve, through the clearness of idea and to make those elements clear by putting more elements to surround the main shape.2-To assure that the strong connecti
... Show MoreThe present research studies numbers and its uses in the Islamic ornament. The study consists of four chapters; the first is dedicated to the problem of the research, the value of the study, and the aim of the study, and its limit. The problem of the study deals with the uses of numbers in Islamic ornament and how these numbers were used for aesthetic purposes. What are the analytical bases that enable us to read the geometrical compositions ornament numerically? The value of the research is the study forms an analytical and visual study of the numbers in the Islamic ornamentation. Additionally, this study is an aesthetic assessment to the philosophy of the number and its uses in Islamic architecture. The study is limited to the ornament
... Show MoreAdvertising is an important and influential tool in various commercial operations, as it represents a means of communication that depends on influencing individuals or society as a whole, working on a link between the producer and the consumer, so the importance of advertising appears in two dimensions, the first is economic represented in its role in achieving economic growth for the facility, while the social dimension lies in its role By influencing the behaviors and ideas of individuals, and from here it appears to us the importance of formulating, organizing and designing the advertising message that advertising agencies resort to in their advertising campaigns. Orientation, definition, and raising the level of the advertising messa
... Show MoreThe current research sheds light on an important aspect of the great and rapid development in the field of science and technology and modern manufacturing methods as a result of the scientific revolution resulting from the accelerated cognitive development, which prompted designers in general and interior design in particular to exploit and invest in digital technology and the development of digital control in the process of designing the industrial product for the purpose of creativity and innovation through these digital programs Digital models achieve the requirements and desires of the interior designer according to the creative skill using modern software with high efficiency And extreme accuracy that is consistent with the requirem
... Show MoreCollapsible soil has a metastable structure that experiences a large reduction in volume or collapse when wetting. The characteristics of collapsible soil contribute to different problems for infrastructures constructed on its such as cracks and excessive settlement found in buildings, railways channels, bridges, and roads. This paper aims to provide an art review on collapse soil behavior all over the world, type of collapse soil, identification of collapse potential, and factors that affect collapsibility soil. As urban grow in several parts of the world, the collapsible soil will have more get to the water. As a result, there will be an increase in the number of wetting collapse problems, so it's very important to com
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