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 fertili

This study examined the effects of water scarcity on rural household economy in El Fashir Rural Council / North Darfur State- western Sudan. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used as to get a deeper understanding of the impact of water scarcity on the rural house economy in the study area. 174 households out of 2017 were selected from 45 villages which were distributed in eight village councils forming the study area. Statistical methods were used to manipulate the data of the study. The obtained results revealed that water scarcity negatively affected the rural household economy in the study area in many features. These include the followings: much family efforts and time were directed to fetch for water consequentl

Today’s world confronts various threats from different sources. Similar to deprivation of energy, economic facilities, or political deposition, educational poisoning is one of the dangerous phenomena that result from distorting and corrupting the ethical and educational components of teaching by various material and non – material means.This paper sheds light on the concept of the educational system which is not a mere process of teaching, but rather an endless process of socialization that begins in the family and develops into religious, ethical, scientific and mythological systems, all of which form the cognitive component. It also defines the necessary means by which it is transmitted from one generation into another. The educati

The trichomes and chemical composition of three species of the genus Salvia wild-grown (Salvia lanigera, Salvia spinosa) and cultured (Salvia officinalis) were studied in the Anbar governate, the chemical components of the stem and leaves were studied by Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry(GC-MS), in addition to studying the trichomes of the epidermis in the stem and leaves (upper and lower epidermis) by Light microscope. Important differences appeared to us in the chemical study, where it was found that some compounds were found in species without others, which gives them taxonomic importance, also, the trichomes were important in distinguishing the studied species, the species S. spinosa was distinguished by the presence of gla

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on emergencies and pain among orthodontic patients attending a teaching hospital. The study was conducted among orthodontic patients receiving active orthodontic treatment or in a retention period at the College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, Iraq. Their participation was voluntary, and they filled out an Arabic-translated questionnaire. The survey included general information, orthodontic problems, and a numerical rating scale for pain assessment. We used descriptive and inferential statistics (frequencies and intersecting frequencies), chi-square test and linear regression. Out of 75 orthodontic patients, only 54 (15 males and 39 females) were included in the s

Metabolic dysregulation and obesity are associated with many metabolic alterations, including impairment of insulin sensitivity and dyslipidemia. Recent studies highlight the key role of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate-dependent Rac exchange proteins (PREX proteins) in the pathogenesis of obesity, advocating further elucidation of their potential therapeutic implications. The present study aimed to estimate the serum level of PREX proteins and its potential association with insulin resistance markers and plasma lipids level in obese and overweight non-diabetic patients. The study included 30 persons classified as obese, 30 as overweight, and 30 healthy individuals of similar age and gender. The levels of PREX1 and PREX2 were

Desert truffle is considered as a type of Syrian wild fungi that spreads heavily, and it occupies important rank in folk medicine, where its aqueous extract is used for the treatment of some eye and skin illnesses, and people prefer the use of black truffle. This work interested in studying of the most available species; Terfezia claveryi (black) and Tirmania pinoyi (white). The extracts of the two species of truffle were prepared by maceration with water, methanol, and ethanol 70%. Their total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) were analyzed using Folin-ciocalteu and Aluminum chloride methods respectively, and their antioxidant activities was tested using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and

Determination of the level of adipokines (obestatin, vaspin, tumor necrosis factor-? and interleukin-6)in hypo-and hyperthyroid patients from Educational Baghdad Hospital in Baghdad City was investigated. Fifty patients with hypothyroidism and Fifty patients with hyperthyroidism were selected. A control group of thirty euthyroid persons was included. Blood was collected by vein puncture and serum was separated and stored at –20C. Adipokines (obestatin, vaspin, tumor necrosis factor-? and interleukin-6) were estimated using ELISA method. The findings show a significant (p<0.05) increase in obestatin level in hypothyroid patients, while there is no significant difference in hyperthyroid patientsas compared with the euthyroid subjects.