INVESTIGATION OF Helicobacter pylori VIRULENCE GENOTYPE IN GASTRIC BIOPSIES BY PCR

  Background: Helicobacter pylori infections has been associated with the genetic diversity of their virulence factors, the virulence genotypes are valuable as molecular marker in the diagnosis of patients with bacterial infections . Our main objective was to analyze the frequency and allelic genotype of vacA , cagA also investigate another virulence genes of H. pylori. Methods: 75 biopsies of  patients with gastritis and peptic ulcer diseases were selected to investigate the presences of H. pylori and collected from them antrum biopsies, then  genomic DNA was extracted from  antrum biopsies using genomic DNA kit .Subsequently, the virulence genes of H. pylori   were amplified using specific primers including vacA , cagA, cagE and oipA and iceA by PCR in 49 cases that positive to 16SrRNA which previously investigated. Results: A high prevalence of genes cagA  (28.6%), vacAs1bm2 (56.8%), iceA2 (30.6%)  and oipA  (42.9%) was found, while  vacA s2m1  and iceA1 genotypes  was not found in our study.  There was significant correlation between the presence of cagA and cagE genotypes (p = 0.02), suggesting that these two genes almost used together as cag PAI integrity marker. The  presence of cagA gene was significantly associated with peptic ulceration (p ≤ 0.001), whereas different vacA genotypes or iceA2 genotype were no statistically significant  with clinical outcome.  Patients with peptic ulcer disease more likely to have oipA gene (61.9% ) than those with gastritis (38.1%), P = 0.037, also the presence oipA gene was statistically significant with presence iceA2. Conclusion : Most H. pylori genotypes which associated with peptic ulcer and gastritis were moderate virulent strains. Â

PREVENTIVE EFFECTS OF PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA POLYPHENOLS AGAINST 7,12-DIMETHYLBENZ(A)ANTHRACENE-INDUCED MAMMARY CANCER

Objectives: Polyphenols are vital micronutrients, in our diet, which have a role in the prevention of progressive cancer and cardiovascular diseases developing. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the hemopreventive effects of some polyphenols of Phoenix dactylifera pits on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary cancer of female albino rats.Methods: The phenolics of P. dactylifera pits (Zahidi cultivar) were prepared by successive steps; extraction by ethanol:methanol:HCl:H2O, adsorption chromatography using a silica gel column and preparative high performers chromatography. The cytotoxic activity of the phenolics was detected against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The acetone phenolic fraction, 50 female albino rats, and DMBA carcinogen were used to study the preventive effects.Results: The acetone phenolic fraction contained considerable amounts of the total phenolics and having antioxidant activity, which inhibit cancer cell line MCF-7 growth, and the inhibitory concentration 50% of cells (IC50) at 24 hrs was 202 μg/ml for MCF-7 and 480 μg/ml for WRL-68. The purified phenolic compounds may be related to genistein and quercetin derivatives that inhibited MCF-7 cell line growth and IC50 were 1030 and 203.9 μg/ml, respectively, compared with negligible effects on normal cell line. The acetone phenolic fraction prevented mammary cancer formation in the DMBA-induced rat model.Conclusions: The phenolics of date palm had chemopreventive effects against DMBA-induced mammary cancer, and they required further research to clarify the possible mechanisms that might have contributed to the preventive effects against mammary cancer

Assessment of Thyroid Function in Infertile Iraqi Females

Infertility is one of the medical, social and psychological burdens in Iraqi society. Thyroid dysfunction can lead to menstrual disturbance, anovulatory cycle and decreased fertility. The study was designed to evaluate the role of thyroid disorders in infertility with emphasis on autoimmunity by Measuring T3, T4, TSH, & anti Thyroid peroxidase antibody in infertile females comparing the results with matching fertile controls. The study was conducted during the period from March 2015 to September 2015 at Karbala Maternity Hospital, infertility unit, and some private clinics. This study included a total number of 143 women in the reproductive age; ranging between (15- 43) years; divided into: The patients group included 92 infertile females; while controls were 51fertile females. The following parameters were measured for all study groups: T3, T4, TSH, &anti-TPO using ELISA device. The results showed that there were 60.8% of patients with primary infertility (n =56) while 38.2% were with secondary infertility (n= 36). There was a significant difference in T3, and Anti-TPO between patients and controls being higher in patients; (p-value <0.05). In addition; Anti-TPO level was significantly higher in secondary infertile patients compared to primary infertile patients. In conclusion; Thyroid disorders are closely related to infertility in Iraqi females; and Anti-TPO may be used as a biochemical indicator of subclinical thyroid disorders and may help in assessment of thyroid function as a cause of infertility whether primary or secondary. Keywords: Infertility, Thyroid disease, T3, T4, Anti-TP

Live Imaging of the Ependymal Cilia in the Lateral Ventricles of the Mouse Brain

Multiciliated ependymal cells line the ventricles in the adult brain. Abnormal function or structure of ependymal cilia is associated with various neurological deficits. The current ex vivo live imaging of motile ependymal cilia technique allows for a detailed study of ciliary dynamics following several steps. These steps include: mice euthanasia with carbon dioxide according to protocols of The University of Toledo’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); craniectomy followed by brain removal and sagittal brain dissection with a vibratome or sharp blade to obtain very thin sections through the brain lateral ventricles, where the ependymal cilia can be visualized. Incubation of the brain’s slices in a customized glass-bottom plate containing Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM)/High-Glucose at 37 °C in the presence of 95%/5% O2/CO2 mixture is essential to keep the tissue alive during the experiment. A video of the cilia beating is then recorded using a high-resolution differential interference contrast microscope. The video is then analyzed frame by frame to calculate the ciliary beating frequency. This allows distinct classification of the ependymal cells into three categories or types based on their ciliary beating frequency and angle. Furthermore, this technique allows the use of high-speed fluorescence imaging analysis to characterize the unique intracellular calcium oscillation properties of ependymal cells as well as the effect of pharmacological agents on the calcium oscillations and the ciliary beating frequency. In addition, this technique is suitable for immunofluorescence imaging for ciliary structure and ciliary protein localization studies. This is particularly important in disease diagnosis and phenotype studies. The main limitation of the technique is attributed to the decrease in live motile cilia movement as the brain tissue starts to die

Shunt Hybrid Active Power Filter Based on Two Compensation Strategies with PI and Fuzzy Logic Controllers

Industrial designs have tremendously changed within the last decade, with its time and nonlinear variation loads in power frameworks spectrum expanding widely. This revolution has resulted in increased quality control problems such as current unbalance, current and voltage harmonics, flicker and poor power factor in control frameworks. The aim of this paper is to address this problem through the development of Synchronous Reference Frame and Reactive Power (SRF and P-Q) control methods. The DC voltage was regulated to its set reference for providing the current reference using proportional-Integral (PI) and fuzzy logic controllers. From the results, Fuzzy logic control was shown to achieve an adequate DC capacitor energy storage optimization, the sinusoidal type of the current and the change of the power factor. A low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) that met the suggestions of IEEE- 519 standard on symphonious levels was achieved with the proposed method

Quality of life of Sudanese Patients with Benigan Prostatic Hyperplasia. The Oblivious Problem

Background: Although the IPSS and QOL index are universally used, they can only quantify the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and evaluate treatment efficacy, but cannot fully reflect the overall quality of life. Moreover, because QOL scale depends on the culture background, it is necessary to develop a Sudanese version of the scale. Objective: To evaluate the impact of BPH on the quality of life by assessing the physical, mental and stress states among patients of BPH. Methodology: This study was conducted on 424 patients with BPH in Gezira Hospital for Renal Disease and Surgery (GHRDS), Sudan. The study was cross-sectional, prospective small-scale hospital based study using simple random sampling technique. The subjects were limited to the Sudanese patients, who could hear and answer the questions of the questionnaire independently and that was done for accuracy and privacy. Taking the patient's educational level into account, all items were expressed in spoken language. The data collection tool was a questionnaire which was modified to twelve items from the BPH Quality of Life Index. Results: The majority 386 patients, 91% were physically fit. The pattern of urination was bothering to their daily life of around 320 patients/75.5%, 225 patients/53.1% of patients were worried about the outcome of the disease, 259 patients/61.1% were not concerned of having prostate cancer and 332 patients/78.2% were satisfied with their sleep. The sexual life had been affected in 201 patients/47.4%. The physical state was assessed by the ability of the patient to pray Friday Jomaa at the mosque which was 85.8% and also by attending important Sudanese obliging social activities like condolence which was (91.9%) of the patients. Conclusion: The impact of BPH on quality of life was obviously significant in the three domains; physical, mental and stress state among patients of BPH in GHRD&S.There should be a validated scale for the BPH Quality of Life Index addressing the traditional strata for Sudanese patients.           &nbsp

Synthesis of some nucleosides derivatives from L- rhamnose with expected biological activity

Practical procedures for production of variously blocked compounds from L-rhamnose have been developed. These compounds are highly useful as indirect β-L-rhamnosyl donors. This approach represents a new method for the synthesis of aromatic nucleoside analogues and the synthesis of (3S, 4S, 5S, 6R) 3, 4, 5-triacetoxy-2-methyl-7,9-diaza-1-oxa-spiro [4,5]decane-10-one-8-thione (7)

Structural, elastic, mechanical and thermodynamic properties of Terbium oxide: First-principles investigations

First-principles investigations of the Terbium oxide TbO are performed on structural, elastic, mechanical and thermodynamic properties. The investigations are accomplished by employing full potential augmented plane wave FP-LAPW method framed within density functional theory DFT as implemented in the WIEN2k package. The exchange-correlation energy functional, a part of the total energy functional, is treated through Perdew Burke Ernzerhof scheme of the Generalized Gradient Approximation PBEGGA. The calculations of the ground state structural parameters, like lattice constants a0, bulk moduli B and their pressure derivative B′ values, are done for the rock-salt RS, zinc-blende ZB, cesium chloride CsCl, wurtzite WZ and nickel arsenide NiAs polymorphs of the TbO compound. The elastic constants (C11, C12, C13, C33, and C44) and mechanical properties (Young's modulus Y, Shear modulus S, Poisson's ratio σ, Anisotropic ratio A and compressibility β), were also calculated to comprehend its potential for valuable applications. From our calculations, the RS phase of TbO compound was found strongest one mechanically amongst the studied cubic structures whereas from hexagonal phases, the NiAs type structure was found stronger than WZ phase of the TbO. To analyze the ductility of the different structures of the TbO, Pugh's rule (B/SH) and Cauchy pressure (C12–C44) approaches are used. It was found that ZB, CsCl and WZ type structures of the TbO were of ductile nature with the obvious dominance of the ionic bonding while RS and NiAs structures exhibited brittle nature with the covalent bonding dominance. Moreover, Debye temperature was calculated for both cubic and hexagonal structures of TbO in question by averaging the computed sound velocities