Study The Balance between Reduced – Oxidized Glutathione in Seminal Plasma of Iraqi Subfertile Men

Defective sperm function is the most common cause of infertility , and until recently, was difficult to evaluate and treat .Human seminal plasma a natural  reservoir of antioxidants that protect spermatozoa from oxidative damages. Aims: The aim of the present study was to assess the antioxidant status of seminal plasma by contents of reduced  glutathione  and oxidized glutathione in men with asthenozoospermia compared to normozoospermic males ,  and their correlations with Seminal parameters. Semen samples 25 normozoospermic controls and 25 asthenozoospermics were analyzed for physical( sperm concentration ,motility ,morphology ) and chemical ( reduced glutathione (GSHr), oxidized glutathione ( GSSG) )  parameters . Significance of difference among the groups and coefficient of correlation between the parameters was tested statistically. GSHr level was found to be significantly higher in the normospermic men than the asthenospermic ( p<0.001).Levels of GSSG were found to be significantly higher in asthenozoospermic than the normal group ( p<0.001).Positive correlation was found between GSHr ,GSSG levels and sperm motility ( p< 0.001 , r=  0.42 ; p< 0.001, r=0.35 ). Moreover ,it was found to be correlated positively but not significant between GSHr with sperm abnormal morphology ( p=0.30, r= 0.21).Both GSHr and GSSG showed a negatively but not significant correlation with sperm count ( p=0.20, r= - 0.26; p= 0.8, r= -0.35)  .However, the sperm abnormal morphology showed a negative but not significant relationship to seminal GSSG(  P=0.27,r=- 0.22).In the present study  seminal plasma GSHr and GSSG levels were found a positive  highly significant correlation with sperm motility .This finding indicates that low level of seminal plasma GSHr and high GSSG level in infertile subject ,may be associated with male infertility. Keywords:- Asthenozoospermics men, seminal antioxidants, reduced glutathione level, oxidized glutathione level, sperm parameters

Milk Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Interleukin-1Beta Among Toxoplasma gondii-Free and Infected Women

تلعب السيتوكينات المحفزة للالتهاب دورًا مهمًا في التواصل بين الخلايا. ففي العقدين الأخيرين ، تم تحديد العديد من السيتوكينات في حليب الإنسان حيث تم العثور على السيتوكينات المثيرة للالتهابات في حليب الإنسان. تتنوع السيتوكينات تبعًا لظروف مختلفة مثل الالتهابات المسببة للأمراض التي تحفز بشدة الاستجابة المناعية. تهدف الدراسة  الحالية إلى تحديد تراكيز IL1β و TNF-α في النساء المصابات وغير المصابات بالمقوسات الجوندية في محاولة لتوضيح آثار العدوى على السيتوكينات وخاصة في حليب الأم. تم في الدراسة الحالية جمع عينات من مصل اللبن والحليب من 96 عينة (48 مصل موجب  و 48 مصل سالب). لتأكيد الاصابة بطفيلي  التوكسوبلازما تم استخدام تقنية الفلورة المناعية لهذا الغرض . تم قياس تركيز TNF-α و IL1β بواسطة تقنية ELISA. فيما يتعلق بالحليب TNF-alpha ، اظهرت نتائج الدراسة الحاليةهناك فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في النساء  المصابات بالتوكسوبلازما وغير المصابات بها ، في حين لم يتم العثور على اختلافات إحصائية في TNF-α بين مجموعات الدراسة. أظهر نتائج IL1β اختلافًا معنويا فقط بين الحليب والمصل في الأشخاص المصابين وغير المصابين ، بينما لم يتم تسجيل أي اختلافات معنوية في مجموعات أخرى.  الخلاصة وبناءً على التحليل الإحصائي ، أظهرت الدراسة الحالية دليلاً جيداً على أن داء المقوسات هو أحد عوامل الخطر لزيادة السيتوكينات في  الحليب. اضافة لذلك  قد تشير الزيادة الكبيرة في TNF-α و IL1β في حليب الأم إلى دور رئيسي في إحداث أو تطور الالتهابات في الرضاعة. وبالتالي ، هناك حاجة إلى مزيد من الدراسات لهذا الغرض.Pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in intercellular communications. In the last two decades, many cytokines have been identified in human milk. These cytokines are variable according to different conditions such as pathogenic infections which strongly stimulated the immune response. The present study aims to determine of IL1β and TNF-α in Toxoplasma gondii-free and infected women in an attempt to clarify the impacts of the infections on cytokines especially in mother's milk. The serum and milk sample were collected from 96 samples (48 for seropositive and 48 for seronegative). To confirm the Toxoplasma gondii infection; enzyme linked immunofluorescence assay (ELIFA) was used to detect anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies. TNF-α and IL1β levels were measured by ELISA technique. Regarding milk TNF-alpha, there were statistical differences in Toxoplasma-infected from Toxoplasma-free subjects, whereas no statistical variations in TNF-α were found between other studied groups. IL1β showed significant variation just between milk and serum in infected and non-infected subjects, whereas no variations were recorded in other groups. In conclusion, based on statistical analysis, present study showed good evidence that toxoplasmosis is one of the risk factors for increasing milk cytokine. Also, a significant increase in TNF-α and IL1β in mother's breast milk may indicate a key role for inducing or developing of inflammations in suckling. Thus, further investigations are needed to cover this area of study.  

Flax Seed (Linum usitatissimum): the Healthy Medicinala and Preventive Food

اشتهرت بذور الكتان منذ القدم لدى الإغريق والفراعنة بكونها أحد أهم أنواع البذور الطبية ذات الفوائد العديدة للجسم، تعتبر بذور الكتان بشكل أساسي من المحاصيل التي اكتسبت اهتماماً كبيراً كونها غذاءً صحياً فقد أُثبت دورها الفعال في مجال أمراض القلب والأوعية الدموية وتقليل نسبة الدهون والسكر في الدم وكمواد مضادة لسرطان الثدي والقولون. كما ثبت أن بذور الكتان تمتلك خصائص  مضادة للأكسدة ومضادة للالتهابات في الدراسات التجريبية على الحيوانات وكذلك البشر. أفاد الباحثون أن المنتجات الغذائية التي تحتوي على بذور الكتان يمكن أن تحظى بقبول جيد للمستهلك إلى جانب فوائدها الغذائية. تسلط هذه المقالة الضوء على الدور الفعال لبذور الكتان في علاج العديد من الامراض او الوقاية منها باعتبارها كغذاء طبي ووقائي وعلاجي.Flaxseeds have been known since ancient times to the Greeks and Pharaohs for being one of the most important types of medicinal seeds with many benefits for the body. Flaxseed is mainly considered as one of the oil crops that has gained great attention as a health food, as it has proven its effective role in the field of cardiovascular diseases, reducing  the proportion of fat and sugar in the blood, and as an anti-cancer of the breast and colon.  Flaxseeds have also been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties  in experimental studies in animals as well as humans. Researchers have reported that food products containing flaxseeds can have good consumer acceptance along with their nutritional benefits. This article highlights the effective role of flax seeds in the treatment or prevention of many diseases as a medicinal, preventive and curative food

Silica-Based Bioactive Glasses and Their Applications in Hard Tissue Regeneration: A Review

Regenerative medicine is a field that aims to influence and improvise the processes of tissue repair and restoration and to assist the body to heal and recover. In the field of hard tissue regeneration, bio-inert materials are being predominantly used, and there is a necessity to use bioactive materials that can help in better tissue–implant interactions and facilitate the healing and regeneration process. One such bioactive material that is being focused upon and studied extensively in the past few decades is bioactive glass (BG). The original bioactive glass (45S5) is composed of silicon dioxide, sodium dioxide, calcium oxide, and phosphorus pentoxide and is mainly referred to by its commercial name Bioglass. BG is mainly used for bone tissue regeneration due to its osteoconductivity and osteostimulation properties. The bioactivity of BG, however, is highly dependent on the compositional ratio of certain glass-forming system content. The manipulation of content ratio and the element compositional flexibility of BG-forming network developed other types of bioactive glasses with controllable chemical durability and chemical affinity with bone and bioactivity. This review article mainly discusses the basic information about silica-based bioactive glasses, including their composition, processing, and properties, as well as their medical applications such as in bone regeneration, as bone grafts, and as dental implant coatings

Enhancement of the optical and electrical properties of poly ethyl methacrylate/polyvinyl chloride-zinc sulphide (PEMA/PVC@ZnS) ternary nanocomposite films

Our research introduces a novel ternary nanocomposite consisting of polyethyl methacrylate/polyvinyl chloride-Zinc sulphide nanoparticles (PEMA/PVC@ZnS). Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanoparticles were produced via a chemical method and then dispersed at different concentrations (0.02, 0.05, 0.08, and 0.1 wt%) in a single step within the PEMA/PVC blend. The resulting PEMA/PVC@ZnS nanocomposite films were analyzed to investigate their spectroscopic and electrical properties. The dielectric parameters of the samples were also studied in detail. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data indicated an increase in the amorphous region and demonstrated the interaction between ZnS and PEMA/PVC. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) results confirmed the specific interactions in PEMA/PVC@ZnS nanocomposites. The synthesized films showed a distinct absorption band at 432 nm, which was attributed to the ZnS surface plasmon resonance. As the concentration of ZnS in PEMA/PVC increased, the band gap energies decreased for both direct and forbidden transitions. Optical parameters such as the extinction coefficient (k), refractive index (n), dielectric constants (ε′ and ε''), optical conductivity (σ(opt.), and photoluminescence (PL) were also studied. The values of dielectric permittivity and dielectric modulus from AC measurement of PEMA/PVC@ZnS nanocomposite films increased with increasing ZnS content. The data suggest that PEMA/PVC@ZnS nanocomposite films exhibit excellent optical and electronic properties, making them suitable for use in various electric and optoelectric applications

Structural, optical and photocatalytic activity of Ce3+ doped Co–Mg nanoparticles for wastewater treatment applications

Chemical effluent, particularly organic dyes, has become a major problem of our day because of its connection to carcinogenic health risks. Hence, rare earth element cerium (Ce) doped cobalt-magnesium ferrites were prepared with the formula Co0.7Mg0.3CexFe2-xO4 (labeled CMCF) by a combustion approach as an efficient nano-photocatalyst deliberated for disposal these pernicious dyes. The characterization tests for the CMCF nanoferrites were performed via XRD, STEM-EDS, and DR techniques. XRD results asserted the spinel single-phase formation for all the prepared CMCF ferrites. The lattice parameter and crystallite size of CMCF nanoferrites have abnormal behavior, which diminishes from 8.4077 to 8.3922 Å and 34.66 to 20.76 nm, respectively, despite the superseding process is a larger ion (Ce) instead of a smaller one (Fe). STEM images of the prepared nanoparticles are almost spherical crystallites with some agglomerations. The optical band gap of CMCF nanoparticles was tuned to be narrower by Ce3+ additions. Using the photocatalyst CMCF(x = 0.1), the MB's hue faded from blue to nearly colorless with an efficiency of 95.49 %, in 60 min. Three reasons why the CMCF(x = 0.1) photocatalyst gets the superior photocatalytic performance. Four steps were introduced to manifest the MB degradation mechanism utilizing the CMCF(x = 0.1) photocatalyst. The CMCF nanomaterials have significant prospects to be operated as promising photocatalysts for toxic MB disposal through wastewater treatment processes

Thermal Fisher and Wigner–Yanase information correlations in two-qubit Heisenberg XYZ chain

Using Wigner–Yanase and Fisher information [including local quantum uncertainty (LQU) and local quantum Fisher information (LQFI)] as well as log-negativity, we investigate the thermal non-local correlations of two-qubit Heisenberg XYZ non-X states produced in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya (DM) interaction. The two-spin XYZ-Heisenberg non-local correlation decay can be weakened by increasing the DM interaction as well as the spin–spin XYZ-Heisenberg interactions. The LQFI correlation has greater resistance to thermal degradation. The spin–spin y-component antiferromagnetic coupling has a higher ability to protect the generated spin–spin nonlocal correlations against high temperatures. The emergence of the phenomena of the sudden death of log-negativity and the sudden change of the LQFI and LQU depend on the spin–spin XYZ-Heisenberg and DM interactions as well as on the bath temperature. The generated asymmetric correlations resulting due to the x,y-component spin interactions confirm that the antiferromagnetic coupling has a high ability to generate a maximally correlated two-qubit state. While the generated correlations, due to two-spin z-component interaction, present symmetric dynamics, and its amount depends on the x-component spin interaction

Determination of chemical kinetic parameters in Arrhenius equation of constant heating rate: Theoretical method

The article offers a brand-new nonlinear method of figuring out the thermally dissolved material’s free activation energy and pre-exponential factor using a non-isothermal kinetic process. The material is thermally decomposed for a known function in a conversion mass fraction and residual mass fraction under the conditions of the thermochemical reaction, which is defined by the Arrhenius equation. The experimental data establishes a new method based on the least squares method to directly calculate the free activation energy and pre-exponential factor, respectively. We assume that the researcher in a laboratory, during the process of subjecting the material to a constant rate of temperature increase, takes several different measurements for the conversion mass fraction with corresponding values of temperature throughout the process of thermal decomposition of a material. Therefore, in this investigation, we present how to calculate the activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of a material from the information of several points for temperature values during the thermal decomposition process of a material and the corresponding conversion mass fraction. We have discovered that the more measurements we take, the more precise our calculations become. This approach depends on the precise analytical answer to the Arrhenius equation

Ecofriendly and radiation shielding properties of newly developed epoxy with waste marble and WO3 nanoparticles

Research into protection techniques from harmful effects of gamma radiation have increased contemporarily. The development of radiation-resistant materials having a high radiation resistance and absorption of different types of ionizing radiation could offer promising solutions to this matter. For this purpose, the preparation and examination of a novel type of polymer doped with various WO3 concentrations are presented in this study. To accomplish our main objective, we evaluated the effectiveness of their radiation shielding against gamma radiation from 137Cs, 60Co, and 241Am. At all investigated energies, the measured and theoretical linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) values are highly similar, proving that the experimental LAC values can be used to reliably predict other radiation shielding characteristics. The half value layer (HVL) values decreased as the samples' WO3 level rises indicating that increasing the amount of WO3 in these samples increases their radiation shielding effectiveness. In addition, it was found a positive correlation between radiation energy and the mean free path (MFP) values. At 0.060 MeV, the MFP values are equal to 1.374 cm, 0.691 cm, 0.521 cm, and 0.369 cm at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 25% WO3, respectively reflecting that the MFP is reduced by 3.7 times due to the addition of 20% WO3 nanoparticles. From the transmission factor, it was found that improving the shielding ability of the proposed materials could be achieved by increasing and adjusting the thickness of the absorber depending on the required energy range used. It is noteworthy that the present studied samples (epoxy + waste marble + nano-WO3) that have exhibited a greater shielding ability than other nanoparticles added polymers like (Epoxy + nano-MgO30), and (silicone rubber + nano-WO330)