The Genetic Association between Baldness, Coronary Heart Diseases and ABO Blood Group System in Men in Baqubah City-Diyala Province in Iraq

Background and objectives: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. This study designed to determine the correlation of ABO histo-blood groups with baldness and susceptibility to cardiac diseases in Baqubah city, Diyala province in Iraq .Patients and methods: In this cross sectional, hospital based case control study, 68 male were enrolled .Group (A) include 34 males with CHD, ages ranged ( 45 – 55) year old. Group (B), include 34 healthy males, age range (45 – 55) years old. Coronary artery diseases diagnosis based on laboratory investigation of complete lipid profile analysis(LDL, triglyceride, HDL),Echocardiography and history of cardiac catheterization .ABO Histo-blood groups determined using commercial kits. Results: In healthy men , the ratio of individuals with normal hair to bald one was 1:1 . Regarding to patients group, 32% of CHD patient with normal hair and 68% bald with statistical significant difference (p ? 0.01). The frequency distribution of blood group type O between healthy people and CHD patients was 50% and 62%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p ? 0.05).The frequency of histo-blood group of B type within bald healthy group was more than that reported in patients with normal hair. On the contrary, the frequency of histo-blood group of O type reported among patient with normal hair than bald CHD with statistical significant difference (p ? 0.05).Conclusion: people with hereditary baldness may have a predisposition to heart disease compared with people with natural hair. Blood groups distribution may affect indirectly on rates of heart disease difference Keywords: Coronary heart disease; ABO blood group; Baldness, Ira

Investigation of haemoglobin polymorphism in Ogaden cattle

Background and Aim: The Ogaden cattle is one among the tropical cattle breeds (Bos indicus) widely distributed in eastern and south eastern part of Ethiopia. The breed has been evolved in arid and semi arid agro-ecological setup, but later on distributed and adapted to the wide agro-ecological zones. Because of its multi-purpose role, the Ogaden cattle have been used for milk, beef, and income generation. Information on the inherent genetic diversity is important in the design of breeding improvement programmes, making rational decisions on sustainable utilization and conservation of Animal Genetic Resources. Limited information is available about genetic variation of Ogaden breed at molecular level. The present investigation was aimed to study the biochemical polymorphism at the Hemoglobin (Hb) locus. Materials and Methods: Blood samples collected from 105 Ogaden cattle maintained at Haramaya beef farm by jugular vein puncture were subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis [pH range 8.4-8.5] to study the polymorphic activities of haemoglobin. Results: Three types of phenotypes were detected i.e. a slow moving (AA) band, fast moving (BB) band and a combination of slow + fast moving bands (AB). The frequency of the fast moving band was less [13 (12.3%)] than the slow moving band [57 (54.2%)]. Both slow & fast moving phenotype was observed in 35 (33.3%) animals. The gene frequency of HBA allele was 0.709 and that of HBB allele 0.291. Conclusion: The distribution of phenotypes was in agreement with codominant single gene inheritance. The Chi-square (χ2) test revealed that the population is under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium

Management of Rhinitis: Allergic and Non-Allergic

Rhinitis is a global problem and is defined as the presence of at least one of the following: congestion, rhinorrhea, sneezing, nasal itching, and nasal obstruction. The two major classifications are allergic and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR). Allergic rhinitis occurs when an allergen is the trigger for the nasal symptoms. NAR is when obstruction and rhinorrhea occurs in relation to nonallergic, noninfectious triggers such as change in the weather, exposure to caustic odors or cigarette smoke, barometric pressure differences, etc. There is a lack of concomitant allergic disease, determined by negative skin prick test for relevant allergens and/or negative allergen-specific antibody tests. Both are highly prevalent diseases that have a significant economic burden on society and negative impact on patient quality of life. Treatment of allergic rhinitis includes allergen avoidance, antihistamines (oral and intranasal), intranasal corticosteroids, intranasal cromones, leukotriene receptor antagonists, and immunotherapy. Occasional systemic corticosteroids and decongestants (oral and topical) are also used. NAR has 8 major subtypes which includes nonallergic rhinopathy (previously known as vasomotor rhinitis), nonallergic rhinitis with eosinophilia, atrophic rhinitis, senile rhinitis, gustatory rhinitis, drug-induced rhinitis, hormonal-induced rhinitis, and cerebral spinal fluid leak. The mainstay of treatment for NAR are intranasal corticosteroids. Topical antihistamines have also been found to be efficacious. Topical anticholinergics such as ipratropium bromide (0.03%) nasal spray are effective in treating rhinorrhea symptoms. Adjunct therapy includes decongestants and nasal saline. Investigational therapies in the treatment of NAR discussed include capsaicin, silver nitrate, and acupuncture

Clinical mastitis in ewes; bacteriology, epidemiology and clinical features

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Clinical mastitis is an important disease in sheep. The objective of this work was to identify causal bacteria and study certain epidemiological and clinical features of clinical mastitis in ewes kept for meat and wool production.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study included 509 ewes with clinical mastitis from 353 flocks located in 14 of the 19 counties in Norway. Clinical examination and collection of udder secretions were carried out by veterinarians. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on 92 <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>isolates from 64 ewes.</p> <p>Results and conclusion</p> <p><it>S. aureus </it>was recovered from 65.3% of 547 clinically affected mammary glands, coagulase-negative staphylococci from 2.9%, enterobacteria, mainly <it>Escherichia coli</it>, from 7.3%, <it>Streptococcus </it>spp. from 4.6%, <it>Mannheimia haemolytica </it>from 1.8% and various other bacteria from 4.9%, while no bacteria were cultured from 13.2% of the samples. Forty percent of the ewes with unilateral clinical <it>S. aureus </it>mastitis also had a subclinical <it>S. aureus </it>infection in the other mammary gland. Twenty-four of 28 (86%) pairs of <it>S. aureus </it>isolates obtained from clinically and subclinically affected mammary glands of the same ewe were indistinguishable by PFGE. The number of identical pairs was significantly greater than expected, based on the distribution of different <it>S. aureus </it>types within the flocks. One-third of the cases occurred during the first week after lambing, while a second peak was observed in the third week of lactation. Gangrene was present in 8.8% of the clinically affected glands; <it>S. aureus </it>was recovered from 72.9%, <it>Clostridium perfringens </it>from 6.3% and <it>E. coli </it>from 6.3% of the secretions from such glands. This study shows that <it>S. aureus </it>predominates as a cause of clinical ovine mastitis in Norway, also in very severe cases. Results also indicate that <it>S. aureus </it>is frequently spread between udder halves of infected ewes.</p

Epidemiology of parasitic bronchitis in sheep

The epidemiology of parasitic bronchitis in sheep has been studied on two lowland farms in .Midlothian, Dryden and Easter Bush, during 1972-1975 and also in controlled experimental infections in housed sheep. The main techniques used to follow the infections were faecal larval counts, faecal egg counts, pasture larval counts, eosinophil counts and other haematological estimations, live weight gains, and wori: counts at autopsy in permanently pastured and tracer lambs.The main techniques used to follow the infections were faecal larval counts, faecal egg counts, pasture larval counts, eosinophil counts and other haematological estimations, live weight gains, and worm counts at autopsy in permanently pastured and tracer lambs.In the field studies Dictyrocaulus filaria, iuellerius capillaris and Pratostronvylus rufescens larvae were identified, but the latter were seen in small numbers only in the faeces from lambs at Easter Bush, while L. capillaris were seen In the faeces from ewes at Dryden . D. filaria larvae were found mainly in lambs' faeces, with only very low numbers being occasionally found in ewes' faeces. The prevalence of D. filaria in lambs increased slowly during the summer to reach a pe..1, in autumn, thereafter the lambs appeared to become resistant to the infection. The peripheral eosinophil counts tended to increase gradually in these animals to reach a high peak at about the same time as the numbers of larvae in the faeces dropped to a very low level.The studies on pasture samples showed that the number of D. filaria larvae on the herbage remained low throughout the year, although there was a small rise in early autumn. The observations on the tracer lambs also suggested that the highest levels of infection with D. filaria were acquired at this time.Soar lambs appeared to be more susceptible to D. filaria infection than Blackface lambs running on the same pasture , an a male Blackface lambs appeared to be more susceptible to this parasite than female lambs. However, no difference was demonstrated between Blackface lambs, Merino lambs and Southdown lambs running on the same pasture. April-born Suffolk lambs tended to show higher larval counts than Suffolk-cross lambs born about the same time, whereas January-born Suffolk lambs showed rather lower counts during their first year of life. In all the breeds some of the lambs, or yearlings in the case of the January-born Suffolks, showed a further small increase in the numbers of D. filaria larvae in their faeces during the early spring.Several controlled experiments with D. filaria infections were carried out in housed experimental lambs and goats. Single infections confirmed earlier findings that even young lambs and kids became resistant to re-infection and eliminated their burdens within 3-0 weeks of patency.An attempt to simulate the natural pattern of infection with D. filaria in lambs by the administration of a slowly escalating :infection, ave rise to a prolonged infection similar to that seen under field conditions. When these animals were challenged with 40 third-stage D. filaria larvae por Kg bodyweight 28 weeks after initial infection, only the control lambs developed a patent infection with a marked increase in their peripheral eosinophil counts. The eosinophilia was not soon in the previously infected and challenged group and these lambs continued to show only the residual faecal larval counts

Theoretical Analysis and Development of an Artificial Neural Network Model to Evaluate Earthen Dam Slope Stability

In the design of earth dams, it must be considered that the water leakage through the earth dam generates upward and pore pressure, in addition to leakage forces that cause internal erosion, which has a direct influence on the structural stability of this system. Also, the rising and dropping in the water level has a direct effect on the stability of the dam's face slope. One way to solve these issues is the installation of a core or a horizontal water drainage system. The present study relied on the GEO-Studio computer tool to evaluate cross-sectional models of earthen dams by determining the safety factor under different situations represented by a change in filter type, and the flow state as a result of raising and lowering the water level at the dam reservoir and the full fill condition of the dam reservoir. The research found that the existence of a core substantially contributed to improving the safety coefficient for the case of rising the water level (2m) and rapidly rising by assigning it the greatest safety coefficient values. The absence of a filter had an opposite influence on the safety coefficient by decreasing it. Also, the factor of safety for the downstream slope was affected by less than 5% for different flow conditions, compared with the higher effect generated by the upstream slope. Furthermore, an artificial neural network model with an accuracy ratio of more than 97% was developed for the predicted safety factor

Effect of crude alcoholic celery (Apium graveolens) leaves extract on fertility in albino female mice

Sixty albino female mice were used in this experiment to study the possible effect of the crude alcoholic extract of the celery leaves on their fertility. These animals were randomly and equally divided into three experimental groups (20 females/group). The first and second groups were orally given a daily dose of 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight, respectively, of the crude alcoholic extract, while the third group (control) was similarly treated, at the same time, with 0.1 ml/gm body weight of physiological saline for comparison. The treatment, however, lasted for 25 consecutive days. On day 26, after treatment was stopped, the life body weight of all animals was recorded before sacrificing the animals. Thereafter blood samples were collected by heart puncture for hormonal (estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone) determination. Reproductive organs (ovaries and uteri) were also isolated and preserved for histological studies. Active ingredients in the extracts were analytically tested. The test gave positive results for flavonoids, steroids, tannins and terbenoids. The effect of the extract on the studied parameters which are related to the fertility is reflected in the following results: 1) significant (