Detection of Human Parvovirus B19 antibodies in Pregnant Women with Spontaneous Abortion

Background: Viral infection in pregnancy is known to cause many problems such as fetal malformation; growth restriction and even fetal death; the relationship between viral infection and abortions is not well understood. The infection during pregnancy can affect the fetus due to lack of mother’s immunity. Objective: To assess the frequency of human parvovirus B19-specific antibody type IgM and IgG among pregnant women with spontaneous abortion. Patients and Methods: A semi-quantitative enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique was applied for detection of anti-human parvovirus B19 IgM (Ridascreen-K6031-Germany) and IgG (Ridascreen -K6021- Germany) in sera of 90 pregnant women who have previously experienced abortion were collected from Al-Batool teaching hospital for maternity and children in Baquba-Diyala province, Iraq, during the period from October 2014 till May 2015. The age was ranged from 18-40 years. Statistical analysis was performed by using statistical package of social sciences, version-16, and P-value of < 0.05 as significant difference. Results: Among study group the mean age was 26.57 years, with an age range 18-40 years. Seropositivity rate was 11.11% (10 cases) for an individual occurrence of human parvovirus B19 IgM alone and 13.33% (12 cases) for a similar individual rate of human parvovirus B19 IgG, while 6 cases (6.66%) had both types of antibodies. Multiple variables regarding occurrence of anti-human parvovirus B 19 specific IgM and IgG antibody simultaneously, was evaluated, and none the variables had significant difference. Conclusion: The fact that 31.11% of studied participants had specific Parvovirus B19 antibody revealed a high occurrence of primary acute parvovirus infection and non-immune against parvovirus B19. Considering the potential role of this virus in abortion and fetal death, it emphasizes the importance of Parvovirus infection in pregnant women also this finding is comparable with that in the other countries

Detection and Localization of Latent Membrane Protein and Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 In Patients With Transitional Cell Carcinoma (Tcc) of The Bladder

Background: Transitional Cell Carcinomas (TCC) of the urinary bladder constituted a major health problem and can be a leading cause of death. Recently some studies link viral infection with bladder carcinoma as an important etiological factor. There are several proteolytic enzymes which are responsible for the degradation of the extra cellular components and have an essential role in tumor invasion and metastasis such as Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Objective: To investigated the correlation between latent membrane protein-1(LMP-1) and MMP-9 with tumorgenesis of transitional cell carcinoma of bladder.  Materials and methods: Fifty formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues with TCC of the bladder from Specialized Surgical Hospital in Baghdad were included in this study. In addition, ten healthy individual samples exposed to same procedure were considered as control group. Tissue blocks were sectioned on charged slides and used for the detection of LMP-1 and MMP-9. Results: Latent membrane protein-1 localized by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) within the nuclei of cancer cell was detected in 22 cases (44%). While MMP-9 was detected in 32 cases (64 %) during used in situ hybridization (ISH). Statistical analysis was found significant differences between expressions of LMP-1, MMP-9 in TCC of the bladder. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggested that EBV and MMP-9 may play an important role in tumor sections of TCC of the bladder or could facilitate its progression. Histopathological, epidemiological and molecular studies are necessary to confirm our observation in Iraqi populations

Brown macroalgae as bio-indicators for heavy metals pollution of Al-Jubail coastal area of Saudi Arabia

Wastes from both industrial and domestic sources, as well as habitat destruction have a substantial impact on the coastal environments. It causes serious problems in many countries and for several seas and oceans which leads to the extinction of several plant and animal species. Many water resources are no longer suitable for drinking or for agriculture as a result of pollution. The main aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of four brown macroalage as bioindicators for toxic heavy metals (manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenite (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb)) along Al-jubail industrial city coast at Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia). Brown macroalage samples were collected from three different sites in three time points, January, March and May, 2010. The four collected brown macroalgae were identified as Sargassum angustifolium, Sargassum boveanum, Sargassum latifolium, and Padina gymnospora. The algal samples were cleaned using sea water and distilled water, dried, and the concentrations of various toxic metals were determined. The average concentrations of Mn, Co, Ni and Cd were within the expected limits of un-contaminated areas. However, the results indicate the high level of Zn ion accumulation in all tested brown algae, showing highest concentration in S. angustifolium &gt; P. gymnospora &gt; S. latifolium &gt; S. boveanum with highest Zn concentration of 991 ± 49.1, 988 ± 47.5, 980 ± 44.2, and 911 ± 39.7 µg g-1 dry weights, respectively. In addition, Cu was detected at high concentration of 92.1 ± 3.7 ìg g-1 dry weight in S. boveanum. These results clearly indicate the high pollution levels of Al-jubail industrial city coast with Zn and Cu toxic heavy metals, which is mostly due to uncontrolled disposal of industrial waste into coastal area. Furthermore, the consistency of Zn concentrations in all tested brown algae indicated the efficiency of the tested algae, including P. gymnospora, S. angustifolium, S. latifolium, and S. boveanum, for bioaccumulation and bio-monitoring studies of Zn.Key words: Brown algae, heavy metals, bio-indicators, Sargassum sp., Padina sp

Palynological Study to Some Taxa of the genus Colchicum L. (Colchicaceae)

                  In this study, pollen grains of six taxa of the genus Colchicum L. that collected from the wild population during the flowering time in spring and autumn season in northern and northeastern regions of Iraq were investigated under light microscope (LM)and scanning electron microscope (SEM), three of the taxa were studied for the first time. We recorded the morphological features (shape, size, colour, number of aperture, symmetrical and ornamentation), The polar and equatorial axis dimensions of each pollen grain were calculated to obtain the ratio between the two dimensions that determine the shape of the pollen grains, then We found different points where each type of the species can be distinguished by pollen grains. they are diporate, Isopolar, bilateral symmetry, have circular shape in polar view, most of them are oblate shape in equatorial view, others are convex of one or two sides, exine ornamentation mostly reticulate but one is microreticulate

Asian Pigeonwing Plants (Clitoria ternatea) Synergized Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Modulating the Inflammatory Response in Rats with Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury is a heterogeneous set of disorders distinguished by a sudden decrease in the glomerular filtration rate, which is evidenced by an increase in the serum creatinine concentration or oliguria and categorized by stage and cause. It is an ever-growing health problem worldwide, with no reliable treatment. In the present study, we evaluated the role of Clitoria ternatea combined with mesenchymal stem cells in treating cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury in rats. Animals were challenged with cisplatin, followed by 400 mg/kg of Asian pigeonwing extract and/or mesenchymal stem cells (106 cells/150 g body weight). Kidney functions and enzymes were recorded, and histopathological sectioning was also performed. The expression profile of IL-1&beta;, IL-6, and caspase-3 was assessed using the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The obtained data indicated that mesenchymal stem cells combined with the botanical extract modulated the creatinine uric acid and urea levels. Cisplatin increased the level of malondialdehyde and decreased the levels of both superoxide dismutase and glutathione; however, the dual treatment was capable of restoring the normal levels. Furthermore, all treatments modulated the IL-6, IL-1&beta;, and caspase-3 gene expression profiles. The obtained data shed some light on adjuvant therapy using C. ternatea and mesenchymal stem cells in treating acute kidney injury; however, further investigations are required to understand these agents&rsquo; synergistic mechanisms fully. The total RNA was extracted from the control, the positive control, and all of the therapeutically treated animals. The expression profiles of the IL-6, IL-1&beta;, and caspase-3 genes were evaluated using the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cisplatin treatment caused a significant upregulation in IL-6. All treatments could mitigate the IL-6-upregulating effect of cisplatin, with the mesenchymal stem cell treatment being the most effective. The same profile was observed in the IL-1&beta; and caspase-3 genes, except that the dual treatment (mesenchymal stem cells and the botanical extract) was the most effective in ameliorating the adverse effect of cisplatin; it downregulated caspase-3 expression better than the positive control

A QoS Aware Cluster Head Selection and Hybrid Cryptography Routing Protocol for Enhancingm Efficiency and Security of VANET

Nowadays, VANET (Vehicular Ad hoc Network) is one of the key aspects of developing advanced intelligent transportation systems. Due to its huge mobility and rapid topology alteration, the network exposes to link failure that affects the firmness of the network and causes delay and congestion. Additionally, the dynamic change in the network routing affects the network’s security, making it vulnerable to various attacks, and results data loss. An efficient and highly secured routing protocol is needed to overcome these drawbacks. Subsequently, this research proposes a new routing protocol that combines the Quality of Service (QoS)-aware Cluster Head (CH) selection and hybrid cryptography named QoS+. The QoS+ protocol is mainly divided into QoS-based CH selection and hybrid cryptography modules. The CH selection module based on QoS parameters attempts to provide reliable and stable clusters and improve the firmness and connectivity during the communication process of the network. The hybrid cryptography module contains Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Elliptic Curve Cryptosystems (ECC) algorithms. It attempts to improve the security and privacy of the network. The QoS+ protocol is evaluated by a developed VANET simulator using NS2 software. The simulator consists of a network model, a load model, and an attack model. Various speed and transmission ranges and gray hole and wormhole attacks are used in the simulator. The outcome calculated from the performance analysis shows that the proposed QoS+ protocol has a 7% to 24% higher message success rate, 500 to 800 higher packets normalized routing load, 350 to 550 Kbps higher throughput, 5% to 17% higher efficiency, and 50ms to 12ms lower end-to-end delay when compared with the earlier works of ECHS and KMSUNET. The proposed QoS+ protocol also achieves superior performance in terms of CH efficiency, cluster member efficiency, and average cluster number with various speeds and transmission ranges

A QoS Aware Cluster Head Selection and Hybrid Cryptography Routing Protocol for Enhancing Efficiency and Security of VANETs

Nowadays, VANET (Vehicular Ad hoc Network) is one of the key aspects of developing advanced intelligent transportation systems. Due to its huge mobility and rapid topology alteration, the network exposes to link failure that affects the firmness of the network and causes delay and congestion. Additionally, the dynamic change in the network routing affects the network&#x2019;s security, making it vulnerable to various attacks, and results data loss. An efficient and highly secured routing protocol is needed to overcome these drawbacks. Subsequently, this research proposes a new routing protocol that combines the Quality of Service (QoS)-aware Cluster Head (CH) selection and hybrid cryptography named QoS&#x002B;. The QoS&#x002B; protocol is mainly divided into QoS-based CH selection and hybrid cryptography modules. The CH selection module based on QoS parameters attempts to provide reliable and stable clusters and improve the firmness and connectivity during the communication process of the network. The hybrid cryptography module contains Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Elliptic Curve Cryptosystems (ECC) algorithms. It attempts to improve the security and privacy of the network. The QoS&#x002B; protocol is evaluated by a developed VANET simulator using NS2 software. The simulator consists of a network model, a load model, and an attack model. Various speed and transmission ranges and gray hole and wormhole attacks are used in the simulator. The outcome calculated from the performance analysis shows that the proposed QoS&#x002B; protocol has a 7&#x0025; to 24&#x0025; higher message success rate, 500 to 800 higher packets normalized routing load, 350 to 550 Kbps higher throughput, 5&#x0025; to 17&#x0025; higher efficiency, and 50ms to 12ms lower end-to-end delay when compared with the earlier works of ECHS and KMSUNET. The proposed QoS&#x002B; protocol also achieves superior performance in terms of CH efficiency, cluster member efficiency, and average cluster number with various speeds and transmission ranges

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US $92 492 million using approach 1 and$73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was $95 004 million using approach 1 and$75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially