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Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone) stands out from other members of the vitamin K family due to its unique molecular structure. It is primarily found in meat and dairy products or converted from K1 in the gut. The conversion process of K1 to K2 in animal tissues, along with the role of intestinal bacteria in K2 production, is crucial for maintaining adequate levels. Extensive research has highlighted the importance of vitamin K2 in promoting bone health, preventing arterial calcification, and enhancing cardiovascular health. Additionally, vitamin K2 supports fertility and growth, and is associated with reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex degenerative articular disease that has an ambiguous pathogeny because variant risk factors participate in the process of cartilage deterioration. Genetic factors may have a role in the onset and progression of OA. Objective To investigate potential association between severity of knee OA (KOA) and Double von Willebrand factor A domains DVWA rs11718863 gene polymorphism. Methods One hundred and twenty Iraqi patients diagnosed with KOA, aged (45 years and above) and sixty healthy people (control) at the same age range, with no family history of OA were evaluated at Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical City (Rheumatology Department). The degree of severity of KOA was assessed by clinical and radiographic assessment. DVWA rs11718863 genotyping was performed using DNA sequencing (Sanger's method). Results Two different genotypes wild homozygote (TT) genotype and heterozygote (AT) appeared by genotyping of DVWArs:11718863. Highly significant difference (p<0.001) was found in distribution of the two genotypes in the three study groupsl the genotype (TT) was more frequent in control group (95.0%). Also, high significant difference (p<0.001) was noted in the two alleles (A, T) frequencies between control group and KOA patients group giving odd ratio 6.437 with 95% confidence intervals of (1.93-21.42). Conclusion Iraqi subjects carrying AT genotype of DVWA rs11718863 gene are mostly susceptible for developing of KOA and the allele A of Tyr169Asn polymorphism are more frequent in those patients indicating that allele A may be a risk factor of onset of this disease. Age and body mass index are considered risk factors of onset and progression of KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hypertensive pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia show an increase in maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.Color Doppler ultrasound has been employed for fetal surveillance. Objective: To evaluate the role of Doppler study in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes in hypertensive pregnant women at the third trimester of pregnancy. Patients and Methods: A clinical prospective follow up study conducted in Outpatient Ultrasound Clinic at Al-Imamein Kadhimein Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq from 1st July, 2018 till 31st of July 2019 included 50 pregnant women with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy at the third trimester. The fetal and neonatal outcome was reported poor when intrauterine fetal death occurs during follow-up of pregnant women or more than two of the reported neonatal complications were poor. Results: Means of the middle cerebral artery and umbilical artery-resistance and pulasatility indices ratio were significantly decreased among pregnant women with poor neonatal outcomes. Similarly, the umbilical artery end-diastolic flow and Ductus Venousu waveforms were Conclusion: The middle cerebral artery and umbilical artery indices of pregnant women with hypertensive disorders are good predictors for neonatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to uncover the changing climatic characteristics of the Iraqi regional water region as a result of global climate change and as a result of the lack of climatic studies on the region. All commercial and oil ports are in this region addition to that it is the point of a permanent border dispute between neighboring countries as well as its importance as the only marine fisheries for Iraq. This study based on the data got from Basra oil port and Boubyan stations for the period from 1981 to 2018 as well as from the analysis of time series and its direction as shown in the following results. There is a general trend of high temperature rise, as it recorded a positive change for all months of the study period. The presence of a general trend for the increase in the minimum temperatures in it recorded a positive change for all months of the study period. It is noted that the changes in the lower temperatures were greater than those of the great ones due to climate change in which the temperature changes. It reflects negatively on the marine environment, especially fish migration, decreasing and extinction of some species. There is a variation in the direction of wind speeds between the two stations, as Boubyan station recorded positive change rates for all months of the year, while it tended to decrease during January and April in the oil port. Despite the occurrence of stations in the study area within a coastal and water environment, it recorded its general trend of low relative humidity rates for all months, and this indicates an increase in air dryness caused by an increase in the frequency of dry northwest winds and a decrease repeated wet naughty south winds. The decrease of rainfall amounts on the stations of the region .The presence of a trend for a decrease in the frequency of dust storms within the study area, as the amount of its annual change in Boubyan Station reached storms, which is of great importance to the maritime transport sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elastosonography is a promising non-invasive technique that developed in recent years for evaluating thyroid nodules. It assesses nodule stiffness or displacement depending on the applied force to differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of real time US elastography in the differentiation the benign from malignant thyroid nodule. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional was carried out on 40 patients attending ultrasound unit/radiology in Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical city in Baghdad/Iraq from September 2018 to August 2019. All patients were examined by B-mode ultrasound, color Doppler, and real-time elastography by Voluson-E6 Ultrasound machine. Final diagnoses obtained from histological and/or cytological evaluation. Results: The mean age of 40 patients was 43.7±11.7 years with the range of 25-70 years. 28 (70%) of them were female and 12 (30%) were male. Of the 40 lesions 34 (85%) were benign and 6 (15%) were malignant lesions. Malignant thyroid nodules were significantly hypoechoic, with irregular margin, taller than wider, showed microcalcification and exhibited a significant increase in vascularity with varying rate of sensitivity and specificity. Orientation (taller than wider) was the most ultrasound predictive pattern of malignancy with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 66.7%, 100%, and 92.5% respectively. The mean strain ratio of all nodules was 2.7±2.1 ranged 0.4-13.5 with significant result. The optimal strain ratio cutoff value was >2.5 and showed to have a sensitivity of 100%, specificity 88.2%, positive predictive value 67%, negative predictive value 100%, and accuracy rate 90%. Conclusion: Elastosonography can assist in the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid nodules, as strain elastosonography improve the diagnostic performance in differentiating the benign and malignant thyroid nodule. strain ratio is higher in malignant than benign nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease with a chronic relapsed-remitting course with manifestations started at early childhood. AD is two types; extrinsic and intrinsic. Zinc has a crucial role in the immune system functions and antioxidant mechanisms, it also serves in the metabolism and cell growth through signaling several enzymes. Objective To assess serum zinc level in patients with childhood AD. Methods A case-controlled study was conducted in Dermatology outpatient’s clinic in Al-Imamein Al-Kadhimein Medical City, from the period of September 2016-June 2017. Twenty patients with AD were enrolled in this study. AD severity was graded using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD). The control group consisted of age-matched and sex-matched twenty healthy children were taken with weight above 80%. Fasting blood samples were taken from patients and controls between 8 AM and 10 AM. Results Of the twenty patients of AD, 13 (65%) were males and 7 (35%) were females. Their mean age was 4.58±3.13. Regarding the control group 9 (45%) were males and 11 (55%) were females, their mean age was 4.29±2.46. No statistical difference in serum zinc level between AD patients and control groups. Concerning zinc level in males and females, no statistical differences was found in AD patients, but highly significant difference was found in control group. Serum zinc level was highly significantly low in patients with moderate AD than in those with mild AD. There was negative correlation between serum zinc level and severity of AD. Conclusion There is a negative correlation between serum zinc level and severity of AD, also there is a gender variation in serum zinc level in normal children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:At least in 25% of infertile men, no identifiable cause can be attributed to the problem,so it is termed idiopathic infertility. Those men are candidates for empiric medical therapy which include antioxidant therapy. Men upplement Plus (MFS Plus) uses a powerful all-natural formula of many antioxidants in addition to Relora to improve semen quality. Objectives:To evaluate the effect of MFS Plus on sperms concentration, motility and morphology in men with oligo and/or asthenozoopermia in sample of Iraqi infertile males. Methods:Acomparative clinical trial study was conducted at High Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies during the period from July 2015 till February 2017. Male partner of infertile couples who had one or more of the following criteria oligo, astheno, and/or teratozospermia according to criteria of WHO 2010 were involved in this study. Eighty-one males were divided randomly into two groups, the first group (group A) were given MFS Plus capsule AMS® (America Medic & Science) two capsules twice daily for three months and the second group (group B) were given vitamin E capsule (one capsule three times daily) for the same period.A second semen analysis were done after three months for each subject in both groups to show the effect of both types of treatment on semen quality. Results:There was a highly significant increase in sperms progressive motility % (14.0±11.41 vs 29.35±15.61, p value < 0.001) and a highly significant decrease in immotile sperms % (60.15±19.3 vs 41.52±18.18, p value < 0.001) in the group of patients who received MFS Plus treatment. Moreover, there was significant increase in sperm concentration and percentage of normal sperm morphology (p value = 0.027, 0.019 respectively). However, no significant change was observed regarding semen volume and percentage of non-progressive motility.Whereas there were no significant changes in any of semen analysis parameters in the group of patients (group B) who received placebo. Conclusion:MFS Plus usage for three months is very beneficial for sperm motility in addition to its valuable effect on sperm concentration and morphology and it is more efficient than vitamin E alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Male infertility constitutes about 50% of overall causes of infertility and apoptosis is known to have an essential role in the control of germ cell number in testis. Cigarette smoking is common in males at reproductive age. Studying the influence of smoking on apoptosis in male genital tract and its influence on fertility helps in the management of infertility in smokers. Objectives To assess the influence of cigarette smoking on seminal plasma (SP) soluble Fas (sFas) and the correlation between SP sFas and serum sex steroidal hormones and conventional semen parameters in males of infertile couples. Methods Seventy male partners of infertile couples (30 smokers and 40 non-smokers) were enrolled in this study. A subject was considered smoker if he had history of smoking of more 10 cigarettes per day for at least one year. Semen analysis was done according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2010. Specific kits were used for the measurement of SP sFas and serum testosterone and estradiol (E2). Results In smokers' group, SP sFas was significantly (p <0.05) negatively correlated with age and sperm motility and positively correlated with immotile sperm and round cell number. Conclusion Germ cell apoptosis in smoker males of infertile couples is interrelated with sperm motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]