Research
Direct antisperm antibody examination of infertile men
The study was conducted to elucidate the correlation between direct antisperm antibody (ASA) test and some semen characters of infertile men at the Institute of Embryo Researches and Infertility Treatment at Al-Nahrain University from March 2009 to June 2010. Microscopic and macroscopic semen analysis, Direct Sperm MAR IgA test and Direct Sperm MAR IgG test were performed on semen samples. Forty-two men were included in the study, of whom, all underwent direct sperm MAR IgA test, but due to observer bias, only 36 Direct sperm MAR IgG tests were included in the study. There was a significant correlation between suspected IgA and viscosity (r=0.65, p=0.02 ); suspected IgA and pH (r=0.42, p=0.04 ); and suspected IgG and liquefaction time (r=0.44, p=0.04). A significant negative correlation was found between suspected IgG and progressive sperm motility (r=-0.44, p=0.04); suspected IgG and suspected IgA with morphologically normal sperm percentage (r=-0.65, p=0.03 and r=-0.43, p= 0.04, respectively); suspected IgG and sperm agglutination (r=- 0.54, p=0.03). This study, recommends the use of Direct tests instead of the indirect assays in andrology laboratories in Iraq.
The effect of some factors on stillbirth in primiparous and multiparous Holstein cattle in Iraq
A total of 9691 records of calves belonged to 3076 Holstein cows and 58 sires were analyzed from 1995 to 1999 , at Nasr Dairy Cattle Station. The aim of the research is to evaluate sires geneticelly by using best linear unbiased prediction ( BLUP) according to the stillbirths of their daughters after adjusting for fixed effects and to estimate heritability, phenotypic trend for the mentioned trait.Data were analayzed by using General Linear Model within SAS program to investigate the effect of some fixed factors ( season and year of calving, parity sex of calf ) on the stillbirths. Components of variance for the random effects in the employed mixed model were estimated by the Minimum Variance Quadratic Unbiased Estimation (MIVQUE) method. The Harvey program was also used to estimate BLUP values for sires. The overall mean of stillbirths was 11.19% in primiparous, 8.69% in multiparous and 9.49% in both of them.The effect of all fixed factors was significant (P < 0.01 ) . Heritability of direct effect estimated for stillbirth rates in primiparous and multiparous and in both of them were 0.03 , 0.007 , 0.02 respectively ,whereas corresponding estimates of heritability of maternal effects were 0.04 .0.02 ,0.03 respectively. Phenotypic trend of stillbirths in primiparous was positive and non significant ( 0.19% / year) whereas negative and non-significant ( P < 0.05 ) (- 0.11%/year) in multiparous and in both of them (- 0.07%/year). Minimum and maximum BLUP values of sires for stillbirths were 7.33 and 10.33% respectively.
