West Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences

Seropositivity of human Adenovirus -36 and lymphocyte count in relation with Iraqi Obese patients

Huda Ibraheem Abd AL-Lateef — 2026-09-06

Background: The complications associated with obesity firstly duo to systemic inflammation that develops within adipose tissue. Adenovirus 36 (Adv36) has been suggested to be an obesity associated virus that regulates the metabolism of adipose tissue. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate whether there is an association between Adv36 seropositivity and obesity, and whether it correlates with body mass index (BMI) or lymphocyte count.
Methods: Eighty-one subjects were included in the study: 62 with obesity and 19 healthy normal weight controls. Serum antibodies specific for Adv36 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The clinical data collected comprised age, lymphocyte، body mass index (BMI), and lipid profile. Statistical comparisons were made for Adv36 seropositivity among obese and control groups and the relationships between Adv36 status and BMI, WBC, lymphocyte or lipid indices were analyzed.
Results: In both groups, results showed the overall Ad-36 seroprevalence was negative in non-obese and obese participant. Which revealed no association between Adv36 seropositivity and obesity. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between Adv36 negative and triglycerides, HDL C, LDL C, BMI, or total cholesterol.
Conclusions: In this cohort, Adv36 was not significantly linked to obesity; these null results may reflect limitations such as small sample size, limited power, or population-specific factors (e.g. environmental, genetic, viral exposure heterogeneity).
While previous studies suggest a possible role of Adv36 in “infect obesity,” our data do not support a connecting or strong association in this population. Larger, studies are suggested to better clarify the relationship between Adv36 infection and obesity development.

Cymothoa exigua (Tongue-Eating Louse): Biology, Geographic Distribution, Life Cycle, and Host–Parasite Interactions

Lubna Hussain Ali — 2026-09-07

Background: Cymothoa exigua (tongue-eating louse) is one of the most marine parasites within the family Cymothoidae because of its unique ability to replace the tongue of fish host. This topic also has scientific significance due to its environmental and health impacts.
Objectives: This review summarizes the biology, taxonomy, geographic distribution, life cycle, environmental specialization, host–parasite interactions of Cymothoa exigua, research gaps and future perspectives.
Methods: A narrative literature review conducted using published articles from scientific databases among them PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Peer-reviewed studies related to Cymothoa exigua were selected, reviewed and synthesized according to the objectives of this review.
Results: The literature indicates that Cymothoa exigua is distributed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, ther are also a few reports confirming its presence in other regions around the world. This parasite has a complex life cycle includes (protandrous hermaphroditism) and establishes itself within the oral cavity of fish. Tongue-replacement strategy of this parasite effects on host feeding, respiration, and reproductive performance. Significant gaps were also revealed concerning molecular taxonomy, host immune responses, and the effects of environmental changes on parasite distribution.
Conclusion: Cymothoa exigua is considered unique model for understanding coevolution between host and parasite and the mechanism of parasitism in the marine environment particularly in fish. Research that integrates ecological and microbiological aspects is important for understanding the biology of this parasite and for support fisheries management and conservation of marine biodiversity.

Interprotein Electron Transfer Between Ferredoxin and Ferredoxin–NADP⁺ Reductase: Electrostatic Steering Versus Conformational Gating in the Encounter Complex

Ahmed Shakir Ahmed — 2026-09-06

The transient complex formed between ferredoxin (Fd) and ferredoxin–NADP⁺ reductase (FNR) constitutes the terminal electron-transfer (ET) step of the photosynthetic electron transport chain, channeling reducing equivalents from Photosystem I to NADP⁺. Whether the rate of interprotein ET is governed predominantly by long-range electrostatic steering during association, or by conformational gating within the encounter complex, remains a central and incompletely resolved question. Here we combine laser flash photolysis, stopped-flow spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), site-directed mutagenesis of charged interface residues, and Brownian and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to dissect the relative contributions of these two mechanisms in the Anabaena PCC 7119 system at 298 K. We find that the observed first-order ET rate constant k_ET = 5.8 × 10⁴ s⁻¹ at low ionic strength is reduced more than tenfold at high ionic strength (1.0 × 10⁴ s⁻¹ at 500 mM NaCl), confirming a dominant electrostatic contribution to complex formation. Charge-reversal mutants of FNR (E301A, E139K) and Fd (E94K) reduce the bimolecular association rate constant k_on by up to 92%, while leaving the intracomplex ET rate largely unchanged, indicating that electrostatics primarily govern encounter rather than the activated ET step itself. The temperature dependence of k_ET yields an apparent activation enthalpy ΔH‡ = 38.4 kJ/mol that exceeds the Marcus-predicted barrier, and a solvent kinetic isotope effect of 1.6, both consistent with a partially rate-limiting conformational gating step. MD simulations reveal a 1.8 Å reorientation of the FAD isoalloxazine ring and a fluctuating donor–acceptor distance (10.4 ± 0.9 Å) that modulates electronic coupling. We conclude that electrostatic steering governs the rate of encounter-complex formation, whereas conformational gating modulates the productive ET rate within the bound state, and we propose a unified two-step model reconciling decades of apparently conflicting kinetic data.

DFT and TD-DFT Study of Structural, Electronic and Spectroscopic Properties of Imatinib Using Gaussian

Athraa Abass Gabber — 2026-09-06

Imatinib is a flexible, heteroaromatic tyrosine-kinase inhibitor whose clinical success and solid-state complexity make it a useful model for quantum-chemical investigation. This review summarizes how density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), particularly when implemented in Gaussian, can be applied to evaluate the structural, electronic and spectroscopic properties of imatinib and imatinib mesylate. The review covers molecular conformations, protonation states, polymorphism, geometry optimization, vibrational FT-IR/FT-Raman interpretation, frontier molecular orbitals, molecular electrostatic potential, natural bond orbital analysis, solvent effects, and TD-DFT simulation of UV–Vis transitions. The available literature shows that DFT is most informative when it is connected to experimental spectra, X-ray structures and realistic conformational/protonation models rather than a single isolated optimized structure. Recent crystal and computational studies also indicate that the extended and folded forms of imatinib are controlled by a delicate balance of intramolecular torsion, hydrogen bonding, π–π interactions, salt formation and receptor-environment effects. Therefore, a rigorous Gaussian-based study should include conformer screening, frequency validation, appropriate basis sets and functionals, solvent models such as PCM/SMD, and careful assignment of vibrational and electronic transitions.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of the modified Swim-Up Technique for sperm sex sorting

Saadi Shihab Dheyab Mustafa — 2026-09-06

The development of non-invasive approaches for the sperm sex sorting remains an area of considerable interest in assisted reproductive technologies. Although X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa are genetically distinct, the subtle differences in their physical characteristics can be exploited for sperm sex enrichment remains controversial. The swim-up technique primarily selects spermatozoa depending on motility and migration capacity and may therefore provide a potential basis for differential enrichment when its conventional protocol is appropriately modified. By using this technique, the faster spermatozoa can be separated which are believed to carry a higher percentage of Y- chromosome based on hypotheses proposed first in the sixties of last century.This prospective study aimed to comparatively evaluate the modified swim-up based techniques to differentially enrich Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa in human semen samples and to determine whether modification of sperm migration conditions could induce a measurable shift in the Y bearing spermatozoa ratio. The study included 93 couples, undergoing ICSI/PGT-A protocol, involving 93 semen samples and a total of 1247 oocytes divided into 2 groups. Semen samples were obtained from 93 participants and analysed according to standard laboratory criteria. Each sample subjected to a modified swim-up protocol designed to enhance the selection of highly progressive motile spermatozoa. After ICSI procedure and embryo formation, the proportions of XY and XX yielded embryos were determined using NGS technique. As a result, the higher proportion of XY embryos was associated with swim-up techniques with a percentage of 39.34%, compared to the non-swim-up approaches (31.98%), and the difference was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.025. These findings indicate that sperm migration under the modified conditions was associated with differential enrichment rather than absolute separation of X- and Y-bearing sperm populations.

Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Water Using Local Algal Species

Nagham Dawood Salman — 2026-09-06

Heavy metal contamination of water resources has become a major environmental challenge due to the persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation of these pollutants in aquatic ecosystems and living organisms. The present study evaluated the biosorption potential of two locally algal species, Oedogonium (filamentous green alga) and Chlorella (unicellular microalga), for the removal of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and copper (Cu) from contaminated water. Batch biosorption experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of pH, contact time, and algal biomass concentration on metal removal efficiency. Residual metal concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and removal efficiencies were calculated under different experimental conditions.
The results showed that both species were capable of removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions, but Oedogonium had a consistently higher biosorption capacity than Chlorella. The optimal pH and algal biomass concentration with maximum removal efficiencies were recorded at pH 7 and 100 mg/L, respectively. The maximum removal efficiencies were 91.03% for Cd, 74.63% for Pb, and 53.50% for Cu using Oedogonium, compared with 84.33%, 73.13%, and 49.79%, respectively, using Chlorella. As stated in the even better performance of Oedogonium can be explained by its morphology filamentous, therefore larger surface area and more actives sites for binding with maximum metal adsorption. These findings indicate that locally isolated algal biomass represents an environmentally friendly, sustainable, and cost-effective biosorbent for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated water. The study highlights the potential application of Oedogonium, in particular, as an efficient biological material for wastewater treatment.