SOUTHERN JOURNAL OF SCIENCES

Background: Background: Vitamin D plays an essential role in bone health and overall physiological function, and its deficiency is common in children and adolescents with β-thalassemia major (βTM). Iron overload, as reflected by elevated ferritin, may further influence vitamin D status. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate serum vitamin D levels in βTM patients and determine their association with ferritin levels. Methods: A total of 40 βTM patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls (aged 4–25 years) were enrolled between October 2024 and February 2025. Serum vitamin D, calcium, ferritin, and hemoglobin were measured. Statistical analysis, including correlation and logistic regression, was performed using SPSS v.26 to identify predictors of vitamin D deficiency. Results: Vitamin D deficiency was highly prevalent among βTM patients (70%) compared with controls. Patients showed significantly lower vitamin D levels (17.32±1.56) than controls (25.34±1.76). Vitamin D levels were positively correlated with age (r = 0.788), calcium (r = 0.772), and hemoglobin (r = 0.771), and negatively correlated with ferritin (r = −0.517). Logistic regression demonstrated that ferritin >1000 ng/mL strongly predicted vitamin D deficiency (OR = 17.875; 95% CI: 3.258–98.074; p = 0.001), while younger age ( < 10 years) also increased the odds of deficiency (OR = 5.200; p = 0.018). Discussion: D deficiency is a prevalent and intrinsic metabolic disturbance in β-thalassemia major, closely linked to chronic iron overload and elevated ferritin levels. This interplay disrupts hepatic vitamin D hydroxylation, induces inflammation, and contributes to endocrine and skeletal complications, highlighting ferritin as a key predictor of deficiency in these patients. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in βTM and is strongly associated with elevated ferritin levels, suggesting that iron overload is a significant predictor. Integrating vitamin D assessment into routine monitoring may support better management of disease-related metabolic disturbances in patients with βTM.

The main vector of mechanization and automation of livestock farming at the present stage of technological development of producers is the improvement of resource-saving technologies and technical devices that enables agricultural producers to produce relatively expensive and high-quality equipment to improve conditions for the animals. This article was considered a method for effective fractionation of manure on pig farms to further obtain humus for soil fertilization. The optimal conditions for the performance of the presented gadget were identified, namely: the time spent by the manure mass in the rotor is 0.1, with a separation factor of 170 to 180, the partition for the filter is made of metal sheet with holes whose diameter varies from 0.8 to 1.5 mm and a thickness of no more than 1 mm. The device presented in the manuscript has several advantages in the form of automation, low energy consumption and cost, novelty, and high efficiency.

Background: Diabetes Type 2 is a complex disorder described by an imbalance between insulin resistance and secretion that induce liver glucose output. It has been shown that serum insulin levels are affected by a sperm plasma membrane and acrosome. Therefore, during insulin resistance spermatogenesis changes, diabetic patients detect testicular changes. Aims: This research aims to know the effect of diabetic type 2 on some aspects of fertility in men by studying the characteristics of the semen and some biochemical parameters in seminal plasma. Methods: This study was achieved at the Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes Specialists in Maysan province from February to November 2018 and included 45 men (30 diabetic and 15 healthy in the control group) aged 30 to 59 years. The patients were divided according to age into two groups, the first (30-39) and second (40-59) years, also divided by the duration of diabetes into two groups, the first (1-5) and second (6-10) year. Results: The pH of semen in the second age group (40-49 years) group and first duration (1-5 years) group were significantly decreased (P <0.05) in diabetes compared with the control group. Volume and viscosity did not have significant differences in patients compared to the control following the age and duration of diabetes. Liquefaction only in the first age (30-39 years) group significantly increased (P <0.05) compared to the control. The concentration of sperm, progressive motility, non-progressive and normal morphology decreased (P <0.05) significantly. While the sluggish, dead, and abnormal morphology significantly increased (P <0.05) in all diabetes groups compared with the control. The fructose and alkaline phosphatase values in the seminal plasma were not differing significantly in patients compared with the control. Zinc and glutathione values decreased significantly (P <0.05) compared with control in each age and duration of diabetes. Discussion: Insulin stimulates the Ledying cell function, defect insulin effect on spermatogenesis. Impaired sperm motility in a patient with D.M. might be attributed to many reasons, such as increased ROS level, altered mitochondria DNA, and decreased epididymal products. Conclusion: our measurement indicates that there is an effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus on semen parameters and seminal plasma biochemical parameters.