Studies from our laboratory have shown that Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an ingredient found in marijuana plant Cannabis sativa, can attenuate acute lung injury induced by Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB). In the current study, we investigated the role of THC on the metabolism of SEB-activated lymphocytes. To this end, we determined metabolic potential of SEB-activated lymphocytes treated with vehicle or THC by performing the Cell Mito Stress Test. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in THC-treated cells was decreased when compared to vehicle-treated group whereas the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) was similar in both the groups. Specifically, electron transport chain inhibitors namely, oligomycin, FCCP and rotenone+antimycinA were added to measure ATP-linked respiration, maximal respiration and non-mitochondrial respiration, respectively. THC treatment led to a significant decrease in the basal respiration, ATP production, proton (H+) leak, maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity and nonmitochondrial respiration. We also performed the Mito Fuel Flex assay to measure the dependency, capacity and flexibility of cells to oxidize glucose, glutamine and fatty acids. Treatment with inhibitors, BPTES and etomoxir showed a decline in the OCR in SEB+vehicle treated cells demonstrating that glutamine and/or fatty acids serve as major source of fuel in these cells when compared to SEB+THC treated group. However, when UK5099 was added, THC- and vehicle-treated cells showed a reduced response thereby indicating that glucose dependency was similar in both the groups. Together, THC modulates metabolic functions of activated lymphocytes which may affect their signaling, differentiation and toxicity.
Malaysia's growing population and industrialisation have increased solid waste accumulation in landfills, leading to a rise in leachate production. Leachate, a highly contaminated liquid from landfills, poses environmental risks and affects water quality. Conventional leachate treatments are costly and time-consuming due to the need for additional chemicals. Therefore, the Electrocoagulation process could be used as an alternative method. Electrocoagulation is an electrochemical method of treating water by eliminating impurities by applying an electric current. In the present study, the optimisation of contaminant removal was investigated using Response Surface Methodology. Three parameters were considered for optimisation: the curr
... Show MorePurpose: To contribute to the development of an appropriate program for the management of medical waste based on clear-cut principles in order to reach the overall goal of improving the public health and environment of the population in our country.
Design / Approach / Introduction: The research is based on the analytical descriptive approach as a method of study in the field of data collection using a check list and analysis of the data through the use of some statistical treatments.
Results: The need is to establish a medical waste management in hospitals and follow international standards in all stages of waste management from sorting, collection, transportation and treat
... Show MoreBackground: Temporomandibular joint disorders refer to a group of heterogeneous pain and dysfunction conditions involving the masticatory system, reducing life quality of the sufferers. Arthrocentesis is simple and less invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of internal derangement than arthroscopy and better than other conservative procedures such as drugs, occlusal appliances and physiotherapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of arthrocentesis with injection of hyaluronic acid in the treatment of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint for the restoration of its function, reducing pain and preventing further deterioration of the temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Materials and methods: This study was perfo
... Show MoreRadiation treatment has long been the conventional approach for treating nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) tumors due to its anatomic features, biological characteristics, and radiosensitivity. The most common treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is radiotherapy. This study aimed to assess the better quality of radiotherapy treatment techniques using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT). The VMAT and IMRT are comparative techniques. Forty patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and forwarded for radiotherapy were treated with both advanced techniques, IMRT and VMAT, using eclipse software from Varian. The x-ray energy was set at 6 MV. The total prescribed dose was 70 Gy. The results show that the
... Show MoreThe current investigation examines the combined impacts of ultrasonic radiation and hydrogen donors on the viscosity of heavy crude oil. The impact of exposure time, power, duty cycle, and temperature on the viscosity of Iraqi heavy crude oil with 20.32 API was studied. Also, the viscosity of the oil samples, which were mixed with a hydrogen donor (decalin) and subjected to ultrasonic treatment under optimal conditions, was examined to evaluate the combined impact of ultrasonic radiation and hydrogen donor on the viscosity of crude oil. The viscosity experienced a decrease of 52.34% at 2 min of irradiation, 360 W ultrasonic power, 0.8 duty cycle, 35 ⁰C, and 8vol% decalin. To validate the outcomes of the experiments, asphaltene content, s
... Show MoreThis paper aims to evaluate large-scale water treatment plants’ performance and demonstrate that it can produce high-level effluent water. Raw water and treated water parameters of a large monitoring databank from 2016 to 2019, from eight water treatment plants located at different parts in Baghdad city, were analyzed using nonparametric and multivariate statistical tools such as principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The plants are Al-Karkh, Sharq-Dijlah, Al-Wathba, Al-Qadisiya Al-Karama, Al-Dora, Al-Rasheed, Al-Wehda. PCA extracted six factors as the most significant water quality parameters that can be used to evaluate the variation in drinkin
Tigris River is the lifeline that supplies a great part of Iraq with water from north to south. Throughout its entire length, the river is battered by various types of pollutants such as wastewater effluents from municipal, industrial, agricultural activities, and others. Hence, the water quality assessment of the Tigris River is crucial in ensuring that appropriate and adequate measures are taken to save the river from as much pollution as possible. In this study, six water treatment plants (WTPs) situated on the two-banks of the Tigris within Baghdad City were Al Karkh; Sharq Dijla; Al Wathba; Al Karama; Al Doura, and Al Wahda from northern Baghdad to its south, that selected to determine the removal efficiency of turbidity and
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