Given the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that ama

The importance of specifying proper aggregate grading for achieving satisfactory performance in pavement applications has long been recognized. To improve the specifications for superior performance, there is a need to understand how differences in aggregate gradations within the acceptable limits may affect unbound aggregate base behavior. The effects of gradation on strength, modulus, and deformation characteristics of high-quality crushed rock base materials are described here. Two crushed rock types commonly used in constructing heavy-duty granular base layers in the State of Victoria, Australia, with three different gradations each were used in this study. The gradations used represent the lower, medium, and upper gradation li

In this study, experimental mortar combinations with 1% micro steel fibers, were examined to create geopolymer mortars. To test the effect of the fibers on the mortar's resistance, the geopolymer mortar was designed with various proportions of more environmentally friendly materials fly ash and slag. The percentage of fly ash by weight was 50, 60, and 70% of the slag. The best results were obtained when a 50:50 ratio of fly ash and slag were mixed with 1% micro steel fibers. The results showed that the mixtures containing fibers performed better in the considered tests (toughness index, ductility index, and resilience index). In the impact resistance test, the mixture contained 50% fly ash by weight of the slag with a temperature of

Titanium-dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles suspended in water, and ethanol based fluids have been prepared using one step method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and UV–visible spectrophotometer. The TiO₂ nanoparticles were added to base fluids with different volume concentrations from 0.1% to1.5% by dispersing the synthesized nanoparticles in deionized water and ethanol solutions. The effective thermal conductivity, viscosity and pH of prepared nanofluids at different temperatures from 15 to 30 ^oC were carried out and investigated. It was observed that the thermal conductivity, pH, and viscosity of nanofluids increases with the increase in TiO₂ nanoparticle volume fraction

This study was aimed to study the effect of adding transglutaminase (TGase) on the mechanical and reservation properties of the edible films manufactured from soybean meal protein isolate (SPI) and whey protein isolate(WPI). The results showed an improvement in the properties with increase in the WPI ratios. Thickness of the SPI films amounted 0.097 mm decreased to 0.096 mm for the WPI: SPI films at a ratio of 2:1, when TGase was added decreased to 0.075 mm. While the tensile strength increased from 7.64 MPa for SPI films to eight MPa for the WPI: SPI films at a ratio of 2:1, when TGase was added increased to 11.04 MPa. Also, the elongation of the WPI: SPI films at a ratio of 2:1 presence of the TGase decreased to 40.6% compared wit

Objective Advantageous properties of silicone elastomer made it one of the favorable materials in maxillofacial prosthesis construction, but these properties may change after months of usage or after pigments addition. This study aimed to define the optimum concentration for a mixture of two types of intrinsic pigments that added to VST-50 maxillofacial silicone material and study their effects on mechanical properties before and after artificial aging. Methods After the pilot study was conducted, 0.1% by weight of rayon flocking and 0. 2% by weight of burnt sienna intrinsic pigment concentration was selected because of improvement in tested mechanical properties of VST-50 maxillofacial silicone. A total of one hundred and eighty samples we

Purepolyaniline and doped with hydrochloric acid was prepared in different molarities at room temperature. The a.c electrical properties were stadied.AC conductivityσac (ω), is found to vary as ωS in the frequency range (100Hz-10MH), S< 1and decreases indicating a dominate hopping process. Thedielectric constant ε1and dielectric loss ε2 have been determined for bulk polyaniline. ε1 decrease with the increase frequency. Electrical conductivity measurements increase with the increases both of the amount of HCl and the dose of radiation. The dielectric investigations show decrease with dose radiation.

Background: Pumpkin seeds are a valuable source of high-quality protein and can be utilized as functional food ingredients due to their properties, such as solubility, foam formation, and stability. This study aims to produce protein isolate and its enzymatic hydrolysates from local pumpkin seeds to study their properties. Methodology: Preparing defatted pumpkin seeds for protein extraction, followed by the enzymes’ hydrolysis using Trypsin and Pepsin enzymes separately and together in two methods. The determination of amino acids and the degree of hydrolysis was conducted; moreover, protein properties were studied, including solubility, emulsifying activity, stability index, foaming capacity, and stability. Results: A protein sample was

Background: Bilosomes are lipid vesicles that exhibit flexibility and deformability. They consist of phospholipids and amphiphilic bile salts. Compared to the normal vesicular systems such as liposomes and niosomes, bilosomes provide several notable advantages, including simplified manufacturing, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced stability.

Aim: The main objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of different bile salts on the physical properties that include entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, and polydispersity index(PDI). In addition, in vitro drug release for nisoldipine (NSD) loaded bilosomes was evaluated.