In this work, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and sawdust/epoxy composite (20:80) were mixed using a simple molding method with different ZnONPs concentrations of (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 %). The samples of the nanocomposites were characterized by the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technique to demonstrate the homogeneity of the prepared ZnONPs/nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was examined using the methylene blue (MB) dye as a pollutant solution, through evaluation of the efficiency of the prepared compound in the treatment of organic pollutants under illumination by sunlight. The photocatalytic results showed that after 240 minutes of exposure to sunlight, the sample prepared using (0.5 vol.% of ZnON

 The study was conducted to isolate and identify endophytic fungi from leaves and twigs of lebbeck (Albizia lebbeck) and study their antagonistic activity against some plant fungal pathogens. Results showed isolation of 75 isolate endophytic fungi from 240 segments of leaves and twigs representing colonization frequency of 47.43%. Isolated fungi included different species of Aspergillus which prevail over other species (6 species), and three different isolates of Penicillium, one more species of Paecilomyces, Drechslera, Fusarium, Curvularia, Nigrospora and hyaline sterile fungus. Results showed variation in colonization frequencies within all species isolated from the two plant parts.  Dual culture methods for

Background: Anemia is a common finding in patients with renal failure disease and it is, primarily, due to reduced production of iron and erythropoietin. Therefore, the aim of current study was to evaluate the relationship between serum level of hepcidin 25, on the one hand, and levels of serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, serum erythropoietin and transferrin saturation% in Iraqi male patients undrgoning haemodialysis.. Methods: Serum from75 males in the end stage of hemodialysis, as group one, and 25 Iraqi healthy malecontrols, as group two, were recruited in this study. Results: Data from current study showed significant increase in hepcidin 25 and significant decrease in serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturati

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of methotrexate (MTX) with and without vitamin A (Vit. A) on some biochemical parameters and histological structure in male rabbits liver. Twenty male rabbits weighing 1250-1480 gm were divided into four equal number groups. The first group was given 2 ml distilled water as control group. The second group was given MTX (20 mg/kg), the third group was given Vit. A (5000 IU), while the fourth group was given MTX (20 mg/kg) +Vit. A (5000 IU) in alternative days. Following four weeks of treatment, lipid profile total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), [low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)]; in addition to thyroid hormones tr

Background: Disinfection and shaping of the canal with a combination of chem¬ical agents and endodontic instruments play an important role in the success of endodontic therapy. Eliminating the microorganisms within the pulp space is a critical and important objective in treating a tooth with apical periodontitis. This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial properties of herbal alternatives (Green tea and siwak extracts) as possible irrigants during endodontic treatment compared with the conventional irrigation solutions. Materials and methods: Salvadora Persica (siwak) and Green Tea solutions were prepared.An agar diffusion test was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar using the well diffusion method. The tested solutions (5.25% N

This study aimed to determine the effect of green bismuth oxide (BiO) NPs against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) from wound infections. Among 450 wound samples collected from patients admitted to the hospital, 200 P. aeruginosa isolates were identified. MDR strains of P. aeruginosa were detected by disc diffusion method. BiO NPs were synthesized using wild Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) strain and infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The antibacterial effect of the NPs compared to antibiotics against MDR strains was evaluated using a standard disk diffusion method. BiO NPs were synthesized at 0.005 M concentration of solution. According to the SEM im

The neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have the potential to be inflammatory markers that reflect the activity of many inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NLR and PLR as potential markers of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of GKB in the rat model of granulomatous inflammation. Thirty rats were distributed into five groups:  The first group served as negative control group that received distilled water (DW) only without inducting inflammation, positive control group; treated with DW with the induction of inflammation and they were assigned to cotton pellet-induced granuloma, ginkgo biloba (GKB) treated group (200mg/kg/day), dexamethasone-treated group (1mg/kg), and Prednisolone treated group (5mg/kg). All the treatments were given orally for seven consecutive days.  On day eight, the rats were anesthetized and the pellets together with granulation tissue were carefully removed

Background. Material tribology has widely expanded in scope and depth and is extended from the mechanical field to the biomedical field. The present study aimed to characterize the nanocoating of highly pure (99.9%) niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and vanadium (V) deposited on 316L stainless steel (SS) substrates which considered the most widely used alloys in the manufacturing of SS orthodontic components. To date, the coating of SS orthodontic archwires with Nb, Ta, and V using a plasma sputtering method has never been reported. Nanodeposition was performed using a DC plasma sputtering system with three different sputtering times (1, 2, and 3 hours). Results. Structural and elemental analyses were conducted on the deposited coating