Back ground: Several devices with different physical bases have been developed for the clinical measurement of corneal thickness, they classified into 4 categories: Scheimpflug photography based, Slit –Scanning topography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) based and ultrasound (US) based.Objective:To evaluatethe precision of the new Scheimpflug –Placido disc corneal topography in measurement of corneal thickness and to compare the measured values with that obtained by US pachymetry.Methods: Setting of this study is Lasik center in Eye Specialty Private Hospital. Baghdad. Iraq.Eyes of healthy subjects were examined with the Sirius topography.3 consecutive measurements of central (CCT)and thinnest (TCT) corneal thicknesses were obtain

Prodigiosin is a ‘natural red pigment produced by Serratia marcescens which exhibits immunosuppressive and anticancer properties in addition to antimicrobial activities. This work presents an attempt to maximize the production of prodigiosin by two different strategies: one factor at time (OFAT) and statistical optimization. The result of OFAT revealed that sucrose and peptone were the best carbon and nitrogen sources for pigment production with concentration of prodigiosin of about 135 mg/ L. This value was increased to 331.6mg/ L with an optimized ratio of C/N (60:40) and reached 356.8 with pH 6 and 2% inoculum size at end of classical optimization. Statistical experimental design based on Response surface methodology was co

The behavior of AC conductivity (σ_ac), loss tangent (tan δ), and relative permittivity (ε′) for composites of PVC-P/graphite electrode waste (GEW) was investigated, and a qualitative explanation was provided as a function of PVC-P weight fractions (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25) wt. percent, temperature (30-90) °C, and frequency (100Hz-2MHz). The behaviors of the composites' ac. conductivity and impedance as a frequency function and temperature have been examined. The permittivity was shown to rise with increasing temperature (Tg). The relative permittivity increased as the GEW filler concentration increased and was highest in the low-frequency range; nevertheless decreased as the frequency increased.

Background: A global health concern is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The use of bacteriophages is one of the many novel control strategies against MRSA that are frequently sought. However, it is quite challenging to isolate enough lytic anti-MRSA phages. In order to extract, optimize, and remodel anti-MRSA phages, this study sought novel approaches.

Methods: Two ATCC MRSA strains and nine clinical MRSA isolates were used to isolate wild anti-MRSA phages from hospital settings, dirt, and sewage. The wild phages were optimized using plaque-based biokinetic techniques. Usi

Purpose: To synthesize and characterize novel Schiff base-chitosan composites and determine their antimicrobial activity. Methods: Novel Schiff-base chitosan composites were synthesized by grafting polyvinylpyrrolidone and then replacing it with different aldehydes. The resulting composites were characterized using advanced analytical techniques, including thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Results: The FT-IR results revealed that the Schiff-base chitosan was successfully produced during mixing and the crystallinity change of the samples was explained by the XRD patterns. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of compounds A1, A3 and A4 showed weight loss

The purpose of this research is to prepare new vanillic acid derivatives with 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol heterocyclic ring and evaluate their antimicrobial activity in a preliminary assessment. A multistep synthesis was established for the preparation of new vanillic acid-triazole conjugates. The intermediate of 4-(4-amino-5-mercapto-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)-2-methoxyphenol (4) reacts with different heterocyclic aldehydes (thiophene-2-carboxaldehyde, pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde, thiophene-3-carboxaldehyde, and furfural ) in ethanol containing few drops of acetic acid yielded the corresponding 4-(4-(substituted amino)-5-mercapto-4H-1,2,4-1triazol-3-yl)-2-methoxy phenol derivatives (5-8). These compounds were characterized spectroscopically by

Many researchers have tackled the shear behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams by using different kinds of strengthening in the shear regions and steel fibers. In the current paper, the effect of multiple parameters, such as using one percentage of Steel Fibers (SF) with and without stirrups, without stirrups and steel fibers, on the shear behavior of RC beams, has been studied and compared by using Finite Element analysis (FE). Three-dimensional (3D) models of (RC) beams are developed and analyzed using ABAQUS commercial software. The models were validated by comparing their results with the experimental test. The total number of beams that were modeled for validation purposes was four. Extensive pa

   The aim of the research is to demonstrate of the relation and the influence of the components of economic intelligence (strategic alertness, information security policy, impact policy) in achieving of economic growth (creativity, competitiveness, quality improvement). The questionnaire was used as a main tool for selected sample. Answers analyzed by using the statistical program (SPSS)  to calculate the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, weight percentage, correlation, F test, and Squared factor (R2).

 The research derived its importance from the distinguished role of information systems in the work of industrial companies, and its impact toward achieving economic growth rates in its various activities. T