Quorum sensing (QS) is a perfectly orchestrated molecular communication system. It is a boon for Klebsiella pneumoniae, and bane for the host. This system is believed to make K. pneumoniae a leading cause of multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial infections. This study aimed to investigate the antibacterial and anti-biofilm potential of medicinal plant extracts through interfering with QS of K. pneumoniae. The effect of different concentrations of ethanolic extracts of cinnamon and clove on K. pneumoniae was determined by analyzing the growth curve, survival assay (MTT), Qualitative and quantitative biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, along with studying gene expression of the genes encoding the above traits, using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The low concentrations of the plant extracts did not affect neither on the bacterial growth, nor on the viability of K. pneumoniae, supported with growth curves. Additionally, the biofilm production was inhibited even by lower plant concentrations, and both cinnamon and clove extracts were able to render the MDR bacteria to be more susceptible to antibiotics. At the molecular levels, the bacterium treated with either clove or cinnamon or in combination showed under expression of the biofilm formation regulation gene (bssS), the carbapenem resistance gene (bla), as well as the QS target gene (LuxS). Both clove and cinnamon ethanolic extracts exerted potent impacts on reducing pathogenic traits regulated by QS in K. pneumoniae. Finally, the study recommends further exploration of clove and cinnamon extracts separately or in combination to develop alternative therapies against MDR K. pneumoniae infections.
Shiranish formation has been divided into two microfacies units: 1 - Many biowackestone facies and 2 - maly packstone using planktonic foraminifera and other carbonate components in the rock cutting and core slides. Microfacies reflect marin deep shelf margin in the lower part of the formation, the upper part was deeper. The thickness of the formation is determined, depending on addition to the presence of echinoderm framents debris and spines. This is in disagreement with the 195 ft thickness reported by the Oil Exploration Company The age of the formation is estimated depending on the recognized biostratigraphic zone using the index fossils to be Upper - Middle Mastrichtion.
Injana Formation is the most extended geological formation in Salahaddin Governorate/ Iraq. About 10% of the studied area is covered by the outcrops of the formation as a recharge area. The formation is a subsurface within the unsaturated zone in 5% of the total studied area, while it exists within the saturated zone in about 85%; it is a major confined groundwater aquifer. Therefore, the hydrogeological system of the layers needs to be re-evaluated to describe the successions of aquifers and confining layers and their relation with each other.
The lithology, depths, water table, saturated thickness, hydraulic characteristics of the aquifers, and the lateral and vertical variations of these characteristics were adopted to classif
... Show MoreNanoparticles have gained considerable interest in recent times for oil recovery purposes owing to significant capabilities in wettability alteration of reservoir rocks. Wettability is a key factor controlling displacement efficiency and ultimate recovery of oil. The present study investigates the influence of zirconium (IV) oxide (ZrO2) and nickel (II) oxide (NiO) nanoparticles on the wetting preference of fractured (oil-wet) limestone formations. Wettability was assessed through SEM, AFM and contact angle. The potentials of the nanoparticles to alter oil-wet calcite substrates water wet, was experimentally tested at low nanoparticle concentrations (0.004–0.05 wt%). Quite similar behaviour was observed for both nanoparticles at the same
... Show MoreReservoir unit classifications can be used in reservoir characterization of carbonate reservoirs where there is variability in the distribution of petrophysical properties. This requires the integration of geological and petrophysical data at different scales. In this study, cores and thin sections from Yamama Formation (Lower Cretaceous) at Gharaf oilfield, southern Iraq, were studiedto identify reservoir units.
Ninereservoir units (units Y1 to Y9) were identified based on petrophysical evaluation by using interactive Petrophysics program (IP) software and depositional environments and related microfacies.The unit Y2 have the highest reservoir quality, which consists of grain-supported facies(packstone a
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to use robust technique by trimming, as the analysis of maximum likelihood (ML) often fails in the case of outliers in the studied phenomenon. Where the (MLE) will lose its advantages because of the bad influence caused by the Outliers. In order to address this problem, new statistical methods have been developed so as not to be affected by the outliers. These methods have robustness or resistance. Therefore, maximum trimmed likelihood: (MTL) is a good alternative to achieve more results. Acceptability and analogies, but weights can be used to increase the efficiency of the resulting capacities and to increase the strength of the estimate using the maximum weighted trimmed likelihood (MWTL). In order to perform t
... Show MoreThe effect of gamma radiation at the doses (0 , 5 , 10 or 15 ) Gray on the callus of four Triticum aestivum immature embryos genotypes (AL-Hashmiya , AL-Noor AL-Zahraa and AL-Mellad ) were studied . The fresh and dry weight for callus and shoot tips beside numbers and lengths of the shoots were used as indicators after 8 weeks . Results revealed that (AL-Noor and AL-Zahraa ) was superior by giving highest fresh and dry weight reached 274.2 and 269.2 mg and 26 and 24.3 mg respectively as compared with AL-Hashmiya and AL-Mellad. Moreover, the control treatment and the dose 10 Gray gave highest fresh weight reached 277.4 and 259.1 mg while the dry weight was highest in the control treatment and the dose 5 Gray. addition 10 Gra
... Show MoreTraumatic radial nerve injury in humeral shaft fracture is the most common traumatic nerve injury in long-bone fracture, with overall prevalence 2-18%, ranging from traction to complete transection. Spontaneous recovery may reach 88%. The aim of the study is to assess the sensitivity & specificity of the ultrasound to detect the radial nerve injury and to see if this can be used as a diagnostic test. This is a prospective study on 17 adult patients with a closed fracture of the humeral shaft, dividing into two groups, the first group of 7 patients had signs and symptoms of radial nerve palsy at presentation and the second group of 10 patients had intact radial nerve function was considered as a control group. All these patients had at leas
... Show MoreRecords of two regionalized variables were processed for each of porosity and permeability of reservoir rocks in Zubair Formation (Zb-109) south Iraq as an indication of the most important reservoir property which is the homogeneity,considering their important results in criterion most needed for primary and enhanced oil reservoirs.The results of dispersion treatment,the statistical incorporeal indications,boxes plots,rhombus style and tangents angles of intersected circles indicated by confidence interval of porosity and permeability data, have shown that the reservoir rocks of Zubair units (LS),(1L) and (DJ) have reservoir properties of high quality,in contrast to that of Zubair units (MS) and (AB)which have reservoir properties of less q
... Show MoreThis paper aims to investigate the flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beams considering fire resistance by adding Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA) to the concrete mix as partial coarse aggregate replacement. LECA is a type of porous clay with a uniform pore structure with fine, closed cells and hard, tightly sintered skin. The experimental work comprised four reinforced self-compacted concrete beams. All the specimens were identical in their geometrical layout of 1600×240×200 mm, reinforcement details, and support condition (simply supported). For all the beams, the main reinforcement was provided by two bars, each having a diameter of 12 mm, while a bar of 6 mm diameter was employed for the top and shear reinforc
... Show MoreA field experiment was carried out at the research station of the College of Agriculture - Wasit University / Kut, during the fall season 2021 in soil with texture (sandy mixture) using the RCBD design in the arrangement of splintered plates and with three replications, to study the effect of spraying different combinations of organic emulsion (Appetizer) and NPK nano fertilizer with urea fertilizer on the growth of synthetic cultivars of yellow corn. The main panels included three synthetic varieties of yellow corn (Fajr1, Sumer and Baghdad3), which symbolized by (V1,V2,V3) in sequence, while the secondary panels included five fertilization treatments in which mineral fertilizer (urea) was used 46% nitrogen with the full recomme
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