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.
Long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) mostly associated with renal and hepatic adverse effects, and the adjunct use of compounds with potent protective effects, like silymarin, may be one of the choices to avoid these effects. This project was designed to evaluate the protective effect of silymarin against the suspected renal and hepatic injury induced with long term use of NSAIDs; 220 patients with osteoarthritis were randomized into 5 groups and treated with either silymarin 300mg/day alone, piroxicam 20mg/day alone, meloxicam 15mg/day alone or the combination of each of them with silymarin for 8 weeks. The renal and hepatic functions were evaluated before starting treatment and after 8 weeks including assessm
... Show MoreIn this work, we study the effect of doping Sn on the structural and optical properties of pure cadmium oxide films at different concentrations of Tin (Sn) (X=0.1,0.3 and 0.5) .The films prepared by using the laser-induced plasma at wavelength of laser 1064 nm and duration 9 ns under pressure reached to 2.5×10-2 mbar. The results of X-ray diffraction tests showed that the all prepared films are polycrystalline. As for the topography of the films surface, it was measured using AFM , where the results showed that the grain size increases with an increase in the percentage of doping in addition to an increase in the average roughness. The optical properties of all films have also been studied through the absorbance s
... Show MoreIn this research, the study effect of irradiation on structural and optical properties of thin film (CdO) by spray pyrolysis method, which deposited on glasses substrates at a thickness of (350±20)nm , The flow rate of solution was 5 ml/min and the substrate temperature was held constant at 400˚C.The investigation of (XRD) indicates that the (CdO) films are polycrystalline and type of cubic. The results of the measuring of each sample from grain size, micro strain, dislocation density and number of crystals the grain size decreasing after irradiation with gamma ray from(27.41, 26.29 ,23.63)nm . The absorbance and transmittance spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range (300-1100) nm in order to study the optical properties. the op
... Show MoreCadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystalline thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique on commercial glass substrates at 70ºC temperature. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) as a source of cadmium (Cd), thiourea (CS(NH2)2) as a source of sulfur and ammonia solution (NH4OH) were added to maintain the pH value of the solution at 10. The characterization of thin films was carried out through the structural and optical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. A UV-VIS optical spectroscopy study was carried out to determine the band gap of the nanocrystalline CdS thin film and it showed a blue shift with respect to the bulk value (from 3.9 - 2.4eV). In present w
... Show MoreIn this work, Titanium oxide thin films doped with different concentration of CuO (0,5,10, 15,20) %wt were prepared by pulse laser deposition(PLD) technique on glass substrates at room temperature with constant deposition parameter such as : pulse (Nd:YAG), laser with λ=1064 nm, constant energy 800 mJ , repetition rate 6 Hz and No. of pulse (500). The structure , optical and electrical properties were studied . The results of X-ray diffraction( XRD) confirmed that the film grown by this technique have good crystalline tetragonal mixed anatase and rutile phase structure, The preferred orientation was along (110) direction for Rutile phase. The optical properties of the films were studied by UV-VIS spectrum in the range of (360-1100)
... Show MoreThe objective of this research is to know the extent to which Iraqi and Arab companies apply the criteria of accounting for sustainability and disclosure, as well as to analyze the content of the annual financial reports of the companies listed in the financial market to determine their compliance with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board )SASB(. Annual Report The commitment of telecommunications companies to implement sustainability issues related to the standard of telecommunications services reached a general average of (54%) for the sample of the research sample. This means that there is a degree of admissibility in applying the standard. As well as the highest level of reporting to the criterion of the (Jordan Telec
... Show MoreGermination and field emergence are delayed and their duration is prolonged due to the declining soil temperature during the spring season, which is reflected in the subsequent stages of crop growth, therefore, this study aimed to improve germination. Under a wide range of environmental conditions, a laboratory factorial experiment was carried out to study the effect of seed stimulation with potassium nitrate (distilled water only (0), 2, 4, and 6 mg L-1) and with an aqueous extract of licorice roots (distilled water only (0), 3, 6, and 9 g L-1) on the seed viability and vigor. The laboratory experiment was carried out according to the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four repetitions. The results showed the superiority of the intera
... Show MoreA localized stenosis or aneurysm is a discontinuity that presents the pulse wave produced by the contracting heart with a reflection site. However, neither wave speed ( c) in these discontinuities nor the size of reflection in relation to the size of the discontinuity has been adequately studied before. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the propagation of waves traversing flexible tubes in the presence of aneurysm and stenosis in vitro. We manufactured different sized four stenosis and four aneurysm silicone sections, connected one at a time to a flexible ‘mother’ tube, at the inlet of which a single semi-sinusoidal wave was generated. Pressure and velocity were measured simultaneously 25 cm downstream the inlet of th
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