Background: Enterococcus faecalis is a causative agent for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Iraq and worldwide, even though it is a commensal bacterium in human and animal intestines. It can cause different illnesses due to its ability to produce various virulence factors. A pore-forming toxin (cytolysin) is the most virulence factor in this bacterium. Objective: This study aims to molecularly investigate the frequency of cytolysin toxin among E. faecalis isolated from UTIs. Methods: A hundred and eighty urine specimens were collected from females diagnosed with UTIs. Traditional laboratory and molecular methods were used for bacterial identification and toxin detection using a modified DNA extraction method. Results: The findings revealed that 27.7% (50\180) of causative agents in UTIs were E. faecalis based on the molecular technique that targeted a housekeeping gene (ddI) with specific primers using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Most of the isolates harboured the cytolysin toxin gene (cylLL) with a frequency rate of 92% (46\50). Conclusions: A considerable prevalence of cytolysin-positive isolates in UTIs, which is a worrying indicates of the extensive spreading of a toxic strain in UTIs. The modified method for DNA extraction in gene detection was successfully used to amplify a housekeeping gene (ddI) and a virulence gene (cylLL) for cytolysin toxin detection, and this approach can be utilised for rapid bacterial identification and gene detection in medical and research purposes with a large sample size in an inexpensive manner within a short time.
Manufacturing high-efficiency polymeric materials to moderate fast neutrons by converting them into slow or thermal neutrons. These materials absorb thermal neutrons as well as gamma rays associated with neutrons. Materials of small mass number are used to slow down fast neutrons because neutrons have a high cross-section when they interact with these materials. Materials of high mass number absorb gamma rays. Polyurethane and epoxy were mixed in various ratios to create a blend to serve as neutrons shield, lead (Pb) was then added to the blend at weight percentages of 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, and 70% to produce a polymer composite.
Polymeric materials reinforced with lead in various ratios were tested to select the best
... Show MoreEnhanced oil recovery is used in many mature oil reservoirs to increase the oil recovery factor. Surfactant flooding has recently gained interest again. To create micro emulsions at the interface between crude oil and water, surfactant flooding is the injection of surfactants (and co-surfactants) into the reservoir, thus achieving very low interfacial tension, which consequently assists mobilize the trapped oil.
In this study a flooding system, which has been manufactured and described at high pressure. The flooding processes included oil, water and surfactants. 15 core holders has been prepared at first stage of the experiment and filled with washed sand grains 80-500 mm and then packing the sand to obtain sand packs
... Show MoreThis study deals with the seismic reflection interpretation of lower Cretaceous Formations in Dhufria area, including structural and stratigraphic techniques. In the interpretation process, the 3-D seismic data volume and well logs have been used. Based on well logs and synthetic traces two horizons were identified and picked which are the top and bottom of Zubair Formation. These horizons were followed over all the area in order to obtain structural setting as well as studying Kirkuk group Formation of Tertiary age which represents highstand progradational seismic facies.
CO2 Gas is considered one of the unfavorable gases and it causes great air pollution. It’s possible to decrease this pollution by injecting gas in the oil reservoirs to provide a good miscibility and to increase the oil recovery factor. MMP was estimated by Peng Robinson equation of state (PR-EOS). South Rumila-63 (SULIAY) is involved for which the miscible displacement by is achievable based on the standard criteria for success EOR processes. A PVT report was available for the reservoir under study. It contains deferential liberation (DL) and constant composition expansion (CCE) tests. PVTi software is one of the (Eclipse V.2010) software’s packages, it has been used to achieve the goal. Many trials have been done to ma
... Show MoreThe influence of Cr3+ doping on the ground state properties of SrTiO 3 perovskite was evaluated using GGA-PBE approximation. Computational modeling results infered an agreement with the previously published literature. The modification of electronic structure and optical properties due to Cr3+ introducing into SrTiO 3 were investigated. Structural parameters assumed that Cr3+ doping alters the electronic structures of SrTiO 3 by shifting the conduction band through lower energies for the Sr and Ti sites. Besides, results showed that the band gap was reduced by approximately 50% when presenting one Cr3+ atom into the SrTiO 3 system and particularly positioned at Sr sites. Interestingly, substituting Ti site by Cr3+ led to eliminating the ban
... Show MoreHydroisomerization of Iraqi light naphtha was studied on prepared Ni-Pt/H-mordenite catalyst at a temperature range of 220-300°C, hydrogen to hydrocarbon molar ratio of 3.7, liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) 1 hr-1 and at atmospheric pressure.
The result shows that the hydrisomerization of light naphtha increases with the increase in reaction temperature at constant LHSV. However, above 270 0C the isomers formation decreases and the reaction is shifted towards the hydrocracking reaction, a higher octane number of naphtha was formed at 270 °C.
Four simply supported reinforced concrete (RC) beams were test experimentaly and analyzed using the extended finite element method (XFEM). This method is used to treat the discontinuities resulting from the fracture process and crack propagation in that occur in concrete. The Meso-Scale Approach (MSA) used to model concrete as a heterogenous material consists of a three-phasic material (coarse aggregate, mortar, and air voids in the cement paste). The coarse aggregate that was used in the casting of these beams rounded and crashed aggregate shape with maximum size of 20 mm. The compressive strength used in these beams is equal to 17 MPa and 34 MPa, respectively. These RC beams are designed to fail due to flexure when subjected to lo
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