Introduction: Biocides are commonly used for disinfection in a variety of contexts. They are generally used to avoid infection by controlling biofilm on medical equipment. However, the literature lacks information on the effect of biocide on efflux pump gene expression. Objective: To determine the influence of biocide on biofilm development and efflux pump acrA and ramA gene expression. Methodology: The microtiter plate method was used to identify biofilm development in 80 isolates of K. pneumoniae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of three biocides (quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), chlorohexidine digluconate, and chloroxylenol) were estimated. The effect of QAC on the intensity and viability of biofilms was investigated as well. Its influence on biofilm was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. For each isolate, gene expression of the acrA and ramA was evaluated before and after treatment with the biocide (at ½MIC). Results: The study revealed that 60% of isolates formed moderate biofilms. Biofilms of all isolates were inhibited by QAC at high concentrations. Moreover, QAC at ½MIC downregulated the gene expression of the efflux pump gene (acrA) and its regulator (ramA). Conclusion: Biofilms of all isolates were prevented by QAC at high doses. Furthermore, QAC at ½MIC decreased the expression of the efflux pump gene (acrA) and its regulator (ramA).
ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by hydrothermal method at different temperatures and growth times. The effect of increasing the temperature on structural and optical properties of ZnO were analyzed and discussed. The prepared ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis. absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis.), Photoluminescence (PL), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In this work, hexagonal crystal structure prepared ZnO nanostructures was observed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the average crystallite size equal 14.7 and 23.8 nm for samples synthesized at growth time 7 and 8 hours respectively. A nanotubes-shaped surface morphology was found using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optic
... Show MoreThe presence of heavy metals in the environment is major concern due to their toxicity. In the present study a strong acid cation exchange resin, Amberlite IR 120 was used for the removal of lead, zinc and copper from simulated wastewater. The optimum conditions were determined in a batch system of concentration 100 mg/L, pH range between 1 and 8, contact time between 5 and 120 minutes, and amount of adsorbent was from 0.05 to 0.45 g/100 ml. A constant stirring speed, 180 rpm, was chosen during all of the experiments. The optimum conditions were found to be pH of 4 for copper and lead and pH 6 for zinc, contact time of 60 min and 0.35 g of adsorbent. Three different temperatures (25, 40 and 60°C) were selected to investigate the effect
... Show MoreThe research aims to use a new technology for industrial water concentrating that contains poisonous metals and recovery quantities from pure water. Therefore, the technology investigated is the forward osmosis process (FO). It is a new process that use membranes available commercial and this process distinguishes by its low cost compared to other process. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was used as draw solution to extract water from poisonous metals solution. The driving force in the FO process is provided by a different in osmotic pressure (concentration) across the membrane between the draw and poisonous metals solution sides. Experimental work was divided into three parts. The first part includes operating the forward osmosis process using T
... Show MoreThe extraction of Cupressus sempervirens L. or cypress essential oil was studied in this paper. This cypress oil was extracted by using the hydro-distillation method, using a clevenger apparatus. Cupressus sempervirens L. leaves were collected from Hit city in Al-Anbar province – Iraq. The influences of three important parameters on the process of oil extraction; water which used as a solvent to the solid ratio (5:1 and 14:1 (ml solvent/g plant), temperature (30 to 100 °C) and processing time, were examined to obtain the best processing conditions to achieve the maximum yield of the essential oil. Also, the mathematical model was described to calculate the mass transfer coefficient. Therefore, the best conditions, that were obtained in
... Show MoreIben Katheer Al Dimashqi is considered among the eminent scholars in the eighth Hijri century / fourteenth Gregorian century. He acquired eminent academic and social standing. His book Albidaya Walnihaya is considered among the important historical sources. This book's study of the subject of commercial dealing methods clarifies that the commercial dealing methods dealt by the people throughout the successive historical eras were multiple, most prominent of which was money (whether Dirhams, Dinars, measures (mikyals), weights (like Sa') in addition to other means like usury. But here we notice that Iben Katheer stressed that usury must be prohibited because it is religiously forbidden and cited many Quranic verses and Prophetic sayings w
... Show MoreThe Purpose of this study is mainly to improve the competitive position of products economic units using technique target cost and method reverse engineering and through the application of technique and style on one of the public sector companies (general company for vegetable oils) which are important in the detection of prices accepted in the market for items similar products and processing the problem of high cost which attract managerial and technical leadership to the weakness that need to be improved through the introduction of new innovative solutions which make appropriate change to satisfy the needs of consumers in a cheaper way to affect the decisions of private customer to buy , especially of purchase private economic units to
... Show MoreMixture experiments are response variables based on the proportions of component for this mixture. In our research we will compare the scheffʼe model with the kronecker model for the mixture experiments, especially when the experimental area is restricted.
Because of the experience of the mixture of high correlation problem and the problem of multicollinearity between the explanatory variables, which has an effect on the calculation of the Fisher information matrix of the regression model.
to estimate the parameters of the mixture model, we used the (generalized inverse ) And the Stepwise Regression procedure
... Show MoreThe Research aims to determine role of The Intellectual capital in the performance of small and medium enterprises , to achieve this goal through a researcher from the theoretical literature and studies related to the construction of the scheme shows the hypothetical relationship between the variables, which was adopted by the independent variable intellectual capital, distributed four variable are:( human capital, structure capital ,customer capital, innovation capital) as well as four variable (the financial perspective, the customer perspective, process perspective ,the learning & growth perspective) The study were getting to many results as bellow :the intellectual capital in the small and intermediate p
... Show MoreThis study aims to recognize the process of using computer in publicschools in Ma`an governorate in terms of hardware, capabilities, and teachers usage. It also aims to identify the most important obstacles those schools face from a teachers perspective.
The study sample consists of (150) teachers from different disciplines. The researcher prepared two questionnaires related to the research pivotal, then presented to a group of arbitrators to be used in this final form. The data was analyzed statistically and the study concluded that there is a shortage in the computer services provided to teachers, and there is a w
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