Background: The most crucial mechanism of genetic variation in N. meningitidis is the slipped strand mispairing, this mechanism generates Phase variation using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and is commonly used by the N. meningitidis to escape the immune system despite its function in eradicating the pathogenic and commensal bacteria. Some of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) that located within the genome works as phase variation while other SSRs have no role in generating phase variation mechanisms. Therefore, Aim: the main goal of the current in silico study was to detect the probability of SSR to enroll with phase variation for the entire N. meningitidis genome. Methods: Different criteria were used to judge SSR as it works in phase variation and these criteria were taken from the current literature. These criteria involve the Z score value of the synonymous shuffling model and Markov model of SSR, the position of SSR in the gene or the promoter, instability and polymorphism of SSR in genomes of different strains, and the length of SSR. Results: The positive Z score value of SSR, SSR being variable in length among genomes of different strains and SSR location in 3 prime end of a gene or in the promoter indicates that the SSR generates phase variation in a particular gene. Conclusion: 67 out of 327 putative phase variable genes located on the N. meningitidis genome were determined to fit these criteria. We assume, therefore, that SSR in these genes may be connected with phase variation mechanism. We recommend that experimental evidence should be generated to confirm these findings.
Remote sensing data are increasingly being used in digital archaeology for the potential non-invasive detection of archaeological remains. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the capability of standalone (LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry) and integration/fusion remote sensing approaches in improving the prospecting and interpretation of archaeological remains in Cahokia’s Grand Plaza. Cahokia Mounds is an ancient area; it was the largest settlement of the Mississippian culture located in southwestern Illinois, USA. There are a limited number of studies combining LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry to extract archaeological features. This article, therefore, combines LiDAR with photogrammetric data to create new datasets and inv
... Show MoreA laboratory experiment was carried out at the College of Agriculture University of Baghdad in 2017. The aim was to improve the anatomical and physiological traits of broad bean seedling under salt stress by soaking it in salicylic acid. The concentrations of salicylic acid were 0, 10, and 20 mg L-1 and the electrical conductivity levels were 0, 3, and 6 dS m-1. The complete randomized design was used with four replications. The increasing of salicylic acid concentration up to 10 mg L-1 led to increasing the stem cortex thickness, stem vascular bundles thickness, and root cortex thickness significantly by (34.9,36.7,and 55 µm) respectively, while the treatment of 20 mg L-1 led to decreasing these traits by (28.2, 27.8, and 48.1 µm
... Show MoreIn this study the as-deposited and heat treated at 423K of conductive blende graphene oxide (GO) / poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films was prepared with different PEDOT:PSS concentration (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0)wt% on pre-cleaned glass substrate by spin coating technique. The energy dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) show the existence of higher amount of carbon and oxygen related to hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the as-deposited and annealed GO/PEDOT:PSS thin films blend indicated that the film prepared show broad peak around 8.24 corresponding to the (001) level refers to GO, this peak shifted to the lower 2θ with increasing PEDOT:PSS concentr
... Show MoreBackground: Background : Patients with non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation have high risk of thromboembolism especially ischemic stroke usually arising from left atrial appendage .Transoesophageal echocardiography provides useful information for risk stratification in these patients as it detects thrombus in the left atrial or left atrial appendage. Objective : This study was conducted at Al-Kadhimiya Teaching Hospital to assess the prevalence of left atrial chamber thrombi in patients with chronic non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation using transoesophageal echocardiography and its clinical significance as well as to verify the superiority of transoesophageal over transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of these abnormalities. Type of
... Show MoreThe antibacterial activity of Capparis spinosa L. extracts obtained from Baghdad was evaluated against six clinical bacteria isolates of Helicobacter pylori. The results presented in this work demonstrated that the leaves extract showed a significant effect against bacteria as compared to the root and fruit extracts at 100 mg/ml concentration, with inhibition zone ranging from 12.0 to 30.7 mm in each bacteria strain. The end results of GC-MS analysis indicated that the ethanol extracts of caper have a lot of active chemical compounds, including twenty-five, eighty-two and sixty-eight phytoconstituent compounds, that are distinguished in the extracts of roots, leaves and fruits with C. spinosa L. respectively. I
... Show MoreThe present study included the use of the approximate semi-experimental method, the time-independent density function theory (unrestricted), the time-dependent density function theory, and Hartree-Fock method to calculate the reaction pathway of the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac with its common ionic carriers (sodium and potassium). The basis sets used were STO-3G, 3-21G, 6-31G, and 6-311G. The drug was studied with two new proposed carrier ions (lithium and calcium) which were compared with common carriers. The calculations included the optimized geometrical structure and some physical properties such as standard heat of formation, dipole moment, total energies, and analytical spectra of IR, UV-VIS and 1H NMR. The biologi
... Show MoreIn this study the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) received by pediatrics patients undergoing chest, abdomen and skull X-ray examinations was estimated. The study was conducted in two hospitals in Najaf city where three radiographic systems were considered. The study participants were classified into four age groups 0-1 , 1-5 , 5-10 and 10-15 years. Calculations were performed using exposure factors, kVp, mAs and focal-skin distance, together with patient data age. The ESD was calculated for the involved patients who underwent an Antero-posterior (AP) chest, abdomen and skull X-ray examination. The resulted data were analyzed and compared with international dose references. For all studied radiographic examinations and all X-ray mac
... Show MoreNew nitrone and selenonitrone compounds were synthesized. The condensation method between N-(2-hydroxyethyl) hydroxylamine and substituted carbonyl compounds such as [benzil, 4, 4́-dichlorobenzil and 2,2́ -dinitrobenzil] afforded a variety of new nitrone compounds while the condensation between N-benzylhydroxylamine and substituted selenocarbonyl compounds such as [di(4-fluorobenzoyl) diselenide and (4-chlorobenzoyl selenonitrile] obtained selenonitrone compounds. The condensation of N-4-chlorophenylhydroxylamine with dibenzoyl diselenide obtained another type of selenonitrone compounds. The structures of the synthesized compounds were assigned based on spectroscopic data (FT-IR,
... Show MoreField experimented were examined the effects of Piper nigrum and Urtica dioica extracts on the gray mold disease in tomato that caused by Botrytis cinerea. To evaluate the inducing resistance of these extracts, many treatments were sprayed on tomato leaves, including methanolic and aquatic extracts, Silver nano particles biosynthesis (AgNPs) and water as (control).
The results indicated that the resistance of tomato plants was increased when tomato plant sprayed first with Methanolic P. nigrum extracts and after 4 hours sprayed with B. cinerea. Also, spraying with methanolic and aquatic AgNPs P. nigrum extract were reduced gray mold disease. These results were showed that
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