Q fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant variation in positivity between the months of sampling period (P=0.082) and between age groups (P=0.076). Crossbred cows (20.69%) showed a higher positivity than local and pure breeds (P=0.043). Milk of positive samples (n=24) was used for cultivation of C. burnetii into specific pathogen free-embryonated chicken eggs (SPF-ECEs). After three passages into SPF-ECEs, contents of yolk sac were collected, subjected for DNA extraction, and re-tested by PCR assay using the primer of 16s rRNA gene only. Of 24 cultivated milk samples, 12.5% (3/24) were positive for C. burnetii. Finally, the positive local isolates were analysed phylogenetically and reported in NCBI-Genbank under the accession numbers of MN121700.1, MN121701.1, and MN121702.1. In conclusion, this is a unique study as it detected C. burnetii in Iraqi lactating cows, and confirmed that organism was shed actively through milk, suggesting that these animals can play a role as a reservoir for organism with potential risk for transmission of infection from these animals to humans as well as to other animal species.
Background: The anticancer impact of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) the highly active polyphenol of green tea was abundantly studied. Though, the exact mechanism of its cytotoxicity is still under investigation. Objectives: Hence, the current study designed to investigate the molecular target of EGCG in HepG2 cells on thirteen autophagy- and/or apoptosis- related genes. Methods: The apoptosis detection analyses such as flow cytometry and dual apoptosis assay were used. The genes expression profile was explored by the real-time quantitative-PCR. Results: EGCG increases G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and the real-time apoptosis markers proteins leading to stimulate apoptos
... Show MoreThis document provides an examination of research, on combining orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and optical fibers in communication networks. With the increasing need for data speeds and efficient use of bandwidth experts have been exploring the connection between OFDM, valued for its ability to handle multipath interference and optimize spectral usage and optical fiber technology which provides superior data transmission capabilities with low signal loss and strong protection, against electromagnetic disturbances. The review summarizes discoveries from studies examining the pros and cons of using OFDM, in optical communication networks. It discusses obstacles like fiber nonlinearity, chromatic dispersion and the effects o
... Show MoreThis study explores the barriers to adopting green environmental criteria in Supplier Selection (SS) within the Iraqi food industry. It aims to enhance the understanding of sustainable supply chain management in developing nations, with a particular focus on the Iraqi context. A case study approach was utilized to identify eleven key green environmental criteria and 54 sub-criteria, alongside seven major barriers to their adoption. The Best–Worst Method (BWM) was employed to rank the criteria, and Fuzzy Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) was used to prioritize the barriers. The analysis revealed that Environmental Management Systems are the most critical criterion for SS. On the other hand, legislation and policies emerged
... Show MoreDrilling operations in the Halfaya oilfield frequently encounter severe wellbore instability challenges. When navigating shale deposits, wellbore instability remains the primary operational concern. Based on the analysis of the wellbore instability intervals, low-strength shale and marlstone formations are identified as the principal unstable zones that lead to non-productive time and higher drilling costs. By planning a safe operating mud window, these non-productive times and drilling costs can be mitigated. Several wellbore instability concerns have been found in a southern Iraqi oil field. A problem-diagnostic technique was done by evaluating well log data, drilling reports, mud logging reports, and pore pressure readings.
... Show MoreThis study investigates the impact of agricultural investment policy—represented by agricultural loans and investment allocations—on rice crop production in Iraq over the period 2003–2023, employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. Using time-series econometric analysis, the study confirms a short-term positive and statistically significant effect of financial support on rice output, while revealing statistically insignificant long-term effects. The presence of a cointegration relationship suggests long-term equilibrium between agricultural policy variables and rice production. However, the absence of causality in the Yamamoto-Toda test implies that structural and institutional inefficiencies may dilute the long-term i
... Show MoreThis research sheds light on the development that has occurred on the use of press pictures in the Iraqi press by analyzing the form and content of the images used in (Al-Sabaah) newspaper for the 2012 model. The researcher's interest in this topic for what represented by the press picture of a way to highlight and attract the reader's attention to the substance journalist who represents the goals behind the newspaper publishing.
This research is divided into three sections. The first one dealt with the methodological framework of the research, and the second part addressed the aspect of press pictures and its history and technological development, while the third section devoted to the study of the development of the form and co
... Show MoreIn the ongoing series of our research, we prepared a new multifunctional azo-vanillin ligand (HL) and its Cu(II) complex to investigate their potential as versatile compounds for industrial/pharmaceutical purposes. Structural integrity was determined through spectroscopic analyses (FT-IR, NMR, Mass and UV-Vis), highlighting a distorted square planar geometry for the metal complex. The ligand was examined for its dyeing potential on wool and cotton with the latter showing better substantivity to cellulosic fibers and behaving as a good direct dye having excellent washing fastness. Furthermore, leveraging its surface-active properties, the ligand was tested as a green corrosion inhibitor for C-45 steel in a saline medium (3.5% NaCl) acr
... Show MoreThrough the researchers' acquaintance with the previous studies, the problem was identified as that the preparation of training curricula in all its units must be based on accurate scientific foundations. Positively affect the type of attack and its implication in the presence of correlational relations, whether direct or indirect, i.e., precedence in training and in preparing units Therefore, the researcher decided to build a causal model to know the relationships to show the best model of the direct straight attack. The study aimed to build a causal model for the most important physical measurements and kinetic capabilities of the direct straight attack in the research sample. The two researchers used the descriptive approach in t
... Show MoreThe prediction process of time series for some time-related phenomena, in particular, the autoregressive integrated moving average(ARIMA) models is one of the important topics in the theory of time series analysis in the applied statistics. Perhaps its importance lies in the basic stages in analyzing of the structure or modeling and the conditions that must be provided in the stochastic process. This paper deals with two methods of predicting the first was a special case of autoregressive integrated moving average which is ARIMA (0,1,1) if the value of the parameter equal to zero, then it is called Random Walk model, the second was the exponential weighted moving average (EWMA). It was implemented in the data of the monthly traff
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