Endophytic fungi live inside plants or any part of them without creating any visible pathogenic signs. Endophytic fungi are found within medicinal plants and have shown strong biologic activity, such as anticancer and antioxidant activities, as well as producing extracellular enzymes. In this study, different fungal strains were isolated from the leaves of the medicinal plant Ziziphus spina, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium sp., Rhizopus sp., and Mucor sp. Extracellular enzymes have been quantified using agar plate-based methods in which fungi were grown in specified growth media to detect the enzymes produced. The results showed that A. niger has the highest ability to produce amylase, Cladosporium sp. has the highest ability to produce protease and pectinase, Rhizopus and Mucor sp. have the highest ability to produce cellulase, and A. niger and Cladosporium sp. have the same ability to produce lipase and laccase. The ability of medicinal plant endophytic fungi to produce extracellular enzymes has great therapeutic potential in clinical microbiology. Some of the isolates showed great activity in secreting particular enzymes, indicating that the enzymes of these fungi could be used in a variety of applications.
Background: Few updated retrospective histopathological-based studies in Iraq evaluate a comprehensive spectrum of oro-maxillofacial lesions. Also, there was a need for a systematic way of categorizing the diseases and reporting results in codes according to the WHO classification that helps occupational health professionals in the clinical-epidemiological approach.
Objectives: to establish an electronic archiving database according to the ICD-10 that encompasses oro-maxillofacial lesions in Sulaimani city for the last 12 years, then to study the prevalence trend and correlation with clinicopathological parameters.
Subjects and Methods: A descri
... Show MoreThe ability of Cr (VI) removal from aqueous solution using date palm fibers (leef) was investigated .The effects of pH, contact time, sorbets concentration and initial metal ions concentration on the biosorption were investigated.
The residual concentration of Cr (VI) in solution was determined colorimetrically using spectrophotometer at wave length 540 nm .The biosorption was pH-dependent, the optimum pH was 7 and adsorption isotherms obtained fitted well with Langmuir isotherms .The Langmuir equation obtained was Ce/Cs = 79.99 Ce-77.39, the correlation factor was 0.908.These results indicate that date palm fibers (leef) has a potential effect for the uptake of Cr (VI) from industrial waste water.
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) contaminated sites at Al-Rumaila Iraqi oil fields have been characterized as a part of soil remediation project. Activity of radium isotopes in contaminated soil have been determined using gamma spectrometer High Purity Germanium detector (HPGe) and found to be very high for Al-Markezia, Al-Qurainat degassing stations and storage area at Khadhir Almay region. The activity concentration of samples ranges from 6474.11±563.8 Bq/kg to 1232.5±60.9 Bq/kg with mean value of 3853.3 Bq/kg for 226Ra, 843.59±8.39 Bq/kg to 302.2±9.2 Bq/kg with mean value of 572.9 Bq/kg for 232Th and 294.31±18.56 Bq/kg to 156.64±18.1 Bq/kg with mean value of 225.5 for 40K. S
... Show MoreThe increasing demand for energy has encouraged the development of renewable resources and environmentally benign fuel such as biodiesel. In this study, ethyl fatty esters (EFEs), a major component of biodiesel fuel, were synthesized from soybean oil using sodium ethoxide as a catalyst. By-products were glycerol and difatty acyl urea (DFAU), which has biological characteristics, as antibiotics and antifungal medications. Both EFEs and DFAU have been characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. The optimum conditions were studied as a function of reaction time, reactant molar ratios, catalyst percentage and the effect of organic solvents. The conversion ratio of soybea
... Show MoreIn this work, an experimental study has been done to expect the heat characteristics and performance of the forced-convection from a heated horizontal rectangular fins array to air inside a rectangular cross-section duct. Three several configurations of rectangular fins array have been employed. One configuration without notches and perforations (solid) and two configurations with combination of rectangular-notches and circular-perforations for two various area removal percentages from fins namely 18% notches-9% perforations and 9% notches-18% perforations are utilized. The rectangular fins dimensions and fins number are kept constant. The fins array is heated electrically from the base
... Show MoreIn this study, the acid-alkaline transesterification of refined coconut seed oil (RCOSO) to fatty acid methyl ester was followed by the production of a trimethylolpropane-based thermosensitive biolubricant using potassium hydroxide, and its physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. The American Standard Test for Materials (ASTM) was employed to ascertain the biolubricant's pour point and index of viscosity, which were found to be -4 oC and 283.75, respectively. The opposite connection between lubricant viscosity and temperature was shown by the measured viscosities at varied transesterification to be transformed into biodiesel. Following this, a biolubricant was created by further transesterifiedtemperature. The ester gr
... Show MoreConventional concretes are nearly unbendable, and just 0.1 percent of strain potential makes them incredibly brittle and stiff. This absence of bendability is a significant cause of strain failure and has been a guiding force in the production of an elegant substance, bendable concrete, also known as engineered cement composites, abbreviated as ECC. This type of concrete is capable of displaying dramatically increased flexibility. ECC is reinforced with micromechanical polymer fibers. ECC usually uses a 2 percent volume of small, disconnected fibers. Thus, bendable concrete deforms but without breaking any further than conventional concrete. This research aims to involve this type of concrete, bendable concrete, that will give solut
... Show MoreThis study was designed to determine the colonization of the in-use hand washing soaps in hospital settings. It is a comparative cross-sectional research in a surgical specialties and Baghdad teaching hospital in Baghdad, Iraq. Swabs from surfaces of bar soaps and from liquid soaps via their applicator tips; at the sinks of toilets of hospital staff and working rooms of the wards were taken in January 2008. Conventional microbiologic methods were used for culture of the swabs and identification of the isolates. Colonization was detected 60% and 15.9% in bars and liquid forms respectively. And this lead to the conclusion that bar soaps could be colonized with microorganisms excessively. Liquid hand washing soaps are more appropriate in ho
... Show MoreBiosorption is an effective method to remove toxic metals from wastewaters. In this study biosorption of lead and chromium ions from solution was studied using Citrobacter freundii and Citrobacter kosari isolated from industrial wastewater. The experimental results showed that optimum grwoth temperature for both bacteria is 30oC and the optimum pH is 7 &6 for C. freundii and C. kosari respectively. While the optimum incubation period to remove Pb and Cr for C. freundii and C. kosari is 4 days and 3days respectively. Also the biosorption of Pb and Cr in mixed culture of bacteria and mixed culture of Pb and Cr was investigated. Result indicate that uptake of Cr and Pb for C.freundii, C. kosari and in mixes culture of both bacteria is 58%, 53%
... Show More