Given the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that amastigotes from different Leishmania species display varying susceptibility to peptides from the temporin family, perhaps indicating differences in their surface structure, the proposed target of these AMPs. In contrast, insect stage L. mexicana promastigotes were sensitive to two of the screened temporins which clearly demonstrates the importance of screening AMPs against both forms of the parasite. Copyright © 2011 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The present study was set to demonstrate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection and its effects on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through determining their serum levels of anti-dsDNA and IL-18 antibodies. For this purpose, the sera from 132 SLE and/or toxoplasmosis patients and 30 healthy women, were collected. The study sample was divided into four groups of SLE, toxoplasmosis, SLE coinfected with toxoplasmosis, and healthy control. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were examined for all the samples using ELISA kit. The results showed a high mean level of anti-Toxoplasma IgG among SLE patients coinfected with toxoplasmosis (104.8792±12.31585pg/ml) in comparison to that in toxoplasmosis patients (91.1705±12.577
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to estimate the extent of damage to the population in Basra, southern Iraq, specifically the areas adjacent to the Shatt al-Arab and the Arabian Gulf, which are the Al-Fao district and the Al-Siba region. They are affected by the progression of saline water resulting from the lack of water imports and the Karun River interruption, which led to high concentrations of salts in the Shatt Al-Arabs. Consequently, its effect on lands and all life types in these areas requires correcting a map of the study area to drop the groundwater sites as well as calculate the total dissolved salts, electrical conductivity and pH. This study concluded that the groundwater contains very high percentages of total dissolved solid
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to compare the effects of three methods: problem-based learning (PBL), PBL with lecture method, and conventional teaching on the understanding of thermodynamics, group work and self-directed learning skills among physics undergraduates. The actual sample size comprises of 122 students, who were selected randomly from the Physics Department, College of Education in Iraq, for academic year 2011-2012. In this study, the pre and posttest were done and the instruments were administered to the students for data collection. Inferential statistics were employed to analyze data. The independent variables were the PBL, the PBL with lecture method, and the conventional teaching. Dependent variables of statistical analysis were
... Show MoreA numerical computation for determination transmission coefficient and resonant tunneling energies of multibarriers heterostructure has been investigated. Also, we have considered GaN/Al0.3Ga0.7N superlattice system to estimate the probability of resonance at specific energy values, which are less than the potential barrier height. The transmission coefficient is determined by using the transfer matrix method and accordingly the resonant energies are obtained from the T(E) relation. The effects of both well width and number of barriers (N) are observed and discussed. The numbers of resonant tunneling peaks are generally increasing and they become sharper with the increasing of N. The resonant tunneling levels are shifted inside the well by
... Show MoreWaveform flow of non-Newtonian fluid through a porous medium of the non-symmetric sloping canal under the effect of rotation and magnetic force, which has applied by the inclined way, have studied analytically and computed numerically. Slip boundary conditions on velocity distribution and stream function are used. We have taken the influence of heat and mass transfer in the consideration in our study. We carried out the mathematical model by using the presumption of low Reynolds number and small wave number. The resulting equations of motion, which are representing by the velocity profile and stream function distribution, solved by using the method of a domain decomposition analysis a
A numerical computation for determination transmission coefficient and resonant tunneling energies of multibarriers heterostructure has been investigated. Also, we have considered GaN/Al0.3Ga0.7N superlattice system to estimate the probability of resonance at specific energy values, which are less than the potential barrier height. The transmission coefficient is determined by using the transfer matrix method and accordingly the resonant energies are obtained from the T(E) relation. The effects of both well width and number of barriers (N) are observed and discussed. The numbers of resonant tunneling peaks are generally increasing and they become sharper with the increasing of N. The resonant tunneling levels are sh
... Show MoreThe aqueous extract of banana fruits peal was tested for its effect on mitosis . The root tips of Allium cepa were used as plant test system and the bone marrow cells of the albino mice Mus musculus were used as mammalians test system in vivo .Root tips of Allium cepa were treated for four hours with five concentrations of the extract (5 , 10 , 20 , 40 ,60 mg / ml.).The Metaphase was arrested in all the treatments , the highest percentage ( 100 % ) was recorded in the first concentration , the last concentration caused stickiness and clumping of the chromosomes. The treatments did not cause significant difference in the mitotic index. The peals extract (5 mg /ml) was compared with the extracts of fruits bulb, leaves and roots of
... Show MoreA high Tc superconductor with a nominal composition
(Bi1-xPbx)2(Sr1-yBay)2Ca2Cu3O10+δ for (0 £ x £ 0.5) and (0 £ y £ 0.5) was prepared by
a solid state reaction method. The effect of the substitution of Pb for Bi and Ba for Sr and
quenching temperature on the superconductivity has been investigated to obtain the
optimum conditions for the formation and stabilization of the high Tc phase (2223).
The results showed that the optimum sintering temperature for the pure composition is
equal to 875°C and the sintering time is equal to 240h with heating and cooling rate of
60°C/h . Our results indicated that a small amount of (Ba = 0.1) could raise the transition
temperature (Tc), but enhancing Ba to 0.4 has raised
The aqueous extract of banana fruits peal was tested for its effect on mitosis . The root tips of Allium cepa were used as plant test system and the bone marrow cells of the albino mice Mus musculus were used as mammalians test system in vivo .Root tips of Allium cepa were treated for four hours with five concentrations of the extract (5 , 10 , 20 , 40 ,60 mg / ml.).The Metaphase was arrested in all the treatments , the highest percentage ( 100 % ) was recorded in the first concentration , the last concentration caused stickiness and clumping of the chromosomes. The treatments did not cause significant difference in the mitotic index. The peals extract (5 mg /ml) was compared with the extracts of fruits bulb, leaves and r
... Show MoreThe research dealt with the study of choice between a range of different words between the repetitive texts in the verses of the Koran and explain the reason behind this choice, and how the context has the greatest impact in this choice, and that each word in the Koran was placed in the most appropriate place, which can not be replaced by equivalent words, whatever The degree of similarity between them in the indication of the other because it remains at the end that each of those vocabulary synonyms are indicative, the first of them especially that makes the possibility of replacing them with the equivalent vocabulary impossible, and the second general significance and this connotation makes them share with their peers In one aspect of
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