Background: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) leads to activation of T-helper cells (Th-1 and Th-2) which are involved in the synthesis and release of different cytokines which may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Objectives: To evaluate the endothelial function in patients with acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: This case-control study involved 31 patients with toxoplasmosis aged 19 - 47 years matched with 20 healthy subjects. Anti-T. gondii antibody (IgG, IgM, IgA) was determined by direct antigen-antibody reaction. Interleukin-6(IL-6), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and human malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured. Results: IgM, IgG and IgA levels were high in the infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, IL-

In present study the effect of soil extracts of different types of soil on ability of two clinical isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus to form biofilm. The extract of soil was done by using sterile phosphate buffer saline and analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic (FTIR). Spectrophotometric method was used to check ability of the studied isolated bacteria to form biofilm on polystyrene microtiter plates. The data of FTIR showed very little difference was observed among extracts of three types of soil (soil contaminated with hydrocarbons; garden soil collected from gardens of al-jadrea, Baghdad and containers soil), but the highest difference was observed in the extract obtained from peat moss clay soil.

The present study was undertaken to use individual terrestrial crustacean from Isopoda such as the species Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt 1833) as environmental cleaner and that through the test of their abilities in decomposition of residues of some cellulosean wastes such as wood pieces which contain high ratio of urban wastes, and residue of Zea mays and particularly leaves as plant waste in agricultural fields and residue of Cynodon dactylon plants which compose the main wastes in most of gardens and parks. Experiments were conducted relatively in stable laboratory conditions to ensure environmental conditions similar to crustaceans' life. The results showed presence of good efficiency of these individuals in treating such wastes as

Electro-kinetic remediation technology is one of the developing technologies that offer great promise for the cleanup of soils contaminated with heavy metals. A numerical model was formulated to simulate copper (Cu) transport under an electric field using one-dimensional diffusion-advection equations describing the contaminant transport driven by chemical and electrical gradients in soil during the electro-kinetic remediation as a function of time and space. This model included complex physicochemical factors affecting the transport phenomena, such as soil pH value, aqueous phase reaction, adsorption, and precipitation. One-dimensional finitedifference computer program successfully predicted meaningful values for soil pH profiles and Cu

Healthcare professionals routinely use audio signals, generated by the human body, to help diagnose disease or assess its progression. With new technologies, it is now possible to collect human-generated sounds, such as coughing. Audio-based machine learning technologies can be adopted for automatic analysis of collected data. Valuable and rich information can be obtained from the cough signal and extracting effective characteristics from a finite duration time interval that changes as a function of time. This article presents a proposed approach to the detection and diagnosis of COVID-19 through the processing of cough collected from patients suffering from the most common symptoms of this pandemic. The proposed method is based on adopt

       Staphylococcus aureus is a common pathogenic agent due to its ability to cause various types of infections, ranging from mild skin infections to sever systemic diseases. One of the most virulence factors of this bacterium is its ability to from biofilms on solid surfaces by anchoring the planktonic cells and by producing a protective layer of extra polymeric substances. Biofilm formation is controlled through many genes. The most important ones are icaA and icaD. Dentures are prosthetic devices that are made of different materials to replace lost teeth. The aim of this study is to examine the ability of different types of denture materials to support the biofilm formation of S. aureus at phenotypic level by detecting ba

The present study investigates the characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Fusarium solani and their impact on tomato seed germination, plant growth, and disease resistance. A visible color change from yellow to dark smoky indicated the formation of AgNPs, while UV-visible spectrophotometry revealed an absorbance peak at 437 nm, confirming their presence. Atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the AgNPs ranged from 0 to 39.27 nm in size, with an average height of 5.772 nm, while scanning electron microscopy highlighted their diverse surface morphology. The application of AgNPs and mycorrhizal fungi significantly improved tomato seed germination rates, plant height, and dry weight compared to untreate

Background: While warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are used to manage thromboembolic events, they possess several features that impact adherence. Objective: To assess medication adherence and self-efficacy in patients receiving warfarin or DOAC treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed at Ibn Al-Bitar Hospital in Baghdad from December 2022 to May 2023 on patients receiving either warfarin or DOACs. The Arabic version of the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) questionnaire and the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale (SES6C) questionnaire were used to assess adherence and self-efficacy. Results: 181 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 56.9% received warfarin an

Two groups of chronic hepatitis B and C virus patients were divided into Pre-treated patients (25 CHB patients with positive HBs Ag for more than 6 months and 40 CHC patients), and post-treated patients [12 CHB patients (4, 6, and 2 were treated with lamivudine, IFN-? and combination of LMV + IFN-? respectively), and 27 patients for CHC (3, 13 and 11 patients were treated with Ribavirin, IFN-? and combination therapy (RBV+ IFN-?) respectively].These patients were followed up for 6 months. By using ELISA technique, levels of IL-6, IL-10, IFN-? and TNF-? were measured in vivo and in vitro (supernatant of PBMCs stimulated with PHA) and compared with healthy control. The mean level of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-? in CHB patients showed significant dif