Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease caused by Leishmania tropica parasite. Current treatments for this parasite are undesirable because of their toxicity, resistance, and high cost. Macrophages are key players against pathogens. Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule produce by immune cells, controls intracellular killing of pathogens during infection. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against various types of infectious diseases. It has the ability to stimulate oxygen species production. This study aims to analyze the macrophages activation through NO production and estimate the cytotoxicity based on the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release upon exposure to L. tropica and Ag NPs. Serially concentrations of Ag NPs were used under two conditions during and following macrophages exposure to L. tropica. MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of Ag NPs on L. tropica amastigotes during infection of macrophages in vitro. The results showed that by increasing the Ag NPs concentrations, the viability percentage of L. tropica amastigotes decreased and reached to 21.7 ± 0.64 % during infection compared with the control. The 50% inhibitory concentration of Ag NPs on amastigotes was 2.048µg/ml during infection. Moreover, post-phagocytosis study involved the assessment of NO and LDH release by macrophages upon exposure to L. tropica. It have shown that untreated macrophages released low levels of NO while in the presence of Ag NPs, macrophages were activated to produce higher levels of NO under all experimental conditions. On the other hand, macrophages were capable of controlling cytotoxicity and decreasing LDH levels during phagocytosis of L. tropica amastiogotes. Taking together, these findings suggest that Ag NPs can enhance macrophages NO production which provides a method for the identification of Ag NPs ligands with microbicidal and anti-cytotoxic properties against L. tropica pathogens.
This study was conducted to explore the effects of using ionized water on the productive and physiological performance of Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). Our study was conducted at a private farm from 20th April, 2016 to 13th July, 2016 (84 d). One hundred 42-day-old Japanese quail chicks were used, divided randomly into 5 groups with 4 replicates. Treatments consisted in a control group (T1 - normal water:), alkaline (T2 - pH 8 and T3 - pH 9), and acidic water (T4 - pH 6 and T5 - pH 5). All birds were fed a balanced diet of energy and protein. The egg production ratio, egg weight, cumulative number of eggs, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, productivity per hen per week, and effects on plasma lipids, uric acid, glucose, calcium, and ph
... Show MoreArtificial Neural Network (ANN) model's application is widely increased for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) variables prediction and forecasting which can enable the operators to take appropriate action and maintaining the norms. It is much easier modeling tool for dealing with complex nature WWTP modeling comparing with other traditional mathematical models. ANN technique significance has been considered at present study for the prediction of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) performance based on effluent's (BOD5/COD) ratio after collecting the required historical daily SBR data for two years operation (2015-2016) from Baghdad Mayoralty and Al-Rustamiya WWTP office, Iraq. The prediction was gotten by the application of a feed-forwa
... Show MoreIn this study, genetic algorithm was used to predict the reaction kinetics of Iraqi heavy naphtha catalytic reforming process located in Al-Doura refinery in Baghdad. One-dimensional steady state model was derived to describe commercial catalytic reforming unit consisting of four catalytic reforming reactors in series process.
The experimental information (Reformate composition and output temperature) for each four reactors collected at different operating conditions was used to predict the parameters of the proposed kinetic model. The kinetic model involving 24 components, 1 to 11 carbon atoms for paraffins and 6 to 11 carbon atom for naphthenes and aromatics with 71 reactions. The pre-exponential Arrhenius constants and a
... Show MoreOver the last few decades the mean field approach using selfconsistent
Haretree-Fock (HF) calculations with Skyrme effective
interactions have been found very satisfactory in reproducing
nuclear properties for both stable and unstable nuclei. They are
based on effective energy-density functional, often formulated in
terms of effective density-dependent nucleon–nucleon interactions.
In the present research, the SkM, SkM*, SI, SIII, SIV, T3, SLy4,
Skxs15, Skxs20 and Skxs25 Skyrme parameterizations have been
used within HF method to investigate some static and dynamic
nuclear ground state proprieties of 84-108Mo isotopes. In particular,
the binding energy, proton, neutron, mass and charge densities
The research aims to evaluate the radioactivity in elected samples of cereals and legume which are wide human consumption in Iraq using Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) model CN-85.
The samples were prepared scientifically according to references in this field. After 150 days of exposure, the detector were collected and chemically treated according to scientific sources (etching chemical), nuclear effects have been calculated using the optical microscope.
Radon (222Rn) concentration and uranium (238U) were calculated in unit Bq/m3 and (ppm), the results indicate that the highest concentration of radon and uranium was in yellow corn where the concentration of radon was 137.17×102 Bq/m3 and uranium concentration 2.63 (ppm). The lowest
The development of a new, cheap, efficient, and ecofriendly adsorbents has become an important demand for the treatment of waste water, so nano silica is considered a good choice. A sample of nanosilica (NS) was prepared from sodium silicate as precursor and the nonionic surfactant Tween 20 as a template. The prepared sample was characterized using various characterization techniques such as FT-IR, AFM, SEM and EDX analysis. The spectrum of FTIR confirms the presence of silica in the sample, while SEM analysis of sample shows nanostructures with pore ranging (2-100nm).The adsorptive properties of this sample were studied by removing Congo red dye (CR) from aqueous solution. Batch experimental methods were carried o
... Show MoreA .technology analysis image using crops agricultural of grading and sorting the test to conducted was experiment The device coupling the of sensor a with camera a and 75 * 75 * 50 dimensions with shape cube studio made-factory locally the study to studio the in taken were photos and ,)blue-green - red (lighting triple with equipped was studio The .used were neural artificial and technology processing image using maturity and quality ,damage of fruits the of characteristics external value the quality 0.92062, of was value regression the damage predict to used was network neural artificial The .network the using scheme regression a of means by 0.98654 of was regression the of maturity and 0.97981 of was regression the of .algorithm Marr
... Show MoreObject tracking is one of the most important topics in the fields of image processing and computer vision. Object tracking is the process of finding interesting moving objects and following them from frame to frame. In this research, Active models–based object tracking algorithm is introduced. Active models are curves placed in an image domain and can evolve to segment the object of interest. Adaptive Diffusion Flow Active Model (ADFAM) is one the most famous types of Active Models. It overcomes the drawbacks of all previous versions of the Active Models specially the leakage problem, noise sensitivity, and long narrow hols or concavities. The ADFAM is well known for its very good capabilities in the segmentation process. In this
... Show MoreKnowledge of permeability, which is the ability of rocks to transmit the fluid, is important for understanding the flow mechanisms in oil and gas reservoirs.
Permeability is best measured in the laboratory on cored rock taken from the reservoir. Coring is expensive and time-consuming in comparison to the electronic survey techniques most commonly used to gain information about permeability.
Yamama formation was chosen, to predict the permeability by using FZI method. Yamama Formation is the main lower cretaceous carbonate reservoir in southern of Iraq. This formation is made up mainly of limestone. Yamama formation was deposited on a gradually rising basin floor. The digenesis of Yamama sediments is very important due to its direct