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.
Subsurface soil water retention (SWRT) is a recent technology for increasing the crop yield, water use efficiency and then the water productivity with less amount of applied water. The goal of this research was to evaluate the existing of SWRT with the influence of surface and subsurface trickle irrigation on economic water productivity of cucumber crop. Field study was carried out at the Hawr Rajab district of Baghdad governorate from October 1st, to December 31st, 2017. Three experimental treatments were used, treatment plot T1 using SWRT with subsurface trickle irrigation, plot T2 using SWRT with surface trickle irrigation, while plot T3 without using SWRT and using surface tickle irrigation system. The obtained results showed that the e
... Show MoreRoller-Compacted Concrete is a no-slump concrete, with no reinforcing steel, no forms, no finishing and wet enough to support compaction by vibratory rollers. Due to the effect of curing on properties and durability of concrete, the main purpose of this research is to study the effect of various curing methods (air curing, 7 days water curing, and permanent water curing) and porcelanite (local material used as an Internal Curing agent) with different replacement percentages of fine aggregate (volumetric replacement) on some properties of Roller-Compacted Concrete and to explore the possibility of introducing practical Roller-Compacted Concrete for road pavement with minimum requirement of curing. Specimens were sawed fro
... Show MoreIt is well known that drilling fluid is a key parameter for optimizing drilling operations, cleaning the hole, and managing the rig hydraulics and margins of surge and swab pressures. Although the experimental works represent valid and reliable results, they are expensive and time consuming. In contrast, continuous and regular determination of the rheological fluid properties can perform its essential functions during good construction. The aim of this study is to develop empirical models to estimate the drilling mud rheological properties of water-based fluids with less need for lab measurements. This study provides two predictive techniques, multiple regression analysis and artificial neural networks, to determine the rheological
... Show MoreBackground: The human face has its special characteristics. It may be categorized into essentially three kinds in horizontal and vertical directions: short or brachyfacial, medium or mesofacial and long or dolichofacial. The aim of this study was to describe several orofacial indices and proportions of adults, according to gender in Iraqi subjects by using cone beam computed tomography . materials and methods: This prospective study included 100 Iraqi patients (males and females) ranging from 20 to 40 years. All subjects attended the Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Department of Health Specialist Center for Dentistry in AL Sadr city in Baghdad taking cone beam computed tomography scan for different diagnostic purposes from October 2016 to
... Show MoreAceclofenac (AC) is an orally active phenyl acetic acid derivative, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with exceptional anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties. It has low aqueous solubility, leading to slow dissolution, low permeability and inadequate bioavailability. The aim of the current study was to prepare and characterize AC-NS-based gel to enhance the dissolution rate and then percutaneous permeability. NS.s were prepared using solvent/antisovent precipitation method at different drug to polymer ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) using different polymers such as poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP-K25), hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC-E5) and poloxamer® (388) as stabilizer
... Show MoreThis paper presents the Taguchi approach for optimization of hardness for shape memory alloy (Cu-Al-Ni) . The influence of powder metallurgy parameters on hardness has been investigated. Taguchi technique and ANOVA were used for analysis. Nine experimental runs based on Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array were performed (OA),for two parameters was study (Pressure and sintering temperature) for three different levels (300 ,500 and 700) MPa ,(700 ,800 and 900)oC respectively . Main effect, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio was study, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using to investigate the micro-hardness characteristics of the shape memory alloy .after application the result of study shown the hei
... Show MoreLow-intensity laser irradiation has been explored as an alternative, non-invasive method to encourage chronic wounds to heal. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low level laser therapy (biostimulation) using semiconductor diode laser with wavelength (785 nm) on the enhancement of chronic wound healing. Fifty patients with chronic wounds were selected to be treated with Low Level Laser Therapy. Their ages ranged between 1 to 76 years. The wound sites were distributed in the lower limb, upper limb, trunk , perineum and head (70%,14%,12%,2%,2%, respectively). Application of laser therapy by noncontact method few millimeters from the skin for 15 minutes per one session twice weekly for two months ; ie,16 sessions for each patient. R
... Show MoreThe aim of this research is to identify the effect of Webinar technique on digital culture in the College of Education for pure sciences at Ibin Haitham, University of Baghdad. The research samples consisted of (68) male and female students from the Chemistry Department who are following classes during the (2019- 2020) academic year. The samples represent (42%) of the total number of (162) students split into control and experimental groups. For this purpose, the scientific contents for testing were determined. The experimental part is based on analysis of the results from experiments in (preliminary standard solutions, refractive index, Beer-Lambert law). To achieve the aim of the research in testing the measure of student's digital cultur
... Show MoreMunicipal wastewater sources are becoming increasingly important for reuse, for irrigation purposes, so they must be treated to meet environmentally friendly local or global standards. The aim of this study is to establish, calibrate, and validate a model for predicting chemical oxygen demand for the pilot plant of mobile biofilm reactors operating from municipal wastewater in Maaymyrh located in Hilla city Using the approach of dimensional analysis. The approach of Buckingham's theorem was used to derive a model of dimensional analysis design for the forecast of (COD) in the pilot plant. The effluent concentration (COD) It has been derived as a result of the influential concentration of (COD), dissolved oxygen (DO), volume of pilot plant
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