Antibiotic resistance is the major growing threat facing the pharmacological treatment of bacterial infections. Therefore, bioprospecting the medicinal plants could provide potential sources for antimicrobial agents. Mimusops, the biggest and widely distributed plant genus of family Sapotaceae, is used in traditional medicines due to its promising pharmacological activities. This study was conducted to elucidate the antimicrobial effect of three unexplored Mimusops spp. (M. kummel, M. laurifolia and M. zeyheri). Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying such antibacterial activity were studied. The Mimusops leaf extracts revealed significant antibacterial activities against the five tested bacterial strains with a maximum inhibition zone diameter of 22.0 mm against B. subtilis compared with standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentration values against tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains ranged from 3.15-12.5 µg/ml. However, weak antifungal effect was recorded against Candida albicans with MIC value ˃25 µg/ml. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed that M. caffra was the best antioxidant (IC50=14.75±0.028 µg/ml), while M. laurifolia was the least one (IC50=34.22±0.014 µg/ml). The phenolics in plant leaves extracts were identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) which revealed the presence of seven phenolic acids and four flavonoids. The abundant phenolic compounds were rutin (5.216±0.067 mg/g dried wt.) and gallic acid (0.296±0.068 mg/g) followed by myricetin (0.317±0.091 mg/g) then kaempferol (0.113±0.049 mg/g) as flavonoids. The antibacterial mechanism of M. laurifolia extract, as a representative species, induces ultrastructural changes in the model bacterium Staphylococcus aureus with cell wall and plasma membrane lysis as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Overall, Mimusops species (M. laurifolia, M. kummel and M. zeyheri) are promising natural alternative sources for antimicrobial agents.
This study has sought to explore the Yemeni online news websites’ treatment of the tropical storm “Luban” which hit the coasts of al-Mahra governorate, and other parts of the Yemeni Eastern and Southern governorates in October 2018. The study also examined how the Yemeni news websites covered the disaster on the basis of the problematic situation model. The study’s findings revealed a form of logical balance in distributing the coverage of the disaster in its different phases. The coverage was a bit more focused on the disaster phase than the pre- and post-disaster phases. Additionally, the websites paid more attention to precautionary measures and the disaster’s humanitarian and material losses. The findings reveal that the ne
... Show MoreA cantilevered piezoelectric beam with a tip mass at its free end is a common energy harvester configuration. This paper introduces a new principle of designing such a harvester which increases the generated voltage without changing the natural frequency of the harvester: The attraction force between two permanent magnets is used to add stiffness to the system. This magnetic stiffening counters the effect of the tip mass on the natural frequency. Three setups incorporating piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers of the same type in different mechanical configurations are compared theoretically and experimentally to investigate the feasibility of this principle. Theoretical and experimental results show that magnetically stiffe
... Show MoreBentonite is widely used in industrial applications. The present study reports the effect of adding different weights of ZnO to the Iraqi bentonite, on surface area, pore volume and real density. These surface properties were evaluated for pure and modified bentonite. The modification was made by adding different ZnO weights such as; ( 0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10% ). The effect of heat exposing for all modified clay samples at 500 ?C have been also evaluated. The results show that the addition of 0.5% ZnO leads to increase the surface area percentage about 36%, increase pore volume percentage about 5.48% and increase the real density percentage about 27.116%. When the samples exposed to 500 ?C, their surface area and pore volumes have been decreased a
... Show MoreThe research dealt with the study (interpretation of space in the art of installation), and it is located in four frameworks, the first is devoted to clarifying the research problem, its importance and the need for it, its goal, and its limits, and determining the most important terms contained therein.The research problem was determined from the question, does space embody those different and diverse materials that were formulated and installed by the artist into modern forms? Is the product of synthetic arts an appropriation of these spaces and domination of them?The problematic of interpreting space in its conceptual dimension in (synthetic) art in its multiplicity, diversity and difference, or objecting to the work of artistic system
... Show MoreThe main aim of this research to study and recognize the specifications and main concepts of (Fuzzy Logic) and its components and studying the practical experiments of the (Fuzzy Logic) techniques in the electrical engineering field through by using the (Fuzzy Logic) for controlling the three-phase AC induction motor by using (Matlab_ simulation_7) for modeling the system by using the computer
The research discusses the mechanism for analyzing the salary scale in the public sector through an analysis of grades, their stages, occupants and their financial entitlements, and the extent to which the information obtained for their investment in strategic planning, conducting correction and treatment can be used. The salaries of the employees in them, whose number is (1117) employees, to be a field of research, as the salary structure in it for the year 2019 was analyzed by relying on a number of statistical tools in the analysis process, including the arithmetic circles, upper limits, minimum limits and percentage, and with
... Show MoreThe common history of Latin America countries may contribute significantly to determine the initial beginnings of these States since the current borders are a reflection and drawing of the borders of Antarctica according to the divisions determined by the behavior of the Portuguese and Spanish colonialism as well as what the Pope originally called for in order to divide property between Spain and Portugal. A later change took place especially after the independence in the first quarter of the 19th century for the majority of those States which is something that imposed special consideration in the analysis and description of each of these States. There are constants and variables in this case where all the States share constants, while t
... Show MoreThe inner wasteland can be observed in Samuel Beckett’s early and later plays. His characters suffer from loss of identity, emotions, and sense of time. They lead a life of failure, repetition, inaction, loneliness, doubt, suffering, and nothingness. The inner wasteland includes many aspects, such as the multi and split identity, the habitual repetitive element of life, the dark sorrowful life the characters lead, lack of communication and relations among them, their unfree, inactive condition, their foggy terrible recollections, loneliness, dryness of love, and uncertainty. The analysis and the illustration of each aspect will show how the inner wasteland is intensified in the selected later plays of Beckett.