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.
The distress of moisture induced damage in flexible pavement received tremendous attention over the past decades. The harmful effects of this distress expand the deterioration of other known distresses such as rutting and fatigue cracking. This paper focused on the efficiency of using the waste material of demolished concrete to prepare asphalt mixtures that can withstand the effect of moisture in the pavement. For this purpose, different percentages of waste demolished concrete (0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 and 100) were embedded as a replacement for coarse aggregate to construct the base course. The optimum asphalt contents were determined depending on the Marshall method. Then after, two parameters were founded to evaluate the moisture
... Show MoreThere is a growing need for up-to-date data for rapid decision making in the modern digital age. Recently, the need for high-resolution topographic maps is highly demanding by most mapping clients. With the maturing automatic structure from mobile and multi-view stereoscopy software, small organizations and individuals now have the ability to make their own surveys based on mobile mapping devices. This study looks at how feasible using low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a mobile mapping device for photogrammetric topographical surveys. It is showing the impact of different UAV flight settings and parameters on the accuracy of mapping products. An automatic scenario for photogra
Statistical studies are reported in this article for an active galactic nuclei sample of different type of active galaxies Seyferts 1, Seyferts 2, and Quasars. These sources have been selected from a Catalogue for bright X-ray galaxies. The name of this index is ROSAT Bright Source Catalogue (RBSC) and the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS). In this research, multi-wavelength observational bands Radio at 1.4 GHz, Optical at 4400 A0, and X-ray at energy 0.1-2.4 KeV have been adopted in this study. The behavior of flux density ratios has been studied , with respect to the absolute magnitude . Furthermore, the Seyfert1 and Seyfert 2 objects are combined in one group and the QSOs are collectest in another group. Also, it has been fo
... Show MoreThe climate parameters annual rainfall and average mean temperature are investigated from 2000 to 2019 for Kut, Hilla and Iskandaryia. Evidence of climate change is noticed by decreasing the mean annual rainfall and relative humidity with an increase in the annual mean temperature. The climate water balance has been calculated. Due to high temperature, increased evaporation, and low precipitation rates, there was a large water deficit. The total water surplus in the Kut area is 32.86 mm from November to February, and in Hilla and Iskandaryia is 20.4 and 27.8 mm from December to February, respectively. The climate classification for the three stations was semi-dry to dry climates. The region has a significant water deficit of u
... Show MoreReliable estimation of critical parameters such as hydrocarbon pore volume, water saturation, and recovery factor are essential for accurate reserve assessment. The inherent uncertainties associated with these parameters encompass a reasonable range of estimated recoverable volumes for single accumulations or projects. Incorporating this uncertainty range allows for a comprehensive understanding of potential outcomes and associated risks. In this study, we focus on the oil field located in the northern part of Iraq and employ a Monte Carlo based petrophysical uncertainty modeling approach. This method systematically considers various sources of error and utilizes effective interpretation techniques. Leveraging the current state of a
... Show MoreThis study investigates the constructs and related theories that drive social capital in energy sector from the intention perspectives. This research uses theories of 'social support' and 'planned behaviour' alongside satisfaction and perceived value to propose a research model that drives social capital for energy sectors in Malaysia. The model reveals that the Theories of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Support Theory (SST) alongside satisfaction and perceived value factors promote social capital development in energy sectors. Using PLS-SEM to analyse data gathered from energy sector employees in Malaysia, this research demonstrates that social capital is present when there is trust and loyalty among the users and positively effects en
... Show MoreBackground: Left ventricular function and volumes have major diagnostic and prognostic importance in patients with various cardiac diseases, such as ischemic heart disease which is a life-threatening heart disease condition characterized by systolic dysfunction and a decrease in cardiac output.
According to left ventricular ejection fraction, the degree of ischemic heart disease was classified as mild, moderate, and severe. To determine cardiac function and hemodynamics, the echocardiography technique is used, which is a noninvasive diagnostic method.
Patients and Methods: The study included 216 patients between 25 and 75 years old; 121 males and 95 females; 265 normal individuals (age range: 25 to 75 years ol
... Show MoreTensile strength is a critical property of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) pavements and is closely related to distresses such as fatigue cracking. This study aims to evaluate methods for assessing fatigue cracking in Asphalt Concrete (AC) mixes. In order to achieve optimum density at different binder contents, the mixes were compressed using a gyratory compactor. Tensile strength was assessed using the Indirect Tensile (IDT) and Semi-Circular Bend (SCB) tests. The results showed that the tensile strength measured by the SCB test was consistently higher than that measured by the IDT test at 25 °C. In addition, the SCB test showed a stronger correlation between increasing binder content and tensile strength. For binder contents ranging from 4
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