The emergence of staphylococci, either coagulase negative (CNS) or coagulase positive (CPS), as important human pathogens has implied that reliable methods for their identification are of large significance in understanding the diseases caused by them. The identification and characterization of staphylococci from biopsies taken from human breast tumors is reported here. Out of 32 tissue biopsies, a total of 12 suspected staphylococci grew on mannitol salt agar (MSA) medium, including 7 fermenters and 5 non-fermenter staphylococci based on traditional laboratory methods. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) successfully identified seven isolates at the genus level as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus spp. by targeting a common region of the mecA gene. Only two of the seven bacteria were S. aureus based on the three-specific primers designed to amplify the housekeeping gene recN, and two of the virulence genes icaD and pvl. Diagnosing the isolates using the Vitek system revealed different findings. Although 6 of 7 isolates belonged to the Staphylococcus genus, including: S. cohnii subsp. cohnii, 2 isolates; S. lentus, 2 isolates; and one isolate for each S. auricularis and S. xylosus, the last bacterium was completely different (Aerococcus viridans). Concerning the two bacteria characterised as S. aureus by PCR, they were identified as S. lentus by Vitek with comparatively low detection probabilities of 93% and 88%. The data of this study indicate that undoubtedly PCR is a reliable and accurate test for identification of mannitol fermenter and salt tolerant bacteria in comparison with other tests that depend mainly on biochemical characteristics.
The most common cause of acquired thyroid dysfunction is autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), which most commonly manifests as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) or Graves' disease (GD). The importance of vitamin D (vit D) as an immune modulator has recently been emphasized in several types of disorders. However, its significance in thyroid illnesses is not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to investigate how vitamin D affects the pathophysiology of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in Iraqi women. One hundred Iraqi women with age ranged from 18 to 60 years participate in this research, 50 of them were hypothyroidism patients, 30 were hyperthyroidism patients and the other 20 were euthyroidism served as controls. Blood samples
... Show MoreBackground: Radiologic evaluation of breast lesions is being achieved through several imaging modalities. Mammography has an established role in breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Still however, it shows some limitations particulary in dense breast.
Methods : Magnetic resonance imaging is an attractive tool for the diagnosis of breast tumors1 and the use of magnetic resonance imaging of the breast is rapidly increasing as this technique becomes more widely available.1 As an adjunct to mammography and ultrasound, MRI can be a valuable addition to the work-up of a breast abnormality. MRI has the advantages of providing a three-dimensional view of the breast, performing wit
... Show MoreIn the present study, the aim was made to identify the relationship between thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) and female infertility. The study was performed on 30 infertile women and 22 age-matched healthy fertile control age (33 ± 5 years). Overall, serum prolactin (PRL), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) assay is the key test for the diagnosis and management of hypo and hyperthyroidism. Anti-TPO Ab and anti-TG Ab were measured. The mean ± SE of serum PRL (31.080 ± 3.06) ng/ml was significantly (P<0.05) higher in infertile group compared with control (16.191±1.36) ng/ml. Serum TSH was significantly (P<0.05) higher in infertile group (5.689 ± 1.12) µIU/ml compared to control group (2.282 ± 0.18) µIU/ml. The prevalence of positive
... Show MoreThe presence of alkaloids in Crassula ovata is a topic that is still unexplored, as there are no published studies on the matter. This study demonstrates the presence of an alkaloid compound (and its class) for the first time in Crassula ovata. The plant material was defatted with n-hexane, and a Soxhlet apparatus was used for the extraction process, while the acid-base method was used for the isolation of alkaloids from the chloroform fractions. The quaternary alkaloid was precipitated from the aqueous layer spontaneously, in high quantity. By using standard spectroscopic methods (including liquid chromatography - mass spectroscopy) we were able to clarify the structure of the precipi¬tated compound as a tetrahydroprotoberberine a
... Show MoreThree strain of Bacillus cereus were obtained from soil sours Laboratories of Biology Department/ College of Science/ University of Baghdad. The bacteria secreted extracellular xylanase in liquid cultur the test ability of xylanase production from these isolates was studied semi quantitative and quantitative screening appeared that Bacillus cereus X3 was the highest xylanase producer. The enzyme was partial purification 191 fold from cultur by reached step by 4 U/mg proteins by ammonium sulfat precipitation 80%, Ion exchang DEAE-cellulos chromatography Characterization study of the partial purifation enzyme revealed that the enzyme had a optimum activity pH8 and activity was stable in the pH rang (8-10) for 30min. maximal activity was attai
... Show MoreIn this work two moles of 2-amino benzothiazole were allowed to react with one mole of pyromellitic dianhydride to produce N,N‾-Bis-(benzathiazol-2-yl) pyromellitamic diacid [I] which was submitted to esterification via the reaction with dimethyl sulphate in sodium carbonate in acetone as a solvent to synthesize N,N‾-bis-(benzothiazol-2-yl) pyromellitam diacetate [II] .This ester was used to produce novel compounds through two paths :- Path one:- Reaction of ester [II] with hydrazine in ethanol as a solvent to form the corresebonding N,N‾-bis (benzothiazole-2-yl) –pyromellitamic acid hydrazide [III] which react with acetyl acetone in ethanol or with phthalic anhydride in dioxa
... Show MoreIn the present work, 9-fluorenone-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester (1) was prepared from 9-fluorenone-2-carboxylic acid and then converted into the acid hydrazide (2). Compound (2), is the key intermediate for the synthesis of several series of new compounds such as substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (3-6) were synthesized from the condensation of different substituted benzoic acids with compound (2) using POCl3 as condensing agent. Treatment of compound (2) with formic acid gave the N-formyl hydrazide (7), which upon refluxing with phosphorous pentoxide in benzene yielded the corresponding 5-(9-fluorenone-2-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (8). Reaction of hydrazide (2) with phenyl isocyanate to give N-phenyl semicarbazide derivative (9), then thi
... Show MoreThe synthesis of zeolite NaX from locally available kaolin has been studied. The operating conditions for zeolite NaX production from kaolin with good crystallinity were as follows; a gel formation step of metakaolin in alkaline medium in presence of additional silica to crystallize the zeolite was achieved at 60 oC for 1 hr,and with stirring. In ageing step of the reactants at room temperature for 5 days and crystallization step at 87±2 oC for 24 hr. The catalytic activity of catalyst prepared from local kaolin was studied by using cumene cracking as a model for catalytic cracking and compared with standard HY zeolite and HX zeolite catalysts. The activity test was carried out in a laboratory continuous flow unit with fixed bed reactor
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