Several toxigenic cyanobacteria produce the cyanotoxin (microcystin). Being a health and environmental hazard, screening of water sources for the presence of microcystin is increasingly becoming a recommended environmental procedure in many countries of the world. This study was conducted to assess the ability of freshwater cyanobacterial species Westiellopsis prolifica to produce microcystins in Iraqi freshwaters via using molecular and immunological tools. The toxigenicity of W. prolifica was compared via laboratory experiments with other dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria isolated from the Tigris River: Microcystis aeruginosa, Chroococcus turigidus, Nostoc carneum, and Lyngbya sp. significant expression of mcyE gene and microcystin production was most evident in W. prolifica. Contrary to the prevailing concept that M. aeruginosa is a main microcystin producer in freshwaters around the world, no significant microcystin production was observed with this species throughout the time points studied in our laboratory methods. As for C. turigidus, N. carneum and Lyngbya sp., neither mcyE expression nor microcystin production was significant. Data from mcyE expression by RT-qPCR were generally in agreement with those obtained from microcystin quantification by ELISA. Interestingly, W. prolifica, which showed clear microcystin-producing ability in this study and which was not reported before in the literature to produce microcystin, can be added as a new microcystin producer to the list of toxigenic cyanobacteria.
This research was aimed to study the pollen morphology for the genus Pterocephalus(Vaill) from Dipsacaceae family in Iraq, and to utilize these feathers in isolating the species as valuable taxonomic traits for enriching Iraqi flora. The study included characteristics of the type, shape, size, sculpturing and apertures, as well as determining the full dimensions using light microscopy as well as numerical analysis of this species and draw polygonal shapes and denderogram convergence between species. The results of the study of pollen and polygonal forms showed significant differences in the characteristics at the level of each species, which helps to identification the genus species, as it was found that the pollen was a tricolp
... Show MoreThe following list comprises sixty-one species and subspecies of coccine¬llid beetles belonging to twenty-two genera distributed among six tribes in three subfamilies. All the species and subspecies have been recorded for Iraq. The categories have been arranged systematically according to Korschefsky's (1931) catalogue.
In this study, the synoptic analysis of dust storm for spring and summertime in Iraq were investigated. The images for dust provided by NASA are used to emphasize the dust storm days, while the composite maps of wind vector and geopotential 850hPa are mapped to investigate the pressure and wind direction patterns appearing with the dust condition in the same days. Spring has more dust frequency than summertime, especially in May. The frontal type of dust storm is dominant on spring, the cold air pushes the warm air that picking up the sand to the air through the vertical wind, but the southwestern high-speed wind and drought condition were controlled on the dust in summer. The northwestern wind is the main factor that carries the dust for l
... Show MoreSamples of twelve species belong to mimosoideae were collected from baghdad. The current study aimed to screen the bioactive compounds from leaves methanol extracts of twelve species from Mimosoideae to assess the phytochemical compounds properties. The twelve species of Mimosoideae
This study presents an updated checklist of the dipteran-borne diseases in Iraq, together with their original name combinations and synonyms. According to this checklist, 152 species, 40 genera within 14 families. Furthermore, minor corrections were applied to some authors’ names and years of publication.
Antacids are commonly used drugs which are considered inert and free of pharmacological effect by many patients and physicians. They are weak bases that neutralize the gastric acid and relief pain. These weak bases dissociate to neutralize gastric acid and form neutral salts. The ultimate goal of antacid therapy is to reduce the concentration and a total load of acid in gastric juice to a pH 4 - 5. This in vitro study was promised to study the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of six commonly available antacids tablets in the Iraqi market by using back titration method. The highest ANC values were for Rennie (17.131± 0.083 and 16.926± 0.052 mEq) in two different hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentrations 1N and 0.5 N, respectively. The static
... Show MoreIn the region of the north of Iraq using the method of analyzing thin section microfacies to 38 of rockyslices which were gathered from a place near Aqra city. These slides are divided into seven microfacies depending on lithologcal component and fossils.
1) Dolostone facies.
2)Recrystallized bioclastic wackestone facies.
3) Bioclastic packstone microfacies
4)Sucrosic dolomite facies.
5) Bioclastic grainstone in microfacies.
According to water energy, these facies were divided to three zone:
- a) Low energy environment.
- b) Transitional zone.
- c) High energy environment.
A survey of fish species in the Iraqi marine waters was carried out for the period from November 2014 to March 2018. The list included 214 species representing 75 families.
The family Carangidae dominated the marine fishes in Iraq, which was represented by 24 species, followed by Haemulidae with 11 species, and then Serranidae and Sparidae with nine species for each, while 34 families contained a single species only.
The present study was undertaken to determine the species of tumbling flower beetles (Coleoptera, Mordellidae) found in Iraq. Specimens have been collected from different localities of Iraq since 1970. Results show that the tumbling flower beetles (Mordellidae) are represented with a total of 13 species belonging to four genera of three tribes, two of these species were described by Dr. Horak (1985,1990) as new species for Iraq Mediimorda maceki HoraK and Mordellistena bolognaHorak; two were previously reported Stenalia escherichi Schilsk and Mordellistena pumila (Gyllenhal) and ten are new records for Iraq. Stenalia araxicola Khnzorian, Stenalia brunneipennis Mulsant, Variimorda
... Show MoreCurrently regions in the world are much affected with dust storms, rising and suspended dust, as Iraq is suffering of this state as well within an eye-catching manner, whereas the storms leave negative traces on environment and public health and many of the other vital utilities. This research aims to diagnosis of the reasons that resulted in increment of dust storms in Iraq basing on some recorded data and to be analyzed in conformity with the prevalent theories and concepts at the atmospheric science and environmental physics. Generally the study, has illustrated that the climate changes and increase of temperatures averages because of green house effect, that followed by clear changes at thermal wind and jet stream, that caused to ins
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