Q fever is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by globally distributed C. burnetii. In Iraq, there are no previous studies associated with the detection of the organism in cattle. An overall of 130 lactating cows were submitted to direct collection of milk samples. Initially, the samples of milk were tested using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting three genes (16S rRNA, IS1111a transposase, and htpB). However, positive results (18.46%; 24/130) were detected only with the 16s rRNA gene. Concerning risk factors, the highest prevalence of C. burnetii was showed in the district of Badra (42.86%), whereas the lowest - in Al-Numaniyah and Al-Suwaira districts (P=0.025). There was no significant v

     Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces an extracellular biofilm matrix that consists of nucleic acids, exopolysaccharides, lipid vesicles, and proteins. Alginate, Psl and Pel are three exopolysaccharides that constitute the main components in biofilm matrix, with many biological functions attributed to them, especially concerning the protection of the bacterial cell from antimicrobial agents and immune responses. A total of 25 gentamicin-resistant P. aeruginosa selected isolates were enrolled in this study. Biofilm development was observed in 96% of the isolates. In addition, the present results clarified the presence of pelA and pslA in all the studied isolates. The expression of these genes was very low. Even though all biof

Non-additive measures and corresponding integrals originally have been introduced by Choquet in 1953 (1) and independently defined by Sugeno in 1974 (2) in order to extend the classical measure by replacing the additivity property to non-additive property. An important feature of non –additive measures and fuzzy integrals is that they can represent the importance of individual information sources and interactions among them. There are many applications of non-additive measures and fuzzy integrals such as image processing, multi-criteria decision making, information fusion, classification, and pattern recognition. This paper presents a mathematical model for discussing an application of non-additive measures and corresp

The silicon carbide/carbon fiber (SiC/CF) hybrid fillers were introduced to improve the electrical and thermal conductivities of the epoxy resin composites. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the peaks at 3532 and 2850 cm⁻¹ relate to carboxylic acid O–H stretching and aldehyde C–H stretching appearing deeper with an increased volume fraction of SiC. Scanning electron microscopic image shows a better interface bonding between the fiber and the matrix when the volume fraction of SiC particles are increased. As frequency increases from 10² Hz to 10⁶ Hz, dielectric constants decrease slightly. Dissipation factor (tan δ) values keep low a

Portulacaria afra is a small succulent tree, previously belonging to the Portulacaceae family, but with further studies, the plant transferred to the Didieracea family. P. afra was used as an ornamental, vegetable, and ethnomedicinal plant. Uses of the plant by rural South Africans to treat chronic skin conditions and rashes, alleviate exhaustion, and aid in treating TB and diarrhea have been documented in folklore. According to pharmaceutical research, plant extracts off er a wide range of remedial outcomes, such as antidiabetic, antifungal, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-infl ammatory. The study aims to determine some bioactive constituents responsible for pharmacological activities and traditional usefulness. Th

The process for preparing activated carbon (AC) made from tea residue was described in this paper. Investigated were the physicochemical characteristics and adsorption efficiency of the produced AC. Activation with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and carbonization at 350 °C are the two key steps in the manufacturing of AC. The activated carbon was used to adsorb Tetracycline (TC). Different parameters were studied at room temperature to show their effects on the adsorption efficiency of TC. These parameters are the initial concentration of adsorbate TC, solution acidity pH, time of adsorption, and adsorbent dosage. The prepared active carbon was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microsc

In this research two algorithms are applied, the first is Fuzzy C Means (FCM) algorithm and the second is hard K means (HKM) algorithm to know which of them is better than the others these two algorithms are applied on a set of data collected  from the Ministry of Planning on the water turbidity of five areas in Baghdad to know which of these areas are less turbid in clear water to see which months during the year are less turbid in clear water in the specified area.

This paper predicts the resilient modulus (Mr) for warm mix asphalt (WMA) mixtures prepared using aspha-min. Various predictor variables were analyzed, including asphalt cement types, asphalt contents, nominal maximum aggregate sizes (NMAS), filler content, test temperatures, and loading times. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the behavior of each predictor variable individually and collectively. Through univariate analysis, it was observed that Mr exhibited an inverse trend with asphalt cement grade, NMAS, test temperature, and load duration. Although Mr increased slightly with higher filler and asphalt content, the magnitude of this increase was minimal. Multivariate analysis revealed that the rate of change

Objective: Zerumbone (ZER) is a well-known natural compound that has been reported to have anti-cancer effect. Thus, this study investigated the ZER potential to inhibit Thymidine Phosphorylase (TP) and the ability to trigger Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cytotoxicity in non-small cell lung cancer, NCI-H460, cell line. Material and Method: The antiangiogenic activity for ZER was evaluated by using the thymidine phosphorylase inhibitory test. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was determined via DCFDA dye by using flow cytometry. Result and Discussion: ZER was found to be potent TP inhibitory with the IC50 value of 50.3± 0.31 μg/ml or 230±1.42 µM. NCI-H460 cells upon treatment with ZER produced sign