Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) causes up to 40% mortality in humans and is difficult to treat. ARDS is also one of the major triggers of mortality associated with coronavirus-induced disease (COVID-19). We used a mouse model of ARDS induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), which triggers 100% mortality, to investigate the mechanisms through which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) attenuates ARDS. SEB was used to trigger ARDS in C3H mice. These mice were treated with THC and analyzed for survival, ARDS, cytokine storm, and metabolome. Additionally, cells isolated from the lungs were used to perform single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. A database analysis of human COVID-19 patients was also performed to compare the signaling pathways with SEB-mediated ARDS. The treatment of SEB-mediated ARDS mice with THC led to a 100% survival, decreased lung inflammation, and the suppression of cytokine storm. This was associated with immune cell apoptosis involving the mitochondrial pathway, as suggested by single-cell RNA sequencing. A transcriptomic analysis of immune cells from the lungs revealed an increase in mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes following THC treatment. In addition, metabolomic analysis revealed elevated serum concentrations of amino acids, lysine, n-acetyl methionine, carnitine, and propionyl L-carnitine in THC-treated mice. THC caused the downregulation of miR-185, which correlated with an increase in the pro-apoptotic gene targets. Interestingly, the gene expression datasets from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of human COVID-19 patients showed some similarities between cytokine and apoptotic genes with SEB-induced ARDS. Collectively, this study suggests that the activation of cannabinoid receptors may serve as a therapeutic modality to treat ARDS associated with COVID-19.
The increasing demand for energy has encouraged the development of renewable resources and environmentally benign fuel such as biodiesel. In this study, ethyl fatty esters (EFEs), a major component of biodiesel fuel, were synthesized from soybean oil using sodium ethoxide as a catalyst. By-products were glycerol and difatty acyl urea (DFAU), which has biological characteristics, as antibiotics and antifungal medications. Both EFEs and DFAU have been characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. The optimum conditions were studied as a function of reaction time, reactant molar ratios, catalyst percentage and the effect of organic solvents. The conversion ratio of soybea
... Show MoreThe plants of genus Heliotropium L. (Boraginaceae) are well-known for containing the toxic metabolites called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) in addition to the other secondary metabolites. Its spread in the Mediterranean area northwards to central and southern Europe, Asia, South Russia, Caucasia, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and over lower Iraq, Western desert. The present study includes the preparation of various extracts from aerial parts of the Iraqi plant. Fractionation, screening the active constituent, and identification by chromatographic techniques were carried out.Heliotropium europaeum
... Show MoreIn this research, the effect of adding two different types of reinforcing particles was investigated, which included: nano-zirconia (nano-ZrO2) particles and micro-lignin particles that were added with different volume fractions of 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2% on the mechanical properties of polymer composite materials. They were prepared in this research, as a complete prosthesis and partial denture base materials was prepared, by using cold cure poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin matrix. The composite specimens in this research consist of two groups according to the types of reinforced particles, were prepared by using casting methods, type (Hand Lay-Up) method. The first group consists of PMMA resin reinforced by (nano-ZrO
... Show MoreMicroalgae present much usefulness for antimicrobial research because of its enormous biodiversity and rapid growth rate. From this study results it is reaveled that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were isolated from a pond of water in the province of Diwaniyah. The culture supernatants were obtained when extracted with methanol solvent. Antimicrobial activity of extracts was tested for pathogens, and the best inhibition zone obtained was against Candida albicans (32mm), S.aureus (15mm), and to E.coli (9mm). While it showed no effect against both S.epidermidis and Klebsiella spp. Biofilm was formed by all tested isolates with differences in its strength formation. The C. reinhardtii
... Show MoreFirst record of Myxobolus insignis Eiras, Malta, Varella, Pavanelli, 2005 (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) in Iraq from gills of the common carp Cyprinus carpio
Experiments were conducted to study the behavior of the solid particles (proppant) inside the hydraulic fracture during the formation stimulation, and study the effect of the proppant concentration on the hydraulic fracturing process, which lead to bridge and screen-out conditions inside the fractures across the fracture width that restricts fracturing fluid to flow into the hydraulic fracture. The research also studies the effect of the ratio between the fracture size and the average particles diameter “proppant", on fracture bridging. In this study two ratios were considered β= 2 and 3 ,where β=Dt / Dp where: Dt= hydraulic fracture size (width) and Dp=Average particles diameter.
This work pr
... Show MoreThe current world is observing huge developments in presenting the opportunity for organizations and administrative units to use information and communication technology and their adoption by administrative work due to its importance in the achievement of work with higher efficiency, speed, and facility of communication with all individuals and companies using various means of communication Depending on the Internet networks. Therefore, the research dealt with the study of electronic systems designed and adopted in the creation or construction of a database for archiving data, which is the main method in organizations and administrative units in developed countries. Where this system works to convert documents, and manual processes and t
... Show MoreThis research aims at the possibility of rationalizing business organizations according to the strategic planning directions which have been developed to deal with many problems faced by business organizations, including the General Company for Automobile and Machinery Trade which was chosen as a research society, and several research problems were diagnosed, including an increase in the numbers of employees who constitute hidden unemployment, lack of work in the system of job specialization, and the organizational structure which is the non-application of the company to a modern administrative model. The importance of the research is that the company being investigated is a pioneer in its field of work and seeks to achieve custo
... Show MoreTo investigate the antiplaque and antigingivitis efficacy in addition to evaluating side effects and subjects’ perceptions of three commercially available mouthwashes.
This study was a double‐blind, parallel, and short‐term trial. A total of 75 dental students with biofilm‐induced gingivitis were included in the final analysis of the current study. Clinical parameters (plaque index and bleeding on probing) and the staining effect were measured at baseline and after 7 days. In addition, a VAS‐based assessment questionnaire was completed by the participants.
The research Aim is to provide support to small enterprises by providing tools that enable measurement and test their performance and identifying weaknesses and work on them is determined by the problem of searching using traditional assessment methods for small projects with only financial performance measurement standards that do not provide a complete picture of the performance of these projects so use the balanced scorecard the four pillars (financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal processes) and identify deviations and work on them through the use of the outputs of the programme (probe), PROmoting Business Excellence-PROBE), which It is a model of performance evaluation, with which you can deve
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