This study investigates in vitro biofilm production. Presence of ica A and D genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated for biofilm production by the microtiter plate method. Between December 2020 and October 2021, out of 215 clinical specimens were collected from patients with pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, bacteremia, chronic burns, deep wounds, urinary tract infection and catheterized patients. Out of which 45 MRSA isolates were identified by the susceptibility test utilizing cefoxitin and the occurrence of mecA gene for resistance for this antibiotic verified by polymerase chain reaction technique. A sensitivity test was conducted for five other antibiotics. All MRSA isolates were producers of biofilms but the formation of robust biofilms by 42% of MRSA isolates, 20% of isolates was intermediate and 38% of isolates weak. Formerly ica A and D genes, responsible for polysaccharide intracellular adhesin dependent biofilm formation were investigated in all MRSA isolates using the polymerase chain reaction technique. ica A were detect in 33 (73.3%) of the isolates and was lacking in 12 (26.6%) of the isolates. ica D gene was present in 38 (84.4%) isolates and was lacking in 7 (15.5%). However, the total number of isolates that contained icaA and D genes was 10 (22.2%). The most noteworthy finding was that the five weak isolates lacked any genes. Thus indicating that these isolates are capable of producing biofilm without the need for ica in order to make polysaccharide intracellular adhesin that means the isolates have an ability to form biofilm in ica independent biofilm mechanisms.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of trace elements Magnesium (Mg), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Selenium (Se) in blood sera of asthmatic patients by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The concentrations of Mg, Cu, and Zn have been determined by Flame Atomic Absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS), and Se with flameless Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (GFAAS). The study involves (55) asthmatic patients as study group and (28) subjects as control from both genders. Serum levels of Mg, Cu, and Se were significantly higher (p<0.001 for all) in patients when compared with healthy subjects, while Zn level was relatively significant (p<0.05). Our observations confirm the efficacy and applicability of (AAS) in
... Show MoreIn the resent years, there is a robust scientific interest in discovery of new anti-septic and anti-oxidant naturally products with no/or limited side effects. The current study aimed to investigate the protective role of the quercetin on inflammations induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in male mice A number of criteria included i.e. liver and spleen index and IL-6 and IL1-β cytokines level in spleen homogenate were considered. Sixty male mice (8-9 week age) was divided into six groups and treated for 5 days as the following: the first group represented control, the second and third group were injected with 5, 10 mg/kg b.w doses of quercetin respectively. While the fourth and fifth groups were co-treatment with (5, 10 mg/kg b.w.) intraper
... Show MoreThe research aims to know the availability of supra-cognitive thinking skills in the questions and activities of the computer book for the fifth grade preparatory scientific and literary branches in Iraq for the academic year 2018/2019, as the researcher has prepared a list of supra-cognitive thinking skills included two areas and (6) key skills and (27) A sub - skill, where by the questions and activities of the aforementioned authors were analyzed. The researcher followed the descriptive analytical approach "method of content analysis", and adopted the explicit and implicit unit of analysis, as was verified the validity and stability of the analysis, and the results showed unevenness and imbalance in the distribution of supra-cognitive th
... Show MoreThis research studies the petrography, mineralogy and diagenetic history of the Sarmord Formation at Sulaimani and Erbil Governorates in Northeastern Iraq. The Sarmord Formation consists mainly of alternated yellowish to bluish gray bedded marly limestone with yellowish gray soft marl beds. Petrographic investigations of the marly limestones were based on 270 thin sections and show that the skeletal grains include bioclasts, foraminiferas, radiolarians, calcispheres, echinoderms, ostracods and cephalopods. The groundmass is composed of micrite with light brown to gray colors, rich in organic materials and iron oxides. The X-ray diffraction analysis of the marls revealed that the abundant clay minerals in the Sarmord Formation ar
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to investigate the sedimentation environments and diagenetic processes of the Ibrahim Formation (Oligocene-early Miocene) in Zurbatiya, eastern Iraq. The Ibrahim Formation is comprised mostly of clayey micrite and skeletal grains composed of planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, radiolaria, and benthic foraminifera. Glauconite and pyrite were documented in some restricted zones of this formation; they reflect quiet and reducing conditions. Radiolaria were identified in Late-Oligocene which was not known previously at this age regionally in carbonate formations of the Arabian Plate (AP). Mudstone, wackestone, and planktonic foraminiferal wackepackstone are the main microfacies that are affected by dissolutio
... Show MoreRock failure during drilling is an important problem to be solved in petroleum technology. one of the most causes of rock failure is shale chemical interaction with drilling fluids. This interaction is changing the shale strength as well as its pore pressure relatively near the wellbore wall. In several oilfields in southern Iraq, drilling through the Tanuma formation is known as the most challenging operation due to its unstable behavior. Understanding the chemical reactions between shale and drilling fluid is determined by examining the features of shale and its behavior with drilling mud. Chemical interactions must be mitigated by the selection of suitable drilling mud with effective chemical additives. This study is describing t
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to use the local Ephedra alata plant as a model for extracting and detecting alkaloids in the stem of plant (alkaloids-rich extract and crude extract). Different extraction procedures were adopted for qualitative as well as the quantitative examination of the alkaloid extracts, as well as plant crude extract, the best methods for the extraction of the plant materials were applied. Simple, fast and accurate methods like TLC (thin layer chromatography) and HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography), were used for the identification of the alkaloids (ephedrine) in different extracts of stems E. alata stems. Ephedrine alkaloid was detected in each alkaloids-rich and crude extrac
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