The Red Palm Weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) is a devastating invasive pest of palm trees, invading the Iraqi date palm tree in 2015 for the first time in Safwan county, Basrah province. The Red Palm weevil has been categorized as a quarantine pest of date palm trees worldwide. In this study, a five years monitoring program has been achieved by scouting the invasive pest RPW population in Safwan county by using visual sampling and Pheromone baited traps.
The results indicated that the number of infested palms, increased from 12 trees in 2015 to 111 in 16 orchards in 2016. The number of the infested palms was minimized to 3 trees in the county in 2019 due to the management protocol of the Ministry of Agriculture. Furthermore, the results of RPW adults appeared monthly in the county with two activity peaks during the moderate-temperature-months.
In conclusion, the quarantine and management protocol of RPW decreased the population of the invasive pest which did not spread to other districts of Iraq.
Scrophularia. striata from Scrophulariacea family has been used in Iranian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. In this study we evaluated the synergistic effect of S. striata hydroalcoholic extract (SSE) and commercially available antibiotics against P. aeroginosa and Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The resazurin-based microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of plan extract and standard antibiotics. The interaction between standard antibiotics and SSE was evaluated by using checkerboard method. The results of this study revealed that SSE enhance the antibacterial activity of antibiotics. The combin
... Show MoreGingival carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm affecting the oral mucosa and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum water extracts have gotten a lot of attention because of their bioactive components, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which have a variety of pharmacological activities, including antiproliferative actions. This study aimed to evaluate the histological and molecular effects of Allium ampeloprasum (leek) water extract on the proliferation of the murine gingival cancer cell line. Histological evaluation was conducted to examine morphological changes induced by extract treatment. Molecular mechanisms underlying the observed histological changes were investigated
... Show MoreBackground: The interest in herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents has increased over the past few years in endodontic therapy. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) is a promising plant with great medicinal values. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of watercress oil in combination with calcium hydroxide against Candida albicans as intracanal medicament. Materials and Methods: Candida albicans was isolated from patients with necrotic root canal or failed root canal treatment. The sensitivity of Candida albicans to different concentrations of watercress oil extract was determined by using the agar well diffusion method in comparison with calcium hydroxide paste. The agar plate method was used to determine the minimum fung
... Show MoreThree cultivars of the crop Almash (Green Indian VC6089A10, Green Indian VC6173B1319, and Black Indian Gold Star) were tested in a field experiment during the 2022 growing season in Ramadi, Anbar province, to determine the impact of spraying levels of zinc (0, 25, and 50) mg Zn L-1 and manganese (0, 30, and 60) mg Mn L-1 on some growth characteristics. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates, with each treatment being tested in a separate split plot. The study found that there were statistically significant differences between zinc levels, with the level giving 50 mg Zn L-1
A novel demountable shear connector for precast steel‐concrete composite bridges is presented. The connector uses high‐strength steel bolts, which are fastened to the top flange of the steel beam with the aid of a special locking nut configuration that prevents slip of bolts within their holes. Moreover, the connector promotes accelerated construction and overcomes typical construction tolerances issues of precast structures. Most importantly, the connector allows bridge disassembly, and therefore, can address different bridge deterioration scenarios with minimum disturbance to traffic flow, i.e. (i) precast deck panels can be rapidly uplifted and replaced; (ii) connectors can be rapidly removed and replaced; and (iii) steel beams can b
... Show MoreA field experiment was conducted in an agricultural field in Al-Hindia district, Karbala governorate in a silty clay soil during the year 2020. The research included a study of two factors, the first is the depth of plowing at two levels, namely 13 and 20 cm, which represented the main blocks. The second is the tire inflation pressure at two levels, namely (70 and 140 kPa), which represented the secondary blocks. Slippage percentage, field efficiency, leaf area, and 300 grain weight were studied. The experiment was carried out using a split-plot system under a Randomized complete block design, at three replications. The tillage depth of 13 cm exceeds/transcend by giving it the least slippage of (11.01%), the highest field efficiency of (50.
... Show MorePeriodontal disease is typically treated with mechanical debridement of the tooth surface. It may, however, be insufficient to eradicate pathogenic microorganisms on its own. Because of the microbial etiology of periodontitis, systemic or local antibiotic therapy is used as an adjunct treatment. The present study aimed to determine the effects of curcumin gel on Porphyromonas gingivalis. Eleven patients with stage II and III periodontitis were registered in the study. A double-blinded split-mouth design followed. Periodontal pockets were distributed into 2 groups; the test group received scaling and root planing along with curcumin gel, while the control group received scaling and root planing along with a placebo gel. Plaque index,
... Show MoreSoaking dentures with disinfection solutions is an effective way of keeping dentures in a healthy status; however, immersions in these solutions have a negative effect on the bond strength of denture base and denture teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bond strength between denture acrylic teeth and heat-cured Poly (methyl methacrylate) denture base material (with and without nano silica) after disinfection with different chemical disinfectants for a simulated period of six months. One hundred specimens of maxillary central incisors attached to PMMA were divided into two groups; 50 specimens of PMMA without nano silica and 50 specimens of PMMA reinforced with 5 wt% of nano silica. Specimens of each group were immersed in five i
... Show MorePhase-change materials (PCMs) have a remarkable potential for use as efficient energy storage means. However, their poor response rates during energy storage and retrieval modes require the use of heat transfer enhancers to combat these limitations. This research marks the first attempt to explore the potential of dimple-shaped fins for the enhancement of PCM thermal response in a shell-and-tube casing. Fin arrays with different dimensions and diverse distribution patterns were designed and studied to assess the effect of modifying the fin geometric parameters and distribution patterns in various spatial zones of the physical domain. The results indicate that increasing the number of