Au nanoparticle-functionalized (TiO2)1−x(ZnO:MgO)x nanocomposite thin films (0≤x≤0.3) were effectively produced by chemical spray pyrolysis and annealed at 600 °C. The effects of ZnO incorporation and Au nanoparticle modification on the films' structural, optical, and antibacterial properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectroscopy, and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). XRD analysis confirms the formation of polycrystalline anatase TiO2 and shows a composition-dependent structural develop- ment with increasing ZnO concentration. The optical experiments revealed increased transmittance and a progressive wid- ening of the optical band gap f

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Oxidative stress may contribute to its pathogenesis. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme associated with high-density lipoprotein, and its genetic polymorphisms may alter enzyme activity. This study aimed to investigate the association between PON1 L55M polymorphism (rs854560) and PCOS in Iraqi women.Methods: This case-control study included 80 women aged 20–35 years who were in good general health   and matched for age and body mass index (BMI). Genomic DNA was extracted using a commercial kit. The PON1 L55M polymorphism was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and genotyped by direct sequen

Silicon nanowire arrays (SiNWs) are created utilizing the metal-assisted chemical etching method with an Ag metal as a catalyst and different etching time of 15, 30, and 60 minutes using n-Si (100). Physical properties such as structural, surface morphology, and optical properties of the prepared SiNWs are studied. The diameter of prepared SiNWs ranged from 20 to 280 nm, and the reflectance in the visible part of the wavelength spectrum was less than 1% for all prepared samples. The obtained energy gap of prepared SiNWs was around 2 eV, which is higher than the energy gap of bulk silicon. X-ray diffraction (XRD) has diffraction peaks at 68.70^o for all prepared samples. The heterojunction solar cell was fabricated based on the

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Identifying novel biomarkers is critical for improving diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies. This study investigates the serum levels of kisspeptin-1 (KISS1), its receptor (KISS1R), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in Iraqi CRC patients. Objectives: Explore associations between serum levels of Kiss1, Kiss1R, GDF, and CEA and disease progression in Iraqi patients with CRC. Methods: A case-control study was conducted, including 72 CRC patients and 36 healthy controls. Patients were stratified into non-metastatic and metastatic groups. Serum biomarker levels were measured using enzyme-link

The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of cytokines IL-1?, IL-10 and IL-17A in the serum of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VD) and down syndrome (DS). The results showed that Serum level of IL-1? was significantly increased in AD patients (3.79 ± 0.26 pg/ml) as compared with DS patients (2.78 ± 0.39 pg/ml) or controls (2.78 ± 0.22 pg/ml), while no significant difference was observed between AD and VD (3.25 ± 0.20 pg/ml) patients or between VD patients, DS patients and controls. The serum level of IL-10 was approximated in VD and DS patients and controls (3.39 ± 0.24, 2.77 ± 0.39 and 3.41 ± 0.35 pg/ml, respectively), but was significantly (P ? 0.05) increased in AD patients (5.73 ± 0.55 pg/ml

Background: To elucidate the possible role of human cytomegalovirus in pregnancy loss through induction of certain pro-inflammatory adhesion molecules.
Methods: Paraffin embedded sections of curate samples were obtained from 34 women had spontaneous abortion, and 5 women had elective termination of pregnancy (as control), and then subjected for immunohistochemistry analysis to detect human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) early protein and VCAM-1 molecule.
Results: Nine out of 34 women with spontaneous abortion were positive for HCMV early protein, with a
significantly higher expression of VCAM-1 in HCMV positive cases as compared with HCMV negative and the control groups (p = 0.05, 0.001 respectively).
Conclusion: HCMV infection may p

Water pollution is widely regarded as one of the most pressing global challenges, exacerbated by human progress in industrial, agricultural, and technological sectors. Wastewater often contains non-biodegradable heavy metals that accumulate in living organisms. This accumulation poses significant risks to both environmental ecosystems and human health. The structures and surface morphology were characterized by FTIR, UV-vis measurements, XRD, SEM, and AFM. TiO2 nanoparticles could remove heavy metal ions (Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cr3+) from two samples (laboratory samples and real samples from Babylon battery factory in Al-Waziriya, Baghdad/Iraq) and measured by AAS. The results indicated that the removal percentages of heavy metal ions by T

Antibiotic resistance is the major growing threat facing the pharmacological treatment of bacterial infections. Therefore, bioprospecting the medicinal plants could provide potential sources for antimicrobial agents. Mimusops, the biggest and widely distributed plant genus of family Sapotaceae, is used in traditional medicines due to its promising pharmacological activities. This study was conducted to elucidate the antimicrobial effect of three unexplored Mimusops spp. (M. kummel, M. laurifolia and M. zeyheri). Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying such antibacterial activity were studied. The Mimusops leaf extracts revealed significant antibacterial activities against the five tested bacter

This research deals with increasing the hardening and insulating the petroleum pipes against the conditions and erosion of different environments. So, basic material of epoxy has been mixed with Ceramic Nano Zirconia reinforcement material 35 nm with the percentages  (0,1,2,3,4,5) %, whereas the paint basis of broken petroleum pipes was used  to paint on it, then it was cut into dimensions (2 cm. × 2 cm.) and 0.3cm high. After the paint and percentages are completed, the samples were immersed into the paint. Then, the micro-hardness was checked according to Vickers method and thermal inspection of paint, which contained (Thermal conduction, thermal flux and Thermal diffusivity), the density of the painted samples was calculate