Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae shows varying degrees of resistance to antibiotic treatment; this resistance arises from multiple mechanisms, including the increased expression of multidrug (MDR) efflux pumps. An efflux pump inhibitor (EPI) is required to overcome this challenge and restore the effectiveness of antibiotics against the present MDR K. pneumoniae. Objective: To investigate the synergistic effect of the EPI Phenylalanine-Arginine β-Naphthylamide (PaβN) and Ciprofloxacin (CIP) on the expression of efflux pump genes AcrAB-TolC, isolated from CIP-resistant K. pneumoniae. Methods: 50 isolates of K. pneumoniae were collected from five different hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were determined for the CIP and CIP and PaßN combination using the broth micro-dilution method conducted on ten isolates resistant to CIP. Moreover, the expression level of AcrA, AcrB, and TolC genes from four selected isolates of K. pneumoniae were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: K. pneumoniae isolates showed that 40/50 (80%) were multidrug-resistant, and 54% of isolates were resistant to CIP. The MIC was reduced significantly from 2–8-fold in the isolates treated with PaβN and CIP compared to the CIP-treated group. The gene expression levels varied among the four selected isolates, with a slight decrease in AcrAB-TolC gene expression in some isolates treated with the CIP and PaβN combination compared to those treated with CIP alone. Conclusions: The promising finding is the effectiveness of synergistic combinations between the antibiotic and efflux pump inhibitors in eliminating resistance of MDR bacteria.
A study has been performed to compare the beddings in which ductile iron pipes are buried. In water transmission systems, bends are usually used in the pipes. According to the prescribed layout, at these bends, unbalanced thrust forces are generated that must be confronted to prevent the separation of the bend from the pipe. The bed condition is a critical and important factor in providing the opposite force to the thrust forces in the restraint joint system. Due to the interaction between the native soil and the bedding layers in which the pipe is buried and the different characteristics between them. Also, the interaction with the pipe material makes it difficult to calculate the real forces opposite to the thrust forces and the way they
... Show MoreIraq suffers from serious pollution with harmful particles that have important direct and indirect effects on human activities and human health. In this research, a system for detecting pollutants in the air was designed and manufactured using infrared laser technology. This system was used to detect the presence of pollutants in the dust storms that swept the city of Baghdad which could have a negative impact on human health and living organisms.
The designed detection system based on the use of infrared laser (IR) with a wavelength of 1064 nm was used for the purposes of detecting pollutants based on the scattering of the laser beam from these pollutants. The system was aligned to obtain the best signal for the scattered rays, w
... Show MoreThe aim of the research is to diagnose the nature of the relationship between the dimensions of organizational immunity with its dimensions represented by (organizational memory, organizational DNA, organizational learning) in enhancing the strategic capabilities of the company with its dimensions represented by (marketing capabilities, administrative capabilities, technological capabilities, creative capabilities), and the degree of arrangement of those dimensions According to priority, as well as revealing the differences in the respondents’ response to the two variables according to the personal and functional variables, and the importance of the expected results, the researchers adopted the questionnaire as a tool for collecting da
... Show MoreSimulation of direct current (DC) discharge plasma using
COMSOL Multiphysics software were used to study the uniformity
of deposition on anode from DC discharge sputtering using ring and
disc cathodes, then applied it experimentally to make comparison
between film thickness distribution with simulation results. Both
simulation and experimental results shows that the deposition using
copper ring cathode is more uniformity than disc cathode
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the hydraulic performance and efficiency of using direction diverting blocks, DDBs, fixed on the surface on an Ogee spillway in reducing the acceleration and dissipating the energy of the incoming supercritical flow. Fifteen types of DDB models were made from wood with a triangulate shape and different sizes were used. Investigation tests on pressure distribution at the DDBs boundaries were curried out to insure there is no negative pressures is developed that cause cavitation. In these tests, thirty six test runs were accomplished by using six types of blocks with the same size but differ in apex angle. Results of these test showed no negative pressures developed at the boundarie
... Show MoreThis study involves the investigation of the effect of nitrogen laser with 337.1 nm wavelength on the sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria by using local therapeutic due to burns. Thirty six isolate of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria were isolated from 25 patients suffering from sever burns, each isolate of bacteria was irradiated with nitrogen laser at (5, 10, 15 and 30) pulses/second repetition rates for 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes for each repetition rate. The effects of nitrogen laser on the local therapeutics sensitivity of bacteria were obtained using Kirby Baur method. Changes in the sensitivity of bacteria to local therapeutics (Tetracyclin, Chloramphenicol, Flumizin and Fucidin) occur at high repetition rate(30 pulses/seco
... Show MoreIron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized via an eco-friendly green approach by adding Phoenix dactylifera extract to the aqueous solution of ferric chloride. The effect of annealing temperature (Ta) (100-150) °C on particle size was studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to evaluate the produced nanoparticles. According to XRD spectra, the crystallite size of the samples was determined using the Scherrer formula. AFM and FE-SEM were used to determine surface morphology. A UV-Vis optical spectroscopic examination was carried out to determine the band gap energy of the iron oxide nanoparticles. It was found th
... Show MoreLength of plasma generated by dc gas discharge under different vacuum pressures was studied experimentally. The cylindrical discharge tube of length 2m was evacuated under vacuum pressure range (0.1-0.5) mbar at constant external working dc voltage 1500V. It was found that the plasma length (L) increased exponentially with increasing of background vacuum air pressure. Empirical equation has been obtained between plasma length and gas pressure by using Logistic model of curve fitting. As vacuum pressure increases the plasma length increases due to collisions, ionizations, and diffusions of electrons and ions.
