Introduction: Candida spp. has become increasingly resistant to antifungal drugs, with elevated MIC levels causing a negative medical impact and increasing the number of patients at risk of candidiasis. According to the CDC, about 7% of Candida blood samples show reduced susceptibility to fluconazole. Monitoring the antifungal resistance profile of Candida spp. is vital, as non-Albicans species may limit treatment options. Objective: Evaluate the antifungal effectiveness against clinical Candida spp. isolates of six antifungals: amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, caspofungin, and 5-fluorocytosine. Methods: 100 samples were collected from various clinical samples at the National Centre of Teaching Laboratories in Baghdad, Iraq, from May to December 2023. The effectiveness of six antifungals (fluconazole (FLC), itraconazole (ITR), voriconazole (VRC), amphotericin B (AMB), caspofungin (CAS), and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC)) was tested using the MA120 Automated ID and AST System (Render) according to CLSI standards. Results: Out of 100 isolates, nine Candida species were identified: C. albicans (54%), C. glabrata (20%), C. dubliniensis (10%), C. tropicalis (6%), C. krusei (5%), C. parapsilosis (2%), and C. rugosa, C. lusitaniae, and C. kyfer (each 1%). The non-susceptible rates to the six antifungals were: 5-FC (42%), FLC (21% intermediate, 9% resistant), AMB (11%), ITR (8%), VRC (6%), CAS (4% intermediate, 1% resistant). Conclusion: We observed increased resistance rates to 5-FC, FLC, ITR, AMB, and VRC, but not to caspofungin. C. albicans showed a high 5-FC non-WT phenotype (72%) with elevated MIC values, while C. glabrata had a 7% non-WT rate against AMB. C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis revealed limited susceptibility to azoles
Cisplatin (CP), a platinum compound, is one of the most active cytotoxic drugs used for cancer treatment. Nephrotoxicity is severe dose limiting side effect of this drug. Abnormal production of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) leading to oxidative stress has been implicated in kidney toxicity by Cisplatin. Here the study was aimed to evaluate nephroprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna bark (EETAB) at the doses (200 & 400 mg/kg, body weight) against Cisplatin (7.5 mg/kg, i.p) induced nephrotoxicity in rats. The evaluation was done by measuring % change in body weight, renal function tests such as Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Serum Creatinine (Cr), Serum Total Protein (TP) and also Kidney SOD (Super
... Show MoreThe objective of this investigation was to study the effects of amixture of three arbuscular mycorrhizal species : Glomus etunicatum , G. leptotichum and Rhizophagus intraradices on the induced resistance of Lycopersicon esculentum roots infected with Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.lycopersici which is causal agent of wilt in the presence of organic matter peatmose (O). The work was achieved in aplastic house ( Shed) using pot culture planted for 10 weeks. Results indicated significant increase of all mycorrhizal colonization parameters ( F% , M% , m% , a% , A% ) . Highest percentage of mycorrhization was detected in roots infected with the pathogen 4 weeks after mycorrhizal colonization . On the other hand least colonization was shown in the dual
... Show MoreThis study evaluated the effect of spore suspension and fungal filtrate against different developmental stages of Tribolium castaneum third and fifth larval instars and adults. Two isolates of entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae were used (commercially (Met 52 EC), and domesticly). For the two isolates, the effectiveness of various conidial concentrations were (1 × 104 ; 1 × 106 ; 1 × 108 conidia/ ml) and various concentrations of fungal filtrate (100,75,50%) were evaluated. It is observed that the fungal filtrate at a concentration of 75% and the conidial concentration of 1 x 108 conidia /ml for both isolates were the most effective in causing the highest mortality rates to the third and fifth instar larva and adult
... Show MoreBackground: Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of amoebic dysentery and hepatic abscesses. Despite the efficacy of metronidazole in alleviating infectious diseases, the global dissemination of drug-resistant parasites raises the possibility that Punica granatum could serve as an effective natural alternative treatment. Objective: To evaluate the effect of P. granatum methanolic and aqueous extracts of various parts against E. histolytica trophozoites in an in vitro setting. Methods: Various concentrations (0.14, 0.7, 1.4, and 2.8 mg/ml) of P. granatum extracts of the flowers, leafs, peels, and seeds were chosen for this purpose. A culture medium containing 0.05x106/ml E. histolytica trophozoites was treated with different
... Show MoreBackground: Cleaning and shaping of root canals successfully requires high volumes of irrigation solutions that can only be applied to the apical third of root canal after enlargement with instrument, so the aim of this study was to evaluate and to compare the efficiency of Maxi-I-probe (side-vented needle), in the amount of root canal irrigant penetration for five different master apical file sizes (MAF) and four different degrees of coronal and middle thirds flaring. Materials and Methods: Two hundred resin blocks with simulated root canals were used in this study and divided into 5 major groups (40 for each) based on the size of master apical files (#20, #25, #30, #35, and #40). Each major group was subdivided into 4 subgroups depending
... Show MoreBackground: The repair of bone defects remains a major clinical orthopaedic challenge. Bone is a highly vascularised tissue reliant on the close spatial and temporal connection between blood vessels and bone cells to maintain skeletal integrity. Angiogenesis thus plays a pivotal role in skeletal development and bone fracture repair. The role of angiogenic and osteogenic factors in the adaptive response and interaction of osteoblasts and endothelial cells during the multi step process of bone development and repair will be highlighted in this study. This study aimed to identify the role of local exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor in bone healing and to analyze the expression of VEGF by immunohistochemistry in created bone defect af
... Show MoreThe concept of narration has taken an aesthetic field farther than the primitive human act which was imposed by the necessities of social communication in an ancient historical period. The research addressed the research problem. The importance of the research lies in connecting the concept of narration with the theatre directing elements. The research aims at discovering the narration fields in the theatre directing represented by the perceived videos, audios and motions. The research time limit was (2014). The theoretical framework is divided into three chapters:
The first chapter (the concept of narration in literature and criticism), the second addressed
... Show MoreRivers Tigris and Euphrates, as well as the wetlands in southern Iraq and the Diyala River, were all included in the evaluation of earlier studies on the variety and factors impacting fish in Iraqi waters. Different studies documented different types, and the number of species recorded varied between the studies, which could be explained by the registration of some species, synonyms, differs from the registration of some species with synonymous names By mistake, as well as recording new species in times that followed some previous studies, Also, the difference in some factors, including the pollution of some waterways, leads to a difference in the existing species, so we find the presence of species that are tolerant of pollution. There are
... Show MoreBackground: Oocytes are susceptible to alterations in the various fatty acid contents of follicular fluid (FF), which may influence maturation and embryogenesis. Different fatty acids exert various effects on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), which needs further studies to uncover the involved mechanisms. Objectives: To assess FF fatty acids in women undergoing ICSI and to correlate them with ICSI parameters, namely the total count of aspirated oocytes, oocyte maturation rate, fertilization rate and percentage of good-quality embryos. Methods: Fifty women undergoing ICSI were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. FF samples were collected during oocyte retrieval and were analyzed for fatty acids using gas chromatography. Fa
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