One hundred and six S. aureus were isolated from 250 Nasal swabs of
Healthcare workers and patients at Al- Kadhamia teaching Hospital and Al-
Numan hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. The study was undertaken over a period of
ten months between August 2011 and June 2012. S. aureus isolates were
diagnosed based on phenotypic traits and biochemical tests. Antibiotics
sensitivity to 11 antibiotics, revealed that S.aureus is totally resistant to
Pencillin G (100%), highly resistant to Cefoxitin (alternative to Methicillin)
(94.3%) While there are varied resistance percentage for the rest of
antibiotics: Erythromycin (37.7%), Tetracycline (34.9%), Gentamicin
(29.3%), Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50%), Ciprofloxacin (29.2%),<

Leishmania species are the causative agent of a tropical disease known as leishmaniasis. Previous studies on the old world species Leishmania major, showed that the amastigotes form which resides inside the macrophage of the vertebrate host, utilize host’s sphingolipids for survival and proliferation. In this study, gene expression of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) subunit two (MmLCB2) of the mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264.7), which is the first enzyme in the de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, was detected in both infected and non-infected macrophages. This was detected under condition where available sphingolipid was reduced, with the new world species Leishmania mexicana. Results of qPCR analysis showed that there was no differen

Trichomonas vaginalis is a unicellular flagellated protozoan that resides in female and male genital tract and considered the most prevalent sexually transmitted infectious parasite. The infection rate is relatively equivalent between male and female but trichomoniasis is usually asymptomatic in men. Primary triggering of host inflammatory response to this parasite is not fully understood and most studies address the local reaction of the parasite in female genital tract. In this study, two pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-8 and IL-12, were investigated in the serum of infected women with Trichomonas vaginalis during acute and chronic stages of the disease. The results demonstrated that the level of IL-8 was significantly

Aim and Objectives: The objective of this study was to illustrate the link between periodontitis (PO) and endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients. Materials and Methods: This cross‑sectional study involved 53 hypertensive patients with or without PO compared with 28 healthy controls. On the basis of the study protocol, the participants were divided into three groups: Group (1): 24 patients with hypertension only, Group (2): 29 patients with hypertension and PO, and Group (3): 28 healthy controls. Lipid profile, endothelin‑1 (ET‑1), and high‑sensitivity C‑reactive protein (hs‑CRP) were measured. Blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated. Diagnostic criteria of severe PO periodontal indices including plaque

Summary The aim of this study is the evaluation the resistance of S. marcescence obtained from soil and water to metals chlorides (Zn+2, Hg+2, Fe+2, Al+3, and Pb+2). Four isolates, identified as Serratia marcescence and S. marcescena (S4) were selected for this study according to their resistance to five heavy metals. The ability of S. marcescena (S4) to grow in different concentrations of metals chloride (200-1200 µg/ml) was tested, the highest concentration that S. marcescence (S4) tolerate was 1000 µg/ml for Zn+2, Hg+2, Fe+2, AL+3, pb+2 and 300 µg/ml for Hg+2 through 24 hrs incubation at 37 Co. The effects of temperature and pH on bacteria growth during 72 hrs were also studied. S. marcescence (S4) was affected by ZnCl2, PbCl2, FeC12

The present study was designed to shed light on the molecular effects caused by acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It was also aimed to investigate ASXL1 point mutations in newly AML patients as compared to healthy control. The study comprised of 43 AML Iraqi patients and their ages ranged between 16-75 years. It included 23 females and 20 males compared with 20 healthy controls. Results revealed that the extracted DNA from 30 AML patients and amplified by PCR to obtain ASXL1 gene from exon 12 showed larger bands (479). Among forty three patients, two of them displayed point mutations of deletion and substitution, while the others were normal since no mutations were detected. The total of mutations in two mutated patients was 27 mutations, the m

Methotrexate (MTX), a folate antagonist agent, is mainly used in treatment of malignant tumors and autoimmune diseases. The present study was undertaken to determine whether antioxidant vitamin (vitamin A) could ameliorate methotrexate induced oxidative stress in male rabbits. Twenty male rabbits were randomly assigned into four groups. Group 1: control group, Group 2: MTX-treated group (received 20 mg/kg MTX intraperitoneally), Group 3: Vit.A treated group received 5000 IU Vit.A orally) and Group 4: MTX+Vit.A treated group received MTX 20 mg/kg plus 5000 IU vit.A). After 4 weeks of treatment, blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture to determine the serum malondialdehyde (MDA), as a good indicator for lipid peroxidation and

Background: Several infectious lung diseases often develop in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), especially during immunosuppressive medication, including disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The present study aimed to determine the role of respiratory tract bacterial infection in RA activity. Methods: Blood and sputum samples were collected from 31 patients with RA and 12 healthy subjects as control. The bacterial isolates were isolated and identified in collected sputum by biochemical tests and Vitec 2 system. Results: In the present study, thirty-one patients with RA were compared with 12 healthy subjects. Eight patients with RA were not infected with pathogenic bacteria (RA-NIPB) (25.8%). Twenty-three RA patients wer

Pseudoephedrine (PSE), often known as Sudafed, belongs to a class of medications known as sympathomimetic amines, which affect the digestive system, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system. This drug has a long history of medical use; it is helpful in treating symptoms of the common cold and flu, sinusitis, asthma, and bronchitis. Due to its central nervous system (CNS) stimulant properties and structural similarity to amphe­tamine, it is also used for non-medical purposes such as doping agent, to increase focus, and as a substance that gets rid of exhaustion and drowsiness. Nevertheless only a few studies, backed up its impact on solid abdominal organs. The aim of this task is to investigate the effect of some dosages of PSE

Investigations made and soil samples brought from 14 sites in different areas, including Abu Ghraib and Al Anbar. Tests and measurements made in the Microbiology Laboratory at the College of Agriculture, University of Anbar. Department of Soil Sciences and water Resources, in order to isolate bio-fertilizers and test isolates fixing nitrogen in atmosphere and solvents for phosphorous compounds efficiency. The experiment included isolating and diagnosis of bacteria from rhizosphere soils of different plants that were brought from different agricultural areas, 74 isolates obtained by soils alleviation, and then the bio-chemical morphological and microscopic characteristics of these soils studied. The results showed that the most abundant and

Jatropha L. is an exotic genus to Iraq and it has been cultivated in gardens for ornamental purposes because of the shiny red color of the flowers. The plant adapted to environmental conditions and succeeded in growing and blooming, which is why the species was interested to study. The species Jatropha integerrima Jacq. was examined and diagnosed for the first time in Iraq. Morphological and anatomical characteristics for leaves (considering that the variations are the most reliable and taxonomically important) were provided. The Phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, tannins and saponins. The qualitative analysis by TLC indicated the presence of alkaloids and flavonoid that was detected by specia

Tench is a cyprinid fish that has undergone human-induced translocations. The natural populations of the species are on the decline due to habitat loss and spawning grounds degradation. The genetic diversity of seven natural populations was investigated to establish the genetic knowledge base for successful conservation efforts and for selective breeding. Twelve microsatellite markers, the sequencing of a 615 bp section of mtDNA (Cytb) and PCR-RFLP analysis of two nuclear markers (Act) and (RpS7) were used to analyze the genetic variation and structure among 175 individuals. All microsatellite loci were found to have moderate levels of polymorphism. The pairwise Fst values between population pairings were moderate; the populations w

Fractal image compression depends on representing an image using affine transformations. The main concern for researches in the discipline of fractal image compression (FIC) algorithm is to decrease encoding time needed to compress image data. The basic technique is that each portion of the image is similar to other portions of the same image. In this process, there are many models that were developed. The presence of fractals was initially noticed and handled using Iterated Function System (IFS); that is used for encoding images. In this paper, a review of fractal image compression is discussed with its variants along with other techniques. A summarized review of contributions is achieved to determine the fulfillment of fractal ima

   Linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS), a surfactant frequently incorporated into detergent formulations, typically ends up in wastewater treatment facilities after use. The present study aims to investigate the efficacy of bacteria isolated from Iraqi wastewater in removing LAS. This strain was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by genetic analysis (16S rRNA). Three LAS concentrations (25, 50, and 100 mg/l) were employed in this investigation, along with three temperatures (30, 35, and 40 oC) and pH values (5, 7, 9). The LAS anionic surfactant demonstrated optimal biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a temperature of 30 °C and at pH levels of 7 and 9, with removal percentages of 93.76% and 90.4%, respectively, at a concentr

     In this research, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were manufactured using aqueous extract of mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus. Anticancer potential of AgNPs was investigated versus human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Cytotoxic response was assessed by MTT assay. AgNPs showed inhibition effect at the following concentrations 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml versus MCF-7 cell line, and all treatments had a positive result. The MCF-7 cells were inhibited up to 85.14 % at the concentration 200 μg/ml of AgNPs which reduced cells viability to 14.86%, while 12.5 μg/ml of AgNPs caused 24.23% cells inhibition with reduction of cells viability to 75.77%.

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the effect of oral administration of hot aqueous extract of beetle cocoon Larinus maculatus Faldermann, in a two doses 50 and100mg/Kg/B.wt for 3 and 6 weeks respectively on the levels of serum glucose, weight of body, and lipid profile in male mice Mus musculus. The results revealed that there was a significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum glucose level was dose and period dependent. Weight of body also reduced significantly (p<0.05) with doses and period dependent. The lipid profile level significantly (p<0.05) decreased in dose and period’s manner in each of Total cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), High Density Lipoprotein- (HDL), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very Low Density Lipoprotei

Leishmaniosis is a tropical neglected parasitic disease that is endemic in many countries, including Middle East, with no existing effective vaccines. The bite of female sand-fly transmits the causative agent, Leishmania spp., to humans. High toxicity, resistance and treatment failure of the available chemotherapy against visceral leishmaniosis demands the investigation of new anti-leishmanial compounds. Lupeol is a form of triterpene isolated from several medicinal plants and possesses an antimicrobial property. In this study, cytotoxic effect of lupeol was screened against the mammalian amastigotes form and insect promastigote form of Leishmania donovani, following three cycles of incubation at different concentrations by MTT assay. Resul

Acute toxoplasmosis (AT) which is caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) leads to induction of pro-inflammatory and/or oxidative stress changes through activation of host immune response. Therefore, the endeavor of the present study was to assess endothelial dysfunction(ED) and oxidative stress in patients with acute toxoplasmosis.

The results of studying the effects of M. anisopiliae spores on mosquito, C. quinquefasciatus showed a biological effects represented by immature mortality. The mortality increased proportionally with the concentrations of fungal spores, which reached (at high concentration 2×1011 spores / ml), to 86.6, 56.6% in first and late instar larvae, respectively. An important to mention that cumulative death rate was significantly associated with the time, which reached to 56% at 7 day after treatment. In addition, M. anisopiliae had a long period permanence in aquatic habitats; in which the residual effects stay 30 days in aquatic habitats after treatment at laboratory conditions. Interestingly, the long period exposure of fungal spores (30 minut

Biscuits are a global snack due to their convenience, variety, and durability. Biscuits with nutritious ingredients are in demand as customers become more health conscious. This change led to interest about utilizing agricultural by-products to enhance the nutritional value of widely consumed foods. Mango (Mangifera indica L.), a frequently cultivated tropical fruit, produces vital by-products during its processing, mainly comprising peels and kernels. The by-products, comprising around 35–60% of the mango fruit's weight, are high in bioactive compounds including dietary fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, and essential fatty acids. Mango peels and kernels, even with their nutritional potential, frequently neglected, resulting in ris

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an enveloped ubiquitous ds-DNA virus that has been implicated in several types of malignancies. The current work was conducted in the period extending from (November 2018 to the end of October 2019) and aimed to assess the frequency of glycoprotein N (gN) genotypes of HCMV. A total number of 91serum and plasma specimens were collected to fulfill this purpose from females (71 breast cancer patients, and a control group of 20 females) attending Al-Amal hospital for cancer management and Baghdad teaching hospital. The molecular part of this data was achieved through both PCR and Multiplex PCR for detection of HCMV gN (UL73) entire gene as well as for genotyping. gN was detected in 36/71 (50.7%) of breast cancer

      Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern around the world. UMOD gene variants are linked to a higher incidence of hypertension and CKD in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the role of uromodulin rs13333226 and rs13333144 genes association with chronic kidney disease.The study samples were divided into two groups. The first group included 100patient samples and 70 chosen among them were under the dialysis and had kidney failure aged between 18-88 years old. The second group included 30 samples from healthy individuals who were used as a control. One of the ways used to identify the genotype is the tetra-primers amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction (ARMS

This Study aimed to studying the effect of Volatile oil extracted from the leaves of Myrtus communis on the growth and activities of the following types of bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsilla pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the yeast Candida albicans. The results showed an inhibitory effect of the oil on both the growth and activity of the tested microbes. This was reflected by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsilla pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was: (2.5, 1.25, and 2.5,5 % respectively), and the yeast (5) %. Also, the Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) to the bacteria mentioned above was (5, 2.5,5,10 % respectivel