Multi-drug-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is considered a significant challenge due to its ability to resist antibiotics and form biofilms. UPEC biofilm formers are well protected and largely inaccessible to antibiotics, which leads to persistent infections and evasion of the host immune system. Understanding how ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole affect biofilm formation is essential for improving treatment strategies for urinary tract infections (UTIs). A total of 76 UPEC isolates were obtained from Iraqi patients and identified using morphological and biochemical characteristics, as well as the Vitek®-2 Compact system. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the Vitek®-2 system, which is based on CLSI standards, followed by agar diffusion assays to determine MIC, sub-MIC (SMIC), and sub-sub-MIC (SSMIC). A 96-well microtiter plate assay was used to quantify the biofilm-forming ability of UPEC isolates and to evaluate the effects of ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole on UPEC biofilms. The MICs of ciprofloxacin were ≥ 4 µg/mL for resistant isolates and ≤ 0.25 µg/mL for sensitive ones. For trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, MICs were ≥ 320 µg/mL for resistant isolates and ≤ 20 µg/mL for sensitive isolates. Ciprofloxacin inhibited biofilm formation at SSMIC (1 µg/mL) and SMIC (2 µg/mL). Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole also showed inhibitory effects, although to a lesser extent than ciprofloxacin. In pre-formed biofilms, ciprofloxacin influenced biofilm integrity at MIC (4 µg/mL), SMIC (2 µg/mL), and SSMIC (1 µg/mL), while trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole showed variable effects. Both ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole were capable of inhibiting biofilm formation; however, their efficacy varied. Despite their ability to inhibit initial biofilm formation, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole appeared to promote the persistence of already formed UPEC biofilms. Determining the precise concentrations of these antibiotics is essential for effectively managing UTIs caused by
In many oil-recovery systems, relative permeabilities (kr) are essential flow factors that affect fluid dispersion and output from petroleum resources. Traditionally, taking rock samples from the reservoir and performing suitable laboratory studies is required to get these crucial reservoir properties. Despite the fact that kr is a function of fluid saturation, it is now well established that pore shape and distribution, absolute permeability, wettability, interfacial tension (IFT), and saturation history all influence kr values. These rock/fluid characteristics vary greatly from one reservoir region to the next, and it would be impossible to make kr measurements in all of them. The unsteady-state approach was used to calculate the relat
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to investigate the sedimentation environments and diagenetic processes of the Ibrahim Formation (Oligocene-early Miocene) in Zurbatiya, eastern Iraq. The Ibrahim Formation is comprised mostly of clayey micrite and skeletal grains composed of planktonic foraminifera, calcispheres, radiolaria, and benthic foraminifera. Glauconite and pyrite were documented in some restricted zones of this formation; they reflect quiet and reducing conditions. Radiolaria were identified in Late-Oligocene which was not known previously at this age regionally in carbonate formations of the Arabian Plate (AP). Mudstone, wackestone, and planktonic foraminiferal wackepackstone are the main microfacies that are affected by dissolutio
... Show MoreIn this paper, we studied the spark corona discharge in tap and distillited waters. The results show the shape of cone that generated on the tip of capillary tube is different with conductivity of liquids. The blue glow appears at the end of capillary tube and the drop extends into a cone. In addition, the conducitivity is affected on the relationship between the appearance of the blue glow discharge with the applied voltage. The size of the cone decreases with an increase in applied voltage. The cone diameter at the base of capillary tube oscillates with period approximately 1 Sec. this oscillates in the cone diameters is due to the change distance between the liquid electrode and the surface of liquid. The intensity of spark corona dis
... Show MoreRock failure during drilling is an important problem to be solved in petroleum technology. one of the most causes of rock failure is shale chemical interaction with drilling fluids. This interaction is changing the shale strength as well as its pore pressure relatively near the wellbore wall. In several oilfields in southern Iraq, drilling through the Tanuma formation is known as the most challenging operation due to its unstable behavior. Understanding the chemical reactions between shale and drilling fluid is determined by examining the features of shale and its behavior with drilling mud. Chemical interactions must be mitigated by the selection of suitable drilling mud with effective chemical additives. This study is describing t
... Show MoreIn unpredicted industrial environment, being able to adapt quickly and effectively to the changing is key in gaining a competitive advantage in the global market. Agile manufacturing evolves new ways of running factories to react quickly and effectively to changing markets, driven by customized requirement. Agility in manufacturing can be successfully achieved via integration of information system, people, technologies, and business processes. This article presents the conceptual model of agility in three dimensions named: driving factor, enabling technologies and evaluation of agility in manufacturing system. The conceptual model was developed based on a review of the literature. Then, the paper demonstrates the agility
... Show MoreResearchers are increasingly using multimodal biometrics to strengthen the security of biometric applications. In this study, a strong multimodal human identification model was developed to address the growing problem of spoofing attacks in biometric security systems. Through the use of metaheuristic optimization methods, such as the Genetic Algorithm(GA), Ant Colony Optimization(ACO), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for feature selection, this unique model incorporates three biometric modalities: face, iris, and fingerprint. Image pre-processing, feature extraction, critical image feature selection, and multibiometric recognition are the four main steps in the workflow of the system. To determine its performance, the model wa
... Show MoreMulti-walled carbon nanotubes from cheap tubs company MWCNT-CP were purified by alcohol \ H2O2 \ separation funnel which is simple, easy and scalable techniques. The steps of purification were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy SEM with energy dispersive of X-ray spectroscopy EDX and surface area measurements. The technique was succeeded to remove most the trace element from MWCNT-CP which causing increase the surface area. The ratios of impurities were reduced to less 0.6% after treatment by three steps with losing less than 5% from MWCNT-CP.