Introduction: The stringent response is a bacterial adaptation mechanism triggered by stress conditions, including nutrient limitation. This response helps bacteria survive under harsh conditions, such as those encountered during infection. A key feature of the stringent response is the synthesis of the alarmone (p)ppGpp, which influences various bacterial phenotypes. In several bacterial species, stringent response activation significantly affects biofilm formation and maintenance. Methods: Clinical specimens were collected from multiple hospitals in Baghdad, Iraq. Staphylococcus aureus was identified using conventional biochemical tests. The PCR technique was applied to detect mecA, icaA, and icaD genes, while the Vitek 2 compact system confirmed Methicillin sensitivity in mecA-negative isolates. Biofilm intensity of all S. aureus isolates was assessed under normal and starved conditions. Additionally, the gene expression levels of icaA and icaD were measured in five MRSA and five MSSA strains under both conditions. Results: The mecA, icaA, and icaD genes were detected in 94%, 96.3%, and 100% of S. aureus isolates, respectively. Biofilm production analysis showed that 24% of isolates were strong producers, 49% were moderate producers, and 9% were weak producers. Statistical analysis indicated that biofilm intensity significantly decreased under nutrient limitation (p < 0.0001) compared to normal conditions across all isolates. Furthermore, icaA and icaD genes were upregulated under stringent response conditions, regardless of Methicillin resistance status. Conclusion: The stringent response influences S. aureus biofilm formation, with biofilm intensity decreasing under nutrient-limited conditions. However, the upregulation of icaA and icaD genes suggests a regulatory role of the stringent response in biofilm-related gene expression. These findings highlight the potential impact of stress adaptation mechanisms on bacterial persistence and pathogenicity.
As a result of industrial development, many types of waste are generated, some of which are discharged into water, causing water pollution and having a negative impact on life. The electro-Fenton process (EF) has verified high efficiency in treating pollutants with low cost, ease of handling and operation, and this technology is one of the more efficient advanced oxidation technologies. The main objective of this present work is to explore the efficiency of a three-dimensional Electro-Fenton system (3DEF) in removing eosin, methylene blue, and methylene violet from simulated wastewater using graphite as anode, nickel foam as the cathode, and alum sludge as the third particle and as the source of catalyst. The study investigated the effect o
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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
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This research aims at identifying the communicative habits and content reflections on the communication process, especially the young audience which is one of the main group for whom the announcements are made. Because young people face life with passion and aspiration making them respond to each effect used by the media in the design of the advertising using all the effective techniques, attractive methods for young children like depending on drama, technical tricks, music and logos easily to be remembered and responded to the desires of the young in their entertainment. This research also aims at identifying the impact of the internet as a channel of commercial advertising on the purchasing behavior of young people at the universities
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Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the principal nosocomial causative agents. This bacterium has the capability to resist wide range of antibiotics and it is responsible for many diseases like skin, nose and wounds infection. In this study, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR was applied with ten random primers to examine the molecular diversity among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in the hospitals and to investigate the genetic distance between them. 90 Isolates were collected from clinical specimens from Iraqi hospitals for a total of 90 isolates. Only 10 strains (11.11%) were found to be MRSA. From these 10 primers, only 9 gave clear amplification products. 91 fragment l
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يعتقد البعض ان مفهوم العلم يعني الآلات والاجهزة العلمية (تقنيات التعليم) وهي لا تختلف عن مفهوم تكنولوجيا المعلومات , ويعد هذا الاعتقاد خاطئ , لان العلم هو بناء المعرفة العلمية المنظمة والتي يتم التوصل اليها عن طريق البحث العلمي , اما تكنولوجيا المعلومات فهي "التطبيقات العملية للمعرفة العلمية في مختلف المجالات ذات الفائدة المباشرة بحياة الانسان, او هي النواحي التطبيقية للعلم وما يرتبط بها من آلات واجهزة".
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The use of composite materials has vastly increased in recent years. Great interest is therefore developed in the damage detection of composites using non- destructive test methods. Several approaches have been applied to obtain information about the existence and location of the faults. This paper used the vibration response of a composite plate to detect and localize delamination defect based on the modal analysis. Experiments are conducted to validate the developed model. A two-dimensional finite element model for multi-layered composites with internal delamination is established. FEM program are built for plates under different boundary conditions. Natural frequencies and modal displacements of the intact and damaged
... Show MoreToxic substances have been released into water supplies in recent decades because of fast industrialization and population growth. Fenton electrochemical process has been addressed to treat wastewater which is very popular because of its high efficiency and straightforward design. One of the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) is electro-Fenton (EF) process, and electrode material significantly affects its performance. Nickel foam was chosen as the source of electro-generated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) due to its good characteristics. In the present study, the main goals were to explore the effects of operation parameters (FeSO4 concentration, current density, and electrolysis time) on the catalytic performance that was optimized by r
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The removal of COD from wastewater generated by petroleum refinery has been investigated by adopting electrocoagulation (EC) combined with adsorption using activated carbon (AC) derived from avocado seeds. The process variables influencing COD removal were studied: current density (2–10 mA/cm2), pH (4–9), and AC dosage (0.2–1 g/L). Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to construct a mathematical model of the EC/AC process. Results showed that current density has the major effect on the COD removal with a percent of contribution 32.78% followed by pH while AC dosage has not a remarkable effect due to the good characteristics of AC derived from avocado seeds. Increasing current density gives be
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Box-Wilson experimental design method was employed to optimized lead ions removal efficiency by bulk liquid membrane (BLM) method. The optimization procedure was primarily based on four impartial relevant parameters: pH of feed phase (4-6), pH of stripping phase (9-11), carrier concentration TBP (5-10) %, and initial metal concentration (60-120 ppm). maximum recovery efficiency of lead ions is 83.852% was virtually done following thirty one-of-a-kind experimental runs, as exact through 24-Central Composite Design (CCD). The best values for the aforementioned four parameters, corresponding to the most restoration efficiency were: 5, 10, 7.5% (v/v), and 90 mg/l, respectively. The obtained experimental data had been
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