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.
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This research examines the electrical, optical, and structural properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) and tin(IV) oxide (ZnO)1-x (SnO2)x composite thin films made by pulsed laser deposition, as well as the impact of composition concentration. The structural study of (ZnO)1-x (SnO2)x composites and thin films was conducted by X-ray analysis (XRD). Optical properties were investigated by UV–Vis infrared spectroscopy. The structural analysis revealed that all prepared thin-film composites were polycrystalline, exhibiting both hexagonal wurtzite and tetragonal phases for pure ZnO and SnO2, as well as a mixture of both phases for x=0.2 and 0.4. In contrast, the SnO2 phase was predominant for x=0.6 and 0.8. The increase in crystal size in the (
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The influence of fear on the dynamics of harvested prey-predator model with intra-specific competition is suggested and studied, where the fear effect from the predation causes decreases of growth rate of prey. We suppose that the predator attacks the prey under the Holling type IV functional response. he existence of the solution is investigated and the bounded-ness of the solution is studied too. In addition, the dynamical behavior of the system is established locally and globally. Furthermore, the persistence conditions are investigated. Finally, numerical analysis of the system is carried out.
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Copper zinc tin sulfide selenide, Cu2 ZnSn(S1−x Se x)4 , absorbers are promising earth-abundant and environmentally benign materials for low-cost photovoltaic applications. This study investigates the structural and optical properties of Cu 2 ZnSn(S1−x Se x)4 nanostructured thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition using melt-quenched targets with selenium compositions x = 0.0–1.0. X-ray diffraction revealed that films with low selenium content remained amorphous, whereas higher selenium incorporation promoted the formation of polycrystalline kesterite–stannite phases with preferred orientations along (112), (200), (220), and (312). The crystallite size increased from 12.3 to 17.9 nm as selenium reached x = 1.0, indicating enha
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يتكون الانحدار المقسم من عدة أقسام تفصل بينها نقاط انتماء مختلفة، فتظهر حالة عدم التجانس الناشئة من عملية فصل الأقسام ضمن عينة البحث. ويهتم هذا البحث في تقدير موقع نقطة التغيير بين الأقسام وتقدير معلمات الأنموذج، واقتراح طريقة تقدير حصينة ومقارنتها مع بعض الطرائق المستعملة في الانحدار الخطي المقسم. وقد تم استعمال أحد الطرائق التقليدية (طريقة Muggeo) لإيجاد مقدرات الإمكان الأعظم بالأسلوب الت
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Segmented regression consists of several sections separated by different points of membership, showing the heterogeneity arising from the process of separating the segments within the research sample. This research is concerned with estimating the location of the change point between segments and estimating model parameters, and proposing a robust estimation method and compare it with some other methods that used in the segmented regression. One of the traditional methods (Muggeo method) has been used to find the maximum likelihood estimator in an iterative approach for the model and the change point as well. Moreover, a robust estimation method (IRW method) has used which depends on the use of the robust M-estimator technique in
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In this paper, Response Surface Method (RSM) is utilized to carry out an investigation of the impact of input parameters: electrode type (E.T.) [Gr, Cu and CuW], pulse duration of current (Ip), pulse duration on time (Ton), and pulse duration off time (Toff) on the surface finish in EDM operation. To approximate and concentrate the suggested second- order regression model is generally accepted for Surface Roughness Ra, a Central Composite Design (CCD) is utilized for evaluating the model constant coefficients of the input parameters on Surface Roughness (Ra). Examinations were performed on AISI D2 tool steel. The important coefficients are gotten by achieving successfully an Analysis of V
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