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.
Globally, breast cancer is the common malignancy affecting women and understanding its associated molecular events could help in disease prevention and management strategies. The present study was set to investigate an association between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) polymorphisms with breast cancer. For this purpose, 100 subjects were participated in this work, including 50 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer recruited from Oncology hospital, Baghdad - Iraq and 50 healthy women as a control group. The concentration of antioxidants was measured in the serums collected from blood samples of breast cancer patients and healthy controls. While eNOS SNPs (rs1799983, G894T and rs2070744, T
... Show MoreIntroduction and Aim: Kruppel Like Factor 14 (KLF14) gene plays an important role in metabolic illnesses and is also involved in the regulation of many other biological processes. This study's objective was to determine whether or not the KLF14 single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) known as rs972283 was linked to an increased risk of peptic ulcer disease in the population that was being investigated. Materials and Methods: Participants in this study included 71 people who had been diagnosed with peptic ulcers and 50 people who were considered to be healthy controls. In order to genotype the KLF14 SNP rs972283, an amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) was carried out, and the PCR results were
... Show MoreThe process involved isolating E. faecium from the gut of honeybees, screening the bacterium for bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS), evaluating its impact on the expression of the mexA gene in multidrug-resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa, and determining the role of bacteriocin in treating infected wounds in mice through histopathological examination. After evaluating the best circumstances for producing BLIS, it was discovered that glucose was a superior carbon source and yeast extract was the best source of nitrogen. The pH was found to be 5, the ideal incubation time was 72 hours, and ammonium sulfate salt was used for partial purification at 80% saturation. The identification of MDR P. aeruginosa isolates from pus infection
... Show MoreIntroduction. Epilepsy is a progressive, chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) (MP) is one of the most commonly ingested herbal teas or tisanes with a single component. Aim. We aimed to assess the potential antiepileptic and neuroprotective features of MP essential oil (MPO) in pilocarpine (P) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) models of epilepsy. Methods. The study used eight groups of mice to assess the anticonvulsant activity of MPO in both the P and PTZ acute models in mice. P (350 mg/kg, i.p.) was given 30 minutes after MPO (1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 ml/kg, i.p.). As a positive control group, diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p) was used. PTZ (95 mg/kg, i.p.) was given 30 minutes after M
... Show MorePlasma generated by a 1064 nm pulsed Nd: YAG laser with pulse duration of 10 ns concentrated onto an Al solid target under vacuum pressure was examined spectroscopically. The temperature and electron density specifying the plasma were measured by time-resolved spectroscopy of neutral atom and ion line emissions in the time period range of 300–2000 ns. An echelle spectrograph is utilized to appear the plasma emission lines. The temperature was obtained using the spectral line comparison method and the electron density was calculated using the Stark Broadening (SB) method. The electron density was characterized as a function of laser pulse energy. The time range where the plasma is optically thin and is also in local thermodynamic equilibri
... Show MoreWe have studied theoretically the response of atomic three- level cascade scheme
of rubidium vapor to a strong laser under conditions in which electromagnetically
induced transparency would be induced on a weak probe beam. We show that the
medium that is an opaque to a probe laser can, by applying both lasers
simultaneously, be made transparent.
Nowadays nanoparticles are used in many fields of life all over the world, and there are numerous ways to obtain them: chemical, physical and biological processes. In recent times, the biological method for the synthesis of nanoparticles associated with using plant extract is widely spread. Optimal conditions for synthesis of silver nanoparticles using aqueous seeds extract of Myristica fragrance were highlighted in this research, such as type of plant extract, weight of extracted plant material, volume ratio of plant extract to AgNO3 and temperature of reaction. The study proved that the optimal status for AgNPs synthesis by using 10 g of M. fragrance seeds powder were added to 100 mL boiled distilled water, then homogenized and f
... Show MoreElectrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-traditional cutting technique for metals removing which is relied upon the basic fact that negligible tool force is produced during the machining process. Also, electrical discharge machining is used in manufacturing very hard materials that are electrically conductive. Regarding the electrical discharge machining procedure, the most significant factor of the cutting parameter is the surface roughness (Ra). Conventional try and error method is time consuming as well as high cost. The purpose of the present research is to develop a mathematical model using response graph modeling (RGM). The impact of various parameters such as (current, pulsation on time and pulsation off time) are studied on
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