Recent years have witnessed an increase in the use of composite coatings for numerous applications, including aerospace, aircraft, and maritime vessels. These materials owe this popularity surge to the superior strength, weight, stiffness, and electrical insulation they exhibit over conventional substances, such as metals. The growing demand for such materials is accompanied by the inevitable need for fast, accurate, and affordable nondestructive testing techniques to reveal any possible defects within the coatings or any defects under coating. However, typical nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques such as ultrasonic testing (UT), infrared thermography (IRT), eddy current testing (ECT), and laser shearography (LS) have failed to p

Scrophularia. striata from Scrophulariacea family has been used in Iranian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases. In this study we evaluated the synergistic effect of S. striata   hydroalcoholic extract (SSE) and commercially available antibiotics against P. aeroginosa and Methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The resazurin-based microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of plan extract and standard antibiotics. The interaction between standard antibiotics and SSE was evaluated by using checkerboard method. The results of this study revealed that SSE enhance the antibacterial activity of antibiotics. The combin

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 compac

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) can be described as the presence of contact with the discharge of one or more insulating layers located between two cylindrical or flat electrodes connected to an AC/pulse dc power supply. In this work, the properties of the plasma generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system without and with a glass insulator were studied. The plasma was generated at a constant voltage of 4 kV and fixed distance between the electrodes of 5 mm, and with a variable flow rate of argon gas (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5) L/min. The emission spectra of the DBD plasmas at different flow rates of argon gas have been recorded. Boltzmann plot method was used to calculate the plasma electron temperature (Te), and Stark broadeni

To learn how the manner of preparation influences film development, this study examined film expansion under a variety of deposition settings. To learn about the membrane’s properties and to ascertain the optimal pretreatment conditions, which are represented by ambient temperature and pressure, Laser pressure of 2.5[Formula: see text]m bar, the laser energy density of 500[Formula: see text]mJ, distortion ratio ([Formula: see text]) as a function of laser pulse count, all achieved with the double-frequency Nd: YAG laser operating in quality-factor mode at 1064[Formula: see text]nm. Mg_xZn[Formula: see text] films of thickness [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm were deposited on glass substrates at pulse

In this work, the elemental constituents of smoker and nonsmoker
teeth samples of human were analyzed by Laser induced breakdown
spectroscopy method (LIBS). Many elements have been detected in
the healthy teeth samples, the important once are Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Pb
and Na. Many differences were found between (female and male)
teeth in Ca, P, Mg, Na and Pb contents. The concentrations of most
toxic elements were found significantly in the smoker group. The
maximum concentrations of toxic elements such as Pb, Cd and Co
were found in older male age above 60 year. Also, it was found that
the minimum concentrations of trace elements such as Ca, P and Na
exist in this age group. From these results it is clear that the

Mutations in genes encoding proteins necessary for detoxifying oxidative stress products have been predicted to increase susceptibility to lung cancer (LC). Despite this, the association between waterpipe tobacco smoking (WP), genetic polymorphisms, and LC risk remains poorly understood. This is the first study to explore the relationship between WP tobacco smoking and these genetic factors. Previously, we investigated the association of GSTP1 SNPs (rs1695-A/G and rs1138272-C/T) with LC in Iraqi males who smoke WP. Here, we expanded our analysis to include GSTM1 (active/null) and GSTT1 (active/null) genotypes, both individually and in combination with GSTP1 SNPs. Multiplex PCR and RFLP-PCR assays were utilized to determine the genotypes of

Background: The main purpose of this study is to find if there is any correlation between the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) in gingival crevicular fluid with its serum level in chronic periodontitis patients and to explore the differences between them according to the probing depth. Materials and methods: Forty seven male subjects enrolled in this study. Thirty males with chronic periodontitis considered as study group whom further subdivided according to probing depth into subgroup 1 with pocket depth ≤6mm, subgroup 2 with pocket depth >6mm. The other 17 subjects considered as controls. For all subjects, clinical examination where done for periodontal parameters plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP),

The liver protective effects of pentoxifylline were studied through pre-treatment of rats with various intraperitoneal (IP) doses (25, 50 and 100mg/kg/day) 14 days before induction of liver toxicity by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄). The parameters of oxidative stress, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured in liver homogenate in addition to histopathological examinations.  Analysis of data revealed significant amelioration of oxidative stress in groups of animals pre-treated with different doses of pentoxifylline (PTX) compared to group of animals intoxicated by CCl₄ as evidenced by lowering MDA contents and elevation of GSH levels in liver tissue homogenate but the levels still signifi