Objectives: Serratia marcescens is a gram-negative pathogen of many species. The ability of S. marcescens to form biofilms and its potent innate resistance to antimicrobials and cleaning solutions are both essential for its pathogenicity and survival. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) on the biofilm of S. marcescens, as an alternative for antibiotic therapy. Methods: Different specimens, including ear swabs, burns, mid-stream urine, wound swabs, and sputum, were collected from patients who were brought to Al-Ramadi Hospital, Iraq. All samples were cultured, and the colonies that were obtained were detected using the VITEK® 2 compact. The ability of biofilms to develop was examined using the microtiter plate technique. The bactericidal effectiveness of GTN was estimated by the broth microdilution technique. The presence of fimA and fimC in S. marcescens isolates was detected using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the effect of GTN on fimA and fimC gene expression. Results: The results demonstrated that GTN has no effect on S. marcescens growth; while its biofilm was significantly (p<0.05) influenced. Moreover, all S. marcescens isolates had fimA and fimC, and the presence of GTN reduced the expression of these genes. Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that GTN can act as a promising antibiofilm agent in reference to S. marcescens.
The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration and small business performance Baghdad, Iraq. This study proposed a quantitative analysis in which entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration is a critical success factor of small business in Iraq. The method employed in the collection of data was by the means of self-administered questionnaire which was filled and completed by small business owners randomly selected from a sampling frame of registered small businesses. The questionnaire was adapted from the study of Davis, Halls & Mayer (2015) and Abdel-Maksoud, Asada & Nakagawa (2008) which was used to measure entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration using a ten items scale and small business
... Show MoreBackground: Studies discussing the correlation between biochemical markers of bone turnover and the diagnosis of osteoporosis in postmenopausal Iraqi women are rare. This study is devoted to find out the significance of serum osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN) levels with the incidence of osteoporosis and its major complication (fracture).Objectives: to investigate the significance of bone turnover biochemical markers; serum osteocalcin and serum osteopontin in evaluating osteoporosis for postmenopausal Iraqi women with and without history of vertebral fracture, as well as to explore the relationship of these markers with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: Fifty seven postmenopausal women whose ages are fifty years old and over, cat
... Show MoreIntroduction and Aim: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are the key regulators controlling the activity of Treg cells, which are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance and reducing autoimmune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of elevated levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 gene expression as a diagnostic indicator in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: The study used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the expression levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 transcripts in whole blood samples from Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A group of healthy control subjects were also included in the study. Results: In blood samples taken fr
... Show MoreBackground: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical abdominal emergency with a life time prevalence of 1 to 7 individuals. Because the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis remains a challenge to surgeons, so different aids were introduced like different scoring systems, computer aided programs, ultrasonography, computerized tomography, Magnetic resonance imaging, Gastrointestinal tract contrast studies and laparoscopy to improve the diagnostic accuracy.
Objective: To evaluate ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in those patients clinically diagnosed with histopathology as gold standard.
Methods: A cross sectional study carried in Al-kindy Teaching
... Show MoreFicus (FIC) leaf extract used as corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel alloy (C.S) in two corrosive environments (saline and acidic) with four concentrations (1, 2, 3 and 4 ppm) at varied temperature range between (298-328 K) using electrochemical polarization measurements. The importance of this work focused on the use the green chemistry that is far from the chemical materials effect. The results of polarization presented the FIC inhibitor consider a mixed type (anodic and cathodic) inhibitor. Tafel curve used to evaluate the corrosion inhibition activity. In a saline medium, the best inhibitor efficiency reaches to (87%) in 2 ppm and IE% reach to (99%) for HCl medium inhibited by 1ppm. Langmuir isotherm obeys the study by thermodynamic pa
... Show MoreColonialism radically transformed the cultures of colonized peoples, often rupturing Indigenous traditions and folklore. Whether creating colonial discourse, promoting orientalist literature, advocating western educational institutions, or through biased media representations, imperial powers systematically oppressed Indigenous and Native peoples. Subjugated communities, however, created, and still form postcolonial discourse from their knowledge systems. This discourse insists on Indigenous and Native culture as central to Indigenous and Native peoples identity. This study examines the postcolonial literature of three groups: Kānaka Maoli, African Americans, and Iraqis. The scope of this dissertation scrutinizes how folklore is employed
... Show MoreBackground: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) constitutes about 4% of salivary epithelial tumors and is the second common malignant epithelial salivary gland tumor involving both the major and minor salivary glands. Aims of the study is to evaluate immunohistochemical expression of Ki67 and p53 proteins in ACC. Materials and Methods: immunohistochemical analyses of fifteen cases of formalin – fixed paraffin – embedded tissues blocks of ACC of salivary glands using ki67 and p53 antibodies. Results: ki67 was expressed in 6 of 15 ACC (40%) while p53 aberration was demonstrated in 11 of tumor (73.3%). There was a statistically significant difference between the expression of ki67 and p53 proteins in ACC cases (p value = 0.041). Pearson’s cor
... Show MoreBackground: Diabetic neuropathy can affect any peripheral nerve, including sensory neurons, motor neurons, and the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, diabetic neuropathy has the potential to affect essentially any organ and can affect parts of the nervous system like the optic nerve, spinal cord, and brain. In addition, chronic hyperglycemia affects Schwann cells, and more severe patterns of diabetic neuropathy in humans involve demyelization. Schwann cell destruction might cause a number of changes in the axon. study aims to evaluate serum myelin protein level as a predicting marker in the diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy and to prevent early neuropathy complications of type 2 diabetes.
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... Show MoreThe increase in the number of trucks and other heavy vehicles in Iraqi highways lead to cracking and deteriorations in the flexible highway. The use of polymermodified asphalt may solve this problem to match the required performance standards. This study investigates the effects of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) polymer on the performance behaviour of Iraqi bitumen binder. The characteristics of bitumen binder were analysed to observe the compatibility of bitumen with SBS polymer. The bitumen binder was mixed with three different contents of SBS (4%, 4.5%, and 5%) by weight of asphalt cement. Viscosity tests were conducted on the SBS polymer-modified asphalt at 135 oC and 165 oC in addition to conventional binder tests. The prepar
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