Given the paucity and toxicity of available drugs for leishmaniasis, coupled with the advent of drug resistance, the discovery of new therapies for this neglected tropical disease is recognised as being of the utmost urgency. As such antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as promising compounds against the causative Leishmania species, insect vector-borne protozoan parasites. Here the AMP temporins A, B and 1Sa have been synthesised and screened for activity against Leishmania mexicana insect stage promastigotes and mammalian stage amastigotes, a significant cause of human cutaneous disease. In contrast to previous studies with other species the activity of these AMPs against L. mexicana amastigotes was low. This suggests that ama

The importance of specifying proper aggregate grading for achieving satisfactory performance in pavement applications has long been recognized. To improve the specifications for superior performance, there is a need to understand how differences in aggregate gradations within the acceptable limits may affect unbound aggregate base behavior. The effects of gradation on strength, modulus, and deformation characteristics of high-quality crushed rock base materials are described here. Two crushed rock types commonly used in constructing heavy-duty granular base layers in the State of Victoria, Australia, with three different gradations each were used in this study. The gradations used represent the lower, medium, and upper gradation li

    Mauddud formation is one of the most prominent formations in Northeastern Iraq due to its significant hydrocarbon reserves, making accurate geomechanical characterization essential for safe drilling operations and informed development planning. This study constructs a calibrated post-drill one dimensional mechanical earth model (1D-MEM) for selected wells, levering Techlog software to integrate rock mechanical data, image logs, multi-arm caliper measurements, conventional well logs, drilling reports, and core analyses. The methodology provides a detailed workflow for estimating geomechanical properties from log and image analysis to model calibration. Validation of the 1-D MEM performed through cross-comparison with direct me

Four Se70Ge20Sb10 alloy samples were prepared using the melt quenching technique. To improve the energy states of the mobility gap, the samples were exposed to gamma radiation from 60Co source at various doses of 600, 1200, 1500, and 2000 Gy. The electrical characteristics were examined both before and after irradiation. The conductivity analysis revealed that all of our samples were impacted by gamma radiation. The reorganization of the amorphous lattice and the degree of radiation-induced disorder have been involved in the changes that occurred in the electrical characteristics of the irradiated samples. All irradiated and non-irradiated samples feature three conduction mechanisms at low temperatures, where the electrical conducti

Fabrication of porous clay refractory insulating specimens from Iraqi kaolin with different percentage of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) waste crumbs additions were investigated. After mixing and forming by hand molding, the specimens was dried and fired at 1300 oC. The structural, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of the refractory insulating products were measured. Maximum addition of EPS (1.25 wt%) lead to reduce the linear shrinkage to less than 1.7% and increased apparent porosity up to 50 %. As well as, the density, Modulus of rupture and thermal conductivity were reduced to 1.39 g/cm3, 4.1 MPa and 0.21 W/m.K, respectively. The final outcome, addition of EPS showed good results in the formation of pores without distorting the

Fadak farm project was selected to conduct this study in and to evaluate the state of quality and health indices in term of soil physical properties, where this farm is located in Holly Najaf Governorate. Some physical properties (soil texture, mean weight diameter, bulk density, porosity, infiltration rate, saturated hydraulic conductivity and available water) were selected to assess the quality then health indices, Results showed that classes of moderate and poor soil health were dominated in lands of this farm for physical properties It was noted that the class good of soil health wasnot collaterally appeared in areas for the physical characteristics.

Steel fiber aluminum matrix composites were prepared by atomization technique. Different air atomization conditions were considered; which were atomization pressure and distance between sample and nozzle. Tensile stress properties were studied. XRF and XRD techniques were used to study the primary compositions and the structure of the raw materials and the atomized products. The tensile results showed that the best reported tensile strength observed for an atomization pressure equal to 4 mbar and sample to nozzle distance equal to 12 cm. Young modulus results showed that the best result occurred with an air atomization pressure equal to 8 mbar and sample to nozzle distance equal to 16cm