Microbiological contamination by fungi impacts the quality and safety of wheat grain storage. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cold plasma in restricting the growth of the fungus, Aspergillus niger, which was isolated from wheat grains. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) operating at atmospheric pressure generated cold plasma that was used to treat the fungus, and the impact of this treatment was investigated at various periods 1, 2, 4, 6, and 15 minutes. The results revealed a highly significant decrease in the growth and number of spores of Aspergillus niger compared to the controls. This study revealed an efficient technique for enhancing wheat grain storage that could be a foundation for further large-scale studies.
The effects of nutrients and physical conditions on phytase production were investigated with a recently isolated strain of Aspergillus tubingensis SKA under solid state fermentation on wheat bran. The nutrient factors investigated included carbon source, nitrogen source, phosphate source and concentration, metal ions (salts) and the physical parameters investigated included inoculum size, pH, temperature and fermentation duration. Our investigations revealed that optimal productivity of phytase was achieved using wheat bran supplemented with: 1.5% glucose. 0.5% (NH4)2SO4, 0.1% sodium phytate. Additionally, optimal physical conditions were 1 × 105 spore/g substrate, initial pH of 5.0, temperature of fermentation 30˚C and fermentation dura
... Show MoreBACKGROUND: Idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia purpura is an autoimmune bleeding disorder that accounts for approximately one-third of clinical hemorrhagic diseases. Pathophysiologically, it involves a complicated imbalance in the immune system. OBJECTIVES: This study focuses on evaluating the levels of the immunomodulatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-35, interleukin-10, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF)-β in patients with refractory idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia undergoing treatment with romiplostim. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study encompassed 78 individuals with idiopathic immune thrombocytopenia and conducted measurements of different immunomodulatory cytokines in response to different responses of idiopath
... Show MoreNon thermal argon plasma needle at atmospheric pressure was constructed. The experimental set up was based on simple and low cost electric components that generate electrical field sufficiently high at the electrodes to ionize various gases which flow at atmospheric pressure. A high AC power supply was used with 9.6kV peak to peak and 33kHz frequency. The plasma was generated using two electrodes. The voltage and current discharge waveform were measured. The temperature of Ar gas plasma jet at different gas flow rate and distances from the plasma electrode was also recorded. It was found that the temperature increased with increasing frequency to reach the maximum value at 15 kHz, and that the current leading the voltage, which demonstra
... Show More The present study is an attempt for detection of A. baumannii by conventional and PCR methods using species-specific primers for these A. baumannii. A total of 87 samples were collected from hospitals in Baghdad (Al-Rasafa and Al-Karkh Hospitals) during the period from 2019 to 2020.The samples included: 40 specimens, from wounds, respiratory infections (sputum), burns, CSF and 47 samples from the hospital environment (swabs), while samples collected from intensive care unit including patient beds, surgical instruments and appliances, emergency lobby and baby incubators. A. baumannii isolate identification depending on the morphologic characteristics on the culture media including, blood agar, MacConkey agar, as well as t
... Show MoreBackground: Neonatal septicemia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide especially so in developing countries. To reduce the mortality caused by neonatal septicemia, it became vital to diagnose it as soon as possible and treat with administration of appropriate antibiotics.Objective: To study the relationship between themicroorganisms isolated from septicemic neonates with place of delivery.Patients and Methods: Blood sample was obtained from 76 neonates (50 of them are born in Baghdad teaching hospital (Inborn), 26 of the babies are born at home or in Al-Elwya teaching hospital (out born) ,the laboratory diagnosis for the out born patients done in the same hospital(Al-Elwya teaching hospital .The aged of the neo
... Show MoreThe activation energy and optical band gap of different regions (p-type) polysilicon have been measured. Both microscopic studies and current-voltage characteristics of diodes prepared on different surface regions were carried out. Comparison of diodes parameters and microscopic studies indicate that the type of angles between boundaries has a significant effect on diodes parameters while the boundary lengths per unit area has less effect. The mechanism of Al-interaction with grain boundaries and their intersecting points at different temperature were also studies. The X-ray fluorescence spectrometry has been used for detection of diffused A1%.
Most cultivars of sorghum have low field emergence as common problem. Three experiments were carried out at Agriculture College, Baghdad University. First experiment was conducted in laboratory according to Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. Second and third experiments were conducted at field according to Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) during the spring and the fall seasons of 2015, respectively, with four replicates for each one. Same two factors were studied at each experiment. First factor was seed priming by seed soaking for 10 hours in distilled water, solvents of GA3, KCl and thiamine (300, 40 and 30 mg*L-1, respectively) and non-primed seed. Second factor was three cultivars of sorghum (Inqath, Kafier an
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