Background: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) leads to activation of T-helper cells (Th-1 and Th-2) which are involved in the synthesis and release of different cytokines which may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Objectives: To evaluate the endothelial function in patients with acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: This case-control study involved 31 patients with toxoplasmosis aged 19 - 47 years matched with 20 healthy subjects. Anti-T. gondii antibody (IgG, IgM, IgA) was determined by direct antigen-antibody reaction. Interleukin-6(IL-6), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and human malondialdehyde (MDA) serum levels were measured. Results: IgM, IgG and IgA levels were high in the infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.01). Furthermore, IL-

The main function of a power system is to supply the customer load demands as economically as possible. Risk criterion is the probability of not meeting the load. This paper presents a methodology to assess probabilistic risk criteria of Al-Qudus plant before and after expansion; as this plant consists of ten generating units presently and the Ministry Of Electricity (MOE) is intending to compact four units to it in order to improve the performance of Iraqi power system especially at Baghdad region. The assessment is calculated by a program using Matlab programming language; version 7.6. Results show that the planned risk is (0.003095) that is (35 times) less than that in the present plant risk; (0.1091); which represents respectable imp

Four photosensitizers were used to test inhibitory effect of Helicobacter pylori bacteria using
low power helium: neon red laser radiation. Biopsies were collected from 176 patients and H. pylori were
isolated, identified and bacterial suspension was prepared. Samples of this suspension were mixed with
various low concentrations of the test sensitizer. The mixture samples were exposed to different laser
radiation doses. The samples were then inoculated and the inhibition zones were studied and compared
with their analogues of control samples. The most effective sensitizer with optimum concentration and
irradiation dose was determined. Statistical analysis of results was performed. The sensitizers' toluidine
blue and

Mastitis is an udder tissue inflammation which has infected various species of animals. It happens through several types of pathogenic bacteria, particularly Streptococcus agalactiae. GBS is a leading cause of cow mastitis. In our sample, 9.52% of Streptococcus agalactiae were isolated which were collected from bovine mastic milk and identified by biochemical tests such as catalase, oxidase, Production of indole, fermentation of sugar, an examination of antibiotic sensitivity, CAMP test and group kits of Lancefield. The results showed that all Streptococcus agalactiae isolate was diagnosed by CAMP test by the appearance of the arrowhead in blood agar and by the appearance of visible agglutination on a card in the serological grouping kit of

The removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater by sorptive flotation using Amberlite IR120 as a resin, and flotation column, was investigated. A combined two-stage process is proposed as an alternative of the heavy metals removal from aqueous solutions. The first stage is the sorption of heavy metals onto Amberlite IR120 followed by dispersed-air flotation. The sorption of metal ions on the resin, depending on contact time, pH, resin dosage, and initial metal concentration was studied in batch method .Various parameters such as pH, air flow rate, and surfactant concentration were investigated in the flotation stage. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and Hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB) were used as anionic and cationic surfactant re

RESRAD is a computer model designed to estimate risks and radiation doses from residual radioactive materials in soil. Thirty seven soil samples were collected from the area around the berms of Al-Tuwaitha site and two samples as background taken from an area about 3 km north of the site. The samples were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry system using high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The results of samples measurements showed that three contaminated area with 238U and 235U found in the study area. Two scenarios were applied for each contaminated area to estimate the dose using RESRAD (onsite) version 7.0 code. The total dose of resident farmer scenario for area A, B and C are 0.854, 0.033 and 2.15×10-3 mSv.yr-1, respectively. Whi

The resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to ciprofloxacin has complicated the problem of treating staphylococcal associated infections in which MRSA is the causative agent since ciprofloxacin was the drug of choice to treat such infections. Our study investigated the incidence of Ciprofloxacin resistant S. aureus isolates that were also methicillin resistant among Iraqi patients. The obtained bacterial isolates were tested for Ciprofloxacin resistance using agar dilution method and the sequence of gyrA and parC. The results revealed that about 8% of the isolated MRSA strains were Ciprofloxacin resistant and the resistance was due to mutation in gyrA rather than parC.

In the course of generating a library of open-chain epothilones, we discovered a new class of small molecule anticancer agents that has no effect on tubulin but instead kills selected cancer cell lines by harnessing reactive oxygen species in an iron-dependent manner.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common human pathogen that causes severe infections in newborns and immunocompromised patients. Conjunctivitis or corneal epithelial keratitis is caused by HSV type 1 all over the world and at all times of the year. The present study was aimed at detecting HSV in patients suffering from conjunctivitis. One hundred and ten (110) clinical samples (90 patients and 20 controls, both males and females) of eye conjunctiva swabs were collected from patients of different ages. The samples were analyzed using qPCR and ELISA techniques. The qPCR results revealed that HSV was present in 47 (52.2%) of the 90 patients who were infected. Of these patients, 25 (48.0%) were males and 22 (57.8%) were females, indicati