Al-Nahrain Journal of Science

Chalcone and its derivatives have attracted great attention because of a wide range of biological activities such as, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-anthelmintic, anti-amoebicidal, antiulcer, antiviral, insecticidal and immunosuppressive. The presence of functional groups and conjugation within the structure make it a good candidate for these applications. This review highlighted the synthesis of chalcone derivatives which were described by researchers and studied their biological activity.

The new compound N-α-chloroacetylsalicyloyl-N-antipyrine benzamide was synthesized by a reaction of N-benzylidene antipyrine amine and O-acetyl salicyloyl chloride. On the other hand, N-benzylidene antipyrine amine was obtained by a coupling reaction between benzaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine, while O-acetyl salicyloyl chloride resulted from acylation reaction of aspirin starting from salicylic acid. All synthesized compounds were characterized by using m.ps., UV-Vis., FTIR, MS, and 1HNMR spectroscopic methods. The method of DPPH was also used as testing to measure the radical scavenging of the new compound. It showed very powerful antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 29 ppm. Moreover, its antibacterial activity was tested against three types of bacteria.

The spread of industrial activities, especially electrical power generation stations on the banks of rivers, increases the pollution of the surrounding water environment as a result of the release of industrial water that is not treated adequately. Among these stations is the Al-Musayyib Thermal Power Station. The research focused on studying the quality of the water entering and leaving the station by installing two sensing stations. Remote monitoring of the Euphrates River, as the station contains several sensors, including measuring acidity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and the amount of total salts, in addition to a sensor for measuring refined fuel. These results are collected around the clock at a central station, where the results showed a decrease in the level of dissolved oxygen ranging between (3.5-5) RSD% 0.1-0.2 as well as an increase in The temperature of the excreted water ranging between from (30Cº-33Cº) RSD% 0.1-0.2, both of which negatively affect the environmental life of living organisms, as well as the appearance of a high percentage of pollutants resulting from refined fuel, ranging between (2.1-8.1) ppm, The findings will contribute to improving the efficiency of treatment plants to suit the environment surrounding the river, In order to preserve the water environment, it is necessary to place oil dispensers in the treatment units, as well as work to reduce the temperatures of the cooling water, which are at temperatures higher than the medical grades coming out of the station.

Flavonoids are a prominent group of plant phenolics (polyphenol group) extensively present in the human diet and associated with health promotion. Flavonoids are essential in various pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic applications. To collect and categorize these compounds, we comprehensively assessed High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques published to analyze flavonoids in various matrices. Most documented methods employed liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods. Among chromatographic techniques, reversed-phase liquid chromatography remains the predominant and efficient method for separating various analytes. This review explores the primary chromatographic methods used to separate and quantify flavonoids in herbs, fruits, and biological samples. This article examines recent literature on applying liquid chromatography with different detection methods for analyzing flavonoids. To examine recent literature on applying liquid chromatography with different detection methods for analyzing flavonoids. It offers valuable insights to researchers as they prepare to develop quantification methods.

Forensic science involves the scientific analysis and interpretation of evidence that is used in legal proceedings to establish guilt or innocence. The use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in forensics is crucial as it has several advantages over other types of DNA. For instance, mtDNA is more resistant to degradation than nuclear DNA, making it suitable for analysis even in small or degraded samples. Additionally, mtDNA is maternally inherited, and this makes it useful in tracing an individual's maternal lineage or identifying relationships between individuals across multiple generations. Another advantage of mtDNA analysis is its reliability and accuracy since it is less prone to errors or contamination. This is because mtDNA is found in the mitochondria, which are separate from the cell nucleus and are less likely to be affected by extraneous DNA or contamination. Overall, the use of mtDNA in forensic science has significantly improved the accuracy and reliability of criminal investigations, making it a vital tool in the criminal justice system. In mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, the two regions of the mtDNA genome that are typically analyzed are hypervariable regions 1 and 2 (HV1 and HV2). HV1 and HV2 are non-coding regions of the mtDNA genome, meaning that they do not contain information for the production of proteins. Instead, they contain a high degree of variation in their nucleotide sequences, which makes them useful for identifying individuals and their maternal lineages. The interpretation of mtDNA analysis results from HV1 and HV2 involves comparing the nucleotide sequences obtained from the evidence sample to a reference database of mtDNA sequences. This comparison is done to identify any matches or differences between the sample and the reference sequences. If there are no differences or only a few, the sample is considered to be a match to the reference sequence. The more differences there are between the sample and the reference sequences, the less likely it is that the sample and reference sequences came from the same individual or maternal lineage.The interpretation of mtDNA analysis results from HV1 and HV2 can be used to provide information about the identity and maternal lineage of an individual. For example, if an evidence sample matches a reference sequence from a known maternal relative, this can be used to support the identification of the individual.

Prostate cancer (PC), accounts for more than one-fourth of all cancer diagnoses, and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in 2022. The immunoglobulin (IG) Program death ligand-1(PD-1) cell surface receptor is predominantly expressed on the surface of many cells. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between Program death ligand expression and some aggressive features of prostate cancer including perineural invasion, vascular invasion and necrosis. Thirty cases of prostate cancer with age range from 60 to 80 year old and 30 cases of normal prostate tissue with age under 25 year old were separated into two groups in a retrospective case-control research that encompassed 60 cases. All malignant cases were examined by consultant pathologists for the diagnosis of prostate carcinoma, and each block of tissue was divided into two slides, one for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and the other for immunoglobulin (IHC) staining of PDL-1. The expression pattern of Program Death Ligand was investigated in these samples and its relationship to particular clinic-pathological characteristics. Despite it was not expressed in healthy prostatic tissue, program death ligand demonstrated to be positive in prostate cancer with vascular invasion, perineural invasion, and necrosis, while it was negative in healthy prostatic tissue. High expression of Program death ligand was correlated with poor differentiation, neural invasion, and vascular invasion; these criteria indicate that the expression of Program death ligand is associated with high grade and aggressive tumors. The current study confirms that perineural invasion, vascular invasion, and necrosis are all accompanied by a rise in Program death ligand expression regardless their grade and stage.

Trastuzumab (TZM) treatment is known to be associated with arrhythmogenic potential which primarily is the basis for its cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute influence of oral pretreatments with 100 mg/kg/day of Ocimun gratissimum ethanolic leaf extract (OG) and its fractions (petroleum ether, PEOG; ethyl acetate, EAOG; and ethanolic extract, EOG) as well as valsartan-lisinopril fixed dose combination (VAL-LSP) on electrocardiogram (ECG) of Wistar rats intaperitoneally treated with 2.25 mg/kg/day TZM for 7 days. Young adult male Wistar rats were randomly allotted into 12 groups of 6 rats per group. The rats were subjected to electrocardiograms (ECG) measurement using non-invasive procedures on days 1 and 7 of the experiment. Results showed that oral pretreatment with OG and its fractions (except EOG) as well as VAL-LSP fixed dose combination did not cause any remarkable changes in the ECG patterns of TZM-treated rats indicating that their relative oral safety in TZM chemotherapy. On the other hand, EOG pretreatment caused significant shortening of the OT/QTc interval in the TZM-treated rats highlighting the arrhthymogenic potential of this fraction. Overall, the study highlighted the arrhythmogenic potential of EOG in TZM chemotherapy while OG and its other solvent fractions as well as VAL-LSP could be considered relatively safe for use as adjuvants in TZM chemotherapy.

Mitochondria are organelles responsible for converting energy into a usable form for cellular metabolic activities. These organelles have their own DNA. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are frequent despite Its limited number of genes. Molecular genetics diagnostics enables the examination of DNA in many fields, like infectiology, cancer, and genetics of people. It is essential to identify abnormalities in mitochondrial DNA in patients since these mutations directly affect mitochondrial metabolism and may contribute to various illnesses. The mtDNA found in every human cell is a limited and significant source of harmful mutations and rearrangements. This review provides a concise overview of the unique principles of mitochondrial genetics, including maternal inheritance, mitotic segregation, heteroplasmy, and the threshold effect. It emphasizes the relatively common occurrence of medical conditions associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and discusses recent discoveries of pathogenic mutations, with a particular focus on mutations that impact protein-coding genes. Next, we go into more contentious topics, such as the functional or pathological significance of mtDNA haplotypes, the disease-causing potential of homoplasmic mutations, and the mostly unknown mechanisms behind mtDNA mutations.

Dental plaque is a sticky bacterial film develops on teeth producing plaque as a result. If it ‘is not removed with regular dental cleanings and daily brushing, it can initiate oral health issues such as gum diseases and dental caries. This study aimed to determine the prevailing bacterial species found in some patient’s dental plaque cases dental caries and to analyze the antimicrobial susceptibility of obtained bacteria. A total of 60 samples of dental plaque were taken from patients who attended to the health centers in Baghdad with different ages using cotton swabs. All gained swabs were transported to the microbiology laboratory and cultured on culture media. According to standard laboratory diagnosis protocols, primary diagnosis was performed. VITE 2 Compact Automated- System (GP (and (GN (diagnosis cards used according to manufacturer company constructions (BioMérieux)to confirm the diagnosis. Antibiotic susceptibility test was done by using antibiotic disks according to Kirby- Bauer method. Out of 60 samples, forty-two (70%) samples showed growth on culture media, while 18 (30%) showed no growth, most of the isolates, 29 (69.0%) were Gram-positive bacteria represented by Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, and only 13 (30.9%) of isolates were Gram-negative includes Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. According to the antibiotic susceptibility test results, Gram-positive bacteria showed high resistance against amoxicillin, Cefotaxim and erythromycin with percentages of 86.2%- and 89.6% respectively. Gram-negative bacteria showed high resistance against amoxicillin and erythromycin with percentage of 76.9% and 69.2% against Cefotaxim.

The effect of the applied voltage and magnetic field on the defining slot in focusing and energy distribution of the primary filament electron beam was studied theoretically. In this work, SIMION 8.1 software was used to determine the best operational conditions for focusing and the distribution of the electron beam in the ion source system. Furthermore, the Larmor radius on the slot was calculated in two dimensions for different values of magnetic flux density. The results showed that the values of flux density and slot voltage play an effective role in improving the dimensions of beam spot and energy distribution in the source. The dimensions of beam spot were reduced by about 71% at voltage value of slot 75 volt and flux density 780 G. In addition; the kinetic energy distribution for electrons were computed at different magnetic flux and obtaining a homogeneous beam energy. The results of this research support the calculations of plasma source designers.

Using plastic optical fiber with multimode (MPOF), optical fiber sensor (OFS) based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SP.R) was created and put into use. The sensor is used to determine performance metrics including of Signal to noise ratio (SNR), Sensitivity (S), Figu.re of merit (FOM), and Resolution(R) in addition to detecting and measuring the refractive index of different concentrations of citric acid. With a sensing region exposed to 50 nm of gold (Au) metal layer, the optical fiber-based SPR sensor was found to have a sensitivity value of 1250nm, an SNR of 0.27, a figure of merit of 93.3 and a resolution 80000.

In this work, the structural properties of Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) are synthesized by a simple chemical technique. X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) pattern showed the crystalline nature of MgO NPs. The average diameter of MgO NPs calculated by SEM and XRD was around 19 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) spectrum and XRD pattern suggested that prepared MgO NPs were highly pure. The viability of cells in a medium containing MgO-AV composite scaffold was nearly equal to that of MgO, AV, and control, with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). The Runx2-mediated modulation of gene expressions of the bone biomarkers ALP and OCN was investigated to determine the mechanism of scaffold-induced improvement in bone repair. ALP was immunodetected in the injured site of the right femur twenty-one days after the bone defects were created. The implantation of scaffolds into the bone defect region of the left femur, on the other hand, resulted in a noticeable increase in ALP levels. Similarly, OCN was immunodetected in the right femur's bone defect site. The implantation of scaffolds into the bone defect location of the left femur, on the other hand, resulted in a significant increase in OCN levels. The low-level diode laser therapy (LLLT) promotes the partially bony incorporation of the xeno bony implantation with the recipient femoral bone, and can successfully fill the space, and support the weight after removing the internal fixation methods, with no body rejection. The histopathological finding at the end of the 6th week post-operation in treatment groups the trabecular bone is mature and wide with little cavity. The control group showed immature and thin trabecular bone, with large cavities, and an area of connective tissues not organized. At the end of 12th weeks, post-operation the treatment groups revealed mature trabecular bone surrounding the bony device and lamellar bone formation with partial bony incorporation, the lacuna and haversian canals of the bony device filled with osteocyte and blood vessels, while in control groups the trabecula bone not mature, and many lucana and havesan canal still empty in the bony device.

Noise, the most commonly encountered stressor in our daily lives, affects the body in different ways depending on its frequency, intensity, and duration. Thus, this study aimed to demonstrate the effect of noise stress exposure in different durations on the immunological status of female and male adult mice. Sixty female and male adult mice (Balb / C) were used in this. Fifty mice were exposed to noise stress at 90 degrees for four hours per day, and 10 mice (5 males and 5 females) were left without exposure to stress which was used as a control group. Exposure stress mice were divided into five groups (n = 10, 5 males and 5 females); Group1 was exposed to noise stress for only 1 day, Group2 for 8 days, Group3 for 14 days, Group4 for 21 days, and Group5 for 30 days. The blood sample was collected and used for immunoglobulins, glucocorticoids and WBCs indices tests. Results showed that there was a highly significant increase in glucocorticoids for all periods after noise exposure. WBC count, the level of IgG and IgM were highly significant in mice that were exposed to noise stress during 1, 8, 14, and 21 days, while there was no significant difference in the 28-days stress group compared to control. In conclusion, the levels of immunoglobulins levels after 28 day of noise stress exposure could completely differ from the short-term exposure.

Text detection and segmentation in natural scene images is an active research problem in computer vision and document analysis. Unlike scanned documents, scene text exhibits significant diversity in appearance, orientation, scale, font, and lighting conditions. In this review, survey the current state-of-the-art in techniques and methodologies aimed at detecting and segmenting text regions from images of natural scenes are presented. Both traditional approaches using hand-crafted features as well as modern data-driven deep learning methods will be discussed. The review will analyze common datasets, evaluation protocols and metrics used for benchmarking. Limitations of existing methods and open challenges in handling multilingual text, curved text, and efficiency will be highlighted. Promising future directions towards robust and generalizable scene text extraction systems will be identified. In summary, the review will provide a comprehensive overview of the advances, remaining challenges and future opportunities in developing automated systems for detecting and segmenting text in unconstrained natural images.

This paper investigates the estimation of the two unknown parameters and the reliability function of the weighted exponential distribution. It explores Bayesian and non-Bayesian (maximum likelihood) estimation methods when the information available is in the form of fuzzy data. The Newton-Raphson algorithm is used to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates. In Bayes estimation, the symmetric squared error loss function is used. This loss function links equal importance to the losses due to overestimating and underestimating equal magnitude. Lindley approximation procedure in Bayesian estimation theory is used to evaluate the ratio of integrals. A comparative analysis using simulation is carried out to evaluate the performance of the obtained parameters estimators using mean squared error criteria and the performance of the obtained reliability estimators using integrated mean squared error criteria. The simulation results demonstrate that, for different sample sizes, the performance of Bayes estimates surpasses the maximum likelihood, and that all estimators perform consistently.