Rafidain journal of science

One of the most prevalent types of cancer in humans and a well-known cause of mortality is colon cancer. This study aimed to measure the serum levels of UDP glucuronosyltransferase vitamins (B12, B17, C and D) in patients with colon cancer and to determine how these levels affect the course of the disease. The participants in the current study include 45 healthy people (mean age = 62.03±12.3 yrs.) who serve as a comparison group and 65 subjects with subjectively diagnosed colon cancer (mean age = 64.03±12.2 yrs.). The serum UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2B17, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C levels were among the determined biochemical markers. When colon cancer patients were compared to the control group, UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.0001). In comparison to the control group, the serum Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C levels in colon cancer patients were all considerably lower (P < 0.0001), P < 0.001, and P< 0.05, respectively). In our investigation, a marker for colon cancer was shown to be an increase in blood UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2B17 and a decrease in vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin C levels.

The 2019 pandemic coronavirus disease has affected millions of individuals globally. The objective of the present study is to assess the possible predictors of CoV-2 severity and to identify the possible correlation between patients' parameters and disease severity, Consequently, we aimed to measure the serum levels of some inflammatory markers, including CRP, D-dimer, Ferritin, and Procalcitonin, as a biomarker for disease severity in CoV-2 patients. A total of 280 nasopharyngeal swabs and whole blood specimens were collected from healthy individuals and individuals suspected with CoV-2 between June 2021 and December 2021 of both sexes, categorized into four main groups: 70 healthy individuals with an age range (23-70), 210 CoV-2 patients in which their ages were between (21-75), (70 patients per mild, moderate and severe patients). According to our findings CoV-2 patients’ groups had leukocytosis, with a significant increase in WBC and Granulocytes count, and a significant decrease in Lymphocyte and platelet. In regard to inflammatory parameters, CRP, D-dimer, ferritin and PCT showed significant differences between the CoV-2 patients groups compare to the control group, these inflammatory biomarkers were significantly elevated in CoV-2 patients group compared to healthy control group (P<0.005). The optimal cut-off values for CRP, D-dimer, Ferritin, and PCT were determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve Analysis in CoV-2 patients. In conclusion, Inflammation biomarkers are the best predictors of severe CoV-2, and the combination of clinical signs can further predict severe CoV-2

Cyanobacteria is a group of microorganisms that are known to produce a wide range of biologically active metabolites as well as a wide range of cyanotoxins such as anatoxins. In this study, the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) that are responsible for bioactive secondary compounds production were genetically identified in the whole genome sequence of Microcoleus sp. HI-ES using antiSMASH 6.0 tool. Moreover, the gene sequence that is responsible for anatoxin production was also identified using both RAST tool and the NCBI database. The results have revealed that Microcoleus sp. HI-ES harbor 10 BGCs responsible for NRPS-like, NRPS, resorcinol, terpenes and T1PKS. The pharmaceutical impacts and the biological activities of these BGCs were also discussed. The anatoxin gene sequences detected in Microcoleus sp. HI-ES genome was closest homology to anatoxin gene sequences in Oscillatoria nigroviridis PCC 7112, Planktothrix agardhii, PCC 7805, Anabaena cylindrica PCC 7122, Aphanizomenon flosaquae KM1D3 and Nostoc sp. TCL240-02 with homology percentages of 93.71%, 81.55%, 75.60%, 74.21% and 74.73%, respectively. Other cyanobacteria genera that show query coverage and/or homology less than 70% were also reported. Finally, the phylogenetic tree based on anatoxin gene sequences between Microcoleus sp. HI-ES and cyanobacteria genera found in the NCBI was constructed using MEGA-X program with1000x replicates.

Proteus mirabilis is the third most prevalent cause of urinary tract infection (UTI), the goal of this study was to see how chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) affected on growth, swarming motility and biofilm formation of Proteus mirabilis, after isolation from patient infected with urinary tract infection and identified with routine methods and confirmed using API system. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs) against the clinical strain of Proteus mirabilis was identified. The sub-MIC (CS-NPS) was used to evaluate their inhibitory effect on swarming motility and forming of biofilm. The results showed that the chitosan nanoparticles caused a remarkable inhibition of the two important virulence factors swarming motility and biofilm formation as compared with the control. As well as swarming motility\'s mean diameter was reduced from 8.5 to 0.5 cm. The clinical strain of Proteus mirabilis developed into a moderate biofilm producer after treatment, with a mean percentage rate of biofilm inhibition of 58%.

Peroxidases production was carried out from Aspergillus tamari isolated from petroleum hydrocarbon spilled soil. Physicochemical properties of the respective soil showed pH of 4.45 and 6.5 for soils from point 1 and II respectively and higher conductivity of 613 and 1013 (Ω-1 Cm-1), respectively when compared with the control sample. Dissolved mineral of Cl-, SO4, K, Ca, Mg in the respective soil samples from the petroleum spilled sites were significantly high when compared with the control experiment except for soil sample I which showed a relative low phosphate concentration of 1.23 mg/g in the presence of the control experiment, respectively. TOC and TOM contents were 87.91, 119.04; 108.13 and 146.42 mg/g for soil sample I, and III, respectively. In all the tested parameters, the experimented soils were significantly high than the control soil sample. Molecular tests (18s rDNA.) was used to identify the pure isolate of fungus as Aspergillus tamarii. Studies on effect of incubation period on the production of peroxidase from strains of Aspergillus tamarrii sp. showed that the highest peroxidase activity was obtained on the day 6th of the fermentation time; Peroxidase activity peaked at pH 5. Protein with highest peroxidase activity was peak precipitated at 60% saturation of the salt. The gel chroـmatogram showed single almost superimposed peaks of enzyme activity. Purified peroxidase activity peaked at pH 4.5. Optimum temperature for the enzyme activity was at 50 °C. Km and V max of 3.45mM and 280 μmole/min was extrapolated from the reciprocal curve of Lineweaver-burke at various concentrations of 2,6 DMP. Fe, Ca, Co and Mn selected as their notable impact in the active site of peroxidase guided the selected were assayed in the presence of the enzymes, respectively. The stability curve obtained for the peroxidases was single biphasic which represent the first order; the enzymes maintained greater than 50% of their activity after 30 min of incubation as activity progressively decreased upto to 40% after 60 min of incubation. Thermal stability of peroxidase at its optimum temperature (50) and at 70°C showed a biphasic stability curve. The enzymes maintained greater than 50% of their activity after 60 min of incubation.

This study looked at assessing the impact of waste water from a cafeteria in University of Nigeria, Nsukka on soil physicochemical properties and quality marker enzyme activity. Physicochemical analysis of the soil before and after irrigation with the domestic waste water from the cafeteria showed the presence of the following: pH 7.4 and 6.65, conductivity 488 and 792 respectively. Dissolved mineral contents were found in the following order: Cl>Ca>Fe>SO4>Mg>Cu>K>Pb>PO3 while heavy metals of Hg, As and Cd were found at below detectable limit range (BDL) in both the irrigated and non-irrigated soil. Total organic matter (TOM) and total organic carbon (TOC) contents were found at 91.66, 22.05 and 76.85, 179.93 in the various treatments, respectively. BOD5 of the waste water was found at 5.2mg/ml with initial dissolved oxygen concentrations at 6.2 mg/ml. Dissolved mineral concentrations such as Cl, Ca, Mg, PO3, Cu, Fe and SO4 were found richly in abundance. Heavy metals such as Pb was found in trace quantity were as Cd, As and Hg were found in non-detectable range. TDS, TSS and TS were recorded at 23036, 396.5 and 23433. Analysis of soil enzymes showed the activity of the lipase, urease, peroxidase and catalase with corresponding OD reading of 0.403, 0.611, 0.652 and 0.817 respectively. There was an increase of lipase, urease and peroxidase after the irrigation with the waste with OD of 0.610, 0.677 and 0.712 respectively while catalase activity was reduced

Alternative medicine and herbal treatment are among the methods inherited by the people of the Middle East. In the current study, we evaluated the chemical composition of the fruit of Capparis spinosa L. (C. spinosea L.), as well as the antibacterial, and potential inhibitory effects of the dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH). The presence of the active chemicals in the extract was confirmed by phytochemical screening and characterization techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS), ultraviolet (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The outcomes demonstrated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins, and vitamins in the aqueous extract. Moreover, the extract exhibited anti-bacterial activity, especially against gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, the concentrations of the aqueous extract possessed the activity of inhibiting the dehydrogenase enzyme at a concentration of 0.13 mmo l/L. The study concluded that C.spinosea L. fruit aqueous extract contains biologically active compounds that could be used in the inhibition processes of both antibacterial and as well as inhibitors of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).

Carvedilol (CAR) has been estimated by the indirect spectrophotometric method. The suggested method was based on the oxidation of CAR with an excess of potassium per- iodate (KIO4) in the presence of hydrochloric acid, then the unreacted or the excess KIO4 was bleaching the color of Eriochrome black-T dye (EBT), the absorbance of unreacted EBT has been estimated at wavelength 520 nm (the maximum absorption of EBT). The measured absorbance is directly proportional to the amount of CAR in the solution. All parameters affected of by the oxidation of CAR and bleaching of EBT color have been studied and the optimum conditions have been fixed. The linearity of the method is in the range (0.5 -15.0) μg.ml-1, the molar absorptivity value is equal to 1.1340 104 l.mol-1.cm-1, and the Sandell's index value for sensitivity is equal to 0.0358 μg.cm-2. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.0203μg .ml-1, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.0693 μg .ml-1. The suggested method has been applied for the determination of CAR in pharmaceutical formulations with good recovery and precision

Alizarin red S (ALRS)reagent has been used for to determination of meropenem (MEP)by an easy, sensitive, and selective procedure based on an ion-pair formation reaction between ALRS and MEP in an aqueous: alcoholic medium in the ratio of 50:50 without adjustment of the acidity of the reaction medium. The linearity ranged from 1 to 50 µg /mL, molar absorptivity was 6.557 × 103 L.mol-1 .cm-1., index of Sandell’s, was 0.0584 µg.cm-2, and the calculated LOD and LOQ were 0.02789 µg/mL, 0.0929 µg/mL respectively. The calculated range of relative error was from -1.022 to 0.34 % which indicates high accuracy, and the calculated range of the relative standard deviation was from 0.347 to 0.574% which indicates high precision. The method has been applied for the determination of MEP in dosage forms successfully in which the recovery ranged from 99.8 to 103.2%. The standard addition method proves no interfering effect caused by inactive ingredients involved in dosage forms of meropenem.

In this paper, the ester (2) was prepared by reacting 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid with methyl alcohol and using concentrated sulfuric acid as a catalyst in this reaction, which, when reacted with hydrazine hydrate, obtained acid hydrazide. (3), under reflux conditions with dimethyl sulfoxide and at solvent temperature, the compound 4-amino-3,5-bis-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-1,2,4-triazole was obtained (4). It was obtained and used to prepare a series of new Schiff bases (5a-e) through their reaction with different substitutes of benzaldehyde. The completeness and purity of all the prepared compounds were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and showed some physical and spectroscopic properties, namely (FT -IR 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR). In addition, the biological activity of the prepared compounds was studied, and their effectiveness against different types of bacteria such as Bacillus, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus was discussed. Studies of mainly fungi and bacteria have shown good efficacy against the mentioned species using disc diffusion technology

This work comprises developing a sensitive and precise spectrophotometric procedure to analyze tetracycline hydrochloride in the bulk and in the drug forms. In this method, p-aminobenzoic acid reagent was diazotized with an equimolar NaNO2 (sodium nitrite) solution in the existence of HCl (hydrochloric acid) to produce corresponding diazonium salt subsequently coupling with tetracycline hydrochloride in a basic solution of NH4OH to produce a yellow azo dye which was water soluble and has a maximum absorption at 422 nm versus a reagent blank. Under optimal conditions, the linearity of Beer's law was estimated to cover the concentration range of 0.25-17.5 µg/ml with an exceptional determination coefficient (R2= 0.9993) and molar absorptivity of 1.66×104 l/mol.cm. The calculated values of detection limit (LOD) and quantitation limit (LOQ) were equal to 0.012 and 0.040 µg/ml, respectively. The values of error percentage and precision (RSD%) ranges were calculated and found in the range of -0.08% to 3.3% and 0.16% to 1.59%, respectively. The stoichiometry of the product was set up to be 1:1 tetracycline hydrochloride: diazotized p-aminobenzoic acid. The mentioned procedure has been utilized successfully to the evaluation of tetracycline hydrochloride in capsules and ointment.

The transport properties of several carbon nanoparticle derivatives, including single-layer nanotubes and bi-layer graphene, under an external constant electric field, are investigated. Results were analyzed and identified as a function of the quasi-classical approximation of relaxation time by using the Boltzmann kinetic equations. These approaches have been used to obtain the relationships between the electric conductivity σ(E) and electrons diffusion coefficient D(E) in carbon nanostructures. This study proves that when the temperature rises the electrical conductivity σ(E) decreases for both single-layer and bi-layer carbon nanostructures. For a wide range of temperatures, the electrical conductivity σ(E) behavior of the studied nanoparticles is nonlinearly dependent on the magnitude of the external electric field (E). In contrast, the electron diffusion coefficient D(E) is independent of temperature for both single- and bi-layers. It also shows that the intensity of an external electric field possesses a nonlinear influence on the electron diffusion coefficient.

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral bacterium that causes gastric ulcers that affect the gastrointestinal tract. It inhabits the stomach, colonizes the gastric epithelium, and leads to multiple digestive system ailments. Diagnostic techniques for identifying H. pylori infection differ in invasiveness, sensitivity, and specificity, and can be invasive or non-invasive. The choice of which diagnostic test(s) to use may depend on clinical circumstances, clinician expertise, cost, and test accuracy. On the other hand, anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the hemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal, a common disease that affects people all over the world. The distinction between iron deficiency anemia and other causes of anemia is unclear. Recent studies on H. pylori’s possible contribution to the development of various gastrointestinal problems, including iron deficiency anemia is currently underway

Modern technologies of biotechnology which are involved in modifying the composition of some food ingredients, play an important role in the food industry that stimulates intestinal movement. Focusing on some key genes of significance in the regulation of immunity, growth and nutrient metabolism in different tissues. Also, using fermentation techniques in the food industry is important. Probiotic bacteria especially lactobacillus spp. is continuously developing to modulate the microbiome of the gut, furthermore it can be considered a novel alternative medication for overweight problems and other metabolic deficiencies. Administration of probiotic organisms can modulate the gut microbiota for host health recovery. Fungi and yeasts in particular, and the most prominent of them are Saccharomyces spp. they have an important role in reducing gastrointestinal diseases, and reducing intestinal invasion with harmful fungal species, in addition to their presence in foods that reduce poor digestion to a great extent.

The aim of this study is to measure the radioactivity levels in the soil of the area around Badoosh cement plant, and to evaluate the radiological hazards of radionuclides. We used gamma-spectroscopy with an (HPGe) detector to estimate the specific activities of natural (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) and artificial (137Cs) radionuclides in the soil of Badoosh cement plant.
The results show that the mean value of specific activity of 226Ra is (12.78±1.035Bq/kg), and for 232Th the mean value is (16.142±0.74 Bq/kg), and for 40K it was (153.903±4.98 Bq/kg), and the mean value for 137Cs is (0.6351±0.18 Bq/kg).
Radiological hazard indices were determined according to the activity concentration of the radionuclides in the area under study. The mean value of radium equivalent (Raeq) is (47.719 Bq/kg), while the mean value of absorbed dose (Dγ) is (22.074 nGy/h). The values were measured for the indoor equivalent annual effective dose (AEDEin) and outdoor equivalent (AEDEout), the mean value of (AEDEin) is (108.288 μSv/y), and the mean value of (AEDEout) is (27.072 μSv/y), and the mean value of the excess life time cancer risk (ELCR) is (94.752 10-6).
When measuring the external (Hex) and internal (Hin) radiological indices, the mean value for (Hex) is (0.129) and the mean value for (Hin) is (0.165). While the mean value for gamma radiation index (Iγ) is (0.349). The mean value of the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) is (155.306 μSv/y) and the mean value of the ambient dose equivalent rate H*(10) is (29.236 nSv/h).
The radiological hazard Indices were within the internationally accepted limits recommended by UNSCEAR; thus, it can be concluded that there are no radiological hazards due to the direct and continuous exposure of radiation on working workers in this cement plant and organisms that live in this region.

In this study, the trend of air temperatures is investigated by employing measured and predictive data of maximum and minimum temperatures for daily and annual means in three synoptic stations, geographically and climatically distributed in different regions, as follows: (Mosul, Baghdad and Basra), for time series (1982-2020) of measured means up to (2021-2050) for predictive data from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Mann-Kendall analysis, which is a statistical test widely used in climate series to determine the statistical significance of the monotonic trend of temperature means, showed that maximum, daily, and annual temperature means had a positive trend and were statistically significant at the significance level ( = 0.05) and a non-significant fluctuating trend in minimum daily and annual. A high increase in the annual differences with a range of (-1.47-7.25℃) between the beginning and end of the measured daily time series (1982–2020) that showed a high increase in Basra, followed by the Mosul station, with an increase of the range (5.37-1.24℃), and finally for the Baghdad station, the increase was recorded within the range (1.24-5.37℃). Overall, under the potential of global warming, the results concluded that trends of mean temperatures appeared to be in the best agreement with the extreme scenario (SSP5-8.5) compared to the scenario (SSP2-4.5) till the middle of the present century. Globally, the region topped the regions of extreme temperature risks under the governmental authorities\' entire deficit to set optimal solutions for climate change and extreme events in Iraq.