Iraqi Journal for Applied Science

The present study was carried out in Tikrit City, Iraq, to investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among pregnant women suffering from gestational diabetes and urinary tract infections (UTIs). A total of 77 urine samples were collected and examined, leading to the successful isolation and identification of 14 bacterial isolates, consisting of 7 Staphylococcus aureus and 7 Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a high level of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics, particularly ampicillin and Augmentin, with resistance rates of 90% and 95% respectively in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates. Molecular analysis demonstrated that all S. aureus strains harbored the mecA gene, confirming their classification as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Furthermore, the oprM gene was detected in all P. aeruginosa isolates, confirming the role of efflux pump mechanisms in their multidrug resistance. These findings highlight a concerning increase in antibiotic-resistant pathogens among high-risk pregnant women in Tikrit, emphasizing the urgent need for effective infection control strategies, rational antibiotic use, and continuous molecular surveillance to prevent further spread and complications in maternal healthcare.

Pure nano-magnesium oxide (MgO) layers with bombardment spacings of (0.5, 1, and 1.5 cm) and doped with nano-cerium oxide (CeO2) at three percentages (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%) with a spacing of 1 cm were prepared using PLD. Initial samples were prepared by mixing the raw powders and pressing them in a hydraulic press with a diameter of 10 mm at a pressure of 5 tons for 10 minutes. They were then placed in a laser device for fragmentation and deposition on glass substrates. The structural and optical properties of the deposited films were studied. XRD results indicated that the resulting phase of MgO and CeO was cubic, while the composite of both materials after doping was Mg,CeO3 with a monoclinic crystal system. The optical results showed that the energy gap increased continuously with each nano addition, and the highest energy gap was reached at the ratio of 0.3% CeO2, amounting to 3.807 eV, while the transmittance values ​​were 80%, and the absorbance decreased slightly at the same addition ratios.

This cross-sectional study (4 Oct 2024–5Mar 2025) assessed
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seroprevalence and complement activity in
100 immunocompromised patients (80 cancers and 20 kidney
transplant) versus 50 healthy blood donors at Baqubah Teaching
Hospital. Serum IgG/IgM antibodies were quantified by ELISA,
alongside hematologic indices and complement components C3 and
C4. EBV exposure was substantially higher in the patient group:
17% were IgG-positive and 4% IgM-positive, compared with only
3% IgG-positivity and 0% IgM-positivity in controls, underscoring
greater past and recent infection in immunocompromised hosts.
Hematologic profiles reflected this vulnerability. Patients exhibited
significantly lower haemoglobin (11.57 ± 0.19 g/dL vs. 12.75 ± 0.16
g/dL; p = 0.001) and lymphocyte counts (1.54 ± 0.07 × 10³ µL⁻¹ vs.
1.89 ± 0.13 × 10³ µL⁻¹; p = 0.02), alongside markedly depressed
total white blood cell counts (4.90 ± 0.18 × 10³ µL⁻¹ vs. 9.90 ± 0.29
× 10³ µL⁻¹; p = 0.001). Red blood cell counts were paradoxically
higher in patients (4.11 ± 0.10 × 10⁶ µL⁻¹ vs. 3.65 ± 0.10 × 10⁶ µL⁻¹;
p = 0.001), while platelet numbers did not differ. Complement
analysis revealed a pronounced rise in C3 among patients (116.68 ±
2.17 mg/dL) relative to controls (91.26 ± 3.63 mg/dL; p = 0.001),
suggesting enhanced innate immune activation; C4 levels remained
comparable (31.46 ± 0.89 mg/dL vs. 31.27 ± 1.11 mg/dL; p = 0.801).
In conclusion, the data highlight a significantly greater EBV burden
in tumour and transplant recipients, accompanied by characteristic
shifts in blood counts and elevated C3.

In this work we present a multi-step algorithm with high accuracy to solve
nonlinear second- and third-order ODE problems in fluid dynamics. In this
method we use the polynomial spectral collocation method to acquire
accurate numerical values at the collocation points, followed by spline
interpolation to improve the approximated solution between the collocation
points. Also, we derived quintic and septic polynomial spline models and
computed the associated error bounds with a convergence analysis. To
demonstrate the application of the present method, we considered two cases
of fluid dynamics problems. We also looked at the numerical solution's
validity and convergence in each example, which are assessed by calculating
the infinity norm of the absolute and residual errors at every iteration level.
Lastly, we illustrate the effect and influence of the physical parameters over
velocity and temperature profiles through graphical results.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of quantum-inspired machine
learning (QIML) techniques when applied to high-dimensional data
processing problems. Instead of relying on quantum hardware, QIML uses
concepts such as amplitude encoding and tensor networks to improve the
efficiency of traditional models. We compared the performance of QIML
models with traditional machine learning models on three real-world datasets
in the fields of finance, medical diagnosis, and natural language processing.
The study used metrics of accuracy, training speed, and generalization
properties for comparison. Our results show that hybrid QIML models achieve
up to a 10% improvement in accuracy and a 40% improvement in training
speed compared to traditional models. We also discuss current limitations in
scalability and computational cost and suggest future research directions for
developing QIML as an effective tool for processing complex data.

Nanotechnology, specifically nanocarriers, has demonstrated remarkable
results in the treatment of diabetes in animal models, as this approach is
distinguished by many unique physical, chemical, and biological properties
of nanomaterials that enhance drug delivery and therapeutic effectiveness on
insulin delivery for diabetes treatment. The study aimed to assess the
therapeutic impact of selenium-insulin nano-envelopes. This envelope was
examined using UV-vis measurements in the wavelength spectrum of
(208.50-407.50) nm, as well as XRD, the specimens were next examined
using (FESEM) as spherical particles with nano-diameters ranging from
(110-40) nm. The rats were placed into three sets: a control, a diabetic, and a
diabetic treated with the selenium-insulin nanocapsule. The infected control
group showed AST values of 155.1±678.5, ALT values of 67.20±179.3, and
ALP values of 202.7±444.0. The findings revealed that the untreated
diabetic group had significantly higher liver enzyme levels, indicating liver
damage.The nano-encapsulated group experienced a significant drop in
enzyme levels, including AST (6.18 ± 161.0), ALT (6.14 ± 60.50), and ALP
(72.71 ± 627.8), indicating liver protection. These findings show that
selenium-insulin nanoencapsulation could play an essential role in protecting
the liver from diabetes-induced damage, and allowing for greater insulin
absorption and protection from degradation. Histological examination of the
liver in the healthy control group showed intact hepatic cords and central
vein, while congestion of the central veins and venous sinuses was observed
in the alloxan-induced diabetic group. In the diabetic group treated with the
selenium nanocapsule, significant improvements were observed in
hepatocyte levels and the hepatic central vein.

Enterococcus faecalis bacteria positive for Cram dye have a role causing
urinary tract infections, and that 15% of urinary tract infections are caused by
bacteria E. faecalis. The aims of this research are to determine the level of
spread of E. faecalis and causes urinary tract infections in women, the rates of
biofilm formation in local clinical E. faecalis isolates and investigate the
relationship between multidrug resistances with biofilm forming ability.
Between September 2023, and January 2024, 134 urine specimens were
obtained from women patients in Baqubah teaching hospital, Al-Batool
teaching hospital for maternity in Baqubah city. Twenty-four clinical isolates
were diagnosed as E. faecalis by a percentage it reached 17.9%, Morphological,
microscopical and molecular detection methods were used to diagnose the
isolates .The capacity of E. faecalis isolates to form biofilm was examined
using the micro-titer plate approach, the results demonstrated that all isolate
produced biofilm. The method of disc diffusion was used to examine isolates
sensitivity to antibiotics approach. The tested isolates exhibited 100%
resistance to Erythromycin (E). while the rates of resistance ranged from
Fosfomycin (FO),Rifampin(RV),Tetracycline (TE), Doxycycline(DO),
Levofloxacin(LEV), Ciprofloxacin(CIP), Nitrofurantoin(F),
Chloramphenicol(C), Vancomycin(VA),Ampicillin(AM),Teicoplanin (TEC)
95.83.%, 83.33%, 83.33%, 54.16%, 50%, 41.7%, 25%, 20.83%, 16.7%, 12.5%,
and 8.33%, respectively

Solanum nigrum, a herbaceous plant belonging to the family Solanaceae, is one
of the well-documented medicinal plants used in traditional folk medicine
worldwide. In the present study, a rapid and reproducible protocol was
standardized for multiple shoot bud induction and plant regeneration using leaf
explant cultures of S. nigrum L. Direct organogenesis of adventitious shoots
was achieved on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with
various concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs),
namely benzylaminopurine (BAP), kinetin (Kn), thidiazuron (TDZ), and
indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). A total of 37 media combinations were tested,
among which MS medium fortified with TDZ (2.0 mg/L) and IAA (0.5
mg/L) proved most effective, inducing the highest number of shoots per explant
(88.0). Elongated shoots were successfully rooted on MS medium
supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA, 2.5 mg/L), an
average of 19.0 roots per shoot with an average root length of 6.9 cm. The
regenerated plantlets were acclimatized in earthen bags with a survival rate of
80% and subsequently established under field conditions without exhibiting any
morphological or growth abnormalities. This efficient in vitro regeneration
protocol can serve as a foundation for large-scale propagation, conservation,
and sustainable utilization of this elite medicinal herb.

The current research seeks to determine the impact of chemical fertilizers
employed in Iraqi agriculture on soil-dwelling organisms.so Investigating the
impact of fertilizers on organisms is essential for establishing lethal and sublethal tolerance limits and determining lethal concentrations. The research aims
to identify the impact of chemical fertilizers utilized in Iraqi farms on soildwelling organisms, prompted by a deficiency of comprehensive studies in this
area. Among the significant organisms with distinct roles in soil ecosystems,
annelids (earthworms) were selected to assess these effects. They are crucial
organisms due to their contributions to soil health and their sensitivity to toxic
chemicals, serving as vital indicators for the presence of pollutants in the soil.
Samples of adult earthworms exhibiting saddle structures were collected and
placed in plastic containers filled with soil to a depth of 15 cm. Earthworms
were subjected to three types of fertilizers (NPK) comprising phosphorus,
potassium, and nitrogen sourced from local markets, commonly utilized in
gardens and farms, revealing a significant effect of fertilizers on earthworms.
Mortality rates increased notably with higher fertilizer concentrations and
longer treatment durations. Additionally, hemoglobin levels in earthworms
rose, indicating environmental stress, prompting the worms to elevate their
hemoglobin levels.

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of some antiobesity drugs on the histological structure of the kidney in Swiss mice (Mus
musculus) for 30 days. Twenty mice were used and each group was placed in a
separate cage and divided into two groups, each group containing 10 mice. The
first group was the control group where its animals were injected by distilled
water, while the second group was the first experiment group where its mice
were injected by the Saxand drug at a concentration of 0.3 mg/mL day. On the
last day, the treated animals were sacrificed, their kidneys were extracted very
carefully, and tissue sections were prepared by embedding in paraffin wax. The
sections were then stained using two types of dyes which were hematoxylin and
eosin (H&E). Finally, the histological sections were tested using a light
microscope equipped with a digital camera, and the required information was
recorded. Several histopathological changes were recorded in the kidneys tissue
of animals treated with saxenda drug. Histopathological examination showed
an enlarged vascular wall in the cortex area, along with vascular congestion and
infiltration of inflammatory cells. In addition, had indications of, bleeding
inside the glomerulus and cell separation from the basement membrane.
Furthermore, degenerative changes in the medullary region of the kidneys.
Some cells broke down and vacuolation was also observed, Deposition of
colloidal fibers around blood vessels. Saxenda caused various changes in tissue
structure, such as inflammation, bleeding and increased blood flow. It also led
to a decline and deterioration of specific cells in the kidneys, with more
significant effects observed at higher doses. The results of this study also
showed that the weights of animals treated by the previously mentioned
concentrations of saxenda drug were affected, as the weight rates of all
experimental groups decreased and the average weights of animals dosed for 30
days were (25.5 - 28) g