Iraqi Journal for Applied Science

The active compounds of basil seeds (Iraqi Ocimum basilicum L.) were
studied using four extracts: cold and hot aqueous extracts, petroleum ether,
and methanol. Phenolic and flavonoid content was studied using quantitative
standard curves, and amino acids, water, fat-soluble vitamins, and minerals
were identified and measured. The results showed that it contains many active
compounds and unsaturated fatty acids, both of which are important in the
human diet. Basil extracts contained phenols and flavonoids, and the
petroleum ether extract contained 9 active compounds, most notably
oxygenated monoterpenes, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, alkanes, and the
unsaturated fatty acids linolenic and linoleic. The methanol extract showed
the presence of 8 fatty acids, the most prominent of which is the unsaturated
fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which amounted to 36%, followed by the fatty
acid linoleic acid, which amounted to 9.04%. It also showed the presence of
13 amino acids, including 6 essential amino acids: phenylalanine (11.5%),
leucine, histidine, tryptophan, isoleucine, and threonine, and 7 non-essential
amino acids: glutamic, tyrosine, glycine, alanine, arginine, serine, and
cysteine, in addition to containing many vitamins. The results also showed
that it contains calcium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and sulfur,
with lower percentages of iron and zinc, and almost no traces of toxic elements
such as cadmium and lead.

Intelligence is increasingly recognized as a biologically influenced trait with
a central role in shaping students' cognitive and academic development. This
study aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D3 and
magnesium levels and intelligence among school-aged students. A total of 90
male students from three types of schools (public, distinguished, and highachieving) participated. The Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) test was
used to assess mental age and IQ before any intervention, and both SPM and
Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) were administered before and after a
15-day nutritional intervention involving walnuts and dark chocolate. Vitamin
D3 and magnesium levels were also measured to assess physiological
influences. Before the intervention, significant differences were observed
between the three groups in both mental age and IQ. Post-intervention results
showed a notable improvement in the public-school group, particularly in
APM scores. The distinguished group showed improvement mainly in the
SPM test, while the high-achievers group showed no significant changes.
Vitamin D3 levels differed significantly among the groups, with higher levels
in public students than in distinguished and high-achieving school students.
In contrast, magnesium levels showed a different pattern, with public students
having significantly higher mean levels, followed by high-achieving students,
while distinguished school students had the lowest. The findings indicate that
biological factors may contribute to differences in cognitive performance
among student groups. Moreover, the nutritional intervention appeared to
positively affect intelligence in students with initially lower cognitive scores,
especially in public schools

This study investigated the structural and optical properties of magnesium
oxide films produced by chemical Spray Pyrolysis. They were deposited on
glass substrates at 400°C and had thicknesses of 300, 400, and 570 nm.
According to X-ray diffraction results, all prepared films have a
polycrystalline, cubic structure. The optical characteristics (transmittance,
absorption and reflectance) of films were studied for wave lengths between
300 and 900 nm and for thickness (300, 400, 570) nm at room temperature,
these results showed that the absorption values increase with increasing
thickness of the thin films and decreases rapidly with increasing wavelength,
the reflectance values increase with increasing thickness of the thin films but
increases with increasing wavelength. The results indicated that these films
have an energy gap for direct transitions and that the energy gap decreases
with increasing film thickness, with the forbidden direct transition energy
being less than that of the allowed direct transition.

This study aimed to investigate the phenotypic and antibiotic resistance
characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates obtained from various
clinical specimens. A total of 55 isolates were recovered from 390 samples,
with the highest recovery from ear swabs, burns, and wound infections. The
identification of P. aeruginosa was confirmed using morphological,
biochemical, and selective culture methods. All isolates were Gram-negative,
motile rods, oxidase- and catalase-positive, and demonstrated characteristic
growth on cetrimide and MacConkey agar. IMViC testing showed negative
results for indole, methyl red, and Voges–Proskauer, while citrate was utilized
by all isolates. Antibiotic susceptibility profiling revealed variable resistance
patterns. The highest resistance was noted for ticarcillin-clavulanate (98.18%)
and cefepime (78.18%), while piperacillin-tazobactam showed the lowest
resistance (18.18%). Alarmingly, colistin resistance was detected in 96.36%
of the isolates based on MIC values (≥ 4 µg/mL), raising serious clinical
concerns. Furthermore, 87% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance
(MDR), and 18% were classified as extensively drug-resistant (XDR),
reflecting a significant threat to treatment efficacy. All isolates produced βhemolysin on human blood agar and 100% of selected strains synthesized
pyocyanin on King A agar, confirming the presence of key virulence factors.
The high rates of resistance and virulence indicate an urgent need for
surveillance, antibiotic stewardship, and the development of alternative
treatment strategies. These findings contribute to the growing body of
evidence on the clinical challenges posed by P. aeruginosa in healthcare
settings.

The nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles were synthesized using an eco-friendly
approach involving Lettuce leaves extracts as a reducing and stabilizing agent,
with two different precursors: NiSO₄ and NiCl₂. Initially, Ni (OH)₂
nanoparticles were obtained by the dropwise addition of sodium hydroxide
solution in the presence of lettuce leaf extracts. These Ni (OH)₂ nanoparticles
were then subjected to calcination at 500 °C to produce NiO nanoparticles.
The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, and
TEM, and their surface area was calculated using the Brunauer–Emmett–
Teller (BET) method. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of nickel oxide
nanoparticles, with average particle sizes of 32.35 nm and 43.16 nm for the
NiSO₄ and NiCl₂ precursors, respectively. FE-SEM images revealed that Ni
(OH)₂ nanoparticles exhibited a spherical morphology, whereas NiO
nanoparticles displayed varying shapes. BET analysis confirmed differences
in surface area between the samples. This study aimed to reduce and adsorb
heavy metals from water pollution using the Langmuir and the Freundlich
isotherm models, which may be used to simulate experimental data on the
adsorption of sulfur compounds from crude oil.

Understanding the interaction between cytokines and immunoglobulins in
immune responses to infection is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of
immunity and developing diagnostic biomarkers. This study aimed to assess
the levels of key cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17) and immunoglobulin
IgG and its subclasses (IgG1–4) in cutaneous leishmaniasis-infected and noninfected individuals, stratified by gender, age, and clinical status. A crosssectional study was conducted among 104 individuals with cutaneous
leishmaniasis (52 males and 52 females). Immunoglobulins and IFN-γ, IL-4,
IL-10, and IL-17 were measured by ELISA. Statistical analyses included
mean comparisons (T-test, ANOVA), standard deviations, and correlation
coefficients. Significant differences were noted in IFN-γ (p = 0.025), IgG1 (p
= 0.011), and IgG4 (p = 0.02) levels between infected and non-infected
groups. Sex-specific variations were observed, with higher IgG3 in males (p
= 0.034) and elevated IL-10 in females (p = 0.024). Strong correlations were
detected between IL-4 and IgG1 (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) and between IL-10 and
IgG1 (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). This study highlights the dynamic relationship
between humoral and cellular immune markers, suggesting their potential as
biomarkers for stratifying infection. Sex significantly affects these profiles,
confirming the need for personalized immunological assessments.