368 research outputs found
Host genetic background influences the response to the opportunistic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection altering cell-mediated immunity and bacterial replication
No full textPseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections including pneumonia, bloodstream, urinary tract, and surgical site infections. The clinical outcome of P. aeruginosa infections may be extremely variable among individuals at risk and patients affected by cystic fibrosis. However, risk factors for P. aeruginosa infection remain largely unknown. To identify and track the host factors influencing P. aeruginosa lung infections, inbred immunocompetent mouse strains were screened in a pneumonia model system. A/J, BALB/cJ, BALB/cAnNCrl, BALB/cByJ, C3H/HeOuJ, C57BL/6J, C57BL/6NCrl, DBA/2J, and 129S2/SvPasCRL mice were infected with P. aeruginosa clinical strain and monitored for body weight and mortality up to seven days. The most deviant survival phenotypes were observed for A/J, 129S2/SvPasCRL and DBA/2J showing high susceptibility while BALB/cAnNCrl and C3H/HeOuJ showing more resistance to P. aeruginosa infection. Next, one of the most susceptible and resistant mouse strains were characterized for their deviant clinical and immunological phenotype by scoring bacterial count, cell-mediated immunity, cytokines and chemokines profile and lung pathology in an early time course. Susceptible A/J mice showed significantly higher bacterial burden, higher cytokines and chemokines levels but lower leukocyte recruitment, particularly neutrophils, when compared to C3H/HeOuJ resistant mice. Pathologic scores showed lower inflammatory severity, reduced intraluminal and interstitial inflammation extent, bronchial and parenchymal involvement and diminished alveolar damage in the lungs of A/J when compared to C3H/HeOuJ. Our findings indicate that during an early phase of infection a prompt inflammatory response in the airways set the conditions for a non-permissive environment to P. aeruginosa replication and lock the spread to other organs. Host gene(s) may have a role in the reduction of cell-mediated immunity playing a critical role in the control of P. aeruginosa infection. These results now provide a basis for mapping genomic regions underlying host susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection
Host genetic background influences the response to the opportunistic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection altering cell-mediated immunity and bacterial replication
Get PDFPseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections including pneumonia, bloodstream, urinary tract, and surgical site infections. The clinical outcome of P. aeruginosa infections may be extremely variable among individuals at risk and patients affected by cystic fibrosis. However, risk factors for P. aeruginosa infection remain largely unknown. To identify and track the host factors influencing P. aeruginosa lung infections, inbred immunocompetent mouse strains were screened in a pneumonia model system. A/J, BALB/cJ, BALB/cAnNCrl, BALB/cByJ, C3H/HeOuJ, C57BL/6J, C57BL/6NCrl, DBA/2J, and 129S2/SvPasCRL mice were infected with P. aeruginosa clinical strain and monitored for body weight and mortality up to seven days. The most deviant survival phenotypes were observed for A/J, 129S2/SvPasCRL and DBA/2J showing high susceptibility while BALB/cAnNCrl and C3H/HeOuJ showing more resistance to P. aeruginosa infection. Next, one of the most susceptible and resistant mouse strains were characterized for their deviant clinical and immunological phenotype by scoring bacterial count, cell-mediated immunity, cytokines and chemokines profile and lung pathology in an early time course. Susceptible A/J mice showed significantly higher bacterial burden, higher cytokines and chemokines levels but lower leukocyte recruitment, particularly neutrophils, when compared to C3H/HeOuJ resistant mice. Pathologic scores showed lower inflammatory severity, reduced intraluminal and interstitial inflammation extent, bronchial and parenchymal involvement and diminished alveolar damage in the lungs of A/J when compared to C3H/HeOuJ. Our findings indicate that during an early phase of infection a prompt inflammatory response in the airways set the conditions for a non-permissive environment to P. aeruginosa replication and lock the spread to other organs. Host gene(s) may have a role in the reduction of cell-mediated immunity playing a critical role in the control of P. aeruginosa infection. These results now provide a basis for mapping genomic regions underlying host susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection
Video Installation as a Language: an Interpretation of Mohd Fuad Arif’s Artworks
Get PDFThis paper is focused on the language and the music in Mohd Fuad Arif’s artworks especially in his installations. Language is a powerful tool that can be used as a source of inspiration for contemporary artists. For Malaysian conceptual artist Mohd Fuad Arif the Language plays a significant role in particular in his installations. Indeed for Mohd Fuad Arif the Language itself can be seen as artwork. Also, the specific question which investigated was the relationship between artist or artist intent, artwork, and spectator. The purpose of this paper was to provide a deeper insight into Mohd Fuad Arif’s artworks. This study attempted to decode some of his installations such as Pembukaan (The opening), Ya Allah Selamatkan Bumi Singapura (O Allah, Save Singapore). The different interpretations of the same subject are the main characteristic of the postmodern era. The author of this paper had his own interpretation of Mohd Fuad Arif’s installations.
Keywords: installation, Mohd Fuad Arif, language, postmodern era, conceptual ar
Quality Assurance for Iraqi Bottled Water Specifications
No full textIn this research the specifications of Iraqi drinking bottled water brands are investigated throughout the comparison between local brands, Saudi Arabia and the World Health Organization (WHO) for bottled water standard specifications. These specifications were also compared to that of Iraqi Tap Water standards. To reveal variations in the specifications for Iraqi bottled water, and above mentioned standards some quality control tools are conducted for more than 33% of different bottled water brands (of different origins such as spring, purified,..etc) in Iraq by investigating the selected quality parameters registered on their marketing labels. Results employing Minitab software (ver. 16) to generate X bar, and Pareto chart. It was found from X bar charts that the quality parameters of some drinking bottled water brands are not within Iraqi standards set by the “Central Agency for Standardization and Quality Control” such as pH values, Fe, Na, and Mg concentrations.
While the comparison of previously mentioned standard specifications through radar chart many important issues are detected such as the absence of lower limits the whole bottled water quality parameters such as for Na and Mg also the radar chart shows that Iraqi bottled and tap water specifications are almost equal in their quality values. Also the same chart pictured the limited range of Iraqi specifications compared to that of Saudi Arabia, and WHO and the need to introduce other water specifications such as K, Na, etc. This confirms the need to improve Iraqi bottled water specifications since it was introduced on 2000.
These results also highlighted the weakness of quality assurance activities since only 33 % of the investigated companies registered the whole water quality specifications as shown in Pareto chart. Other companies do not register any quality characteristics. Also certain companies should be stopped due to non-conforming specifications, yet these companies are still producing and selling their products in the local market. Quality assurance requires continually monitor the reliability (accuracy and precision processes) of Iraqi drinking bottled water companies to match the Iraqi Specification Standards, and those companies should continually approve “How good (accurate and precise) is their product( water quality) produced?”
Study and Analysis Emissions Specifications for Iraqi Automobiles
No full textفي هذا البحث تم التركيز على التلوث البيئي الناتج من احتراق وقود السيارات اذ قارنت الدراسة المواصفات القياسية العراقية مع المواصفات القياسية الاوربية للحدود العليا المسموحة لانبعاثات غازات العادم. حيث ظهرت الكثير من الاختلافات بين المواصفة العراقية والمواصفة الاوربية كون المواصفة العراقية محدودة ولا تشمل جميع الغازات المنبعثة من العادم على العكس من الاوربية، بالاضافة الى ان المواصفة العراقية تعتمد على الانبعاثات الناتجة من المركبات في ظروف التشغيل المثالية في حين المواصفة الاوربية يكون في ظروف تشغيلية مختلفة. هذه الدراسة اجريت على 35 مركبة اذ تم التحقق من الانبعاثات الناتجة من المركبات باستخدام جهاز تحليل العادم ومناقشة التباين في المواصفة العراقية حيث تم دراسة النتائج باستخدام مخططات السيطرة النوعية (X- bar) وتمثيلها بيانياً باستخدام برنامج (Minitab 2016).
وكذلك استخدم مؤشر مقدرة العملية لقياس الانبعاثات الناتجة من المركبات ومدى مطابقتها للمواصفات القياسية. حيث أظهرت النتائجبواسطة مخططات السيطرة النوعية أن حوالي 30٪ من انبعاثات السيارات خارج حدود المواصفات القياسية العراقية، وهذا بدوره يؤثر سلبا على البيئة العراقية لأن الانبعاثات تؤثر بشكل مباشر وغير مباشر على البيئة وصحة الإنسان. ان ضمان الجودة يتطلب الرصد المستمر والتفتيش الدوري للمركبات للحد من الانبعاثات الضارة الناتجة احتراق الوقود وبالتالي يجب تحديث المواصفات القياسية العراقية بما يتلائم مع البيئة العراقية.In this research, focused on the environmental pollution from fuel combustions of automobiles, the study compared the maximum allowable limits for Iraqi emissions standard specification with the European emissions standard specification. Whereas many different between the Iraqi specification and European specification. The first one is limited unlike the second specification, which is dealt with all polluting gases, as well as differences in the measuring units between them. The Iraqi specification measures the emissions in ideal conditions while the European depends on the measurement on different operational conditions.
This study was conducted on 35 automobiles, the emissions data was obtained by using an exhaust gas analyzer and represented by using a qualitative control tool ( - control charts); Minitab software version 2016 was used to generate quality control charts.
Process capability index applied to measure the degree to which emissions meets the standard specifications.
The results by control charts showed that about 30% of the automobiles emissions exceed the limits of the Iraqi standard specifications. This in turn affects negatively to the Iraqi environment, because emissions affect directly and indirectly to the environment and human health.
Quality assurance requires continuous monitoring and Periodic inspections of automobiles to minimize and reduces harmful emissions from fuel combustion; therefore must be updated specification, as appropriate with the Iraqi environment
Iridoids Isolation from a Phytochemical Study of the Medicinal Plant Teucrium parviflorum Collected in Iraqi Kurdistan
Get PDFHerbal medicines are still widely practiced in Kurdistan Region-Iraq, especially by people living in villages on mountainous regions. Among plants belonging to the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae), which are commonly employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, we have analyzed, for the first time, the methanol and aqueous methanol extracts of T. parviflorum aerial parts. The plant is mainly used by Kurds to treat jaundice, liver disorders and stomachache. We aimed to determine the phytochemical profile of the extracts and the structures of the main components, so to provide a scientific rationale for the ancient use of the plant in the ethno-pharmacological field. TLC analysis of the two extracts on silica gel and reversed phase TLC plates, using different visualization systems, indicated similar contents and the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and sugars. The chlorophyll-free extracts exhibited weak/no antimicrobial activities against a panel of bacteria (MICs = 800–1600 µg/mL) and fungal strains (MICs ≥ 5 mg/mL). At the concentration of 600 µg/mL, the methanol extract showed moderate antiproliferative effects against A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines in the MTS assay. Moreover, both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging action against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50 = 62.11 and 44.25 μg/mL, respectively). In a phytochemical study, a high phenolic content (77.08 and 81.47 mg GAE/g dry extract, respectively) was found in both extracts by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Medium pressure liquid chromatographic (MPLC) separation of the methanol extract on a reversed phase cartridge eluted with a gradient of MeOH in H2O, afforded two bioactive iridoid glucosides, harpagide (1) and 8-O-acetylharpagide (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral data, chemical reactions, and comparison with the literature. Interestingly, significant amounts of hepatotoxic furano neo-clerodane diterpenoids, commonly occurring in Teucrium species, were not detected in the extract. The wide range of biological activities reported in the literature for compounds 1 and 2 and the significant antiradical effects of the extracts give scientific support to the traditional use in Iraqi Kurdistan of T. parviflorum aerial parts for the preparation of herbal remedies
The Issue of War and its Representations in Selected Iraqi Theatrical Works
Get PDFThis study aimed to identify the issue of war and its representations in theatrical texts by addressing the concept of war in philosophy and literature. This issue is one of the most complex human concerns and has been depicted in the works of various playwrights in Western theater. In the Arab theater, particularly in Iraqi theater, the issue of war emerges as a significant theme. It is noteworthy that Iraqi playwrights have expressed their commitment to the issues of their homeland, reflecting the lives, hopes, and aspirations of the Iraqi people across all social classes. The researchers applied a descriptive analytical method in this study, which provides new insights into the performing arts and its criticism at both individual and institutional levels
Mapping genetic determinants of host susceptibility to Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection in mice.
Get PDFBackground: P. aeruginosa is one of the top three causes of opportunistic human bacterial infections. The remarkable
variability in the clinical outcomes of this infection is thought to be associated with genetic predisposition. However,
the genes underlying host susceptibility to P. aeruginosa infection are still largely unknown.
Results: As a step towards mapping these genes, we applied a genome wide linkage analysis approach to a mouse
model. A large F2 intercross population, obtained by mating P. aeruginosa-resistant C3H/HeOuJ, and susceptible A/J
mice, was used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. The F2 progenies were challenged with a P. aeruginosa
clinical strain and monitored for the survival time up to 7 days post-infection, as a disease phenotype associated trait.
Selected phenotypic extremes of the F2 distribution were genotyped with high-density single nucleotide polymorphic
(SNP) markers, and subsequently QTL analysis was performed. A significant locus was mapped on chromosome 6 and
was named P. aeruginosa infection resistance locus 1 (Pairl1). The most promising candidate genes, including Dok1,
Tacr1, Cd207, Clec4f, Gp9, Gata2, Foxp1, are related to pathogen sensing, neutrophils and macrophages recruitment and
inflammatory processes.
Conclusions: We propose a set of genes involved in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infection that may be explored
to complement human studie
Nef‘î’yi Tanzîren Keçecizâde Fuad Paşa’ya Yazılmış Manzum Mektup Örneği
No full textMakalemizin konusu “Hâdî” mahlaslı bir şair tarafından yazılmış “Manzum Mektup” örneğidir. Eser müellif hattı olup tek nüsha halindedir. Hâdî, eserin başlangıcında “Fuâd Paşa” ya sunulan bir mektup ve aynı zamanda “Nef’î” merhuma nazîre olduğunu ifade eden mensur bir giriş yapmıştır. Fuâd Paşa’nın hayatı hakkındaki tarihsel bilgilerden hareketle eserin şairinin kimliği ve yazılış tarihi saptanmaya çalışılmıştır. Metin incelemesinden hareketle, eserin Türk Edebiyatı’ndaki yeri, şekil ve tür, dil, ifade ve üslûp özellikleri hakkında bilgi verilmiştir. Zemin şiir olan Nef’î’ye ait Genç Osman Kasîdesi’nin de tamamı nakledilmiştir. Ayrıca orijinal metnin transkripsiyon yöntemi ile metin neşri yapılmıştır. Çalışmamızın konusu olan Nef’î’nin Genç Osman Kasîdesi’ne nazîre olan Hâdî’nin manzum mektup örneği, Fuâd Paşa'ya hitaben yazılmıştır. Araştırmalarımız neticesinde manzum mektup örneğinin Hâdî mahlaslı şairin Tanzîmat döneminde yaşamış “Ali Hâdî” isimli bir şair ve müellif olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Manzum mektup türüne de örnek teşkil eden Hâdî’nin eseri, klasik kasîde tertibinde kaleme alınmış bir nazîredir. Eserin Dîvân Edebiyatı’nın kullandığı şekil ve tür özelliklerinin yanı sıra mazmunlar, edebî sanatlar gibi dil, ifade ve üslûp bakımından Klasik dönemin ve Nef’î’nin şiirine yaklaştığını söylemek mümkündür.The aim of this study is to present the manuscript "Manzum Mektup" written by a poet with the pseudonym "Hâdî”. The manuscript, which is a single copy and author's own handwriting, consists of a prose introduction and a poem written in kasîde verse style. In the introduction, it is mentioned that this letter was presented to "Fuad Pasha" and was written as a nazîre to the poet "Nef'î", who had passed away before. There is no information about this work and its poet, other than the ones given above. Another purpose of this article is to determine the real name of the poet with the pseudonym Hâdî, who is the author of the manuscript, and to answer the question of who Fuad Pasha is, to whom the work is presented. As a result, based on some clues given in the letter about Fuad Pasha's life, it has been determined that the work was written for Keçecizâde Fuad Pasha, one of the great statesmen of the Tanzîmat period, and that Hâdî was a poet named Ali Hâdî, who lived in the same period. In addition, in our study, we focused on manzum mektup in Turkish literature and gave some information about its style, genre, language, expression and style. We also quoted the entire Young Osman Kasîda by Nef'î, which we determined to be the ground poem for the manzum mektup, and we wrote the original text of the letter with the transcription method.</div
bPolitical awareness of the Shi'ites in Lebanon : the role of Sayyid #Abd al-Husain Sharaf al-Din and Sayyid Musa al-Sadr.
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