The anti-virulence effect of cranberry active compound proanthocyanins (PACs) on the expression of genes in the third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli CTX-M-15 associated with urinary tract infection.

open access articl

Performance of the Horizontal Wells in a Naturally Fractured Carbonate Reservoir

About 60 percent of the world\u27s proven oil reserves and 40 percent of gas reserves are trapped in carbonate reservoirs. Recovery rates are relatively low in carbonate reservoirs, and it is extremely challenging to predict due to the heterogeneous nature of these reservoirs. The majority of carbonate reservoirs contain fractures which may vary in size from millimeters to kilometers. A typical example of this type of reservoirs is oil and gas fields in the northern Iraq. These fields are almost all developed by vertical wells. This study will investigate the use of horizontal wells to enhance the productivity in one of these reservoirs.;CMG software is used to simulate the Upper Qamchuqa reservoir of the Khabbaz oil field northeastern of Iraq. The Upper Qamchuqa reservoir is a subsurface anticline with a major normal fault on the eastern flank. Moreover, it mainly consists of dolomite, dolomitic limestone, limestone and marly limestone. The simulation model was validated by the history matching the production rates. Subsequently, horizontal wells were added to the model, and the optimum placement and lateral length investigated. Furthermore, the reservoir parameters that have a significant influence on the history matching and the predicted horizontal wells\u27 performance were identified for future development of the field. The results of this study can provide a guideline for reducing the operating costs and increasing the productivity of similar naturally fractured reservoirs in the area

Meta-Analysis of Insulated Concrete Wall Panel Design Methods for Shear and Flexure Behavior

Insulated Concrete wall panels have been designed and constructed since the early 1950s with various shear ties, dimensions, and methods; nonetheless, thermal bridging and rational design are still a concern. Many companies have recently developed plastic connectors that have gradually replaced solid concrete sections and steel connectors due to their superior thermal efficiency and strength. However, there is no generally accepted method for predicting the behavior of sandwich wall panels in structural engineering practice or codes, but many methods have been used since the early 1920. This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of current methods for predicting the flexural performance of concrete sandwich wall panels under out-of-plane loading. The analysis is conducted within the elastic range using eight different methods found in the literature. Over ninety full-scale specimens are reviewed and analyzed using these methods, which include commercially available connectors and various concrete properties and panel dimensions, for prestress, mild reinforced concrete. The results show that the Beam Spring Model (BSM), Mechanics-based modeling (MBM), Iterative and Simplified Sandwich Beam Theory (ISBT) for Partially Composite Concrete Wall Panels, and Simplified Sandwich Beam Theory (SSBT) methods produce similar results for cracking load and deflections with low variability, while the Timoshenko-Ehrenfest Bea, Beam on elastic foundation approach (Holmberg and Plem), Allen\u27s method, and the Simplified Model for Partially Composite Insulated Panels (SMPCIP) methods produce inconsistent results compared to reference testing. Furthermore, this study included a shear flow analysis using data from literature for 102 panels to examine the shear flow performance for both average and discrete methods. In which both methods did not have agreement compared to reference testing. Advisor: Marc Maguir

Video Content Analysis of the Taliban, ISIS, and al-Qa’ida: Common Themes and the Utilization of Different Sonic Modes

Terrorist organizations, such as the Taliban, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula, produce videos to disseminate their messages. Even though there are many studies closely examining the text in jihadi videos, there are fewer studies that examine multimodal messages, specifically the audiovisual messages. This study aims to examine the audiovisual messages in videos produced by three jihadi groups: the Taliban, ISIS, and AQAP. This research attempts to answer the following strategic questions. One, what are some common themes in propaganda videos produced by the Taliban, ISIS, and al-Qa’ida? Two, how does each group utilize different Sonic Modes in common themes? Three, how do the three jihadi groups compare in their utilization of different Sonic Modes? Some of the findings include the utilization of specific common themes amongst the three groups, and these groups differ in their utilization of the audiovisual messages

Isolation and identification of antimicrobial compound from Mentha longifolia L. leaves grown wild in Iraq

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Mentha longifolia </it>L. (Lamiaceae) leaves have been traditionally implemented in the treatment of minor sore throat and minor mouth or throat irritation by the indigenous people of Iraq, although the compounds responsible for the medicinal properties have not been identified. In the present study, an antimicrobial compound was isolated and characterized, and its biological activity was assessed.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The compound was isolated and characterized from the extracted essential oil using different spectral techniques: TLC, FTIR spectra and HPLC. Antimicrobial activity of the compound was assessed using both disc diffusion and microdilution method in 96 multi-well microtiter plates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A known compound was isolated from the essential oil of the plant and was identified as (-) menthol. The isolated compound was investigated for its antimicrobial activity against seven selected pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms: <it>Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenis</it><it>, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>and the yeast <it>Candida albicans</it>. Menthol at different concentrations (1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20) was active against all tested bacteria except for <it>P. aeruginosa</it>, and the highest inhibitory effect was observed against <it>S. mutans </it>(zone of inhibition: 25.3 mm) using the disc diffusion method. Minimal inhibitory concentration MIC values ranged from 15.6–125.0 μg/ml, and the most promising results were observed against <it>S. aureus </it>and <it>S. mutans </it>(MIC 15.6 μg/ml) while, <it>S. faecalis, S. pyogenis </it>and <it>L. acidophilus </it>ranked next (MIC 31.2 μg/ml). Furthermore, menthol achieved considerable antifungal activity against the yeast <it>C. albicans </it>(zone of inhibition range: 7.1–18.5 mm; MIC: 125.0).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The isolation of an antimicrobial compound from <it>M. longifolia </it>leaves validates the use of this plant in the treatment of minor sore throat and minor mouth or throat irritation.</p

Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Squat Walls

Squat shear walls are widely used in various structures to resist earthquake loads. However, the relevant design expressions found in building codes and literature do not incorporate the influence of all crucial parameters and provide inconsistent peak shear strength estimations. This study adopts the artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the peak shear strength of squat walls using an extensive database that includes the results of 487 walls with wide-ranging test parameters. The ANN models consider the effect of concrete strength, the wall aspect ratio, vertical and horizontal reinforcements, vertical reinforcement of boundary elements, and axial load ratio. These accurately predicted the available test results. They implemented it to carry out parametric and sensitivity analysis to investigate the effect of the main parameters on the peak strength and to give information about the factors that contribute most to the shear response. In addition, a softened strut and tie method is proposed, considering the variables that substantially influence the shear strength. A nonlinear regression analysis is employed to determine the coefficients of the proposed model using the available database. The performance of the proposed model is measured using the existing models, which results in the best favorable agreement with the test results. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-02-03 Full Text: PD

Breeding for Tomato Resistance to Spider Mite \u3cem\u3eTetranychus urticae\u3c/em\u3e Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Cultivated tomato plants are extremely susceptible to the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch. Selection for pest resistance is usually a crucial step required to achieve successful genetic resistance transfer from wild into cultivated tomato genotypes. S. habrochaites LA2329, a wild relative of tomato, is highly resistant to arthropods. Its resistance has been attributed to the presence of a high density of type IV and type VI trichomes and abundant production of 7-epi-zingiberene, a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon. The interspecific backcross hybrids used in this research were derived from the cross between the wild relative tomato, S. habrochaites LA2329, and the cultivated tomato, S. lycopersicum ‘Zaofen 2’ (ZH2). This population has been directly selected for type IV trichome density and zingiberene. The arthropod resistance status of the backcross hybrids was unknown when this research was initiated. Thus, the main objective of the research was to verify the transfer of arthropod resistance from S. habrochaites to cultivated tomato. The effects of glandular trichome densities and leaf zingiberene contents on spider mite behavior and biology were also explored. Also, the chemical composition of the trichome secretions in the wild tomato donor is segregating for presence and abundance of sesquiterpenoids related to zingiberene. The bioactivity of these sesquiterpenoids was explored in this research. To evaluate the relative bioactivities of zingiberene alcohol and 7-epizingiberene, extracted from glandular trichomes of Solanum habrochaites accession LA2329, as well as alpha-zingiberene obtained from ginger oil, these were purified by silica gel chromatography and bioassayed with two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) using a bean leaf disc bioassay. Zingiberene alcohol was most efficacious and alpha-zingiberene, was least efficacious, while the efficacy of 7-epizingiberene was intermediate. Thus, tomato breeders should consider introgression of the genes responsible for the oxidation of 7-epizingiberene into zingiberene alcohol to potentially improve the spider mite resistance of cultivated tomato. Also, it is possible that this compound may be exploited as eco-biopesticide approach for integrated pest management against a broad spectrum of herbivorous pests. To verify transfer of arthropod resistance, a bioassay utilizing whole leaves was employed. Nine hybrids (BC3F3 and BC3F4) were chosen for this bioassay, based on variation of type IV trichome density and zingiberene concentration among the hybrids. The experiment also included three susceptible and three resistant control plants. Mite responses on some of the hybrids were similar to those on the resistant wild donor parent, S. habrochaites, as indicated by number of leaflet surfaces infested by mites, degree of mite webbing and feeding damage. Egg density on four backcross hybrids was similar to that on the S. habrochaites resistant controls. Based these results, we concluded that resistance had been successfully transferred from the wild accessions to the hybrids by deployment of backcrossing and indirect selection. There was a significant negative correlation of almost all mite behavioral and biological responses with Type IV trichome density and zingiberene content. This bioassay illuminated behavioral variations of mites associated with presence or absence of leaf compounds and glandular trichome densities. Also, the results support the idea that introgression of type IV trichomes and zingiberene has led to effective spider mite resistance. In another bioassay-based experiment to verify transfer of resistance, seven interspecific backcross hybrids (BC3F2), the resistant parent LA2329, and two susceptible cultivated tomato lines, the recurrent parent ZH2 and ‘Small Roma’, were used in thumbtack bioassays. Mite movement was measured by imaging bioassayed leaves at 15, 20, 30, 45, and 60 min intervals. In addition to confirming transfer of spider mite resistance, other objectives included determination of the relative contributions of type IV and VI trichome densities and leaf compounds to mite behavior over time intervals. Our findings confirmed the transfer of mite repellency from the wild resistant parent to advanced backcross hybrids. Several backcross hybrids performed similarly to the wild donor parent, displaying shorter distances traveled on the leaves after 15 and 30 min. The type IV and type VI trichome densities as well as zingiberene contents had a significant positive correlation with the number of spider mites remaining on tack. There was a significant negative correlation of type IV density and zingiberene concentration with the total distance travelled by mites for both the abaxial and adaxial surfaces across most time intervals. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the type IV trichome density was the most critical factor, and zingiberene content was a secondary factor across over most time intervals. T. urticae remained longer on the thumbtack heads and traveled shorter distances on the leaf surface of the wild donor parent LA2329 and the interspecific hybrids compared to S. lycopersicum leaves. These results indicated that introgression of genetic resistance, especially repellence, against spider mite from the wild relative into cultivated tomato varieties has been successfully achieved. In conclusion, trichome type IV and/or zingiberene content has been successfully transferred from the wild relative into interspecific tomato hybrids, and the hybrids show significant adverse impact on spider mite behavior and/or biology in whole leaf and thumbtack bioassays. Type IV trichome density is the most crucial factor in mite deterrence while zingiberene seemed to be a second key factor across most of time durations for both surfaces. Collectively, several backcross hybrids had similar leaf characteristics to the S. habrochaites LA2329, also may be a potential source of resistance to other insect pests