Determination of fungal and parasitic infections caused vaginitis: molecular identification of Candida parapsilosis in Al-Nasiriyah city, Iraq

هدفت الدراسة الحالية لتحديد انتشار طفيلي Trichomonas vaginalis وفطريات Candida spp. وكذلك التعرف عن Candida parapsilosis وبعض جينات الضراوة. اجريت هذه الدراسة في مستشفى بنت الهدى للولادة والاطفال في محافظة ذي قار, جنوب العراق للفترة من بداية شهر كانون الثاني الى نهاية شهر كانون الاول 2020. تم جمع 250 عينة من المنطقة التناسلية الانثوية لنساء تتراوح اعمارهم من17-50 سنة. استخدم كل من التشخيص المجهري والتقليدي والجزيئي في فحص العينة. سجلت النتائج 12 (4.8%) عينة مصابة بطفيلي T. vaginalis, بينما 130 (52%) عينة اظهرت مصابة بـ Candida spp. والتي توزعت كالاتي: 75 (30%) C. albicans, 20 (8%) C. krusei, 14 (5.6%) C. parapsilosisas, 11 (4.4%) C. glabrata و 10 (4%) C. tropicalis. ظهر جين 18S rRNA  في كل عينات C. parapsilosisas التي اكدت مع الفحوصات الكيموحيوية ووسط CHROM. لوحظت الجينات cph1  و hwp1 في كل عزلات C. parapsilosis بنسبة (100%), بينما جينات sap1 و plb1 ظهرت مع نسب مختلفة (64.3%, 57.1%) على التوالي. اعتمادا على تحليل الشجرة التطورية, كان هناك تغاير جيني خفيف بين تتابعات العزلات المحلية مقارنة مع السلالات المسجله عالميا. اكدت الدراسة الحالية ان جين 18S rRNA يمتلك حساسية عالية في تشخيص C. parapsilosis. ان ظهور او غياب و/او وجود التغاير الجيني في بعض جينات الضراوة قد يسبب اعراض سريرية مختلفة.The current study aims to determine the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida spp., and also to identify Candida parapsilosis and some virulence genes. It was conducted in Bint Al-Hoda Hospital of Maternity and Children in Thi-Qar province, south of Iraq for the period from the beginning of January to the end of December 2020. Two hundred and fifty samples were collected from the female genital tract for women whose age ranged between 17-50 years. Microscopic, traditional and molecular tests were used in the sample examination. The results recorded 12 (4.8%) samples infected with T. vaginalis parasite, whereas 130 (52%) samples showed Candida yeast distributed as follows: 75 (30 %) C. albicans, 20 (8%) C. krusei, 14 (5.6%) C. parapsilosisas, 11 (4.4 %) C. glabrata and 10 (4%) C. tropicalis. A 18S rRNA gene of C. parapsilosisas appeared in all samples confirmed with biochemical tests and CHROM agar Candida. The cph1 and hwp1 genes were observed in all of C. parapsilosis isolates (100%), whereas sap1 and plb1 genes showed different proportions (64.3% and 57.1%, respectively). Depending on phylogenetic analysis, there was a slight genetic variation between local isolate sequences compared with global recorded strains.  The current study confirmed that 18S rRNA gene is highly precise to identify C. parapsilosis. The appearance or absence of the genetic variation of some virulence genes may cause different clinical manifestations.

Synthesis, Characterization and Photodegradation Studies of Copper Oxide–Graphene Nanocomposites

In this work, a simple hydrothermal method was employed to prepare a pristine sample of copper oxide (CuO) and three samples of copper oxide–graphene nanocomposites (CuO-xG) with x = 2.5, 5, and 10 mg of graphene. The synthesized samples were characterized using X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of CuO-xG nanocomposites exhibited the diffraction peaks related to the crystal planes of monoclinic CuO and hexagonal graphite. The surface morphology of the prepared samples was investigated using FESEM images. EDX analysis was used to investigate the chemical composition of the synthesized samples. FTIR spectroscopy identified the vibrational modes of the covalent bonds present in the samples. The allowed direct optical bandgap energy was calculated for all prepared samples using UV-Vis absorption spectra. The small bandgap of CuO-xG nanocomposites indicates their potential use as an effective photocatalyst in the presence of visible light. Photocatalytic activity of the samples was explored for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye contaminant under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the CuO-5G sample has the highest photodegradation efficiency (~56%)

An overview of the uses of propolis for oral health

Propolis is a gummy agent exploited from bees, which has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergic, wound healing, antidiabetic, and antiviral effects against various injuries and diseases. It also produces antifungal, antitumor and local anesthetic effects. The aim of the review was to review research findings on the role of propolis in oral health. This study was conducted by reviewing published articles on the use of propolis in oral health. To this end, Persian electronic databases such as Google, SID and Magiran as well as English databases such as PubMed and WOS were searched for articles published from 1979 onwards, 140 papers were retrieved, 21 articles were excluded, and 119 articles were included in final review. So far, propolis has been studied for the treatment of surgical wounds, intracanal irrigation, inhibition of the decay process, treatment of periodontitis and dentin hypersensitivity, and potential antifungal and antibacterial activities in the canal with a mostly satisfactory efficacy. Propolis has been reported to improve surgical wounds and produce anti-decay, anti-dentin hypersensitivity and anti-aphthous ulcer properties, and to be useful as a tooth-storing medium after tooth extraction, an intracanal irrigant and a mouthwash. substances highly useful properties of propolis, it can be argued that in the future, the substance will play a substantial role in dental science are necessary to isolate its compounds and identify their beneficial effects

Trypsin-based diet for the growth indices of Spanish mackerel

To protect the sustainability of the aquaculture industry, fishmeal is being replaced with alternative feed ingredients such as plant-based protein components. However, most plant-based feedstuffs contain a wide array of anti-nutritional factors. These factors can potentially hinder nutrient consumption, which in turn can interfere with fish health and performance. Protease enzyme supplements can reverse the impacts of anti-nutritional factors and enhance fish growth. This study aimed to incorporate the trypsin enzyme into the food of Spanish mackerel and explore its effects on growth factors, body composition, and blood biochemical parameters. This study was a fully-randomized experiment with three treatments and three replications. This experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with three treatments and three replications, and the trypsin enzyme was added to the fish diet at different levels: 0%, 0.015%, and 0.025%. For a timeframe of 60 days, the fish were given experimental diets. The growth indices considered were: specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), condition factor (CF), feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain percentage (WGP), and hepatic steatosis index (HSI). The results showed that FCR, PER, SGR, and WGP at enzyme levels of 0.015% and 0.025% were substantially different from the control group

Choline chloride/urea as a green and efficient deep eutectic solvent in three-component and four-component synthesis of novel pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives with antibacterial and antifungal activity

In this study, choline chloride/urea was used as a green deep eutectic solvent in the three-component reaction of hydrazine/phenylhydrazine, malononitrile, and aromatic aldehydes for synthesizing pyrazole derivatives, and in the four-component reaction of methyl/ethyl acetoacetate, hydrazine/phenylhydrazine, malononitrile, and aromatic aldehydes for synthesizing pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives. Elemental analysis, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy were used to confirm the structure of the synthesized pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives. The antimicrobial effects of the synthesized pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c] pyrazole derivatives were investigated. In antimicrobial tests, instructions from clinical and laboratory standards institutes were used. Antimicrobial study was done on pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative species, and specialized aquatic strains and fungal species. Using choline chloride/urea, novel pyrazole derivatives and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole derivatives were synthesized, and other derivatives were synthesized with higher efficiency in less time than some previously reported methods. MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) and MBC (minimum bactericidal concentration) obtained for derivatives were higher than some antibiotic drugs. Synthesis and reports of new derivatives of pyrazole and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole, and investigation and reports of their antimicrobial properties on gram-positive, gram-negative, and specialized aquatic and fungal species are among the novel and important findings of this study

Levofloxacin Adsorption onto MWCNTs/CoFe₂O₄ Nanocomposites: Mechanism, and Modeling Using Non-Linear Kinetics and Isotherm Equations

In the present work, the adsorption mechanism and capacity of MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite as an adsorbent were investigated. Levofloxacin (LFX), a widely used antibiotic, was selected as a hazardous model contaminant in aqueous solutions. The surface and inner characterization of MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 was obtained via SEM/TEM, XRD, BET/BJH, and pHPZC. These analyses indicated that MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 possess excellent surface and pore characteristics, e.g., specific surface area, pore volume, and mean pore diameter, which were 72 m2/g, 0.51 cm3/g, and 65 nm, respectively. The results demonstrate that by supplementing 1 g/L of MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 at experimental conditions of pH value of 5, temperature of 30 °C, initial LFX concentration of 50 mg/L and mixing time of 90 min, a significant outcome of 99.3% removal was achieved. To identify the phenomenon of adsorption, the thermodynamic parameters of ΔH° and ΔS° were calculated, which indicated that the nature of LFX adsorption onto MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite was endothermic and spontaneous. Nine isotherm models, including four two-parameter and five three-parameter models, were investigated. In addition, the regression coefficient as well as five error coefficient models were calculated for nonlinear isotherm models. According to the goodness of fit tests, the equilibrium data were well coordinated with the Freundlich and Sips isotherms. The kinetics study showed that the LFX adsorption data well fitted with pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption of LFX molecules occurred through several stages from surface to intraparticle diffusion. In conclusion, the present work evinces that LFX wastewater can be efficiently treated via an adsorption process using a MWCNTs/CoFe2O4 nanocomposite