Explore the vast range of titles available.

Four aphid species belonging to the Tribe Fordini (Homoptera, Aphididae, Eriosomatinae) induce galls on Pistacia trees in North Iraq (Kurdistan) were recorded in this study. Molecular phylogeny of Iraq Fordini species was constructed for These species (Forda riccobonii, Paracletus cimiciformis, Baizongia pistaciae and Forda marginata), based on sequences of mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene of these aphid species to detect the relationship and taxonomy of Iraqi species for tribe Fordini. Our results confirmed that each of Forda and Paracletus are a sister genus, or monophyletic group by designing in same clade, while B. pistaciae is separate from other clades, supporting the taxonomic division of the tribe Fordini into two subtribes (Fordina and Baizongina).

The present study was planned to investigate equine babesiosis in dragging horses in Baghdad city, Iraq by using microscopical and molecular (PCR) techniques. 150 blood samples of horses examined for Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. 16.66% (25/150) were positive by microscopic examination. No significant difference was observed in infection rates between male and female horses and among different age groups. The result showed that PCR method has high rate of infection36% (9/25). Nine positive PCR products were sequenced and deposited in Genebank data base for first time in Iraq, phylogenic analysis demonstrated that 5 sequences belongs to T. equi (MK350319, MK346272, MK346273, MK346274 and MK36275), while 4 sequence (MK346276, MK346277, MK346278 and MK350318) belongs to B. caballi, and mounted a low genetic variation 0.035 and 0.05 respectively, among other comparison isolates. In conclusion PCR technique followed by phylogenic tree analysis a reliable methods for epidemiological, diagnosis and identification of genetic variants studies.

This study was aimed to highlight the importance of the melt curve-quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis in the detection of astrovirus (AstV) from both negative and positive rotavirus and enterovirus (EVs) samples, and the effectiveness of the AstV infection on the vaccine immunogenicity in the vaccinated infected children. By RT-qPCR based Sybre green associatedmelting curve assay, stool samples of 49 enterovirus suspected patients and of 39 rotavirus suspected patients were tested for AstV. Results of EVs group showed a 29 (59.2%) positive AstV contributed to 26 (89.5%) co-infection with Evs and 3 (10.3%) as a single infection in negative samples for Evs. Furthermore, AstV co-infection percentage is higher than the single infection. Moreover, the percentage of the Astrovirus among the vaccinated AFP-suspected cases was 53%, while the percentage of these viruses among the unvaccinated was 100%. Thus, MamAstrovirus- 1 MK948878 is the first local isolate recorded in the Genbank. In conclusion, the RT-qPCR based on SYBR Green showed the rapid and efficient detection of AstV with few copies number. This allow to be used for the diagnosis of AstV along with other gastroenteritis viruses in a multiplex assay to reduce processing time.

This study was aimed to detect of four important virulence genes (UreC, HpmA, rsbA and mrpA) from Proteus mirabilis bacteria isolated and do the important four blood test (ACPA, RF, ESR, CRP) for patient with urinary tract infection and rheumatoid arthritis in Baghdad/Iraq. Fifty (50) clinical urine samples were collected and cultured on blood agar and macckongy agar. Ten of the samples were identified as P.mirabilis and the automated system VITEK 2 used to complete the identification. Molecular methods using PCR technique targeting UreC, HpmA, rsbA and mrpA genes, using PCR technique and the results were UreC found in 90% of the samples, HpmA 90%, rsbA 100% and mrpA 80%. The P. mirabilis samples were also characterized for antibiotic resistance and the result showed that the majority of samples were show high resistant to Cefotaxime 90%, while the highest susceptibility was against Impenem antibiotic 70%.

Iraq has been endemic for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) with natural infection causing significant losses in the poultry industry since 1968. This study was designed to identify a natural infection of NDV occurred in three governorate in the northern part of Iraq (Erbil, Sulymaniyah and Duhok) among chicken flocks and estimate its virulence by the mean death times(MDT) and intra-cerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI). Ninety six flocks with high mortality were examined for post mortem lesions and the samples collected from suspected ND chicken flocks, either sick or dead showed characteristic clinical findings and show positive rapid test for NDV antigen. The collected samples were pooled, homogenized and centrifuged then the virus propagted in embryonated chicken eggs was confirmed by real time RT-PCR, hemagglutination (HA) test and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using anti- NDV hyper-immune serum. The results were isolation 9(12%) out of 96 samples where NDV was positive clinicaly. The MDT and ICPI revealed that the isolates were compatible to mesogenic (1/9) and velogenic (5/9) types. These results demonstrated that the NDV strains were virulent for chickens and the vaccination might not give enough protection.

The present study included the collection of 144 samples from various clinical and environmental sources to investigate the presence of P.aeruginosa. 45 isolates were identified as P.aeruginosa based on morphological and biochemical tests in addition to molecular diagnostics used of 16S rRNA. This diagnosis proved that all isolates belong to P. aeruginosa. All isolates selected susceptibility toward 11 antibiotics using disc diffusion method. The results showed a high resistance among isolates against Tetracycline, Cefixim, Cefotaxim, Amoxicillin, Erythromycin, Methicillin, Cloxacillin and Naldixic acid, and moderate resistance towards Meropenem and low resistance towards Imipenem and Ciprofloxacin. To determine the types of some genes responsible for Extended Spectrum BetaLactams (ESBLs) in P. aeruginosa using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for detecting genes, (OXA-10), (OXA-4) and (VEB-1). The results showed that two isolate positive to (OXA-10), (OXA-4) and (VEB-1), while 43 isolates were negative to (OXA-10), (OXA-4) and (VEB-1). Detection of gene expression was performed by Quantitative Real Time PCR technique after RNA was extracted from isolate treated with plant extract of Thymus vulgaris and Amoxicillin. The result showed that gene expression was low expression after treatment with plant extract and Amoxicillin. Gene expression, Beta-Lactamases.

Background: Pseudomonas putida can efficiently degrade phenol. The aim of this study was to determine the level of expression of the decomposition of the biological bacteria pseudo-foul pseudomonas putida affected by pesticides. Methods: the study included the collection of 125 different soil samples from the soil surrounding the roots of different plants. Culturing and biochemical tests, also diagnostic devices using the Vitek system for diagnosis of Pseudomonas putida. genetic variation of genes responsible for biodegradation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect DmpN gene for molecular diagnosis and RT-PCR for gene expression. the results of the PCR showed that DmpN gene (199bp) exists in all P. putida.In conclusion: the study showed the importance of Pseudomonas putida for biological decomposition of phenol from the soil surrounding the roots of the plants.

Background: Tumor stage is one of the most reliable prognostic factors in the clinical characterization of colorectal cancer. The identification of genes associated with tumor staging may facilitate the personalized molecular diagnosis and treatment along with better risk stratification in colorectal cancer. Objectives: The study aimed to identify genetic signatures associated with tumor staging and patients’ survival in colorectal cancer and recognize the patients' risk category for clinical outcomes based on transcriptomic data. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, two available transcriptomic datasets, including 232 patients with colorectal cancer under accession number GSE17537 and GSE17536 were used as discovery and validation sets, respectively. A Bayesian sparse group selection method in the discovery set was applied to identify the associated genes with the tumor staging. Then further screening was performed using survival analysis, and significant genes were used to develop a gene signature model. Finally, the robust performance of the signature model was assessed in the validation set. Results: A total of 56 genes were significantly associated with the tumor staging in colorectal cancer. Survival analysis resulted in a shortlist of 19 genes, including ADH1B (P = 0.012), AHI (P = 0.006), AKAP12 (P = 0.018), BNIP3 (P = 0.015), CLDN11 (P = 0.015), CST9L (P = 0.028), DPP10 (P = 0.029), FBXO33 (P = 0.036), HEBP (P = 0.025), INTS4 (P = 0.003), LIPJ (P = 0.001), MMP21 (P = 0.006), NGRN (P = 0.014), PAFAH1B2 (P = 0.035), PCOLCE2 (P = 0.009), PIM1 (P = 0.007), TBKBP1 (P = 0.003), TCEB3B (P = 0.001), and TIPARP (P = 0.018), developing the signature model and validation. In both discovery and validation sets, the discrimination ability of the signature model to categorize patients with colorectal cancer into low- and high-risk subgroups for mortality and recurrence at 3- and 5-years showed good discrimination performances, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) ranging from 0.64 to 0.88. It also had good sensitivity (discovery set 63.1%, validation set 61.7%) and specificity (discovery set 75.0%, validation set 59.3%) to discriminate between early- and late-stage groups. Conclusions: We identified a 19-gene signature associated with tumor staging and survival of colorectal cancer, which may represent potential diagnosis and prognosis markers, and help to classify patients with colorectal cancer into low- or high-risk subgroups.

To determine the efficacy and safety profile of rhubarb and α-keto analogs of essential amino acids supplementation in patients of diabetic nephropathy (DN), we studied 96 patients of DN attending a tertiary care center of the North India. The patients were randomly divided into three equal interventional groups. Group I (control) that received conservative management along with placebo, Group II (rhubarb) that received conservative management along with rhubarb capsule (350 mg, thrice daily), and Group III [keto amino acid (KAA)] that received conservative management along with α-keto analogs of essential amino acids (600 mg, thrice daily). The treatment was continued for 12 weeks. Clinical and biochemical parameters were assessed at 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. A progressive improvement in clinical features and biochemical parameters was seen in all three groups after 12 weeks of treatment. The KAA group showed more marked improvement in clinical features as well as biochemical parameters compared to the rhubarb group. There was a reduction in blood glucose, blood urea, serum creatinine, and 24 h total urine protein. There was an increase in hemoglobin, 24 h total urine volume, and glomerular filtration rate. There was no statistical difference between the rhubarb and KAA groups with respect to side effects (P > 0.05). Our study suggests that KAA is more effective than rhubarb as add-on therapy with conservative management in patients of DN.

This study was aimed to demonstrate the seroprevalence and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii among ewes and horses as well as to determine the risk factors for infection in Duhok province. Sera and blood samples from 700 ewes and 62 horses were collected. Sera were examined by indirect ELISA for detection of anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies and in molecular study, DNA was extracted, then by PCR, B1 gene was amplified and the product visualized and sent off for sequencing. Serologically, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 17.7 (11/62) and 28.9 (202/700) in horses and ewes by ELISA respectively. Present of cats on the farm was significantly associated with T. gondii infected ewes in the farm. While, Age, number of abortion and history of abortion has no role in infection in ewes. On the other hand, age and sex have no role in prevalence of toxoplasmosis among the horses. Only 2 samples among 11 seropositive samples by ELISA were give positive results by PCR in rate 18.2% in horse, while in ewes 13 samples from 60 randomly selected seropositive by ELISA were found to be positive by PCR in rate 21.7% . Results of this study indicate that prevalence of T. gondii among ewes and horses was high and cats have a role in prevalence of infection among the ewes. تهدف هذه الدراسة لتقييم الانتشار المصلي و الكشف الجزيئي لطفيلي Toxoplasma gondii في الأغنام و الخيول و كذلك عوامل خطورة الإصابة به في محافظة دهوك. عينات من الدم و الامصال جُمعت من 700 من الأغنام و 62 من الخيول. الأمصال فحصت بواسطة اختبار الإليزا غير مباشر Indirect ELISA للكشف عن الأجسام المضادة IgM لمضاد T. gondii و كذلك تم استخلاص الحامض النووي الرايبوزي منقوص الأوكسجين (DNA)، ثم و من خلال إجراء اختبار تفاعل البوليميريز المتسلسل (PCR) تم عزل و تضخيم موروث B1 gene و من ثم الناتج الظاهر تم إرساله لمعرفة التسلسل الجيني. اَظهرت نتائج اختبار الإليزا للأمصال معدل لانتشار داء المقوسات 17.7 (62/11) و 28.2 (700/202) بين الخيول و الأغنام على التوالي. كان لوجود القطط ارتباط معنوي بإصابة الأغنام بالطفيلي T. gondii، بينما لم يكن للعمر و عدد حالات و تاريخ الإجهاض أي دور في انتشار الطفيلي في الأغنام. و من ناحية أخرى كان للعمر و الجنس دور في انتشار الإصابة بداء المقوسات بين الخيول. فقط حالتين من ضمن 11 حالة موجبة لاختبار الإليزا كانت موجبة لاختبار (PCR) و بمعدل 18.2% في الخيول، بينما كان المعدل في الأغنام 21.7% من 13 حالة موجبة لاختبار تفاعل البوليميريز المتسلسل (PCR) من 60 حالة أختيرت عشوائيا كانت موجبة مصليا لاختبار الإليزا. اَظهرت نتائج الدراسة الحالية أن نسبة انتشار طفيلي ال T. gondii بين الأغنام كان مرتفعا و كان للقطط دور في انتشار الإصابة بهذا الطفيلي بين الأغنام