Abstract Candida albicans is a commensal fungal pathogen that grows in yeast and hyphal forms in the human gut. C. albicans causes mucosal and cutaneous diseases that can result in significant mortality following systematic infections and it also exhibits drug resistance. Zebrafish have been an excellent model to investigate C. albicans infections because of their transparency and the availability of many transgenic lines. However, there is a limitation in using zebrafish as a model because the fish embryos cannot survive at 37°C therefore it is not suitable for studying Candida infections at physiological relevant human body temperature. In this thesis, the normal embryonic development of Arabian killifish (A. dispar) is investigated, revealing that embryogenesis was divided into 32 stages based on diagnostic patterns of development. A. dispar can also found to tolerate a wide range of temperatures and salinities. This suggests that A. dispar could be developed as a novel model to investigate host-pathogen interactions. The tolerance of A. dispar to high temperatures may in part be attributable to brown pigment cells with a highly fluorescent character that may have developed to allow the fish to adapt to live within extreme environmental conditions with strong sunlight and a wide range of temperatures (Chapter 3). In terms of Candida infections, this study examined A. dispar as a model to test C. albicans pathogenicity. The survival of A. dispar embryos following Candida infection showed a dose dependent relationship. We also found that A. dispar can survive longer than zebrafish after infection. Furthermore, C. albicans cells were observed to undergo a transition from yeast to hyphae at 37°C. An investigation of the ability of mutant strains of C. albicans with defects in cell wall mannosylation revealed a significant impact on virulence, host mortality, and the fishes’ immune response. The present study found that although the deletion of O- and N-mannan from the cell wall of C. albicans, affected fungal burden (attenuation), and the survival of the infected embryos per se was significantly decreased in the infections of the mutant strains compared to the WT. This data confirms the importance of the mannosylation state of the cell wall in triggering an immune recognition event (Chapter 4). A. dispar is also shown to be suitable for studying the effectiveness of 3 | P a g e antifungals. Fluconazole treatment of infected embryos and eggs promoted greater rates of survival at high doses, alongside a significant reduction of C. albicans CFUs (Chapter 4). When looking at the Candida-host interaction, we directly observed phagocytosed yeast cells within macrophages. Various detection methods were used to follow macrophages and neutrophils including Western blotting, immunostaining and histological staining (Sudan black and FITC-tyramide) allowing the monitoring of the time course of the immune cells. A biphasic response of macrophages was detected by L-plastin Western blotting, suggesting activation of two different type of macrophage: activated macrophage (M1) and alternative macrophage (M2). We also assayed reactive oxygen species (ROS) within infected embryos using a fluorescent probe (H2DCFDA), revealing the accumulation of the fluorescent probe at the sites of infection. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the oxidative and immune response using the H2DCFDA and qPCR were also accomplished within A. dispar embryos after infection with both the WT and mutant strains of Candida albicans (WT, pmr1∆, mnt1-mnt2∆, and och1∆). The results confirmed that the mutant strains did not activate a host oxidative stress response nor immune cell accumulation when compared to WT, suggesting that the immune response is less activated against these mutants. Finally, a new transgenic line of A. dispar fish was developed using Betaactin-DsR-LoxP-GFP. The new transgenic A. dispar is suggested to be an ideal model for real time observation of host-pathogen interactions and for investigation of molecular functions of the immune response. Overall these results improve our understanding of the use of a new transparent fish model to study fungal pathogenesis and demonstrates the potential advantages of using this species in future studies of bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens at a physiologically relevant temperature for human infection. Such a model could lead us to investigate in more depth the key interactions between pathogens and their host and permit the screening and development of new antifungal therapies (that might target the pathogens directly or target the host immune system). View full metadata
SAPO-11 is synthesized from silicoaluminophosphate in the presence of di-n-propylamine as a template. The results show that the sample obtained has good crystallinity, 396m2/g BET surface area, and 0.35 cm3/g pore volume. The hydroisomerization activity of (0.25)Pt (1)Zr (0.5)W/SAPO-11 catalyst was determined using n-decane and base oil. All hydroisomerization experiments of n-decane were achieved at a fixed bed plug flow reactor at a temperature range of 200-275°C and LHSV 0.5-2h-1. The results show that the n-decane conversion increases with increasing temperature and decreasing LHSV, the maximum conversion of 66.7 % was achieved at temperature 275°C and LHSV of 0.5 h-1
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Abstract
The current research aims to construct a scale for the nine types of students’ personality according to Rob Fitzel model. To do this, (162) items were formed that present the nine types of personality with (18) items for each type. To test the validity of the scale, a sample of (584) students of Al-Mustansrya University were chosen. The data of their responses was analyzed by using factor analysis. The findings explored (9) factors as one factor for each type of personality with (12) items for each one. Then, the reliability of the scale was found by using the test-retest method and Alfa Cronbach method.
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are defined as a population of cells present in tumours, which can undergo self-renewal and differentiation. Identification and isolation of these CSCs using putative surface markers have been a priority of research in cancer. With this background we selected pancreatic normal and tumor cells for this study and passaged them into animal tissue culture medium. Further staining was done using alkaline phosphatase and heamatoxilin staining. Blue to purple colored zones in undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and clear coloration in the chromatin material indicated pancreatic cells. Further studies on the cell surface marker CD 44 were done using ELISA. For this, the protein was extracted from cultivated normal and t
... Show MoreAPDBN Rashid, The College of Arts/ Al-Mustansiriyya University, 2004
The article examines metaphors as one of the fundamental means used by D. Rubina when writing the novel “Parsley Syndrome” to form images of dolls as equal heroes of the work. The author of the article continues research related to the work of Dina Ilinichna Rubina, a representative of modern Russian prose.
In a report by Transparency Organization in 2010, Iraq has 200 newspapers, magazines, sixty-seven radio stations and 45 satellite TV channels. The increase in these figures is measured in days or weeks and not months and years. This fact confirms the importance of studying content providers, especially youth sports content, for two reasons: the first is that young people constitute the highest percentage in Iraqi society, with all the potential involved in shaping the future aspects; the second reason is that for years sport has become an important pillar in people's lives not only in the entertainment aspect as it was seen in the past; Rather, sport has an influential presence in politi
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The current research aims to reveal the level of satisfaction of the mentors with the evaluation of their performance according to gender (male - female) and to formulate the predictive equation for the level of performance (dependent variable) from knowing the level of satisfaction with the evaluation (independent variable). (16 paragraphs) contains alternatives to the answer that measures the level of satisfaction (weak, medium, and high) (1,2,3), that is, with a hypothetical average of (32). It consisted of 100 educational counselors consisting of 45 males and 55 females, the results of the research concluded that the level of satisfaction with performance is below the mean when compared with the hypothetical average of the scale of s
... Show MoreNigella sativa seeds (NSS) are reputed traditionally and scientifically as a potent agent that promote milk secretion (galactagogue), but their mechanism of action is studied trivially. One suggestion was that these seeds are bio-transformed to sex hormones within the ovaries. Therefore, this investigation was designated to throw light on the action of these seeds in the absence of ovaries i.e. in male rats. Thirty Norway male albino rats were used in this investigation. They were divided into experimental (n=20,fed NSS 2g/ Kg body weight /day for 14 days) and control (n=10, fed placebo for 14 days). After sacrifice mammary gland and blood samples were obtained. Experimental rats revealed a significant increase (p (0.01>in
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