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
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The physicochemical properties of drinking water in six different and limited sites on Euphrates River in Babylon governorate were studied during the year of2004.
Different parameters including (pH), alkalinity, turbidity, total hardness, magnesium, calcium, chloride and total dissolved solids in water were determined. It was found that the total hardness and the total dissolved solids were higher than those registered in the previous studies on Tigris
River sites.
Generally, the levels of these parameters were found to be within the
allowed ranges of human uses, except the total hard:1ess.
New complexes of Al(III) such as [Al (Ura) (Phen) (OH2) Cl ] Cl. 2H2O, [Al(Ura)2(OA)(OH2)Cl].H2O and [Al(Ura)3Cl3]H2O type, where (Ura)=Uracil, (Phen)= 1,10-Phenanthroline monohydrate and (OA)= Oxalic acid dihydrate, were prepared. The elemental microanalysis, FT.IR, electronic spectra, and magnetic susceptibility as well as the conductivity measurements are characterized. For isolated three complexes for six coordinated of Al(III) are proposed with molecular formulas that depend on the nature of (Ura), (Phen) and (OA) present. The suggested molecular structure into all complexes for aluminum ion is octahedral geometries .The antibacterial efficacy was examined from metal salt (AlCl3), ligands and metal complexes into the pathogenic bacteri
... Show MoreIn this study we using zirconium sulfate, Punica granatum plant extract, and an alkaline medium, to created ZrO2 nanoparticles. They were then characterized using a variety of techniques, including FT-IR, UV-visible, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The Debye-Scherrer equation was used to calculate the crystal size in X-ray diffraction and found to be 27.82 nm. The particle size of ZrO2 nanoparticles was determined using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopes, and transmission electron microscopy. Utilizing ZrO2 NPs, the metal ions M (II) = Co, Ni, and Cu were successfully a
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Strategic Cost Management Tools Under Technological Development and Change in Customer Tastes Critical Studies
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New series of metal ions complexes have been prepared from the new ligand 1,5- Dimethyl-4- (5-oxohexan-2- ylideneamino) -2-phenyl- 1H-pyrazol-3 (2H)-one derived from 2,5-hexandione and 4-aminophenazone. Then, its V(IV), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II), Re(V) and Pt(IV) complexes prepared. The compounds have been characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, mass and 1H and 13C-NMR spectra, TGA curve, magnetic moment, elemental microanalyses (C.H.N.O.), chloride containing, Atomic absorption and molar conductance. Hyper Chem-8 program has been used to predict structural geometries of compounds in gas phase, the heat of formation, (binding, total and electronic energy) and dipole moment at 298 K.
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Theoretical studies of electronic transition characteristics of senstizer molecule dye N3-SnO2 semiconductor interface. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362773032_Theoretical_studies_of_electronic_transition_characteristics_of_senstizer_molecule_dye_N3-SnO2_semiconductor_interface [accessed May 01 2023].
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The purpose of this research is to synthesize a new mixed ligand Schiff base complexes of Co(II),Ni(II),Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II),which are formulated from the Schiff base (L) that resulted from orthophathalaldehyde (2-PA) with 4-chloroaniline(4-NA). Diagnosis of prepared Ligand and its complexes is done by spectral methods as 1H–NMR, mass spectrometer, FTIR, UV-Vis, molar conductance, elemental microanalyses, atomic absoption and magnetic susceptibility. The analytical studyofall new complexes has shown octahedral geometries. Organic performance study of ligand Schiff base and its complexes reveals different activities agansit four types of bactria; two gram (+) and two gram (-) .