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
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 (-) .
Manganese sulfate and Punica granatum plant extract were used to create MnO2 nanoparticles, which were then characterized using techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal's size was calculated to be 30.94nm by employing the Debye Scherrer equation in X-ray diffraction. MnO2 NPs were shown to be effective in adsorbing M(II) = Co, Ni, and Cu ions, proving that all three metal ions may be removed from water in one go. Ni(II) has a higher adsorption rate throughout the board. Co, Ni, and Cu ion removal efficiencies were 32.79%, 75
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Manganese sulfate and Punica granatum plant extract were used to create MnO2 nanoparticles, which were then characterized using techniques like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal's size was calculated to be 30.94nm by employing the Debye Scherrer equation in X-ray diffraction. MnO2 NPs were shown to be effective in adsorbing M(II) = Co, Ni, and Cu ions, proving that all three metal ions may be removed from water in one go. Ni(II) has a higher adsorption rate throughout the board. Co, Ni, and Cu ion removal efficiencie
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The present study deals with the application of an a bundant low cost biosorbent sunflower shell for metal ions removal. Lead, Cadmium and Zinc were chosen as model sorbates. The influences of initial pH, sorbent dosage, contact time, temperature and initial metal ions concentration on the removal efficiency were examined. The single ion equilibrium sorption data were fitted to the non-competitive Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Freundlich model represents the equilibrium data better than the Langmuir model. In single, binary and ternary component systems,Pb+2 ions was the most favorable component rather than Cd+2 and Zn+2 ions. The biosorption kinetics for the three metal ions followed the p
... Show MoreA new furfural Schiff base derivative ligand (L-FSB) named N-(4- Bromo-2-methylphenyl)-1-(furan-2-yl)methanimine, was synthesized from the condensation reaction of furfural (fur) with 4-Bromo-2- methylaniline (bma) in 1:1molar ratio. A new series of VO(II), Cr(III), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) metal complexes are synthesized according to the metal content analysis in an 2:1 ligand:metal ratio. The stereochemistry of the ligand complexes have been deduced by Fourier Transform-Infra Red (FT-IR), Atomic Adsorption (A.A), Ultra violate-Visible Spectra (UV-Vis Spectra), (Mass Spectra, Proton,13Carbon-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) (1H-NMR,13CNMR) for ligand), magnetic susceptibility at 25oC and conductivity measurements. Fr
... Show MoreCadmium oxide thin films were prepared by D.C magnetron plasma sputtering using different voltages (700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100 and 1200) Volt. The Cadmium oxide structural properties using XRD analysis for just a voltage of 1200 volt at room temperature after annealing in different temperatures (523 and 623) K were studied .The results show that the films prepared at room temperature have some peaks belong to cadmium element along the directions (002), (100), (102) and (103) while the other peaks along the directions of (111), (200) and (222) belong to cadmium oxide. Annealed samples display only cadmium oxide peaks. Also, the spectroscopic properties of plasma diagnostic for CdO thin films were determined and the results show that the el
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This study includes using green or biosynthesis-friendly technology, which is effective in terms of low cost and low time and energy to prepare V2O5NPs nanoparticles from vanadium sulfate VSO4.H2O using aqueous extract of Punica Granatum at a concentration of 0.1M and with a basic medium PH= 8-12. The V2O5NPs nanoparticles were diagnosed using several techniques, such as FT-IR, UV-visible with energy gap Eg = 3.734eV, and the X-Ray diffraction XRD was calculated using the Debye Scherrer equation. It was discovered to be 34.39nm, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy TEM. The size, structure, and composition of synthetic V2O5NPs were determined using the (EDX) pattern, Atomic force microscopy AFM. The a
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This study includes using green or biosynthesis-friendly technology, which is effective in terms of low cost and low time and energy to prepare V2O5NPs nanoparticles from vanadium sulfate VSO4.H2O using aqueous extract of Punica Granatum at a concentration of 0.1M and with a basic medium PH= 8-12. The V2O5NPs nanoparticles were diagnosed using several techniques, such as FT-IR, UV-visible with energy gap Eg = 3.734eV, and the X-Ray diffraction XRD was calculated using the Debye Scherrer equation. It was discovered to be 34.39nm, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy TEM. The size, structure, and composition of synthetic V2O5
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The morphology of the Pleurogenoides medians from Rana ridibunda in Iraq was studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The light microscopical studies confirmed the original observations with the ventral sucker being smaller than the oral sucker and the genital pore being laterally situated. Electron micrographs of adult P. medians revealed that the body surface had a rough appearance by hand-like spines, which are more sparsely distributed towards the posterior end with a presumed function in nutrient absorption.
new, simple and fast solid-phase extraction method for separation and preconcentration of trace theophylline in aqueous solutions was developed using magnetite nanoparticles (MIONPs) coated with aluminium oxide (AMIONPs) and modified with palmitate (P) as an extractor (P@AMIONPs). It has shown that the developed method has a fast absorbent rate of the theophylline at room temperature. The parameters that affect the absorbent of theophylline in the aqueous solutions have been investigated such as the amount of magnetite nanoparticle, pH, standing time and the volume, concentration of desorption solution. The linear range, limit of quantification (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) for the determination of theophylline were 0.05-2.450 μg mL-
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