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
Idiomatic expressions in Russian journalism make one important borrowed means for making a dialogue with the receiver's intellect in so far as it has the distinct feature of having clarity and exactness of meaning. The meaning is seen as a shortcut for covering a series of concepts and details so as to arrive at the intended meaning. This is done by stimulating the reader by the use of certain clear idioms. The use of such idioms in a journalistic text is not for a linguistic purpose only, but it is a cultural and social phenomenon reflecting the type of current changes in the society and it aims at discoursing with the reader's mind. This paper is a practi
... Show MoreMicrobial fuel cell is a device that uses the microorganism metabolism for the production of electricity under specific operating conditions. Double chamber microbial fuel cell was tested for the use of two cheap electrode materials copper and aluminum for the production of electricity under different operating conditions. The investigated conditions were concentration of microorganism (yeast) (0.5- 2 g/l), solutions temperature (33-45 oC) and concentration of glucose as a substrate (1.5- 6 g/l). The results demonstrated that copper electrode exhibit good performance while the performance of aluminum is poor. The electricity is generated with and without the addition of substrate. Addition of glucose substrate
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The researcher attempts to examine Barman model in acquiring the historical concepts among fourth-grade students at literary classrooms. To this end, the researcher held the null hypothesis, there is no significant difference between the experimental groups who was taught based on Barman model and the control group that taught based on the traditional method in acquiring the historical concepts on the post-test. To testify the effectiveness of Barman model, the researcher administered a questionnaire included (60) items on bunch of female-students who were selected from al-khamaeal preparatory school in al-hurriyah district in Baghdad. The author utilized different statistical tools to analyze the collected data. &
... Show MoreAbstract The aim of this study is to identify the role played by the university in reinforcing the culture of voluntary work in college students and sequencing these roles according to their priority. To achieve this aim, the researcher used the descriptive approach. After being informed of the literature background and of the previous studies related to the core aim of this recent study, the researcher has built up a questionnaire of (20) items investigating the role of university in reinforcing the culture of voluntary work in the college students. The standardized features of the questionnaire have been checked for the purpose of the questionnaire validity (virtual and constructive validity) and stability (reconstruction and Cronbach's A
... Show MoreThe impact of COVID-19 pandemic on education models was mainly through the expansion of technology use in the different educational programs. Earlier impact of COVID-19 was manifested in the complete and sudden transition to distance education regardless of institution preparedness status. Gradually, many institutions are moving back to on-campus face-to-face education. However, others including all higher education institutions in Iraq are adopting the hybrid education model. This report presents part of the end of semester evaluation survey conducted at the University of Baghdad College of Pharmacy for the Spring 2021 semester. The survey aims to address points of strength and weakness associated with the hybrid education model and spe
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The researcher attempts to examine Barman model in acquiring the historical concepts among fourth-grade students at literary classrooms. To this end, the researcher held the null hypothesis, there is no significant difference between the experimental groups who was taught based on Barman model and the control group that taught based on the traditional method in acquiring the historical concepts on the post-test. To testify the effectiveness of Barman model, the researcher administered a questionnaire included (60) items on bunch of female-students who were selected from al-khamaeal preparatory school in al-hurriyah district in Baghdad. The author utilized different statistical tools to analyze the collected data. &
... Show MoreThe aim of this study was to propose and evaluate an eco-epidemiological model with Allee effect and nonlinear harvesting in predators. It was assumed that there is an SI-type of disease in prey, and only portion of the prey would be attacked by the predator due to the fleeing of the remainder of the prey to a safe area. It was also assumed that the predator consumed the prey according to modified Holling type-II functional response. All possible equilibrium points were determined, and the local and global stabilities were investigated. The possibility of occurrence of local bifurcation was also studied. Numerical simulation was used to further evaluate the global dynamics and the effects of varying parameters on the asymptotic behavior of
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This article examines and proposes a dietary chain model with a prey shelter and alternative food sources. It is anticipated that mid-predators' availability is positively correlated with the number of refuges. The solution's existence and exclusivity are examined. It is established that the solution is bounded. It is explored whether all potential equilibrium points exist and are locally stable. The Lyapunov approach is used to investigate the equilibrium points' worldwide stability. Utilizing a Sotomayor theorem application, local bifurcation is studied. Numerical simulation is used to better comprehend the dynamics of the model and define the control set of parameters.
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Background: Malignant lymphomas represent about 5% of all malignancy of the head and neck region which can involve lymph nodes as well as soft tissue and bone of the maxillofacial region. Apoptosis is considered a vital component of various processes including normal cell turnover, proper development and functioning of the immune system. Inappropriate apoptosis is a factor in many human conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, ischemic damage, autoimmune disorders and many types of cancer. Expression of p53 Proteins in Hodgkin׳s and Non Hodgkin׳s lymphomas suggested that it can help in monitoring of patients and the markers may aid in controlling the progression of lymphoma and detect the degree of aggressiveness of the diseas
... Show MoreA procedure, depending on the derivatization and determination of aniline was depicted andvalidated in this study. 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) was used as the derivatizing agent for thedetermination of aniline. An optimization study was performed for the derivatization reaction, i.e.,the diazonium coupling reaction, the optimum parameters were as follows: 22 mM of hydrochloricacid, 54mM of sodium hydroxide, and 1.8mM of sodium nitrate. The optimization study of themethod of cloud point extraction (CPE) revealed that the extraction solvent was 0.5 ml of Triton X-100, the optimum temperature was 90 °C, and the incubation time was 25 min. The linearity,correlation coefficients, molar absorptivities, and limits of detection were improved using t
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