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 study involved the removal of acidity from free fatty acid via the esterification reaction of oleic acid with ethanol. The reaction was done in a batch reactor using commercial 13X zeolite as a catalyst. The effects of temperatures (40 to 70 °C) and reaction time (up to 120 minutes) were studied using 6:1 mole ratio of pure ethanol to oleic acid and 5 wt. % of the catalyst. The results showed that acid removed increased with increasing temperature and reaction time. Also, the acidity removal rises sharply during the first reaction period and then changes slightly afterward. The highest acidity removal value was 67 % recorded at 110 minutes and 70 °C. An apparent homogeneous reversible reaction kinetic model has been proposed a
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This research aims to find out the relationship of risk behavior & job satisfaction for workers in the emergency program in the international relief agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip and the level of each of them, and to achieve that we have been conducting research on the strength of "210" sample employees of the emergency program staff in the international relief agency in Gaza governorates, and try to answer the research questions the researcher through the use of measurements of risk behavior and job satisfaction are two of the researcher, The researcher has used several statistical methods to identify the validity and reliability of scales and access to research and interpretations of the results, and these methods: the m
... Show MoreThe purpose of this work was to study the effects of the Nd:YAG laser on exposed dentinal
tubules of human extracted teeth using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Eighty 2.5mm-thick
slices were cut at the cementoenamel junction from 20 extracted human teeth with an electric saw. A
diamond bur was used to remove the cementum layer to expose the dentinal tubules. Each slice was
sectioned into four equal quadrants and the specimens were randomly divided into four groups (A to D ).
Groups B to D were lased for 2 mins using an Nd:YAG laser at 6 pulses per second at energy outputs of
80 , 100 and 120 mJ. Group A served as control. Under SEM observation, nonlased specimens showed
numerous exposed dentinal tubules. SEM o
It is the grace of God and his grace that he accepts repentance for his slaves, forgives their bad deeds in return for their misfortune, or offers them a good deed, but pardons many of them for free. Therefore, it is not long for God Almighty to forgive His mercy for many of His slaves and bring them to Paradise with no punishment or punishment, even if they have committed some sins, because of the multitude of their favorable navigational disadvantages, or even without gratitude thanks to him and him. With all this, some have overlooked the old and new on these things and amazed at the hadeeth ((God may have seen the people of the full moon and said do what you want, I have forgiven you)). Therefore, the scholars tried to answer some of
... Show MoreBackground: Salivary immunoglobulin IgA plays an essential role in the immune response against dental caries. This studywas conducted to compare the salivary IgA levels and flow rate of stimulated saliva in caries active and caries free children. Materials and methods: The present study included sixty healthy children age 7-10 yearswho were divided into two groups. They were caries free and caries active children (30 children in each group). Assessment and recording of caries – experience were through the application of Decayed, Missing and Filled Tooth Index (DMFT) and (dmft) index, for permanent and deciduous teeth respectively. After dental examination, stimulated saliva samples were collected from the subjects and performed und
... Show MoreRoutine vaccination activities, such as detection, reporting, and management of adverse events following immunization (AEFIs), are generally handled by healthcare providers (HCPs). Safe vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) were introduced to control the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practice of HCPs in Iraq about reporting adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, and their association with sociodemographic variables. The study was a cross-sectional study that was carried out between August and September 2021 at the COVID-19 vaccination centers in Iraq. This study used an online and paper-based questionnaire, which
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Cerebellum is the most important and critical part of the central nervous system, cerebellum is very sensitive to the abnormal changes during the embryological development in its histological structure, the exposure to any infection during embryogenesis produce abnormalities in the cerebellum and behavioral of offspring. In this study we tried to study the ontogenesis of the cerebellum in the embryos of the albino rats and detection the effect of the AgNPs on the ontogenesis of the rat cerebellum after exposure of AgNPs during pregnancy. we used 60 female pregnant rats divided in to three group, each contain 20 female, (G1) treated with 2mg/kg /day suspension of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (G2) treated with 20mg/kg/day AgNPs from first da
... Show MoreBreast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This work was conducted to estimate the roles of oxidative stress, vitamin B12, homocysteine (HCY), and DNA methylation in BC disease progression. Sixty BC patients (age range 33–80 years) and 30 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Patients with BC were split to group 1 consisted of stage II BC women (low level), and group 2 consisted of patients in stages III and IV (high level). Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3), HCY, and vitamin B12 levels in the study groups were measured. Also, the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) global DNA methylation levels were evaluated. The results showed a significant
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