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
Background: Bone mineral density (BMD) has been assessed using Dual-Energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). This procedure is considered to be of vital importance in assessing the general condition of individuals concerning their skeletal mineralization. BMD is measured according to the results of the DEXA examination of the vertebral column and pelvis. Although diabetes mellitus (D.M.)is known to affect BMD, the information regarding this relationship is not currently particularly clear. Objective: This study concentrates on the point that the assessment of BMD for the vertebral column is insuffi-cient to give a realistic and correct picture of the mineralization of the remaining part of the skeleton. Besides, this study elicited a gen
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This work aimed to estimate the frequency of mitochondrial inborn errors of metabolism (MIEMs) in patients presenting with family history and IEM-picture who referred for advance IEM assay in Mosul province and Kurdistan region. This study was observational study conducted on 364 cases referred from different general /or private pediatric clinics with unexplained sign and symptoms and suspension of mitochondrial dysfunction. The study included 364 children with an age ranging from 1 month to 1 year. Started from January 2018 to January 2020. All patients referred with their full history review, notes about their clinical examination, and laboratory investigations including blood ammonia, serum lactate/ pyruvate, arterial blood gases. In
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This paper aims to improve the voltage profile using the Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) in the power system in the Kurdistan Region for all weak buses. Power System Simulation studied it for Engineers (PSS\E) software version 33.0 to apply the Newton-Raphson (NR) method. All bus voltages were recorded and compared with the Kurdistan region grid index (0.95≤V ≤1.05), simulating the power system and finding the optimal size and suitable location of Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM)for bus voltage improvement at the weakest buses. It shows that Soran and New Koya substations are the best placement for adding STATCOM with the sizes 20 MVAR and 40 MVAR. After adding STATCOM with the sizes [20MVAR and 40MV
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In this paper, series of new complexes of Manganese(II), Cobalt(II), Nickel (II) Cupper(II) Zinc(II), Cadmium(II) and Mercury (II) are prepared from the new ligand [2-(3-benzoylthioureido)-3-(-4- hydroxyphenyl) propanoic acid (BHP) derived from tyrosine and benzoylisothiocyanate .Chemical structures are obtained from their 1 H, 13CNMR spectra (for BHP), elemental microanalyses, molar conductance, FTIR, UV–Vis, magnetic susceptibility in addition to TGA/DTG and DSC analysis, the suggested geometry for all complexes was tetrahedral. The biological activity of BHP and its complexes has been extensively studied against two bacterial species Staphylococcus aurous (G+) and Escherichia coli (G-) by agar-well diffusion technique, where Mn(II), Co
... Show MoreObjective(s): to assess the effectiveness of educational program on nurses' knowledge concerning the side
effects of chemotherapy among children with leukemia.
Methodology: A descriptive analytic (quasi – experimental) design study was carried out at Baghdad City from
2
nd of October to 27th of June 2015. Non-probability sample of (35) male and female nurses was selected from
the Oncology Wards in Children Welfare, Child's Central and Baghdad Teaching Hospital. The study
instruments consisted of two major parts to meet the purposes of study. The first part is related to nurses'
demographic characteristics and the second part (four domains) is related to nurses' knowledge concerning the
side effects of chemothera
The adsorption process of 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) drugs on Aluminum nitride nanotubes surface (AlNNTs) have been evaluated through density functional theory (DFT). The DFT results show that the interaction of AlNNTs with the F atoms of 5FU drugs is strong due to the fact that the amount of adsorption energy was about − 29.65 kcal.mol−1. Conversely, the interaction of the 5FU through O atoms with the AlNNTs was weaker due to the lower value of adsorption energy. Also, based on the values of Gibbs free energy, the 5FU adsorption on the surfaces of AlNNTs was spontaneous. In addition, based on natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, the direction of charge transfer was from fluorine’s σ orbitals of the drug to nitrogen’s and aluminum’s n*
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This research explores the intricate relationship between environmental sustainability and urban design in Al-Jumhuriya Neighborhood, Baghdad, reflecting urban development challenges and opportunities. It highlights the need to balance growth, functionality, and quality of life with environmental responsibility in urban areas worldwide. The research includes a literature review on environmental sustainability in urban design and the utilization of multifunctional land in contemporary cities. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Survey results show a diverse range of perspectives, indicating concerns about air quality and local regulations but also positive views on co
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