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 new azo dye was synthesized via the reaction of the diazonium salt form of 3-aminophenol with 2-hydroxyquinoline. This dye was then used to access a series of complexes with the chlorides of manganese, iron, zinc, cadmium, and vanadium sulfate. The prepared ligand and its complexes were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimeter, and microelemental analysis. Conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, metal content, and chlorine content of the complexes were also measured. The ligand and cadmium complex were identified using1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The results showed that the shape of the ligand is a trigonal planner, and the c
... Show MoreThe present work includes the preparation and characterization of{Co(II) , Ni(II), Pd(II), Fe(III) , Ru(III),Rh(III), Os(III) , Ir(III) , Pt(IV) and VO(IV)}complexes of a new ligand 4-[(1-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-3-pyrozoline-5-one)azo]-N,N-dimethylanline (PAD). The product (PAD) was isolated,studies and characterized by phsical measurements,i.e., (FT-IR), (UV) Spectroscopy and elemental analysis(C.H.N). The prepared complexes were identified and their structural geometric were suggested in solid state by using flame atomic absorption, elemental analysis(C.H.N), (FT-IR) and (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy, as well as magnetic susceptibility and conductivity measurements . The study of the nature of the complexes formed in( ethanolic solution) following t
... Show MoreNew Schiff base and their Mn(II),Co(II),Ni(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) complexes formed by the condensation of O-phathaldehyde and ethylene diamine (2:1) to give ligand (L1) in the first step ,then the ligand (L1) with 2- aminophenol (1:2) to give ligand (L2) were prepared by classic addition through microwave method . These compounds (Ligands and complexes) have been diagnosed electronic spectra, FT-IR,1H-&13C-NMR (only ligand), magnetic susceptibility, elemental microanalysis and molar conductance measurements. Analytical values displayed that all the complexes appeared (metal: ligand) (1:1) ratio with the six chelation. All the compounds appear a high activity versus four types of bacteria such as; (Escherichia coli), (Sta
... Show MoreThe imbalances and economic problems which it face the countries, it is a result of international economic developments or changes or global crises such as deterioration in trade, sharp changes in oil prices, increasing global indebtedness, sharp changes in foreign exchange rates and other changes, all that, they affect the economic features of any country. and These influences vary from one country to another according to the rigidity of its economy and its potential in maneuvering with economic plans and actions that would reduce the impact or avoidance with minimal damage. Therefore, the countries that suffer from accumulated economic problems as a result of mismanagement and poor planning or suffe
... Show MoreThe research problem revolves around the failure of Maysan Oil Company to have a strategy that enables it to keep up with work in a mysterious and highly dynamic environment. Therefore, the research aims to present a proposed strategy that is comprehensive and realistic to the Maysan Oil Company for the next five years (2020-2024) based on the position and conditions of the company Current and future by adopting the scientific foundations for formulating the strategy, and the importance of research lies in the company's situational analysis to know its internal capabilities from strengths or weaknesses and diagnosing the surrounding elements of opportunities or threats so that this analysis represents a s
... Show MoreBeing the meeting points of the world different languages and out of a scholarly perspective, comparative literature represents a cultural leap as well as an artistic and intellectual development or a global literary movement of both prose and poetry. Such homogenous literary structure requires a systematic and coherent study of the literary output of the people different cultures and civilizations. It also represents the theoretical approach of the present study that debates a systematic comparison between Ghassan Kanafani’s All That's Left to You and William Faulkner’s. The Sound and the Fury. Within the perspective of the descriptive analysis approach, the present paper discusses th
... Show MoreThe importance of the research lies in preparing exercises using a proposed device to learn the skill of thehuman wheel on a machine rug of ground movements of the artistic gymnastics. As for the research problem:Through the presence of the two researchers as teachers and observers of this sport in the gymnastics hall,they noticed that there is difficulty in the students’ performance of the skill of the round off on the machineof the mat of ground movements, according to the researchers’ opinion, the reason for this is that skillsare taught with the limited availability of assistive devices, as well as the lack of use of these devices inexercises according to biomechanical variables, although they facilitate the learning process
... Show MoreA new design of manifold flow injection (FI) coupling with a merging zone technique was studied for sulfamethoxazole determination spectrophotometrically. The semiautomated FI method has many advantages such as being fast, simple, highly accurate, economical with high throughput . The suggested method based on the production of the orange- colored compound of SMZ with (NQS)1,2-Naphthoquinone-4-Sulphonic acid Sodium salt in alkaline media NaOH at λmax 496nm.The linearity range of sulfamethoxazole was 3-100 μg. mL-1, with (LOD) was 0.593 μg. mL-1 and the RSD% is about 1.25 and the recovery is 100.73%. All various physical and chemical parameters that have an effect on the stability and development of
... Show MoreAdvertisement on smart phone shopping apps are a new way of driving users to satisfy their needs and influence their purchasing decisions, In this way, the research could be aimed to know The role of the relationship between the motivations for audience exposure to shopping apps advertisement and purchasing decisions, In order to achieve the objectives of the research, the researcher adopted the survey method and used the questionnaire and the scale to collect data and information, The researcher chose the "random sample multi stages", The sample size was (475) respondents from Baghdad city center (18 years and above) women and men.
NH3 gas sensor was fabricated based on deposited of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs-OH) suspension on filter paper substrates using suspension filtration method. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the MWCNTs film were characterized by XRD, AFM and FTIR techniques. XRD measurement confirmed that the structure of MWCNTs is not affected by the preparation method. The AFM images reflected highly ordered network in the form of a mat. The functional groups and types of bonding have appeared in the FTIR spectra. The fingerprint (C-C stretch) of MWCNTs appears in 1365 cm-1, and the backbone of CNTs observed at 1645 cm-1. A homemade sensi
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