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
Dairy wastewater generally contains fats, lactose, whey proteins, and nutrients. Casein precipitation causes the effluent to decompose into a dark, strong-smelling sludge. Fluid waste contains soluble organic matter, suspended solids, and gaseous organic matter, which cause undesirable taste and smell, grant tone and turbidity, and advance eutrophication, which plays an essential role in increasing biological oxygen demand (BOD) in water. It also contains detergents and disinfecting agents from the rinses and washing processes, which increase the need for chemical oxygen (COD). One of the characteristics of dairy effluents is their relatively high temperature, high organic contents, and wide pH range, so the discharge of wastewater into
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Distribution of light intensity in the flat photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation as a step design for production of bio-renewable energy was addressed in the current study. Five sizes of bioreactors with specific distances from the main light source were adopted as independent variables in experiential design model. The results showed that the bioreactor’s location according to the light source, determines the nature of light intensity distribution in the reactor body. However, the cross-section area plays an important role in determining the suitable location of reactor to achieve required light homogeneity. This area could change even the expected response of the light passing through the reactor if Beer-Lambert's law is adopted.
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The aim of this paper is to determine the role of job engagement in the Iraqi Residency Affairs Directorate and its impact on employees, as the job engagement variable based on the Rich’s model included dimensions of cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and physical engagement. This variable has been studied in the Directorate of Residence Affairs which are one of the specialized directorates in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. This study relied on a questionnaire as a main tool for measuring and collecting data based on the random sampling method . The sample size included 206 individuals among 400 individuals. However, the respondents were 190 whereas the final
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The aerodynamic characteristics of the forward swept wing aircraft have been studied theoretically and an experimentally investigation for the wake field generated by this configuration have been carried out. Low order panel method with the Dirichlet boundary condition have been used to solve the case of the steady, inviscid and compressible flow. Two different panel method techniques have been employed: the source-doublet and the doublet method. The thickness for the various components was considered in the study. Prandtl-Glauert similarity rule has been used to account for the compressibility effects. Experimentally, a model was manufactured from wood with body length (290mm) and main wing span was (204mm). The primary objective of th
... Show MoreMy research deals with the positions that the Prophet (PBUH) distressed. And condolences to those who lost her father and other problems and calamities that impede the life of women, has been given to the Lord of men, and good qualities, to strike the nation's finest proverbs in ensuring lost and lost of women and children, to be shown to us humanity in its finest form, and the best analyzed, and I hope God help And guidance and Rashad
المستخلص
يهدف البحث إلى وضع إطار معرفي ومفاهيمي شامل لموضوع البحث, واغناء القارئ والمستفيد بالمعلومات الوافية عنه وتقليص الفجوات المعرفية للمهتمين به وقياس مدى ما هو متوفر وغير متوفر من المتطلبات الأساسية والضرورية لإنشاء صناديق التحوط في البيئة العراقية, وتمثلت صناديق التحوط بالمتغير الرئيس للبحث اما المتغيرات الفرعية فشملت (المتطلبات المالية, المتطلبات البشرية, البيئة التشريعية, الب
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The phenomenon of the social movements of researchers, based on the scope of their influence on political events, and the nature of the wide role played, and its ability to influence, through its activities and various activities and various. It has practiced its activities through new and non-traditional peaceful means, with clear slogans and specific objectives. And was able to mobilize activists from different strata of the Iraqi people, and its categories and social strata. As the demands focused on freedoms, rights, dignity and social justice
Abstract A descriptive correlation study which was utilizing an assessment approach, was carried out from November 19th, 2002 through April 30, 2004 in order to assess the psychosocial domain of the quality of life for the infertile men. A purposive sample of (200) men with infertility was selected from the High Institute for Embryo Research and Infertility Treatment and Alsamaraee Hospital in Baghdad city. A questionnaire was adoapted and developed of the World Health Organization quality of life scale for the purpose of the study. The questionnaire (WHOQOL) (1998) Reliability and validity of the questionnair
The present paper aims at investigating the linguistic image portrayed by UNICEF reports on the Iraqi child from a critical discourse analysis perspective during Covid19 pandemic (2020). The paper attempts to fill a gap in research literature concerning the linguistic construction of the Iraqi child by the UNICEF reports during the critical health crisis of Covid19. Van Leeuwen’s (2008) approach of social actor representation has been adopted for this purpose. From Van Leeuwen’s approach, the category of determination (single determination and overdetermination) has been selected to be the main analytical tool for its high compatibility with the set of objectives put forward to figure out how such a globally effective and
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