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
Many nations are seeing an increase in water pollution from dairy and cheese production due to the high organic and fat content in their waste products and the high temperature of their waste products, which elevates the water temperature and causes loss to ecosystem components. Reusing industrial wastewater that has been treated to guarantee no harm has been done to the environment is being hampered by a lack of water. This study compares the presence and absence of mixing in the anaerobic biological treatment of liquid waste for the cheese industry. To decrease heat exchange with the external environment, cube-shaped anaerobic reactors with dimensions of (30 x 30 x 30) cm and thick glass (10 mm) were utilized in this investigation
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This study aimed to reveal the degree possession of secondary teachers for effective teaching skills from the perspective of the teachers themselves in the Mafraq governorate .To achieve the objective of the study(45) teachers were chosen randomly, also a questionnaire composed of 17 was prepared spread over three skill areas (planning, implementation, evaluation).
After application of the tool on the sample results of the study showed that the degree of ownership ranged between medium and high.
The results showed no differences in the degree of ownership due to the variables of sex in favor of females and variable qualification for the benefit of people with qualified Master higher, while differences are attributed to the experien
This research aims at identifying the level of quality of University environment according to the viewpoint of female students taking the College of Sciences for Woman an example, as represented in the college units as registration unit and the unit of students' affairs, the curricula, instructors, study halls, the college library, scientific labs, computer access, stationary and photocopying services, health care center, the unit of artistic, cultural and sportive activity, the canteen, the college gardens, college buildings and equipment and bathrooms. To achieve the objectives of the research, the researcher prepared a questionnaire to identify the viewpoints of female students concerning the extent of the availability of the standards o
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Researchers classified deconstruction as a strategy concerned with reading the philosophical, literary, artistic and critical texts according to (construction and deconstruction) binarism, which is an applied procedural space that calls for researching the layers of meaning and its non-closure. It establishes reversals in the text level. The center changes into a margin and vice versa. Thus the two researchers sought to study the deconstruction strategy and its work in the theatre field, that deconstruction is considered one of the most important modern currents that actively inters in reading the theatre show. The research studies the procedure of the construction and deconstruction of the Iraqi theatre actor reg
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This research aims to know the effect of adopting IFRS 9 on the relevance of the value of the accounting information of the companies in the Iraqi Stock Exchange. Researchers relied on analyzing the financial statements of 10 listed companies for years 2016 – 2019. Researchers used the Ohlson price model to test the relationship between accounting information and value relevance. The research indicated that there is a significant relationship between the adoption of IFRS 9 and the relevance of the value of the earnings and the book value, but the earnings information is more relevance than the book value information, it is due to the interest of investors in the income statement in making investment decisions.
The current study suggested a thermal treatment as a necessary proactive step in improving the adsorption capacity of bio-waste for contaminants removal in wastewater. This approach was based on the experimental and histological investigation of biowaste pods shell. This investigation showed that these shells compose of parenchyma cells that store secondary metabolites compounds produced from cells were exhibited in present study. The results also reported that these compounds are extracted directly from the cells as soon as they are exposed to an aqueous solution, hampering their use as an adsorbent material. The increase in the weight of bio-waste adsorbent at unit liquid volume increases the production of secondary metabolites compounds
... Show MoreThe study aimed to identify the degree of academic leaders practices at the University of Northern Border for creative leadership, which attribute to different variables (nature of work, employer, gender, years of experience in administrative work at the university). To achieve the goal of the study, the researcher used the descriptive approach survey. Therefore, the researcher used a questionnaire as a study tool, which consisted of (40) items that included dimensions (sensitivity to problems, initiative, originality, flexibility). The study sample consisted of (240) participants included (agents of colleges, and supporting deanships, and their employees) during the second semester of the academic year 1439/1440 AH. The results showed t
... Show MoreThe Neutron Fermi Age, t, and the neutron slowing down density, q (r, t) , have been measured for some materials such as Graphite and Iron by using gamma spectrometry system UCS-30 with NaI (Tl) detector. This technique was applied for Graphite and Iron materials by using Indium foils covered by Cadmium and the measurements done at the Indium resonance of 1.46 eV. These materials are exposed to a plane 241Am/Be neutron source with recent activity 38 mCi. The measurements of the Fermi Age were found to be t = 297 ± 21 cm2 for Graphite, t = 400 ± 28 cm2 for Iron. Neutron slowing down density was also calculated depending on the recent experimental t value and distance.