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
In the hybrid coolingsolar systems , a solar collectoris used to convertsolar energy intoheat sourcein order to super heat therefrigerant leave thecompressor,andthisprocess helpsin the transformation ofrefrigerant state from gaseous statetothe liquid statein upper two-thirdsof thecondenserinstead of the lower two-thirdssuchas in thetraditional air-conditioning systems and this willreduce theenergyneeded torun the process ofcooling.In this research two hybrid air-conditioning system with an evacuated tube solar collector were used, therefrigerant was R22 and the capacity was 2 tons each.The tilt angle of the evacuated tube solar collector was changed and the solar collector fluid was replaced into oil instead of water.A comparison wasi
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This research attempts to dust briefly the concept of deliberativeness in Arabic rhetoric, which was only understood in light of modern Western linguistics, starting with its definition (conformity of speech to the necessity of the case with its eloquence) which contains the elements of the entire creative process as shown by this brief study, in the first chapter that He was labeled (deliberative in Western and Arab thought), and we had started it with deliberation in western thought in the first topic in an attempt to highlight the western concepts of this term so that we could discern its originality in the Arab rhetorical heritage that came next in the second topic (deliberative in Arab thought), explaining the appropriate Th
... Show MoreThe responsibility of the Central Bank through the implementation of its monetary policy to maintain the integrity and stability of the financial system and the economic system, because any shock, whether internal or external, may endanger the financial system and instability, so the research sheds light on the effectiveness of monetary policy in maintaining financial stability, The most important conclusion is that there is an increase in capital, which gives banks the possibility to face the risks to which they are exposed, as well as a rise in the total bad debts, which weakens its financial position, which constitutes a decline in the financial stability of these banks.
The research aims to identify the impact of the visual teaching strategy by using infographics mathematics achievement for intermediate grade students. The experimental research method was adopted, as the experimental design of two independent and equal groups with a post test was used, whereas the experiment was applied on a sample consisting of (52) male students from first- intermediate grade students in (Al-Haq Al-Mubin intermediate school for Boys) of the General Directorate in Anbar Governorate - Department Education in Fallujah for the academic year (2021-2022), and the research sample was distributed equally on the two research groups, and Division (B) was chosen randomly to be the experimental group, while Division (A) was the cont
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This work was conducted to study the ability of locally prepared Zeolite NaY for the reduction of sulfur compounds from Iraqi natural gas by a continuous mode adsorption unit. Zeolite Y was hydrothermally synthesized using abundant kaolin clay as aluminum precursor. Characterization was made using chemical analysis, XRD and BET surface area. Results of the adsorption experiments showed that zeolite Y is an active adsorbent for removal H2S from natural gas and other gas streams. The effect of temperature was found inversely related to the removal efficiency. Increasing bed height was found to increase the removal efficiency at constant flow rate of natural gas. The adsorption capacity was evaluated and its maximum uptake was 5.345 mg H2S/g z
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Oil industry played a major role in delineating the course and type o development in both imported and exported Arabic countries alike where its revenues has perform an essential role in forming programs and plans of development on both national and international level in addition to anticipation of future consuming.
Iraq, as an oil producer country with a revenues –based economy depends on oil in building its economy totally including its infrastructure having a the greatest conformed reservoir which make the government budget depends largely on oil revenues where its strategic importance lies in funding all aspects of expenders as it is considered the prime source of foreign currency. The chall
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Abstract
Agricultural Bank is an important source of funding Specialist His role in lending to farmers, it imposes a great job in providing the necessary head for any developmental process in the agricultural sector money. The ACB of ancient Iraqi banks, and that because of its importance to the advancement of the national economy and contribute to the development and regulation of the economic sector through the support and the assignment of the Iraqi agricultural sector in various agricultural activities because it is responsible
for the process of granting agricultural loans to farmers bank.
The aim of the internal control in the agricultural banks to
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Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a collection of connected cardiovascular risk factors that characterizes the complicated illness. The waist circumference cutoff point fluctuation has so far defined Mets. Objective: This study aimed to determine the cutoff point for WC in healthy Iraqi adults. Methods: This cross-sectional survey establishes the standard value for WC among 300 healthy university students in Wasit city, Iraq. They are aged between 18-25 years. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used WC to predict the presence of two or more risk factors for MetS, as defined by IDF. Results: The cutoff level yielding maximum sensitivity and specificity for predicting the presence of multiple risk factors was
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The 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
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