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
One of the most serious health disasters in recent memory is the COVID-19 epidemic. Several restriction rules have been forced to reduce the virus spreading. Masks that are properly fitted can help prevent the virus from spreading from the person wearing the mask to others. Masks alone will not protect against COVID-19; they must be used in conjunction with physical separation and avoidance of direct contact. The fast spread of this disease, as well as the growing usage of prevention methods, underscore the critical need for a shift in biometrics-based authentication schemes. Biometrics systems are affected differently depending on whether are used as one of the preventive techniques based on COVID-19 pandemic rules. This study provides an
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The title takes its realistic connotations with its symbols, slogans and historical extensions in Iraq, also, the repercussions of the organic crisis that afflicted it for almost half a century, especially after the abortion of the July 14 Revolution and the spread of the culture of weapons, violence and death that we are living in Iraq nowadays.
The topic is suitable for critical analytical studies carried out by specialists in scientific and academic research centers and cultural institutions because they have an important feasibility at the strategic cultural level in Iraq, the Middle East and the world.
Research in Iraq has fallen to the extreme and is no longer effective, to the extent that it represents a severe cri
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The study aims to know the nature of the expected relationship between market share management strategies and the variation in the performance of the shares of a number of Iraqi industrial companies listed in the Iraqi Stock Exchange. For the period (2005-2018) in the light of both the monthly closing prices and sales volume during the research period, the (Panel Data) method was relied on through a stylistic test (fixed effects model and random effects model), and the results determined the need to adopt the fixed effects model method for sample data and test Assumptions, the results showed the positive impact of market share according to its strategies on the performance of stocks according to its studied indicators (Treynor index
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Abstract
The research aims to identify the application of corporate governance requirements according to the international standard (ISO 26000:2010) in the National Insurance Company. Strengths and weaknesses were identified to study the current state of this requirement's application in the company under investigation. The descriptive-analytical approach was utilized through a checklist derived from ISO 26000:2010. Several personal interviews and field visits were conducted to understand the extent of application and documentation based on various statistical methods. The results revealed a level of applic
... Show MoreBackground: Incorporation of chemical additives has long been a technique used to improve properties of the gypsum products. The purpose of this work was to study the effects of adding a combination of gum Arabic and calcium hydroxide to a type III dental stone and type IV improved die stone with different proportion. The effect on water/powder ratio, and surface hardness was determined. Material and method: Both material stone and die stone were blended with two proportion of additives so that each material was mixed twice but with different proportion of gum Arabic (0.1% and 0.2%) and calcium hydroxide (0.5 % and 0.3%). Data for hardness were subjected to two-way analysis of variance. Results: The results revealed that the chemical additi
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In the age of information and communication revolution, education as one of life
aspects has influenced with that revolution by integrating technology in education, which
have become as an important learning tools of the whole educational process . Technology,
when used appropriately, can help make science classroom a site of active learning and
critical thinking, furthering student inquiry and connections with different materials. It is
necessary to develop human rights education programs and materials for discretionary and
extracurricular activities as it provide them with the skills and tools so that they are
empowered to take action to realize their rights. Human rights education is a critical means of
instill
This study aimed at indicators of technical analysis and their impact on a group of trading stock indices related to it, by standing on the methods used in technical analysis and its various models, diagnosing the obstacles and difficulties that the participants face in predicting stock prices, and proposing solutions and recommendations to overcome and overcome them. From a scientific and practical perspective.
Where the research community consisted of (25) Iraqi private commercial banks, while the research sample consisted of (3) banks with a percentage of (12%) of the research community. The study used the analytical approach to the financial statements during the period between (1/2/ 2022-30/4/2022),
... Show MoreScience occupies great importance in Islamic thought. Science and learning are considered an essential part of Islamic teachings, and this importance appears in several aspects,Among them is thatScience as a means of understanding religion :Science is a means of understanding the teachings of the Islamic religion. Islam encourages thinking and rational research to understand the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, enabling Muslims to direct their lives and actions in accordance with the directives of their religion,And also to encourageResearch :Islam encourages scientific research and the use of reason in understanding the nature of the universe and God’s signs in it. Muslims are encouraged to study the natural and social s
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The banking sector is a cornerstone of the national economy because of its large role of economic development of a country, which requires the advancement of this vital sector and interest in all the accompanying changes to him in order to survive and grow and continue Accordingly dealt Find reversal (organizational culture, on the quality of banking service ) sought search to achieve a number of cognitive and practical goals by selecting (10), especially among the working banks in Iraq Iraqi banks and the period is the surveyed period (2005-2014) embodied the research problem in the dialectical relationship between the (organizational culture) and its impacts on banking service quality.
Through a set of
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