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
Tax information system is one of the most important means that help the tax administration to reach the real income of the taxpayer, and the problem of research came in the General Authority for Tax ,The next question (Does the control carried out by the Central Bank on foreign remittances to reach the real income of the taxpayer). The research is gaining importance by focusing on the Central Bank's control over foreign remittances, and how to use this control to finance the tax information system. The relationship between the Central Bank's control over foreign remittances and the tax information system.The study has reached a number of recommendations, the most important of which are the following: The work of an integrated information
... Show MoreImage of landsate-7 taken by thematic mapper was used and classified using supervised method. Results of supervised classification indicated presence of nine land cover classes. Salt-soils class shows the highest reflectance value while water bodies' class shows the lowest values. Also the results indicated that soil properties show different effects on reflectance. There was a high significant positive relation of carbonate, gypsum, electric conductivity and silt content, while there was a week positive relation with sand and negative relation with organic matter, water content, bulk density and cataion exchange capacity.
Abstract Background: Articular cartilage lesions in the knee joint are frequently seen,its treatment represents a challenge for orthopedic surgeons especially in young age patients and if left untreated,then they can progress to advanced osteoarthritis that may affect the functional status of the patients.Many treatment modalities had developed for these lesions, in the current study arthroscopic micro fracture plus intra articular whole bone marrow(WBM) injection was used as modality of treating these lesions. Objectives: to assess the effectiveness of arthroscopic micro fracture plus WBM intra articular injection as a treatment modality for knee articular cartilage lesions. Patients and Methods : a prospective experimental study was perf
... Show MoreIn this study, polymeric coating was developed by incorporating nano graphene in the polymer blend with applications to oil storage tanks. The oil storage tanks samples were brought from the oil Pipeline Company / Doura refinery in Baghdad. The coating polymer was formed with a blend (epoxy resin and repcoat ZR). The proportion of mixing the mixture was 3:1:1 epoxy resin 21.06 gm: repcoat ZR 10.53 gm: hardener 10.53 gm. The blend/graphene was prepared using in stui-polymerization method with different weight percentage 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt % added to blend. The resulting solution was put in a glass tube on a magnetic stirrer for one hour at a temperature of 40 °C. The result of contact angle and water absorption the best ratio of 3wt
... Show MoreThe research aims to investigate the existence of a direct causal relationship between selected agricultural variables: agricultural output (as a representative of growth in the agricultural sector), agricultural terms of trade as a completely new variable in agricultural studies in recent years, agricultural labour which is an important part in the total workforce for Iraq, and finally, agricultural investment because of its importance and vital role in the production process, creating job opportunities, and then raising the level of employment, then it's role to achieving agricultural growth and development. For this purpose, the researchers used the Toda-Yamamoto causality methodology for a time series covering from 1990 to 2019. The res
... Show MoreThree hundred Iraqi people participated in demographic and attitudes study about red and white meat consumption. The mean age of the participants was 50 SD ± 11 years (mean 30-72); 51% were females and 49% males, mostly in forties who lived ≥ 5 years in Baghdad. The results showed that 80% of individuals prefer red meat. A 90% of people prefer fresh meat compared to frozen and processed meat. A 60% of people buy meat from popular markets. Nearly 87% of respondents believe the improving of livestock sector is essential and 80% of people confirmed there are obstacles to development this sector. An 80% of participates thought the reasons of the high prices of local fresh meat is the lack of planning and support to livestock sector. A survey
... Show MoreIt is known that energy subiect has ocuppied a lot of scientests minds about
how to treat the traditional energy and the renewing energy . we know that
most traditional energy coal , oil , Natural gas, neuclear fuel , are limited
guantiy and alsow subjected to be ended .Statics studies refer to reserve
of oil in world will exhausted btween ( 2075- 2100) and alsow cosl too .
While neuclear fuerl which the world seek today through explod the uranium
atom ( 233) the therum atom (239) and neuclear mxied through ruemlear
mixing , These energy have effect on environment and humanity speciaty if
they are used in militery purposes .
For all theses scientests srarch for resources of renewing enery through
researches
The current research aims to first - reveal the social repercussions of COVID-19 on women A - The impact of the epidemiological crisis on the social structure of the family B - Psychological and social pressures that women are exposed to during the Covid pandemic C - Social isolation resulting from the injury of a member Second - Understanding the health consequences of COVID-19 on women A- Mechanisms of differentiation in the treatment of Covid-19 treatment, home or hospital As for the limits of the research, the current research is determined by some private universities of students, female employees and teaching staff in Karkh district, which number eight (Al-Hikma, Al-Farahidi, Al-Farabi, Tigris, AlTurath, Al-Rashid, Al-Mashreq, Al-Nuso
... Show MoreThis study aimed at revealing the degree of availability of standards of word problems in mathematics books for the first three grades of the basic stage in Palestine. For this purpose, the researcher prepared an analysis tool and a list of criteria consisting of two areas: linguistic formulation and mathematical content. Every area had seven items. The results of the study showed that the third-grade mathematics book has the highest degree of availability of the standards with 85.75%, and then came the second-grade mathematics book with 83.12%. Finally, the first-grade mathematics book came with 80.13%. In the light of the previous results, the researcher recommended to develop the language of word problems, to take into account their i
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