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
The inhibitive action of polyvinyl alcohol –sodium nitrite (PVASN) composite on the corrosion of mild steel in simulated cooling water (SCW) has been investigated by weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization. The effect of composite concentration (PVA/SN) , pH, and exposure time on corrosion rate of mild steel were verified using 2 levels factorial design and surface response analysis through weight loss approach, while the electrochemical measurements were used to study the behavior of mild steel in (SCW) with pH between 6 and 8 and in absence and presence of (PVA) in solution containing different concentration of NaNO2. It was verified that all three main variables studied were statistically significant while their interaction is
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to evaluate the effect of spraying nano chitosan loaded with NPK fertilizer and nettle leaf and green tea extracts on the growth and productivity of potato for the spring and fall seasons of 2021.It was conducted at private farm in Wasit Governorate, Iraq, as a factorial experiment (5 × 5) within randomized complete block design using three replicates. The first factor included spraying with four concentrations of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with NPK fertilizer 0, 10. 15 and 20% in addition to chemical fertilization treatment, the second factor was spraying nettle leaf extract 25 and 35 gL-1 and green tea extract with 2 and 4 g.L-1, in addition to the control treatment, spraying with distilled water only. The
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: The Aluminium (Al) material emerged as a plasmonic material in the wavelength ranges from the ultraviolet to the visible bands in different on-chip plasmonic applications. In this paper, we demonstrate the effect of using Al on the electromagnetic (EM) field distribution of a compact hybrid plasmonic waveguide (HPW) acting as a polarization rotator. We compare the performance of Al with other familiar metals that are widely used as plasmonic materials, which are Silver (Ag) and Gold (Au). Furthermore, we study the effect of reducing the geometrical dimensions of the used materials on the EM field distributions inside the HPW and, consequently, on the efficiency of the polarization rotation. We perform the study based o
... Show MoreA new series of chalcone derivatives featuring an oxadiazole-quinoline moiety were successfully synthesized through a multi-step reaction sequence, commencing with quinoline-2-carboxylic acid as the starting material. First, the carboxylic group was chlorinated to form an acid chloride, following reacted with hydrazine hydrate. The resulting product underwent cyclization with carbon disulfide in an alkaline solution to produce 5-(quinolin-2-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol, followed by alkylation using chloroacetone. In the final step, an aldol condensation reaction was carried out by grinding the acetone derivative with various aromatic aldehydes, yielding the desired chalcones. The synthesized compounds were characterized by Rf, FTIR,
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A cut-off low is a closed low with a low value of geopotential height at the upper atmospheric levels that has been fully detached (cut-off) from the westerly flow and move independently. A cut-off low causes extreme rainfall events in the mid-latitudes regions. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the cut-off low at 500 hPa over Iraq from a synoptic point of view and the behavior of geopotential height at 500 hPa. To examine the association of the cut-off low at 500 hPa with rainfall events across Iraq, two case studies of heavy rainfall events from different times were conducted. The results showed that the cut-off low at 500 hPa with a low value of geopotential height will strengthen the low-pressure system at the surface, lea
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Abstract:
Since the railway transport sector is very important in many countries of the world, we have tried through this research to study the production function of this sector and to indicate the level of productivity under which it operates.
It was found through the estimation and analysis of the production function Kub - Duglas that the railway transport sector in Iraq suffers from a decline in the level of productivity, which was reflected in the deterioration of the level of services provided for the transport of passengers and goods. This led to the loss of the sector of importance in supporting the national economy and the reluctance of most passengers an
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Abstract
This study aims to identify the degree to which the first cycle teachers use different feedback patterns in the E-learning system, to identify the differences in the degree of use according to specialization, teaching experience, and in-service training in the field of classroom assessment as well as the interaction between them. The study sample consisted of (350) female teachers of the first cycle in the governmental schools in Muscat Governorate for the academic year 2020/2021. The study used a questionnaire containing four different feedback patterns: reinforcement, informative, corrective, and interpretive feedback. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were verified in terms of validity
... Show MoreIn this paper the analysis of the corrosion basic types destructions on an example of buildings constructions is carried out and the basic requirements to materials for designs in construction are defined. A classification of corrosion damage is proposed, which became a prerequisite for selecting the main indicators of materials that maximally affect the quality and durability. The main methods for determining the main indicators of corrosion damage are identified.
Econazole nitrate (EN) is considered as the most effective agent for the treatment of all forms of
dermatomycosis caused by dermatophytes. This study was carried out to formulate a stable
Econazole nitrate solution for a topical use through preparation of different formulas and selected
the most suitable one. The results indicated that the use of propylene glycol and ethanol as a vehicle
for EN which is very slightly soluble in water gave amore stable formula as EN topical solution,
with a shelf life of about 3.15 years .The data also indicated that the light accelerated the
degradation of EN, while the type of container (glass or plastic) had no effect on the rate of drug.
The overall results of this study suggest t
A prepared PMMA/Anthracene film of thickness 70μm was irradiated under reduced pressure ~10-3 to 60Coγ-ray dose of (0.1mrad-10krad) range. The optical properties of the irradiated films were evaluated spectrophotometrically. The absorption spectrum showed induced absorption changes in the 200-400nm range. At 359nm, where there is a decrease in radiation-induced absorption, the optical density as a function of absorbed dose is linear from 10mrad-10Krad.It can therefore, be used as radiation dosimeter for gamma ray in the range 10mrd-10krad