213 research outputs found
Probiotic Modulation of Mucosal Immune Responses in an In Vitro Co-Culture Model
Probiotics confer health benefits through many mechanisms including modulation of the
gut immune system. Gut mucosal macrophages play a pivotal role in driving mucosal
immune responses. The local environment and macrophage subset determine immune
response: tolerance, associated with an M2-like, regulatory macrophage phenotype and
inflammatory activation with an M1-like phenotype. The aims of this study were firstly to
investigate the immunomodulatory effects of a panel of heat-killed (HK) probiotic bacteria
and their secreted proteins (SP) of Bifidobacterium breve (BB), Lactobacillus rhamnosus
GG (LR), L. salivarius (LS), L. plantarum (LP), L. ferrmentum (LF), and L. casei strain
Shirota (LcS) on cytokine production and TLR expression in monocultures of monocytes,
macrophage subsets, and intestinal epithelial cells. Normally, mucosal gut macrophages
resemble the M2 subset and fail to express CD14, a co-receptor for LPS signalling.
Therefore, probiotic modulation of LPS-induced NF-kB activity and cytokine expression
was investigated using a THP-1 monocyte-derived reporter cell line, model of CD14
hi
/
lo
M1
and M2 macrophages. Secondly, a transwell co-culture system was developed to
investigate probiotic modulation of macrophage-influenced epithelial barrier function.
Parameters investigated included cytokine, TLR and hBD-2 expression, TEER and IHC
staining of the tight junction protein, ZO-1. Probiotics selectively modulated monocyte and
macrophage subset cytokine expression. Probiotics (HK and SP) suppress CD14
lo
,
augment CD14
hi
M1, and differentially regulated TNF-α production in M2s. M2
macrophage IL-6 production was suppressed by both HK and SPs, and differentially
regulated in CD14
lo
and CD14
hi
M1s. NF-κB activation failed to parallel probiotic regulation
of TNF-α and IL-6. Probiotics (HK-LF and HK-LcS) selectively modulated both
endogenous and exogenous TNF-α and IL-10, as well as their induction of epithelial cell
expression of TLR and hBD-2. Epithelial expression of TEER, ZO-1 and the endogenous
TLR signal regulator, Tollip, were suppressed upon co-culture with pro-inflammatory M1
macrophages paralleled by a suppression of IL-10 and up-regulation of TNF-α and IL-8.
In the presence of LPS, HK-LF enhanced TEER, ZO-1 and partially rescued Tollip
expression, whereas HK-LcS had no effect on TEER and ZO-1 and displayed a weaker
rescue effect on Tollip compared with LF. In the M2/epithelial cell co-culture, both
probiotics enhanced TEER and ZO-1 in the presence of LPS, whilst displaying a
differential modulation of Tollip, dependant on the format of probiotic (HK or SP). In
conclusion, probiotic strains can differentially exert immune activatory or suppressive
functions and immunomodulation is determined by strain, inflammatory environment, and
mucosal macrophage effector phenotype. Future probiotic development must consider
prophylactic use in healthy individuals or therapeutic treatment of defined pathological
conditions, strain-specific effects, gut mucosal integrity, and immune phenotype of
mucosal macrophages.Ministry of Higher Education
Baghdad, Ira
Investigation of head covering and thermal comfort in radiant cooling Malaysian offices
This study investigated the head covering in a radiant cooling Malaysian office building. We studied the Energy Commission’s Diamond Building in Putrajaya, which is equipped with radiant slab cooling. The objective was to
determine the effectiveness of head covering on thermal comfort. We adopted the assessment procedure from the ASHRAE 55 and the ISO 7730 standards and applied to the building’s second and sixth floors and analysed
the data through cross tabulation. We collected 132 data sets completed by 49 participants continuously for four days (two days for each floor) during working hours. The survey was the results of two online questionnaires (a
background survey and a daily survey). In the dissatisfaction with overall thermal environment and actual mean vote, the analysis showed a strong correlation between head covering and discomfort (warmer feel) (V = .5, p<.01). We correlated the head covering with all of the independent variables in the background and daily surveys. Females outnumbered male in wearing a head covering (V = .8, p<.001). Wearing a head covering was not affected
by age(V = .3, p > .05). Wearing a head covering does not affect subjects’ dissatisfaction with floor temperature (V = .3, p> .5). Person who wore a head covering preferred increased air speed (V = .4, p< .05). Wearing a head covering increased the sweating (V = .3, p< .05).In conclusion, wearing a head covering affects thermal comfort in radiant cooling office buildin
Protect the Planet through Sustainability Rating Systems with Local Environmental Criteria - LEED in the Middle East
AbstractSustainable design becomes a mandatory as a result of environmental requirements. Furthermore, LEED as a rating system has started to be a tool in many countries in the world. The research objective is to push all architects to protect the environment through their architectural designs and concepts by applying the most effective sustainable criteria. The methodology will be focused on evaluating LEED in the Middle East region compared with a local rating system in the Middle East. The outcome will be focused on the importance of creating a rating system for each region, which considers local environmental challenges
The Effect of Computerized Instructional Program in the Intermediate First Grade Students Achievement in Arabic language Grammar in Iraq
The aim of this study was to find out the amount of influence of a Computerized Instructional Program on the achievement for intermediate first grad students in the Arabic language grammar in Iraq. The study focused on students from the first intermediate grade, in the education directorate in the Diqar governorate in Iraq. While the study sample was intentional, that was selected by the researcher from the governorate’s schools that have computers and relevant Instructional means for education. This was represented in four branches in two groups, experimental and control group (60) male and female students in the experimental group and (60) male and female students in the control group. The researcher has utilized the Computerized Instructional Program as he study instrument for the experimental group, while the control group utilized the educational program in the usual way. The achievement test to the two groups, the experimental and the control groups, and the study reached the following results. There are no differences, with statistical significance at significance level (0.5 ≥ α), between the group’s grades average achievement in the Arabic language grammar subject. These two groups are the experimental group students who were taught by using (the Computerized Program) and students of the control group who were taught by the using the (normal) way in education. There are no differences with statistically significance at significance level(0.5 ≥ α) between the grades mean of the experimental group students who were taught by using (the computerized program) and the grades mean of the control group students who were taught by the (normal) way attribute to the gender variable (males, females). Keywords: effectiveness, computerized instructional program, achievement, arabic language, and grammar
المنظمة الذكية ودورها في تعزيز جودة الخدمة التعليمية دراسة تحليلية لآراء عينة من تدريسي كلية الامام الجامعة
تمثل الهدف الرئيسي من البحث هو تحديد دور المنظمة الذكية في تعزيز جودة الخدمة التعليمية على المستوى الكلي والفرعي في كلية الأمام الجامعة، حيث اعتمد البحث على المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، من خلال تقديم الطروحات النظرية لمتغيرات الدراسة باستخدام وسائل جمع البيانات الثانوية، أما في جانب البحث العملي فقد تم الاعتماد على استمارة الاستبانة كأداة رئيسية لجمع البيانات من عينة الدراسة المتمثلة بعميد الكلية ورؤساء الأقسام ومعاونيهم والمقررين في الأقسام في كلية الأمام الجامعة مجتمع الدراسة، والبالغ عددهم (29) فرداً، حيث تم استخدام البرنامج الاحصائي (SPSS.24) في تحليل العلاقات والأثر بين متغيرات الدراسة، توصلت الدراسة إلى وجود علاقة ارتباط واثر للمتغير المستقل (المنظمة الذكية) في المتغير التابع (جودة الخدمة التعلمية) على المستوى الكلي، أما على مستوى العلاقة والأثر بين متغير المنظمة الذكية وابعاد المتغير التابع جودة الخدمة التعليمية (الموثوقية، الاستجابة، الجودة الوظيفية، الجودة المادية، جودة النتائج، جودة التفاعل) فقد تبين وجود علاقة ارتباط وأثر بين المتغير المستقل والأبعاد الفرعية كافة للمتغير التابع باستثناء بعد (الجودة المادية). ومن أهم التوصيات التي قدمها البحث هي تشجيع وتحفيز الثقافات والممارسات الابداعية كألية يمكن من خلالها تحول كلية الامام الجامعة إلى منظمة ذكية، والاعتماد على عمليات التحسين والتطوير المستمر في جوانب العملية التعليمية بهدف معالجو الإخفاقات ومواطن الضعف في أداء مهام العمل اليومية بما يسهم في الارتقاء بمستوى الخدمات التعليمية المقدمة
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