No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, 1953. / Typescript (carbon copy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [38]-40).

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a growing disorder with unknown etiology. However, increasing evidence strongly highlights the role of gut microbiota with possible involvement of microbial plasmidome in the inflammatory process. Although the composition of the gut microbiota has been extensively studied, important functional groups such as butyrate producers remain poorly characterized, particularly in pediatric IBD. Furthermore, evaluation of the gut plasmidome in healthy and IBD children is missing. In this study, we used molecular techniques involving quantitative PCR (qPCR) and next-generation sequencing of functional and 16S rRNA genes to analyze the level and composition of butyrate-producing microbes in mucosal washes collected from the right colon of healthy children and Crohn's disease (CD) patients during diagnostic colonoscopy. Also, we isolated and characterized the gut plasmidome from the right colon mucosal washes collected from pediatric non-IBD control, ulcerative colitis (UC), and CD subjects. Although no difference was observed in the total amount of butyrate producers that utilize the butyrate kinase (BUK) pathway for butyrate synthesis, butyrate producers that use the butyryl CoA:acetate CoA-transferase (BCoAT) pathway were decreased in CD patients with inflamed colon as compared to controls. This functional gene approach shows that pediatric CD is characterized by generalized decreased abundance of Eubacterium rectale and increased abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in patients with inflamed colon. Also, phylogenetic analysis highlighted 15 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) as potential novel butyrate producers, five of which were decreased in CD patients. Using 16S rRNA sequencing approach validated the functional gene results and showed decreased abundance of Coprococcus in CD patients with inflamed colon. Furthermore, non-IBD plasmidome has higher level of genes involved in butyrate synthesis and regulation of different cellular processes and stress response. On the other hand, IBD plasmidome is enriched with antibiotic resistance genes and phage elements, and pediatric CD plasmidome in particular has higher abundance of the adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate reductase gene. Altogether, our study represents the first comprehensive description of gut butyrate producers and plasmidome of pediatric subjects that emphasize a characteristic dysbiosis of butyrate producers in pediatric CD and a potential link between the gut plasmidome and IBD pathogenesis.

The study aims to generate a simulated, ultra high-resolution climatology over the southwestern Cape of South Africa, and in particular the Stellenbosch wine producing region, by the dynamical downscaling of observed synoptic-scale circulation. A variable-resolution global model, the conformal-cubic atmospheric model (CCAM), and a multiple-nudging strategy are applied in order to reach this goal. CCAM is employed in stretched-grid mode as a regional climate model (RCM) to simulate climate for the period 1976-2005 at four different spatial resolutions. Nudging from coarse-resoltion (2.5° in latitude and longitude), the model was first applied at a 60 km resolution over southern Africa in order to obtain a simulation of the synoptic-scale circulation over the region. Two higher resolution simulations, at 8 km and 1 km resolution, were obtained consecutively over the western and southwestern Cape, nudging from the 60 km and 8 km simulations, respectively. Finally, a 200 m simulation was performed over the Stellenbosch region. Because of the high computational requirements of high-resolution runs, each progressively higher resolution simulation is performed over a progressively smaller area of interest over which the spatial resolution is high. The simulations verify well against observed datasets, and generally capture the important climatic features over the area of interest. The 60 km CCAM simulation gives a good representation of the synoptic scale weather over southern Africa, with realistic seasonal circulation patterns and rainfall percentages as well as intra-annual rainfall totals over various regions. The mesoscale climate over the Western Cape of South Africa is captured by the 8 km simulation, especially with respect to seasonal variations in temperature and rainfall percentages - although the actual rainfall over the southwestern tip of the Western Cape is severely underestimated. The ultra high-resolution simulated diurnal cycle of temperature, relative humidity and screen level wind speed compared well against observations for the month of February. The CCAM climate simulations might not be accurate enough for some of the very sensitive studies of the wine industry, but it can have great value for the demarcation of areas which are climatically suited for viticulture and some more general viticultural studies. Ultra high-resolution climate parameter maps are presented for 1976-2005. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / Unrestricted

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease that significantly affects quality of life and lifespan. There are currently no effective animal models of CF that mimic the human disease state. This prevents the development of pharmaceutical treatments for patients. Sheep have been considered for a useful animal model because of their size, life expectancy, and similarities in their anatomy and physiology. In order to generate a sheep transgenic model to study CF we have produced two Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene targeting DNA vectors containing large regions of homology to the CFTR gene in sheep. One of these targeting vectors (ΔF508Neo) contains sequences designed to delete the phenylalanine at amino acid position 508 of CFTR. Another targeting vector (G27XDTNeo) contains sequences designed to introduce an early stop codon into the CFTR gene such that no CFTR is produced. These two targeting vectors were used to transfect White Romney fibroblast cells. Donor sheep oocytes were collected for use in somatic cell nuclear transfer (scNT) with the two genetically modified cell lines. Embryos produced from scNT were transferred to recipient ewes which resulted in the birth of 11 ΔF508 heterozygous lambs and 3 G27XDT heterozygous lambs

No description available.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第13556号 / 論医博第2285号 / 新制||医||1067(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 長船 健二, 教授 椛島 健治, 教授 斎藤 通紀 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

THE ATTIC DOOR is the feature-length film co-written and directed by Danny Daneau while pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Central Florida. Many challenges had to be met to produce a feature-length motion picture utilizing digital technology on an ultra-low budget as part of a graduate education. Beyond gaining a profound understanding of the physical, financial, and emotional strength it takes to complete a feature-length motion picture, Daneau experienced the creative challenges that all filmmakers must meet when applying the principles of filmmaking theory to an actual work of self-expression. The production process for an original narrative film under the guidelines established by the university has pushed him to make a motion picture that is both a highly personal work of film art and evidence of the educational journey he has taken for the past three years.

No description available.

Abstract This Bachelor thesis has been written at the Blekinge Institute of Technology. The thesis describes electricity production in Shoaiba Steam Power plant in Saudi Arabia. Shoaiba Power Plant is located 100 km South of Jeddah city in Saudi Arabia. Total power production ability reaches 4400 MW. Shoaiba Power Plant has two stages and is constructed with 11 units, each unit produces 400 MW at line voltage 24 kV and line current 16 kA. Main pieces of equipment and their function in the station are as follows: A Steam Generator (boiler), produces steam by burning natural gas or crude oil in the furnace. The steam is superheated and is passed into a steam turbine, which converts the thermal energy of the steam into mechanical power, in form of rotary motion. The turbine drives a generator, which converts the rotary energy of the turbine into electric power. Steam generator, steam turbine and electrical generator are components that are described in the thesis. When the flow of steam to the turbine is controlled, then the amount of thermal energy that changes to mechanical energy in the steam turbine is controlled. The electrical generator is where the final energy conversion takes place. The mechanical energy from the turbine is converted by the generator into electrical energy, which is transmitted to the service area by help of electrical transmission lines. The plant cycle is an essential part of the energy flow path. Without the plant cycle, the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy would not occur, The plant cycle is a closed loop that allows the same water to be used over and over again. Always, the power plants are situated far from residential areas and located outside cities and close to the sea, because the steam is produced from seawater. The advantages of the steam power stations are as follows: They can produce high amounts of electrical energy from small amounts of fuel. They have low initial costs, obstetrics and maintenance costs are not high, and the stations do not need much space to be built and they have usually high capacity. The disadvantages of steam stations are the following: They cause environmental pollution, they have low efficiency, and require very big quantities of cooling water, and the stations must be built away from populated areas. / Conclusion: Converting in steam power plant is one of many ways to produce electrical energy in the world. It can be done in any country because it can be done with different chemical sources. In Saudi Arabia we use oil, because it easier and cheaper than any other chemical source for us. As any country would use what is better for them. The thesis has described circulation system in Shoaiba power plant by converting chemical energy to thermal energy in the boiler, then the turbine converts thermal energy to mechanical energy. Then the mechanical energy is converted to electrical energy in the generator. The advantages of the steam stations are as follows: production of high amounts of electrical energy from small amounts of fuel, low cost of the initial costs, obstetrics and maintenance costs are not high, the station does not need much space to build and they are usually high capacity. The disadvantages of steam stations are the following: environmental pollution, low efficiency, requires very big amounts of cooling water, and these stations must be built away from population areas. / 0706397524