Bioclimate envelope models are widely used to project potential species habitat under changing climate. Conceptually, these models are also well suited to match natural resource management practices to new climatic realities, for example by guiding species choice in reforestation programs. Nevertheless, uncertainty due to a variety of causes has so far limited the practical application of bioclimate envelope models. The goal of this thesis is to examine sources of uncertainty, to reduce uncertainty if possible, and to develop methodology to systematically deal with the remaining variability in model projections. Secondly, this thesis develops practical climate change adaptation strategies for the forestry sector in western Canada. This requires answering what species should be used for reforestation for a particular site, and subsequently selecting planting stock of the species that is best adapted to current and anticipated environments. Using a novel approach to partition variance in results from multiple model runs, climate data were identified as arguably the most important source of uncertainty. Variation was primarily caused by different general circulation models, followed by different emission scenarios. Also, the method used to interpolate current weather station data was an important contributor to uncertainty at specific locations. Other sources of uncertainty were the choice of predictor variables and different bioclimate envelope modeling methods, which primarily contributed to uncertainty through interaction effects. For example, different modeling methods provided similar habitat projections for western Canada on average, but under certain climate change scenarios their results differed markedly. Given the large uncertainties in model projections, it is important to remember that ultimately, climate change adaptation has to be guided by climate trends that actually materialize. A considerable portion of this thesis therefore analyzes climate trends in western Canada over the past century. In a case study for aspen, it is shown that the combined information from multiple bioclimate envelope model runs, climate trends that have already materialized, and observed climate change impacts can make a strong case for implementing adaptation strategies in central Alberta. Amendments to aspen reforestation practices are proposed, avoiding the use of the species in areas where it is likely to lose habitat in the future, and recommending movement of planting stock so that it is reasonably well adapted under a range of future climate scenarios. / Forest Biology and Management

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2003. / Title from title page of source document. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Lamine bilden zusammen mit laminassoziierten Proteinen die nukleäre Lamina. Diese ist notwendig für die mechanische Stabilität von Zellen, die Organisation des Chromatins, der Genexpression, dem Fortgang des Zellzyklus und der Zellmigration. Die vielfältigen Funktionen der Lamine werden durch die Pathogenese von Laminopathien belegt. Zu diesen Erkrankungen, welche ihre Ursache in Mutationen innerhalb der laminkodierenden Gene, oder der Gene laminassoziierter bzw. laminprozessierender Proteine haben, zählen unter anderem das „Hutchinson-Gilford Progerie Syndrom“, die „Emery-Dreifuss“ Muskeldystrophie und die dilatierte Kardiomyopathie. Trotz der fundamentalen Bedeutung der Lamine, wurden diese bisher nur in Metazoen und nicht in einzelligen Organismen detektiert. Der amöbide Organismus Dictyostelium discoideum ist ein haploider Eukaryot, der häufig als Modellorganismus in den verschiedensten Bereichen der Zellbiologie eingesetzt wird. Mit der Entdeckung von NE81, einem Protein das mit der inneren Kernhülle von Dictyostelium discoideum assoziiert ist, wurde erstmals ein Protein identifiziert, dass man aufgrund seiner Eigenschaften als laminähnliches Protein in einem niederen Eukaryoten bezeichnen kann. Diese Merkmale umfassen die Existenz lamintypischer Sequenzen, wie die CDK1-Phosphorylierungsstelle, direkt gefolgt von einer zentralen „Rod“-Domäne, sowie eine typische NLS und die hoch konservierte CaaX-Box. Für die Etablierung des NE81 als „primitives“ Lamin, wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit verschiedene Experimente durchgeführt, die strukturelle und funktionelle Gemeinsamkeiten zu den Laminen in anderen Organismen aufzeigen konnten. Die Herstellung eines polyklonalen Antikörpers ermöglichte die Verifizierung der subzellulären Lokalisation des NE81 durch Elektronenmikroskopie und gab Einblicke in das Verhalten des endogenen Proteins innerhalb des Zellzyklus. Mit der Generierung von NE81-Nullmutanten konnte demonstriert werden, dass NE81 eine wichtige Rolle bei der nukleären Integrität und der Chromatinorganisation von Zellen spielt. Des Weiteren führte die Expression von zwei CaaX-Box deletierten NE81 - Varianten dazu, den Einfluss des Proteins auf die mechanische Stabilität der Zellen nachweisen zu können. Auch die Bedeutung der hochkonservierten CaaX-Box für die Lokalisation des Proteins wurde durch die erhaltenen Ergebnisse deutlich. Mit der Durchführung von FRAP-Experimente konnte außerdem die strukturgebende Funktion von NE81 innerhalb des Zellkerns bekräftigt werden. Zusätzlich wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit damit begonnen, den Einfluss der Isoprenylcysteincarboxylmethyltransferase auf die Lokalisation des Proteins aufzuklären. Die Entdeckung eines laminähnlichen Proteins in einem einzelligen Organismus, der an der Schwelle zu den Metazoen steht, ist für die evolutionäre Betrachtung der Entwicklung der sozialen Amöbe und für die Erforschung der molekularen Basis von Laminopathien in einem einfachen Modellorganismus sehr interessant. Die Arbeit mit Dictyostelium discoideum könnte daher Wege aufzeigen, dass Studium der Laminopathien am Tiermodell drastisch zu reduzieren. In den letzten Jahren hat die Erforschung unbekannter Bestandteile des Centrosoms in Dictyostelium discoideum große Fortschritte gemacht. Eine zu diesem Zwecke von unserer Arbeitsgruppe durchgeführte Proteomstudie, führte zur Identifizierung weiterer, potentiell centrosomaler Kandidatenproteine. Der zweite Teil dieser Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Charakterisierung eines solchen Kandidatenproteins, dem CP75. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass CP75 einen echten, centrosomalen Bestandteil darstellt, der mikrotubuli-unabhängig mit der Core Struktur des Zellorganells assoziiert ist. Weiterhin wurde deutlich, dass die Lokalisation am Centrosom in Abhängigkeit vom Zellzyklus erfolgt und CP75 vermutlich mit CP39, einem weiteren centrosomalen Core Protein, interagiert. / Lamins build the nuclear lamina together with lamin-associated proteins. The latter is required for mechanical stabilization of cells, chromatin organization, gene expression, cell cycle progression and cell migration. This became evident by the pathogenesis of laminopathies. Laminopathies are diseases which arise from mutations in genes encoding lamins, lamin-associated-or lamin-processing proteins. Prominent examples are the „Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome“, the „Emery-Dreifuss“muscular dystrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Despite their universal importance, lamins have only been found in metazoans, but not in unicellular organisms so far. The amoeboid organism Dictyostelium discoideum is a haploid eukaryote widely used in different fields of cell biology. With the discovery of NE81, a protein associated with the inner nuclear membrane of Dictyostelium discoideum, for the first time a protein was identified, whose properties jutify denomination as a lamin-like protein in a lower eukaryote. This is based on the presence of lamin-typical sequences such as a CDK1 phosphorylation consensus sequence, followed by a central rod domain, a typical nuclear localization sequence and the highly conserved CaaX box. For the verification of NE81 as a primitive lamin, various different experiments were conducted in the frame of this work, which revealed structural and functional similarities to lamins of other organisms. Analysis of the behavior of the endogenous protein in cell cycle and the verification of the subcellular localization with electron microscopy was done with the generation of a polyclonal antibody. With a NE81 null mutant, it could be shown, that NE81 plays an important role in nuclear integrity and chromatin organization. The expression of two CaaX-box deleted protein variants confirmed the influence of NE81 on the mechanical stability of cells. These results furthermore underlined the importance of the presence of the highly conserved CaaX-box. FRAP-experiments further emphasized the structural function of NE81 in the nucleus. Furthermore, first steps were undertaken to determine the influence of the Isoprenylcysteinecarboxylmethyltransferase on the localization of NE81. In the light of evolution the discovery of a lamin-like protein in a unicellular organism is very interesting and could provide a simple experimental system for studies of the molecular basis of laminopathies. Hence, the study on laminopathies in animal models could be reduced dramatically. The identification of unknown centrosomal components in Dictyostelium discoideum has made significant proceedings in the last years. A proteomic approach which was accomplished for this purpose, yielded several potential centrosomal candidate proteins. The second part of this work focuses on the characterization of one of these proteins, CP75. It could be shown that CP75 is a genuine, centrosomal component, which is associated with the centrosomal core structure independently of microtubules. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated, that the localization of CP75 is cell cycle-dependent and that it presumably interacts with the core protein CP39.

The Military Health System (MHS) is a worldwide network of healthcare facilities and personnel. The healthcare facility inventory is aging and requires extensive facility management, renovations and replacement construction to maintain the environment of a high quality of care. Recent developments in sustainability and evidence-based design (EBD) have created additional requirements for the design and construction of facilities. These areas of design emphasis, sustainability and EBD, are developing best practices according to the respective theory. Existing facilities in the MHS have been directed to undergo restoration and modernization by Department of Defense (DoD) civilian leadership. Governmental directives have mandated that these restorations and new construction complies with current building codes and that EBD design features be included in healthcare facility planning. The hospital building type has changed over history due to innovations in building technology, such as HVAC and steel frame construction, as well as healthcare initiatives, such as treatment of tuberculosis and the mentally ill. The design concepts of environmental sustainability and EBD are currently altering the hospital typology. Building professionals have found significant differences in facilities that are categorized as evidence-based and those noted as sustainable. The future of successful healthcare designs relies on a balance of these concepts. The hospital building type has one of the highest energy intensities out of all commercial building types. Hospitals have become more energy intense due to the evolution of the deep-plan hospital. The design of the building envelope is the most lasting feature affecting the energy use of a hospital, due to its service-life typically equaling the life of the facility. The building envelope design consists of the shape of the building, material selection, as well as its orientation. This research demonstrates the relationship between incorporating positive building occupant features, such as increased day lighting and views of nature, and efficient energy design choices. The use of energy simulation software and early design collaboration between multiple professional disciplines is recognized as critical to optimal design solutions.

Proteins of the nuclear envelope play important roles in a variety of cellular processes e.g. transport of proteins between the nucleus and cytoplasm, co-ordination of nuclear and cytoplasmic events, anchoring of chromatin to the nuclear periphery and regulation of transcription. Defects in proteins of the nuclear envelope and the nuclear pore complexes have been related to a number of human diseases. To understand the cellular functions in which nuclear envelope proteins participate it is crucial to map the functions of these proteins. The present study was done in order to characterize the role of three different proteins in functions related to the nuclear envelope in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The arginine methyltransferase Rmt2 was demonstrated to associate with proteins of the nuclear pore complexes and to influence nuclear export. In addition, Rmt2 was found to interact with the Lsm4 protein involved in RNA degradation, splicing and ribosome biosynthesis. These results provide support for a role of Rmt2 at the nuclear periphery and potentially in nuclear transport and RNA processing. The integral membrane protein Cwh43 was localized to the inner nuclear membrane and was also found at the nucleolus. A nuclear function for Cwh43 was demonstrated by its ability to bind DNA in vitro. A link to nucleolar functions was demonstrated by genetic analysis. Furthermore, Cwh43 is interacting with signalling pathways perhaps acting as a sensor for signals transmitted from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The Myr1 protein was found to be membrane-associated and to interact with proteins involved in vesicular traffic. Overexpression of Myr1 affects nuclear morphology and nuclear pore distribution suggesting a function in membrane dynamics. In conclusion, the presented results aid in a deeper understanding of functions related to the nuclear envelope in revealing a novel link between arginine methylation and the nuclear periphery, identifying a novel inner nuclear membrane protein and a new membrane-associated protein.

This thesis addresses the reliability of Goldmann-type applanation tonometers (GAT). It deals with the investigation of the relation between predicted intraocular pressure, IOPG and true pressure, IOPT. The problem of the accuracy of GAT readings has acquired special importance over the last two decades as new types of surgical procedures to correct vision disorders are being explored and gain universal acceptance. The overall aim of the present study is to assess the effects of individual variations in the corneal central thickness (CCT), material properties of the involved tissues and paracentral applanation on the accuracy of IOPG. Two finite element models have been constructed: a two-dimensional axisymmetric model of the cornea and a three-dimensional model of the whole corneoscleral envelope. Various material descriptions were adopted for the cornea in 2D, whereas the 3D model accounted for collagen microstructure and represented a hyperelastic ber reinforced material. Nonlinear analyses were carried out using the commercial general-purpose finite element software ABAQUS. An extensive literature survey and consultations with ophthalmologists and clinicians were the platform for establishing relevant modelling procedures. The results reveal a clear association between all considered parameters and measured IOPG. The effect of assumed CCT is highly dependent on the corneal material properties. Material model alone has a profound effect on predicted IOPG. Variations in tonometer tip application produce clinically signi cant errors to IOPG measurements. Potential effects of corneal stiffness and paracentral applanation on GAT readings are larger than the impact of CCT. The behaviour of the models is broadly in agreement with published observations. The proposed procedures can be a useful tools for suggesting the magnitudes of corrections for corneal biomechanics and possible human errors. The present modelling exercise has an ability to reproduce the behaviour of human cornea and trace it under IOP and GAT, providing potentially useful information on the distribution of stresses and strains. Some recommendations can be drawn in pursuit of the clinical imperatives of ophthalmologists. / QC 20100729

We consider the multi-user MIMO broadcast channel with M single-antenna users and N transmit antennas under the constraint that each antenna emits signals having constant envelope (CE). The motivation for this is that CE signals facilitate the use of power-efficient RF power amplifiers. Analytical and numerical results show that, under certain mild conditions on the channel gains, for a fixed M, an array gain is achievable even under the stringent per-antenna CE constraint. Essentially, for a fixed M, at sufficiently large N the total transmitted power can be reduced with increasing N while maintaining a fixed information rate to each user. Simulations for the i.i.d. Rayleigh fading channel show that the total transmit power can be reduced linearly with increasing N (i.e., an O(N) array gain). We also propose a precoding scheme which finds near-optimal CE signals to be transmitted, and has O(MN) complexity. Also, in terms of the total transmit power required to achieve a fixed desired information sum-rate, despite the stringent per-antenna CE constraint, the proposed CE precoding scheme performs close to the sum-capacity achieving scheme for an average-only total transmit power constrained channel. / <p>Funding Agencies|Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF)||ELLIIT||Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation||Center for Industrial Information Technology at ISY, Linkoping University (CENIIT)||</p>

A P56S mutation in the VAPB MSP domain is linked to adult-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 8. The objective of this study is to characterize the functional role of VAPB in transport of NE and NPC proteins from the ER to the NE. Over-expression of VAPB-P56S blocked the transport of nucleoporins (Nups) and NE proteins, resulting in their sequestration in dilated cytoplasmic membranes. Simultaneous overexpression of the FFAT motif (two phenylalanines in an acidic track) antagonizes mutant VAPB effects and restores transport to the NE. VAPB function is required for transport to the NE because knockdown of endogenous VAPB recapitulates this phenotype. Moreover, the compartment in which Nups and NE proteins are sequestered and retained was identified as ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC). Moreover, a defect in the transport of NE and NPC proteins attenuates nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Further, VAPB-P56S which is only soluble in SDS was solubilized in the Triton-X-100 fraction similar to VAPB-WT upon co-transfection with the FFAT motif suggesting that FFAT interacts with the insoluble VAPB-P56S protein changing its biophysical properties.

Rhodococcus is an important industrial organism that possesses diverse metabolic capabilities, it also has a unique cell envelope, composed of an outer layer of mycolic acids and glycolipids (free or bound lipids generally linked to the sugar trehalose). Rhodococcus is able to transform nitriles to the corresponding amide by the enzyme Nitrile Hydratase (NHase), therefore rhodococcal cells can be utilized as biocatalysts in the detoxification of nitrile waste water or in the production of industrially important amides such as acrylamide. However, the NHase within the native cells must be stable with high activity. This research examined how NHase activity and stability can be increased in native cells by changing growth media composition, the impact on the rhodococcal cell envelope was also studied. Growth media composition was altered by supplementing different sugars such as fructose, maltose or maltodextrin to replace glucose in rich solid media containing cobalt and urea for induction of NHase. The supplementation of maltose or maltodextrin resulted in significantly higher NHase activities and greater NHase stability at 55„aC. The supplementation of these different sugars was shown to alter cellular and lipid bound trehalose levels, a sugar known to stabilize proteins and a component of the rhodococcal cell envelope. Cells that had higher levels of cellular trehalose had significantly greater NHase stability at 55„aC. The effect of the different sugar supplements and inducers of NHase, such as cobalt, on cell envelope components such as mycolic acids and glycolipids were examined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The results showed that changes in mycolic acids and glycolipids occurred when the cells were grown in the presence of different sugar supplements and when the cells were induced for NHase. Susceptibility of Rhodococcus sp DAP 96253 to different antibiotics was examined to indicate if changes were occurring in the cell envelope. Differences in antibiotic susceptibility were observed when the cells were grown on media with different sugar supplements and when the cells were induced for NHase. In the presence of cobalt Rhodococcus sp DAP 96253 showed a significant increase in sensitivity to antibiotics. Changes in growth media composition influences the cell envelope of Rhodococcus sp DAP 96253 and also affects NHase activity and stability. Therefore, achieving increased enzyme activity and stability is not entirely dependent on the actual enzyme, but is related to other aspects of the cell, such as the cell envelope and metabolites of the cell.

No description available.