Effect of Western Diet and Caloric Substitution with Apple Pomace on Fatty Acid Composition and Gene Expression in the Hypothalamus of Growing Female Sprague-Dawley Rats

The hypothalamus plays a major role in regulating food-intake and energy-expenditure. Hypothalamic dysfunction implicated in neurodegenerative diseases is characterized by diet-induced neuroinflammation and energy dysregulation. Apple pomace, a waste byproduct of processing, is rich in polyphenols and soluble fibers, has the potential to ameliorate diet-inducing inflammation. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Western diet and caloric substitution of Western diet with 10% apple pomace on brain fatty acid composition and gene expression related to hypothalamic function and health in growing female rats. Growing female Sprague-Dawley rats (age 22-29 days) were randomly assigned (n=8 rats/group) to consume purified AIN-93G (control), Western diet, or Western calorically substituted with 10% apple pomace (Western/AP) diets for 8 weeks. Brain lipid content and fatty acid profile analysis were measured. Differentially expressed genes were measured in the hypothalamus using RNA-Seq. Results showed Western/AP diet consisted of the highest amount of soluble fibers and polyphenols. Brain oleic acid was highest in rats fed Western/AP diet (p \u3c 0.0005). RNA-seq results comparing the hypothalamus of rats fed Western to Western/AP showed 15 differentially expressed genes, of which 5 genes: phospholipase D family member 5 (PLD5), synuclein alpha (Snca), NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) fe-s protein 6 (Ndufs6), choline O-acetyltransferase (Chat), and frizzled class receptor 6 (Fzd6) were implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Apple pomace attenuated the upregulation of Snca (q \u3c 0.05), Chat (q \u3c 0.05), and Ndufs6 (q \u3c 0.05) gene expression, as well as downregulated PLD5 (q \u3c 0.06), and Fzd6 (q \u3c 0.05) gene expression. Results suggested apple pomace constitutes reduced neurodegeneration, acetylcholine impairment, and mitochondrial dysfunction through the modulation of brain lipid content and profile. In conclusion, the results provide evidence that caloric substitution of Western diet with apple pomace has the potential to attenuate the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Based on pre-clinical evidence, apple pomace has the potential to be a sustainable functional food for brain health

An Automated Study of Antioxidant Potentials of Polar Extract of Turmeric as Influenced by Ultraviolet Radiation

Turmeric polar extract (TPE) was obtained by dielectric-precipitation of turmeric slurry and found to contain three proteins with two in the 10-11 KDa range being dominant. Antioxidative activity and persistence (AP) of TPE (5%, w/v) respectively showed 87% and 85% greater generation of alkoxy- and peroxyl radicals compared the non-redox-active buffer alone showing significant (p\u3c0.05) pro-oxidative behavior. Conversely, purified curcumin (CU) (0.1% w/v) was dramatically antioxidative with AA and AP values of 2,828 and 1,129%, respectively, compared to the blank. However, a combination of the two at the same concentration dropped these values to 590 and 389%, respectively, reflecting dramatic dampening of the efficacy of CU. Ultraviolet radiation significantly modulated the efficacy of CU where UVB (300 nm) exposure gave the highest enhancement when limited to five min. Data showed that turmeric contains highly pro-oxidant polar proteins that significantly dramatically diminishes the beneficial antioxidative efficacy of its principal phytochemical, CU

Investigation of the effects of cloud attenuation on satellite communication systems

The aim of this project is to investigate the attenuation due to clouds at 20- 50GHz; to develop an accurate long-term prediction model of cloud attenuation applicable to slant-path links and evaluate the impact of cloud attenuation dynamics on the design of future portable EHF earth-space systems. Higher frequencies offer several advantages, for example, greater bandwidth and immunity to ionospheric effects. The EHF band is being targeted for the launch of earth-space communication systems to provide global delivery of bandwidthintensive services (e.g. interactive HDTV, broadband internet access and multimedia services, television receive-only, etc.) to portable terminal units. Since spectrum shortage and terminal bulk currently preclude the realization of these breakthrough-broadband wireless communication services at lower frequencies, a better understanding is needed in order to optimize their usage. One major obstacle in the design of EHF earth-space communication systems is the large and variable signal attenuation in the lower atmosphere, due to a range of mechanisms including attenuation (and scattering) due to clouds and rain, tropospheric scintillation caused by atmospheric turbulence and variable attenuation by atmospheric gasses. In particular, cloud attenuation becomes very significant at EHF. In this thesis, we start with an overview of literature review in the first chapter. Followed next by the theory and description of accepted-up to date- cloud attenuation models in the field (chapter 2). Then followed up by a description of the pre-processing, validations, sources and assumptions made in order to conduct the analysis of the cloud attenuation in this work (chapter 3). Afterwards, a comprehensive analysis of Meteorological and local tropospheric degradation was carried out (chapter 4). That was followed by an overview of cloud fade statistics and suggested methods to counter their effects (chapter 5). And finally the improved cloud attenuation model and the enhancement of the currently accepted cloud attenuation model (ITU-R 840.4) by terms of validating the effective temperature concept and ways of acquiring it (chapter 6)

Generating sustainable form-based urban design strategies for an integrated neighborhood

textI conducted a case study analysis of Dubai, exploring multiple urban design tactics for a more sustainable development approach to Dubai’s pattern of development. Particularly, this dissertation identifies sustainable urban form design principles and strategies for a Dubai neighborhood. The research addresses the question: which form-based urban design strategies effectively deliver greater environmental, social, and economic coherence in Dubai’s neighborhood development? In addition, this research addresses the question of whether certain urban form design principles contribute comparatively more than others to sustainability. I used two rounds of the Delphi technique, a structured communication technique utilizing multiple rounds of questioning, to obtain experts’ knowledge and opinions to redefine urbanism in Dubai towards more ecological and social responsive practices. My analysis of the Delphi reveal that in Dubai, the most sustainable neighborhoods are those emphasizing more public participation in the initial planning process, i.e., connectivity and multiple transportation options; adequate diversity; green, open, and social nodes in the urban fabric; culturally-relevant urbanism and architecture; climate-sensitive urbanism and architecture; eco-balanced design applications; and adaptability, all integrated with one another in the compactly arranged urban fabric. Approaches to sustainable development must stress elements other than just design itself, such as grasping the nuances of the cultural traditions, politics, and implementation constraints. Therefore, this research also involved collecting survey responses from local and expatiate residents in Dubai and interviewing Dubai government officials in order to identify and to understand the relevant political and cultural aspects as well as obstacles associated with the experts’ design recommendations. In particular, survey responses were used to: (1) identify the public opinion surrounding some of the Dubai neighborhood design ideas suggested by an international and local panel of experts; and (2) understand how the public value and prioritize the suitability of the proposed design strategies to Dubai’s cultural environment. Interviews with the local authorities in Dubai facilitated (1) the determination of troublesome challenges and constraints for implementing some of the urban design strategies defined by experts in the Delphi; and (2) identification of implementation opportunities and possible policy initiatives that might support the implementation of the proposed strategies. I also synthesized all research data to identify areas of overlap and disagreement among research participants (the experts, public, and government officials). Finally, the last chapter discusses two major obstacles challenging different aspects of sustainability. I also detail a potential solution to prevail over the challenges, and introduce potential areas of future research.Community and Regional Plannin

Observational Checklist –As an Instrument to Measure Intramuscular Injection Administration Skills among Students in the Institute of Nursing, Kuwait

There is no doubt that evaluation in nursing education for performance is an important activity with significant consequences. The outcome of an evaluation will have serious implications on students, teachers and eventually on the recipients of nursing care. This study aimed to measure Intramuscular Injection skills among students using structural demonstration session (with checklist) as compared with those using traditional teaching session (without checklist). The study was conducted at skills laboratory in the Institute of Nursing in Kuwait. A sample of 57 students enrolled in Medical Nursing was divided into two groups, experimental and control. A questionnaire was used to obtain student’s socio-demographic characteristics and an observational checklist was developed to evaluate the student’s performance in both groups. Pilot study was done on ten students to test the reliability of the checklist. The study findings indicated that all the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Regarding preparation of medication, it was found that there was no significant difference between the experimental and the control group except in four steps, while in the injection part, there was significant difference only in one step. The Findings have important implications for developing checklist and other tools for evaluating performance skills in the Institute to maintain the quality of nursing education and utilize effective methods in preparing future nurses. Instructors should focus their efforts to find the best tools to educate, train and evaluate the nursing students. Further study related to nursing procedures is needed with a larger sample and different nursing procedures. Keywords: Observational Checklist, Intramuscular Injection, skills performance

An Automated Study of Antioxidant Potentials of Polar Extract of Turmeric as Influenced by Ultraviolet Radiation

Turmeric polar extract (TPE) was obtained by dielectric-precipitation of turmeric slurry and found to contain three proteins with two in the 10-11 KDa range being dominant. Antioxidative activity and persistence (AP) of TPE (5%, w/v) respectively showed 87% and 85% greater generation of alkoxy- and peroxyl radicals compared the non-redox-active buffer alone showing significant (p\u3c0.05) pro-oxidative behavior. Conversely, purified curcumin (CU) (0.1% w/v) was dramatically antioxidative with AA and AP values of 2,828 and 1,129%, respectively, compared to the blank. However, a combination of the two at the same concentration dropped these values to 590 and 389%, respectively, reflecting dramatic dampening of the efficacy of CU. Ultraviolet radiation significantly modulated the efficacy of CU where UVB (300 nm) exposure gave the highest enhancement when limited to five min. Data showed that turmeric contains highly pro-oxidant polar proteins that significantly dramatically diminishes the beneficial antioxidative efficacy of its principal phytochemical, CU

Comparison of performance of simplified RANS formulations for velocity distributions against full 3D RANS model

Several analytical models of velocity distribution for turbulent uniform open channel flows were lately developed by analysis and simplification of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS). These simplified RANS-based models, which are called dip-modified laws, are frequently employed to predict the velocity profile in flow cases where the maximum velocity may occur below the water surface. In this paper, the performance of two simplified RANS models, namely the dip-modified log law (DML-law) and the dip-modified log wake law (DMLW-law) are compared against the full 3D RANS model used in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling. The results show that although the simplified RANS models can predict the velocity dip phenomenon, the accuracy of such models is less than the full RANS (CFD) model. This is likely to be due to the assumption imposed for approximating the secondary current term in the governing equations. It is also found that the DMLW-law can give results closer to that obtained by the full RANS model. This may because of including the wake effect in eddy viscosity calculatio

Modeling of Household Evacuation Decision, Departure Timing, and Number of Evacuating Vehicles from Hurricane Matthew

This dissertation investigates households’ evacuation decision, number of household vehicles used in evacuation, and departure timing from Hurricane Matthew. Regarding the evacuation decision, this dissertation takes a step further by presenting three level evacuation decision models that include full, partial, and no evacuation alternatives rather than the binary evacuate/stay decision. Multinomial (MNL) regression and random parameter MNL techniques were utilized to develop the prediction models. Results showed that some of the variables which affect the evacuate/stay decision have different influences on the three alternatives. The preferred MNL model was tested for random parameters and one random parameter (age of the respondent) was identified for the utility expression pertaining to the no evacuation alternative. For the vehicle choice study, zero truncated Poisson regression was utilized with the survey data. This modeling approach has rarely been applied to the evacuation context and the prediction of the number of household vehicles used is relatively understudied, compared to other evacuation-related decisions. The final preferred model contains three significant variables (marital status, gender, and evacuation timing from 6 am to noon). The final part of this dissertation investigates the factors affecting departure timing choice. Having an accurate estimate of the departure time will allow the prediction of dynamic evacuation demand and developing effective evacuation strategies which will enhance the overall evacuation planning and management. A Cox proportional-hazards model was utilized to model the evacuation departure timing. Four significant variables were identified in the final model, two of them are related to uncertainty. This part of the dissertation also studies evacuees’ stated preference about whether or not they would change their evacuation timing if they relived the hurricane event. In our study, almost 34% of respondents reported that they would change their departure timing if they relived the hurricane event. A binary logit model was utilized in this part and the preferred model contains five significant variables related to past experience, the type of evacuation order received, and the evacuation destination

Assessing the impact of velocity dip and wake coefficients on velocity prediction for open channel flows

The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of the velocity-dip and wake strength on the velocity prediction using the dip modified laws. The dip modified laws, particularly the dip modified log wake law (DMLW-law), are preferred over the traditional wall laws in the narrow open channels. This is mainly because these analytical-based laws basically rely on parameters for the velocity dip (α) caused by secondary flow and for the wake strength (Π) due to the turbulence and boundary walls. In this study, comprehensive expressions for estimating these two key parameters were proposed and tested for smooth and rough flows. The results indicated that the proposed expressions can noticeably improve the application of the DMLW-law model to both smooth and rough flow