CRISPR/dCas9 Knock-down and CRISPR/Cas9 Knock-out of lxr in Atlantic salmon SHK-1 cells

Understanding the genetics of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is crucial for gaining insight into this commercially important species. The sustainable development of aquaculture requires increasing levels of plant-based ingredients in fish diets, which lack cholesterol and have less essential fatty acids that are important for consumers. The lxr gene, a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family, has shown to be a key regulator of lipid metabolism in vertebrates, also in Atlantic salmon (Minghetti et al., 2011). Despite its recognized importance, the precise mechanisms of action and downstream targets of lxr in Atlantic salmon remain incompletely understood. To address this deficiency, we have investigated the role of lxr in SHK-1 cells in Atlantic salmon using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing techniques to knock-out the gene and analyze the resulting changes in mRNA levels. Furthermore, we wanted to study the potential application of CRISPR/dCas9, a modified version of CRISPR/Cas9 that can be utilized for transcriptional regulation in Atlantic salmon. To the best of our knowledge, the application of knock-down by CRISPR/dCas9 in Atlantic salmon has not been reported previously. The sample number in this thesis was too low to conclude if the CRISPR/dCas9 system can be functional in Atlantic salmon, but the results showed indications of a successful lxr downregulation. Thus, more tests with a larger number of samples are needed to confirm these findings. The knock-out of the lxr gene resulted in the upregulation of 25 genes and the downregulation of 19 genes

Network of Short Sea Shipping Promotion Centres: Network of Regional Maritime Competence Centres - REMARCC

Formålet med projektet var at introducere et netværksapproach til opbygning og styrkel-se af Short Sea Shipping Promotion Centre, med tæt tilknytning til den regionale udvik-ling. Yderligere var formålet at styrke den Europæiske Short Sea Shipping og forbedre havnenes logistiske services gennem fremme af samarbejde og networking mellem de involverede regioner i Nordsø-området.Dette paper vil give en introduktion til det arbejde der er gennemført i projektet og de resultater det har afstedkommet

Analysing Fund Flow in the European Sustainable Mutual Fund Market : An Empirical Analysis of Sustainability-rated European Listed Mutual Funds before and after the Covid-19 recession

We analyse the effect of the Morningstar Sustainability Rating on fund flow in the European mutual fund market. The Covid-19 recession in March 2020 was a pivot for the industry, and we look at one-year periods before and after. Through OLS and fixed effects methods, we find that investors value the Morningstar Sustainability Rating, as higher ratings are associated with higher fund flow. The results show an increased impact of sustainability ratings following the recession, suggesting a change in fund flow dynamics. Furthermore, through a difference-in-difference model we provide evidence that flow to High-rated funds increased following the recession and that the High-rated funds have relatively higher inflow compared to Low-rated funds. The impact on each domicile varies. More than half of the sample countries have higher expected fund flow for High-rated funds than Low-rated funds throughout the entire period. However, only a small portion of the countries have increased fund flow to High-rated funds following the Covid-19 recession.nhhma

Viral hepatitis and pregnancy

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108668/1/cld367.pd

Extracorporeal Versus Intracorporeal Anastomosis for Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy

Background: During laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, the anastomosis can be created intra- or extracorporeally. This study aimed to determine whether a difference exists in short-term outcomes between these techniques.Methods: Prospectively collected data of 80 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomies since 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. An intracorporeal anastomosis was performed in 23 patients, an extracorporeal anastomosis in 57.Results: There were no significant differences in median length of stay (4 days), number of removed lymph nodes, estimated blood loss, operative time (190 minutes intracorporeal vs. 180 minutes) and postoperative ileus (22% intracorporeal vs. 16%). The incision length was significantly shorter in the intracorporeal group (4cm vs. 5cm; P=0.004). Complications related to the anastomosis including twisting of the mesentery (n=2), anastomotic volvulus (n=1), or leak (n=1) occurred in 4 patients in the extracorporeal group compared with one minor anastomotic leak in the intracorporeal group. Major complication rates were similar between the 2 groups (4.3% intracorporeal vs. 5.3% extracorporeal).Conclusion: The type of anastomosis does not influence short-term outcomes after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. An intracorporeal anastomosis results in shorter incision length and may decrease wound-related complications

Learning Mesh Motion Techniques with Application to Fluid-Structure Interaction

Mesh degeneration is a bottleneck for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations and for shape optimization via the method of mappings. In both cases, an appropriate mesh motion technique is required. The choice is typically based on heuristics, e.g., the solution operators of partial differential equations (PDE), such as the Laplace or biharmonic equation. Especially the latter, which shows good numerical performance for large displacements, is expensive. Moreover, from a continuous perspective, choosing the mesh motion technique is to a certain extent arbitrary and has no influence on the physically relevant quantities. Therefore, we consider approaches inspired by machine learning. We present a hybrid PDE-NN approach, where the neural network (NN) serves as parameterization of a coefficient in a second order nonlinear PDE. We ensure existence of solutions for the nonlinear PDE by the choice of the neural network architecture. Moreover, we present an approach where a neural network corrects the harmonic extension such that the boundary displacement is not changed. In order to avoid technical difficulties in coupling finite element and machine learning software, we work with a splitting of the monolithic FSI system into three smaller subsystems. This allows to solve the mesh motion equation in a separate step. We assess the quality of the learned mesh motion technique by applying it to a FSI benchmark problem

Røyking- og snusings påvirkning på vaksinerespons og villighet til vaksinering

Bakgrunn I januar 2021 startet massevaksineringen av befolkningen i Norge mot koronaviruset. Denne masteroppgaven undersøker om risikoatferd som røyking og snusing kan påvirke responsen av koronavaksinen, og om risikoatferd som røyking og snusing kunne føre til at annen risikoatferd som å ikke følge vaksineanbefalingene om den tredje dosen koronavaksine eller at man fulgte vaksineanbefalingene senere enn andre. Metode Det ble benyttet kvantitativ metode, tverrsnittsdesign og longitudinelldesign for å gjøre statistiske sammenligninger mellom gruppene. Utvalget besto av 514 deltakere med inflammatorisk tarmsykdom som brukte immunhemmende medikamenter. Det ble benyttet deskriptive analyser, krysstabeller, slutningsstatistikk og regresjonsanalyser for å komme frem til resultatene. Resultater: Resultatene viser at røyking eller snusing ikke har betydning for vaksineresponsen etter to doser koronavaksine. Alder og kjønn kan ha betydning for om man følger vaksineanbefalingene, mens risikoatferd som røyking og snusing ikke har noen betydning for om man følger vaksineanbefalingene, eller om man følger anbefalingene på et senere tidspunkt enn andre. Konklusjon: I denne masteroppgaven fant man at røyking og snusing ikke påvirker vasksineresponsen etter koronavaksinering. Man fant også at røyking og snusing ikke hadde betydning for om man fulgte vaksineanbefalingene. Hovedbudskap: Vaksinasjon er viktig for flokkimmunitet, og det kan være viktig å detektere faktorer som påvirker vaksineresponsen, og faktorer som gjør at enkelte velger å ikke følge vaksineanbefalingene.Background: In January 2021, the mass vaccination of the population in Norway against covid-19 began. This master's thesis investigates whether risk behaviors such as smoking and snus can affect the response of the covid-19 vaccine, and whether risky behaviors such as smoking and snus could lead to other risky behaviors such as not following the vaccine recommendations for the third dose of covid-19 vaccine or following the vaccine recommendations later than others. Method: Quantitative methods, cross-sectional design and longitudinal design were used to make statistical comparisons between the groups. The sample consisted of 514 participants with inflammatory bowel disease who used immunosuppressive drugs. Descriptive analyzes, cross-tabulations, inference statistics and regression were used to reach the results. Results: The results show that smoking or snus does not affect the vaccine response after two doses of coronary vaccine. Age and gender can influence whether you follow the vaccine recommendations, while risky behaviors such as smoking and snus did not have affect whether you follow the vaccine recommendations, or whether you follow the recommendations later than others. Conclusion: In this master's thesis it was found that smoking and snus do not affect the vaccine response after vaccination against covid-19. It was also found that smoking and snus did not affect the choice about following the vaccine recommendations. Main message: Vaccination is important for herd immunity, and it can be important to detect factors that affect the vaccine response, and factors that make some people choose not to follow the vaccine recommendations