Microbiological approaches for the improvement of industrial biogas production

Biogas is an alternative fuel source, composed of methane and carbon dioxide, formed during the microbial process of anaerobic digestion (AD). Biogas production has the potential to be used as a substitute for natural gas and ease problems associated with global warming, energy security and waste management. However, AD can often be unreliable due to the instabilities that can arise during the process. The work described in this thesis, focuses on the discovery and development of micro-organisms for use in synthetic bio-methane producing microbial communities. Two main sources of instability within AD were focused on: oxygen-sensitivity of methane-producing microbes (methanogens) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation. The estuarine tidal mudflats of the River Exe Estuary, Exmouth, Devon, UK, were chosen for the search of potentially oxygen-tolerant methanogens, due to its intermittent oxygen exposure. Initially, 16S rRNA screening indicated the presence of methanogens in the very surface layer of the sediment, which was later confirmed by enrichment experiments. Whole genome shot-gun sequencing suggested Methanosarcina mazei, a methanogen known to have oxygen-tolerant capabilities, or a closely related organism, had been successfully enriched. The second part of this investigation focused on the use of E. coli as a model organism, for the engineering of a negative feedback loop against acetate production, a common VFA. The glutamine synthetase promoter, found to be sensitive to external pH and acetate concentration, was used to control the production of antisense RNA targeting the pta gene, involved in acetate production. Results indicated that expression of pta was successfully reduced, however overall acetate production was not found to decrease

Microbiological approaches for the improvement of industrial biogas production

Biogas is an alternative fuel source, composed of methane and carbon dioxide, formed during the microbial process of anaerobic digestion (AD). Biogas production has the potential to be used as a substitute for natural gas and ease problems associated with global warming, energy security and waste management. However, AD can often be unreliable due to the instabilities that can arise during the process. The work described in this thesis, focuses on the discovery and development of micro-organisms for use in synthetic bio-methane producing microbial communities. Two main sources of instability within AD were focused on: oxygen-sensitivity of methane-producing microbes (methanogens) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation. The estuarine tidal mudflats of the River Exe Estuary, Exmouth, Devon, UK, were chosen for the search of potentially oxygen-tolerant methanogens, due to its intermittent oxygen exposure. Initially, 16S rRNA screening indicated the presence of methanogens in the very surface layer of the sediment, which was later confirmed by enrichment experiments. Whole genome shot-gun sequencing suggested Methanosarcina mazei, a methanogen known to have oxygen-tolerant capabilities, or a closely related organism, had been successfully enriched. The second part of this investigation focused on the use of E. coli as a model organism, for the engineering of a negative feedback loop against acetate production, a common VFA. The glutamine synthetase promoter, found to be sensitive to external pH and acetate concentration, was used to control the production of antisense RNA targeting the pta gene, involved in acetate production. Results indicated that expression of pta was successfully reduced, however overall acetate production was not found to decrease

The Neonatal Microbiome and Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disorder that affects approximately 10% of premature infants. Its mortality remains high (15-30%), and its cause remains unknown. About 80% of cases occur within 35 days of birth among hospitalized newborns of low birth weight. Probiotics diminish the incidence and severity of NEC, and NEC does not occur antepartum. NEC affects a readily identifiable at-risk group, has a tightly defined interval before its onset, occurs in an organ system that is intimately associated with a microbial population in flux, has a plausible association with the intestinal microbiota, and cohorts at risk have rarely been studied in large numbers, or prospectively. This disorder, therefore, provides a unique opportunity to explore the role of the human enteric microbiome in a devastating disease. Moreover, NEC epidemiology and age-incidence present an ability to enroll and study cohorts that are highly likely to provide valuable pathophysiologic and microbiologic insights.

In this project, we will identify and quantify the microbial components of stool and its products before and at the onset of NEC. In doing so, we will test the overarching hypothesis that NEC is a direct or indirect consequence of the enteric biomass, its products, or both. We will use multicenter cohorts of premature infants at high risk of developing NEC, extend our research on this disease currently sponsored by the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, and continue our longstanding collaborations with the Genome Center at Washington University and the Washington University Digestive Diseases Research Core Center (Informatics Core). The Aims of this proposal are to (1) conduct a case cohort study in which we compare clinical data and biological specimens from cases and well-matched controls; (2) determine if the kind and density of intestinal biomass, its gene content, and transcriptional activity are associated with, and potential determinants of, NEC; and (3) determine if host risk alleles for intestinal inflammation play a role in the development of NEC. These efforts will be accomplished using subjects from three collaborating neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), focusing on the critical, instructive, and understudied pre-NEC stage of illness, and formulating a data repository that will be a resource for investigators worldwide who wish to focus their efforts on NEC, its precipitants, and its prevention and cure.
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The Las Vegas Philharmonic Connoisseur Soiree I

Program listing performers and works performe

Developing an Understanding of Literacy through Production of Pop-Up Books

This article presents a series of activities with pop-up and other movable books which allow children to produce meaning and should further their understanding of literacy

A splice variant in KRT71 is associated with curly coat phenotype of Selkirk Rex cats.

One of the salient features of the domestic cat is the aesthetics of its fur. The Selkirk Rex breed is defined by an autosomal dominant woolly rexoid hair (ADWH) abnormality that is characterized by tightly curled hair shafts. A genome-wide case - control association study was conducted using 9 curly coated Selkirk Rex and 29 controls, including straight-coated Selkirk Rex, British Shorthair and Persian, to localize the Selkirk autosomal dominant rexoid locus (SADRE). Although the control cats were from different breed lineages, they share recent breeding histories and were validated as controls by Bayesian clustering, multi-dimensional scaling and genomic inflation. A significant association was found on cat chromosome B4 (Praw = 2.87 × 10(-11)), and a unique haplotype spanning ~600 Kb was found in all the curly coated cats. Direct sequencing of four candidate genes revealed a splice site variant within the KRT71 gene associated with the hair abnormality in Selkirk Rex

The role of adverse childhood experiences as determinants of non-suicidal self-injury among children and adolescents referred to community and inpatient mental health settings

The objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of, and determine the effect of adverse childhood experiences on non-suicidal self-injury among children and adolescents referred to community and inpatient mental health settings. Data for this study were obtained from the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health dataset. A total of 2038 children and adolescents aged 8–18 years (M = 12.49; SD = 2.88, 61.1% males) were analyzed. Binary logistic regression was fitted to identify predictors of non-suicidal self-injury as a function of adverse childhood experiences, depression, and social support while simultaneously controlling for age, gender, type of patient, legal guardianship, marital status of parents/caregivers, history of foster family placement, and mental health diagnoses. Of the 2038 children and adolescents examined, 592 (29%) of this clinical sample engaged in non-suicidal self-injury. In the multivariate logistic regression model, children and adolescents who were physically abused had 49% higher odds of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury and children and adolescents who were sexually abused had 60% higher odds of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury, when compared to their non-abused counterparts. Other predictors of non-suicidal self-injury include: older age, female gender, inpatient status, depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, disruptive behavior disorder, and mood disorders. Children and adolescents who had some form of social support had a 26% decrease in the odds of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury. Assessment procedures for indicators of mental health, particularly among children and adolescents with a history of adverse childhood experiences, should also take into account non-suicidal self-injury. In addition to bolstering social support networks, addressing depression and related emotion regulation skills in childhood may help prevent future non-suicidal self-injury behaviors

The mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents: Findings from community and inpatient mental health settings in Ontario, Canada

Although bullying victimization has been linked to a number of behavioral and emotional problems among adolescents, few studies have investigate the mechanism through which bullying victimization affect non-suicidal self-injury. The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of bullying victimization on non-suicidal self-injury and the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents. Data for this study came from the interRAI Child and Youth Mental Health dataset. A total of 1650 adolescents aged 12–18 years (M =14.56; SD =1.79; 54.2% males) were analyzed. Binary logistic and Poisson regression models were conducted to identify the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between bullying victimization and non-suicidal self-injury. Of the 1650 adolescents studied, 611 representing 37% engaged in non-suicidal self-injury and 26.7% were victims of bullying. The effect of bullying victimization on non-suicidal self-injury was partially mediated by depressive symptoms after adjusting for the effect of demographic characteristics, history of childhood abuse, social support, and mental health diagnoses. The contribution of bullying victimization and depression to non-suicidal self-injury adds to the case for the development of trauma-focused interventions in reducing the risk of non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents

The Dilemma of Basia's Pendant: European Community Design and the Protection of an Artist's Creations and Intellectual Property

This article is a description of the process of protecting a designer’s intellectual property through registration with the European Union Intellectual Property Office or EUIPO or through relying on the status of an Unregistered Community Design. The article discusses the registration process as well as the process of invalidation and considers issues relating to the enforcement of rights. Finally, the article focuses on whether a complaint about possible copyright infringement may be lodged against an online retailer or an online e-commerce website that offers unlicensed sales or unauthorized copies of a designer’s design by utilizing the descriptions or photographs of the designer