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The human gut is rich with anaerobic bacteria which have a fundamental role in maintaining homeostasis of the intestinal ecosystem. Carbohydrates are the main nutritional substrates for these beneficial gut bacteria. However, some bacteria cannot utilise these substrates, thus they rely on other bacteria to gain these molecules by cross-feeding mechanisms. During an in vitro study, Eubacterium rectale PC25 (a butyrate-producer) showed the highest microbial activity including optical density, pH change and gas production during growth on most fibres and starches, and in co-culture it cross-fed with a putative Eubacterium ventriosum PC31 strain. Dietary fibre and starch can significantly affect the composition of gut microbiota as well as impacting their fermentation acid production, and several bacterial species are associated with specific carbohydrates intake. In an in vivo study, consuming diets rich with barley β-glucan and whole grain wheat had different effects on the gut bacterial composition in eight hypercholesterolaemic volunteers, and there was a detection of Eubacterium genus within the bacterial composition before and after the diets. There was no significant change in concentrations of the major short-chain fatty acids or the cholesterol levels for these volunteers after consuming the diets. New techniques were developed to encapsulate an obligatory anaerobic bacterium for potential subsequent use as a probiotic or synbiotic. Microencapsulation with alginate was evaluated as a potential technique to enhance viability of E. rectale PC25 due to its observed abundance in vivo, and its high butyrate production in vitro. The microencapsulation technique showed promising results in protecting E. rectalePC25 from exposure to oxygen during storage and following exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In conclusion, E. rectale might be considered for development as a potential probiotic due to its beneficial health effects by producing high amount of butyrate, its ability to degrade many carbohydrates, and its interactions with other gut bacteria.

Aims: To investigate the remineralising potential of toothpastes with different formulations of fluoride (F): amine fluoride (AmF), sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP), sodium fluoride (NaF) and stannous fluoride (SnF) on artificial subsurface caries lesions in vitro. A secondary aim was to investigate the remineralising potential of toothpastes containing sodium fluoride (NaF) formulation at different F concentrations (500, 1000, 1450, 2800 and 5000 ppm F) on artificial subsurface caries lesions in vitro. Materials and methods: Bovine enamel slabs were subjected to a pH cycling model after 2 weeks of immersion in a demineralisation buffer, to produce subsurface enamel lesions. The pH cycling regime ran for 28 days. Enamel subsurface lesion images were taken using a Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence (QLF) system under controlled conditions at baseline and endpoint of the experiment. All fluorescence images were examined with analysing software (QA2 version 1.16; Inspektor Research Systems). Results: For the different F compounds, significant (p < 0.05) remineralising potential was observed for the NaF, SnF and MFP groups in descending order. Lesion remineralisation for the AmF and F-free groups was not significant. As for the different fluoride concentrations, all fluoride concentrations showed significant (p < 0.05) remineralisation potential when compared to the 0 ppm F control group, but no significance was found between groups. Conclusions: From the results of phase A of this in vitro study, it was concluded that: A statistically significant remineralisation of enamel subsurface lesions in comparison with the baseline was found in all groups except the AmF group. Furthermore, NaF toothpaste had the highest remineralising potential on artificial subsurface carious lesions in vitro, followed by SnF then MFP, while AmF was less than the F-free toothpaste. The results of phase B of this in vitro study, concluded that: A statistically significant remineralisation of enamel subsurface lesions in comparison with the baseline was found in all groups. However, there was no difference in the effect of toothpastes with sodium fluoride (NaF) formulation and different concentrations (500, 1000, 1450, 2800, and 5000 ppm F) on remineralisation of artificial subsurface carious lesions in vitro, and no apparent dose response was present related to the concentration of fluoride.

Members of the genus Campylobacter are a major cause of food-borne disease worldwide. They can colonize the intestinal mucosa of poultry, to high levels leading to contamination of meat, at slaughter. Their numbers can be reduced in different ways including chicken treatment with bacteriophages. For such treatments to be successful, in depth understanding of the bacteriophage that infects and kills campylobacters is vital. The work in this thesis describes: isolation and comprehensive characterisation of bacteriophage candidates for future therapy applications. In order to increase the available stocks of characterized candidate bacteriophage, a number of attempts were made to isolate bacteriophages from poultry excreta. The new isolates together with some uncharacterized phages from our laboratory stocks were characterized with respect to their host range and genomic size. Some bacteriophages preparations in previous studies showed genomes of different sizes and a number of attempts were done for their separation. This raised questions about the relationship between the two different sized genomes. Prior to this work, a co isolate pair had been successfully separated and the sequence of the larger genome, CP220, was determined. Part of the work here, was performed to extend this study by obtaining the sequence of the smaller co isolate, CPX and compare it to CP220. They did not appear to have any identifiable relationship at the genetic level, but the availability of the CPX sequence will further extend our knowledge of bacteriophage genetics and this phage has clear therapeutic potential. Attempts were also made to separate and characterize a second co-isolate pair but these were unsuccessful. The availability of the DNA sequence of CP220 allowed a much closer molecular characterisation and comparison of Campylobacter phage genomes, than had previously been possible. One area that was investigated in this study was the presence of repeat regions identified in the CP220 genome, which were amplified by PCR, but could not be cloned in E. coli. Furthermore, genes encoding potential lysins were identified in the CP220 genome and they were amplified, cloned and attempts were made to express the proteins, which may have potential therapeutic value. One gene product was successfully expressed and showed evidence of lytic activity on Campylobacter and other bacterial genera. In summary, this thesis describes a much closer examination of molecular biology of Campylobacter bacteriophage than had previously been possible, including the determination of the sequence CPX phage.

K. mikimotoi has been classified under many names and has been mis-assigned to different species and genera in the North Atlantic and Pacific because of its morphological similarities to other Gymnodinoid species. It is now known to be widely distributed, but there remain unresolved questions about whether K. mikimotoi was introduced into the North Sea from Japanese waters, or whether it has always inhabited this region and been erroneously classified as Gymnodinium spp. or has been a part of the hidden flora prior to be recognised in a bloom off the Norwegian coast in 1966. To address questions about geographical genetic variation within K. mikimotoi and broader issues about its biogeography it was deemed important to develop a suitable diagnostic molecular marker that could then be used to monitor the presence/absence of different K. mikimotoi ecotypes over long time scales in European waters. This study showed that the partial rDNA LSU (D1-D2) was too conserved to separate the different strains of K. mikimotoi, while, the ITS region was better able to discriminate between the different strains. However, the rbcL gene was the most informative gene and contained sufficient substitutions to separate the different strains of K. mikimotoi. Specific PCR-primers were designed to amplify a variable region of the rbcL gene able to distinguish differences between K. mikimotoi isolates from the different regions. The innovative high resolution melting temperature (HRM) technique based on specific primer set allowed rapid discrimination of K. mikimotoi from distinct geographic localities (= sequence variants) that differed by only a single nucleotide. Moreover, this study used archival environmental samples collected from the Celtic Sea shelf-break region. The high resolution melting temperature assay successfully detected the European K. mikimotoi isolate within the south-western English Channel in a 1963 sample, which is prior to thefirst report of a K. mikimotoi bloom in Norwegian waters in 1966 and in the south-western English Channel in 1975 and in western Japan in 1965. HRM observations were further validated using clone libraries and sequencing. In summary, this data provided more information about the genotypes present over the analysed timescales, revealing that K. mikimotoi sub-species 2 (European and New Zealand strains) was present in south-western English Channel and south-west Ireland for over 47 years, with sub-species 1 (the Japanese isolate) being absent from all examined samples. This finding supports the hypothesis that K. mikimotoi isolates within Europe are not of Japanese origin and suggests that they are native species to the region.

Forensic science is growing rapidly in the world today. During the past decade, medico-legal investigations have been highly expanded to include all areas of forensic science. The present study investigated three important aspects of forensic biology. First, this present project investigated, a total number of 5,703 reported medico-legal cases diagnosed as un-natural deaths by The Forensic Department in Kuwait, during the year 2003-2009. The results show that accidental, homicidal and suicidal deaths accounted for 86%, 8% and 6%, respectively. The results showed that most people who died of unnatural deaths were more predominant in the age group 20-29 years (third decade). Road Traffic Accidents accounted for 65% of accidental deaths, and 4% out of them were related to alcohol consumption. The results also illustrated that the highest rate of homicide in Kuwait was due to stab wound injuries (38%) compared to the lower rate of homicidal pattern for infanticides (3%). Similarly, the study showed that the most common method of suicide in Kuwait was death by hanging and this accounted for (60%). This study further demonstrated the effectiveness of virtual autopsy technique as a new tool in forensic investigations to determine various un-natural death causes. A total of thirty (30) male forensic cadavers were employed in this project. The cases were RTA (11), firearm injuries (10), drowning (4), head injuries (3) and lastly strangulation (2). All these cases were compared to the findings of traditional autopsy. The results show similar findings for virtopsy compared to traditional autopsy. This study clearly revealed that virtopsy could be an effective alternative in certain situation, being noninvasive and rapid. The present project also investigated 28 samples of human blood, saliva or semen. The experiments were done at four different temperatures (55°C, 37°C, 24°C and 4°C) and four different humidity ranges (41%, 55%, 58% and 61%), respectively. The results showed that, DNA quantity in blood, saliva and semen samples remained more or less the same at temperatures of 4°C, 24°C and 37°C compared to values for day one with all other days. In contrast, when the temperature was raised to 55 °C, the DNA started to degrade with time until it reached zero at day 12 for saliva and day 15 for blood, but not for semen. The results clearly show that DNA in saliva and blood samples is extremely sensitive to heat compared to semen. In conclusion, the study reveals the different causes of unnatural deaths, the value of virtual autopsy and the need for early DNA measurement in Kuwait.

Effective national food control systems are essential to ensure the safety of food and to protect consumers. They are also critical in enabling countries to assure the safety and quality of foods entering international trade and to ensure that imported foods conform to national requirements (FAO, 2007). During recent years, GCC countries have moved to update and strengthen their systems and infrastructure for food control. Progressive efforts have been made both at national and regional level to strengthen capacity in food safety and quality. Despite the efforts of capacity building performed within the national food control systems in the Region, countries still have fragmented systems and the situation is far from being adequate as many problems continue to persist. The high import dependence together with new foodborne risks and the emergence of serious transboundary food threats have highlighted the challenges to securing safe and good quality food as well as protecting consumers. An overview and assessment of the food control situation has outlined some of the most important issues and has generated several recommendations providing guidance as to how the food control systems in the region can rise to the challenges identified, stressing the importance of a risk based food chain approach and regional collaboration. A detailed assessment of the food control system in Kuwait has identified organisational needs and gaps and has provided recommendations to help in the . development, implementation and enhancement of food control. Analysing progress in the UAB, where HACCP has been incorporated into their national food control system, has highlighted the importance of HACCP as a food control tool and has emphasized the role of government agencies in driving/encouraging the successful implementation of HACCP-based food control systems. Evaluating the system in Saudi Arabia has revealed the advantages and challenges of reforming and streamlining food control activities with a central authority to lead food safety enforcement. An overview of the current food control systems in each of Bahrain, Oman and Qatar has also been presented, contributing to the overall analysis. With these findings, the performance of each GCC country has been benchmarked against internationally accepted criteria, resulting in a compliance percentage score for each country. Finally, a proposal is made to establish a GCC Central Food Safety Authority to encourage the development of a common and integral GCC food policy; act as a scientific point of reference for the entire region and facilitate harmonisation between the member States. This thesis hence provides guidelines that would assist the competent authorities of GCC national governments and other governments of the world, in the development and improvement of their national food control systems.

In many research fields such as medicine, psychology, management and zoology, large numbers of variables are sometimes measured on each individual. As a result, the researcher will end up with a huge data set consisting of large number of variables, say p. Using this collected data set in any statistical analyses may cause several troubles. Thus, many cases demand a prior selection of the best subset of variables of size q, with q « p, to represent the entire data set in any data analysis. Evidently, the best subset of size q for some specified objective can always be determined by investigating systematically all possible subsets of size q, but such a procedure may be computationally difficult especially for large p. Also, in many applications, when a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is done on a large number of variables, the resultant Principal Components (PCs) may not be easy to interpret. To aid interpretation, it is useful to reduce the number of variables as much as possible whilst capturing most of the variation of the complete data set, X. Thus, this thesis is aimed to reduce the studied number of variables in a given data set by selecting the best q out of p measured variables to highlight the main features of a structured data set as well as aiding the simultaneous interpretation of the first k (covariance or correlation) PCs. This desired aim can be achieved by generating several artificial data sets having different types of structures such as nearly independent variables, highly dependent variables and clustered variables. Then, for each structure, several Variable Selection Criteria (VSC) are applied in order to retain some subsets of size q. The efficiencies of these subsets retained are measured in order to determine the best criteria for retaining subsets of size q. Finally, the general results obtained from the entire artificial data analyses are evaluated on some real data sets having interesting covariance and correlation structures.

Even before the 1990 war the populations of some areas of Kuwait was subject to severe atmospheric pollution. However, little was known about the effect of this pollution on health and on the use of health care. Three areas in Kuwait were chosen for study which were demographically similar and lay at a different distances to the north (i.e. usually downwind) of the industrial area. Plant in this area emits hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and carbon monoxide among other pollutants. A special survey was carried out to gather information on demographic, health and lifestyle factors including age, sex, place of residence, smoking, physical symptoms, psychological effects, life satisfaction, environmental problems, experience of air pollution and use of health care. A random sample of 136 households (1140 persons) was chosen from the three areas and studied over the period from lst February 1988 to 31st January 1989. Data on levels of pollution concentrations and meteorological conditions were also collected over the same period for each area studied. Data on use of health care were available from the health centres in the three areas studied and also from the population survey. The demographic similarity of the three areas studied was generally confirmed by the data from population survey. The relationships involved were examined for different age groups using cross tabulation, time series analysis and regression analysis. There were clear gradients with increased distance from the industrial area in levels of pollution, levels of selfreported physical and psychological symptoms and in the use of health care. Of the individual pollutants it appeared that carbon monoxide levels were most closely correlated with levels of symptoms. For those aged less than 18, the link to CO was closest for respiratory symptoms, while for those aged 18 to 64 the link was with headache. The use of primary care is more closely linked to H2S although this relationship is relatively weak. Consider the relationship between levels of pollution in the three areas studied and Kuwait City and the levels of pollution in Shuaiba area taking meteorological conditions into account. The purpose of this was to allow for estimates of the effect of pollution reduction in Shuaiba on the health of population elsewhere in the country. However, no way was and of making such estimates with sufficient prison. This analysis confirmed a number of recommendations that have been made by others.

The purpose of this research was to determine the perceptions of physical education teachers and supervisors toward the secondary physical education program in eight domains in the State of Kuwait. Stratified and cluster sampling were used to select two schools of female teachers and two schools of male teachers from each district (6 districts); therefore, 24 schools were selected randomly. One hundred thirty-eight physical education teachers were selected and 66 supervisors were selected. A four-point rating scale (i.e., strongly disagree to strongly agree) and open-ended questions were included in the survey. Cronbach's alpha reliability, descriptive statistics, and independent sample t tests were used in this study. The response rate of physical education teachers was 94% and the response rate of supervisors was 80%. The results of this research indicated that physical educators and supervisors had very negative perceptions toward safety factors in physical education, the evaluation process of the physical education program, and the society's view toward physical education. Also, physical educators and supervisors had negative perceptions toward the program content, equipment, and the role of physical education teachers. However, physical educators and supervisors had somewhat positive perceptions toward the student relationship with physical educators and the school administration. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

One of the most urgent tasks facing Kuwait is the conversion of oil receipts into Productive Physical assets and the achievement of accelerated economic growth, linked to a need to diversify the economy by encouraging other economic sectors, such as manufacturing industries, to increase their share in the economy. The development of industry should help absorb some of the surplus capital derived from oil revenues, and create a wider economic base and help in diversifying the economy. There are many reasons for the diversification process in Kuwait, which is heavily dependent on the oil sector as a main source of revenue and foreign exchange, as we will see later, but the main one is the fact that oil deposits will be exhausted in the future. This thesis is composed of three parts. Part one serves as a background to the study. It outlines some of the physical aspects of the country such as its relief, surface rock types and the major climatic conditions. It also presents some of the problems facing economic growth in Kuwait and some theoretical approaches, which can be used as tools in solving development problems in the country. Part two seeks to investigate and examine some factors influencing industrial development in Kuwait and tries to assess the role of each one of them. These factors are: Infrastructure, Finance, Market, Natural Resources, Administrative competence, Labour Force and finally Industrial Pollution. Part three, based on the above investigation, seeks to draw out a comprehensive strategy for industrial development in Kuwait and to advocate some policies and measures for the application of the proposed strategy. The final section presents an overview of the findings of the survey and outlines some conclusions and recommendations relevant to industrial development in Kuwait.

Abstract: Background: Teledentistry uses telecommunication and information technologies to provide dental care remotely. This can include real-time consultations with a dentist or dental specialist and transmitting diagnostic information such as x-rays and images to other health care providers for consultation. Teledentistry has been used in various forms for several decades but has seen increased adoption recently due to technological advancements and the need for remote healthcare options. It is beneficial in rural areas where access to dental care can be limited and can help reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. It has been proposed that teledentistry can be used for various oral medicine needs such as diagnosis and treatment planning, patient education and monitoring, and follow-up care. Despite having existed since the 1990s, teledentistry was rapidly and widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study aims to determine the accuracy and reliability of teledentistry for diagnosing non-emergent oral soft tissue lesions using conventional examination as a gold standard. Methods: Patients referred to the Oral Medicine Graduate Clinic at the University of Alberta and who have access to electronic devices, such as a computer, laptop, or tablet, were given the option to be entered into the study. Those who met the inclusion criteria and consented to participate in the study were contacted by a treatment coordinator who further discussed the next steps of both visits (virtual and in-person visits). Results: We examined 48 participants in our study, and our study's results revealed a high degree of concordance between the virtual and in-person diagnoses of oral lesions made by the student. There was an almost perfect agreement when the instructors provided a diagnosis. During virtual and in-person patient visits, there was substantial agreement between the student and instructor regarding the diagnosis. There was evidence of homogeneity variances among intra- and inter-observer variability. This further supports the use of teledentistry to diagnose non-emergent soft tissue oral pathologic conditions. The results of the inter-method reliability between two students’ ratings (virtual vs clinical) were 0.951 - statistically significant. While the inter-method reliability results between two different instructors’ ratings (virtual vs clinical) were also 0.951 - statistically significant. On the other hand, the results of the inter-method reliability between the student and Instructor A ratings (virtual only) were 0.731 - substantial agreement, and the results of the inter-method reliability between the student and Instructor B ratings (clinical only) was 0.707 - statistically substantially significant. Patients were satisfied with both virtual and conventional examinations. Conclusions: According to the findings, teledentistry is potentially an accurate method for diagnosing non-emergent soft tissue oral pathologic conditions. It also provides graduate oral medicine students with adequate learning opportunities. In addition, patients were satisfied with both virtual and conventional examinations. The results obtained have been encouraging. However, additional prospective multicenter trials with many participants must confirm our findings.

Architectural historians dated the project of modernity in Kuwait in 1948. This dissertation questioned the start date and proved that Kuwait presents alternative modernity shaped by a continuous process of change that relies on the political, economic, and social changes happening within the city or nearby cities. Kuwait’s modernity was visible through its architecture four decades earlier, starting from the early twentieth century. The project investigates nation-building and modernity in Kuwait during the early twentieth century under the leadership of Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah. Looking at the architecture and spatial formation of four newly developed institutions: Seif Palace, the British Political Agency (BPA), al-Mubarakia school, and the American Mission Hospital. Architecture was used as a primary factor in constructing an independent city-state that emphasized the political powers through the building of institutions. Each building prototype added a layer to the process of constructing a national identity to the newly developing independent city. The struggle between Sheikh Mubarak al-Sabah and foreign powers created a platform for Kuwait’s modernity that sparked but did not take it further. Kuwaiti governmental buildings continue to produce the same solo national identity: Muslim, Sunni, Bedouin, and Arab. The one selected national identity ignores the complex social and cultural backgrounds of Kuwait’s residents.

Information Quality has emerged as an important measure for the success of Information Systems. At the same time the World Wide Web has established itself as the key infrastructure for information administration, exchange, and publication. Users are getting information from the web at the click of a button however they must filter sub-standard information before they can use quality content. Researchers have aimed to address this problem by suggesting various information quality frameworks. Research till date has seen twenty important Information Quality (IQ) frameworks emerge. These models though varied in their approach and application share a number of characteristics regarding their classifications of the attributes of quality. A new framework for the measurement of information quality is developed and twenty two information quality dimensions are identified for measuring information quality in context of the web from a user perspective. An online survey instrument is used for data collection. The research argues that WWW is not a homogeneous entity and should be understood from individual aspects of three independent variables of web domain, type of website and end user nationality to arrive at its conclusion. Results highlight nine IQ dimensions which are important across the whole web environment, while thirteen dimensions have contextual importance and vary across web domain and national culture.

This study seeks to explore, and in exploring to describe, and illuminate, Al-Amal a private bilingual school in Kuwait that adapts and implements a curriculum designed by U.S. educators in three main academic subjects (English, science, and mathematics), while at the same time, focuses extensively on an Islamic studies curriculum. The main incentive for selecting this focus was the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Since that date, the mass media have paid much attention to Islam and to Muslim society, particularly to its educational system, which has usually been viewed with skepticism (Charif, 2002; Rugh, 2002). This study focuses on a single school, for the general insight it can offer into a number of related research questions: How do Islamic parents who send their children to this school define the spiritual and/or religious needs they want their children to possess, and what role does the school play in fulfilling such needs? How do spiritual/religious and academic needs intersect within the formal curriculum at the school, as a result of daily interactions between teachers and children? Finally, in the midst of increased westernization and globalization, how do the teachers of this school negotiate the influences of western values on their students and curriculum? By exploring the nature, philosophy, and context of one Islamic school, this study seeks to enable readers to understand more fully and accurately how those involved with such an institution cope with the various challenges they meet in the global sphere. To reach its goal, this study utilizes a number of research methods and tools, including direct observation, interviews, a research diary and reflection, and a traditional literature review. Ultimately, this study suggests that Al- Amal possesses unique complexities and contradictions. Those characteristics derive from the institution's transformation of traditional Islamic schooling in order to prepare its students for life in the global arena and from its desire to develop both academically and spiritually a new generation of Muslims better able to cope with the challenges they confront in this arena.