Dissertations / Theses on the topic '43A99'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: 43A99.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic '43A99.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Zeng, Kai. "Some problems in harmonic analysis on twsited crossed products." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 2023. http://www.theses.fr/2023UBFCD048.
Abstract:
Cette thèse a pour but d’étudier quelques problèmes dans l'analyse harmonique sur les produits croisés tordus qui sont définis par des actions tordues d'un groupe localement compact G sur une algèbre de von Neumann M. Elle se compose de deux parties. La première porte sur les produits croisés tordus et leurs multiplicateurs de Fourier et de Schur. Nous démontrons que la propriété d’être QWEP pour l’algèbre de von Neumann tordue d’un groupe G est indépendante du 2-cocycle sous-ajacent et que les Lp-multiplicateurs de Fourier complètement bornés sur cette algèbre tordue sont aussi indépendants du 2-cocycle. Sous l’hypothèse d’une action moyennable, nous établissons plusieurs résultats de transfert entre les multiplicateurs de Fourier et de Schur sur les espaces Lp non-commutatifs du produit croisé tordu.Dans la deuxième partie, nous étudions les commutateurs de multiplicateurs de Fourier sur le produit croisé tordu d’un espace euclidien. Nous caractérisons leur appartenance à la p-classes de Schatten par celle de leurs symboles à un espace de Besov associé. Cette partie contient aussi une formule sur la trace de Dixmier qui nous donne également une caractérisation de l’appartenance de ces commutateurs à une p-classe de Schatten faible par un espace de Sobolev. En particulier, nos résultats s'appliquent au cas d’un espace euclidien quantiqueThis thesis is devoted to the study of some problems in the harmonic analysis on twisted crossed products defined by twisted actions of a locally compact group G on a von Neumann algebra M. It consists of two parts. The first concerns twisted crossed products and their Fourier and Schur multipliers. We prove that the property of being QWEP for the twisted von Neumann algebra of a group G is independent of the underlying 2-cocycle and that the completely bounded Lp-Fourier multipliers on this twisted algebra are also independent of the 2-cocycle. Under the hypothesis of an amenable action, we establish several transference results between the Fourier and Schur multipliers on the noncommutative Lp spaces of the twisted crossed product.In the second part, we study Fourier multiplier commutators on the twisted crossed product of an Euclidean space. We characterize their Schatten p-class membership by that of their symbols in the associated Besov space. In addition, this part contains a formula on the Dixmier trace, which also gives us a characterization of the weak Schatten p-class membership of these commutators by a Sobolev space. In particular, our results apply to the case of quantum Euclidean spaces
2
Zhou, Quan. "Performance portfolio." Thesis, University of Salford, 2017. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/43699/.
Abstract:
This DMA portfolio contains materials and a written critical commentary relating to the work I have completed towards a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance degree at the University of Salford. My doctoral programme consists of four performance-based projects and some public performances: 1. CD recording: Chinese traditional piano music (recorded in Salford); 2. Public piano recital in Peel Hall, University of Salford; 3. Lecture at the University of Salford; 4. Cross-disciplinary concert performance and recording (Wuhan); 5. Public concert performances; 6. Supporting material. The portfolio itself contains the following: • A written commentary explaining the history and significance of Chinese traditional piano music, and the background about the projects that I undertook for the doctoral programme. • Video and Audio recordings of public performances and concerts, early recordings • Concert and recital programmes of public performances • News and interviews of the public performances • The published Articles and reviews published in newspapers, journals and online • Magazines and news of interviews, documentary • Awards • Supporting material showing my professional standing and significant past and current activity as an internationally recognised concert pianist and educator with a specialist interest in bridging Eastern and Western cultures. The portfolio illustrates various roles in which I have been an ambassador for Chinese traditional piano music, which I explore and develop in the context of western society. I have been involved on a number of levels, from soloist performer, recording artist and collaborator with other artists in different fields, researcher and author, through to devising and writing concert programme notes and producing recital and concerts. It is in these ways that the work captured in this portfolio represents a significant addition to existing knowledge, commensurate with the Doctor of Musical Arts awards.
3
Themelis, Kristy. "Investigating the effects of multisensory illusions on pain and body perception." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2017. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43299/.
Abstract:
The amount of pain we feel is not always directly related to the amount of damage our body suffers. In fact, research over the last decade has shown that the experience of pain is strongly linked with how we feel about our body, including its shape and how much we like it. Chronic pain is associated with a distorted mental representation of the body, which can have a significant impact on everyday live. Evidence suggests that multisensory illusions can modulate pain and can lead to changes in body perception. However, the factors that may contribute to previously observed analgesic effects remain unclear. This thesis aimed to systematically asses the effects of these illusions on pain and body representation in both healthy individuals and individuals with chronic pain. First, this thesis aimed to investigate the effects of multisensory illusions on body representation, sense of body ownership, and pain in healthy individuals. Chapter 2 found that multisensory illusions can alter perceived body shape, body satisfaction, without losing ownership. Chapter 3 examined whether distorting the size and shape of the virtual hand could modulate pain in healthy participants. No evidence was found for this, which could indicate that pain is not necessarily affected by virtual body ownership over a distorted hand. Having established that multisensory illusions can alter body perception and the affective experience of the body, the second aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of multisensory illusions on body representation, body ownership, and pain in individuals with hand osteoarthritis (HOA). Chapter 4 investigated whether people with HOA performed differently on a hand laterality motor task to investigate whether people with HOA present with a disruption of the working body schema. Though no evidence was found for a general impairment on this task, the findings suggested that performance on the task was mediated by the presence of pain. Chapter 5 investigated effects of multisensory illusions on pain and pain sensitivity in individuals with HOA. The results demonstrated that viewing the body could modulate pain; and affected body representation, body ownership, and agency. Chapter 6 examined the effects of multisensory illusions on subjective and objective aspects of body perception in people with HOA of the hands, compared to healthy controls. Though no evidence was found for an analgesic effect of the illusion, results showed that participants with HOA have a disturbed experience of the size of their hand compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the results suggest that individuals with HOA may have an abnormally high body dissatisfaction that cannot readily be altered by multisensory illusions. This thesis found mixed support for the analgesic effects of multisensory illusions on pain in HOA and concludes that the specific context in which pain occurs is important. It also highlights the many perceptual and cognitive factors that may contribute to the modulation of pain. The findings imply that future work should focus on interventions that are more portable and accessible for home use, and focus on developing research around the effects of repeated and prolonged exposure to multisensory illusions on pain, body image disturbances and body dissatisfaction.
4
Wang, Hong. "Study of Chinese household cooking practices : energy and cooking fumes." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2017. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/43499/.
Abstract:
First, this research has attempted to identify the underlying reasons for high Chinese family cooking energy consumption. Second, this research has tried to identify ways of reducing Chinese kitchen cooking fume pollution. The literature review indicated that, although cooking energy takes one of the largest proportions of residential building energy consumption, previous studies in this area have not been enough. The published knowledge found indicates that urban residential buildings takes 1/4 of the national building energy consumption (excluding heating). This portion has grown continuously since 2001 in terms of energy consumption intensity (kgce/m2). Among household energy (excluding heating), cooking, home appliances and lighting are the three largest energy end users. Although the increase in cooking energy is low, partially attributed to wide adaptation to gas cooking fuel instead of coal fuel in China, it still takes the largest household energy consumption: 31% in 2011. Many research papers report different results based on field measurements of household energy end users, some of which show conflicting results. However, the literature review has confirmed that in China cooking energy consumes the second-largest amount of household energy after space heating. The literature review also pointed out that, although compared with Western counterparts, Chinese residential buildings consume less national energy, cooking takes a large percentage of household energy. A further literature review showed little valuable information underpinning the reasons for high cooking energy use in Chinese households. Some overseas research papers give hints regarding cooking energy and cooking techniques, cookware, and occupant behaviour. However, the difference in food culture traditions has led to a greater difference between Western and Chinese cooking techniques. Compared with Western countries, Chinese hot dishes require a greater number of cooking techniques. In order to find out more details of cooking energy and fume generation in real Chinese home kitchen conditions, the author used a series of research methodologies to measure and test home energy and cooking fume concentration. The results reconfirm that cooking energy is the second-largest home energy end user after space heating, along with other findings. These other findings include: • The four largest energy end users in northern Chinese households are space heating, cooking, hot water and entertainment. • Hot water, lighting and entertainment energy consumption have clear seasonal characteristics i.e., daily consumption is low in summer and high in winter. This is because of the colder weather in winter (demanding more energy to heat water) and longer nights in winter (with a longer indoor entertainment time and a greater requirement for lighting in the evening). • Daily cooking energy consumption in a given family is almost fixed, although the difference between different families is large. This could lead to further study on the underlying reasons for the difference between families. The most important finding in the research is the discovery of the relationship between home cooking energy and family life cycle. A strong relation was observed between these two factors. This was confirmed by the measurement of the test families as well as the survey of 70 random selected families. The relation is, therefore, denoted as the CookEUI (cooking energy use intensity) of the different family life cycles. Following the data analysis and survey, it was also found that the cooking energy for a certain family life cycle was constant, i.e., locked in an FLC stage until the stage changed. Finally, a database was built into the IES energy simulation using figures found in the research. This represents significant progress in home energy study. Before discovering cooking EUI, cooking energy in most pieces of energy simulation software was treated as a process load with a constant figure. A literature review of a large number of research papers concluded that cooking fumes have an adverse impact on people’s health. In China, a typical housewife spends about 4 hours in the kitchen every day, preparing and cooking meals. A comfortable and healthy cooking environment is critical for cooks’ health. It was also found that COF emissions in Western and Chinese kitchens differed largely in mass concentration. Cooking method, cooking oil and cooking temperature all contribute to the difference. Many other researchers have investigated the details of hood systems and their construction features in order to understand their efficiency in removing cooking fumes. However, most of the research has been based on commercial kitchen application. There is very little research on home kitchen hood efficiency. Research also points out that natural ventilation in the kitchen space has a certain amount of influence on the capture efficiency of an exhaust system. For example, opening the door is more efficient than opening a window. In this research, the measurements of kitchen PM2.5 and PM10 were carried out in real home kitchen cooking conditions. The relation between PM2.5 and PM10 emissions and different Chinese cooking methods was measured. It was found that deep frying and stir frying discharged the most PM2.5, while boiling emitted the least. A typical PM2.5 discharging pattern in Chinese cooking was observed. The pattern showed a sharp increase in PM2.5 concentration in the beginning at breath level with a drop afterwards because of the using up of cooking oil or the rising of water steam to a higher level. A small sub-surge was observed after the first selection because the downward flow of cold air brought high-level PM2.5 down to breath level. A very interesting finding observed when using tracer gas to measure kitchen cooking hood efficiency was the large difference between the airflow rate listed on the kitchen fume hood nameplate and the airflow rate measured in real kitchen conditions. On the nameplate of the cooking hood, airflow was rated as 800 m3/h at medium speed, while in the tracer gas testing the flow rate was a maximum of 175 m3/h when all the kitchen windows and the door were open. This finding reinforces the experiment conclusion by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for the seven representative devices they tested, whereby, according to Chen (2012), the capture efficiency varied from less than 15% to more than 98%. Identifying the airborne moving characteristics of PM2.5 can be used to help redesign ventilation systems for Chinese home kitchens. The traditional way of enhancing cooking fume removal efficiency is to increase the fan discharge pressure head. This leads to increased energy consumption. It also has less effect on removing PM2.5 particles, since, unlike PM10, PM2.5 is affected by airflow rate more significantly than air velocity. The proposed new ventilation system is intended to treat PM2.5 and PM10 separately. PM10 will be removed by the filter in recirculation devices and PM2.5 will be exhausted by a direct venting fan with replacement air. In this way, less energy is used and the system is more efficient at removing kitchen PM2.5.
5
Bruno, Cosima. "Contemporary Chinese poetry in translation." Thesis, SOAS, University of London, 2003. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/4399/.
6
Parmar, Manish M. "Polymorph selection with morphology control using solvents and additives." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4399/.
Abstract:
Sulphathiazole is a highly polymorphic model system exhibiting at least five polymorphic forms: I, II, III, IV, and V. Polymorph stability is known to be susceptible to solvent environment, and it is established that 1-propanol stabilizes the most metastable form I. This study examines the effect of a range of alcohols on polymorph selection and attempts to elucidate the mechanism. The role of the alcohol functional group in the polymorph selection process is thus investigated and evaluated. Crystals were characterized using optical microscopy, SEM, PXRD, DSC, IR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction for their polymorphic identity. The role of solvent in the stabilization of polymorphs was investigated by visualizing and calculating energy requirements for the interaction of each solvent molecule with α- and β-dimers of sulphathiazole, using Cerius2 modeling software and GRID based systematic search simulation. These studies showed that solvent had a significant impact on polymorph selection. In common with 1-propanol, 1-butanol was found to stabilize form I by inhibiting the formation of the β-dimer, which is necessary for nucleation of and transformation to forms II-IV. Shorter chain alcohols and branched chain alcohols such as methanol, 2-propanol, and ethanol did not stabilize form I but stabilized forms II, III, and IV, respectively, showing that it is not only the alcohol functionality but also the steric effects of the alkyl chain that contributed to the effect. Sulphathiazole form I normally has a needlelike morphology. Form I with a modified rodlike morphology was produced by crystallization from 1-propanol with the addition of methanol in low concentration, showing that it is possible to control the morphology and selectively isolate polymorphs. Indomethacin is known to exhibit at least five polymorphs but only the stable γ Form and metastable α Form are reported to be reliably produced by standard methods. The metastable α Form has an undesirable fibrous needle-like morphology. The current study focused on producing crystals of α Indomethacin with a well-defined morphology using additives. Adipic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid and structurally related 3-indoleacetic acid were selected as additives and their impact on the morphology and polymorphism of indomethacin were investigated in this study. Additives did not change the needle-like morphology of α-indomethacin but less fibrous and less aggregated well defined needles were observed in presence of adipic acid, oleic acid and 3-indole-3-acetic acid.
7
Di, Staso Nicola <1981>. "Modificazioni soggettive del rapporto obbligatorio e garanzie reali." Doctoral thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2012. http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/4399/.
Abstract:
Lo studio del lato soggettivo del rapporto è centrale nella teoria dell’obbligazione. Ci si chiede se la modificazione di una o anche di entrambe le parti del rapporto determini sempre la sua estinzione o se, invece, si conservi la sua unitarietà oggettiva. La risposta a questo interrogativo è stata diversa a seconda delle diverse epoche storiche. Nel diritto romano si riteneva che la variazione di qualunque soggetto determinasse l’estinzione del rapporto e la costituzione di una nuova obbligazione (novazione soggettiva). Tale soluzione è stata osteggiata dai codificatori moderni per i quali, in caso di modifica delle personae non si ha estinzione del rapporto, ma solo il mutamento di uno dei suoi elementi.
Quanto ai diritti di garanzia, in particolare l’ipoteca, i principi generali essenzali sono la specialità e l’accessorietà. Quest’ultima caratteristica è dirimente in caso di modificazione soggettiva del rapporto e ciò emerge in sede di trattazione delle singole fattispecie del Codice Civile che la determinano, sia quanto al creditore sia quanto al debitore.
Per velocizzare il subentro nel credito, nel 2007 è stato approvato il decreto Bersani (sulla portabilità del mutuo) che ha consentito di rimuovere vincoli a tale circolazione, nell’ambito dei rapporti bancari.
Le caratteristiche della modificazione del rapporto obbligatorio, tuttavia, possono minare l’efficacia della riforma Bersani.
Questo è il motivo per il quale taluni studiosi ritengono necessario procedere a un’ampia rivisitazione dell’intero diritto ipotecario, eliminando, sulla scia di quanto accaduto in altri ordinamenti europei, il requisito dell’accessorietà del vincolo. Nonostante ciò, a causa dei rischi connessi a questa riforma, si ritiene preferibile affinare il meccanismo di perfezionamento della portabilità, eliminandone le criticità, senza però pregiudicare le sicurezze dell’attuale sistema giuridico, di cui l’accessorietà dell’ipoteca rispetto al credito costituisce un importante caposaldo.The study about the subjective side of the legal relationship is pivotal in the theory of the obligation. The question is whether the modification of one or even both parts always entails its extinction or whether its objective unity is preserved. The answer has been different depending on historic ages. In the Roman law, the variation of any subject entailed the extinction of the relationship and the constitution of a new obligation (subjective novation). Such solution has been opposed by modern legislators, for whom, in case of modification of the personae, not the extinction of the relationship, but only the change of one of its elements happens. As for the property secutities, especially the mortgage, the essential general principles are the specialty and the accesority. The latter feature is crucial in case of subjective modification of the relationship, and this emerges in the dissertation about the singles typologies of the Italian Civil Code that determines it, in both active and passive point of view. In order to quicken the transfer of the credit, in the 2007 the “Bersani Decree” (on the portability of the loan), that allowed to remove the ties of the credit circulation in the banking relationships area, was approved. The features of the modification of the obligatory relations, however, can undermine the effectiveness of the Bersoni reform. This is the reason why some scholars support a vast review of the whole mortgage law, removing, in the light of what occurred in other European systems, the requirement of the acessority of the tie. Nevertheless, due to the risks related to this reform, refining the mechanism of improvement of the portability is considered preferable, while removing the criticalities without compromising the certainties of the present system, of which the acessority of the mortgage is an important foundation.
8
Coyle, Jesse Aaron. "Optimization of nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical terrorism incidence models through the use of simulated annealing Monte Carlo and iterative methods." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/43599.
Abstract:
A random search optimization method based off an analogous process for the slow cooling of metals is explored and used to find the optimum solution for a number of regression models that analyze nuclear, radiological, biological,and chemical terrorism targets. A non-parametric simulation based off of historical data is also explored. Simulated series of 30 years and a 30 year extrapolation of historical data are provided. The inclusion of independent variables used in the regression analysis is based off existing work in the reviewed literature. CBRN terrorism data is collected from both the
Monterey Institute's Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism Database as well as from the START Global Terrorism Database. Building similar models to those found in the literature and running them against CBRN terrorism incidence data determines if conventional terrorism indicator variables are also significant predictors of CBRN terrorism targets. The negative binomial model was determined to be the best regression model available for the data analysis. Two general types of models are developed, including an economic development model and a political risk model. From the economic development model we find that national GDP, GDP per capita, trade openness, and
democracy to significant indicators of CBRN terrorism targets. Additionally from the political risk model we find corrupt, stable, and democratic regimes more likely to
experience a CBRN event. We do not find language/religious fractionalization to be a significant predictive variable. Similarly we do not find ethnic tensions, involvement in external conflict, or a military government to have significant predictive value.
9
Hostetler, Dana M. "New methods for the examination of poor quality medicines." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/43699.
Abstract:
The production and distribution of counterfeit drugs is a critical health problem that plagues nations worldwide. The presence of counterfeit antimalarials has become especially worrying, as these drugs are most often needed by those living in nations whose resources to verify the medicine supply are lacking. Rapid analysis methods used for screening large quantities of poor quality antimalarials are critical in the battle to protect those in less developed regions of the world. Simple, cost effective analysis methods that can be used in the field must be developed so those whose governments cannot afford to maintain medicine regulatory agencies can still have faith in their medicinal supply.
A very powerful screening method, Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) has been used to investigate thousands of poor quality medicines. This method, however, is known to fragment molecules more readily than commonly used, 'softer' ionization methods, such as electrospray ionization. Excess fragmentation in 'harder' ionization sources is due to deposition of additional internal energy to the ionized molecules. This internal energy deposition can be measured, so the analyst can be knowledgeable as to what to expect when examining unknowns using this recently developed ionization source.
Quantitation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in pharmaceuticals is crucial to the determination of what class a poor quality medicine fits into. Because poor quality drugs can be of different types, it is important to accurately classify them, in hopes of improving the supply of medicines available to those in less developed regions of the world. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is most commonly used to quantify the active pharmaceutical ingredient in poor quality medicines, however, this method is time consuming, preventing its use in high throughput settings.
During the course of my research, hundreds of poor quality pharmaceuticals were analyzed using DART-MS. The active pharmaceutical ingredient was detected during the rapid screening for many of these drugs, however, a more in depth analysis would often reveal less than the expected quantity of active ingredient. A rapid non-chromatographic quantitation method was developed using a mass spectrometer as the detector. This method allows for both quantitative and qualitative information regarding a specific sample to be obtained simultaneously, saving the analyst time and resources. Utilizing this non- chromatographic mass spectrometric method, degradation products have been identified, thus increasing our ability to classify drugs into their respective divisions.
10
Domingues, Lidiane Priscila. "Fécula de batata na alimentação de cães." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFPR, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1884/43399.
Abstract:
Orientador : Profª. Drª. Ananda P. FélixCo-orientadora : Profª. Drª. Ana Rosalia Mendes
Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia. Defesa: Curitiba, 24/03/2016
Inclui referências : f. 24-27-38-52-53
Área de concentração : Nutrição e produção animal
Resumo: A proximidade entre os cães e seus tutores induz a busca de dietas cada vez mais elaboradas, contribuindo para o surgimento de novos nichos no setor. É o caso das chamadas dietas grain free, caracterizadas por elevados teores de proteína e lipídios e substituição dos grãos por fontes mais complexas de amido, como é o caso da batata. Objetivou-se avaliar as características do extrusado, os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente (CDA), características fecais e palatabilidade de dietas com crescentes níveis de fécula de batata (FBT) para cães adultos e filhotes. Quatro dietas contendo 0, 10, 20 e 30% de FBT, em substituição ao milho, foram avaliadas em três experimentos. O primeiro consistiu na avaliação das características físicas das dietas durante e após seu processamento. Para digestibilidade e características fecais (Experimento 2) foram comparadas as quatro dietas, com 8 cães adultos (7 anos) e 16 filhotes (6 meses). No teste de preferência alimentar (Experimento 3) foram comparadas as dietas: 0 vs 10% de FBT e 0 vs 30% de FBT, utilizando 16 cães filhotes. Dietas com maior nível de FBT apresentaram maior tamanho de extrusado, índice de expansão, maior dureza, e maior número de poros enquanto a densidade foi reduzida (P<0,001). A inclusão de FBT aumentou o gasto com energia mecânica na extrusão. A inclusão de FBT aumentou (P<0,05) os CDA da matéria seca (MS), energia bruta (EB) e energia metabolizável (EM) da dieta, tanto nos cães adultos como em filhotes e da proteína bruta (PB) e amido total (AT) apenas em filhotes. A matéria seca fecal (MSf) elevou-se com a inclusão de FBT nas dietas, tanto para cães adultos como filhotes (P<0,05). A inclusão de FBT nas dietas reduziu os níveis de nitrogênio amoniacal das fezes dos cães filhotes (P<0,05). Os cães preferiram as dietas com maior inclusão de FBT (P<0,05), quando as umidades das dietas foram igualadas. A adição de FBT na dieta resulta em extrusados com alto índice de expansão, baixa densidade e maior tamanho. A FBT é uma boa fonte de amido para cães adultos e principalmente para filhotes, melhorando os coeficientes de digestibilidade da maioria dos componentes da dieta e aumentando a MSf, além de ser palatável. Palavras-chave: amido, extrusão, tubérculo.
Abstract: The proximity between the dogs and their guardians induces the search for ever more elaborate diets, contributing to the emergence of new niches in the sector. This is the case of so-called grain free diets characterized by high levels of protein and lipids and replacement of the grain for more complex sources of starch, such as potato case. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of extruded, the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC), fecal characteristics and palatability of diets with increasing levels of potato starch (FBT) for adult dogs and puppies. Four diets containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% of FBT, replacing corn were evaluated in three experiments. The first consisted in evaluating the physical characteristics of diets during and after processing. For digestibility and fecal characteristics (Experiment 2) four diets were compared with 8 adult dogs (7 years) and 16 young (6 months). In food preference test (Experiment 3) diets were compared: 0 vs 10% FBT and 0 vs 30% FBT using 16 puppies. Diets with higher FBT showed greater size extruded expansion ratio, greater hardness, and greater number of pores while the density was decreased (P <0.001). The inclusion of FBT increased spending on mechanical energy in the extrusion. The inclusion of FBT increased (P <0.05) the ADC of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE) and metabolizable energy (ME) of the diet, both adult dogs and puppies and crude protein (CP) and Total starch (aT) only in puppies. Fecal DM (LDM) is increased by the inclusion in diets FBT, both adult dogs and puppies (P <0.05). The inclusion of FBT in the diets reduced ammonia levels in feces of puppies (P <0.05). The dogs prefer diets containing higher inclusion FBT (P <0.05) when the moisture content of the diets were equalized. The addition of FBT in the diet results in extrudates with high rates of expansion, low density and large size. The FBT is a good source of starch for adult dogs and puppies mainly for improving the digestibility of most components of the diet and increasing MSf, and is palatable. Keywords: extrusion, starch, tubercle
11
Assmann, Ana Luiza Palma Guimarães. "Produção e caracterização de anticorpo policlonal e monoclonal anti-3abc do virus da febre aftosa." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFPR, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1884/43999.
Abstract:
Orientadora : Profa. Dra. Vanete Thomaz SoccolDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Bioprocessos e Biotecnologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 27/02/2015
Inclui referências : f.98-108
Resumo: A febre aftosa é uma doença altamente contagiosa que acomete animais biungulados. Tem distribuição cosmopolita, mas é endêmica na Ásia, África e em alguns países da América do Sul, sendo que o Brasil é considerado zona livre com vacinação. No Brasil o controle epidemiológico da doença é realizado mediante a vacinação e vigilância sanitária sendo necessário diagnóstico diferencial entre animais vacinados de portadores do vírus, para provar a ausência da doença. Desta forma é fundamental o desenvolvimento de testes para diferenciar animais vacinados de doentes e para o controle do processo de produção da vacina. A resposta a anticorpos, contra proteínas não estruturais do vírus, tem sido amplamente utilizada para este propósito, como é o caso do ensaio imuno-enzimático-ELISA/EITB. A proteína 3ABC é uma proteína não estrutural do vírus da febre aftosa e está presente em altos níveis no soro de animais infectados. Visando a diferenciação entre animais doentes e vacinados a proteína ABC deve ser removida durante o processo de produção da vacina, para que o animal imunizado não apresente anticorpos detectáveis contra ela. O objetivo deste estudo foi produzir e caracterizar anticorpos policlonal e monoclonal contra a proteína 3ABC do vírus da febre aftosa, para serem utilizados no desenvolvimento de um teste imunoenzimático que permita monitorar os processos de purificação da vacina, para remover as proteínas não estruturais e controle de qualidade das partidas produzidas visando sua aprovação pelos órgãos fiscalizadores como o Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA). Para a produção dos anticorpos policlonal e monoclonal primeiramente foi produzida a proteína 3ABC recombinante a partir do plasmídeo contendo gene que codifica a proteína 3ABC, já com a mutegênese do gene 3ABC no sítio ativo da protease 3Cpro para sua inativação, produzido por Gonzales, 2013. A produção da proteína foi realizada por fermentação da Escherichia coli recombinante em erlenmeyer de um litro e realizada as etapas de semi purificação (anticorpo policlonal) e ou purificação (anticorpo monoclonal). O anticorpo policlonal, produzido em coelhos, apresentou altos títulos a partir de 75 dias pós-imunização. A puriticação foi realizada por cromatografia de afinidade com proteína G, o que resultou em uma imunoglobulina altamente pura, tornando-a mais específica para a proteína de interesse. Para a produção do anticorpo monoclonal foram imunizados camundongos BALB/c por via intramuscular. A fusão realizada originou 217 colônias de hibridomas, sendo 10 deles positivos no tese ELISA indireto. Após clonagem e expansão dos clones positivos, foi realizado o teste de estabilidade permitindo a seleção de dois clones estáveis. Os anticorpos foram caracterizados pelas metodologias de ELISA e Western Blotting e mostraram alta reatividade contra a proteína 3ABC e podem ser utilizados no desenvolvimento do teste ELISA para o monitoramento dos processos de purificação da vacina contra a febre aftosa. Todos os experimentos foram realizados na empresa Ourofino Saúde Animal. Palavras chave: febre aftosa; proteína 3ABC; anticorpo policlonal anti-3ABC; anticorpo monoclonal anti-3ABC.
Abstract: FMD is a highly contagious disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals and is endemic in Asia, Africa and some countries in South America. In Brazil the epidemiological disease control is achieved by vaccination and health surveillance. For this control is necessary differential diagnosis between vaccinated animals and those carrying the virus, to prove the absence of the disease. Thus it is important to develop tests to differentiate vaccinated animals from sick animals. The antibody response against nonstructural proteins of the virus, have been widely used for this purpose, such as the enzyme-immunoassay ELISA / EITB. The 3ABC is a nonstructural protein of FMD virus and it is present in high levels in infected animals serum. It is necessary to be removed during vaccine production, so the immunized animal does not produce detectable antibodies against them. The aim of this study was to produce and characterize polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against the 3ABC protein of FMD virus, for their use to develop an enzymatic immunoassay experiments. Such experiments will allows the monitoring of the vaccine purification processes, which removes non-structural proteins and also the quality control process of the produced batches for approval by regulatory agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Supply (MAPA). In this study, the plasmid to heterologous protein 3ABC production was produced by GONZALEZ, 2013. The expression has been optimized for subsequent production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. For animal's immunization, either rabbit or mouse, the protein used was the semi purified protein. And for the monoclonal antibody screening tests, the protein used was the purified protein. The purification in this stage was due to the need of a specific test to select the monoclonal antibody which is also highly specific. The polyclonal antibody produced in rabbits, showed high titers from 75 days post-immunization. The large amount of polyclonal antibody obtained enabled the using of affinity chromatography using protein G, as a purification method, which resulted in a highly pure immunoglobulin, making it more specific to the protein of interest. For the production of monoclonal antibody (Mabs) BALB/c Mice were immunized intramuscularly. The fusion carried out originated 217 hybridomas colonies, 10 of them were positives for antibody production by ELISA test. After cloning and expansion of positive clones, stability tests were performed wich allowed the selection of two stable clones. The antibodies were characterized by ELISA and Western Blotting approaches. The mabs obteined showed high reactivity against 3ABC protein and as a result they can be used in the development of an ELISA assay to monitor the purification processes of the vaccine against FMD. All experiments were performed in Ourofino Animal Health Company. Key-words: FMD; 3ABC protein; polyclonal anti-3ABC; monoclonal anti-3ABC.
12
Carvalho, Lincoln Diniz. "Analise das tecnicas GPS atuais para os posicionamentos estaticos e cinematicos em bases curtas." reponame:Repositório Institucional da UFPR, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1884/43599.
Abstract:
Orientadores : Claudia Pereira Krueger, Luiz Danilo Damasceno FerreiraDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná
Resumo: O objetivo proposto para este trabalho é mostrar, descrever e aplicar as técnicas de posicionamento por GPS explorando um software comercial (PRISM II). Foi utilizado neste, a técnica de posicionamento relativo estático clássico e seus resultados foram comparados com os obtidos pelas técnicas estático rápido com uma ocupação e com reocupação; Stop and Go\ pseudocinemático e cinemático contínuo com diferentes técnicas de inicialização. Estes resultados também foram comparados com os obtidos em levantamentos GPS anteriores, onde utilizou-se apenas a freqüência Li, e com os levantamentos terrestres convencionais. Foram utilizados equipamentos de dupla freqüência; os testes foram realizados em 2 áreas distintas: Centro Politécnico (Curitiba) e Fazenda Cangüiri (Quatro Barras) e em bases curtas. Através da análise dos resultados verificou-se que se pode obter precisão ao nível do milímetro.
Abstract: The objetive of the work developed in this dissertation is to show, describe and apply some GPS positioning techniques, exploring a commercial processing software (PRISM D). The technique of static relative positioning was used first, and its results were compared with the fast static technique, with occupation and with re-ocupation, the Stop and Go technique, with kinematic and kinematic continuous techniques, with different initialization procedures. The results were also compared with previous GPS surveys in which only the Li frequency was used, and with a conventional terrestrial survey. Double frequency receivers were used. The tests were carried out in 2 differente areas: at the Centro Politécnico Campus, in Curitiba, and at Cangüiri Farm, in Quatro Barras. In these two areas only short baselines were used. The analysis of the results shows that an agreement at the millimeter, level is encountered with the static relative positioning.
13
Magenau, Astrid Irmela Centre for Vascular Research Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "The role of lipid rafts in actin-mediated phagocytosis by macrophages." Publisher:University of New South Wales. Centre for Vascular Research, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43699.
Abstract:
The aim of this project was to investigate the role of lipid rafts in actin-mediated phagocytosis. Lipid rafts are defined as highly condensed membrane domains enriched in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids and are thought to participate in a range of cellular functions including actin-mediated phagocytosis. Remodelling of the actin skeleton facilitates the formation of a phagocytic membrane cup and drives the uptake of particles. Hence, actin restructuring is essential for phagocytosis. How engagement of Fc receptors triggers membrane re-organization at the site of phagocytosis and how the formation of ordered raft domains is linked to actin remodelling during phagosome maturation is currently not known. Lipid rafts potentially form platforms for local signal transduction for Fc surface receptors and secondary messengers. Raft distribution therefore would critically influence and direct their function. The hypothesis is that lipid rafts are the membrane sites on the cell surface, which enable, drive and localise actin- dependent phagocytosis. Phagocytosis in macrophages was induced with IgG-coated beads of different sizes as substrates for uptake via the Fc receptor mediated pathway. Membrane order was visualised and quantified by two-photon microscopy. Actin remodelling was imaged in parallel with confocal microscopy. Time-course and live cell imaging demonstrated that phagocytosis induces formation of highly ordered membrane domains around the phagocytic particle independently of the particle size. The high membrane order is the biophysical hallmark of lipid rafts suggested that Fc receptor cross-linking induces the coalescence of lipid rafts. Live-cell imaging further identified a temporal correlation between membrane condensation and actin restructuring at sites of phagocytosis. Membrane condensation persisted after actin detached from the sealed phagosome. Receptor clustering induced by particle binding activates Src kinases leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of ITAM motif of the receptors, activation of GTPases and actin polymerisation. Lipid raft recruitment may be driven by these events or alternatively, rafts be essential for kinase activation. Several inhibitors were used to interrupt crucial steps in the signalling cascade leading to actin restructuring. Laurdan microscopy showed that membrane order is independent of Lyn activation (inhibited with PP2), PI3K activity (inhibited with Wortmannin) and actin polymerisation (Latrunculin B). Inhibitors had differential effects on phagocytosis rates of small and large particles. Inhibition of Lyn had a more severe effect on phagocytosis of large beads than on phagocytosis of small beads. Disruption of PI3K activity with Wortmannin only inhibited phagocytosis of large but not of small particles, whereas disruption of the actin skeleton with Latrunculin B inhibited phagocytosis of small and large particles. These data suggest that membrane condensation is independent of kinase activity and occurs upstream of actin remodelling. The role of lipid rafts in phagocytosis was further investigated by modulation of sterol composition of the cell membranes. Cholesterol depletion with methyl-- cyclodextrin disrupted membrane organization at phagosomes of small and large beads and also abolished phagocytosis. However, the fluidity of the entire plasma membrane was increased upon treatment of cells with methyl--cyclodextrin suggesting that this condition was not specifically affecting phagosomal membranes. Cholesterol enrichment increased membrane condensation even further than the membrane condensation detected in control phagosomes. Incorporation of 7-keto-cholesterol (7KC) decreased membrane order of phagosomes of small beads but not of large beads. 7KC can prevent membrane condensation due to its additional keto-group, which acts as a spacer between phospholipids. Phagocytosis of large beads but not of small beads was affected by 7KC incorporation. This suggests that 7KC only moderately reduces membrane order, which diminishes but not completely abolishes phagocytosis. This might be explained by the fact that 7KC enrichment and mCD treatment diminished actin remodelling and reduced the complexity of the F-actin network. Mass spectrometry was employed to quantify the lipidome of phagosomal membranes. This is the first study that directly demonstrates that phagosomes exhibit a distinct lipid composition and were enriched in sphingomyelin (SM) but depleted of cholesterol. Furthermore, the effects of sterol modulation on lipid species abundance were investigated. Cholesterol and 7KC enrichment resulted in lower levels of PC, but higher levels of charged lipids. In addition, 7KC treatment increased SM levels. In conclusion, cross-linking of Fc receptors triggers the formation of ordered membrane domains that do not have the classical raft composition. They are cholesterol depleted but rich in sphingomyelin. The formation of these ??rafts?? occurs upstream of actin remodelling and is necessary for actin remodelling during phagocytosis.
14
Xie, Shuiwei Engineering & Information Technology Australian Defence Force Academy UNSW. "Dynamic Contribution-based Decomposition Method and Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for Multidisciplinary Engineering Optimisation." Awarded by:University of New South Wales - Australian Defence Force Academy. Engineering & Information Technology, 2009. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43899.
Abstract:
A novel decomposition method that is referred to as Contribution-based Decomposition is presented in this thesis. The influence of variables on the values of objective functions and/ or constraints is interpreted as their contributions. Based on contributions of variables, a design problem is decomposed into a number of sub-problems so that variables have similar relative contributions within each sub-problem. The similarity in contributions among variables will lead to an even pressure on the variables when they are driven to better solutions during an optimisation process and, as a result, better solutions can be obtained. Due to nonlinearity of objectives and/ or constrains, variables??? contributions may vary significantly during the solution process. To cope with such variations, a Dynamic Contribution-based Decomposition (DCD) is proposed. By employing DCD, decomposition of system problems is carried out not only at the beginning, but also during the optimisation process, and as a result, the decomposition will always be consistent with the contributions of the current solutions. Further more, a random decomposition is also developed and presented to work in conjunction with the Dynamic Contribution-based Decomposition to introduce re-decompositions when it is required, aiming to increase the global exploring ability. To solve multidisciplinary engineering optimisation problems more efficiently, new solvers are also developed. These include a mixed discrete variable Pattern Search (MDVPS) algorithm and a mixed discrete variable Genetic Algorithm (MDVGA). Inside the MDVGA, new techniques including a flexible floating-point encoding method, a non-dominance ranking strategy and heuristic crossover and mutation operators are also developed to avoid premature convergence and enhance the GA???s search ability. Both MDVPS and MDVGA are able to handle optimisation problems having mixed discrete variables. The former algorithm is more capable of local searching and the latter has better global search ability. A hybrid solver is proposed, which incorporates the MDVPS and the MDVGA and takes advantage of both their strengths. Lastly, a Dynamic Sub-space Optimisation (DSO) method is developed by employing the proposed Dynamic Contribution-based Decomposition methods and the hybrid solver. By employing DSO, decomposed sub-problems can be solved without explicit coordination. To demonstrate the capability of the proposed methods and algorithms, a range of test problems have been exercised and the results are documented. Collectively the results show significant improvements over other published popular approaches.
15
Bedo, Nicolas. "Connectivity in cortical networks during word reading." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43099.
Abstract:
The neural processes underlying word reading remain much of a mystery. In particular, the flow of information within and between language networks during word reading has not been adequately explored. The present study investigated local spectral power changes and functional and effective (causal) connectivity at each stage of word reading. EEG was used to record brain activity from healthy volunteers (n = 15), during a reading task. Independent component analysis yielded multiple sources of activation previously identified with fMRI and PET as being crucial to word reading. A combination of event-related spectral perturbation and phase synchrony analyses was performed on these independent components. Additionally, analyses of transfer entropy were conducted to investigate the possible causal information flow between sites of interest. Results confirm the VWFA as a central hub for word reading, showing a progression of theta band phase synchrony with early visual areas and then later with high-level language processing areas. Transfer entropy analyses largely converged with the theta synchrony results, again emphasizing the VWFA as a crucial node in the reading network, initially receiving information from early visual cortex, and then sending information to high-level areas. These results highlight the interplay between local and long-distance neural dynamics involved at each stage of processing during reading. Additionally, these measures of functional and causal connectivity may be used as a benchmark for comparison with clinical populations (e.g. individuals with certain kinds of dyslexia), such that disturbances in connectivity may provide insight as to underlying neurological problems.
16
Moffat, Chandra Elaine. "Cryptic host-associated and frequency-dependent patterns of host species selection of a candidate weed biological control agent in its native range." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43199.
Abstract:
At least nine species of European hawkweeds in the genus Pilosella Vaill. (Asteraceae) are
invasive in western North America, where they are a detriment to natural and managed lands and
have vast economic impacts. A promising candidate biological control (biocontrol) agent for
multiple species of Pilosella is the gall inducing wasp Aulacidea pilosellae Kieffer
(Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). Initial studies of this candidate agent revealed the potential for two
biotypes of the insect that differed in physiological host range, voltinism, and reproductive
mode. It was hypothesized that these differences were related to geographic separation of the
populations and it was further observed, within one subset of the distribution, that different host
species were being used at nearby sites, despite similar host species being present. The
overarching goal of this thesis was to increase the understanding of the patterns of host species
use by A. pilosellae in order to inform the biocontrol programme for invasive Pilosella
hawkweeds. The specific objectives were to (i) test the hypothesis that A. pilosellae has
definitive preferences for species of Pilosella within its ecological host range, (ii) further
quantify the ecological host range of A. pilosellae by conducting systematic surveys across a
broad geographic distribution, and (iii) test the hypothesis that differences between the purported
biotypes were due to cryptic genetic differentiation, predicted to be based primarily on
geographic location of populations and secondly on host-association. By utilizing an integrative
approach of thorough and widespread field surveys and molecular methodologies, this thesis
presents findings that substantially increase the understanding of patterns of host species use by
A. pilosellae in its native range. Specifically, (i) the hypothesis of host preferences of A.
pilosellae is rejected in favor of frequency-dependent host species selection, (ii) five species of
Pilosella invasive in North America are confirmed as hosts of A. pilosellae in its native range
and (iii) the hypothesis that cryptic genetic differentiation exists within the species A. pilosellae
was supported. However, the prediction that differentiation was based primarily on geographic
separation was rejected in favor of differentiation based on a combination of disjunct hostassociations,
infection with the bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia, and to a lesser extent, on
geography.
17
Kushnir, Alexandra Roma Larisa. "An experimental investigation of the mechanical behaviour of synthetic calcite-dolomite composites." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43299.
Abstract:
The role of dolomite on the strength and evolution of calcite-dolomite fold and thrust belts is largely unknown. Field investigations indicate that, under upper- to mid-crustal conditions, strain in natural systems is localized in calcite, resulting in a ductile response, while dolomite deforms in a brittle manner. The effect of dolomite on limestone rheology, and the potential for strain localization in composites have not yet been fully quantified.
I conducted 11 constant displacement rate (3x10⁻⁴ and 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹), high confining pressure (300 MPa), and high temperature (750°C and 800°C) torsion experiments to address the role of dolomite on the strength of calcite-dolomite composites. Starting materials were formed by hot isostatic pressing mixtures of dolomite and calcite powders (given as Dm%: Dm25, Dm35, Dm51, and Dm75) and were deformed up to a maximum shear strain of ~5.
Mechanical data show a considerable increase in yield strength with increasing dolomite content. Microstructural analysis shows that dolomite grains <~50 μm are characterized by diffuse and poorly defined grain boundaries; in Dm25 and Dm35, high aspect ratio dolomite grains are aligned into a foliation. Dolomite grains >~50 μm are characterized by well-defined grain boundaries and cleavage-controlled fracture. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) shows no crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) development in dolomite, but optical microscopy confirms brittle deformation of dolomite grains by Mode I cracks, shear fractures, and subsequent grain size reduction.
Calcite grains are internally strain-free, equiaxed to tabular in shape, and characterized by triple-junction grain boundaries. EBSD confirms a distinct CPO of calcite c-axes perpendicular to the direction of maximum stretching. The microstructure of calcite aggregates suggests grain boundary sliding, accommodated by diffusion and dislocation glide, which accommodates high shear strains without significant change in grains shape and size.
Dolomite is essentially undeformed in run products with less than 35% dolomite; calcite accommodates most of the displacement in these experiments. In contrast, for dolomite contents greater than 51%, dolomite accommodates displacement by brittle processes.
My experiments provide insights into the processes controlling rheology within bimodal calcite-dolomite systems, suggesting that a minimum dolomite-content exists (between 35% and 51%) above which dolomite significantly influences composite strength.
18
Lim, Erin. "Technical debt : what software practitioners have to say." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43499.
Abstract:
Technical debt is a metaphor for the consequences that software projects face when they make trade-offs to implement a lower quality, less complete solution to satisfy business realities. While interest in the metaphor is slowly gaining traction in academic research, there already exists a significant amount of discussion in website logs (blogs). The purpose of this research is to validate the existing definitions and to enrich it with the insights, experiences and lessons learned of software practitioners working in industry. The results are based on a series of one-hour interviews conducted with nineteen software practitioners that investigates the definitions, attributes, causes, symptoms and management of technical debt. It is validated by the findings from a secondary study based on “Hard Choices”, a board game designed to teach the concepts of technical debt, and a replication study conducted by Nitin Taksande at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The outcome of this research provides software practitioners with a set of guidelines to recognize and manage their technical debt. The guidelines state that incurring technical debt is unavoidable because software projects need to meet business goals. Instead, project teams should learn to manage technical debt by developing effective communication skills that bring visibility to its existence in order to enable all project stakeholders to take ownership in mitigating its risks.
19
Thi, Emily Phaps. "Studies in phagosome maturation : modulation by both the host phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p110alpha and the mycobacterial protein PE-PGRS62." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43699.
Abstract:
Phagosome maturation is a key innate immune response involving interactions of phagosomes with the endosomal system. These interactions result in the creation of a destructive, antimicrobial phagolysosome compartment. How this process is regulated is not entirely known, and intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) inhibit phagosome maturation as a survival strategy. We examined phagosome maturation from the perspective of two factors, one host- and one pathogen-derived. First, we determined whether the class IA phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), p110α, contributes to maturation regulation. Of the various PI3Ks, only hVps34 is known to regulate phagosome maturation. During studies of phagosome maturation in THP-1 cells deficient in p110α, we discovered that this PI3K isoform controls maturation processes beyond Rab7 acquisition, leading to delivery of lysosomal markers. Phagosomes from p110α knockdown cells were markedly deficient in LAMP-1, LAMP-2 and β-galactosidase, and could not fuse with lysosomes. Despite lacking lysosomal components, p110α deficient phagosomes recruited Rab7 and its effectors RILP and HOPS components Vps16 and Vps41, suggesting that in addition to Rab7, p110α is required for phagolysosome formation.
We also examined how Mtb mediates phagosome maturation arrest by screening an Mtb genomic library for factors able to disrupt yeast vacuolar protein sorting (VPS). Since VPS is homologous to mammalian endosomal trafficking, factors that inhibit VPS might also arrest phagosome maturation. Four proteins able to disrupt yeast VPS were identified in this screen, two hypothetical proteins, Rv0900 and Rv1268c, the P-type ATPase Rv0425c, and PE-PGRS62. To study its effects on macrophage function, we generated M. smegmatis able to express PE-PGRS62. Murine macrophages infected with this construct had arrested phagosome maturation, displaying decreased Rab7 and LAMP-1 recruitment. Infected macrophages also expressed 2-3 fold less iNOS protein when compared to cells infected with control bacteria. Loss of PE-PGRS62 expression in M. marinum resulted in greater iNOS levels, and complementation of the mutant with PE-PGRS62 restored the ability to inhibit iNOS expression. Marked differences in colony morphology were also seen in M. smegmatis expressing PE-PGRS62 and in the M. marinum PE-PGRS62 transposon mutant. Our results suggest that PE-PGRS62 supports mycobacterial virulence via inhibition of phagosome maturation and iNOS expression.
20
McDonald, Morgan. "The US federal courts' deliberate approach : shaping their role in climate reform through procedural tools." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43799.
Abstract:
Robust scholarly discussion covers recent climate change litigation. Building off these insights, this article contributes to forthcoming litigation by considering how calculated decisions illuminate the role federal courts are willing to play in current and future climate reform. U.S. federal courts have taken a purposeful approach to climate decisions, allowing them to form the path this growing form of litigation will take. Expanding on Hari Osofsky’s suggestion that the Supreme Court has acted with the aim to “shape its role” in the climate debate, I consider how federal courts have used procedural doctrines to limit immediate climate litigation to judicial review over common law claims. Interestingly, the courts’ approach seems to leave channels open for future court involvement subject to the legislative and executive branches’ impending moves.
Specifically, I have found that U.S. federal courts have stalled in fully opening the courtroom doors to climate litigants. Rather, they have written decisions in a deliberate manner, building one step at a time without permanently closing the door to litigation while maintaining their flexibility to become more involved in future climate reform if necessary. Consequently, these decisions illustrate the role courts see for themselves, which is important to guide future climate litigation efforts. Since I find litigation complements alternative climate reform attempts, my intention is to decipher the courts’ path to provide a guide future litigants may consider to most efficiently reach their climate reform goals.
Although much climate law manifests at the domestic level, U.S. precedents can set trends internationally. Thus, many other courts may react to the approach U.S. courts take, either adopting or rejecting it in their own paths to climate reform. Accordingly, this study contributes to the international climate litigation discussion by providing elucidation into the U.S. sphere, the trends from which will influence law and decision makers globally in their own future paths through climate litigation.
21
Tabarraee, Babak. "Silence studies in the cinema and the case of Abbas Kiarostami." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43899.
Abstract:
This thesis is an attempt to formulate a systematic framework for ‘silence studies’ in the cinema by defining silence in pragmatic terms and suggesting different forms of filmic silence. As an illustration of my model, I examine the variety of silences in the works of Abbas Kiarostami, a notable figure of Art Cinema. The analytical approach suggested here can further be applied to the works of many other Art Cinema auteurs, and, by extension, to other cinematic modes as well, for a better understanding of the functions, implications, and consequences of various forms of silence in the cinema.
Chapter 1 provides a working and pragmatic description of silence, applicable to both film and other communicative forms of art. Chapter 2 represents a historical study of some of the major writings about silence in the cinema. Chapter 3 introduces, exemplifies, and analyzes the acoustic silences in the films of Kiarostami, including the five categories of complete, partial (uncovered; covered with noise, music, or perspective), character/dialogue, language, and music silences. Chapter 4 introduces the concept of meta-silence and its trans-sensorial perceptions in communication and in arts, and then defines the four categories of the visual, character/image, narrative, and political silences in Kiarostami’s oeuvre. In the conclusion, some of the powers of silence in the cinema of Kiarostami are discussed. The narrative, ethical, philosophical, and aesthetic dimensions of silence in Kiarostami make it possible to define his cinema as one based in, and dependent on, silence.
22
Robinson, Kendra Alexis. "Physiological, behavioural and survival effects of assisting the post-capture ventilation of adult sockeye salmon exposed to capture and release in fresh water." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43999.
Abstract:
Fish that are released from fisheries capture exhibit physiological and behavioural changes that can result in mortality. The ability to release fish that do not experience subsequent fitness consequences is fundamental to fisheries conservation and management tools that mandate live release. Thus, researchers have evaluated methods that fishers can use to reduce the potential for negative capture-related effects. Indeed, modifying capture and landing practices can limit the severity of the physiological and behavioural impairments. Moreover, release techniques that enhance the metabolic recovery process essential for mitigating capture-related physiological changes may help to enhance survival. Because this essential recovery process requires oxygen consumption that exceeds basal metabolic needs, I evaluated a ventilation assistance technique that forced a high flow of water over the fish’s gills in an attempt to provide additional oxygen. This assisted ventilation technique mimics manual recovery attempts that are recommended by fisheries managers and often employed by recreational anglers.
The physiological, behavioural and survival responses of adult migrating Fraser River sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to capture and release, with and without ventilation assistance, were assessed in laboratory and field experiments. A simulation of capture and release consisting of 3 minutes of strenuous exercise and 1 minute of air exposure resulted in significant physiological impairment in the laboratory experiment. In a field experiment, this simulation resulted in an approximate 30% overall reduction in post-release survival to reach natal spawning grounds. Female fish exposed to simulated capture and release exhibited poorer survival relative to control females and males of all treatments in both of these experiments. The 1-minute assisted ventilation technique did not enhance survival. In fact, further reductions in survival were observed in the laboratory experiment for females subjected to ventilation assistance before release from capture.
Capture and release can result in delayed mortality and it appears that a recovery technique recommended by fisheries managers to recreational fishers does not help to reduce capture-related mortality. Mitigating negative capture-and-release effects by disseminating capture and landing best practices, while incorporating scientifically-defensible post-capture mortality rates into management plans, may be the best approach to meeting conservation and management objectives.
23
Cruzcruz, Angel D. "The strategic shift to the Asia-Pacific." Thesis, Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/43899.
Abstract:
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimitedIn 2011, President Barack Obama announced that the United States was going to pivot toward the Asia-Pacific. There is widespread scholarly discussion as to whether this shift to the Asia-Pacific was motivated primarily by regional security anxieties or by larger economic and diplomatic interests. Through the analysis of China’s military growth and threatening behavior within the Asia-Pacific region, and the examination of various economic reasons to strategically shift to the Pacific, this thesis attempts to answer the question: Why did the United States decide in 2011 to adopt this rebalancing strategy and increase its military and economic resources to the Asia-Pacific region?
24
Seipel, Patrick J. "Handheld assistant for military and police patrols." Thesis, Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10945/43999.
Abstract:
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimitedMilitary and police patrols are an important component of combat operations, counter insurgency, peacekeeping, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance missions. These patrols need to access timely, relevant information about events and conditions along their patrol route, both historical and ongoing. In the current practice, this information is gathered manually prior to the commencement of the patrol through the use of historical databases, current event repositories, and by reviewing records that may be relevant to the area to be patrolled. Because it is manual, this process is fraught with numerous problems including high-cost, slow-speed, and low-reliability. We present an architecture and a prototype system to enhance the effectiveness and security of patrol units, expedite the planning of patrol missions, and reduce the cost of planning. Our system uses commercial off-the-shelf handheld devices and a web-enabled, device-independent software system that enables planning the patrol route and linking related information to that route. Once the patrol starts, the application tracks the unit’s current location and provides real-time information and alerts about areas of interest along the route. The command post can track the location of all units and deviations from their planned routes are flagged and the command post is alerted.
25
Jing, Hongyuan. "Landmine detection algorithm design based on data fusion technology." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/43099.
Abstract:
This research has focused on close-in landmine detection, which aims to identify landmines in a particular landmine area. Close-range landmine detection requires both sub-surface sensors, such as metal detectors and ground penetrating radar (GPR), and surface sensors, such as optical cameras. A new multi-focus image fusion algorithm is proposed which outperforms the existing intensity-hue-saturation (IHS) and principle components analysis (PCA) algorithms on both visual and fusion parameter analysis. In addition, the proposed algorithm can save 30.9% running time than the IHS algorithm, which is the same level as the existing PCA algorithm. A novel single GPR sensor landmine detection algorithm entropy-based region selecting algorithm is proposed which uses the entropy value of the region as the feature and continuous layers instead of a hard threshold. Two A-scan based statistics algorithms and a GPR signal oscillation feature based detection algorithm are also proposed. The results show that the proposed entropy-based algorithm outperforms the existing region selection algorithm on both detection accuracy and running time. The proposed statistics algorithms and GPR feature-based algorithm outperform the edge histogram descriptor and edge energy algorithms on both detection accuracy range, running time and memory usage. In addition, the GPR feature-based algorithm can reduce the false alarm rate (FAR) by 22% for all targets at 90% probability of detection. With regards to data fusion system design, this research overcomes the limitations of the existing Bayesian fusion approach. A new Kalman-Bayes based fusion system is developed which reduces the system uncertainty and improves the fusion process. The experimental results have shown that the proposed Kalman-Bayes fusion system and enhanced fuzzy fusion system can reach 7.8% FAR at 91.1% detection rate and 6.30% FAR at 92.4% detection rate, correspondingly, outperforming the existing Bayes and fuzzy fusion systems in terms of detection ability.
26
Braunwart, Paul R. "Uncovering and avoiding failure modes in driveline and tire/wheel NVH using a computational meta-model." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43099.
Abstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-110).
The automotive industry has undergone significant changes in recent years with increased competition and the introduction of new manufacturers into the market. With this changing market, a more efficient approach to Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) development is needed to foster better decisions and support the compressed product development timing required by the market.To address this, the "Slider Bar" process and meta-model are presented. Based on the failure mode avoidance approach, the process and model allow the engineering teams to uncover and avoid potential tire/wheel and driveline NVH failure modes. Therefore, early in the product development process, development teams can identify control and noise factor limits and system level effects, avoid potential NVH failure modes, and develop appropriate countermeasures.Using insights from innovation diffusion theory, the process and tool were deployed systematically to NVH community, with user insights used to adapt and improve the process and tools. Based on this work, a strategy is introduced for the development and adoption of a failure mode avoidance initiative.
by Paul R. Braunwart.
S.M.
27
Danziger, Michael (Michael J. ). "Information visualization for the people." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43199.
Abstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Comparative Media Studies, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-89).
The design of information visualization, defined as the interactive, graphical presentation of data, is on the verge of a significant paradigm shift brought on by the continued maturation of the Information Age. Its traditional role as a scientific tool deployed by rigorous data analysts is in the process of expanding to include more mainstream uses and users, reflecting fundamental changes to the role of information and data in our increasingly digital society. However, visualization design theory remains rooted in earlier conceptions of its use, largely ignoring the needs of this new, non-expert audience. Accordingly, this thesis attempts to re-contextualize information visualization as a public-facing practice, and explores ways in which its design can shift from being described as "by experts, for experts" to a new characterization as "for the people."
by Michael Danziger.
S.M.
28
Bishop, Tonja Bowen. "Variation in marginal tax rates around retirement and the return to saving in tax-favored accounts." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43799.
Abstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Economics, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 30-31).
Economists have generally assumed that to the extent possible, retirement savings should be done in a tax-deferred account. However, the advent of Roth-style tax-favored accounts and concerns about the tax implications of increasing retirement income through tax-deferred distributions indicate that this question merits a reevaluation. I use data on married couples in the HRS and NBER's TAXSIM model to measure the probability of a household facing a higher tax rate at ages 62, 65, and 69 than the household faced at age 57. When the marginal tax rate is higher, the household could decrease their lifetime tax by choosing a Roth-style account over a tax-deferred account. I also measure the probability of facing a marginal tax rate that is sufficiently high that the household minimizes tax payments by using a taxable account rather than a tax-deferred account, in the absence of a Roth option. I find that for distributions beginning at age 69, between 10 and 35% of households with taxable income at age 57 should prefer a Roth account to a tax-deferred account, but very few households prefer a taxable account.
by Tonja Bowen Bishop.
S.M.
29
Gamaliel, Renard. "Frequency-based response of damped outrigger systems for tall buildings." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43899.
Abstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 77).
The outrigger structural system for tall buildings is known to be effective in reducing lateral drift under quasi-static wind loading. Although keeping lateral deflection below the required value is certainly important, it is found that in most tall buildings without supplementary damping, the design for stiffness is usually governed by occupant comfort under lateral acceleration. This thesis describes the concept of incorporating fluid viscous dampers in the outrigger system to add supplementary damping into the structure. A 40-story building installed with the variant outrigger system is analyzed for dynamic response due to wind effects such as buffeting and vortex shedding. By constructing an 80-dof discrete lumped mass model, and using a frequency-based response approach, two configurations of dampers, namely series and parallel damping are studied in detail. The effect of increasing damper size to overall achievable building damping is monitored for both configurations. Additionally, design and constructability issues with regards to the implementation of the systems are discussed.
by Renard Gamaliel.
M.Eng.
30
Yang, Isabel Y. (Isabel Ying). "Study of sub-0.5 [mega]-m SOI-with-active-substrate (SOIAS) technology for ultra-lower power applications." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43299.
Abstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1997.On t.p. "[mega]" appears as the lower case Greek letter.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-133).
by Isabel Y. Yang.
Ph.D.
31
Jones, Michael J. (Michael Jeffrey) 1968. "Multidimensional morphable models : a framework for representing and matching object classes." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43399.
Abstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-133).
by Michel Jeffrey Jones.
Ph.D.
32
Chuang, Erika Shu-Ching. "Design and implementation of a real-time video and graphics scaler." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43499.
Abstract:
Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 112).
by Erika Shu-Ching Chuang.
M.Eng.
33
DeBusk, Steven L. "A microcomputer based Energy Monitoring and Reporting System for Virginia state facilities." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43399.
34
Kulkarni, Nitin Y. "Application of expert systems in landscape architecture." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43899.
Abstract:
Application of artificial intelligence (Al) has been a topic of interest among researchers for the past decade or more. Years of research in the commercial application of Al, availability of hardware support for Al application and affordability of software and hardware has generated a lot of interest in this field and brought this technology within the reach of micro-computer based users. The commercial impact of AI is due to expert systems (ESs). ES technology is a collection of methods and techniques for constructing human-machine systems with specialized problem solving expertise.
This project explores the application of ESs in landscape architecture by developing a prototype ES and testing implications of its use with designers while working on a hypothetical problem in a studio environment. The development process helps identify the typical difficulties of such an application, to uncover technical problems, and to identify areas needing further research.
The project aims at building an ES that provides very limited preliminary data and design guidelines to initialize the design process and keeps track of the most fundamental issues necessary for planning, thus acting as an expert and assistant simultaneously. The idea is to explore the possibility of applying ESs to facilitate the design process so that designers may concentrate on other important aspects of design which include intuitive judgement about qualitative aspects.
Master of Landscape Architecture
35
Mahalingaiah, Rupaka. "A Comparative study of RISC vs. CISC philosophies of implementing mathematical functions." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43099.
Abstract:
A comparative study of the RISC philosophy of implementing mathematical functions vs the CISC. philosophy implementing the same functions is undertaken. This study tries to verify whether, the RISC philosophy is suited for the computers designed to run specific applications like the realtime systems. A CISC processor is used as a platform machine and several mathematical functions are implemented in both the philosophies.
Master of Science
36
Woosnam, Kyle Maurice. "Place Attachment as an Interactional Process: A Case Study of Isle au Haut, Maine." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43599.
Abstract:
By listening to peoples' constructed stories of special places, the average person begins to understand why and how attachments to places form. This study concerns the attachments residents of Isle au Haut, Maine possess on the remote island, which borders part of Acadia National Park. The purpose of this study is to uncover social components of both place attachment and place identity among island residents as well as explain the process by which those residents form attachments.
Twelve interviews were conducted both on Isle au Haut as well as nearby Mount Desert Island. Qualitative data were collected from a purposive sample of island residents and National Park Service employees who are responsible for managing the park on the island. In-depth interviews were the sole means of data collection and provided detailed stories of life on the island and attachments that have formed. This study uses grounded theory techniques in data analysis to ultimately form a theory grounded in the collected data.
The findings from this study indicate that social interaction is key to residents forming an attachment to Isle au Haut. Further, three major social constructs emerged from the data analysis. Those constructs are sense of community, shared purpose, and shared history, all of which were found to contribute to place identity and place attachment among the residents. The results also suggest place identity as more salient than place dependence in residents' narratives concerning their attachment to the island.Master of Science
37
Wolford, Gabriela Fernanda. "Failure Initiation and Progression in Internally Pressurized Non-Circular Composite Cylinders." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/43299.
Abstract:
In this study, a progressive failure analysis is used to investigate leakage in internally pressurized non-circular composite cylinders. This type of approach accounts for the localized loss of stiffness when material failure occurs at some location in a structure by degrading the local material elastic properties by a certain factor. The manner in which this degradation of material properties takes place depends on the failure modes, which are determined by the application of a failure criterion. The finite-element code STAGS, which has the capability to perform progressive failure analysis using different degradation schemes and failure criteria, is utilized to analyze laboratory scale, graphite-epoxy, elliptical cylinders with quasi-isotropic, circumferentially-stiff, and axially-stiff material orthotropies. The results are divided into two parts. The first part shows that leakage, which is assumed to develop if there is material failure in every layer at some axial and circumferential location within the cylinder, does not occur without failure of fibers. Moreover before fibers begin to fail, only matrix tensile failures, or matrix cracking, takes place, and at least one layer in all three cylinders studied remain uncracked, preventing the formation of a leakage path. That determination is corroborated by the use of different degradation schemes and various failure criteria. Among the degradation schemes investigated are the degradation of different engineering properties, the use of various degradation factors, the recursive or non-recursive degradation of the engineering properties, and the degradation of material properties using different computational approaches. The failure criteria used in the analysis include the noninteractive maximum stress criterion and the interactive Hashin and Tsai-Wu criteria. The second part of the results shows that leakage occurs due to a combination of matrix tensile and compressive, fiber tensile and compressive, and inplane shear failure modes in all three cylinders. Leakage develops after a relatively low amount of fiber damage, at about the same pressure for three material orthotropies, and at approximately the same location.Master of Science
38
Bertrand, Karine. "La représentation sociale des menstruations : étude exploratoire d'un fragment du corps." Master's thesis, Université Laval, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11794/43099.
Abstract:
Cette recherche exploratoire tente de mieux saisir la représentation sociale des menstruations auprès d’une population de femmes et d’hommes québécois. S’inscrivant dans une approche socio-constructiviste du corps et utilisant le thème des menstruations pour en rendre compte, un questionnaire élaboré par l’auteure a été distribué selon la méthode «boule de neige»; 106 personnes (H=35 ; F=71) y ont répondu. Pour l’ensemble des participants, les résultats mettent en lumière un champ représentationnel majoritairement composé d’expressions négatives. Des prises de position différentes face aux menstruations sont remarquées entre les sexes ainsi que selon les différentes strates d’âge. Ces différences semblent tributaires à la fois du vécu expérientiel des menstruations particulier aux femmes et de la période du cycle de la vie dans laquelle se situent les participants et transitent, entre autres, par l’entremise des véhicules de transmission que sont les expressions populaires et les publicités des produits sanitaires.
39
Buchacoff, Gustavo Y. (Gustavo Yehezkel). "An active seating system for prevention of pressure sores." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43599.
Abstract:
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-65).
A pressure management and relief system has been developed for use by wheelchairbound individuals who are at risk of developing pressure sores. This system can be used in passive or active form, depending on an individual's requirement for pressure management and relief. The active seat uses vacuum and pressure in combination with an open-cell-foam-based cushion to perform pressure relief. Testing methods for the system were studied and developed. These methods allow a controlled and precise testing of seating systems. Prototype systems have also been produced and tested. Experimental equipment and data are presented to support performance claims. Prototypes of both active and passive systems have also been tested in a pilot clinical study to assess their effectiveness. Results from this study are presented.
by Gustavo Y. Buhacoff.
S.M.
40
CERMISONI, ROBERTA. "L'effetto Tau di Vittorio Benussi come modello di studio del presente fenomenico: nuove prospettive di ricerca per l'esame della percezione del tempo e della personalità." Doctoral thesis, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10281/43699.
Abstract:
This thesis investigates the concept of psychological time and, in particular, the concept of psychological present. Starting by the studies of the main authors who dealt with these issues, I delved into the relationship that space and time have within the present. The tau effect, a perceptual phenomenon discovered by Vittorio Benussi in 1907, is of particular interest for this field. The tau effect indeed shows that the duration of temporal intervals influences the perception of spatial distances in the sense of “equation” (e.g. briefer temporal intervals corresponded to perceptual shorter spatial distances). Even though this effect has been extensively investigated in the last decades, a conclusive theory doesn’t exist. Five experiments were hence performed to better understand this effect. The main result is that the tau effect could be found only when the Standard Stimulus (i.e. the Stimulus that does not vary during the whole experiment, Ss) is presented as first. Furthermore, results proved that this effect emerged only within the temporal limits of the psychological present (i.e. 2‐3 sec. on average).
Since, according to the authors examined in this work, one of the features of present is its flexibility depending on individual differences, the possible correlations between the tau effect and personality traits have been also investigated. Results proved that the way space and time are intertwined is linked to Extroversion and Emotional Stability, as defined by the Big Five model. These results are in line with the literature on time perception. To explain the results about the order of presentation of Ss, an alternative explanation based on the general theories developed by Benussi is discussed. According to this alternative explanation, in our experiments the tau effect occurs only when Ss is presented as first because its temporal interval used is perceived as “indifferent” or “indeterminate”, that is not “long‐” or “short‐lived”. This condition would allow participants to judge only the spatial distances without being influenced by the corresponding temporal intervals of the first stimulus presented.
41
Plasencia, Castillo Carmen. "Actividad in vitro de Oxaliplatino asociado a otros fármacos y demostración de la reversión de la resistencia a 5-Fluorouracilo." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/4399.
Abstract:
Durante más de 40 años el 5-Fluorouracilo (5-FU), inhibidor de la Timidilato Sintasa (TS), ha sido la terapia estándar en el tratamiento del cáncer colorrectal (CCR). Uno de los principales obstáculos en el tratamiento es la resistencia a quimioterapia. Numerosos estudios demuestran que la resistencia a 5-FU es un evento multifactorial que incluye alteraciones en el transporte, el metabolismo, la diana terapéutica, el ciclo celular y los mecanismos de apoptosis. La sobreexpresión del gen TS correlaciona clínicamente con la resistencia a 5-FU. En el presente estudio se generaron dos líneas resistentes a 5-FU (HT29-5FUR y LoVo-5FUR) por exposición continuada a dosis creciente del fármaco. Dichas líneas presentaron un patrón del ciclo celular y tiempos de duplicación comparables a los de sus homólogas sensibles (HT29 y LoVo, respectivamente). Mostraron entre 5 y 3 veces más resistencia a 5-FU que sus correspondientes homólogas sensibles. No se hallaron diferencias en la sensibilidad de estas líneas al Oxaliplatino (OXA). En cambio, la línea LoVo-5FUR mostró un patrón de resistencia cruzada a Inhibidores de la Topoisomerasa I (TPT, C PT-11 y SN38). La adaptación de las líneas al 5-FU no alteró el estado de la p53 ni el fenotipo de errores de replicación (RER). El fenotipo de resistencia a 5-FU en estas líneas correlacionó con la sobreexpresión de TS (ARNm y proteína) aunque no se observó un proceso de amplificación génica. El análisis genómico comparativo (CGH) mostró la existencia de anormalidades genéticas (ganancias/pérdidas) en las líneas resistentes a 5-FU comparadas a sus respectivas homólogas sensibles que podrían estar potencialmente implicadas en la adquisición de la resistencia a 5-FU.El Oxaliplatino y los inhibidores de Topoisomerasa I (TPT y CPT-11) son agentes citotóxicos con actividad antitumoral en el CCR. En el presente estudio, también se evaluó la citotoxicidad de las asociaciones entre OXA y 5-FU o TPT en un panel de líneas celulares derivadas de tumores colorrectales sensibles (HT29, LoVo, DLD-1 y LS-513) y resistentes a 5-FU (HT29-5FUR y LoVo-5FUR). Asimismo se analizó la expresión de TS (ARNm y proteína) y Topoisomerasa I (Topo I; ARNm) tras la exposición a OXA como parámetros directamente relacionados con la sensibilidad al 5-FU e inhibidores de Topo I respectivamente, en las parejas sensibles/resistentes. Los esquemas secuenciales analizados fueron: OXA(4h)®5-FU(24h); 5-FU(24h)®OXA(4h); OXA(4h)®TPT(24h); TPT(24h)®OXA(4h) y OXA(4h)®5-FU (5 días a las dosis a las que se indujo la resistencia en las parejas sensible/resistente). Todas las combinaciones resultaron sinérgicas a dosis moderadas de ambos fármacos, únicamente la asociación 5-FU®OXA en la línea LoVo-5FUR resultó aditiva para cualquier fracción de inhibición. La sinergia fue además independiente del fenotipo de resistencia a 5-FU, del estado del sistema reparador del ADN y/o del estado de p53. La exposición previa a OXA en los esquemas OXA®5-FU y OXA®TPT permitió reducir las dosis de 5-FU y TPT en combinación en las líneas resistentes hasta niveles similares a los requeridos por las correspondientes líneas sensibles, revirtiendo el fenotipo de resistencia a 5-FU y permitiendo en el caso de la línea LoVo-5FUR sobrepasar el fenotipo de resistencia cruzada a Inhibidores de Topo I. La exposición a OXA, administrado como agente único provoca una caída de los niveles de TS (ARNm y proteína) en todas las líneas celulares analizadas. Durante la exposición a 5-FU se observó una sobreexpresión de los niveles de TS en todas las líneas celulares, aunque este incremento fue mucho menor en el esquema OXA®5-FU (entre 3 y 5 veces) comparado con el obtenido para la exposición a 5-FU como agente único. Estos resultados correlacionaron con la actividad sinérgica observada para la asociación OXA®5-FU. La exposición previa a OXA también indujo una disminución en los niveles de expresión de Topo I que correlacionó con la disminución en la dosis de TPT en la combinación OXA®TPT. Estos resultados también sugieren que la administración de los inhibidores de Topo I debe ser previa al OXA ya que los niveles disminuidos de Topo I es uno de los principales mecanismos de resistencia a este tipo de fármacos. Finalmente demostramos que la citotoxicidad observada en las asociaciones entre OXA y 5-FU no correlaciona con un incremento en los procesos apoptóticos. En conclusión, el presente estudio in vitro permite ampliar el conocimiento de las bases moleculares de la actividad de las asociaciones de 5-FU e inhibidores de Topo I y derivados platinados. La disminución en los niveles de TS tras la exposición a OXA en el esquema OXA/5-FU proporciona una nueva interpretación al sinergismo observado en esta asociación tanto en tumores sensibles como resistentes a 5-FU. Por otro lado, la combinación OXA/Inhibidores de Topo I representa una alternativa para el tratamiento del CCR avanzado.
Over more than 40 years, 5-Fluorouracil-based chemotherapy has been the standard treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Chemotherapy resistance is an important cause of cancer treatment failure. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) inhibits Thymidylate Synthase (TS) enzyme. Overexpression of Thymidylate Synthase (TS) has been correlated to 5-FU-resistance Several studies have also indicated that 5-FU resistance may be due to a multiple genetic pathways which includes transport mechanisms, metabolism, molecular mechanism, cell cycle kinetics and protection from apoptosis. At the present work, two 5-FU-resistant cell lines (HT29-5FUR and LoVo-5FUR) were established from sensitive parental cell lines (HT29 and LoVo, respectively) by stepwise with increasing concentrations of 5-FU. Cell cycle distributions and doubling times were barely equivalent in both, sensitive and 5-FU-resistant cell lines. 5FU-resistant cell lines exhibit about a 5-fold and 3-fold increase in resistance to the drug as compared to parental cell lines. No differences in sensitivity towards Oxaliplatin were found between sensitive/5-FU-resistant cells. Interestingly, LoVo-5FUR cell line show a cross-resistance pattern to Topoisomerase I inhibitors (TPT, CPT-11 and SN38). 5-FU adaptation does not alter p53 status or RER phenotype in these cell lines. Cellular resistance to 5-FU correlated with an increase in TS gene expression (ARNm and protein), although no gene amplification was observed. Comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) analysis revealed several genetic abnormalities (gains/loss) in 5-FU-resistant cells as compared to corresponding parental cell lines that could be potentially related with 5-FU resistance phenotype.
Oxaliplatin (OXA) and DNA Topoisomerase I inhibitors (TPT, CPT-11) are cytotoxic agents with proven clinical antitumor activity in CRC. At the present work, we also studied the cellular pharmacology of OXA in combination with 5-FU or TPT in a panel of sensitive (HT29, LoVo, DLD-1 and LS-513) and 5-FU-resistant human colon cancer cells (HT29-5FUR and LoVo-5FUR). Moreover, we evaluated TS (mRNA and protein) and Topoisomerase I (Topo I; mRNA) expression after OXA exposure as parameters directly related to sensitivity to 5-FU and Topo I inhibitors respectively, in sensitive/resistant cell lines. Sequential combination schedules used were: OXA(4h)®5-FU(24h); 5-FU(24h)®OXA(4h); OXA(4h)®TPT(24h); TPT(24h)®OXA(4h) and OXA(4h)®5-FU(5-days exposure at the 5FU dose used for the induction of 5FU-resistance phenotype). All sequential associations were synergistic at moderate doses of both drugs in all cell lines tested, only 5-FU®OXA combination was additive in LoVo-5FUR cells to all inhibition fraction. The synergism found was independent from 5-FU-resistant phenotype, mismatch repair system or p53 status. Previous exposure to OXA in OXA®5-FU and OXA®TPT schedules reduced doses of 5FU and TPT given in combination at the resistant cell lines until levels similar to that obtained in corresponding sensitive cell lines suggesting the role of Oxaliplatin in the overcoming of 5-FU resistance phenotype and in the abrogation of the cross-resistance pattern to Topo I inhibitors showed by LoVo-5FUR cells. The exposure to OXA as single agent induced a significant decrease in TS levels (mRNA and protein) in all cell lines. We have also observed that sequential administration of OXA/5-FU induced a significant decrease in TS mRNA expression (between 3 and 5-fold) as compared to exposure to 5-FU as a single agent in both, sensitive and 5FU-resistant cell lines. These results correlated with the synergistic activity observed in sequential OXA/5-FU administration schedule. Previous exposure to OXA also induced a down-regulation of Topo I gene expression that correlates with the decrease of TPT doses in OXA®TPT combination schedule. These results also suggest that Topo I inhibitors should to be administered previous to OXA, as diminished Topo I levels is one of the most important cause of resistance to these agents. Finally, we demonstrated that despite the high level of cytotoxicity found in the associations between OXA and 5-FU, no increases in apoptosis were observed. In conclusion, our in vitro findings contribute to a better knowledge of the combination of 5-FU or Topo I inhibitors and platinum derivatives, contributing to a rationale for the optimal clinical development of the association between these agents. Down-regulation of TS due to OXA exposure in OXA/5-FU schedules promote a new interpretation of the synergistic activity observed in sensitive and 5-FU-refractory tumours. By other hand, combination of OXA/Topoisomerase I inhibitors represent an alternative for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.
42
Hemphill, Susan Patricia. "Effect of sorghum bran addition on lipid oxidation and sensory properties of ground beef patties differing in fat levels." Texas A&M University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/4399.
Abstract:
Oxidation of lipids influences the color and sensory qualities of meat products.
Meat with a high fat content, such as ground meat, is susceptible to lipid oxidation that
leads to the development of negative flavor and color changes. Antioxidants, such as
butylated hydroxanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytolune (BHT) and extracts of
rosemary, are used in meat products to control the effects of lipid oxidation. Awika
(2000, 2003) found that sorghum bran phytochemicals have high antioxidant properties.
Our objective is to evaluate the pH, color, sensory and antioxidant effect of 10, 20 and
30% ground beef patties containing rosemary, BHA/BHT, and three levels of sorghum
bran during 5 d of aerobic storage at 4ðC.
Beef trimmings containing either 50% or 90% lean were formulated into three
meat blocks containing either 10, 20 or 30% lipid. Within a fat content, ground beef was
equally divided into one of six treatments: 1) control-no added ingredients; 2) BHA and
BHT at .01% of the meat weight; 3) rosemary at 0.2% of the meat weight; 4) high level
of sorghum at 1.0% of the meat weight; 5) medium level of sorghum at 0.5% of the meat
weight; and, 6) a low level of sorghum at 0.25% of the meat weight. The ground beef was aerobically packaged and stored for 0, 1, 3, or 5 days at 4ðC. pH, thiobarbituric acid
reactive substances (TBARS), fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), sensory color, Minolta
color space values and descriptive sensory evaluations were determined.
Antioxidant addition reduced TBARS values and increased hardness (P<0.020)
and springiness (P=0.002) over time compared to controls. The addition of the high
sorghum bran level resulted in lower raw color scores (2.0 vs. 2.9) (P<0.0001) and
slightly increased bitter basic taste (2.47 vs. 2.65) (P=0.0069) when compared to control
patties. The high sorghum level slightly increased pH (6.33 vs. 6.41) (P<0.0001) and
resulted in darker (P<0.0001) and less yellow colored (P<0.0001) patties. With storage,
patties had higher pH (P<0.0001) and color space values decreased (P<0.0001). Sensory
properties of the patties differed across fat levels (P<0.05); however, interactions
between fat level and antioxidant treatment were not significant (P>0.05).
Moreover, the addition of sorghum bran at low levels can retard oxidative
rancidity in ground beef patties without causing detrimental color changes and
negatively affecting sensory attributes.
43
Lam, Jennifer Eleanor. "The nature of the metal-insulator transition in silicon germanide quantum wells." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/4399.
Abstract:
A study of the temperature dependence of the resistivity of gated SiGe quantum well structures has revealed a metal-insulator transition as a function of carrier density at zero magnetic field. Although early scaling theories (Abrahams et al., 1979) have argued against the existence of a metal-insulator transition at zero temperature in infinite 2D and 1D systems, more recent theoretical results using a random set of two-dimensional point potentials have shown that such a transition is allowed in two dimensions (Az'bel, 1992). Mounting experimental evidence for such a transition in 2D systems with short range scattering has accumulated in both semiconducting and superconducting structures (Kravchenko et al., 1995, and others). Pseudomorphic, CVD-grown p-type Si/Si$\sb{0.87}$Ge$\sb{0.13}$/Si quantum wells of various widths (65-200 A) have been studied. The samples were gated using a Ti-Au Schottky gate to allow for carrier density variation. Measurement of the transport to quantum lifetime ratio indicates that the transport is dominated by short range scattering. In the temperature range from 400 mK - 4.2 K, the temperature dependence shows a transition from a metallic phase in the high density regime to an insulating phase in the low density regime with a transition boundary close to 2.2 $\times$ 10$\sp $ cm$\sp{-2}$. The scaling properties of the observed metal-insulator transition will be discussed, and compared to previous scaling results from silicon MOSFETs. Below 400 mK, the onset of another transition is accompanied by a sharp drop in resistivity with temperature followed by a monotonic decrease in resistivity below 115 mK. The phase diagram was explored using temperature and density dependences of the current-voltage characteristics.
44
Courtney, Karen Lynne. "Privacy and senior adoption of assistive technology in residential care." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4399.
Abstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Vita. "May 2006" Includes bibliographical references.
45
Hickman, Cristina Fontes Lindemann. "Environmental factors affecting interferon-τ expression and secretion by in vitro produced bovine blastocysts." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/4399.
Abstract:
Interferon (IFN)τ is the luteotrophic signal in ruminants and is secreted by bovine blastocysts both in vivo and in vitro. IFNτ secretion is highly variable and its control is only partly understood. Most studies on the effects of environmental factors on IFNτ production have evaluated IFNτ production during the time of embryo elongation and attachment. There is less knowledge of how IFNτ production at the blastocyst stage is modulated. Therefore, the hypothesis of this thesis was that the amounts of IFNτ expressed and/or secreted by bovine blastocysts produced in vitro were modulated by environmental factors. In the first set of experiments, bovine embryos were incubated with a cytokine (granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor, GM-CSF). GM-CSF had been shown previously to promote embryo viability in a range of species and to modulate IFNτ secretion by ovine blastocysts and thus was classified as a beneficial environmental factor. Three experiments were conducted to test whether GM-CSF stimulated bovine blastocyst development and IFNτ secretion. Embryos were incubated with a range of different concentrations of GM-CSF (2, 5, 10 and 50 ng mL-1) and at different stages of development (1 to 3 and 1 to 9 days post-insemination). Bovine embryos were unresponsive to GM-CSF in terms of IFNτ secretion, pyruvate oxidation, rate of development, blastocyst yield, morphological quality and apoptotic index, irrespective of timing of exposure and/or concentration of GM-CSF. In the second part of the thesis, bovine blastocysts were exposed to a mild heat treatment (42°C for four h) to determine whether heat stress affected IFNτ expression by bovine blastocysts. A novel multiplex reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction methodology was validated to detect IFNτ and heat shock protein (HSP)70 mRNA in individual bovine embryos relative to an endogenous gene (YWHAZ) and an exogenous mRNA (α-globin) and results were expressed both in absolute terms and in relation to the endogenous control. Heat treatment upregulated IFNτ mRNA expression, suggesting that detrimental environmental factors may influence IFNτ expression. Heat treatment also caused an increase in HSP70 mRNA expression but did not affect blastocyst morphology, suggesting that the level of stress caused by the heat treatment was great enough to activate the cellular stress response, but mild enough not to cause a change in morphology. In addition, the positive correlation between HSP70 and IFNτ transcript levels and the higher IFNτ expression by embryos which showed signs of degeneration and collapse compared to those which progressed in development suggested that IFNτ expression may be indicative of stress. The relationship between IFNτ expression and secretion in vitro with morphology, pyruvate metabolism, apoptotic index and cell number was inconsistent, suggesting that IFNτ production did not correlate with ‘quality’ (defined as an index of viability). Blastocyst yield, day of blastulation and change in morphology index did account for at least part of the variation in IFNτ production, suggesting that some intrinsic factors may regulate IFNτ secretion. These intrinsic factors, however, did not explain all the variation in IFNτ secretion between blastocysts. Therefore, the amount of IFNτ secreted by bovine blastocysts is modulated by both intrinsic and environmental factors. A model was proposed where different levels of stress affect survivability to different extents, and the ability to respond to mild levels of stress may be indicative of improved survivability.
46
Schoen, Steven W. "The Rhetoric of Evidence in Recent Documentary Film and Video." Scholar Commons, 2012. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4399.
Abstract:
Documentary is a genre of film that portrays "real" events using depictions that connote the objectivity and facticity implied by the processes of photorealism. Many contemporary documentary theorists and critics observe a constitutive problem in this ethos: despite the apparent constructions and agendas of documentary filmmaking, the framing and assumption of documentary as a window on the world tend to naturalize its own constructions as "real." Critics who engage documentary trace the multitude of ways this problem plays out in particular films. These projects yield many important insights, but they most often approach documentary as a form of inherently deficient representation fraught with ethical questions-- questions created by the frame and ethos of objectivity it fails to achieve. Are events portrayed truthfully? Are people depicted fairly? Are filmmakers misrepresenting?
In this study I seek to show that a rhetorical approach to documentary shifts the critical focus to instead examine how documentary constructions and images work as evidence in the claims and rhetorical agendas of documentary. I study recent film texts (2000-2012) that explicitly and primarily structure their documentary materials as evidence for the truth of an argument or interpretation, and I argue that documentaries, when they work as documentary, establish and verify their depictions as evidence by drawing on the elements of their "scene." I use Kenneth Burke's dramatistic approach to observe that the "real world" as depicted in documentary is at once experienced as representation of the world outside the documentary, but also constructed as the scene of a dramatization. Understanding the dramatism of documentary helps me to characterize what I call a "rhetoric of evidence" that may be particular to documentary expression. In the films I study documentary "scene" interacts at key moments and particular ways to locate the events of films in the "real world," not just as evidence that something is real, but also as meaningful for particular arguments and rhetorical moves.
This study reveals the often extremely subtle ways that documentaries wield the influence of "truth," and also offers filmmakers an understanding of how evidence might be deployed more deliberately to present a social world that is open for transformation.
47
Kotzé, Hester Johanna. "Evaluation of specific genotypes in the context of the type 2 diabetes risk phenotype in the black South African population / by H.J. Kotzé." Thesis, North-West University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/4399.
Abstract:
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disease that affects 4% of the general population and
is expected to increase to 5.4% by the year 2025. A clear understanding of the aetiology
of T2D susceptibility and pathogenesis will thus have a noticeable impact on global health.
The black South African population is currently under increased risk for developing T2D
due to the impact of urbanisation. Since the mechanisms of disease risk in this population
differ to that of the so-called developed countries, it is necessary that the exact
pathogenesis of this disease be elucidated in order to define suitable screening and
therapeutic strategies for the black South African population. The purpose of this study
was to initiate this process. Four genotypes were investigated, including alterations in the
IRS-1, IRS-2, PPAR?2 and calpain 10 genes. This study was therefore the first to
evaluate these specific genotypes in the context of the T2D risk phenotype in the black
South African population, aiming towards a novel and population specific contribution
towards current T2D research.
The results of this study indicated that none of the screened genotypes were significant
predictors of impaired glucose in the black South African population. A biphasic glucose
curve shape (GCS) was associated with female gender, whereas a monophasic GCS, a
high BMI, female gender as well as a high HbA1c level were linked to glucose intolerance.
A high HbA1c level proved to be a significant predictor for glucose intolerance, although
the four screened loci were not good predictors of the HbA1c level. The study also
illustrated that it is not possible to simply adopt T2D screening strategies from those
developed in other ethnic groups and that different genetic and environmental risk factors
that play a role in the pathophysiology of T2D should be taken into account. The need for
optimised and population specific T2D screening strategies is therefore emphasised.
By further elucidating the complexities of T2D, a step towards providing more accurate
screening strategies to the immediate population will be achieved. This will directly result
in a significant decrease in the national burden of care, morbidity and mortality, paving the
way to optimal health care strategies for this developing country.Thesis (Ph.D. (Biochemistry))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.
48
Xu, Yang. "Business rules based legacy system evolution towards service-oriented architecture." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/4399.
Abstract:
Enterprises can be empowered to live up to the potential of becoming dynamic, agile and real-time. Service orientation is emerging from the amalgamation of a number of key business, technology and cultural developments. Three essential trends in particular are coming together to create a new revolutionary breed of enterprise, the service-oriented enterprise (SOE): (1) the continuous performance management of the enterprise; (2) the emergence of business process management; and (3) advances in the standards-based service-oriented infrastructures. This thesis focuses on this emerging three-layered architecture that builds on a service-oriented architecture framework, with a process layer that brings technology and business together, and a corporate performance layer that continually monitors and improves the performance indicators of global enterprises provides a novel framework for the business context in which to apply the important technical idea of service orientation and moves it from being an interesting tool for engineers to a vehicle for business managers to fundamentally improve their businesses.
49
Rautenbach, Karel Frederick. "Characterisation of a solar roof tile (SunSlates™) : with focus on local applicability and conditions." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4399.
Abstract:
Project report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch.Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
Three SunSlates™ were investigated to predict the performance of a fully installed system. The three slates were mounted on a fixed tilt of 30°, but with different orientations. The tilt is close to latitude of the Stellenbosch site, which is 33.92°. The one faces due east, another due west and last due north. This is to determine the effect that orientation has on the energy from the SunSlates™. Another slate, also facing north, was mounted on an adjustable framework. The framework was used to adjust the tilt angle of the slate, the orientation of the slate was constantly north. This slate was used to determine the effect of tilt on the total daily energy produced by the slate. To determine the performance of the slates daily measurements of temperature, solar insolation and wind was taken. These were used to investigate the effects on the SunSlates™. During the test period, which scheduled from September to November, the results show a difference, smaller than commonly believed, in the daily and annual energy delivered from the differently orientated slates. The slates facing east and west, however, have similar energy outputs, even though the power profiles differ. The north facing slate has the highest annual energy output, as expected. It was found that during the months of summer, November to January, the optimal tilted slate (Slate tilted to have a incidence angle of 0° from solar rays at noon) had a slightly lower energy output, but higher maximum power output per day than the 30 degree tilted slate. This is in contrast to the energy output predictions for the winter months where in the winter the energy can be as much as double that of the 30 degree tilted slate. The thorough testing and expert installation of the SunSlates™ are essential. From the case study it can be seen that some problems during installation, possibly a single faulty slate or shadowing, can cause a complete system to lose 30% of its efficiency.
Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies
50
Silva, Maria Margarida de Aguiar Martins da. "Plano regional de emergência externa no âmbito da saúde." Master's thesis, [s.n.], 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10284/4399.
Abstract:
Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Medicina DentáriaA eficácia da ação dos serviços de saúde em situações de emergência ou de catástrofe de grande dimensão é um tema do maior interesse para os todos os profissionais ligados à área da saúde. Por outro lado, e no caso de catástrofes com significativo número de vítimas, as questões de identificação humana ou médico-legal enfatizam o papel da medicina dentária forense nestas situações. Foi propósito deste trabalho avaliar da existência de planos regionais de emergência externa no âmbito da saúde integrados num campo mais vasto do sistema nacional de proteção civil. Após identificação do quadro legal aplicável e da determinação das entidades a nível nacional, regional, ou local com competências nesta matéria, foi elaborado um inquérito que, posteriormente, foi enviado a essas entidades. Procedeu-se também a um conjunto de entrevistas a profissionais de saúde especialistas nestas matérias. Os resultados das diligências realizadas e das respostas ao inquérito elaborado permitiram concluir da existência de notórias diferenças de entendimento das situações por parte das autoridades numa esfera nacional, quer de proteção civil quer na área da saúde. Verificou-se também um assinalável consenso entre especialistas ligados à saúde quanto à não existência de planos regionais de emergência externa no âmbito da saúde e à urgência na sua elaboração e aplicação. Como resultado, é sugerida a elaboração destes planos aplicáveis a todas as unidades de saúde de cada região, dos quais resulta a otimização do pessoal e dos meios existentes. Propõe-se ainda a inclusão de profissionais de medicina dentária nas equipas multidisciplinares que operam em situação de emergência. Effectiveness of the action of health services in emergencies or mass disasters must be a major concern for all the health professionals. Also, in case of mass disasters with a significant number of casualties, the role of the forensic odontology in those situations is essential for identification of the victims. This investigation aims to evaluate the existence of a Regional Plan for External Emergency, in the field of the health services within the scope of the national system of civil protection. After the determination of the applicable legal frame and the identification of the competent national, regional or local authorities, an enquiry was elaborated and sent to these authorities. Also, a number of direct enquiries to some specialised health professional were held. The results observed after the analysis of the answers to the enquiry led to conclude about the existence of significant differences on the understanding of the whole situation by the national authorities of civil protection and health services. It was also established a significant consensus among the health specialists on the nonexistence of any regional plan for external emergency in the field of health services and on the urgent need of its effective existence. As a result of this investigation it is suggested the creation of these regional plans involving all the health units in each region, aiming to optimise the performance of the existent personnel and facilities. Finally it is suggested the inclusion of odontology professionals in the multidisciplinary teams operating in emergency situations.