Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Rape profile'

Thesis (Ph.D.)--George Mason University, 2009.
Vita: p. 113. Thesis director: Margaret M. Mahon. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 11, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-112). Also issued in print.

Traditionally, rape has been viewed as a crime perpetrated by men against women. However, it is now recognised that males can also be victims of rape. The current research had several interrelated aims to; (i) provide a profile of both male and female rape victims, (ii) compare the characteristics of rape perpetrated against male and female victims, (iii) estimate the incidence of male and female rape within the general community, (iv) describe the reporting practices of rape victims, and (v) determine the relationship between rape and depression, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts. The community's level of rape myth endorsement was also explored. Rape myths were defined as attitudes and beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists that are generally false but are widely and persistently held, and serve to deny and justify sexual aggression against women and men. The present study compared rape myth endorsement levels concerning both male and female victims. However, it was first necessary to construct a rape myth questionnaire, the Rape Attitudinal Scale (RAQ), which minimised the methodological limitations of pre-existing scales. The current research utilised online methodology and, in total, 560 individuals participated in the research. It was found that almost two out of every five participants had been a victim of rape during their lifetime, with males accounting for 8.60% of the raped sample. Rape victims emanated from a variety of demographic backgrounds and the gender differences between the characteristics of the rape were discussed. Approximately one in seven rape victims stated that they had reported the rape to police, with half of those rape victims regretting informing the police of their experience. Almost twice as many female rape victims than male rape victims failed to report their rape to anyone. It was also found that victims of rape are more likely to report rape to authorities when the rape fits the

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2009.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 165 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-165).

This thesis presents the results of two research studies related to the physiological demands, the energy balance and the muscle damage induced by an ultra-endurance triathlon. The first study of this thesis examined the heart rate response during an ultra-endurance triathlon race in relation with heart rate-based intensity markers derived from specific swimming, cycling and running incremental tests. We found that, contrary to what was believed until now, the absolute or relative heart rate (expressed as percentage of heart rate peak) is greater in the swimming stage than in the cycling and running stages. It was also observed that swimming at a higher intensity inversely correlated with performance during the following stages and the overall racing performance. Moreover it was found that 81% of the variance in total racing time was explained by the weight-adjusted VO2max and the heart rate difference between the running and swimming stages. Furthermore, our data support the concept of an "oxygen consumption ultra-endurance threshold". The second study provided proper characterization of the energy and fluid intake, as well as the estimated energy expenditure, of a group of male triathletes during an entire UET race. The estimated EE was aprox. 11000 kcal (46 MJ), whereas EI was only aprox. 3600 kcal (15 MJ), which resulted in an energy deficit of almost 70%. This result partially confirms our hypothesis and demonstrates the challenging metabolic demands of a UET. In this study it was as well assessed the muscle damage induced by a UET and its relationship with the hydration status. The results, beyond confirming fibre muscle damage induced by an UET race, strongly suggest that cellular structural damage predominantly affects slow fibres, and that muscle damage is related to the hydration status.
En aquesta tesi es presenten els resultats de 2 estudis d'investigació relacionats amb les demandes fisiològiques, el balanç energètic i el dany muscular en els triatlons d'ultra-resistència. L'èxit en el triatló d'ultra-resisténcia està regit per la capacitat de mantenir una velocitat absoluta superior per una donada distància, en comparació amb els altres competidors (Zaryski & Smith, 2005). Per optimitzar el rendiment i determinar els factors de rendiment és necessari conèixer la resposta fisiològica i els requeriments energètics durant la competició. El perfil d'intensitat durant un triatló pot ajudar a entendre les demandes fisiològiques i proporcionar informació essencial per a l'entrenament òptim dels triatletes que competeixen en aquests tipus d'esdeveniments. A més a més, donada la llarga durada d'aquests esdeveniments esportius, un dels principals objectius per als atletes és la gestió del consum d'aliments i begudes durant la cursa (Laursen & Rhodes, 2001) per tal de millorar el rendiment i el manteniment de l'homeòstasi del cos. La informació en aquest camp és escassa o gairebé nul•la. Un altre punt clau que afecta aquests triatlons és el dany muscular que pateixen els atletes, que pot disminuir el rendiment muscular i, per tant, afectar el rendiment final del triatló. Un programa d'entrenament de força orientat a produir adaptacions musculars podria reduir aquest dany, però primer cal conèixer quines són les fibres musculars afectades. D'acord als punts exposats, els objectius plantejats en aquesta tesi han sigut: • Proveir, per primera vegada, una caracterització comprensiva del perfil d'intensitat basat en la freqüència cardíaca durant un triatló d'ultra-resistència. Aquest perfil d'intensitat s' estimarà en funció de la relació freqüència cardíaca-consum d'oxigen obtinguda en tests específics en cadascun dels tres modes d' exercici. • Relacionar els paràmetres fisiològics de laboratori i de camp mesurats amb el rendiment en la competició. • Proveir una caracterització del consum d'energia i líquids durant la totalitat d'un triatló d'ultra-resistència. • Estimar la despesa energètica i el balanç de fluids (dipòsits intra i extracel·lulars) al llarg de la competició utilitzant les tres equacions individualitzades obtingudes de cada triatleta. • Avaluar el dany muscular produït per un triatló d’ultra-resistència mitjançant l’avaluació dels nivells de sèrum de les miosines ràpides i lentes, i dels nivells d’activitat de la creatina kinasa. • Relacionar el dany muscular amb el nivell d’hidratació dels atletes. Els resultats i conclusions derivats d’aquests dos estudis que conformen la tesis han sigut: La freqüència cardíaca mitjana durant la competició va ser superior durant el -1 segment de natació (149.2 (10.1) batecs·min ) que durant el segments de ciclisme -1 -1 (137.1 (5.7) batecs·min ) i cursa a peu (136.2 (10.5) batecs·min ). Durant aquests dos últims segments la freqüència cardíaca va estar per sota dels dos llindars ventilatoris (aprox. 11% i aprox. 27-28%) mentre que en el segment de natació la freqüència cardíaca es va situar al voltant del segon llindar ventilatori. Les diferències en la freqüència cardíaca entre el segment de natació i el segment de ciclisme van obtenir una forta correlació amb els temps dels segments de ciclisme i cursa a peu, així com també amb el temps final; com més gran va ser la diferència entre la natació i el ciclisme, pitjors resultats van obtenir els subjectes. Per tant, es pot afirmar que el segment de natació en un triatló d’ultra-resistència es desenvolupa en una intensitat relativa superior als altres dos segments i que aquesta intensitat està relacionada amb un pitjor rendiment als següents segments. El consum d’energia va ser de 3.643 (1.219) kcal i la despesa energètica estimada va ser de 11.009 (664) kcal. En conseqüència, els atletes van mostrar un dèficit d'energia de 7.365 (1.286 kcal (66,9 (11,7%)) posant de manifest les altes demandes energètiques d’aquests tipus de competició, que no són compensades per la ingesta de nutrients i líquids, resultant en un dèficit energètic de grans dimensions. La massa corporal va disminuir significativament després de finalitzar el triatló i també es van trobar pèrdues significatives en l’aigua total corporal. Aquestes pèrdues van estar més relacionades amb la reducció dels fluids extracel·lulars que amb la reducció dels fluids intracel·lulars. Els paràmetres que millor prediuen el rendiment (expressat com a temps final de cursa) en els triatlons d’ultra-resistència són el consum màxim d'oxigen relatiu i la diferència entre la freqüència cardíaca entre el segment de ciclisme i natació. Una caracterització del patró d’intensitat durant tota la cursa, especialment del segment de natació, afegeix nova informació del perfil d'intensitat i les demandes cardiovasculars d'un triatló d’ultra-resistència, la qual cosa remarca la importància de l’especificitat en els tests per avaluar el perfil fisiològic de cara a preparar els entrenaments i l’estratègia de competició. Un triatló d’ultra-resistència provoca dany muscular afectant principalment les fibres musculars ‘lentes’. Un programa d’entrenament orientat a la producció d’adaptacions a les fibres musculars lentes, pot ajudar a reduir el dany muscular produït durant un triatló d’ultra-resistència. El dany muscular produït en triatlons d’ultra-resistència està relacionat amb el grau d’hidratació durant la competició i, per tant, els triatletes haurien d’evitar la deshidratació per, entre altres coses, prevenir el deteriorament del múscul.

U okviru doktorske disertacije ispitan je nutritivni kvalitet mleka magarice balkanske rase tokom laktacije. Prosečna suva materija mleka magarice balkanske rase iznosi 9,26%. Sadržaj proteina tokom laktacije kreće se od 1,40% do 1,92%. Prosečan sadržaj mlečne masti je 0,61%, a sadržaj laktoze iznosi 6,50%. Sadržaj analiziranih minerala: Ca, Na, K, Mg, P i Zn se povećava tokom laktacije i maksimalna vrednost utvrđena je 170. dana. Primenom kapilarne elektroforeze definisan je profil proteina mleka magarice balkanske rase. Identifikovane su sledeće proteinske frakcije: αs1-kazein, αs2-kazein, β-kazein (A, F), α-laktalbumin (A, C), β-laktoglobulin, lizozim, laktoferin, serum albumin i imunoglobulin čiji sadržaj opada tokom perioda laktacije. Sadržaj α-laktalbumina se kreće od 3090 mg/l do 1990 mg/l, a lizozima varira od 1040 mg/l do 2970 mg/l. Navedene frakcije proteina su najzastupljenije u mleku magarice balkanske rase. Laktoferin i imunoglobulin su frakcije sa najmanjim udelom u mleku magarice balkanske rase. Korišćenjem gasne hromatografije/masene spektrometrije utvrđen je sastav masnih kiselina mleka. Udeo esencijalne linolne kiseline (C18:2 n6) kreće se u opsegu od 7,08%, do 9,69%, a udeo α-linoleinske kiseline (C18:3 n3) varira od 5,85% do 7,83%.                                      Sastav mleka magarice balkanske rase kompariran je sa nutritivnim karakteristikama humanog mleka tokom 40. i 90. dana laktacije. Utvrđene su značajne razlike u sadržaju proteina mleka, mlečne masti i minerala. Odnos kazeina i proteina surutke kreće se od 0,68 do 0,75 u mleku magarice, dok u humanom mleku varira od 0,59 do 0,70. Udeo -linoleinske kiseline (C18:3 n3) je oko 2,5 puta veći u mleku magarice u odnosu na humano mleko.Generalno se može zaključiti da mleko magarice balkanske rase ima specifične nutritivne karakteristike koje variraju u zavisnosti od sastava hrane za životinje i analiziranog perioda laktacije.
Nutritional quality of Balkan donkey milk during lactation was investigated within this thesis. The mean content of dry matter, fat and lactose in the Balkan donkey milk was 9.26%, 0.61% and 6.50%, respectively. Protein content during lactation period ranged from 1.40% to 1.92%. Content of the analyzed minerals: Ca, Na, K, Mg, Zn and P increased during the lactation period and reached their maximum value at 170th day. The protein profile of Balkans donkey milk was defined by application of capillary electrophoresis when the following protein fractions: αs1-kazein, αs2-kazein, β-kazein (A, F), α-laktalbumin (A, C), β-laktoglobulin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, serum albumins and immunoglobulins, whose content decreases during lactation period,were identified. α-lactalbumin contents ranged from 3090 mg/l to 1990 mg/ and lysozyme varies between 1040 mg/l to 2970 mg/l. These two protein fractions were the most abundant in the Balkan donkey milk, while lactoferrin and immunoglobulin were at least represented. The fatty acid composition of Balkan donkey milk was determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The share of the essential linoleic (C18: 2 n6) and α - linolenic (C18: 3 n3) acid rangred from 7.08 % to 9.69% and from 5.85 % to 7.83 %.Nutritional quality of Balkan donkey milk has been compared with the nutritional quality of human milk during the 40th and 90th day of lactation. Significant differences in the protein content of milk, fat and minerals were found. The ratio of casein and whey protein ranged from 0.68 to 0.75 in the Balkan donkey milk, while in human milk this value varies from 0.59 to 0.70. The share of α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n3) is around 2.5 times higher in donkey than in human milk.The main conclusion is that Balkan donkey milk has specific and unique nutritional quality which depend on the feed composition and on the analyzed period of lactation.

Providing more realistic reliability prediction based on small proportion of failed population or test data has always been a challenging task. Manufacturers rely heavily on reliability prediction for designing warranty plan. Further, to predict warranty claims for the remaining warranty period, it is important to have more realistic reliability assessment by considering a larger proportion of the population or the maximum possible information on the remaining population. However, generally this information is not readily available and is very difficult to gather on the scattered population. In this work, we propose to use customer usage rate profile to generate censored usage data on the remaining population that do not have any failure and warranty claim yet. We intend to use field data available such as warranty claims, field failures, recall data, and maintenance data to develop usage rate profile and subsequently estimate censored usage time. Finally, reliability estimation methodology is developed considering both censored data and field failure data to provide more reasonable reliability prediction for the remaining warranty period. The proposed methodology is demonstrated considering real life data from a big manufacturing company.

The project elaborated in frame of engineering studies branch M-STG describe characteristics of plasticity of non-anneal materials E 235, E 190 and E 220. Materials characteristic was receive by static and dynamical tests. Based on the literature study it was conducted survey of the current state of experimental techniques for high-speed deformation. The materials were designed by Holomon approximation of rigid-plastic material model without hardening. It was conducted force analyses for machine Unison MG 2790 for rewind bending and bend with compressive force considering the identified material model. It was describe the impact passive and active forces to move the neutral axis.

The aim of this study was to characterise the genetic and epigenetic profiles of rare forms of sporadic renal cancers (RCC) and identify differential patterns of DNA methylation or somatic mutations that may permit distinction between different subtypes of RCC and could facilitate disease prognosis or identify molecular pathways that could be targeted therapeutically. Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation 450K BeadChip permitted the comparison of the epigenome of the malignant chromophobe RCC and the benign renal oncocytoma. This study identified several genes to be differentially hypermethylated in chromophobe RCC, and renal oncocytoma showing that although both visually and pathologically similar, both tumours have a distinct methylation pattern. Whole exome sequencing (WES) of renal oncocytoma samples identified somatic mutations in eighteen genes involved in a variety of cellular functions. Sanger sequencing was then used to confirm the mutations identified, followed by further screening by Sanger in a cohort of additional renal oncocytoma samples to identify if the somatic mutations are recurrent. Modern high throughput and quantitative techniques have permitted further characterisation of these rare renal cancers and have enabled unique insights into their molecular genetics, findings that may hopefully be of clinical benefit in the future.

Rotary endodontic instruments have different cross sectional designs that may effect their resistance to torsional stress. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the static torsional properties of two nickel titanium files that have recently been introduced for use in endodontics and compare them to the same size Profile instruments. Ten new files of each brand and size were tested. The files tested were: RaCe 25 tip 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 taper, K3 and Profile 25 and 40 tip in 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06 taper. The diameter of each file was measured at 3mm from tip. The last three millimeters of the working area of the file was grasped with a non-rotating stainless steel chuck and the handle was held in freely rotating chuck. Torque was applied with the Instron Universal Tester in a counter-clockwise direction to simulate the direction of torque encountered clinically. The crosshead speed was set to produce 2 rotations per minute until fracture occurred. The maximum torque achieved and the rotations to fracture were recorded. A multi-way ANOVA of rotations revealed that RaCe 25-0.02 exhibited significantly less rotations to fracture than Profile and K3 of the same size (p<0.0001). RaCe 25 tip exhibited lower maximum torque in all tapers than corresponding K3 and Profile instruments. The mean diameter was significantly smaller for the RaCe files. In this study the RaCe file series exhibited lower values for maximum torque and rotations to fracture. These results should be taken into account while using these files clinically, however further testing is indicated.

The Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) operates thirteen treatment plants in the eastern Virginia area with a combined capacity of 231 million gallons per day (mgd). The Nansemond Treatment Plant (NTP) is one of the larger facilities, and is designed to treat 30 mgd using a 3-stage Virginia Initiative Process (VIP) biological nutrient removal (BNR) process. The majority of the influent is domestic, but there is also a large industrial contribution, particularly from a hog processing facility, landfill leachate, and significant loads from septage and grease deliveries (Bilyk et al, 2008). NTP is currently being upgraded to a 5-stage Bardenpho process to achieve improved total nitrogen (TN) removal. For several years starting in about 2001, NTP has experienced continuous and sporadic nitrification upsets that cannot be explained by plant operations events. Sporadic nitrification upsets are characterized by sharp increases in effluent ammonia and nitrite with decreases in nitrate concentrations due to reduced growth rates in bacteria. The result is reduced overall total nitrogen (TN) removal. Continuous inhibition is evidenced by a previous engineering report by Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. (2007), whereby it was suggested that the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) maximum specific growth rate (μmax) be reduced from 0.9 to 0.57 days-1. This has significant implications in terms of the required aeration volume for consistent nitrification at cold temperatures. The objective of this project was to determine whether the NTP influent wastewater does in fact exhibit inhibition to ammonia (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), evaluated independently, and to determine the impact on polyphosphate accumulating organism activity (PAO). Because the historical operational experiences and data analysis suggested inhibited AOB and NOB activity, an investigation was initiated targeting the source of that inhibition. After conducting seventeen weeks of batch experiments the source of inhibition was not determined. Batch experiments however, did reveal other possible sources of inhibition including large amounts of chemical toilet waste received at NTP possibly containing quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). Due to available blower capacity during construction it was planned that nitrification would not be maintained during the fall of 2009. In an effort to stop nitrification, the solids retention time (SRT) was purposely reduced over a period of about one month (as wastewater temperature cooled) until additional blower capacity was available. This provided an opportunity to study baseline nitrification kinetics and determine the potential for continuous inhibition through profile sampling. Simulation modeling of the profile sampling and plant data was performed with Biowin 3.1 (EnviroSim, Ltd.) as a means for comparison and to generate μmax values for AOB to compare with the original design μmax of 0.57-1. Profile sampling was conducted from the primary effluent to the secondary effluent with samples collected along the length of the BNR process. This was being done to address the following issues: â ¢ Conduct baseline sampling prior to a more detailed nitrification inhibition study estimated to begin in May 2010, which will include influent sampling and the operation of bench-scale sequencing batch reactors. This will be used to establish â normalâ COD, nutrient and DO profiles though the VIP process without (and possibly with) the impact of inhibitory conditions, specifically with respect to N conversions and P release and uptake along the process. â ¢ Evaluate the potential for nitrite accumulation in the process and its potential effect on aerobic phosphate uptake by phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs). â ¢ Evaluate the impact of sporadic ferric chloride addition to the biological process as a means of preventing effluent TP exceedances. â ¢ Evaluate the design μmax to the actual observed μmax for AOB through simulation modeling. â ¢ Compare modeling and observed profile data for signs of any continuous nitrification inhibition. Experimental results from batch-rate testing confirmed the sporadically inhibitory nature of NTP primary effluent when combined with other stable nitrifying biomasses. Investigation into quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) which were contained in the chemical toilet waste suggested that QACs at higher concentrations caused some inhibition of NOB activity, but no significant impact on AOB activity. Profile sampling demonstrated no signs of sporadic or continuous nitrification inhibition or impact of nitrite accumulation and ferric chloride addition on biological treatment processes. Modeling of the profile data generated similar profiles; however, there were slight variations as the model predicted nitrification to stop earlier than what was actually observed. From the modeling it was also determined that the maximum specific growth rate (μmax) of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was in the range of 0.50 â 60 days-1. This supported batch and profile work that showed NTP PE exhibited some degree of continuous inhibition. Diurnal loadings however, were not accounted for in the modeling which could slightly underestimate the actual AOB μmax value. Several suspected inhibitors were eliminated as potential causes of inhibition, including waste from a hog processing facility, landfill leachate, the addition of ferric chloride, plant internal recycle streams, branches of the collection system, and chemical toilet disinfectants containing QACs. References Bilyk, K., Cubbage, L., Stone, A., Pitt, P., Dano, J., and Balzer, B. 2008. Unlocking the Mystery of Biological Phosphorus Removal Upsets and Inhibited Nitrification at a 30 mgd BNR Facility. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation Technical Conference and Exposition, 2008. Hazen and Sawyer. 2007. Nansemond Treatment Plant Nutrient Reduction Improvement Technical Memorandum.
Master of Science

Sprint kayaking is prominent in Europe with training methods devised and adopted from Eastern bloc training systems. There is a lack of published research on sprint kayaking locally and internationally. Consequently, the aims of this research directly address establishing a relationship between kayak specific training and the Profile of Mood States (POMS); monitoring training duration and intensity and establish a link with the POMS and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE); to monitor the general wellness of the kayakers. Seven elite sprint kayakers (two male, five female) with the following characteristics: age 26.5 (1.4) years, training experience 8.4 (3.7) years were part of the South African national sprint kayaking squad selected to participate in this study, based on their preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (one male athlete did not qualify but continued to train). The females trained for the 500m K1, K2 and K4 events and the male for the 1000m K1. Three training camps (TC1, TC2, TC3) were held from 12 November to 09 December 2007, 25 February to 22 March 2008 and 14 July to 04 August 2008. RPE (Borg Scale) was recorded for each session. The 65-item POMS was completed twice a week, after half a days rest (Wednesday) and after a day and half rest (Sunday). Daily training load was calculated from RPE and session time; and an energy index calculated from the POMS vigour and fatigue scores. The Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey recorded illness and injury. Descriptive and Inferential Statistics, Friedman’s rank test for k correlated samples, The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Spearman rank-order correlations were used to analyse the data. Statistical significance was calculated at 5% (p=0.05) and 10% (p=0.1). The results showed higher vigour scores associated with lower RPE and low training load; and high RPE associated with higher anger, confusion, depression, fatigue and total mood disturbance scores. There was a relationship between increasing POMS scores and duration of the training camps. The POMS findings could not completely explain the relationship found between RPE and duration of the training camps. The energy index was higher pre-camp and the extended rest periods during the camps. The findings for the POMS and RPE suggested that a state of overreaching might have occurred during the camps. Monitoring of the kayakers for an extended period after the training camps would have been useful to determine whether any of these individuals became over-trained. In accordance with Kentta et al (2006), regular use of the POMS may help detect under recovery, preventing staleness and unwanted rest for extended periods. Future studies will enable a retrospective view on these results.
Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences
unrestricted

Etude systématique des coefficients d'élargissement par collisions des raies infrarouge et Raman de dioxyde de carbone perturbé par dioxyde de carbone, eau, diazote et dioxygène. Les résultats obtenus dans la gamme de température 300-3000 K sont utiles pour modéliser les transferts radiatifs en particulier dans les systèmes de combustion, et pour les diagnostics infrarouge et Raman.

Background Systemic AL amyloidosis is a rare complication of immunoglobulin light chain secreting B cell clonal disorders. Much progress has been made in the recent years in the management of AL amyloidosis. Yet, certain patient groups continue to fare badly, posing a challenge to the treating physicians. Aims To describe the clinical features and outcomes of the challenging subgroups of patients with AL amyloidosis such as elderly patients and those with rare subtypes – IgD and IgM related amyloidosis. To explore the role of 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy in imaging soft tissue AL amyloid deposits and look at possible risk stratifying methods based on plasma cell phenotype and serum clonal markers at presentation. To evaluate the effectiveness of the novel agent, bortezomib as front line therapy in AL amyloidosis. Results and Conclusion Treatment of systemic AL amyloidosis in the elderly is challenging, yet, treatment of carefully selected older patients with novel therapies with low toxicity profile, results in improved survival. The clinical profile of IgD amyloidosis is similar to that of AL in general but the long term outcome appears poor. In contrast, IgM related amyloidosis has some distinct features and the underlying B cell clone needs to be accurately characterised to direct the choice of therapy. The adverse outcome in this latter group appears to be associated with cardiac, liver and nerve involvement. The role of 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy in imaging soft tissue AL amyloidosis is promising and requires further studies. Multicolour flow cytometry and heavy light chain measurement seem valuable in assessing the impact of plasma cell clones and degree of immunosuppression on prognosis respectively. Bortezomib based treatment is effective in achieving deep clonal response in patients without cardiac amyloidosis and those with early disease. Those with advanced cardiac involvement continue to pose a challenge and are in need of more effective therapies.

Antarctic mass balance is mainly controlled by surface mass balance (SMB, i.e. the net effect of precipitations at the surface of the ice sheet) and ice discharge at its margins, mostly through ice shelves. These floating ice bodies made from ice flowing from the continent to the ocean are buttressed by ice rises (elevation of the sea floor on which ice shelf re-grounds) such as the Derwael Ice Rise (DIR) in Dronning Maud Land (DML). In addition to this role important to consider in the future contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise, ice rises are also “climate dipsticks” helping to reconstruct the climate of the past centuries to millennia at high resolution. Due to their coastal location, they witness the changes happening there more rapidly than inland. Furthermore, their internal stratigraphy forms arches that allow to assess their stability, to date their own formation and therefore, in some cases, to constrain the past extension of the ice sheet at the scale of several millennia. As part of the IceCon project :Constraining ice mass changes in Antarctica, this thesis aimed to drill a 120 m ice core (named IC12 for the IceCon project, 2012) at the divide of the DIR and perform physico-chemical analyses to study its density and its internal annual layering with the aim of reconstructing SMB of the last two centuries. We also recorded a virtual image of the borehole using an optical televiewer (OPTV) to assess the ability of this instrument to reconstruct a density profile and measure vertical strain rates when the logging is repeated in the same borehole after a sufficient period of time (here, 2 years).The results show a general increase in snow accumulation rates (SMB) of 30-40% during the 20th century, particularly marked during the last 20-50 years. SMB variability is governed to a large extent by atmospheric circulation and to a lesser extent by variations in sea ice cover. The vertical velocity profile measured from repeat borehole OPTV was applied to refine SMB correction and the results fall in the error range of the corrections made using a model previously developed to study the DIR’s stability. This thesis also contributed to characterizing the spatial variability of SMB across the DIR by dating internal reflection horizons (IRHs), former surfaces of the DIR buried under subsequent snow layers and detected using radio-echo-sounding, and by measuring the density profile of IC12. SMB is found to be 2.5 times higher on the upwind slope than on the downwind slope due to the orographic effect. This pattern is regularly observed on ice rises in DML and stresses the importance of adopting a sufficient spatial resolution (5 km) in climate models.Finally, the technical developments allowing to rapidly reconstruct a density profile from the OPTV image of a borehole contributed to improving our knowledge of two features of Antarctic ice shelves, namely melt ponds, influencing surface mass balance and subglacial channels, influencing basal mass balance. Specifically, the results show that density is 5 % higher in surface trenches associated with subglacial channels, and that ice below melt ponds can reach the density of bubble-free ice due to melting and refreezing processes, with implications on ice shelf viscosity.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Antarctic mass balance is mainly controlled by surface mass balance (SMB, i.e. the net effect of precipitations at the surface of the ice sheet) and ice discharge at its margins, mostly through ice shelves. These floating ice bodies made from ice flowing from the continent to the ocean are buttressed by ice rises (elevation of the sea floor on which ice shelf re-grounds) such as the Derwael Ice Rise (DIR) in Dronning Maud Land (DML). In addition to this role important to consider in the future contribution of Antarctica to sea level rise, ice rises are also “climate dipsticks” helping to reconstruct the climate of the past centuries to millennia at high resolution. Due to their coastal location, they witness the changes happening there more rapidly than inland. Furthermore, their internal stratigraphy forms arches that allow to assess their stability, to date their own formation and therefore, in some cases, to constrain the past extension of the ice sheet at the scale of several millennia. As part of the IceCon project :Constraining ice mass changes in Antarctica, this thesis aimed to drill a 120 m ice core (named IC12 for the IceCon project, 2012) at the divide of the DIR and perform physico-chemical analyses to study its density and its internal annual layering with the aim of reconstructing SMB of the last two centuries. We also recorded a virtual image of the borehole using an optical televiewer (OPTV) to assess the ability of this instrument to reconstruct a density profile and measure vertical strain rates when the logging is repeated in the same borehole after a sufficient period of time (here, 2 years).The results show a general increase in snow accumulation rates (SMB) of 30-40% during the 20th century, particularly marked during the last 20-50 years. SMB variability is governed to a large extent by atmospheric circulation and to a lesser extent by variations in sea ice cover. The vertical velocity profile measured from repeat borehole OPTV was applied to refine SMB correction and the results fall in the error range of the corrections made using a model previously developed to study the DIR’s stability. This thesis also contributed to characterizing the spatial variability of SMB across the DIR by dating internal reflection horizons (IRHs), former surfaces of the DIR buried under subsequent snow layers and detected using radio-echo-sounding, and by measuring the density profile of IC12. SMB is found to be 2.5 times higher on the upwind slope than on the downwind slope due to the orographic effect. This pattern is regularly observed on ice rises in DML and stresses the importance of adopting a sufficient spatial resolution (5 km) in climate models.Finally, the technical developments allowing to rapidly reconstruct a density profile from the OPTV image of a borehole contributed to improving our knowledge of two features of Antarctic ice shelves, namely melt ponds, influencing surface mass balance and subglacial channels, influencing basal mass balance. Specifically, the results show that density is 5 % higher in surface trenches associated with subglacial channels, and that ice below melt ponds can reach the density of bubble-free ice due to melting and refreezing processes, with implications on ice shelf viscosity.
Doctorat en Sciences
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The content of this dissertation is divided into two main topics: 1) nonlinear profile monitoring and 2) an improved approximate distribution for the T^2 statistic based on the successive differences covariance matrix estimator. (Part 1) In an increasing number of cases the quality of a product or process cannot adequately be represented by the distribution of a univariate quality variable or the multivariate distribution of a vector of quality variables. Rather, a series of measurements are taken across some continuum, such as time or space, to create a profile. The profile determines the product quality at that sampling period. We propose Phase I methods to analyze profiles in a baseline dataset where the profiles can be modeled through either a parametric nonlinear regression function or a nonparametric regression function. We illustrate our methods using data from Walker and Wright (2002) and from dose-response data from DuPont Crop Protection. (Part 2) Although the T^2 statistic based on the successive differences estimator has been shown to be effective in detecting a shift in the mean vector (Sullivan and Woodall (1996) and Vargas (2003)), the exact distribution of this statistic is unknown. An accurate upper control limit (UCL) for the T^2 chart based on this statistic depends on knowing its distribution. Two approximate distributions have been proposed in the literature. We demonstrate the inadequacy of these two approximations and derive useful properties of this statistic. We give an improved approximate distribution and recommendations for its use.
Ph. D.

Les qualités sensorielles de la viande bovine, en particulier la tendreté, la jutosité et la flaveur présentent une grande variabilité, qui semble s'expliquer par l'expression de nombreux gènes, partiellement identifiés. Afin de maîtriser ces qualités, il est nécessaire d'acquérir une meilleure compréhension de leur déterminisme, notamment en analysant dans le muscle les profils d'expression génique qui leur sont associés. Ceci représente l'un des enjeux du programme de recherche MUGENE, visant à identifier des marqueurs biologiques des qualités sensorielles au moyen de la génomique fonctionnelle, et dans lequel s'inscrit ce travail de thèse. Dans ce contexte, il s'agissait tout d'abord de poursuivre le développement au laboratoire de la technique d'analyse du transcriptome à l'aide de puces à ADN. Un 2ème objectif consistait à identifier des gènes musculaires associés aux qualités sensorielles de la viande bovine qui pourraient constituer des marqueurs biologiques des qualités. Ce travail s'est appuyé sur la cohorte de taurillons de 15-19 mois en race Charolaise du dispositif "Vachotron 2003" issus d'une sélection sur le potentiel de croissance musculaire considérée comme favorable à l'amélioration de la tendreté. La stratégie mise en oeuvre a consisté à analyser et à comparer les transcriptomes du muscle Longissimus thoracis de 25 taurillons sur la base des qualités sensorielles de leur viande d'une part, et de leur potentiel de croissance musculaire d'autre part. Les variations du transcriptome ont ensuite été mises en relation avec les données phénotypiques, grâce à des études de corrélations. La 1ère partie de la thèse a permis de réaliser des choix méthodologiques pour les études de génomique : utilisation des puces oligonucléotidiques Myochips de la plateforme de Nantes, et sélection des méthodes d'analyse d'images, de statistiques et de fouille des données les plus pertinentes. L'analyse des transcriptomes musculaires de tous les animaux et leur comparaison ont permis d'acquérir des résultats originaux. Tout d'abord, nous avons établi les profils d'expression génique associés, d'une part, aux viandes de tendreté, jutosité et flaveur les plus élevées, et d'autre part, à un fort potentiel de croissance musculaire. Le résultat majeur de la 1ère étude est la mise en évidence, pour la 1ère, d'une relation négative entre l'expression du gène DNAJA1 (HSP40), et la tendreté évaluée par un jury de dégustation. Le niveau d'expression de ce gène explique jusqu'à 63% de la variabilité de la tendreté. Si les mécanismes mis en jeu restent à élucider, l'expression de ce gène constitue donc un bon candidat pour être un marqueur négatif de tendreté. Ce résultat a donné lieu à un dépôt de brevet. La 2ème étude a permis la mise en évidence d'une régulation différentielle des gènes du métabolisme énergétique musculaire chez les taurillons à fort potentiel de croissance (sur-expression de 2/3 des gènes de la glycolyse, sous-expression de 50% des gènes du cycle de Krebs). De plus, le niveau d'expression de gènes (FGF6, PLD2) connus pour leur implication dans les phénomènes d'hypertrophie musculaire chez les rongeurs, a été corrélé à l'augmentation de la masse musculaire des taurillons indépendamment de leur masse grasse. Enfin, l'intégration des résultats des 2 études montre que les gènes dont l'expression est modifiée par la sélection génétique sont différents de ceux associés aux qualités sensorielles des viandes, suggérant que la sélection n'aurait pas de conséquence majeure sur les qualités de la viande issue des animaux étudiés
The great variability in beef sensory qualities, especially tenderness, juiciness and flavor might be explained by the expression of many genes, still partly not characterized. In order to control meat sensory traits, it is necessary to identify new molecular markers of meat sensory quality. This is the main objective of the MUGENE program which takes advantage of the progress in genomics. In this context, my PhD thesis had two ultimate objectives. Firstly, it aims to develop transcriptomics using DNA microarray. Secondly, it aims to detect differentially expressed genes which could be putative biological markers of meet quality or of genetic muscle growth potential in cattle. This study was performed using the experimental design called "Vachotron" consisting of twenty-five 15- to 19-month-old Charolais young bulls, divergently selected on their muscle growth potential. The experimental strategy consisted in comparing the Longissimus thoracis muscle transcriptomes between high and low meat quality groups (meat quality study) or between animals selected for high or low muscle growth (growth potential study). New molecular markers were hypothesized thanks to the relationships wich could be highlighted between gene expression and the phenotypes of divergent animals. In a first part of the thesis, methodological choices were made in order to carry out transcriptomic analyses of muscle : use of high density heterologous oligonucleotide microarrays (Myochips, Nantes), and of relevant methods of image analysis, statistics and data-mining. Secondly, muscle expression profiling was performed in all the animals and compared according to the different criteria (tenderness, juiciness and flavour ; growth potential). A major result of the meat quality study is the original description of a negative relationship between DNAJA1 (HSP40) gene expression and tenderness evaluated by a sensory panel. This gene may explain up to 63% of the variability in tenderness. Although the molecular bases of DNAJA1 action remain to be elucidated, the expression level of this gene could be a relevant negative marker of tenderness. This result has been therefore patented. The growth potential study has revealed the differential regulation of genes involved in energy metabolism (up-regulation of 2/3 of genes involved in glycolysis and down-regulation of half of the genes involved in the citrate cycle) in the animals with a high growth potential, especially at 15 months of age. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (FGF6, PLD2) known for their implication in rodent muscular hypertrophy, were associated with the muscle mass of bull calves independently of their fat mass. Lastly, data integration of both studies showed that the genes involved in sensory qualities are different from those associated with the genetic selection suggesting that selection on muscle growth potential would not affect significantly beef quality traits

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente, Florianópolis, 2009.
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This study carried out at the interface of SFL/Translation/corpus-based methodologies investigates the Ideational profile of Elizabeth Bishop in two texts in translation relationship: Flores Raras e Banalíssimas (Oliveira, 1995) e Rare and Commonplace Flowers (trans. Besner, 2002). Its objective is to examine, by means of the categories of the Transitivity System in its experiential component, the Participant =Bishop' and the Processes in which they are inscribed. The pattern of use of the lexical item 'Bishop' is analyzed with a view to observing what kind of Participant is realized by the lexical items related to it and how this Participant can be associated with representations of the American poet both in the textualization (Brazilian Portuguese text) and retextualization (North-American text). The methods for such an investigation were divided into: (i) corpus design, building and processing assisted by WordSmith Tools' suite of programs (Scott, 1999) and (ii) manual corpus analysis complementing automated analysis drawing on the grammar of Processes and Participants. Although results collected from the quantitative analysis show similarities of transitivity patterns in both texts (Bishop is construed as an active Participant involved in Material Processes (43%)), new language configurations emerge in the qualitative analysis. In 10 cases, the Participant Bishop is textualized as Senser and retextualized as Carrier. Such choices of Bishop being a Carrier Participant in the North-American text construes a representation associated with Relational Processes of being, construing a passive Participant in the target context.

The mechanical properties of endodontic instruments are important parameters for the safe and efficient clinical use in endodontic practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the geometric characteristics, the structural, physical, chemical and mechanical properties of NiTi endodontic instruments ProFile Vortex, RaCe and ProTaper Universal. The chemical components have all been analyzed with X-Ray energy spectroscopy, the present phases determined by X-Ray diffractions, the transformation temperatures obtained with differential scanning calorimeter and the topographic features were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The geometric and dimensional characteristics, especially the area and diameter 3 mm from the tip were analyzed using the ImagePro Plus 6.0 software. The mechanical behavior was evaluated by bending and torsion tests, as specified by ISO 3630-1, and flexural fatigue test until fracture. Data were analyzed by ANOVA with a confidence level of 95%. The instruments Vortex, RaCe and ProTaper Universal showed similar chemical composition and -phase as the main constituent at room temperature. However, the average values of transformation temperatures of the instrument Vortex were significantly higher than other rotary systems tested. The Vortex instruments were significantly more flexible, possibly due to thermomechanical treatments they have undergone during manufacture. Instruments Vortex 25/.06 showed peak torque significantly higher than those of RaCe 25/.06 and ProTaper F1. However, in the group with the highest caliber, ProTaper F2 instrument showed the statistically most torsional resistance. In the fatigue tests, Vortex system showed a significantly higher fatigue life than the other instruments examined. Whereas instruments have similar diameters and geometry, the thermomechanical treatment performed in the M-Wire wire used in producing the Vortex system, represented an important improvement in the mechanical properties of the instruments, when compared with rotary systems manufactured with conventional NiTi wires.
As propriedades mecânicas dos instrumentos endodônticos são parâmetros relevantes para o uso clínico seguro e eficiente na prática endodôntica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características geométricas, as propriedades estruturais, físicas, químicas e mecânicas dos instrumentos endodônticos de NiTi ProFile Vortex, RaCe e ProTaper Universal. A composição química da liga NiTi foi analisada semi-quantitativamente por espectroscopia de energia de raios-X, as fases presentes foram identificadas através de análises por difratometria de raios-X, as temperaturas de transformação foram determinadas por calorimetria exploratória diferencial e o acabamento superficial foi avaliado por microscopia eletrônica de varredura. As características geométricas e dimensionais, principalmente diâmetro e a área a 3 mm da ponta foram analisadas através do software ImagePro Plus 6.0. O comportamento mecânico foi avaliado através de ensaios de flexão e torção, conforme especificação ISO 3630-1, e teste de fadiga flexural até fratura. Os dados foram analisados pelo teste ANOVA com um nível de confiança de 95%. Os instrumentos Vortex, RaCe e ProTaper Universal apresentaram composição química semelhante e fase como principal constituinte à temperatura ambiente. Entretanto, os valores médios das temperaturas de transformação do instrumento Vortex foram estatisticamente maiores do que os demais sistemas rotatórios testados. Os instrumentos Vortex foram significativamente mais flexíveis, possivelmente devido aos tratamentos termomecânico a que foram submetidos durante a fabricação. Os instrumentos Vortex 25/.06 apresentaram valores de torque máximo significativamente superiores àqueles dos instrumentos RaCe 25/.06 e ProTaper F1. Porém, no grupo com maior calibre, o instrumento ProTaper F2 foi o que apresentou estatisticamente a maior resistência torcional. Nos ensaios de fadiga, sistema Vortex apresentou uma vida em fadiga significativamente maior que os demais instrumentos analisados. Considerando que os instrumentos apresentam geometria e diâmetros similares, o tratamento termomecânico realizado no fio M-Wire utilizado na produção do sistema Vortex, representou importante melhora nas propriedades mecânicas dos instrumentos, quando comparado com sistemas rotatórios fabricados com fios de NiTi convencionais.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on April 20, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Sandra Hutchinson. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Over the years, the Internet has become increasingly popular and people's dependence on it has increased dramatically. Whether it be to communicate to someone across the world, find blueprints, or check sports scores, the Internet has become a necessary resource for everyone. In emergency situations, this need increases further. After the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon, it took several days to restore communications. This is not an acceptable time frame when people's lives are at stake. Virginia Tech's Center for Wireless Telecommunication has developed a prototype of a rapidly deployable high bandwidth wireless communication system at 28 GHz (Local Multipoint Distribution Service frequency). This system provides a large bandwidth radio link to a disaster zone up to 5 km away and puts Ethernet speeds and 802.11 accesses to users within hours. Because of the possible variability in locations that the system can be deployed, it is necessary to find the most useable channel at the site as quickly as possible. In addition to 28GHz radio links, the system also has a built-in channel sounder that measures and captures the channel impulse response of the current channel. Until now, there has been limited research on the relationship between the channel impulse response and the usability of the channel quantified using bit error rate. This thesis examines several different channels captured by CWT's channel sounder and simulates the BER using Cadence's SPW with time-domain models of the channels. This thesis goes on further to show that BER greatly depends on the channel impulse response and the symbol rate.
Master of Science

L'installation de systèmes de mesure est d'une utilisation cruciale pour la gestion des réseaux d'assainissement ou des canaux d 'irrigation. La plupart des structures gouvernementales ou privées ainsi que les agglomérations s'équipent de systèmes de mesure de débit afin de se conformer avec la législation européenne. La plupart des débitmètres fournissent des données en temps réel i.e. l'information est transmise en permanence. aux centrales d'acquisition pour une gestion de l'architecture du système de canaux. La mesure en canaux ouverts est souvent ultrasonore. L'objectif de cette thèse est de proposer une méthode en temps réel afin de corréler les vitesses locales en une vitesse moyenne dans les conditions observables par les utilisateurs en canaux ouverts. Les thématiques impliquées à cette étude sont multiples: les techniques de mesure, l'hydrodynamique en canaux ouverts représentée par la turbulence (ici plus particulièrement les courants secondaires), les lois de paroi, le nombre de Froude ... l'ensemble de ces thématiques doit être investi en canaux pleinement développés où les conditions sont stables dans l'espace mais aussi pour des conditions perturbées telles que les structures hétérogènes ou transitoires.La technique de mesure est un point clé: quelle est la technique la plus applicable aux conditions de mesure i.e. les canaux étroits? Les canaux étroits varient très rapidement en tem1es de taux de remplissage : la technique la plus adaptée est le profileur ultrasonique.La compréhension des effets hydrodynamiques est essentielle afin de développer un modèle de conversion. Les canaux droits sont influencés par l'hydrodynamique des écoulements, la géométrie mais aussi et principalement par leurs interactions. En canaux droits, les courants secondaires sont primordiaux même s'ils se traduisent par un effet le plus observable : le dip-phénomène, i.e. la présence d'un maximum de vitesse non pas à la surface d'eau mais en dessous pour les canaux étroits. Ces courants secondaires sont fortement sensibles au rapport d'aspect, la géométrie et la variabilité de la rugosité le long de la paroi, passablement sensible à la rugosité et indépendant du nombre de Froude .Les perturbations, à l'aval desquelles sont installés les débitmètres ultrasonores, sont majoritairement représentées par les coudes et les jonctions. Dans les coudes, les tourbillons sont liés aux forces centrifuges (gros tourbillon) et la turbulence (petit tourbillon). Pour les jonctions, les tourbillons diffèrent des deux précédentes configurations avec la présence à l'aval de la jonction de 3 tourbillons (due à un étirement des tourbillons par l'arrivée latérale). Les capteurs ne sont pas installés directement au niveau de la perturbation mais à l'aval. Dans la littérature, les distances requises pour retrouver des conditions proches de l'écoulement pleinement développé devraient excéder environ 50 hauteurs d'eau. En pratique, ces distances sont plus proches de5-10 fois la largeur du canal ou du tirant d'eau. L'application de modèle basée sur l'écoulement pleinement développé corrélé à un capteur n'est pas recommandable
The installation of flow rate measurement systems is an important factor in regard to the management of sewer and irrigation networks. Most cities and infrastructure succeed in obtaining sufficient flow measurements to satisfy European Regulation rules. Most flow meters comprise real time systems; this means that the information is permanently transferred to a data base for the management and optimization of the particular network. The measurement technology deployed is typically ultrasound based. Within the number of measurement points a high percentage are often deficient and create specific difficulties (>75% of Venturi flumes are inaccurate according to Anglian Water, a UK water and wastewater company). The study presented here focuses on flow meters which calculate discharge using measurement of level, cross sectional area and the correlation of local velocity to generate a mean value. The aim of this thesis is to propose a real time method to enable determination of this “conversion” under realistic configurations which Users find in open channels. The synthesis of measurement points through an understanding of hydraulic conditions (Bonakdari, 2006) provides a method to create flow data allowing local point velocities to be converted into an overall mean value. The approach has limitations and may fail in industrial situations but can be used for very complex configurations. It also requires specialists with knowledge of the technique who are rarely available to Users. What is proposed here is an alternative method to Bonakdari for simpler configurations. The aim is to evaluate the flow rate with acceptable accuracy using these technics and to establish a relationship between local velocities and the mean velocity according to Regulatory requirements (8% are required in UK, 5 to 8% in Germany depending on area). The individual components are here: the measurement techniques; the hydrodynamics represented with the turbulence (secondary currents in open channels); the wall / roughness effects; the Froude number … for fully developed conditions where conditions become stable in space but for disturbed conditions, as well such as heterogeneous structures or transition conditions

The paradigm of drug discovery have been to find the strongest possible binder to the target by high-throughput screening (HTS) but high affinity interactions are related to low kinetic off rates and thus result in severe side-effects and non-approved drugs. Lead molecules working in a transient manner (KD > µM) will allow for rapid off rates and possibly less side-effects. In this study the peak profile method applied to weak affinity chromatography (WAC) was evaluated as a simple way to provide the kinetics of the interaction and thereby allowing for high-throughput determinations. In the peak profile formula all band-broadening effects except the stationary mass transfer is subtracted which simplifies the calculations for the kinetics of the interaction tremendously. The technique was evaluated by screening of 3 different benzamidines at 3 linear flow-rates using zonal chromatography and human α-thrombin as immobilized target protein. The kinetics of the interaction could unfortunately not be determined. This was possibly due to the flow-rates not being high enough as indicated by a low critical ratio (η < 1). Higher flow-rates would increase the contribution to band-broadening due to kinetic effects but would also require more precise estimation of peak variance.

Thesis (MTech (Food Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018.
Fungal diseases in vineyards are one of the main causes leading to economic losses within the viticultural sector and are continuously increasing over years. The most common of these fungal diseases are powdery mildew, downy mildew and grey mould. Commercial fungicides to treat the above-mentioned diseases are available and their usage is regulated under Act 36 of 1947 to comply with Good Agricultural Practises (GAP). However, the application of less-harmful, natural alternative fungicides to control vineyard diseases are currently an important research focus since the demand for organic products by consumers and retail companies are increasing. However, fungicide residues can alter the fermentation process and prevent some biochemical pathways of yeast metabolism involved in phenolic and/or aroma compound production that are critical for sensory quality. Therefore the aim of the study was to investigate the effect of fungicide treatments on the fermentation rate, yeast proteins expressed, aroma compounds released and sensory profile of wines produced. In the study, Chenin Blanc grapes treated with chemical and natural fungicides (1x treatment and 2x treatment) under Good Agricultural Practises (GAP) were used to produce small-scale wines and laboratory-scale fermentations. Laboratory-scale fermentations were conducted in duplicate using the commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) Active Dry Wine Yeast (ADWY) strains VIN 13 and VIN 7. The fermentations were monitored by frequently weighing until they stabilised (CO2 weight loss). Small-scale wines were produced using the commercial S. cerevisiae ADWY strain VIN 13 only. Wines were made according to the standard Nietvoorbij experimental winemaking procedure. At the end of fermentation, lees samples were plated onto Yeast Extract Peptone Dextrose (YPD) agar and colonies grown were subjected to CHEF gel electrophoresis to confirm that the S. cerevisiae yeast strain inoculated at the beginning of the fermentation completed it. Moreover, fermenting wine samples, collected at the start (lag phase) and at end of fermentation (stationary phase), were subjected to protein extraction, quantification and characterisation in order to investigate fermenting wine yeast proteins. Furthermore, the final wines were subjected to chemical analyses as well as measurement of aroma enhancing metabolites (esters, higher alcohols, fatty acids and thiol compounds) using GC – FID and MS. Additionally, duplicate samples of the wines were evaluated sensorially by a trained panel of 12 winemakers and researchers, using an unstructured line scale. Wines were compared to the control wine according to visual (colour), flavour (tree fruit, tropical fruit, and wine foreign), taste (body mouthfeel, acidity) and overall quality. The data collected from the study was statistically analysed using a two-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and subject to a multiple factor analysis (MFA). From the results obtained in the above study, it was concluded that yeast strains used for winemaking completed the fermentations at a similar rate to their respective controls. In addition, small-scale cellar fermentations showed that fungicide treatments (1x treatment and 2x treatment) compared to the controls had no notable negative effects on wine aroma and sensory profiles although differences were observed in the proteins expressed after the fermentation. Overall, the fungicide treatments did not negatively affect the yeast performance, yeast protein expressed, aroma compounds released and sensory profiles of the wines produced. Further studies are recommended on other white as well as red wine grape cultivars to fully assess the effects of the fungicides.

Multivariate control charts are used to monitor a process when more than one quality variable associated with the process is being observed. The multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart is one of the most commonly recommended tools for multivariate process monitoring. The standard practice, when using the MEWMA control chart, is to take samples of fixed size at regular sampling intervals for each variable. In the first part of this dissertation, MEWMA control charts based on sequential sampling schemes with two possible stages are investigated. When sequential sampling with two possible stages is used, observations at a sampling point are taken in two groups, and the number of groups actually taken is a random variable that depends on the data. The basic idea is that sampling starts with a small initial group of observations, and no additional sampling is done at this point if there is no indication of a problem with the process. But if there is some indication of a problem with the process then an additional group of observations is taken at this sampling point. The performance of the sequential sampling (SS) MEWMA control chart is compared to the performance of standard control charts. It is shown that that the SS MEWMA chart is substantially more efficient in detecting changes in the process mean vector than standard control charts that do not use sequential sampling. Also the situation is considered where different variables may have different measurement costs. MEWMA control charts with unequal sample sizes based on differing measurement costs are investigated in order to improve the performance of process monitoring. Sequential sampling plans are applied to MEWMA control charts with unequal sample sizes and compared to the standard MEWMA control charts with a fixed sample size. The steady-state average time to signal (SSATS) is computed using simulation and compared for some selected sets of sample sizes. When different variables have significantly different measurement costs, using unequal sample sizes can be more cost effective than using the same fixed sample size for each variable. In the second part of this dissertation, control chart methods are proposed for process monitoring when the quality of a process or product is characterized by a linear function. In the historical analysis of Phase I data, methods including the use of a bivariate T² chart to check for stability of the regression coefficients in conjunction with a univariate Shewhart chart to check for stability of the variation about the regression line are recommended. The use of three univariate control charts in Phase II is recommended. These three charts are used to monitor the Y-intercept, the slope, and the variance of the deviations about the regression line, respectively. A simulation study shows that this type of Phase II method can detect sustained shifts in the parameters better than competing methods in terms of average run length (ARL) performance. The monitoring of linear profiles is also related to the control charting of regression-adjusted variables and other methods.
Ph. D.

The goal of this work was to contribute to the fed-batch process optimisation task by deriving parameters that have considerable impact on productivity as well as product quality The chosen parameters were I) the design of the glucose feed profile, II) the choice of induction strategy, with respect to the method of addition, and III) the time of the induction, with respect to the specific glucose consumption rate.

The present fed-batch experiments using the lacUV5-promoter, for production of b-galactosidase, have shown that a high glucose feed rate gives a specific production rate, q_p, that is twice as high, after induction, compared to a feed rate that is 2.5 times lower. The constant accumulation of lacZ-mRNA indicates that the translational capacity is initially limiting the synthesis machinery, but after four hours of maximum specific production and a corresponding drop in lacZ-mRNA production, the cultivation is likely to be transcription limited. The high feed-rate system resulted in high accumulation of β-galactosidase, corresponding to 40% of total cellular proteins.

By design of feed profiles in a fed-batch process the detrimental effects of overflow metabolism, giving acetic acid formation, can be avoided. However, the results show that a one-dose addition of isopropyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (IPTG), provokes a non-growth associated production of acetic acid. This response can be alleviated by; lowering the inducer concentration (in this case to below 165 μM), by further reducing the feed rate of glucose or by using alternative induction methods. The use of a stepwise addition or a feed of IPTG thus delayed and reduced the level of acetic acid accumulation. It was also shown that a small change in the time-point of induction lead to large variability, regarding both productivity and acetic acid accumulation, in a fed-batch cultivation,

In order to further investigate the protein quality two additional proteins were studied in fed-batch cultivations using high and low glucose feed. The aim was to prove the hypothesis that the feed related change in the rate of synthesis of the nascent polypeptide controls the product quality. For the two proteins: Zb-MalE (wt) and Zb-MalE31 (mutant), the transcription rate, in terms of amount of IPTG, and translation rate, in terms of changes in feed rate, influences the percentage of inclusion body formation and degradation of nascent polypeptide. The data show a higher rate of inclusion body formation for the model protein Zb-MalE31 during high feed rate cultivations, as well as at high levels of inducer. Furthermore, the rate of proteolysis was significantly higher for a high feed rate. The high feed rate thus results in a higher rate of synthesis but a lower corresponding quality, for the model proteins studied.

In the present investigation of fed-batch cultivations using several different expression vectors, it was found that the central alarmone guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) was formed at both high and low feed rates upon induction. It could be shown, however, that by secretion of Zb-MalE to the periplasm, the stringent response could be avoided. This might be due to the decreased burden on the host where the secretion of product further seems to make the cell able to redirect the carbon flux from overflow metabolism, since no acetic acid was produced. The secretion also demonstrates that the growth arrest could be aborted, which is otherwise gained in the P_malK production system.

A novel fed-batch process based on the promoters for the universal stress proteins A and B (P_uspA, P_uspB) was designed to make use of these powerful promoters in an industrial production context. It was concluded that the process had to start from a high specific growth rate and induction was performed once a limiting feed started. This was done to purposely induce the stringent response and/or acetic acid accumulation since this was required for induction. In the suggested system, induction has to be performed and maintained at continuous substrate feeding, whilst avoiding exceeding the cellular capacity, since the stationary phase starvation alone did not lead to production. In conclusion, a new stress induction based production system was achieved resulting in high accumulations of product protein without any detected metabolic side effects.

Milk fat composition determines specific rheological, sensory and physicochemical properties of dairy products such as texture, melting point, flavor, color, oxidation rates, and viscosity. Previous studies have shown that milkfats containing higher levels of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have lower melting points and decreased solid fat contents which leads to softer-textured products. An increased risk of higher oxidation rates can be a disadvantage of high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Three different milkfat compositions were obtained through dietary manipulation of cows: high oleic content, high linoleic content and control milkfat. Ice cream and butter were processed from the treated and control milks. Butter and ice cream samples then were analyzed to measure differences in fatty acid profiles and firmness. High-oleic and high-linoleic milkfat had lower concentrations of saturated fatty acids, such as C 16:0. Conjugated linoleic acid content was increased in the high-linoleic milkfat. High-oleic milkfat resulted in a softer butter. Ice cream samples were analyzed to measure differences in viscosity, melting point, oxidation rate and sensory perception. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found in the fatty acid profiles of milkfat, ice cream mix viscosity, peroxide values of ice cream after 3 to 5 months of storage, butter color, and butter firmness. Sensory analyses included a scooping test at -18°C to detect differences in texture. A difference test was conducted to determine oxidation flavor differences between the three ice cream treatments at extended storage times. No significant differences were found in the scooping test or the oxidation flavor difference. Manipulation of the cow's diet increased the total amount of unsaturated fatty acids. It also influenced firmness of butter and behavior of peroxide values during extended storage of high-linoleic ice cream.
Master of Science

Includes bibliographical references
Metabolic flux analysis is commonly used in the modelling of biochemical reactions. The use of MFA models has gained large amounts of interest due to the simplicity of the computational procedures required for the model, and the exclusion of difficult to measure intracellular reaction data. There are many examples of the use of MFA models in literature studies in a number of applications, ranging from the medical industry through to the development of novel biochemical processes. Little to no mention is provided in literature studies regarding the applicability of the MFA model to a specified set of reaction data. Furthermore, the techniques and routines used to compute the flux models are not well described in these studies. The objectives of this research were to determine the sensitivity of the MFA models to various operating and kinetic parameters and to highlight the considerations required when setting up the computational routine used to solve the flux balances. The study was conducted using a model pathway populated with a set of hypothetical elemental reactions and branch points. The model pathway was used in this study to negate the affects of complex regulatory biochemical architectures which are not well described in literature. The use of the model pathway ensured that the reaction system was thermodynamically feasible and there was consistency in the mass balances. The exclusion of the complex regulatory reactions did not affect the accuracy of the results generated in this study. A set of reaction mechanisms were used to describe each reaction step and were populated with parameters reference from literature. The cellular and reactor mass balances were generated using correlations presented in literature.

The general objectives of this thesis were: (i) to determine the etiological and molecular profile of clinical mastitis (CM) in 20 dairy herds of Southeast, Brazil; and (ii) to quantify antimicrobial used for treatment of CM in the study population. To achieve this goals, four studies were performed. In the Study 1, we characterized the pathogen frequency and severity of CM in dairy herds. In addition, we determined the incidence rate of clinical mastitis (IRCM) and its association with the following herd-level descriptors: bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC), bulk milk total bacterial count (BMTBC), herd size (number of lactating cows), milk yield, housing system and season. The association between herd-level descriptors and IRCM were determined by two groups of mixed regression models: one based on the overall IRCM, and five based on the following specific-pathogen groups: contagious, other Gram-positive, Gram-negative, other (composed of yeast and Prototheca spp), and negative culture. A total of 5,957 quarter-cases of CM were recorded and the most frequently isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (6.6% of total cultures), Streptococcus uberis (6.1%), and Streptococcus agalactiae (5.9%). The majority of CM cases were mild (60.3%), while 34.1% were moderate and 5.6% severe. Overall, the IRCM was 9.7 quarter-cases per 10,000 quarter-days at risk (QDAR), and the only herd-level parameter associated with overall IRCM was BMSCC, in which the highest IRCM was observed for herds with BMSCC >600.000 × 103 cells/mL. In the models evaluating the specific-pathogen groups, IRCM with isolation of major contagious pathogens was associated with BMSCC, milk yield and housing system. For the evaluation of other Gram-positive pathogens, the IRCM was higher in the rainy season of 2015 in comparison with the other seasonal categories. In addition, for the model evaluating the Gram-negative group, the IRCM was highest in herds with BMTBC >30 × 103 cfu/mL. The Study 2 aimed to characterize the treatment profile and quantify the antimicrobial consumption for treatment of CM in dairy herds; and to determine the association of antimicrobial use (AMU) and the same herd-level descriptors as described in the Study 1. Data on treatment practices and AMU were obtained from 19 dairy herds for a period of 12 months per herd. The AMU for treatment of CM was quantified monthly in units of defined daily dose (DDD) and expressed as antimicrobial treatment incidence (ATI; number of DDD per 1,000 lactating cows-day). The overall monthly mean ATI was 17.7 DDD per 1,000 lactating cow-days (15.4 for intramammary compounds, and 2.2 for systematically administered antimicrobials). Among intramammary drugs, aminoglycosides had the highest ATI (11.7 DDD per 1,000 lactating cow-days), while for systematically administrated antimicrobials, fluoroquinolones (4.2 DDD per 1,000 lactating cow-days) were the most frequently used antimicrobials. Herd size and BMSCC were positively associated with ATI. In addition, herd-level ATI was higher in freestall herds than in compost bedded-pack barns. In the Study 3, we determined the phylogeny of E. coli strains isolated from CM in dairy cows and the association of most frequent phylogroups with antimicrobial susceptibility. A total of 100 E. coli isolates recovered from CM cases described in the Study 1 were categorized according to their phylogenetic group using a quadruplex PCR method; antimicrobial susceptibility pattern was also evaluated. Most isolates were assigned to phylogenetic group A (52%), followed by B1 (38%), B2 (2%), C (4%), D (3%), and E (1%). Resistant isolates were observed for all evaluated antimicrobials. Overall, more than 96% of E. coli isolates were resistant to ampicillin, and more than 23% were resistant to cephalothin, sulphadimethoxine or tetracycline. High levels of resistance (>70%) were also found to erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, penicillin associated with novobiocin, and pirlimycin. In contrary, high susceptibility was observed to ceftiofur (96.8%) among E. coli isolates. Difference in the antimicrobial susceptibility among phylogenetic groups was observed only for cephalothin, in which E. coli strains belonging to the phylogroup A were inhibited at lower antimicrobial concentrations than strains assigned to the phylogroup B1. In Study 4, we evaluated the genotypic diversity among Strep. agalactiae and Strep. uberis isolates recovered from CM in dairy cows; in addition, the study evaluated the association of genotypes clustered by genetic similarity with antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. Isolates were subtyped using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. A great genotypic diversity was found for both Strep. agalactiae (45 subtypes out of 89 isolates) and Strep. uberis (56 subtypes out of 88 isolates). For evaluation of antimicrobial susceptibility, subtypes of Strep. agalactiae were clustered into three groups (Ia, Ib and II), while Strep. uberis subtypes were clustered into two groups (I and II) according to their genetic similarity. Overall, Strep. agalactiae isolates showed high susceptibility to most antimicrobials, except to tetracycline and erythromycin. Differences in the antimicrobial susceptibility among clusters of Strep. agalactiae were observed for ampicillin, ceftiofur, erythromycin, pirlimycin, sulphadimethoxine and tetracycline. In contrary, Strep. uberis isolates were categorized as resistant to most antimicrobials, except to cephalothin and penicillin+novobiocin. No differences were observed among clusters for all antimicrobials in the analysis of Strep. uberis. In conclusion, the results of this thesis indicated a high IRCM in the evaluated herds, and although environmental pathogens were the most common cause of CM in these herds, contagious pathogens such as Strep. agalactiae and Staph. aureus, are still a concern in some dairy herds of Brazil. Furthermore, high frequencies of AMU and off-label protocols were observed among the evaluated herds. The non-judicious use of antimicrobials can become a risk factor for the development of antimicrobial resistance, which was even observed for isolates belonging to the three most prevalent bacterial species identified from CM cases in our study (E. coli, Strep. agalactiae and Strep. uberis). Finally, because there were some herd-level descriptors associated with the IRCM and AMU in our study, there may be opportunity for management strategies aiming to improve the control of CM in dairy herds of southeastern Brazil.
Os objetivos gerais desta tese foram: (i) determinar o perfil etiológico e molecular da mastite clínica (MC) em 20 rebanhos leiteiros do Sudeste do Brasil; e, (ii) quantificar os antimicrobianos usados para tratamento da MC na população estudada. Para alcançar esses objetivos, quatro estudos foram realizados. No Estudo 1, foi caracterizada a frequência de patógenos causadores de MC e a gravidade das infecções nos rebanhos leiteiros. Além disso, foi determinada a taxa de incidência de mastite clínica (TIMC) e sua associação com as seguintes variáveis em nível de rebanho: contagem de células somáticas em leite de tanque (CCSLT), contagem bacteriana total em leite de tanque (CBTLT), tamanho (número de vacas em lactação), produção de leite, sistema de alojamento e estação do ano. A associação entre as variáveis em nível de rebanho e a TIMC foi determinada por dois grupos de modelos de regressão logística multivariada: um baseado na TIMC geral, e cinco baseados nos seguintes grupos específicos de patógenos: contagiosos, outros Gram-positivos, Gram-negativos, outros patógenos (composto de leveduras e Prototheca spp.), e cultura negativa. Um total de 5.957 casos de MC em nível de quarto mamário foi registrado e os patógenos mais prevalentes foram Escherichia coli (6,6% de todas as culturas), Streptococcus uberis (6,1%), e Streptococcus agalactiae (5,9%). A maioria dos casos de MC foi de gravidade leve (60,3%), enquanto 34,1% dos casos foram moderados e 5,6% foram graves. A TIMC geral foi de 9,7 casos por 10.000 quartos-dia em risco (QDR), e o único parâmetro em nível de rebanho associado com a TIMC geral foi a CCSLT, em que a TIMC mais alta foi observada em rebanhos com CCSLT >600.000 × 103 células/mL. Nos modelos que avaliaram os grupos específicos de patógenos, a TIMC de patógenos contagiosos foi associada com a CCSLT, produção de leite e sistema de alojamento. Na avaliação de outros patógenos Gram-positivos, a TIMC foi maior na estação chuvosa de 2015 em comparação com as outras categorias referentes à estação do ano. Adicionalmente, para o modelo avaliando o grupo de patógenos Gram-negativos, a TIMC foi mais alta em rebanhos com CBTLT >30.000 × 103 ufc/mL. O Estudo 2 teve como objetivo caracterizar o perfil de tratamento e o consumo de antimicrobianos em rebanhos leiteiros; e determinar a associação de uso de antimicrobianos (UAM) e as mesmas variáveis em nível de rebanho descritas no Estudo 1. Dados sobre as práticas terapêuticas e UAM foram obtidos de 19 rebanhos leiteiros durante um período de 12 meses por rebanho. A frequência de UAM para tratamento da MC foi quantificada mensalmente em unidades de doses definidas diárias (DDD) e expressa como incidência de tratamento antimicrobiano (ITA: número de DDD por 1.000 vacas em lactação-dia). A média de ITA mensal foi de 17,7 DDD por 1.000 vacas em lactação-dia (15,4 para compostos intramamários, e 2,2 para compostos sistêmicos). Entre os produtos intramamários, os aminoglicosídeos tiveram a ITA mais alta (11,7 DDD por 1.000 vacas em lactação-dia), enquanto que para os compostos administrados pela via sistêmica, as fluoroquinolonas (4,2 DDD por 1.000 vacas em lactação-dia) foram os antimicrobianos mais frequentemente usados. O tamanho do rebanho e CCSLT foram positivamente associados com a ITA. Além disso, a ITA foi mais alta em rebanhos com freestall do que em rebanhos com sistema tipo compost barn. No Estudo 3, determinou-se a filogenia de cepas de E. coli isoladas de casos de MC em vacas leiteiras, e a associação dos filogrupos mais frequentes com a susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos. Um total de 100 isolados de E. coli identificados nos casos de MC descritos no Estudo 1 foram categorizados de acordo com os grupos filogenéticos por meio de um método de PCR quadruplex; o perfil de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos também foi avaliado. A maioria dos isolados pertenceram ao grupo A (52%), seguido dos grupos B1 (38%), B2 (2%), C (4%), D (3%), e E (1%). Foram encontrados isolados resistentes para todos os antimicrobianos avaliados. De forma geral, mais de 96% dos isolados de E. coli foram resistentes a ampicilina, e mais de 23% foram resistentes a cefalotina, sulfadimetoxina ou tetraciclina. Altos níveis de resistência (>70%) foram encontrados também para eritromicina, oxacilina, penicilina e penicilina associada a novobiocina. Ao contrário, foi observado alta susceptibilidade ao ceftiofur (96.8%) entre os isolados de E. coli. Diferenças na susceptibilidade entre os grupos filogenéticos foi observada apenas para a cefalotina, em que os isolados de E. coli pertencentes ao filogrupo A foram inibidos em concentrações de antimicrobianas mais baixas que isolados pertencentes ao filogrupo B1. No Estudo 4, avaliou-se a diversidade genotípica entre isolados de Strep. agalactiae e Strep. uberis identificados em casos de MC em vacas leiteiras; adicionalmente, o estudo avaliou a associação dos genótipos agrupados de acordo com a similaridade genética com o perfil de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos. Os isolados foram genotipados por meio do método de amplificação randômica de DNA polimórfico (RAPD). Grande diversidade genotípica foi observada tanto para o Strep. agalactiae (45 subtipos de 89 isolados) quanto para Strep. uberis (56 subtipos de 89 isolados). Para a avaliação de susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos, os subtipos de Strep. agalactiae foram agrupados em três clusters (Ia, Ib e II), enquanto que os subtipos de Strep. uberis foram agrupados em dois clusters (I e II) de acordo com a similaridade genética. De forma geral, os isolados de Strep. agalactiae apresentaram alta susceptibilidade à maioria dos antimicrobianos, exceto para tetraciclina e eritromicina. Diferenças na susceptibilidade aos antimicrobianos entre os clusters de Strep. agalactiae foram observadas para ampicilina, ceftiofur, eritromicina, pirlimicina, sulfadimetoxina e tetraciclina. Por outro lado, os isolados de Strep. uberis foram resistentes à maioria dos antimicrobianos, exceto para cefalotina e penicilina + novobiocina. Não foram encontradas diferenças entre os clusters para todos os antimicrobianos na análise de Strep. uberis. Em conclusão, os resultados desta tese indicaram alta TIMC nos rebanhos avaliados, e apesar de os patógenos ambientais serem a causa mais comum de MC nestes rebanhos, patógenos contagiosos como Strep. agalactiae e Staph. aureus, ainda são uma preocupação em alguns rebanhos do Brasil. Além disso, observaram-se altas frequências de UAM e de terapias não recomendadas em bula entre os rebanhos avaliados. O uso não judicioso de antimicrobianos pode se tornar um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento da resistência bacteriana aos antimicrobianos, o que foi inclusive observado para isolados pertencentes as três espécies bacterianas mais prevalentes nos casos de MC no nosso estudo (E. coli, Strep. agalactiae e Strep. uberis). Finalmente, pelo fato de algumas variáveis em nível de rebanho terem sido associadas com a TIMC e com o UAM em nosso estudo, é possível que hajam oportunidades para implementação de estratégias de manejo com o objetivo de melhorar o controle da MC em rebanhos leiteiros do sudeste do Brasil.

L'objectiu més important del tractament de conductes és reduir al mínim el nombre de microorganismes i residus patològics a l'interior del sistemes de conductes per prevenir o tractar la periodontitis apical. La instrumentació completa de la regió apical s'ha considerat durant molt temps com un component essencial en el procés de neteja i conformació. Durant molts anys s'ha descrit la zona apical com la zona més crítica de la fase d'instrumentació. El transport apical implica una deformació iatrogènica de l'anatomia originària del conducte, això produeix una preparació difícil de segellar correctament predisposant a una major filtració que pot comprometre el correcte segellat apical. Per a la realització d'aquest treball s'han fet servir cinc sistemes d'instruments rotatoris, per avaluar el transport produït en arrels mesials de molars mandibulars, mitjançant la tècnica de superposició radiogràfica. S'han triat aquests cinc sistemes per les seves característiques de disseny i fabricació. La tècnica de superposició radiogràfica és una tècnica que ens proporciona la deformació apical dels conductes en dues dimensions d'una forma eficaç i amb un baix cost. La hipòtesi que es planteja en aquest estudi és que no hi haurà diferències estadísticament significatives en comparar el transport apical produït per cinc sistemes rotatoris de níquel titani en arrels mesials de primers molars mandibulars instrumentats fins a un calibre apical de 40.04. L'objectiu principal d'aquest estudi és comparar el transport apical produït pels diferent sistemes. Al seu torn de forma específica s'ha avaluat el transport apical produït per cada un dels sistemes d'instruments rotatoris de níquel titani. Els resultats obtinguts conclouen que no hi ha diferències estadísticament significatives en el transport apical produït pels diferents sistemes, encara que aquests tenen diferències de disseny i fabricació. Aquests resultats determinen que els cinc sistemes són segurs vàlids per al seu ús, ja que tots produeixen una preparació centrada en el conducte amb una mínima deformació del terç apical del conducte. En conclusió, la instrumentació de la regió apical és un repte per al professional, ja que és la zona del conducte on hi ha un major nombre d'irregularitats i on és més difícil aconseguir una correcta neteja i conformació. Conèixer i usar els instruments de forma adequada és indispensable per no produir deformacions en el terç apical que ens puguin fer fracassar el tractament per un segellat inadequat.

Gradual SEP events is one of the greatest hazards in space environment, particularly for the launch and operation of spacecraft and for manned exploration. Predictions of their occurrence and intensity are essential to ensure the proper operation of technical and scientific instruments. However, nowadays there is a large gap between observations and models these events that can lead to predictions. This work focuses on the modelling of SEP events, particularly, on the influence of the observer's relative position and of the shock strength, on the simulated SEP flux profiles. Part I of the thesis, deals with 3D MHD simulations of interplanetary shocks. We have studied the potential relevance of the latitude of the observer on the evolution of the strength of the shock and its influence on the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles; thus, on the resulting flux profiles. It is the first time that such dependence on the latitude is quantified from the modelling of SEP events, because most of the codes used so far to simulate interplanetary shocks are not 3D codes or they have been applied to near-ecliptic events. To study the influence of the latitude of the observer and the strength of the shock in the SEP flux profiles, we have simulated the propagation of two shocks (slow and fast) up to several observers placed at different positions with respect to the nose of the shock. We have calculated the evolution of the plasma and magnetic field variables at the cobpoint, and we have derived the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles and the resulting proton flux profiles to be measured by each observer. We have discussed how observers located at different positions in space measure different SEP profiles, showing that variations on the latitude may result in intensity changes of up to one order of magnitude. In Part II, we have used a new shock-and-particle model to simulate the 1 March 1979 SEP event that was observed by three different spacecraft. These spacecraft were positioned at similar radial distances but at significantly different angular positions, with respect to the associated solar source location. This particular scenario allows us to test the capability of the model to study the relevance of longitudinal variations in the shape of the intensity flux profiles, and to derive the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles. Despite the interest of multi-spacecraft events and due to the restrictions that they impose, this is just the second multi-spacecraft scenario for which their shock-particle characteristics have been modelled. For the first time, a simulation of a propagation of an interplanetary shock has simultaneously reproduced the time shock arrival and the relevant plasma jumps across the shock at three spacecraft. We have fitted the proton intensities at the three spacecraft for different energy channels, and we have derived the particle transport conditions in space. We have quantified the efficiency of the shock at injecting particles in its way toward each observer, and we have discussed the influence of the observer's relative position on the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles. We have concluded that in this specific event the evolution of the injection rate can not be completely explained in terms of the normalized velocity jump. The work performed during this thesis shows that the injection rate of shock-accelerated particles and their resulting flux profiles depend both on the latitude and on the longitude of the observer. This implies that more SEP events have to be modelled in order to quantify this conclusion on firm ground.
Els esdeveniments graduals de partícules solars energètiques (SEP) són un risc important per als astronautes i l’ instrumentació espacial. És per això que són necessàries eines de predicció de la intensitat i l'ocurrència de les tempestes de partícules solars per a garantitzar l'operativitat del material tècnic i científic embarcat. Existeix un gran buit, però, entre les prediccions del models actuals (per a ús en meteorologia espacial), i les observacions d'esdeveniments SEP. El treball realitzat durant aquesta tesi doctoral es centra en diversos aspectes de la simulació d'esdeveniments SEP. En particular, analitzem la influència de la posició relativa de l'observador i de la força del xoc en els perfils de flux derivats del nostre model combinat xoc-i-partícula. A partir de simulacions 3D, obtenim que el ritme d'injecció de partícules accelerades pel xoc depèn de la longitud de l'observador i demostrem, per primera vegada, que també depèn de la seva latitud. I es mostra que, conseqüentment, els perfils de flux detectats poden variar en un ordre de magnitud depenent de la connexió magnètica de l'observador amb el front del xoc. A més a més, presentem una simulació 2D d'un esdeveniment solar vist per tres sondes interplanetàries, pel qual s'ha ajustat, per primera vegada, l'arribada del xoc i els perfils de intensitat dels protons de diferents canals d'energia observats per cadascuna de les sondes. Així mateix, hem ajustat els salts en velocitat i camp magnètic a l'arribada del xoc, hem derivat les condicions de transport de les partícules i hem quantificat l'eficiència del xoc com a injector de partícules. La conclusió final del treball és que els futurs models de predicció d'esdeveniments SEP per a meteorologia espacial han de tenir en compte la geometria global de l'escenari solar-interplanetari.

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics
Acredita Portugal is a non-profit organisation that promotes entrepreneurship in Portugal, through the organisation and management of activities focusing on entrepreneurial contests and training workshops. The aim of this work project is to analyse the AP processes in order to improve the entrepreneurial projects implementation rate. Through an internship, it was studied the organisation AP, their practices and the succeeded enterprises1. The theoretical perspective on business incubation models and other similar Portuguese organisations of reference have been visited to support the gap analysis. Finally, it is presented conclusions and recommendations to favour AP’s improvement regarding project implementation rate.

Research in the field of dual diagnosis (the coexistence of symptoms indicative of a substance abuse problem and a mental health problem) has expanded immensely over the past 15 years. Unfortunately, much of the existing literature available on this topic is limited to adult populations. The researcher explored the rate of dual diagnosis in the adolescent population by conducting a secondary data analysis of the Canadian Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2003; Trocme et al., 2005). The rate of having one or more substance abuse problems in the CIS-2003 was 8.8% and the rate of having one or more mental health problems was 23.6%. Dual diagnosis was found to be under-reported in the child welfare system in Canada. Results of the secondary data analysis indicate that 4.4% of the total sample of adolescents aged between 10 and 15 years old had symptoms indicative of a dual diagnosis over the 3 month study period (n=4381). By providing a profile of child and caregiver characteristics and risk factors associated with dual diagnosis, clinicians from all realms can become better equipped to understand these issues. In the future, Social Workers and other professionals can work collaboratively on identification of DD and improving outcomes for youth and families affected by symptoms of a dual diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is a major and rapidly growing worldwide health problem, causing mortality largely in developing countries such as South Africa. Diabetes induces life threatening cardiovascular complications including cardiac autonomic neuropathy, ventricular dysfunction and dyslipidaemia, which are dependent on the duration and severity of the diabetes. Most complications are identified at a late, irreversible stage following long-standing diabetes; therefore, early detection and treatment of cardiovascular complications may reverse impairments and improve outcomes. The early treatment of diabetic complications remains ineffective, as the associated underlying features, such as electrolyte disturbances, are poorly understood. A key electrolyte disturbance in diabetes is hypomagnesaemia, which is also an independent cardiovascular risk factor. However, the effects of magnesium (Mg²⁺) supplementation are unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of Mg²⁺ treatment on the early manifestations of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic cardiac complications. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were treated once with STZ (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (citrate), and daily for seven days with MgSO4 (270 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. Blood glucose and body weight were monitored daily. On the eighth day, in vivo tail-pulse plethysmography was recorded for analysis of heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of cardiac autonomic function. Ex vivo, Langendorff-based left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume parameters were measured using an intraventricular balloon. Other hearts were stained with Masson's trichrome and haematoxylin and eosin for histological analysis. Cardiac tissue Mg²⁺ concentration as well as plasma lipid- and Mg²⁺ levels were measured by colorimetric assays. RESULTS: Diabetes reduced heart rate and increased the low-frequency (LF)/high-frequency (HF) power ratio. Mg²⁺ treatment prevented theses diabetes-induced changes in heart rate and in the low-frequency (LF)/high-frequency (HF) power ratio (p < 0.05, n = 9/group). In addition, Mg²⁺ restored orthostatic stress induced changes in heart rate, and LF/HF ratio in diabetic rats (p < 0.05, n = 9/group). In isolated hearts, Mg²⁺ reversed the diabetes-induced decrease in LV end-diastolic elastance (p < 0.05, n = 6/group) and the right shift of end diastolic equilibrium volume intercept from 49 ± 6 μ L to 25 ± 5 μL (p < 0.05, n = 6/group), without altering LV developed pressure or end systolic elastance. Diabetes significantly increased plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and blood glucose (p < 0.05, n = 7/group), and significantly decreased body weight (p < 0.05, n ≥ 16/group) compared to control, but these changes were not prevented by Mg²⁺ treatment. Neither diabetes nor Mg²⁺ treatment altered plasma- and tissue Mg²⁺ levels. Histologically, diabetes and Mg²⁺ treatment also did not alter cardiomyocyte size or the amount of interstitial collagen in myocardial tissue. CONCLUSION: These results show that Mg²⁺ treatment attenuates diabetes-induced autonomic dysfunction and improves LV diastolic distensibility in short-term diabetes. However, the diabetic metabolic disturbances of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia, the changes in cardiac microstructure or the plasma- and cardiac tissue Mg²⁺ levels were uninfluenced by Mg²⁺ treatment. This suggests that Mg²⁺ exerted its beneficial effects independent of these factors, highlighting the underling mechanisms remain to be clarified. The Mg²⁺ levels not measured in this study by which changes could have been mediated was intracellularly; an aspect that should be further explored in future studies. Furthermore, whether these effects would be translatable to chronic diabetes is an important next question. Thus, the results of this study suggest that Mg²⁺ may have a modulatory role in treating early diabetic cardiovascular complications, but future studies will need to clarify the underlying mechanisms.

Two drugs, troglitazone and atovaquone, were selected based upon them being poorly soluble in aqueous media and being relatively lipophilic. These drugs were incorporated into solid dispersions, of various drug to polymer ratios, to improve their solubility. Three polymers were chosen to be the carrier in the solid dispersions; two gastric soluble polymers hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone and one enteric polymer, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate. Dissolution runs, in Fasted State Simulated Intestinal Fluid (FaSSIF), were performed upon the drugs, physical mixtures and the solid dispersions. The results showed that incorporation of the drug into the solid dispersion enhanced the dissolution of both drugs, the enhancement was more pronounced with troglitazone. Increasing the polymer:drug ratio and the polymer used had an effect upon the dissolution of the drugs. Physical characterisation of the dispersions showed that troglitazone was more compatible with the polymers than atovaquone. Examination of the dissolution of troglitazone in various gastric media yielded the information that the selection of dissolution medium is important. Exposure of the troglitazone dispersions to gastric medium prior to dissolution in FaSSIF showed that there are advantages to using an enteric polymer. A computer model was derived in an attempt to predict the in vivo performance of the dispersions. The influence of the carrier upon the dissolution of the drugs from a solid dispersion was investigated. It was shown that the polymers improved the dissolution rate of troglitazone when pre-dissolved. Investigation into the ability of each polymer at preventing the recrystallisation of the drug from a supersaturated solution found that polymers helped slow down the rate of recrystallisation. Two methods were investigated, ultra-violet spectroscopy and micro-viscometry, to analyse the dissolution of the polymers. This showed that the troglitazone dispersions were, to some extent, controlled by the dissolution rate of the polymer, whereas the atovaquone dispersions were less controlled by the polymer dissolution.