Introdução: A infecção urogenital por Chlamydia trachomatis é a doença sexualmente transmissível bacteriana mais prevalente no mundo e afeta principalmente mulheres jovens sexualmente ativas. Infecções não tratadas podem provocar complicações reprodutivas decorrentes do dano tubáreo. Na gestação, aumenta o risco de parto prematuro, baixo peso ao nascer, morte perinatal, conjuntivite e pneumonia neonatal. Existem poucos dados brasileiros referentes à epidemiologia dessa infecção no nosso meio. O objetivo desse estudo foi determinar a prevalência de C. trachomatis em mulheres inférteis e em gestantes. Método: Foram analisadas transversalmente 77 mulheres inférteis e 60 gestantes assintomáticas. Foram coletadas amostras urinárias para ensaio de PCR e amostras sanguíneas para pesquisa de anticorpos IgG através da técnica de imunofluorescência indireta. Todas as participantes responderam um questionário referente ao seu histórico clínico e ginecológico. Resultados: A prevalência, tanto no ensaio de PCR quanto na imunofluorescência indireta (IgG) para C. trachomatis foi similar entre os grupos. Encontramos anticorpos IgG presentes em 61% das mulheres inférteis e em 56,7% das gestantes. Houve somente 1 PCR positivo no grupo das inférteis (1,3%) e nenhum do grupo das gestantes. Conclusão: Encontramos alta prevalência de anticorpos IgG para C. trachomatis em mulheres inférteis e em gestantes, mas verificamos baixa prevalência de PCR positivo nas participantes. A presença de IgG correlacionou-se com comportamento sexual e tabagismo. / Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection and affects mainly young, sexually active, women. Untreated infection may lead to reproductive complications due to tubal damage. Infections during pregnancy may cause preterm labor, low birth weight, perinatal death and neonatal conjunctivitis and pneumonia. There is little data on CT infection in Brazil. The aim of this study was to determine CT prevalence on infertile and pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 77 infertile and 60 asymptomatic pregnant women. First void urine was tested to CT using PCR and blood samples were collected for CT IgG antibodies testing using Indirect Immunofluorescence. A questionnaire about medical, gynecological and sexual history was applied to all participants. Results: We found statistically similar prevalence of PCR and IgG antibodies between groups. This study observed a 61% prevalence of CT IgG antibodies in infertile women and 56,7% in pregnant women. PCR was positive in only one (1,3%) infertile woman and in none of the pregnant. Conclusion: A high prevalence of C. trachomatis IgG antibody in Brazilian pregnant and infertile women, but a low prevalence of positive PCR on urine samples were demonstrated. CT antibodies were associated with sexual behavior and smoking.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:43:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:57:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 06555.pdf: 4601344 bytes, checksum: d54da5711d592aac4fbdb3cbb1ac8e1a (MD5) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Abstract Human prostate-specific antigen (hPSA, KLK3) and glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2, KLK2), two members of a large human tissue kallikrein enzyme family, were produced as recombinant mature proteins for the first time and characterized. Furthermore, their association with prostate cancer was studied. Both proteins were produced with baculovirus expression vector system in pilot-scale using bioreactors. Recombinant hPSA was either active with chymotrypsin-like activity or inactive with incorrect processing of N-terminus. The molecular weight of active recombinant hPSA was 31 kD and it formed stable complexes with serine protease inhibitors, α1-antichymotrypsin (ACT) and α2-macroglobulin (2αM). Two polymorphic forms of KLK2, Arg226hK2 and Trp226hK2, were found. The recombinant Arg226hK2 had trypsin-like activity, while recombinant Trp226hK2 was inactive. The Arg226hK2 was labile with low production yields. The molecular weights of hK2 polymorphic forms were 33 kD. hPSA isoforms secreted by prostate cancer cells, LNCaP, were isolated and characterized. These proteins were N-terminally heterogeneous: 10-60% of LNCaP-PSAs were correctly processed. Molecular modeling suggested that the additions or deletions of two or four N-terminal amino acids could affect the three-dimensional structure and reduce the activity of LNCaP-PSA. Active isoforms had chymotrypsin-like activity and formed stable complexes with ACT and 2αM. The expression of hPSA and hK2 was studied with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques in benign and cancerous prostate tissue. hK2 mRNA was expressed at a significantly higher level in prostate cancer tissue than in benign prostate tissue (P < 0.0005). The hPSA mRNA expression levels were reversed (P = 0.06). In benign tissue, the mean level of hK2 mRNA was 82% of the respective value of hPSA (P < 0.003), whereas in tumor tissue the mean hK2 expression level was 21% higher than that of hPSA (P < 0.01). The results at protein level supported the mRNA findings. There was a correlation between hPSA and hK2 mRNA levels in both benign (r = 0.735; P < 0.01) and malignant (r = 0.767; P < 0.01) prostate tissue. It was shown with competitively differential PCR that the KLK2 gene was amplified in prostate tumor tissue, while the KLK3 gene was not. These results suggest that hK2 and hPSA have a diverse value in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Spintronics is a dynamically developing branch of electronics which for transfer, processing and storing of information use not only electron charge but also its spin. Materials appropriate for a construction of spintronic devices should sustain the spin order for a sufficiently long time enabling a manipulation of spins. Simultaneously, in these materials the spin of electrons should be possible to transport fast and long enough across the device. In this work, heterostructure of GaAs/AlGaAs fulfilling these requirements is investigated by a pump-probe technique. In particular, long spin lifetimes of electrons in the heterostructure are studied using the resonant spin amplification method and with a use of the pulse picker. The nuclear spin polarization and the effect of an applied electric current on the studied heterostructure are also investigated in this work. Spectral filters are used to improve the existing experimental setup for the pump-probe technique and to measure a magnetooptical spectrum of the investigated heterostructure.

1 Title: High-average power picosecond mid-IR source Author: Michal Vyvlečka Department: Department of Chemical Physics and Optics Supervisor: Ing. Ondřej Novák, Ph.D., Hilase centre, Institute of Physics of CAS Abstract: High average power wavelength tunable picosecond mid-IR source based on optical parametric generation (OPG) and optical parametric amplification (OPA) is being developed. The conversion system is pumped by an Yb:YAG thin-disk laser delivering 100 W of average power at 100 kHz repetition rate, 1030 nm wavelength, and 2-3 ps pulse width. Part of this fundamental beam pumps an OPG process in a PPLN crystal. The generated wavelength is determined by PPLN's poling period and temperature. Tunability of the signal wavelength between 1.46 µm and 1.95 µm was achieved, the signal beam of 20 mW was generated at 2 W of pump power, when double pass of the beams through PPLN crystal was used. The corresponding idler wavelengths were in range 2.18-3.50 μm. The signal beam was further amplified by OPA process in two KTP crystals, which was pumped by the fundamental beam. The signal beam was amplified up to 2 W at pumping of 38 W. Tuning of the output wavelength was realized by change of the phase-matching angle in KTP crystals. Tunability between 1.70-1.95 µm for signal and 2.18-2.62 µm for idler was...

Des polymères supramoléculaires liés par liaisons hydrogènes basés sur des motifs associatifs de type benzène-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) et bis-urée ont été étudiés comme support dynamique pour la catalyse. Les propriétés catalytiques d'un lot de ligands, comprenant une série de onze nouveaux ligands bis-urées, et des co-monomères complémentaires ont été étudiés pour diverses réactions catalysées par des métaux. Des copolymères formés par mélange de monomères achiraux fonctionnalisés par des phosphines (les ligands) et des additifs sans fonctions phosphines (les co-monomères) ont été étudiés comme supports pour la catalyse asymétrique. L'objectif était de transférer, amplifier et changer la chiralité supramoléculaire du support polymère vers le centre métallique intrinsèquement achiral localisé à sa périphérie. Des mélanges de BTA ont été utilisés aves succès dans deux différentes catalyses asymétriques avec jusqu'à 85% ou 80% d'e.e. pour respectivement l'hydrogénation de l'itaconate de diméthyle catalysée par le rhodium et l'hydrosilylation de la 4'-nitro-acétophénone catalysée par le cuivre. Les centres catalytiques de rhodium et de cuivre supportés par les BTA montrent de fortes propriétés d'amplification de chiralité : i) pour la catalyse au rhodium, la quantité nécessaire de co-monomère chiral peut être réduite jusqu'à un quart de celle du ligand sans détérioration de l'énantioséléctivité de la réaction et ii) la chiralité du catalyseur au cuivre peut être changée pendant le déroulement de la réaction. Une autre plateforme, basée sur des mélanges de monomères bis-urée, a aussi été étudiée dans plusieurs réactions asymétriques catalysées par des métaux mais de l’énantioséléctivité n’a été obtenue que pour l’hydrosilylation de la 4’-nitro-acétophénone catalysé par le cuivre (22% e.e.). Dans le contexte de l’organocatalyse, la possibilité de modifier l’activité d’un centre catalytique de type thiourée en contrôlant son auto-assemblage a aussi été étudié. Au bilan, nos études montrent clairement les propriétés innovantes de catalyseurs supportés par des polymères supramoléculaires liés par liaisons hydrogène. / Hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymers based on benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) and bis-urea recognition units were investigated as dynamic scaffolds for catalysis. The catalytic properties of a full set of ligands, including a series of eleven new bis-urea ligands, and complementary co-monomers have been investigated in various metal-catalyzed reactions. Co-polymers formed by mixing an achiral phosphine-functionalized monomer (the ligand) and a chiral phosphine-free additive (the co-monomer) were investigated as scaffolds for asymmetric catalysis. The aim was to transfer, amplify and switch the supramolecular chirality of the polymer scaffold to intrinsically achiral metal centres located at its periphery. BTA mixtures have been successfully applied in two different asymmetric reactions providing up to 85% and 80% e.e. in the rhodium-catalysed hydrogenation of dimethylitaconate and in the copper-catalysed hydrosilylation of 4’-nitro-acetophenone respectively. The BTA scaffold supporting the catalytic rhodium and copper centres display strong chirality amplification properties: i) for the rhodium catalysis, the amount of chiral co-monomer can be decreased down to one-fourth of that of the ligand without deteriorating the enantioselectivity of the reaction and ii) the chirality of the copper catalyst can be switched during the course of the catalytic reaction. In the case of the bis-urea platform, mixtures of monomers have been investigated in several asymmetric metal-catalysed reactions but selectivity was obtained only for the copper-catalyzed hydrosilylation of 4’-nitro-acetophenone (22% e.e). We also tested the use of supramolecular polymers in the context of organocatalysis: the possibility of tuning the activity of a thiourea catalytic centre by controlling its self-assembly behaviour was investigated. Overall, our studies clearly reveal the innovative properties of catalysts supported by hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymers

Les microrésonateurs à modes de galerie en matériaux amorphes sont faciles à produire par des techniques de fusion. Leur facteur de qualité est cependant limité à quelques 108 du fait du phénomène de contamination de surface ou d'une absorption résiduelle plus importante que celle des matériaux cristallins. Nous avons développé deux méthodes utilisant des micro-résonateurs actifs, fabriqués par fusion de poudres de verres ZBLALiP dopés Erbium, permettant de dépasser cette limite. Il est tout d'abord possible de compenser les pertes en introduisant du gain optique dans le micro-résonateur. Des facteurs de qualité chargés de 5×109 correspondant à un facteur de qualité intrinsèque de 1010 ont ainsi pu être mesurés. En plus d'une augmentation du facteur de qualité, le gain interne offre un paramètre supplémentaire de contrôle du couplage, cela nous a permis d'obtenir tous les régimes de couplage d'un résonateur à partir du sous couplage jusqu'au régime d'amplification sélective. Nous avons atteint en particulier le régime de transparence, un micro-résonateur dans un tel régime peut trouver des applications comme ligne à retard variable transparente ayant un retard de groupe qui peut être modifié en jouant sur le taux de couplage entre le résonateur et la ligne d'accès. La deuxième méthode consiste à augmenter très fortement la valeur de l'indice de groupe du milieu par des effets de lumière lente. Un indice de groupe d'environ 4×106 a été obtenu via le phénomène d'Oscillations Cohérentes de Populations (OCP) ce qui caractérise un très fort ralentissement de la lumière. Ceci nous a permis d'augmenter, dans une micro-cavité, le temps de stockage des photons de 200 ps à 2,5 ms ce qui correspond à un facteur Q de 3×1012. / Glass-based whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonators are easy to produce by melting techniques. However, they suffer from surface contamination or residual absorption which limits their long term quality factor to only about 108. We show that an optical gain provided by erbium ions can compensate for residual losses. Moreover it is possible to control the coupling regime of an ultrahigh Q-factor microresonator from undercoupling to spectral selective amplification by changing the pumping rate. We demonstrate a critically coupled fluoride glass WGM microresonator with a diameter of 220 μm and a loaded Q-factor of 5,3×109. We also show that by introducing slow-light effects in a monolithic WGM microresonator it is possible to enhance the photon lifetime by several orders of magnitude and circumvent fabrication limitations. We experimentally demonstrate Erbium-doped fluoride glass microresonators with a photon lifetime up to 2,5 ms at room temperature, corresponding to a Q-factor of 3×1012 at 1530 nm, by combining WGM resonance effect and population oscillations.

This work derives a nonlinear optical spatio-temporal instability. It is a perturbative analysis that begins from Maxwell’s equations and its constituent relations to derive a vectorial nonlinear wave equation. In fact, it is a new theoretical method that has been developed that builds on previous aspects of nonlinear optics in a more general way. The perturbation in the wave equation derived is coupled with its complex conjugate which has been taken for granted so far. Once decoupled it gives rise to a second-order equation and thus a true instability regime because the wavevector can become complex. The solution obtained for the perturbation that co-propagates with the driving laser is a generalization to modulation and filamentation instability, extending beyond the nonlinear Schrodinger and nonlinear transverse diffusion equations[1][2]. As a result of this new mechanism, new phenomena can be explored. For example, the Kerr Nonlinear Instability can lead to exponential growth, and hence amplification. This can occur even at wavelengths that are typically hard to operate at, such as into far infrared wave- lengths. This provides a mechanism for obtaining amplification in the far infrared from a small seed pulse without the need for population inversion. The analysis provides the basic framework that can be extended to many different avenues. This will be the subject of future work, as outlined in the conclusion of this thesis.

Cochlear dead regions (DRs) are areas in the cochlea where inner hair cells and/or neurones are functioning so poorly that a sound that causes peak basilar membrane motion in that region is more efficiently detected via off-frequency listening. The Threshold Equalising Noise (TEN) test is a clinical test procedure for detecting DRs. Psychophysical Tuning Curves (PTCs) can be used to identify the boundary frequency of the DR although the clinical importance of doing this has yet to be determined. Some studies have suggested that the reduction of amplification well inside the DR may be beneficial; however, other studies have been unable to replicate these findings in a more typical clinical population. Three studies were completed in order to:1. determine the prevalence of DRs in a clinical sample of the UK adult population,2. investigate repeatability, agreement and clinical feasibility of the TEN-test and fast PTCs in a clinical setting, and 3. determine the benefit of high-frequency amplification in ears with and without DRs, when listening to nonsense syllable speech material in quiet and babble. In the first study, 343 hearing-impaired adults were tested for DRs using the TEN-test. In total, 36% (95% confidence interval 31-41) of these adults had a DR in at least one ear, but frequently at 4 kHz only. Only 3% (1-5) of participants had a DR spanning more than three consecutive frequencies. These findings suggest that DRs usually only span 1 or 2 clinically-relevant frequencies. In the second study, the TEN-test was completed on 70 ears at frequencies between 0.5 and 4 kHz. Fast PTCs were measured on 20 ears at ≥ 2 frequencies. The TEN-test and fast PTCs were highly repeatable on retest (97% and 100%, respectively). There was 87% agreement between the two procedures in terms of the presence of off-frequency listening, with the TEN-test less likely to detect a DR than fast PTCs. Compared to the TEN-test, fast PTCs had a 10% lower ‘conclusive finding’ rate and the test duration was typically 40 minutes longer. Therefore, the TEN-test is more clinically acceptable, but it may underestimate the extent of a DR because of its inability to precisely identify the boundary frequency. In the third study, 18 ears with a high-frequency DR and 18 matched ears without a DR were tested. Vowel-Consonant-Vowel (VCV) stimuli were presented in quiet and babble when listening with an unfiltered and three low-pass filtered hearing aid settings. Best performance was obtained in the unfiltered condition; however the DR group performed significantly poorer than the controls in babble. There was no evidence to support reducing amplification in ears with a DR. However, participants with DRs may benefit from counseling about the limitations of listening in noise. In summary, DRs are relatively prevalent in hearing-impaired adults and can be diagnosed most efficiently in a clinical setting using the TEN-test. However, DRs are often restricted to a narrow frequency range and, in the typical adult clinical population, there is no evidence to support deviating from prescription targets.

The primary objectives of this project were: 1. to develop improved methods for extraction of DNA from human skeletal remains, 2. to improve STR profiling success of low-copy DNA samples by employing whole genome amplification to amplify the total pool of DNA prior to STR analysis, and 3. to improve STR profiling success of damaged DNA templates by using DNA repair enzymes to reduce the number/severity of lesions that interfere with STR profiling. The data from this study support the following conclusions. Inhibitory compounds must be removed prior to enzymatic amplification; either during bone section pretreatment or by the DNA extraction method. Overall, bleach outperformed UV as a pretreatment and DNA extraction using silica outperformed microconcentration and organic extraction. DNA repair with PreCR™ A outperformed both whole genome amplification and repair with PreCR™ T6. Superior DNA extraction results were achieved using the A6 PMB columns (20 ml capacity column with 6 layers of type A glass fiber filter), and DNA repair with PreCR™ A led to an overall improvement in profile quality in most cases, although whole genome amplification was unsuccessful. Rapid, robust DNA isolation, successful amplification of loci from the sample-derived DNA pool, and an elimination of DNA damage and inhibitors may assist in providing sufficient genetic information from cases that might otherwise lie on the fringe of what is possible to obtain today.