Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG 9-1-1) will revolutionize how the public accesses emergency services and will alter the technological landscape within which existing public safety agencies operate. A lack of systematic methodologies exists for quality control of the required geospatial data layers for NG 9-1-1 systems. The primary objective of this study was to develop and systematize a highly accurate NG 9-1-1 GIS database for Counties of Southern Illinois (CSI). The project goals included mapping relevant geospatial data layers required by and based on NENA standard data formats; conducting data quality control and standardization; and providing standardized spatial datasets for NG 9-1-1 to relevant stakeholders. The approach was developed using a conceptual model for error and uncertainty analysis of the GIS-based NG 9-1-1 system. This included the identification of various sources of input uncertainties often associated with spatial data layers; modeling the accumulation and propagation of errors; analyzing their impact on the quality of the spatial data layers; and correcting the errors. Modeling uncertainty propagation focused on positional errors and was conducted through a simulation procedure. The results showed that the original spatial datasets possessed a large account of uncertainties, especially location errors of railroads and roads. The errors had different sources, including input map errors, the use of different map projection and coordinate systems, a lack of topological structures, etc. In addition, they varied from county to county. From the error propagation simulation, it was also found that the location errors measured as root mean square error (RMSE) fluctuated when the perturbed distance of the ground control points (GCP) was less than 15 m. After that, the RMSE increased as the perturbed distance of GCPs increased. This relationship was significantly linear. In addition, the location errors from railroads were larger than those from roads.

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio (fiscina@bahia.fiocruz.br) on 2012-08-31T17:46:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thessika Hialla Almeida Araujo Desenvolvimento de um banco de dados HTLV-1....pdf: 1454472 bytes, checksum: 665a7044bdf71c54637b51f71b0d6527 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-08-31T17:46:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thessika Hialla Almeida Araujo Desenvolvimento de um banco de dados HTLV-1....pdf: 1454472 bytes, checksum: 665a7044bdf71c54637b51f71b0d6527 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, Bahia, Brasil / As pesquisas biológicas geram uma grande quantidade de informações que devem ser armazenadas e gerenciadas, permitindo que os usuários tenham acesso a dados completos sobre o tema de interesse. O volume de dados não relacionados gerados nas pesquisas com HTLV-1 justifica a criação de um Banco de dados que contenha o maior número de informações sobre o vírus, seus aspectos epidemiológicos, para que possam estabelecer melhores relações sobre infecção, patogênese, origem e principalmente, evolução. Os dados foram obtidos a partir de pesquisa no GENBANK, em artigos relacionados e diretamente com os autores dos dados. O banco de dados foi desenvolvido utilizando o Apache Webserver 2.1.6 e o SGBD – MySQL. A webpage foi desenvolvida em HTML a escrita em PHP. Atualmente temos cadastradas 2435 sequências, sendo que 1968 (80,8%) representam diferentes isolados. Em relação ao status clínico, o banco de dados tem informação de 40,49% das sequências, no qual 43%, 18,69%, 32,7%, 5,61% são TSP/HAM, ATL, assintomático e outras doenças, respectivamente. Quanto ao gênero e idade tem-se informação de 15,4% e 10,56% respectivamente. O HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database está hospedado no servidor do Centro de Pesquisa Gonçalo Moniz/FIOCRUZ-BA com acesso em http://htlv1db.bahia.fiocruz.br/, sendo um repositório de sequências do HTLV-1 com informações clínicas, epidemiológicas e geográficas. Esta base de dados dará apoio às investigações clínicas e pesquisas para desenvolvimento de vacinas. / Scientific development has generated a large amount of data that should be stored and managed in order for researchers to have access to complete data sets. Information generated from research on HTLV-1 warrants the design of databases to aggregate data from a range of epidemiological aspects. This database would support further research on HTLV-1 viral infections, pathogenesis, origins, and evolutionary dynamics. All data was obtained from publications available at GenBank or through contact with the authors. The database was developed using the Apache Webserver 2.1.6 and SGBD MySQL. The webpage interfaces were developed in HTML and sever-side scripting written in PHP. There are currently 2,435 registered sequences with 1,968 (80.8%) of those sequences representing different isolates. Of these sequences, 40.49% are related to clinical status (TSP/HAM, 43%, ATLL, 18.69%, asymptomatic, 32.7%, and other diseases, 5.61%). Further, 15.4% of sequences contain information on patient gender while 10.56% of sequences provide the age of the patient. The HTLV-1 Molecular Epidemiology Database is hosted on the Gonçalo Moniz/FIOCRUZ-BA research center server with access at http://htlv1db.bahia.fiocruz.br/. Here, we have developed a repository of HTLV-1 genetic sequences from clinical, epidemiological, and geographical studies. This database will support clinical research and vaccine development related to viral genotype.

Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(工学) / 乙第12494号 / 論工博第4048号 / 新制||工||1503(附属図書館) / 28244 / (主査)教授 村上 正浩, 教授 杉野目 道紀, 教授 濵地 格 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当

The main objective of this thesis is to examine the dependency structure among different agricultural and energy commodity markets in the United States. For achieving this goal, the paper makes use of the Copula-GARCH(1,1) model to study the financial return volatility and the co-movement between pair of commodities including corn, soybean and gasoline over the pre-COVID 19 pandemic period (from 01-01-2018 to 01-01-2020) and the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic period (from 01-01-2020 to 01-04-2021). First, the study has shown that the time-dependent volatilities of commodity returns display volatility clustering effect in the two periods and the volatility of volatility of commodity markets is higher during the pandemic period. Second, it is observed that the correlations among different commodities have increased significantly in the ongoing pandemic period and we also find that the strongest co-movement is between returns of corn and soybean over the two periods. Finally, the results suggest that the (extreme) co-movements between agricultural commodities (corn and soybean) are governed by symmetry; that is they tend to boom and crash together during extreme shocks or events. On the other hand, the (extreme) co-movements between an agricultural commodity (corn or soybean) and the energy commodity (gas) appear to co-move asymmetrically and they tend to experience the market crash together but not the market boom.

Tesis entregada a la Universidad de Chile en cumplimiento parcial de los requisitos para optar al grado de Doctor en Ciencias, mención Microbiología. / El virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana de tipo 1 (VIH-1) es un gran problema de salud a nivel mundial. Durante años se ha estudiado su ciclo replicativo con el objeto de generar estrategias que permitan inhibir su multiplicación. Se ha descrito que el virus genera tres clases de transcritos, de 2-, 4- y 9-kb, los cuales son producidos mediante corte y empalme alternativo. El transcrito de 9-kb, o ARN mensajero completo (ARNmc), es traducido por la maquinaria celular para producir las poliproteínas estructurales Gag y Gag-Pol. El ARNmc ha sido foco de especial interés debido a los mecanismos no convencionales que utiliza para asegurar su expresión, entre los cuales destacan su exportación nuclear y traducción. Mientras la exportación nuclear está regulada por la proteína viral Rev y la carioferina celular CRM1, se ha descrito que el ARNmc puede ser traducido por mecanismos que son dependientes e independientes de la estructura cap presente en el extremo 5´. Este proyecto se enfocó en estudiar el rol de dos componentes del complejo nuclear de unión a cap (CBP80 y CTIF) en la síntesis de la proteína estructural Gag a partir del ARNmc de VIH-1. En este trabajo, mostramos que CBP80 estimula la síntesis de Gag mediante la estimulación de la acumulación del ARNmc en el citoplasma y un aumento de la eficiencia de la traducción, esto en un mecanismo que es dependiente de Rev. También observamos que el factor CTIF, a diferencia de CBP80, inhibe la síntesis de Gag, principalmente impidiendo la traducción del ARNmc. Nuestros resultados señalan que CTIF, a través de su dominio Nterminal, impide la asociación entre CBP80 y Rev, que sería relevante para la traducción del ARNmc e induce la acumulación de esta proteína viral en el citoplasma celular. Finalmente, observamos que el efecto inhibitorio producido por CTIF es conservado en VIH-2, pero no en el virus de la leucemia murina (MLV). / Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a major health problem worldwide. The replication cycle of the virus has been studied for several years with the aim of generate strategies to interfere with its multiplication. It has been described that the virus produces three different classes of transcripts of 2-, 4-, and 9-kb in size, which are generated by alternative splicing. The 9-kb transcript or full-length unspliced mRNA (usmRNA) is translated to generate the structural polyproteins Gag and Gag-Pol. The usmRNA has been a focus of special interest from many years due to its ability to exploit non-conventional mechanisms of nuclear export and translation to ensure its expression. As such, while nuclear export is regulated by the viral protein Rev and the cellular karyopherin CRM1, it has also been described that the usmRNA is translated by cap-dependent and cap-independent mechanisms. The goal of this project was to study the role of two components of the nuclear cap-binding complex (CBP80 and CTIF) on the synthesis of the structural protein Gag from the usmRNA of HIV-1. In this work, we show that CBP80 stimulates the synthesis of Gag by stimulating the accumulation of the usmRNA in the cytoplasm as well as by an increasing the efficiency of translation, all this in a Rev-dependent mechanism. We also observed that the CBC co-factor CTIF, unlike CBP80, inhibits the synthesis of Gag, mainly preventing the translation of the usmRNA. Our results indicate that CTIF, through its N-terminal domain, prevents the association between CBP80 and Rev, which would be relevant for the translation of the usmRNA. We also observed that CTIF induced the accumulation of Rev in the cellular cytoplasm. Finally, we observed that the inhibitory effect of CTIF is conserved in HIV-2, but not in the murine leukemia virus (MLV).

No description available.

En este trabajo de tesis se ha investigado la relación de las enzimas esfingosina quinasa 1 (SphK1) y hemoxigenasa 1 (HO-1) con el cáncer. En el caso de la primera de estas enzimas se ha podido demostrar que se encuentra sobre expresada en carcinomas escamosos de cabeza y cuello y que su presencia se correlaciona con una menor sobrevida de los pacientes. Se ha aportado evidencia indicando que dicha correlación puede ser la manifestación de una relación de causa y efecto en la que esta quinasa estimula la proliferación celular disminuyendo los niveles de p21Cip1, e inhibe la apoptosis al disminuir los niveles de caspasa 3 clivada e incrementar los de p-Bad. En cuanto a HO-1 se ha explorado su relación con el cáncer en el carcinoma escamoso de cabeza y cuello y en cáncer de pul-món y de mama, tanto en tumores humanos como en modelos animales. En carcinomas escamosos de cabeza y cuello se ha demostrado que HO-1 se encuentra sobre expresada y que se correlaciona con el grado tumoral. Se ha comprobado que la enzima presenta localización nuclear además de su típica localización citoplasmática, que dicha localización es mayor en las células tumorales que en los tejidos epiteliales adyacentes y que se correlaciona con tumores más agresivos y de peor pronóstico y con la progresión tumoral. En cáncer de pulmón HO-1 se detectó en las células epiteliales del tumor mos-trando una localización principalmente citoplasmática en comparación con tejidos pulmonares de aspecto normal donde los niveles de expresión fueron menores y con localización nuclear más frecuente. También se observó que se correla-cionaba con estadios más avanzados de la enfermedad, con el tamaño tumoral y con la presencia de metástasis ganglionares. En cáncer de mama se han realizado por primera vez estudios de expresión de HO-1 en tumores humanos comprobándose que se correlaciona con una mayor sobrevida de los pacien-tes. Se ha identificado un modelo animal adecuado para estu-diar la relación de la enzima con este tipo de cáncer. Utilizan-do este modelo se ha comprobado que la activación de la misma conduce a un menor desarrollo tumoral. Se ha aportado evidencia indicando que los mecanismos que conducen a esta disminución del volumen tumoral, y tal vez también a la mayor sobrevida global de los pacientes, son la disminución en la supervivencia celular, debida a un efecto pro apoptótico, y la inhibición de la migración celular producidas por esta enzima. También se ha comprobado en este carcinoma la localización nuclear de la enzima y se ha aportado evidencia indicando que una forma truncada en el extremo carboxilo terminal se localiza en el núcleo. Esta localización nuclear no se correla-ciona con la sobrevida global de los pacientes. Finalmente, los resultados obtenidos en esta tesis sugieren que ambas enzi-mas pueden ser de potencial interés como factores pronós-ticos y/o blancos terapéuticos y señalan la necesidad de continuar investigando los mecanismos celulares y moleculares que la desregulación de estas enzimas podría estar afectan-do contribuyendo así al desarrollo del cáncer. / In this thesis the relation between the enzymes sphingosine kinase 1 and heme oxygenase 1 with cancer has been inves-tigated. In the case of the former one it has been demons-trated that it is over expressed in head neck squamous cell carcinoma and that its presence correlates with a shorter patient survival. Evidence has been provided showing that such correlation could be due to a cause-effect relationship in which this kinase stimulates cellular proliferation by down regulation of p21Cip1 levels and inhibits apoptosis through a decrease in the levels of cleaved caspase 3 and an increase in p-Bad. Regarding heme oxigenase 1, its relation with cancer has been investigated in head neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung and breast cancer both in human tumors and animal models. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma the enzyme was shown to be over expressed and to correlate with tumor grade. Furthermore, nuclear localization of the enzyme has also been demonstrated. It has also been detec-ted that such nuclear localization is more frequent in tumor cells that in adjacent non malignant tissues. Furthermore this nuclear localization correlates with lower differentiation gra-des and with tumor progression. In lung cancer the heme oxygenase 1 has been detected mainly in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells whereas it was more frequently localized in the nucleus in normal lung tissues. Additionally, enzyme levels have been demonstrated to be higher in tumor tissues than in non malignant adjacent ones and to correlate with advanced stages of the disease, with tumor size and with lymph node metastasis. This is the first study showing heme oxygenase 1 protein expression in human breast tumor tissues and its correlation with longer patient survival. This research has also identified an adequate animal model to study the relation between the enzyme and this type of cancer. In this animal model the enzyme activation leads to a decrease in tumor burden. Evidence has also been provided showing that the mechanisms responsible for this decrease in the tumor volume are the reduction in cellular survival due to a pro apoptotic effect and the inhibition of cellular migration. A nuclear locali-zation of the enzyme in this tumor type has also been de-monstrated. Evidence has also been provided that this nuclear heme oxygenase 1 is a C-terminal truncated protein. This nuclear localization does not correlate with patient sur-vival. Finally, the results obtained in this thesis suggest that both enzymes could be potentially interesting as prognostic factors and/or therapeutic targets and they encourage future investigations regarding the cellular and molecular mecha-nisms modulated by these enzymes and whose deregulation could contribute to cancer development.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sugarcane, a complex polyploid, may theoretically contain up to 12 alleles for a particular gene at a single locus. The number of alleles and the extent of their variation is of particular importance due to the potential for the exploitation of genetic variation through breeding. Also, allelic variation has implications for the manipulation of gene function via genetic engineering. Pyrophosphate dependent phosphofructokinase (PFP) is considered a key regulatory enzyme involved in sucrose biosynthesis, which may provide a target for genetic manipulation to increase sucrose yields in sugarcane. The enzyme is composed of a regulatory (alpha) and catalytic (beta) protein subunit encoded by the PFP-a and PFP-p genes respectively. The PFP-p gene, which has been shown to be a single locus gene in other plant species, was used in this study as a model for allelic variation in sugarcane. Two main areas of investigation involved genomic and expression analyses to further characterise the gene. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using specific primers previously designed from conserved regions of the PFP-p gene from different plant sources, were used to amplify across exons 10 to 12 of the sugarcane PFP-p gene. Two PCR products, designated PFP-81/881250bp and PFP-81/881100bp respectively, were obtained from commercial cultivars N19 and N21. Numerous clones of the fragments were obtained and sequenced. International database searches confirmed that both amplicons were identifiable as PFP-p. Comparative sequence analysis indicated that the PFP-81/881250bP and PFP-81/881100bp fragments were poorly homologous to each other, with higher regions of homology residing in the putative exon regions (77-78%) compared to the intron regions (34- 56%). Although minor sequence variation was detected within the amplicon populations, it was evident that two major variants of the PFP-p gene are present in sugarcane. Southern hybridisation analysis revealed a simple banding pattern for PFP-p. Also, there are DNA polymorph isms for the genomic regions corresponding to the PFP-81/881250bP and PFP-81/881100bPfragments. Previous evidence indicates that both variants are also present in the ancestral sugarcane germplasm and maintain the same level of heterozygosity. The presence of both gene forms in the ancestral and commercial germplasm prompts speculation that the two variants may not segregate. This theory, together with the simple Southern hybridisation pattern obtained for PFP-p, leads to the hypothesis that the two gene forms are at separate loci in the sugarcane genome, which may be closely linked on the same chromosome. The expression of the variants was investigated during different stages of sucrose accumulation in the sugarcane culm using a Reverse Transcription (RT)- peR approach. A single, identical transcription product was isolated from these and other selected tissues of the plant. In addition, the same transcript was obtained from the ancestral species representatives of modern sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum. Sequence comparison of the transcribed product and the derived exon regions of the two variants implies that the PFP-p gene represented by the PFP-B 1/B81250bpvariant is being expressed in sugarcane while the gene form characterised by the PFP-B1/B81100bp amplicon is silent. Northern hybridisation analysis indicates that PFP-p is differentially expressed at different stages of sucrose accumulation. PFP-p expression is higher in the immature culm tissue of sugarcane and low in the mature culm, which suggests that PFP-p is highly regulated during maturation. It is hypothesised that the PFP-p gene underwent duplication and that one gene form was subject to accumulative mutations evolving into a pseudogene. On the basis of present results, it can be suggested that future genetic manipulation of PFP-p should involve the gene variant characterised by the PFP-B 1/B81250bp fragment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suikerriet, 'n komplekse poliploïede organisme, kan teoreties tot 12 allele vir 'n spesifieke geen by 'n enkele lokus bevat. Die aantal allele en hul mate van variasie is veral van belang, weens die potensiaal vir die benutting van hierdie genetiese variasie deur teëling. Alleelvariasie het ook implikasies vir die manipulering van geenfunksie via genetiese inginieurswese. Pirofosfaat-afhanklike fosfofruktokinase (PFP) is 'n belangrike regulatoriese ensiem vir sukrose biosintese en kan geteiken word vir genetiese manipulasie met die oog op verhoogde sukroseproduksie in suikerriet. Die ensiem bestaan uit 'n regulatoriese (alfa) en katalitiese (beta) proteïen subeenheid wat deur die PFP-a en PFP-~ gene respektiewelik gekodeer word. Die PFP-~ geen, wat in ander plantspesies as 'n enkellokusgeen aangedui is, is in hierdie studie gebruik as 'n model vir alleelvariasie in suikerriet. Die twee hoofroetes van ondersoek wat gevolg is, behels genoom- en uitdrukkingsanalises om die geen verder te karakteriseer. Eksons 10 tot 12 van die suikerriet PFP-~ geen is geamplifiseer met behulp van die Polimerase Ketting Reaksie (PKR), bemiddel deur die gebruik van spesifieke voorvoerders wat voorheen ontwerp was vanaf gekonserveerde areas van die PFP-~ geen uit verskillende plantbronne. Twee PKR produkte, genoem PFP-B1/B81250bPen PFP-B1/B81100bPrespektiewelik, is deur die kommersiële kultivars N19 en N21 opgelewer. Verskeie fragmentklone is gekonstrueer en hul DNA basisvolgorde is bepaal. Soektogte in internasionale databasisse het bevestig dat beide amplikons PFP-~ was. Vergelykende DNA basisvolgorde analise het aangedui dat PFP-B1/B81250bP en PFP-B1/B81100bP fragmente swak homologie toon, terwyl 'n hoër mate van homologie in die oënskynlike ekson areas (77-78%), vergeleke met die intronareas (34-56%) gevind is. Alhoewel klein basisvolgordeverskille opgemerk is binne die amplikonpopulasies, was dit duidelik dat twee hoofvariante van die PFP-~ geen in suikerriet teenwoordig is. Southern hibridisasie analisie het 'n eenvoudige band patroon vir PFP-~ onthul. Daar is ook DNA polimorfismes vir die genoomstreke wat met die PFP-B1/B81250bPen PFP-B1/B81100bPfragmente ooreenstem. Vorige bewyse het aangetoon dat beide variante ook in die voorvaderlike suikerriet kiemplasma voorkom en dat dieselfde vlak van heterosigositeit gehandhaaf word. Die voorkoms van beide geenvorme in die voorvaderlike asook kommersiële kiemplasmas stel voor dat hierdie twee variante miskien nie segregeer nie. Hierdie teorie, tesame met die eenvoudige Southern hibridisasiepatroon vir PFP-p, lei tot die hipotese dat die twee geen vorme by verskillende lokusse in die suikerrietgenoom voorkom, en dat hierdie lokusse nou gekoppel mag wees op dieselfde chromosoom. Die uitdrukking van die variante is ondersoek gedurende verskillende stadia van sukrose akkumulasie in die suikerrietstingel deur van Trutranskripsie (TT)-PKR gebruik te maak. 'n Enkele, identiese transkripsie produk is hieruit en uit ander geselekteerde plantweefsels geïsoleer. Dieselfde transkrip is ook verkry vanaf die voorouerlike spesieverteenwoordigers van hedendaagse suikerriet, Saccharum officinarum en Saccharum spontaneum. 'n DNA basisvolgordevergelyking tussen die getranskribeerde produk en die ekson-areas van die twee variante impliseer dat die PFP-p geen verteenwoordig deur die PFP-B1/B81250bPvariant uitgedruk word in suikerriet, terwyl die geen verteenwoordig deur die PFP-B1/B81100bpamplikon stil is. Northern hibridisasie analise toon aan dat PFP-p verskillend uitgedruk word gedurende verskillende stadia van sukrose akkumulasie. PFP-p uitdrukking is hoër in die onvolwasse stamweefsel van suikerriet en laag in die volwasse stam, wat voorstel dat PFP-p hoogs gereguleer word gedurende maturasie. Daar word gehipotetiseer dat die PFP-p geen duplikasie ondergaan het en dat een geenvorm onderworpe was aan akkumulerende mutasies wat deur evolusie tot 'n pseudogeen gelei het. Dit word voorgestel, gebaseer op die huidige resultate, dat toekomstige genetiese manipulasie van die PFP-p geen, die geenvariant gekarakteriseer deur die PFP- B1/B81250bPfragment moet behels.

No description available.

In New Zealand, it is common for young people to mix 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) containing 'party pills' and ethanol (drinking alcohol). However, there is no scientific literature which compares the individual and combined long-term effects of these substances. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide a comparison of BZP and ethanol's individual and combined effects on adulthood behaviour following repeated adolescent exposure. To investigate this 40 male and 40 female adolescent rats received daily exposure (post natal days 41 - 50) to BZP (10 mg/kg) and/or ethanol (2 g/kg) or saline vehicle (1 ml/kg) via intraperitoneal injection. Animals were tested in a Y maze, light/dark emergence box, and an open field during early adulthood (PND 78 - 81) and again during mid-adulthood (PND 117 - 120). Results found females treated with alcohol ambulated less in the open field. Interestingly, no other behavioural differences between the treatment groups were observed. Overall, it appeared that adolescent exposure to BZP and/or alcohol did not have long-term behavioural consequences, at least in rats. This finding was most likely due to the narrow range of testing ages adopted in the study.