The purpose of this research was to investigate selected methods of mucosal immunization for commercial chickens. Induction of mucosal immunity in commercial chickens through the use of orally administered subunit vaccines or through immunomodulation of the host??s response to live vaccines may be a viable means to control enteric infections in commercial poultry. In the present investigations we evaluated a means for delivering protein antigen in the drinking water and the use of CpG-ODNs, a recently reported mucosal adjuvant, in order to both improve this response and to modulate the host??s immune response when vaccinated with field strains of Eimeria acervulina and Eimeria tenella. In order to evaluate the efficacy of immunizing commercial poultry with subunit vaccines through the drinking water we chose the model antigen Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). Chicks were administered BSA via intraperitoneal (I.P.) injection, oral crop gavage, or orally through the addition of BSA to the drinking water. These experiments demonstrated the efficacy of drinking water administration to induce antibodyproduction in the serum, intestine, and bile. When BSA was co-administered with CpGODNs we observed a modest increase in this response dependent upon dose. To evaluate the immunomodulation of the host response to live parasite using CpG-ODNs we used three administration models. The first was a single dose of CpGODNs with a trickle immunization regime of Eimeria acervulina. The second was coadministration of CpG-ODNs with a clinical dose of Eimeria acervulina or tenella. The third was pre-administration of CpG-ODNs 24 hours prior to the clinical dose of either species. These studies demonstrate that the first and third models were effective in reducing lesions and improving performance.

<p>The prevalence of allergic disease such as peanut (PN) allergy has increased within the last century. Environmental factors have been associated with an increased risk of developing allergic diseases. The severity of allergic diseases has also increased and clinical trials are investigating allergen-specific immunotherapy as a method to treat allergies. The purpose of this work was to identify a vaccine adjuvant that induced potent antigen-specific Th1 immune responses and determine its ability to reduce the development and severity of Th2- mediated allergic disease, using models of peanut hypersensitivity.</p><p>Three studies were performed. The first study compared a variety of vaccine adjuvants to identify a potent adjuvant with strong Th1-associated activity. This study verified that the Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligand CpG could induce potent Th1-associated immune responses. The second study tested the ability of environmental endotoxin levels and alum-adjuvanted vaccines to modulate the development of allergic disease using a mouse model of peanut allergy. Additionally, the TLR ligands, CpG and MPL, were combined with alum-adjuvanted vaccines to determine their ability to further impact allergic disease development. Results suggested that the addition of CpG to an alum-adjuvanted vaccine indirectly modified host immunity in a manner that decreased the development of PN-induced allergic disease. The last study evaluated the ability of CpG to reduce the severity of peanut allergy symptoms when combined with peanut in an immunotherapy formulation administered to peanut-hypersensitive mice. Nasal immunotherapy with PN + CpG but not PN alone or CpG alone reduced the severity of PN-induced anaphylaxis in hypersensitive mice. PN-hypersensitive mice treated with PN + CpG displayed an increased PN-specific IgG2c and IFN-γ responses. A reduction in allergic disease severity in PN-hypersensitive mice correlated with an increase in PN-specific IgG2c, IFN-γ and IL-10 responses and a reduction in PN-specific IL-13 responses, suggesting a shift from Th2 responses towards Th1 and/or T regulatory cell responses.</p><p>Taken together, the data obtained from these studies demonstrate the potent activity of CpG to induce antigen-specific Th1-associated immune responses and also reduce the severity of peanut-hypersensitivity in mice through direct and indirect association with peanut allergens.</p> / Dissertation

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

No description available.

The thesis is focused on the evaluation of the behavior of herbicides in the growth of kohlrabi. The theoretical and general information on pesticides and herbicides on their behavior in the soil, phytotoxicity (plant injury) and vegetables, are presented in the beginning of the thesis. A central part deals with the differences in behavior of herbicides in soil with active ingredients metazachlor and pendimethalin, their interaction when applied in a combination and how they behave in the soil when applied separately. It also deals with the results of half-life of applied herbicides. Whether among them was a significant difference in the use of adjuvants, and what kind of effect have the irrigation influenced the experiment. It also evaluates the effect of active substances on the expression of phytotoxicity kohlrabi. The closing part is focused on the statistical evaluation of the particular options of the applied herbicides. Based on the results the hypothesis has been confirmed. The behavior of the active substances in the soil, which have been applied in the form of mixtures, was differed from the applied herbicides separately. It was found that the applied substance in the mixture have a greater effect on weed control in the crop kohlrabi , longer half-life and their effect on the crop plants is manifested phytotoxic. The significant impact on the overall evaluation has have the irrigation, which should be an integral part of the application process herbicidal compositions and a follow-up care of a vegetation.

Field and greenhouse studies were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate the foliar efficacy of saflufenacil on horseweed (Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.). In the field, saflufenacil applied alone at the lowest rate (25 g/ha) resulted in less control than all other herbicide treatments that included saflufenacil. The addition of glyphosate to 25 g/ha of saflufenacil increased the level of control over either herbicide applied alone. However, the addition of glyphosate to 50 g/ha of saflufenacil or greater was not beneficial because saflufenacil alone provided at least 95% control. Overall, horseweed height at the time of herbicide application had very little effect on the efficacy of saflufenacil applied alone or in combination with glyphosate. Application variables can enhance the foliar activity of saflufenacil. In the greenhouse, saflufenacil combined with glyphosate provided greater control than saflufenacil applied alone on both glyphosate-susceptible and -resistant horseweed populations. Regardless of horseweed population or glyphosate, saflufenacil had greater activity when crop oil concentrate rather than nonionic surfactant was used as the adjuvant. Decreasing light level within 24 hours of herbicide application resulted in greater saflufenacil activity. Applying saflufenacil in a pH 5 spray solution resulted in greater activity than pH 7 or pH 9. Although effects from saflufenacil applied under different temperatures were evident in early timings, there were no lasting effects on the efficacy of saflufenacil. Saflufenacil had significant activity on both glyphosate-susceptible and -resistant horseweed. Under certain conditions when complete control of horseweed is not achieved, such as low application rates, large target weeds, and varying environmental conditions, application variables including glyphosate tank-mixtures, crop oil concentrate, low spray solution pH, and low light level may increase the level of horseweed control from saflufenacil.

The most common treatment used for cancer is chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic agents have a greater affinity for rapidly dividing cells which is a characteristic of tumour cells. Although anti-cancer agents have their advantages in providing anti-cancer effects, they can be seen as highly toxic molecules posing a threat to normal healthy tissue within the human body. However, these toxic therapies need to be delivered to tumour sites without damaging healthy tissue. Liposomes can serve as a delivery system for these toxic molecules and be delivered to the tumour site via the EPR effect. Hence, liposomes that fuse with tumour cell line membranes are advantageous in delivering payloads of drugs directly into the tumour cell without damaging normal healthy tissue. The aim of the study was to formulate an optimised liposome preparation in order to enhance cellular uptake by MCF-7, Caco-2 and C3A cancer cell lines via membrane fusion. The optimal liposome formulation was aimed to be prepared utilising a statistical design approach in order to determine the ranges of the parameters that were furthermost optimal in formulating an ideal liposome preparation. The primary screening design was conducted using a 24-1 fractional factorial design that took into account the four parameters that were used to determine the optimisation of the liposomal preparation. The four variables used in the liposome preparation were the phospholipid type (PS or DOPE), the concentration of cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS) (10 – 40 %), the concentration of PEG2000-PE (0.5 – 4 %) and liposome size (100 or 200 nm). Liposomes were prepared using thin film hydration method and characterisation for size and zeta potential was carried out using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). Visual characterisation of liposome size was carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Liposomes were exposed the cancer cell lines with visualisation and uptake being measured using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. An optimal liposome preparation was prepared following the statistical design method. The optimal liposome preparation consisted of phospholipid type PS, 22.91 % of CHEMS, 4 % of PEG2000-PE and a liposome size of 200 nm. AFM analysis has shown that optimal liposome sizes ranged between 130 and 170 nm. Flow cytometry analysis indicated high level of liposome uptake with actual values falling below the predicted values set out by the statistical design. Fluorescence microscopy captured images of the fluorescent liposomes concentrated on the membrane of cells. The objective of the study was to determine from literature which variables would be desirable in preparing an optimal non-targeted liposome preparation. This was achieved by identifying four such variables and utilising them in a statistical design approach which was screened in order to determine the ideal parameters in preparing the optimised liposome batch. Therefore, from the results obtained it can be concluded that the aim of the study were met by preparing an optimal liposome preparation that has the ability to fuse with the tumour cell line membranes.

No description available.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第24495号 / 医博第4937号 / 新制||医||1063(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 生田 宏一, 教授 杉田 昌彦, 教授 鈴木 実 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

White clover (Trifolium repens) is a common and difficult weed to control in turfgrass as it is a highly visible and unsightly weed that disrupts the uniformity of the turfgrass surface. This weed is a serious problem in the turfgrass industry in California and there is a need for better methods of control. With more regulations on pesticides and less information about efficient application techniques, controlling white clover with available herbicides can be difficult. Compatibility trials were conducted during the summer of 2005 to determine the compatibility of the herbicides and adjuvants planned for use in subsequent greenhouse and field trials. A greenhouse trial was conducted in the spring of 2006, followed by field trials in fall of 2006 and spring of 2007 to determine the efficacy of two herbicides on white clover when combined with each of three adjuvants and two nozzles. Results showed the nozzles to have no significant effect on phytotoxicity to white clover in the greenhouse trial, while some of the herbicides and adjuvants significantly increased phytotoxicity to white clover. In the field trials, adjuvants had no effect on phytotoxicity, while some herbicides and nozzles significantly increased phytotoxicity to white clover, perennial ryegrass and common bermudagrass. Information about the combination of herbicides, adjuvants and nozzles will help turfgrass managers to improve their management of white clover in turfgrass.