No description available.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen and can cause severe disease in immune-suppressed and/or injured patients. It is an extreme-drug resistant bacterium with the ability to form biofilms thereby significantly increasing resistance to treatment. Because of the extreme drug resistance and relatively unknown immunological profile of A. baumannii new treatment options are needed. A. baumannii has been reported to express a Biofilm Associated Protein (BAP); a high molecular weight protein composed of multiple repeat modules and thought to be surface exposed on planktonic bacterium and upregulated in biofilm. While it is unknown if BAP has any role in in vivo infection of humans, the repeats of BAP proteins are thought to function in intercellular adhesion to support the mature biofilm and thus represent potential targets for immunotherapeutic intervention. Herein my thesis is aimed at trying to verify that BAP is surface exposed, upregulated in biofilm and to prove a role for BAP in pathogenesis, as well as investigating A. baumannii interactions with components of the innate immune system in vitro. Consensus synthetic peptides corresponding to the major internal repeats of BAP were designed and conjugated to carrier proteins and recombinant proteins were manufactured to correspond to the non-repetitive N and C terminals of the protein for murine immunization and assay development. Serum from immunized mice was collected and analyzed in ELISA and western immunoblot to determine reactivity with planktonic and biofilm whole organism. Anti-serum to whole bacteria was also tested in opsonisation assays to determine direct killing ability of serum on bacteria in vitro. Anti-serum to whole bacteria showed direct killing of the organism in vitro when in high concentrations (diluted 1/10), relative to pre-immune serum, but was less effective in lower concentrations (diluted 1/50). Despite generating antibody reagents to multiple domains and epitopes spanning the published BAP sequence, we were unable to confirm that BAP is expressed by A. baumannii as reported by others. However, if BAP is indeed expressed in A. baumannii our DNA and immunochemical data collectively suggest that BAP is potentially mosaic in this pathogen.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen and can cause severe disease in immune-suppressed and/or injured patients. It is an extreme-drug resistant bacterium with the ability to form biofilms thereby significantly increasing resistance to treatment. Because of the extreme drug resistance and relatively unknown immunological profile of A. baumannii new treatment options are needed. A. baumannii has been reported to express a Biofilm Associated Protein (BAP); a high molecular weight protein composed of multiple repeat modules and thought to be surface exposed on planktonic bacterium and upregulated in biofilm. While it is unknown if BAP has any role in in vivo infection of humans, the repeats of BAP proteins are thought to function in intercellular adhesion to support the mature biofilm and thus represent potential targets for immunotherapeutic intervention. Herein my thesis is aimed at trying to verify that BAP is surface exposed, upregulated in biofilm and to prove a role for BAP in pathogenesis, as well as investigating A. baumannii interactions with components of the innate immune system in vitro. Consensus synthetic peptides corresponding to the major internal repeats of BAP were designed and conjugated to carrier proteins and recombinant proteins were manufactured to correspond to the non-repetitive N and C terminals of the protein for murine immunization and assay development. Serum from immunized mice was collected and analyzed in ELISA and western immunoblot to determine reactivity with planktonic and biofilm whole organism. Anti-serum to whole bacteria was also tested in opsonisation assays to determine direct killing ability of serum on bacteria in vitro. Anti-serum to whole bacteria showed direct killing of the organism in vitro when in high concentrations (diluted 1/10), relative to pre-immune serum, but was less effective in lower concentrations (diluted 1/50). Despite generating antibody reagents to multiple domains and epitopes spanning the published BAP sequence, we were unable to confirm that BAP is expressed by A. baumannii as reported by others. However, if BAP is indeed expressed in A. baumannii our DNA and immunochemical data collectively suggest that BAP is potentially mosaic in this pathogen.

No description available.

Younger siblings of children with autism (Sibs-ASD) are at risk for the development of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or subclinical social and cognitive deficits better known as the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP).The current study utilized a multi-level approach to examine executive attention and social competence in preschool-aged Sibs-ASD and a comparison group of age-, sex-, and Verbal IQ-matched younger siblings of children without autism (Sibs-COM). Forty-two participants (24 Sibs-ASD, 18 Sibs-COM) completed a modified version of the Children’s Attention Network Task (ANT), with electroencephalograph (EEG) collected simultaneously, and a peer interaction paradigm with an unfamiliar peer.Overall, Sibs-ASD and Sibs-COM displayed comparable performance on behavioral indices of the Children’s ANT, P3 amplitude and latency, and measures of observed social functioning. Surprisingly, Sibs-ASD displayed a reduced (less negative) N2 amplitude and shorter N2 latency, most evident at Fz compared to FCz, a finding not observed in Sibs-COM. Furthermore, on a parent-report index of social functioning,Sibs-ASD reportedly displayed greater social impairments than Sibs-COM. Interestingly, post-hoc analyses indicated that differences in N2 amplitude and social functioning were most apparent between affected Sibs-ASD and Sibs-COM. Therefore, results of this study provide support for social and cognitive deficits consistent with theories of the BAP.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-26T12:59:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JackelineSchultzSoares.pdf: 419520 bytes, checksum: 681b65601587b028c9aa1b2b88798f13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Orchidaceae differs of most botanical families by its seeds did not have enough reservations for germination. The present work aimed: 1. to study the influence of plant growth regulators BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) e GA3 (gibberellic acid), at concentrations of 0.0; 2.0 and 5.0 mg L-1, as pre-germinative treatment in the process of initial development of Dendrobium nobile Lindl seedlings; 2. to determine the volume of coconut water (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200 mL L-1), that, added to culture media, promoted better germination and in vitro cultivation of D. nobile. Seeds of D. nobile that were produced by manual self-pollinating were used as material of study. After six months of sowing and keeping in germination and growth chamber with controlled temperature and photoperiod (12 hours and 23 ºC ±), seedlings were removed from pots and evaluated about number, percentage of germination, fresh mass, height, diameter and number of psedobulbs, number of leaves, number of roots and length of the greatest root. Completely randomized experimental design was used. Every variables and vegetal attributes were submitted to variance analysis and when they were significative, to regression analysis. D. nobile seeds germinated more in the absence of plant growth regulators and treatments with BAP or GA3 for imbibitions of seeds influenced statistically in vitro development of D. nobile. The addition of 200 mL L-1 of coconut water to culture media promoted the best results for plant heights, number or roots, number of pseudobulbs and fresh mass of D. nobile. / Orchidaceae diferencia-se da maioria das famílias botânicas por suas sementes não possuírem reservas suficientes para a germinação. O presente trabalho objetivou: 1- estudar a influência dos reguladores hormonais BAP (6-benzilaminopurina) e GA3 (ácido giberélico), nas concentrações de 0,0; 1,0; 2,0 e 5,0 mg L-1, como tratamento pré-germinativo no processo de germinação e desenvolvimento inicial de plântulas de Dendrobium nobile Lindl; 2- determinar o volume de água de coco (0; 50; 100; 150 e 200 mL L-1 ), que, acrescido ao meio de cultura proporcionou melhor germinação e cultivo in vitro de D. nobile. Foram utilizadas como material de estudo sementes de D. nobile produzidas mediante autopolinização manual Após seis meses do semeio e permanência em câmara de germinação e crescimento com temperatura e fotoperíodo controlados (12 horas e 23 ºC ± 2) as plântulas foram retiradas dos frascos e avaliadas quanto ao número, porcentagem de germinação, massa fresca, altura, diâmetro e número de pseudobulbos, número de folhas, número de raízes e comprimento da maior raiz. Foi utilizado o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. Todas as variáveis e atributos vegetais foram submetidos à análise de variância e quando significativos à regressão. As sementes de D. nobile germinaram mais na ausência de reguladores vegetais, e os tratamentos com BAP ou GA na embebição das sementes influenciaram 3estatisticamente o desenvolvimento in vitro de D. nobile. A adição de 200 mL L-1 de água de coco ao meio de cultura propiciou os melhores resultados para altura de plantas, número de raízes, número de pseudobulbos e massa fresca de D. nobile.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-02-26T12:59:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JackelineSchultzSoares.pdf: 419520 bytes, checksum: 681b65601587b028c9aa1b2b88798f13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-18 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Orchidaceae differs of most botanical families by its seeds did not have enough reservations for germination. The present work aimed: 1. to study the influence of plant growth regulators BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) e GA3 (gibberellic acid), at concentrations of 0.0; 2.0 and 5.0 mg L-1, as pre-germinative treatment in the process of initial development of Dendrobium nobile Lindl seedlings; 2. to determine the volume of coconut water (0; 50; 100; 150 and 200 mL L-1), that, added to culture media, promoted better germination and in vitro cultivation of D. nobile. Seeds of D. nobile that were produced by manual self-pollinating were used as material of study. After six months of sowing and keeping in germination and growth chamber with controlled temperature and photoperiod (12 hours and 23 ºC ±), seedlings were removed from pots and evaluated about number, percentage of germination, fresh mass, height, diameter and number of psedobulbs, number of leaves, number of roots and length of the greatest root. Completely randomized experimental design was used. Every variables and vegetal attributes were submitted to variance analysis and when they were significative, to regression analysis. D. nobile seeds germinated more in the absence of plant growth regulators and treatments with BAP or GA3 for imbibitions of seeds influenced statistically in vitro development of D. nobile. The addition of 200 mL L-1 of coconut water to culture media promoted the best results for plant heights, number or roots, number of pseudobulbs and fresh mass of D. nobile. / Orchidaceae diferencia-se da maioria das famílias botânicas por suas sementes não possuírem reservas suficientes para a germinação. O presente trabalho objetivou: 1- estudar a influência dos reguladores hormonais BAP (6-benzilaminopurina) e GA3 (ácido giberélico), nas concentrações de 0,0; 1,0; 2,0 e 5,0 mg L-1, como tratamento pré-germinativo no processo de germinação e desenvolvimento inicial de plântulas de Dendrobium nobile Lindl; 2- determinar o volume de água de coco (0; 50; 100; 150 e 200 mL L-1 ), que, acrescido ao meio de cultura proporcionou melhor germinação e cultivo in vitro de D. nobile. Foram utilizadas como material de estudo sementes de D. nobile produzidas mediante autopolinização manual Após seis meses do semeio e permanência em câmara de germinação e crescimento com temperatura e fotoperíodo controlados (12 horas e 23 ºC ± 2) as plântulas foram retiradas dos frascos e avaliadas quanto ao número, porcentagem de germinação, massa fresca, altura, diâmetro e número de pseudobulbos, número de folhas, número de raízes e comprimento da maior raiz. Foi utilizado o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado. Todas as variáveis e atributos vegetais foram submetidos à análise de variância e quando significativos à regressão. As sementes de D. nobile germinaram mais na ausência de reguladores vegetais, e os tratamentos com BAP ou GA na embebição das sementes influenciaram 3estatisticamente o desenvolvimento in vitro de D. nobile. A adição de 200 mL L-1 de água de coco ao meio de cultura propiciou os melhores resultados para altura de plantas, número de raízes, número de pseudobulbos e massa fresca de D. nobile.

Self-Consolidating concrete (SCC) is a new generation of concrete that can fill in the formwork under its own weight and without vibration. This modern technology has revolutionized the construction industry, but still needs lots of investigation before it reaches its most perfect level. Stability is a crucial property of SCC, namely self-consolidation cannot be achieved without it. Generally, stability falls into two categories: static stability which is important when concrete is at rest and before setting and is well studied up to this date; dynamic stability which plays a crucial role during transportation and casting of SCC and is one of the least investigated aspects of SCC. Hence, this M.Sc. project was defined with the purpose of developing a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic segregation phenomenon. An experimental approach was adopted, namely reliable test methods were proposed to evaluate the dynamic stability of SCC. Repeatability assessment and sensitivity analysis are established for the proposed tests. Once a reliable test has been developed, the test is used to evaluate the effect of different parameters that could affect dynamic segregation. The latter includes factors pertaining to both mix design and casting conditions. To capture the horizontal spread, Tilting-box was developed and was shown to have adequate repeatability and sensitivity. In order to make the test more practical, a new penetration technique was also proposed to help assess the segregation more easily and rapidly. Good agreement was observed between the results of wet-sieving and penetration. With respect to freefall, U-tube was designed and found to be promising to simulate the phenomena taking place during and shortly after freefall. Results of the parameter study carried out with T-box demonstrate that the larger the number of cycles (flow distance), the more dynamic segregation occurs while the rate of segregation decreases. When decreasing the duration of each cycle (increasing flow velocity), segregation first increases, but over a critical duration it starts to decrease. Considering the rheology of concrete (cement paste), it is shown that both yield stress and viscosity have significant effects on dynamic segregation. In addition, there is no interaction between the effects of each factor, and such influence is non-linear. The effect of paste volume on dynamic segregation is similar to that of velocity meaning that by increasing paste volume, segregation first increases and above a critical value, it commences to decrease. The outcome of the parameter study conducted with U-tube shows that in terms of rheology, though the results are analogous to the T-box, there are some inconsistencies which could be due to both errors and limitations. Hence, at this point no final conclusion is drawn on that. Considering the paste volume, the same tendency as that during flow was observed.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is an electronic labeling technique.These electronic labels are called tags and read wirelessly. In this thesis a battery and amicroprocessor are connected to the tag. The work consisted of programming themicroprocessor to transfers sensor data into the tags memory. The tags are placed ontrains and data is collected from sensors at the train's axle. That way sensor data can betransmitted from a train to readers stationed along the railroad tracks.The aim of the project is to predict service intervals. There is currently no possibility tosee wear in real time and stop a train before it breaks. At present, there is a form of heatdetectors located along the railroad tracks to measure temperatures of wheels and axlesof passing trains. These are expensive and have the disadvantage of being able to detecterrors that have already occurred, they can not detect errors that do not radiate heat.The thesis aims to provide a solution for this. By programming a microprocessor totransmit sensor data to the tags memory it is possible for an RFID reader to read thesensor data from the tag. Ensuring that data and identity can be read from the tag atspeeds up to 250 km/h, you can get the status of a trains wagon before it breaks.

Darbo objektu pasirinkti Petunia genties augalai, siekiant įvertinti, šių plačiai naudojamų balkonų ir lauko želdinimui gėlių, fitohormonų ir šviesos – tamsos įtaką audinių regeneracijai. Atskirų veiksnių poveikiai literatūroje dažnai aprašomi, tačiau kompleksinis veikimas analizuojamas mažai. Tokio tipo tyrimai yra svarbūs tiek mokslui, tiek verslui. Atlikto tyrimo tikslas ištirti kompleksinę fitohormonų ir šviesos įtaką Petunia regeneracijai in vitro. Tikslui pasiekti atlikta mokslinės ir metodinės literatūros, susijusios su darbo tema, analizė. Atlikti eksperimentai su izoliuotais Petunia eksplantais, kultivuojant juos skirtingos sudėties terpėse šviesoje ir tamsoje bei įvertinta eksplantuose įvykusi regeneracija. Pagrindinis metodas tyrimams atlikti – 1IAR ir 5BAP fitohormonų integravimas į MS terpę. Metodo akcentas – šviesos ir tamsos sąlygos, kuriose buvo kultivuojami eksplantai terpėje su fitohormonais ir kontrolinėje (be fitohormonų) MS terpėje. Atlikus tyrimą nustatyta, kad P. nana compacta stiebo ir lapo eksplantai pasižymi 100% regeneracija kultivuojami terpėje su fitohormonais tamsoje. Nustatyta, kad lapų eksplantuose rizogenezė indukuojama beveik 2 kartus rečiau nei iš stiebų izoliuotuose audiniuose. Rezultatų analizė parodė, kad kultivuojant stiebo dalis, 56% daugiau ūglių eksplantai suformuoja terpėje su fitohormonais ir visais atvejais tamsoje jų buvo mažiau nei šviesoje. Daugiausiai, 3,1 ūglių/eksplante, buvo P. grandiflora MS (1IAR:5:BAP) regenerantuose... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Plants of Petunia genus, flowers widely used for planting on balconies and outdoors, have been selected as the object of the Paper in order to estimate the influence of phytohormones and light – darkness on regeneration of tissues. The influence of particular factors is often described in literature, however, complex influence thereof is analysed scarcely. Researches of this type are very important for both science and business. Aim of the research carried out is to study the complex influence of phytohormones and light on regeneration in vitro of Petunia. Analysis of scientific and methodical readings related to subject of the Paper has bee carried out in order to achieve the above aim. Experiments with isolated Petunia explants have been made by cultivating them in media of different compositions in light and darkness and regeneration that took place in the explants was evaluated. The key research method was integration of 1IAA and 5BAP phytohormones into MS medium. Focus of the method – conditions of light and darkness under which the explants were cultivated in the medium with phytohormones and control (without phytohormones) MS medium. Upon completion it was determined 100% P. nana compacta footstalk and leaf explants regeneration cultivating them in the medium with phytohormones in darkness. It has been determined that rhizogenesis induced in leaf explants was above 2 times less than in case of footstalk in isolated tissues. The results analysis showed that, in case... [to full text]