The purpose of this project is to develop a statistical method for use in rapid detection of biological agents using portable gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) devices. Of particular interest is 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, or DPA), a molecule that is present at high concentrations in spores of Clostridium and Bacillus, the latter of which includes the threat organism Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax. Dipicolinic acid may be useful as a first-step discriminator of the biological warfare agent B. anthracis. The results of experiments with B. anthracis Sterne strain and Bacillus thuringiensis spores lead to a conceptual model for the chemical phenomena that are believed to occur between Calcium, DPA and its esters, water, acid, and alkali during treatment of spores by a novel analytical procedure. The hypothesized model for chemical phenomena is tested using a compound study in the form of a mixture experiment.

Biopile and landfarming systems are ex situ technologies developed for the remediation of contaminated soils. In this study, laboratory degradation experiments and a combined full-scale landfarming and biopile system were operated for the remediation of diesel fuel-contaminated soils. The effectiveness of bulking agents (wood chips and rice hulls), inorganic nutrients (N and P), and biological agent on petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation were also evaluated. The ratios of contaminated soils to bulking agents applied in the experiments were 1:0, 3:1, 6:1, and 10:1. The soil to bulking agent ratio of 10.7:1 was applied in the full-scale system. After 93 days of incubation, the highest reduction rate for total petroleum hydrocarbon - diesel (TPHd) removal was observed in the experiment with a soil to bulking agent ratio of 3:1. Results show that TPHd degradation trend followed a typical first-order degradation pattern. The calculated regression coefficient ranged from 0.008 ¡V 0.0129. Results also indicate that the addition of biological agent had a significant enhancement of TPHd removal. Results from the full-scale study show that the average TPHd concentrations from 5,544 mg/kg to 488 mg/kg after 231 days of operation. This implies that approximately 91.2% of TPHd removal was obtained. Field results show that temperature affected biodegradation rates, production of CO2, total hererotrophic bacterial biomass, and TPHd reduction efficiencies. Thus, temperature plays an important role for the operation of is biopile and landfarming systems.

<div>Recent interest in tailoring energetic materials designed to combat biological weapons agents (BWAs) has resulted in significant effort to produce and test these munitions. These energetic materials may contain agent defeat additives that enhance the capability of a munition to destroy BWAs through chemical methods in addition to heat. However, quantifying levels of agent and biocidal species and their interaction is difficult, and efforts have primarily focused on either ex-situ culturing of exposed bioagent simulants or in situ laser absorption measurements. These experiments are valuable for exploring long term agent defeat and line of sight averaged defeat. What these experiments do not provide, however, is in-situ, spatio-temporally resolved imaging in the reaction zone. To address this gap, this work develops the use of in-situ, high speed, two-dimensional optical diagnostics of fireballs and biological weapons agents simulants (BWA-S).</div><div> </div><div> Planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and laser scattering have been conducted in situ. PLIF of both iodine vapor and BWA-S has demonstrated the ability to qualitatively observe species concentration in fireballs. The application of simultaneous techniques provides imaging of multiple parameters, which is invaluable to the further study of BWA-S and agent defeat interactions. These studies also provide the framework for future work in moving towards quantitative measurements, including the development of absorption and fluorescence models.</div>

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No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Amanda Abdallah Chaibub - 2014.pdf: 1263990 bytes, checksum: 48328d656f5321ae2882086283462be4 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Rice blast (Magnaporthe oryzae Couch, anamorph-Pyricularia oryzae Cav.) is the major disease of rice causing yield losses up to 100%, in the world. Its control, currently held by integrating genetic resistance, cultural practices and chemical control, requires the inclusion of biological agents. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the in vitro antagonism between C. cladosporioides and four different rice pathogens; to verify the ability of C. cladosporioides in suppressing leaf blast and to study the mechanisms involved during disease suppression. The bioassays were conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications. The antagonism in vitro was evaluated by pairing-up, in Petri dishes containing PDA medium, nine different isolates of C. cladosporioides with the rice pathogens Sarocladium oryzae (sheath rot), Monographella albescens (scald), Cochliobolus miyabeanus (brown stain) and M. oryzae. All C. cladosporioides isolates reduced colonies mycelia growth up to 53.84% in addition to hallo formation. Among the nine tested isolates, four were selected for in vivo studies. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, three different concentrations were tested, in two different applications way; 1) 48 hours before challenger inoculation with M. oryzae; 2) mixture of M. oryzae and C. cladosporioides conidia suspensions. The isolated C24 C. cladosporioides (5x105) sprayed 48 hours, before challenger inoculation reduced 97.1% of leaf blast severity, and the spray mixture of conidial suspensions of C24 C. cladosporioides (5x101) and M. oryzae 3x105 spray of decreased leaf blast severity by 88.6%. Subsequently, the mechanisms involved in leaf blast suppression were investigated by using the same isolate, both applications methods and by collecting rice plants leaves sprayed with C. cladosporioides and M. oryzae. The application of C. cladosporioides 48 hours before challenger inoculation with M. oryzae and the conidial suspensions of mixture of M. oryzae and C. cladosporioides reduced to 83.9% and 78.6% of leaf blast severity, respectively. It was detected that, in the presence of C. cladosporioides and absence of the pathogen activity of enzymes GLU, LIPOX, PAL and POX increased significantly. In the presence of, C. cladosporioides and M. oryzae, POX and PAL activity and AS content also significantly increased, in both application forms. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the physical interaction between plant/biological agent/pathogen during the penetration phase. It was proved that C. cladosporioides is a biological agent efficient in activating biochemical defense mechanisms of the rice plant during leaf blast suppression. / A brusone (Magnaporthe oryzae Couch, anamorfo - Pyricularia oryzae Cav.) é a principal doença do arroz no mundo causando perdas na produtividade de até 100%. Seu controle, atualmente realizado pelo manejo que integra resistência genética, práticas culturais e controle químico, requer a inserção de agentesbiológicos. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram avaliar o antagonismo in vitro entre Cladosporium cladosporioides e os patógenos do arroz; verificar a capacidade de C. cladosporioides em suprimir a brusone foliar e estudar os mecanismos envolvidos na supressão da doença. Todos os ensaios foram conduzidos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. O antagonismo, in vitro, foi avaliado pareando-se, em placas de Petri contendo meio de cultura BDA, nove diferentes isolados de C. cladosporioides com os patógenos do arroz, Sarocladium oryzae (Podridão da bainha), Monographella albescens (Escaldadura), Cochliobolus miyabeanus (Mancha parda) e M. oryzae. Todos os isolados de C. cladosporioides reduziram, em até 53,84% o crescimento micelial das colônias além de apresentarem halo; entre os nove, quatro foram selecionados para os estudos in vivo. Em condições controladas de casa de vegetação, foram testadas, em três diferentes concentrações, a aplicação antecipada, 48 horas antes da inoculação desafiadora com M. oryzae, e a aplicação da mistura das suspensões de conídios de M. oryzae e C. cladosporioides. A pulverização antecipadado isolado C24 de C. cladosporioides (5x105) promoveu 97,1% de redução da severidade de brusone foliar e a pulverização da mistura das suspensões do isolado C24 de C. cladosporioides (5x101) e M. oryzae (3x105) reduziu em 88,6%. Posteriormente, os mecanismos envolvidos na supressão da brusone foliar foram investigados com o mesmo isolado e os dois métodos de aplicação com coletas de plantas, realizadas antes e após o desafio com M. oryzae. As aplicações, antecipada e em mistura, reduziram em 83,9% e 78,6% a severidade da brusone foliar, respectivamente. Observou-se que, na ausência do patógeno a atividade de GLU, LIPOX, PAL e POX aumentaram significativamente. Na presença de M. oryzae, a atividade de POX e PAL e o teor do AS aumentaram destacadamente, em ambas as formas de aplicação. Por microscopia eletrônica de varredura confirmou-se a interaçãofísica entre planta/agente biológico/patógeno, durante a fase de penetração. C. cladosporioidesrevelou-se um agente biológico capaz de suprimira brusone foliar ativando os mecanismos bioquímicos de defesa da planta de arroz.

In the thesis "Comprehensive approach of emergency medical services provider to a highly-contagious patient transportation" we concentrated on nursing care and aspects of transportation administered by operating paramedics, all in cases that public health authorities suspect to be related to a highly - contagious disease and transportation in isolated transportation vehicle is mandated. The theoretical part of the thesis defines the key concepts of highly - contagious disease, it describes individual causal agents of contagious diseases and their ways of transmission to humans. For description of contagious diseases were chosen those with high morbidity, lethality and interpersonal transmission. We mention the danger of biological agents misuse, ways of protection against contagious diseases and types of decontamination procedures. We describe different means of personal protection used by biohazard team members and even environmental factors affecting the work of paramedics using personal protective agents. Further on, we bring to attention legal aspects and inner policies related to aforementioned issues including analysis of procedure logistics of emergency services teams dealing with emergencies with suspicion of highly - contagious disease. Research in practical part of the thesis concentrates on aims related to optimizing nursing care for patients suspected of suffering from a highly - contagious disease, when securing them in the transportation vehicle, furthermore, we examine the impact of personal protective agents used by paramedics when transporting the patient, and we also analyze environmental factors inside the ambulance vehicle and isolated personal transportation vehicle. All of these aims were researched with the help of planned experiments and the resulting findings are based on the outcomes of these experiments.