The U.S. Army¡¯s Chemical Demilitarization are designed to store, treat and destroy the nation¡¯s aging chemical weapons. It operates Near-Real-Time Monitors and Deport Area Monitoring Systems to detect chemical agent at concentrations before they become dangerous to workers, public health and the environment. CDC recommends that the sampling and analytical methods measure within 25% of the true concentration 95% of the time, and if this criterion is not met the alarm set point or reportable level should be adjusted. Two methods were provided by Army¡¯s Programmatic Laboratory and Monitoring Quality Assurance Plan to evaluate the monitoring systems based on CDC recommendations. This thesis addresses the potential problems associated with these two methods and proposes the Bayesian method in an effort to improve the assessment. Comparison of simulation results indicates that Bayesian method produces a relatively better estimate for verifying monitoring system performance as long as the prior given is correct.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus develops in 3.7-18% of Canadian women, and can cause serious maternal-fetal complications. Low-GI foods have been shown to increase β-cell function in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Theoretically, this effect should improve glucose tolerance and reduce the risk of gestational hyperglycemia. Thus, we aimed to explore the effects of a low-GI diet on glucose challenge test (GCT) results in women at risk for GDM. Women were randomized to receive education during pregnancy focused on incorporation of low- or medium- to high-GI foods. Key foods were provided to assist compliance. Information was obtained from medical records and questionnaires. Ninety-four (94) women completed the study. After adjustment for confounding variables, there was no significant difference in GCT values between intervention groups. Results suggest that low-GI foods do not affect blood glucose control during pregnancy.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus develops in 3.7-18% of Canadian women, and can cause serious maternal-fetal complications. Low-GI foods have been shown to increase β-cell function in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Theoretically, this effect should improve glucose tolerance and reduce the risk of gestational hyperglycemia. Thus, we aimed to explore the effects of a low-GI diet on glucose challenge test (GCT) results in women at risk for GDM. Women were randomized to receive education during pregnancy focused on incorporation of low- or medium- to high-GI foods. Key foods were provided to assist compliance. Information was obtained from medical records and questionnaires. Ninety-four (94) women completed the study. After adjustment for confounding variables, there was no significant difference in GCT values between intervention groups. Results suggest that low-GI foods do not affect blood glucose control during pregnancy.

One of the most elusive challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia is the reliable identification of silent aspiration (aspiration in the absence of cough). The citric acid inhalation cough challenge offers potential for aiding in identification of silent aspiration; however clinical application of this technique is currently problematic due to an absence of normative data. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a normative data set for the Citric- Acid Inhalation Cough Challenge, as administered with facemask method. 80 healthy subjects will participate in this study, constituting 2 age groups: above and below 60 years, with equal gender representation. On 3 separate trials, they will be asked to passively inhale, via a facemask, nebulised citric acid of concentrations ranging from 08M to 2.6M with placebo interspersed. ‘Natural cough thresholds’ (NCT) and ‘Suppressed Cough Thresholds’ (SCT) will be reached when subjects cough on at least 2 out of 3 trials. The majority (92.5%) of participants reached Natural Cough Threshold by 0.8M, with 68% demonstrating Suppressed Cough Threshold also at this concentration. There were no significant differences found between males and females (p<0.05) for either NCT (p=0.9885) or SCT (p=0.44). Whilst no difference was found between youngers and elders for NCT (p=0.7254), there was a significant difference for SCT (p=0.018), with youngers better able to suppress cough. Over 90% of healthy people were found to elicit cough at 0.8M, inferring that this level would be an adequate guide for use by clinicians testing for presence/absence of cough.

This thesis presents information on community healthy marriage initiatives and university-community collaborations. Specifically, it examined the workings of one of those healthy marriage initiatives in the university-community collaborative context. The project explored the current process of this initiative, identifying specific challenge points and defining factors and characteristics associated with the success thereof. Rather than working in discrete categories, these challenge points exist on a success continuum. How each challenge is managed determines whether it is a success factor or a stumbling block. The project is grounded in published learning from other university-community initiatives and employs an ethnographic qualitative research strategy. Data consist of interviews with several key collaborators (n = 9) who were involved with this initiative. The findings from this ethnography support and enhance previous literature on university-community collaborations and outreach scholarship and provide useful examples and lessons that can be used by other university-community collaborations, especially those involving marriage education initiatives in a community setting.

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-107). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 10, 2009). Thesis advisor: Vena M. Long. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Notre étude s’est passée en deux temps: une partie quantitative dont le souci a été de réaliser un constat statistique sur la nature et le sens de la participation au loisir sportif d’un échantillon large d’individus de l’académie d’Aix-Marseille. Une partie qualitative où une approche statistique et ethnographique a été réalisée à partir d’une activité de loisir caractéristique des pratiques hybrides récemment apparues dans le secteur marchand du loisir: les parcs aventure. Nous définissons les pratiques hybrides comme des activités développées par le secteur marchand se situant entre une offre instituée classique et la pratique libre. En basant leurs arguments de séduction sur la vente d’un espace naturel sécurisé et domestiqué où les sensations et l’expérience partagée sont mises en avant, le secteur des pratiques hybrides connaît un engouement de plus en plus important. Force est de constater que l’offre proposée dans cette activité est en phase avec les motifs les plus avancées par l’échantillon de sportifs interrogés lors de notre enquête quantitative. L’enquête qualitative sur les motifs qui poussent les individus à fréquenter les pratiques hybrides confirme la place dominante des valeurs de sociabilité et de jeu aux limites dans ce loisir sportif. Les observations outillées et l’analyse des discours des participants permettent de mettre à jour la suprématie d’une expérience combinant sensations, défi et partage. Cette recherche d’expérience aux multiples facettes nous semble en rupture avec les modèles sportifs traditionnels. Ces derniers ont souvent des significations plus univoques, plus tranchées. Axés principalement sur la performance, les repères fédéraux peuvent paraître en décalage avec ce qui motive les individus à pratiquer une activité physique et sportive. Ainsi, à la lumière de nos résultats, il est cohérent de constater une baisse du taux de pratique instituée. Cette baisse serait à interpréter comme un signal de décalage entre l’offre des uns et la recherche des autres. Si les motifs dominants les plus mis en avant se basent sur une recherche combinant sociabilité, performance et expérience émotionnelle, il est normal de voir régresser quantitativement le nombre d’adhérents aux structures proposant une offre à la signification univoque. / Our study happened in two stages: a quantitative part was to make a statistical statement about the nature and meaning of participation in leisure sports of a large sample of individuals from the Aix –Marseille’s district. A qualitatively or a statistical approach and ethnographic was made from a leisure activity characteristic of hybrid practices recently appeared in the market sector of leisure: adventure parks. We define hybrid as the practical activities developed by the commercial sector ranging from formal sport and informal sport. Basing their arguments on the sale of seduction of a natural area where domesticated and secure feeling and shared experience are put forward, the sector is experiencing a practical hybrid craze increasingly important. It is clear that the offer in this activity is consistent with the reasons advanced by the sample of athletes surveyed in our quantitative survey. The qualitative survey on the reasons that motivate people to attend practices hybrids confirms the dominant values of sociability and play limits in this recreational sport. Equipped observations and analysis of discourse allows participants to update the supremacy of an experiment combining sensations, challenge and sharing. This research experience with many facets seems at odds with the traditional sports models. These meanings are often more unequivocal, more trenches. Focused primarily on performance, benchmarks may seem Federal sync with what motivates people to engage in physical activity and sports. Thus, in light of our results, it is consistent to find a lower rate of established practice. This decrease is interpreted as a signal of mismatch between supplies of both the research of others. If the most dominant reasons put forward are based on research combining social skills, performance and emotional experience, it is normal to see decline quantitatively the membership structures to offering a single meaning.

Submitted by Juliana Cristina Ramos Rezende (julianacristina_rezende@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-12-07T16:45:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE DEFINITIVA.pdf: 1039059 bytes, checksum: f82e6799ec6601ac15b298cc2de89414 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-12-09T16:47:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 rezende_jcr_dr_bot.pdf: 1039059 bytes, checksum: f82e6799ec6601ac15b298cc2de89414 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-09T16:47:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 rezende_jcr_dr_bot.pdf: 1039059 bytes, checksum: f82e6799ec6601ac15b298cc2de89414 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-11-18 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Foi realizado um experimento para avaliar o efeito dos níveis de zinco na dieta de frangos de corte, sobre o desempenho, a imunidade e saúde. O ensaio foi realizado em aviário experimental, o delineamento foi inteiramente casualisado com cinco níveis de zinco, totalizando 5 tratamentos com sete repetições, os tratamentos consistiram em 50, 75, 100, 125 e 150% da exigência de zinco segundo Rostagno et al. (2011), sendo o tratamento 100% (controle): 81,3; 71,5; 65 ppm de zinco nas fases pré-incial, inicial e crescimento, respectivamente. As aves foram divididas em boxes, sendo cada box uma unidade experimental com 33 aves cada. E aos 35 dias de idade foi realizado um desafio com LPS de E. coli. Foram avaliados os parâmetros de desempenho: conversão alimentar, consumo de ração, peso corporal, ganho de peso e viabilidade; bioquímicos: zinco no sangue, superóxido dismutase e glutationa peroxidase no soro sanguíneo; e imunológico: título de anticorpos para doença de Newcastle de 1 a 35 dias de idade. Após os 35 dias de idade foram avaliados peso relativo de órgãos, o teor de zinco na tíbia inteira, fêmur sem a medula óssea, medula óssea do fêmur e no fígado, atividade da superóxido dismutase e glutationa peroxidase no soro sanguíneo e no fígado e a produção de reativos de oxigênio e nitrogênio por macrófagos peritoniais; em todos os níveis de zinco em aves desafiadas por LPS ou não. Os dados foram avaliados pela análise de variância (ANOVA) através do procedimento General Lineal Model (GLM), com auxílio do programa estatístico SAS 9.3. O nível ótimo de zinco dietético foi determinado pela análise de regressão no modelo da Nova Compartimental (y=〖ae〗^(-bx)/((1+ e^(-c(x-d) )))) utilizando-se o programa Excel (xlsx) com exceção dos dados de Peroxido de Hidrogênio e Oxido Nítrico em que o nível ótimo de zinco dietético foi determinado pela análise de regressão, Broken Line, utilizando-se o procedimento Proc Reg do SAS 9.3, com o auxílio do programa Origin. A suplementação de zinco na forma de óxido de zinco em dietas de frangos de corte pode influenciar o ganho de peso, conversão alimentar e consumo de ração de 1 a 21 dias de idade, em aves criadas em galpão, com ponto ótimo 128% da exigência estimada por Rostagno et al. (2011). A mesma suplementação e nas mesmas condições, não influencia o desempenho de 1 a 35 dias de idade e não apresenta melhorias evidentes no status antioxidante e imunológico das aves. A partir dos 35 dias de idade em aves desafiadas verificou-se que a suplementação de zinco acima dos níveis recomendados para dietas de frangos de corte até 35 dias de idade influencia negativamente a produção de peróxido de hidrogênio e de oxido nítrico por macrófagos peritoneais, em aves desafiados ou não com o lipopolissacarídeo de Escherichia coli. Os melhores resultados para resposta imunológica primária foram obtidos com a suplementação de 100% da exigência estimada por Rostagno et al. (2011). Pode-se dizer que a suplementação de 139% de zinco da exigência preconizada por Rostagno et al. (2011) aumenta a atividade da glutationa peroxidase no soro, bem como aumenta o teor de zinco no fígado das aves. / An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of zinc levels on the broiler diet on performance, immunity and health. The experiment was carried out in experimental fowl, the design was completely randomized with five levels of zinc, totaling 5 treatments with seven replicates, treatments consisted of 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of the zinc requirement according to Rostagno et al. (2011), the treatment being 100% (control): 81.3; 71.5; 65 ppm of zinc in the pre-intial, initial and growth phases, respectively. The birds were divided into boxes, each box being an experimental unit with 33 birds each. And at 35 days of age a challenge was performed with E. coli LPS. Performance parameters were evaluated: feed conversion, feed intake, body weight, weight gain and viability; Biochemicals: zinc in the blood, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in blood serum; And immunological: titer of antibodies to Newcastle disease from 1 to 35 days of age. After 35 days of age, relative body weight, zinc content in the entire tibia, femur without the bone marrow, bone marrow of the femur and liver, superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione peroxidase in blood serum and liver were evaluated. Production of oxygen and nitrogen reactives by peritoneal macrophages; At all levels of zinc in LPS challenged birds or not. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the General Linear Model (GLM) procedure, using the statistical program SAS 9.3. The optimal level of dietary zinc was determined by the Regression analysis in the New Compartmental (y=〖ae〗^(-bx)/((1+ e^(-c(x-d) )))) using the program Excel (xlsx) with the exception of Hydrogen Peroxide and Nitric Oxide data in which the optimum level of dietary zinc was determined by the regression analysis, Broken Line, using the Proc Reg procedure of SAS 9.3, with the aid of the Origin program . Zinc supplementation in the form of zinc oxide in broiler diets can influence weight gain, feed conversion and feed intake from 1 to 21 days of age in poultry reared in shed, with a best point of 128% of the requirement Estimated by Rostagno et al. (2011). The same supplementation and under the same conditions does not influence the performance from 1 to 35 days of age and does not show evident improvements in the antioxidant and immunological status of the birds. From 35 days of age on challenged birds it was found that zinc supplementation above recommended levels for broiler diets up to 35 days of age negatively influences the production of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide by peritoneal macrophages in Birds challenged or not with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide. The best results for primary immune response were obtained with the 100% supplementation of the requirement estimated by Rostagno et al. (2011). It can be said that the 139% zinc supplementation of the requirement recommended by Rostagno et al. (2011) increases the activity of glutathione peroxidase in serum as well as increases the zinc content in the liver of birds. / CAPES: 50403001

A lactoferrina bovina, descoberta em 1939, é uma glicoproteína que se liga reversivelmente a dois íons férricos, sendo capaz de seqüestrá-los de certos patógenos ou do meio, promovendo redução do crescimento microbiano ou se ligar as suas paredes celulares resultando na permeabilização. A lactoferrina vem ganhando notoriedade nas pesquisas, pois investigações têm descrito sua atividade in vitro frente a diversos microrganismos. Em razão desta propriedade, a mesma poderia ter aplicação nas indústrias cosmética e alimentícia, como um conservante natural. Embora alguns conservantes já estejam consagrados na literatura, os mesmos têm sido relacionados com o desencadeamento de reações alérgicas e de sensibilização, motivando a procura do conservante ideal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a utilização da lactoferrina como conservante em formulações semi-sólidas tópicas para usos cosmético e farmacêutico, bem como verificar as estabilidades física e físico-química. Com esta finalidade, três diferentes concentrações de lactoferrina foram incorporadas nos cremes não-iônico e aniônico, gel e gel-creme. A atividade da lactoferrina foi avaliada através do teste de eficácia conservante, sendo que as formulações foram contaminadas com concentrações conhecidas dos microrganismos Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans e Aspergillus niger, com posterior contagem do número de Unidades Formadoras de Colônias (UFC), em placas de Petri, nos tempos zero, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 e 72 horas, bem como em 7, 14, 21 e 28 dias. Para estudo das estabilidades, as formulações foram avaliadas nos tempos zero, 15, 30, 60, 90, 150 e 180 dias, nas temperaturas de 4°, 25° e 40°C. A estabilidade físico-química foi avaliada através das características macroscópicas, estabilidade à centrifugação, pH, densidade e consistência. A estabilidade física, por meio da determinação da viscosidade e comportamento reológico. Os resultados obtidos, nas condições experimentais deste trabalho, permitiram inferir que a lactoferrina bovina não provocou alteração significativa nas estabilidades física e físico-química das formulações estudadas. Quanto à eficácia da lactoferrina, a mesma não pode ser classificada como substância dotada de atividade conservante, pois não atendeu às exigências preconizadas em compêndios oficiais, frente aos microrganismos estudados. Mesmo não tendo atendido às exigências oficiais como conservante, mostrou-se efetiva frente à levedura Candida albicans, nas formulações do creme não-iônico e gel de hidroxietilcelulose. No entanto, estudos posteriores poderão avaliar a associação da lactoferrina a outros conservantes, buscando sinergismo entre eles, conseqüentemente, podendo diminuir as reações adversas e sensibilizações no usuário. / The bovine lactoferrin, discovered in 1939, is a glycoprotein that connects itself reversibly to two ions of iron being able to kidnap them from certain pathogens or from the environment promoting reduction of the microbial growth or, resulting in permeability if connected to its cellular walls. Lactoferrin has become important in researches because investigations have described its activity in vitro before many microorganisms. Due to this property, lactoferrin could be applied in cosmetic and food industries as a natural preservative. Even though some preservatives are already acclaimed in literature, lactoferrin has been related to the unleashing of allergic reactions and sensibility, motivating the search for the preservative. The goal of this paper was to evaluate lactoferrin as a preservative in semi-solid topic formulations for cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses as to verify the physical and physical-chemical stabilities. On this purpose, three different lactoferrin concentrations were incorporated in non-ionic and anionic creams, gel and gel-cream. Lactoferrin\'s performance was evaluated through testing the efficiency of the preservative, being that the formulations were contaminated by known concentrations of the microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans e Aspergillus niger, with posterior counting of the number of Former Colony Units (FCT), in Petri plates, on times zero, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours, as well as 7, 14, 21, 15, 30, 60, 90, 150 and 180 days, in temperatures of 4º, 25º and 40ºC. The physical-chemical stability was evaluated through the macroscopic characteristics,stability to centrifugation, pH, density and consistency. The physical stability through the determination of viscosity and reologic behavior. The results, in the experimental conditions of this paper, allowed inferring that the bovine lactoferrin didnt\'s provoke significant alteration in the physical and physical-chemical stabilities in the studied formulations. As to the efficiency of lactoferrin, it canot be classified as a substance endowed with preservative activity because it didn\'t reach the extolled demands in official compendiums before the studied microorganisms. Although it didn’t reach the official demands as a preservative, lactoferrin showed itself effective before the yeast Candida albicans on the formulations of the non-ionic cream and hidroxiethyl celulose gel. However, posterior studies will be able to evaluate the association of lactoferrin to other preservatives, seeking synergism between them, being able to consequently diminish the adverse reactions and sensibilities in the user.