Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-61). Also available in print.

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Orientador: Kathya Maria Ayres de Godoy / Banca: Alexandre Luis Mate / Banca: Rita de Cássia Franco de Souza Antunes / Resumo: Esta pesquisa surgiu da necessidade de registrar, organizar, sistematizar e relacionar os conhecimentos adquiridos em minha formação de atriz, professora de teatro e artista marcial, no intuito de melhor explorar o processo de criação teatral, utilizando técnicas marciais orientais. Aproximando as duas artes: teatral e marcial - kung fu, termo que além de designar uma arte marcial de origem chinesa possui outros significados como, por exemplo, capacidade de aguentar jejum e resistir, vislumbrei desenvolver, com os envolvidos no processo, potencialidades e habilidades, que foram vivenciadas na preparação corporal destes como atores, iniciando pelo treinamento para se chegar ao ensaio e por fim o espetáculo, promovendo de forma prática o aprimoramento do autoconhecimento e de suas relações com o outro e com o espaço, proporcionando um maior domínio do corpo, que se tornou mais expressivo para a criação cênica. Por buscar orientar os processos de trabalho teatral, de modo a tornar a experiência com teatro um meio socializador, fundamentado no principal postulado brechtiano, em que educar e divertir se apresentam essenciais à experiência com os jovens, considerando o contexto aqui abordado, o eixo dessa proposta leva em conta a abordagem práxica do teatro épico, sistematizado por Bertolt Brecht, sobretudo a partir de meados da década de 1920, quando o dramaturgo alemão passa a dedicar-se à criação das peças didáticas. Por meio dessas ideias e das práticas vivenciadas, algumas perguntas surgiram. Por que e como se apropriar de duas artes aparentemente distintas: kung fu e teatro, a fim de possibilitar uma melhor expressão do corpo? Como essas duas artes poderiam interagir, dando origem a um treinamento utilizado em um grupo de teatro? O que há nessa técnica oriental, que mobiliza e contribui para... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This work is a product of a necessity of register, organize, classify and transpose the knowledges obtained during my actress formation, theater teacher and martial artist, with the intent of better explore the theatrical creation process, by using oriental martial techniques. By uniting these two arts: theatrical and martial -kung fu, term that besides designating a chinese martial art has others meanings such as, capacity of endure a fast and resist, it was possible to develop, with the ones involved, potentialities and abilities, which were experienced in their body preparation as actors, starting by training to get to the rehearsal and at last to the presentation, helping them in a practical way in the improvement of self-knowledge and their relations with each other and with space, providing a greater body control, that became more expressive to the scenic creation. For trying to guide the theatrical work processes, in a way to make the experience with theater a socializing means, grounded in the main brechtian postulate, where to educate and to have fun are essential to the experience with the youngsters, considering the context that was approached here, this proposal takes into account the practical approach of epic theater, systematized by Bertolt Brecht, specially from the middle of the 1920 decade on, when the german dramatugist begins dedicating himself to the creation of educational plays. Through these ideas and experienced practices, some issues came up. Why and how to appropriate of two arts apparently so different: kung fu and theater to enable a better body expression? How could these two arts interact, creating a training used by a theater group? What does this oriental technique have, that mobilizes and contributes to the work of scenical creation with young theater students? Then, this... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Anatomy and Physiology / Deryl L. Troyer / Umbilical cord matrix stem (UCMS) cells are derived from Wharton's jelly and have been shown to express genes characteristic of primitive stem cells. They can be isolated in large numbers in a short time and thus potentially represent an abundant source of cells for therapeutic use. We investigated the migratory nature of human UCMS cells towards MDA 231 human breast carcinoma cells in an in vitro model of cell migration; UCMS cells cultured with or without MDA 231 cells for 24 hours. Next, we evaluated the effect of chemokines, stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on human UCMS cells by treating with increasing doses of SDF-1 and VEGF. UCMS cells were found to migrate towards MDA 231 cells in a dose dependent manner. Both SDF-1 and VEGF induced migration of UCMS cells in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that MDA 231 cells might be releasing chemokine factors, such as SDF-1 and VEGF, which promote UCMS cell migration towards the tumor cells in vitro. Stem cells that migrate to tumors may allow targeted delivery of therapeutic agents that otherwise may have severe side effects. To evaluate the selective engraftment and therapeutic efficiency of human UCMS cells that were engineered to express interferon beta (UCMS-IFN-beta) MDA 231 cells (2,000,000) were intravenously injected into severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mice, followed by three weekly intravenous injections of fluorescently labeled UCMS-IFN-beta cells (500,000). To evaluate the synergistic effect of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and IFN-beta, MDA 231 cells were intravenously injected into SCID mice, followed by three weekly intravenous injections of fluorescently labeled UCMS-IFN-beta cells and three weekly intra peritoneal injections of 5-FU. In both of the above experiments, mice were euthanized one week after the last UCMS cell transplant and lung weights were compared to the controls to determine the differences in tumor burden. After transplantation of UCMS-IFN-beta cells into MDA 231 tumor-bearing mice, UCMS cells were found near or within metastatic lung tumors but not in other tissues, and in these animals, the lung weight was significantly less than MDA 231 tumor-bearing animals that received saline injections. Histologically, there was significant reduction in the tumor area in MDA 231 tumor bearing lungs after UCMS-IFN-beta treatment. When 5-FU was given along with UCMS-IFN-beta cells, there was further reduction in tumor area. These results indicate that UCMS cells can potentially be used for targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics.

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Hedgehog (Hh) est un morphogène secrété qui contrôle la croissance et la différentiation cellulaire chez les métazoaires. La dérégulation de son activité entraine des maladies développementales et de nombreux cancers chez l’adulte. Chez la drosophile, la transduction du signal Hh est initiée par la fixation de Hh sur son récepteur Patched (Ptc), conduisant à la stabilisation de la protéine membranaire Smoothened (Smo) et à l’activation du complexe de transduction composé de 5 protéines : les kinases Fused (Fu), PKA, GprK2, la kinésine Costal 2 (Cos2), et le facteur de transcription Cubitus Interruptus (Ci). Ma thèse a porté sur l’étude de la régulation et des interactions moléculaires entre les composants du complexe de transduction. Par des approches complémentaires, j’ai montré qu’en absence d’Hh, les protéines PKA et Fu interagissent du côté C-terminal de Ci, alors que la présence d’Hh induit leur relocalisation vers le domaine N-terminal de Ci. J’ai pu prouver que l’élément déclencheur de ce remaniement protéique est Smo. En présence d’Hh, Smo s’incorpore dans le complexe de transduction, conduisant à l’activation et au déplacement de Fu vers la région N-terminale de Ci. Ce remaniement entraine la phosphorylation et l’activation de Ci. Ma thèse révèle l’importance des changements de conformation au sein du complexe de transduction de la voie Hh. Le mécanisme de transduction étant conservé entre invertébrés et invertébrés, mon doctorat apporte des éléments de recherche pour mieux comprendre le fonctionnement normal et pathologique des cellules. / Hedgehog (Hh) is a secreted morphogen that controls growth and differentiation in both vertebrates and invertebrates. The dysregulation of its activity leads to severe developmental defects, and the onset of cancer in adults. In Drosophila, the Hh signal transduction is initiated by the binding of Hh to its receptor Patched (Ptc). This induces the stabilization of the transmembrane protein Smoothened (Smo) and the subsenquent activation of a transduction complex consisting of 5 proteins: the kinases Fused (Fu), PKA and Gprk2, the kinesin Costal2 (Cos2), and the transcription factor of the pathway Cubitus Interruptus (Ci). The aim of my thesis was to study the regulation and molecular interactions between the different components of the transduction complex. Thanks to complementary techniques, I have shown that in absence of Hh the proteins Fu and PKA interact in C-terminal part of Ci, whereas on the presence of Hh induces their relocalization toward the N-terminal domain of Ci. I have proved that the trigger element of this moving is Smo. In presence of Hh, Smo goes into transduction complex, allowing the activation and the moving of Fu toward N-terminal domain of Ci. This relocalization is responsible of Ci phosphorylation and activation. My thesis reveals the importance of conformational changes inside the transduction complex of Hh pathway. As the mechanism of transduction is conserved between species, my PhD provides research elements in order to better understand the normal and abnormal functioning of cells.

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Die Forschung an porösen Hybridmaterialien hat sich rasch entwickelt, und in letzter Zeit ist die Anzahl neuer Strukturen und Zusammensetzungen aufgrund ihrer vielfältigen Anwendungsmöglichkeiten im Bereich des Kristall-Engineering von großem Interesse. Metall-organische Gerüste (metal-organic frameworks, MOFs) sind eine aufstrebende Klasse von Nanomaterialien, deren Eigenschaften durch Variation der Bausteine, die aus Metallionen und organischen Liganden bestehen und sich koordinativ zu einer dreidimensionale Struktur verbinden lassen, leicht angepasst werden können. Eigenschaften wie eine große Oberfläche und eine hohe Porosität verleihen diesen Materialien vielversprechende Eigenschaften, um als Wirtsmaterial verwendet zu werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit konzentriert sich auf die Synthese der Verbindung [Fe3O(H2O)2(OH)(bdc)3]n (bcd = 1,4-Benzoldicarboxylat; MIL-101(Fe), MIL = Materials of Institut Lavoisier), die aus einem carboxylato-verbrückten, oxido-zentriertem, dreikernigen Fe3+-Komplex besteht. Die Struktur besitzt große Poren (Ø: 29 und 34 Å) und eine große Oberfläche mit der Fähigkeit, zahlreiche Moleküle einzuschließen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird MIL-101(Fe) als Arzneimittelabgabesystem verwendet. Curcumin, Capecitabin und 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) wurden als Modellarzneimittel für die Verkapselung in der MIL-101(Fe)-Struktur ausgewählt. Es wurden verschiedene Freisetzungsregime in unterschiedlichen biologischen Medien untersucht. Nach vielversprechenden ersten Ergebnissen bei der Freisetzung dieser Medikamente aus der MIL-101(Fe)-Struktur wurde anschließend die selektive Lasersintertechnik (SLS) verwendet. Die SLS ist ein additives Schichtbauverfahren, das sich in dieser Arbeit als ressourcenschonende Technologie für die schnelle Herstellung erwiesen hat. Die Möglichkeit, die Größe, Form und Geometrie der hergestellten Proben individuell anzupassen, bot die Gelegenheit, die Wirkstofffreisetzung zu modulieren und den Freisetzungszeitraum zu verlängern. / The field of porous hybrid materials has grown rapidly; recently the number of new structures and compositions are of great interest in the crystal-engineering field, due to their various possible applications. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are an emerging class of nanomaterials, whose properties can be easily adjusted by varying the molecular building blocks, obtained from metal ions and organic ligands that can be combined to three-dimensional structures. Properties such as high surface area and high porosity give these materials promising characteristics to be used as host materials. The present work focuses on the synthesis of [Fe3O(H2O)2(OH)(bdc)3]n (bcd = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate; MIL-101(Fe), MIL = Materials of Institut Lavoisier), composed of carboxylate-bridged, oxido-centered, trinuclear Fe3+ complexes. The iron-based structure features large pore sizes (Ø: 29 and 34 Å) and high surface area with the ability to encapsulate numerous molecules, for use as a drug delivery system in the present work. The curcumin, capecitabine, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) were chosen as model drugs for the encapsulation into the MIL-101(Fe) structure. Different delivery regimes were studied in different biological media. After promising initial results with the release of these drugs from the MIL-101(Fe) structure, the selective laser sintering technique (SLS) was introduced subsequently. The SLS is an additive layer manufacturing technique that has emerged in this work as a resourceful technology for rapid manufacturing, the possibility to customize the size, shape, and geometry of the manufactured samples, thus providing the opportunity to modulate the drug release extending it for even longer periods of time.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal. / La thèse se propose d'analyser le développement du fu lyrique sous les Six Dynasties (220-589). Comme le lyrisme est une notion occidentale, il faudra, avant d'aller du côté chinois, expliquer sa signification en Occident et voir ensuite comment elle peut être appliquée à la Chine tout en respectant son intégrité et sa spécificité culturelles. La thèse montrera comment le narratif et le descriptif font partie du lyrisme ainsi que l'expression des sentiments personnels. Des textes critiques tels que L'esprit littéraire et la sculpture de dragons de Liu Xie et les préfaces à certains fu, entre autres, seront utilisés afin de toujours garder à l'esprit la façon chinoise de concevoir le poème lyrique. Le nouvel horizon épistémique des Six Dynasties sera aussi présenté et son impact sur les fu et les shi sera discuté. Le fu est un genre littéraire mi-descriptif, mi-narratif, qui combine prose et rimes et qui a aussi hérité de quelques éléments venant du shi ; c'est pourquoi il en sera question ici. Le Fu sur la résidence dans les faubourgs de Shen Yue (441-513) a été choisi pour illustrer le lyrisme car au-delà de la forme rigoureuse dictée par le genre, Shen Yue y a introduit de nouveaux éléments. Le premier chapitre définira le genre, discutera de ses origines à l'aide de l'opinion des chercheurs qui s'y sont consacrés et en décrira les caractéristiques sous les dynasties Han (-206-+220). Loin de rester stable, il évoluera vers le lyrisme à la fin de ces dynasties. Pour le montrer, des fu de Sima Xiangru, Yang Xiong et Zhang Heng seront présentés. Au deuxième chapitre, il sera question de l'évolution du fu lyrique depuis la fin des Han jusqu'à Tao Qian. Puis il sera question de l'autre genre en développement, le shi. Après une brève récapitulation de ses origines, les Dix-neuf poèmes anciens, des shi de Ruan Ji et de Xie Lingyun seront présentés afin de discerner comment ce genre a évolué. Ceci permettra d'évaluer la contribution de Shen Yue à cet égard en regardant ses fu et ses shi. Cela mène naturellement au troisième chapitre qui se penchera sur le Fu sur la résidence dans les faubourgs, mais en gardant en perspective le Fu sur la résidence en montagne de Xie Lingyun, qui a servi de "modèle" à celui de Shen Yue. Cependant tel n'est pas le cas et ce chapitre s'appliquera à le montrer en examinant le traitement que Shen Yue a fait des narrations et des descriptions, du parallélisme, de la métrique et de la prosodie. Cet examen permettra de voir que le temps et l'espace sont traités de façon particulièrement intéressante par Shen Yue et que son fu n'est nullement une imitation de celui de Xie Lingyun. Il a raccourci les sections descriptives et a introduit des narrations historiques en faisant de fréquents passages de l'une à l'autre. Shen Yue joue beaucoup avec les couleurs et les formes. Sa poésie comporte donc un aspect visuel important, et dans tout ceci, c'est sa vision de la réclusion qu'il apporte. Cette vision est en accord avec l'horizon épistémique des poètes des Six Dynasties. Le fu des Six Dynasties a été peu étudié et cette étude aura permis de dégager son fonctionnement et ses caractéristiques. En appendice, on retrouvera une traduction française annotée de ce fu. Vu qu'il n'existe que deux traductions anglaises, et une partielle, en japonais, de ce fu, j'ai alors décidé de présenter ma propre traduction.

No / Background Effective and tolerable chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) has been established recently. However, overall prognosis is still poor, and additional therapeutic approaches are needed for patients with locally advanced, irresectable and/or pretreated tumors. Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of chemotherapy represents a safe and well-established treatment modality, but data on its use in patients with BTC are still sparse. Methods Patients with irresectable BTC predominant to the liver were included in a prospective, open phase II study investigating HAI provided through interventionally implanted port catheters. Intraarterial chemotherapy consisted of biweekly oxaliplatin (O) 85 mg/m2 and folinic acid (F) 170 mg/m2 with 5-FU (F) 600 mg/m2. Results Between 2004 and 2010, 37 patients were enrolled. A total of 432 cycles of HAI were applied with a median of 9 (range 1–46) cycles. Objective response rate was 16 %, and tumor control was achieved in 24 of 37 (65 %) patients. Median progression-free survival was 6.5 months (range 0.5–26.0; 95 % CI 4.3–8.7), median overall survival was 13.5 (range 0.9–50.7; 95 % CI 11.1–15.9) months. The most frequent adverse event was sensory neuropathy grade 1/2 in 10/14 patients. Conclusions Using a minimal invasive technique, repetitive HAI with OFF is feasible and results in clinically relevant tumor control with low toxicity in patients with liver predominant advanced BTC.