The Behavioral Activation System (BAS) has been described as playing a central role in approach motivation and reward sensitivity (Gray, 1970). Self-report measures of BAS (e.g., Carver & White, 1994) have been used to index BAS activity, with higher scores interpreted as indicating greater BAS activity (e.g., Hundt et al., 2008). However, Beauchaine and colleagues (e.g., Brenner, Beauchaine, & Sylvers, 2005) have challenged this view, noting psychophysiological and neuroimaging evidence showing that externalizing behaviors are associated with reduced BAS functioning. Furthermore, global self-reported BAS scores are often used to index approach behavior, despite evidence that two main BAS traits, impulsivity and reward reactivity, are psychometrically distinct (Smillie et al., 2006). The present study tested a measurement model of these proposed components of BAS, as well as relationships between self-report and psychophysiological BAS indices. A large undergraduate student sample completed self-report indices (N=599) and a smaller subsample also completed psychophysiological (N=18) indices of BAS-related constructs. As hypothesized, a two-factor model with impulsivity and reward reactivity as separate, correlated constructs demonstrated better model fit than a one-factor alternative model. Associations between psychophysiological indices of BAS and indices of reward reactivity and impulsivity were mixed. Implications regarding future measurement of BAS and autonomic response to reward are discussed. / Master of Science

The thesis aims at building an experimental setup for conducting the boundary ejection and resonance ejection experiments on wide variety of ion trap mass analyzers. The experimental setup has two parts namely power electronics circuits and mechanical assembly. The focus of the thesis is on the electronics hardware which provides various power sources required for the operation of ion trap mass spectrometer. The electronics circuits discussed in the thesis have better performance, flexibility and ruggedness compared to the existing setup. The traditional power supplies used in ion trap mass spectrometers are all linear supplies. But one major drawback of these supplies is the high power dissipation and consequently, the power efficiency degrades. We are trying to introduce switch mode power supplies to reduce the power dissipation loss and eventually increase the power efficiency. In the course of the work the following power supplies have been developed. The supplies are - 1.Constant current source, 2.Filament base, 3.gating power supply and pulsing circuit, 4.High voltage DC power supply and 5. High voltage RF generator.

No description available.

Echocardiography examination is an important and familiar method for heart`s examination. Echocardiography is used to assess the function of the heart during to check the heart disease. In an echocardiography examination, the heart´s flow rates, contractility (pumping capacity), wall thickness, and inner diameter can be examined. All these examinations are done with the help of evolution of the ultrasonic waves that the ultrasonic transducer sends out and receives. The transducer consists of piezoelectric crystals that can both transmit and receive ultrasonic waves with frequencies exceeding 20 kHz. The purpose of the study is to compare the measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between an experienced biomedical scientist (BMA) and a student. In addition to see how the image quality affects the result. The measurement was performed by using the Simpson method. The result was analyzed by using with a static method. The results were analyzed by using a paired t-test to see if there is any significant difference between the performance of a BMA and a student. The measurement was performed on apical 4-chamber and apical 2-chamber image. The study included 30 patients, both heart -healthy and cardiac patients of the genders. The result showed that there is a significant difference in the performance of LVEF- measurements between BMA and student, with lower values measured by the student. / Ekokardiografiundersökning är en viktig och vanlig metod vid undersökning av hjärtat. Ekokardiografi används för att bedöma hjärtats funktion vid utredning av hjärtsjukdomar. Vid en ekokardiografiundersökning kan hjärtats flödeshastigheter, kontraktilitet (pumpförmåga), väggtjocklek, och innerdiameter undersökas. Alla dessa undersökningar görs med hjälp av tolkning av ultraljudsvågorna som ultraljudsgivaren skickar ut och tar emot. Givaren består av piezoelektriska kristaller som kan både sända och tar emot ultraljudsvågor med frekvens på över 20 kHz. Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra mätningen av den vänstra ventrikulära ejektionsfraktion (LVEF) mellan en erfaren biomedicinsk analytiker (BMA) och en student samt att se hur bildkvalitén påverkar resultatet. Mätningen utfördes med Simpsons- metoden. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av en statistisk metod. Resultatet analyserades med hjälp av parat t-test för att se om det finns någon signifikant skillnad mellan utförandet av en BMA och en student. Mätningen utfördes på apikala 4-kammarbilder och apikala 2-kammarblider. Studien inkluderade 30 patienter, både hjärtfriska och hjärtsjuka patienter av både könen. Resultatet visade att det finns en signifikant skillnad i utförande av LVEF- mätningar mellan BMA och student, med lägre uppmätta värden av studenten.

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To this day heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains a poorly understood malady. Half of all heart failure (HF) cases are HFpEF, and the prevalence of HF is on the rise. Unlike HF with reduced ejection fraction, HFpEF has no treatment options and is often times difficult to diagnose because victims of HFpEF often have pre-existing conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in maintaining myocardial health and is thought to play a role in HFpEF. We sought to test the hypothesis that VEGF-A plays a role in HFpEF in a hypertensive murine model of HFpEF. Using Western blot analysis we found that there was an up regulation of VEGF-A in the homogenized left ventricle (LV) of our HFpEF mice. Unexpectedly, there was a down regulation of VEGF-A in the homogenized tissue from the aorta in those mice. To study the circulating levels of VEGF in our HFpEF mice we used an ELISA. We found that our HFpEF mice had similar levels of circulating VEGF as our control. This suggests that VEGF has paracrine/autocrine role in our HFpEF model rather than endocrine, like our human data suggested. To identify the cells responsible for the expression profile we saw in the homogenized tissue data we looked at the response of adult rat ventricular myocytes (ARVM) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) to aldosterone stimulation at short (1hr) and long (24hr) time points at both physiological (50nm) and pathological (1μm) concentrations. To do this analysis we recruited the help of Western blot, ELISA and RT-PCR techniques to construct a consistent VEGF expression profile. The Western blot ARVM data showed statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in VEGF-A to pathological doses of aldosterone, especially at the longer time point. When we tested the VSMC using Western blot analysis, we found that the trend of our n=1 sample suggested a strong response to the physiological dose of aldosterone in the short term. Using the more sensitive ELISA technique to measure the VEGF content of our VCMS we increasing our sample size to n=4 and found no statistically significant (p=NS) response to aldosterone stimulation from the VSMC. However, looking at the trends in the data it is clear that VSMC increases VEGF in response to long-term physiological doses of aldosterone. This is contrary to what we found using Western blot analysis, so we queried the VEGF mRNA from the VSMC to settle the score. Unfortunately, this too proved fruitless. The RT-PCR data was not significant and the trend was that of the ARVM expression profile. We initially turned to VSMC because we hypothesized that they could contribute to the paracrine/autocrine activity similar to what we saw in the LV from the ARVM. It is unclear if VSMC play a role in HFpEF progression, but their lack of consistent response to aldosterone could potential explain the down regulation of VEGF-A we observed in the aorta of our HFpEF mice. We initially sough to test the hypothesis that VEGF-A plays a role in our HFpEF mouse model, what we found was that ARVM contribute to localized VEGF-A increased production in the LV while in the aorta there is a down regulation of VEGF-A in our HFpEF model, we are unable to make any conclusion about VSMC response to aldosterone because of insufficient sample size. Thus in conclusion, it appears that VEGF-A does play a role in our HFpEF model specifically in a paracrine/autocrine manner in the LV where the ARVM contributes to the increased production of the cytokine.

L'insuffisance cardiaque à fraction d’éjection préservée (IC/FEp) constitue un problème de santé croissant. Elle pourrait devenir la principale cause d'IC d'ici une décennie. C’est une pathologie associée à un taux élevé de morbidité et de mortalité. La prise en charge thérapeutique de l’IC/FEp reste limitée en raison de sa physiopathologie encore mal élucidée. Dans le présent travail, après avoir mis au point un modèle d’IC/FEp sur le rat adulte mâle et l’avoir caractérisé, nous avons évalué le phénotype fonctionnel et l’homéostasie calcique des cardiomyocytes. Les cœurs de ces animaux ont montré une fraction d’éjection supérieure à 50%, associée à une congestion pulmonaire, une hypertrophie concentrique avec une augmentation de la masse du ventricule gauche, une rigidité myocardique, une relaxation et un remplissage ventriculaire passif altérés et une dilatation auriculaire. Au niveau cellulaire, la contraction mesurée sur des cardiomyocytes isolés ainsi que le transitoire calcique sont augmentées. On note, de même, une surcharge en Ca2+ diastolique favorisée par une fuite à travers les canaux Ryanodine 2 et par un dysfonctionnement de l’échangeur Na+ /Ca2+ qui contribuent à générer des événements calciques spontanés. La phosphorylation du phospholamban, régulateur de l’activité de la SERCA2a, a également augmenté, laissant suggérer une compensation adaptative du cycle de Ca2+. Enfin, en présence de Ranolazine, inhibiteur du courant sodique soutenu, les évènements calciques spontanés ont été réprimés. En conclusion, le remodelage cardiaque dans l’IC/FEp semble être diffèrent de celui observé dans l’IC/FEr et ouvre la voie vers de nouveaux acteurs physiopathologiques et thérapeutiques. / Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing health problem. It could become the leading cause of HF within a decade. It is a pathology associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic options are limited due to a lack of knowledge of the pathology and its evolution. In this work, we investigated the cellular phenotype and Ca2+ handling in hearts recapitulating HFpEF criteria. HFpEF was induced in a portion of male Wistar rats four weeks after abdominal aortic banding. These animals had nearly normal ejection fraction and presented elevated blood pressure, lung congestion, concentric hypertrophy, increased LV mass, wall stiffness, impaired active relaxation and passive filling of the left ventricle, enlarged left atrium, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Left ventricular cell contraction was stronger and the Ca2+ transient larger. Ca2+ cycling was modified with a RyR2 mediated Ca2+ leak from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and impaired Ca2+ extrusion through the Na+ /Ca2+ (NCX), which promoted an increase in diastolic Ca2+ and spontaneous Ca2+ waves. PLN phosphorylation which promotes SERCA2a activity, was increased, suggesting an adaptive compensation of Ca2+ cycling. In the presence of Ranolazine, a sustained sodium current inhibitor, spontaneous Ca2+ events were suppressed. Cardiac remodeling in hearts with a HFpEF status differs from that known for HFrEF and opens the way to new pathophysiological and therapeutic actors.

Carbohydrate recognition is a ubiquitous principle underlying many fundamental biological processes like fertilization, embryogenesis and viral infections. But how carbohydrate specificity and affinity induce a molecular event is not well understood. One of these examples is bacteriophage P22 that binds and infects three distinct Salmonella enterica (S.) hosts. It recognizes and depolymerizes repetitive carbohydrate structures of O antigen in its host´s outer membrane lipopolysaccharide molecule. This is mediated by tailspikes, mainly β helical appendages on phage P22 short non contractile tail apparatus (podovirus). The O antigen of all three Salmonella enterica hosts is built from tetrasaccharide repeating units consisting of an identical main chain with a distinguished 3,6 dideoxyhexose substituent that is crucial for P22 tailspike recognition: tyvelose in S. Enteritidis, abequose in S. Typhimurium and paratose in S. Paratyphi. In the first study the complexes of P22 tailspike with its host’s O antigen octasaccharide were characterized. S. Paratyphi octasaccharide binds less tightly (ΔΔG≈7 kJ/mol) to the tailspike than the other two hosts. Crystal structure analysis of P22 tailspike co crystallized with S. Paratyphi octasaccharides revealed different interactions than those observed before in tailspike complexes with S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium octasaccharides. These different interactions occur due to a structural rearrangement in the S. Paratyphi octasaccharide. It results in an unfavorable glycosidic bond Φ/Ψ angle combination that also had occurred when the S. Paratyphi octasaccharide conformation was analyzed in an aprotic environment. Contributions of individual protein surface contacts to binding affinity were analyzed showing that conserved structural waters mediate specific recognition of all three different Salmonella host O antigens. Although different O antigen structures possess distinct binding behavior on the tailspike surface, all are recognized and infected by phage P22. Hence, in a second study, binding measurements revealed that multivalent O antigen was able to bind with high avidity to P22 tailspike. Dissociation rates of the polymer were three times slower than for an octasaccharide fragment pointing towards high affinity for O antigen polysaccharide. Furthermore, when phage P22 was incubated with lipopolysaccharide aggregates before plating on S. Typhimurium cells, P22 infectivity became significantly reduced. Therefore, in a third study, the function of carbohydrate recognition on the infection process was characterized. It was shown that large S. Typhimurium lipopolysaccharide aggregates triggered DNA release from the phage capsid in vitro. This provides evidence that phage P22 does not use a second receptor on the Salmonella surface for infection. P22 tailspike binding and cleavage activity modulate DNA egress from the phage capsid. DNA release occurred more slowly when the phage possessed mutant tailspikes with less hydrolytic activity and was not induced if lipopolysaccharides contained tailspike shortened O antigen polymer. Furthermore, the onset of DNA release was delayed by tailspikes with reduced binding affinity. The results suggest a model for P22 infection induced by carbohydrate recognition: tailspikes position the phage on Salmonella enterica and their hydrolytic activity forces a central structural protein of the phage assembly, the plug protein, onto the host´s membrane surface. Upon membrane contact, a conformational change has to occur in the assembly to eject DNA and pilot proteins from the phage to establish infection. Earlier studies had investigated DNA ejection in vitro solely for viruses with long non contractile tails (siphovirus) recognizing protein receptors. Podovirus P22 in this work was therefore the first example for a short tailed phage with an LPS recognition organelle that can trigger DNA ejection in vitro. However, O antigen binding and cleaving tailspikes are widely distributed in the phage biosphere, for example in siphovirus 9NA. Crystal structure analysis of 9NA tailspike revealed a complete similar fold to P22 tailspike although they only share 36 % sequence identity. Moreover, 9NA tailspike possesses similar enzyme activity towards S. Typhimurium O antigen within conserved amino acids. These are responsible for a DNA ejection process from siphovirus 9NA triggered by lipopolysaccharide aggregates. 9NA expelled its DNA 30 times faster than podovirus P22 although the associated conformational change is controlled with a similar high activation barrier. The difference in DNA ejection velocity mirrors different tail morphologies and their efficiency to translate a carbohydrate recognition signal into action. / Kohlenhydraterkennung ist ein fundamentales Prinzip vieler biologischer Prozesse wie z.B. Befruchtung, Embryogenese und virale Infektionen. Wie aber Kohlenhydratspezifität und –affinität in ein molekulares Ereignis übersetzt werden, ist nicht genau verstanden. Ein Beispiel für ein solches Ereignis ist die Infektion des Bakteriophage P22, der drei verschiedene Salmonella enterica (S.) Wirte besitzt. Er erkennt und depolymerisiert die repetitiven Einheiten des O Antigens im Lipopolysaccharid, das sich in der äußeren Membran seines Wirtes befindet. Dieser Schritt wird durch die Tailspikes vermittelt, β helicale Bestandteile des kurzen, nicht kontraktilen Schwanzapparates von P22 (Podovirus). Das O Antigen aller drei Salmonella enterica Wirte besteht aus sich wiederholenden Tetrasacchariden. Sie enthalten die gleiche Hauptkette aber eine spezifische 3,6 Didesoxyhexose Seitenkette, die für die P22 Tailspikeerkennung essentiell ist: Tyvelose in S. Enteritidis, Abequose in S. Typhimurium und Paratose in S. Paratyphi. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurde die Komplexbildung von P22 Tailspike mit O Antigen Octasaccharidfragmenten der drei verschiedenen Wirte untersucht. S. Paratyphi Octasaccharide binden mit einer geringeren Affinität (ΔΔG≈7 kJ/mol) an den Tailspike als die beiden anderen Wirte. Die Kristallstrukturanalyse des S. Paratyphi Octasaccharides komplexiert mit P22 Tailspike offenbarten unterschiedliche Interkationen als vorher mit S. Enteritidis und S. Typhimurium Oktasaccharidkomplexen mit Tailspike beobachtet wurden. Diese unterschiedlichen Interaktionen beruhen auf einer strukturellen Änderung in den Φ/Ψ Winkeln der glykosidischen Bindung. Die Beiträge von verschiedenen Proteinoberflächenkontakten zur Affnität wurden untersucht und zeigten, dass konservierte Wasser in der Struktur die spezifische Erkennung aller drei Salmonella Wirte vermittelt. Obwohl die verschiedenen O Antigen Strukturen unterschiedliches Bindungsverhalten auf der Tailspikeoberfläche zeigen, werden alle vom Phagen P22 erkannt und infiziert. Daher wurde in einer zweiten Studie die multivalente Bindung zwischen P22 Tailspike und O Antigen charakterisiert. Die Dissoziationskonstanten des Polymers waren drei Mal langsamer als für das Oktasaccharid allein, was auf eine hohe Affinität des O Antigens schließen lässt. Zusätzlich wurde gezeigt, dass die Aggregate des Lipopolysaccharids in der Lage sind, die Infektiösität vom P22 Phagen zu reduzieren. Ausgehend davon wurde in einer dritten Studie die Bedeutung der Kohlenhydrat Erkennung auf den Infektionsprozess untersucht. Große S. Typhimurium Lipopolysaccharide Aggregate bewirkten die DNA Freisetzung vom P22 Kapsid. Dies deutet darauf, dass der P22 Phage keinen weiteren Rezeptor für die Infektion auf der Oberflächen seines Wirtes verwendet. Zusätzlich moduliert die P22 Tailspike Aktivität den Ausstoss der DNA vom P22 Phagen: Er ist langsamer, wenn der Phage Tailspikes besitzt, die weniger hydrolytisch aktiv sind und wurde nicht induziert, wenn Lipopolysaccharid eingesetzt wurde, dass zuvor mit Tailspike hydrolysiert wurde. Darüber hinaus wurde der Start der DNA Ejektion verzögert, wenn Tailspikes mit verminderter Affinität am Phagen vorhanden waren. Die Ergebnisse führten zu einem Modell für die Infektion von P22: Tailspikes positionieren den Phagen auf Salmonella enterica und ihre Aktivität drückt ein zentrales Strukturprotein des Phagen, das Stöpselprotein, auf die Membranoberfläche. Aufgrund des Membrankontaktes findet eine Konformationsänderung statt die zur Ejektion der Pilotproteine und zur Infektion führt. Vorhergehende Studien haben bisher nur die DNA Ejektion in vitro für Viren mit langen, nicht kontraktilen Schwänzen (Siphoviren) mit Proteinrezeptoren untersucht. In dieser Arbeit wurde das erste Mal die DNA Ejektion für einen Podovirus mit LPS Erkennung in vitro gezeigt. Die O Antigen Erkennung und Spaltung durch Tailspikeproteine gibt es häufig in der Phagenbiosphere, z.B. am Siphovirus 9NA. Die Kristallstrukturanalyse von 9NA Tailspike zeigt eine komplett gleiche Struktur, obwohl beide Proteine nur zu 36% Sequenzidentität besitzen. Zusätzlich hat 9NA Tailspike ähnliche enzymatische Eigenschaften. Diese ist für den DNA Ejektionsprozess im Siphovirus 9NA verantwortlich, der auch durch LPS Agreggate induziert wird. 9NA stößt dabei seine DNA 30 Mal schneller aus als Podovirus P22 obwohl die damit verbundene Konformationsänderung mit einer ähnlich hohen Aktivierungsbarriere kontrolliert wird. Daher spiegeln die Unterschiede in der DNA Ejektionsgeschwindigkeit der verschiedenen Tailmorphologien die Effezienz wieder, mit der die spezifische Kohlenhydraterkennung in ein Signal umgewandelt wird.

This work serves to present the background, approach, and selected results for the initial master thesis and prototyping phase of Open Space, a joint visualization software development project by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Linköping University (LiU) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). The thesis report provides a theoretical introduction to heliophysics, modeling of space weather events, volumetric rendering, and an understanding of how these relate in the bigger scope of Open Space. A set of visualization tools that are currently used at NASA and AMNH are presented and discussed. These tools are used to visualize global heliosphere models, both for scientific studies and for public presentations, and are mainly making use of geometric rendering techniques. The paper will, in detail, describe a new approach to visualize the science models with volumetric rendering to better represent the volumetric structure of the data. Custom processors have been developed for the open source volumetric rendering engine Voreen, to load and visualize science models provided by the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Selected parts of the code are presented by C++ code examples. To best represent models that are defined in non-Cartesian space, a new approach to volumetric rendering is presented and discussed. Compared to the traditional approach of transforming such models to Cartesian space, this new approach performs no such model transformations, and thus minimizes the amount of empty voxels and introduces less interpolation artifacts. Final results are presented as rendered images and are discussed from a scientific visualization perspective, taking into account the physics representation, potential rendering artifacts, and the rendering performance.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal