Excitation-contraction (EC) coupling is the process by which Ca²⁺ is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and is fundamental to cardiac and skeletal muscle function. The SR contains many uncharacterised ion channels and proteins which may influence EC coupling and in this thesis I have investigated the biophysical properties of some of these channels. I have demonstrated that the single-channel gating and conducting properties of SR K⁺ channels from various mammalian species (rabbit, sheep and mouse) are very similar. I investigated the actions of possible physiological regulators of these channels and demonstrated that luminal Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ can block K⁺ flux in a voltage-dependent manner, while luminal Ca²⁺, Ni²⁺, and alkaline pH can reduce Po by additional mechanisms. I also characterised the single-channel properties of the various SR anion channels that are observed after incorporating mammalian SR vesicles into artificial membranes. The trimeric intracellular cation channels (TRIC-A and TRIC-B) and Mitsugumin 23 (MG23) are suggested to be SR cation channels. I have therefore utilised Tric-a KO and Mg23 KO mice to study SR membranes devoid of TRIC-A and MG23. Additionally, I have begun to investigate the single-channel properties of purified c. elegans TRIC-B1 and human TRIC-A. I found that SR K⁺ channel function was altered in SR from Tric-a KO or Mg23 KO tissue, however the underlying mechanisms for the observed changes appear to be complex. My initial studies of the purified TRIC-A and TRIC-B proteins show that they are permeable to K⁺, Ca²⁺, choline, and Cl^-, properties which deviate from those of SR K⁺ channels from rabbit, mouse and sheep. This may reflect species differences or alterations to protein function caused during the purification process or that SR K⁺ channels remain an unidentified class of ion channel.

No description available.

En dépit d’une littérature abondante étudiant les bases cérébrales de l’excitation sexuelle chez l’homme sans trouble, celle-ci reste plus restreinte dans l’étude de la pédophilie dont les corrélats cérébraux sont encore peu connus. La présente thèse se propose d’étudier, en IRMf, les activations cérébrales de 13 pédophiles hétérosexuels et 12 pédophiles homosexuels, appariés à 24 témoins sans trouble, en réponse à des photographies d’enfants en maillot de bain (fillettes/garçons) et d’adultes (femmes/hommes) dévêtus, les stimuli contrôlent représentant des adultes et enfants habillés normalement. Les résultats montrent que les activations cérébrales des pédophiles et témoins hétérosexuels et homosexuels, en réponse à leurs stimuli préférés ne diffèrent pas. Ces activations impliquent des régions occipitales, temporales et pariétales mises en évidence dans les corrélats cérébraux de l’excitation sexuelle chez les sujets sans trouble. En accord avec les résultats de la pléthysmographie pénienne, les analyses révèlent que les pédophiles homosexuels et hétérosexuels pourraient traiter les stimuli d’enfants du genre non préféré comme sexuellement pertinents. Ces résultats s’expliqueraient par le modèle bipolaire selon lequel l’excitation sexuelle pourrait varier selon une dimension bipolaire définie par la similitude physique, où femmes et hommes adultes se situent aux extrêmes et fillettes et garçons se situent au milieu. / In contrast to the numerous studies about the neural underpinnings of normal sexual motivation, brain correlates of pedophilia are still largely unknown. The present thesis aimed to identify functional networks involved in pedophile sexual arousal. Therefore, we investigated with fMRI the activation profile of 13 heterosexual and 12 homosexual pedophiles, compared to each other and to 24 matched healthy subjects, in response to visual sexual stimuli depicted adult (women/men) and child (girls/boy) wearing swimsuits, while neutral ones depicted ordinarily dressed adult and dressed children. Results showed that brain responses of heterosexual and homosexual pedophiles were not statistically different from those of matched healthy subjects, in response to their respective preferred stimuli. They were located in occipital, temporal and parietal brain areas known to be involved in sexual arousal in healthy subjects. In the line of penile plethysmographic studies, analysis also showed that homosexual and heterosexual pedophiles may process non preferred child stimuli as relevant sexual stimuli. This could be explained by a bipolar dimension of morphological similarity, on which children are located near the middle, and adult men and women are located at opposite ends.

As de torres treliçadas estaiadas são muito utilizadas e são foco de atenção na pesquisa da engenharia moderna, apresentando-se como um desafio na avaliação das excitações que sobre elas atuam, assim como a determinação das respostas dos elementos que as compõem. Para realizar um estudo neste sentido se realiza no presente trabalho a avaliação estrutural de uma torre treliçada estaiada, localizada na Universidade de Passo Fundo. Esta torre se encontra instrumentada, registrando velocidades de vento de forma contínua, sendo possível determinar nos registros existentes ventos característicos de tormentas TS e EPS. Se conta também com a caracterização dinâmica desta torre para qual foram determinadas suas freqüências naturais de vibração. Utilizando a informação supracitada foram criados modelos estruturais de diferentes níveis de complexidade que foram calibrados utilizando as informações disponíveis. A excitação devida a tormentas foi montada, comparando espectros de excitação clássicos disponíveis na literatura técnica e os registros experimentais de tormentas reais disponíveis. Também foi analisado um montante da torre submetido à compressão onde sua seção transversal é uma cantoneira de abas iguais. Foi determinada a carga de colapso deste perfil considerando as não linearidades físicas e geométricas incorporadas no mesmo. Foi prestada singular atenção ao estudo da influência das imperfeições, utilizando para isto expressões propostas pela bibliografia especializada e o quadro de imperfeições que foi extraído do escaneamento tridimensional de um montante real. Finalmente os diferentes aspectos estudados são discutidos nesta dissertação os quais permitem conhecer melhor o comportamento estrutural de torres estaiadas, em forma global, dos componentes que as compõem e das solicitações que atuam sobre elas. A forma em que se estudaram estes aspectos sem duvida enriqueceram a discussão do complexo tema da incerteza de modelo um dos atuais frentes na pesquisa da engenharia moderna. / The analysis of frames guyed masts are widely used and are the focus of attention in the research of modern engineering, presenting a challenge in the evaluation of excitations that act on them, and determining the responses of the component elements. To undertake a study to that effect, in this essay is made the evaluation of a structural truss of guyed masts, located at the University of Passo Fundo. This tower has equipments that record wind speeds in a continuous manner, being able to determine data about TS and EPS storms in the existing records. It also determines the natural frequencies of vibration as a dynamic characteristic of the tower. Using the above information, structural models of different levels of complexity were created, being calibrated using the available data. The excitement caused by storms was created by comparing the excitation spectra classics available in the technical literature and the experimental records of actual storms available. Also discussed was an amount subject to compression of the tower where its cross section is a corner of tabs equal. Was determined from the load profile given the collapse of physical and geometric nonlinearities embedded in it. Individual attention was given to the study of the influence of imperfections, using it to expressions proposed by the specialized literature and the framework of imperfection that was extracted from three-dimensional scanning of an actual amount.

xvi, 218 p. : ill. (some col.) / Our theoretical studies involve the control of electronic energy transfer in molecular dimers through the preparation of specific vibrational coherences prior to electronic excitation. Our control strategy is based upon the fact that, following impulsive electronic excitation, nuclear motion acts to change the instantaneous energy difference between site-excited electronic states and thereby influences short-time electronic excitation transfer (EET). By inducing coherent intramolecular vibration in one of the chromophores prior to short-pulse electronic excitation, we exert external control over electronic dynamics. As a means to monitor this coherent control over EET, we propose using multidimensional wave-packet interferometry (md-WPI). Two pairs of polarized phase-related femtosecond pulses following the control pulse would generate superpositions of coherent nuclear wave packets in optically accessible electronic states. Interference contributions to the time- and frequency-integrated fluorescence signal due to overlaps among the superposed wave packets provide amplitude-level information on the nuclear and electronic dynamics. We test both the control strategy and its spectroscopic investigation by calculating pump-probe difference signals for various combinations of pulse polarizations. That signal is the limiting case of the control-influenced md-WPI signal in which the two pulses in the pump pulse-pair coincide, as do the two pulses in the probe pulse-pair. We present calculated pump-probe difference signals for a variety of systems including a simplified model of the covalent dimer dithia-anthracenophane (DTA) in which we treat only the weakly Franck-Condon active ν 12 anthracene vibration at 385 cm -1 . We further present calculated nl-WPI difference signals for an oriented DTA complex, which reveal amplitude-level dynamical information about the interaction of nuclear motion and electronic energy transfer. We also present pump-probe difference signals from a model system in which a CF 3 group, whose torsional angle is strongly Franck-Condon active, has been added to the anthracene monomers which make up DTA. We make use of electronic structure calculations to find the torsional potential of the monomer, from which we calculate the spectroscopic signals of the dimer. We show that a significant measure of control over short-time EET is achievable in this system. This dissertation includes previously published coauthored material. / Commitee in charge: Dr. Michael E. Kellman, Chair; Dr. Jeffrey A. Cina, Advisor; Dr. David R. Herrick; Dr. Andrew H. Marcus; Dr. Daniel A. Steck

Le travail de thèse s’appuie sur un recueil exhaustif des travaux effectués dans le domaine du contrôle des vibrations auxquels sont soumis les ouvrages génie civil. Une contribution innovante et originale est apportée et permet de classifier, de généraliser et d’optimiser certains critères dans le but d’assurer une conception optimale de divers dispositifs d’atténuation des vibrations, et ce, selon leur application. L’un des objectifs de la thèse a donc consisté à traiter ces critères de manière originale. Après avoir résolu le problème dit « direct » s’appuyant sur la modélisation des systèmes dotés d’un ou de plusieurs AMAs, nous nous sommes intéressés au problème dit « indirect » en envisageant divers critères d’optimisation. Ainsi, plusieurs critères d’optimisation des paramètres mécaniques de plusieurs AMAs appliqués à un système principal comportant 1 ou plusieurs degrés de liberté peuvent être utilisés. L’excitation du système principal est envisagée de deux manières, soit à sa base (en vue d’une application à la sismique), soit au niveau de la structure (en vue d’une application aux effets du vent).Des simulations numériques sont réalisées dans le but d’étudier la performance de chaque modèle optimisé en se fondant sur des approches fréquentielles et temporelles. La robustesse de chaque critère d’optimisation face aux incertitudes liées au changement des paramètres physiques de la structure principale a été examinée. Nous avons également étudié la sensibilité des critères par rapport aux incertitudes des paramètres optimisés des AMAs. La conception et l’optimisation de p AMAs placés en parallèle pour un système principal à Nddl, a constitué une nouvelle contribution originale dans le cadre de cette thèse. Dans ce contexte, lors d’une sollicitation sismique, nous estimons la contribution de chaque mode dans la structure principale et nous conservons seulement les modes de vibrations qui ont un rapport de masses modales cumulées supérieur à 90%. Le choix du critère d’optimisation s’appuie seulement sur les étages les plus sensibles aux modes conservés et permet ainsi de tenir compte des modes élevés de la structure principale. Dans le but de limiter les dommages subis par les constructions du génie civil lors de sollicitations sismiques, nous cherchons à évaluer l’efficacité des AMAs afin d’atténuer les réponses temporelles sismiques. Ainsi une étude comparative est réalisée en appliquant quatre séismes réels sur les modèles optimisés. Afin d’illustrer les résultats obtenus, des tests de caractérisation d’un AMA utilisant un amortissement par courants de Foucault et un ajustement de la rigidité, ont été menés. Ils ont permis d’obtenir une validation expérimentale du modèle et du critère d’optimisation adopté / The architectural demand and the desire to reduce costs permit the construction of light structures with innovating shapes. The great flexibility of these structures makes them increasingly sensitive to the external dynamic loads such as traffic, wind and earthquakes. Vibration control techniques allow to construct modern buildings increasingly slender, and, whether they are economic or architecturally audacious. Instead of modifying the geometrical and mechanical characteristics of a structure, vibration control consists in producing reaction forces which are opposed to the negative effects of the external excitations when they appear. This technological advance has the great advantage to not influencing planners and architects’ work and it provides them with additional creative options in both geometrical and mechanical characteristics of buildings. We restrict our focus to passive vibration control. Among available passive vibration absorber systems, Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs) were selected for their simplicity and reliability. A TMD consists of a mass, a dashpot, and a spring, and is commonly attached to a vibrating primary system to suppress undesirable vibrations. The performance of TMDs is strongly affected by the adjustment of their parameters. The problem is the optimization of the mechanical parameters of TMD and their location in order to attenuate vibrations of the main structure. This thesis is based on understanding the dynamic characteristics of TMD. It aims to make an innovative and original contribution to classify, generalize and optimize some criteria in order to ensure an optimal design of TMDs, depending on their application. Our work consisted to treat these criteria in an original way. After solving the direct problem based on the modelling of systems with one or several TMD, we tackled the indirect problem by considering various optimization criteria. Thus, several optimization criteria of the mechanical parameters of TMDs applied to a main system (single (SDOF) or multiple degrees of freedom (MDOF)) are used. The excitation of the main system can be done in two different ways; either on the base (for seismic application) or on the structure (for wind effects).Numerical simulations based on a time and frequency approach are used to examine the performance of each optimized model. The robustness of each optimization criterion is assessed by taken into account the uncertainties related to the change of the physical parameters of the main structure. Such problems can be discussed by considering sensitivity analysis for criteria under uncertainty of the optimum TMD parameters. A new and original contribution of this thesis is the design and optimization of multiple TMDs in parallel with a MDOF main structure. In this context, during seismic loads, modes in the main structure with relatively high effective masses can be readily excited by base excitation. Afterwards, optimization criterion can be developed based on the most sensitive storeys to vibration modes which are a cumulative modal effective mass fraction exceeding 90%. To protect structures under earthquake loads, we seek to assess the effectiveness of TMDs in mitigating the response of structure under different real earthquakes. A comparative study is then achieved with four real earthquakes applied on systems with TMD optimized parameters. To illustrate the results obtained, characterization tests are conducted on a TMD with damping by eddy currents effect and adjustable stiffness. They allow the validation of the model and optimization criterion adopted

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta dissertação apresenta as espectroscopias de fotoluminescência e de excitação de amostras MgGa2O4 dopadas com 0,5% e 10,0% de Mn2+, obtidas com temperatura ambiente. As amostras policristalinas foram produzidas por reação de estado sólido sob alta temperatura no Laboratório de Preparação e Caracterização de Materiais do IFGW da UNICAMP e caracterizadas por Difração de Raios X no Laboratório de Cristalografia e Difração de Raios-X do Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas (CBPF), e por Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) na PUC-RIO e no Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes (IBRAG-UERJ). Os espectros de fotoluminescência mostraram emissões nas regiões espectrais do verde e do vermelho, para ambas as dopagens e foram analisados com base na teoria de Tanabe-Sugano. As emissões foram atribuídas à transição eletrônica proibida por spin 4T1(4G) → 6A1(6S) do íon impureza Mn2+ em sítios coordenados por oxigênios, com simetria tetraédrica (luminescência verde) e octaédrica (luminescência vermelha). A partir dos espectros de excitação, identificaram-se as transições de energia e com as matrizes de Tanabe-Sugano calcularam-se os parâmetros de campo cristalino e de Racah. / This work presents the room temperature photoluminescence and excitation spectroscopes data of MgGa2O4 samples doped with 0.5% and 10.0% Mn2+. The polycrystalline samples were produced by solid-state reaction at high temperature and characterized with X ray Diffraction and SEM. The photoluminescence spectra showed emission at green and red spectral regions, for both doping levels and were analyzed based on the Tanabe-Sugano Theory. The emissions were attributed to 4T1(4G) → 6A1(6S) spin-forbidden electronic transition of Mn2+ impurity ions in tetrahedral (green emission) and octahedral (red emission) oxygen coordinated sites. From excitation spectra, we identified the energy transitions and from Tanabe-Sugano matrices we calculated the crystal field and Racah parameters.

As de torres treliçadas estaiadas são muito utilizadas e são foco de atenção na pesquisa da engenharia moderna, apresentando-se como um desafio na avaliação das excitações que sobre elas atuam, assim como a determinação das respostas dos elementos que as compõem. Para realizar um estudo neste sentido se realiza no presente trabalho a avaliação estrutural de uma torre treliçada estaiada, localizada na Universidade de Passo Fundo. Esta torre se encontra instrumentada, registrando velocidades de vento de forma contínua, sendo possível determinar nos registros existentes ventos característicos de tormentas TS e EPS. Se conta também com a caracterização dinâmica desta torre para qual foram determinadas suas freqüências naturais de vibração. Utilizando a informação supracitada foram criados modelos estruturais de diferentes níveis de complexidade que foram calibrados utilizando as informações disponíveis. A excitação devida a tormentas foi montada, comparando espectros de excitação clássicos disponíveis na literatura técnica e os registros experimentais de tormentas reais disponíveis. Também foi analisado um montante da torre submetido à compressão onde sua seção transversal é uma cantoneira de abas iguais. Foi determinada a carga de colapso deste perfil considerando as não linearidades físicas e geométricas incorporadas no mesmo. Foi prestada singular atenção ao estudo da influência das imperfeições, utilizando para isto expressões propostas pela bibliografia especializada e o quadro de imperfeições que foi extraído do escaneamento tridimensional de um montante real. Finalmente os diferentes aspectos estudados são discutidos nesta dissertação os quais permitem conhecer melhor o comportamento estrutural de torres estaiadas, em forma global, dos componentes que as compõem e das solicitações que atuam sobre elas. A forma em que se estudaram estes aspectos sem duvida enriqueceram a discussão do complexo tema da incerteza de modelo um dos atuais frentes na pesquisa da engenharia moderna. / The analysis of frames guyed masts are widely used and are the focus of attention in the research of modern engineering, presenting a challenge in the evaluation of excitations that act on them, and determining the responses of the component elements. To undertake a study to that effect, in this essay is made the evaluation of a structural truss of guyed masts, located at the University of Passo Fundo. This tower has equipments that record wind speeds in a continuous manner, being able to determine data about TS and EPS storms in the existing records. It also determines the natural frequencies of vibration as a dynamic characteristic of the tower. Using the above information, structural models of different levels of complexity were created, being calibrated using the available data. The excitement caused by storms was created by comparing the excitation spectra classics available in the technical literature and the experimental records of actual storms available. Also discussed was an amount subject to compression of the tower where its cross section is a corner of tabs equal. Was determined from the load profile given the collapse of physical and geometric nonlinearities embedded in it. Individual attention was given to the study of the influence of imperfections, using it to expressions proposed by the specialized literature and the framework of imperfection that was extracted from three-dimensional scanning of an actual amount.

abstract: Photosystem I (PSI) is a multi-subunit, pigment-protein complex that catalyzes light-driven electron transfer (ET) in its bi-branched reaction center (RC). Recently it was suggested that the initial charge separation (CS) event can take place independently within each ec2/ec3 chlorophyll pair. In order to improve our understanding of this phenomenon, we have generated new mutations in the PsaA and PsaB subunits near the electron transfer cofactor 2 (ec2 chlorophyll). PsaA-Asn604 accepts a hydrogen bond from the water molecule that is the axial ligand of ec2B and the case is similar for PsaB-Asn591 and ec2A. The second set of targeted sites was PsaA-Ala684 and PsaB-Ala664, whose methyl groups are present near ec2A and ec2B, respectively. We generated a number of mutants by targeting the selected protein residues. These mutations were expected to alter the energetics of the primary charge separation event. The PsaA-A684N mutants exhibited increased ET on the B-branch as compared to the A-branch in both in vivo and in vitro conditions. The transient electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed the formation of increased B-side radical pair (RP) at ambient and cryogenic temperatures. The ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence decay measurement of the PsaA-A684N and PsaB-A664N showed a slight deceleration of energy trapping. Thus making mutations near ec2 on each branch resulted into modulation of the charge separation process. In the second set of mutants, where ec2 cofactor was target by substitution of PsaA-Asn604 or PsaB-Asn591 to other amino acids, a drop in energy trapping was observed. The quantum yield of CS decreases in Asn to Leu and His mutants on the respective branch. The P700 triplet state was not observed at room and cryogenic temperature for these mutants, nor was a rapid decay of P700+ in the nanosecond timescale, indicating that the mutations do not cause a blockage of electron transfer from the ec3 Chl. Time-resolved fluorescence results showed a decrease in the lifetime of the energy trapping. We interpret this decrease in lifetime as a new channel of excitation energy decay, in which the untrapped energy dissipates as heat through a fast internal conversion process. Thus, a variety of spectroscopic measurements of PSI with point mutations near the ec2 cofactor further support that the ec2 cofactor is involved in energy trapping process. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biochemistry 2014

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