This study was designed to further understand passionate friendships in a sample of heterosexual and lesbian, bisexual, and questioning (LBQ) women. Previous research has established that LBQ women engage in same-sex passionate friendships (unusually intense friendships that are similar to romantic relationships but devoid of sexual intimacy), but no systematic classification system has been established to identify these relationships in a general sample of women. A new quantitative measure, the Passionate Friendship Survey, was developed to measure passionate friendship experiences in women across adolescence and young adulthood. Qualitative interviews were also conducted to understand the subjective experience of passionate friendships in heterosexual and LBQ women.

No description available.

Bacterial cell division requires formation of the cytokinetic cell division septum at the mid-cell position, a process that is determined by three Min proteins; MinC, MinD and MinE. Regulation of cell division by Min proteins occurs via a multi-step process involving interactions between various Min proteins, as well as the membrane. In this cycle, ATP-bound MinD binds to the membrane surface where it can recruit MinC to inhibit formation of the cell division septum. MinE binding to this complex displaces MinC and stimulates ATP hydrolysis, leading to the dissociation of MinD from the membrane. These interactions give rise to a dynamic pattern of Min protein localization that appears to involve a polymeric state that is designed to create a zone that is permissive to cell division at the mid-point of the cell. The interaction between MinD and the membrane is a critical aspect of this cycle, yet the role of the lipid bilayer in MinD activation, localization and polymerization is not well understood. To probe the role of membrane charge and fluidity on MinD activation and polymerization, we developed a kinetic assay of MinE-stimulated MinD ATPase activity. We found that membrane charge is essential for MinD activation and that differences in membrane fluidity give rise to changes in its activity. Moreover, a burst phase was also observed during the first few minutes of reaction, but only on the most fluid anionic lipid tested. To help determine if the observed membrane-dependent changes in MinD activity are linked to any changes in MinD polymer structure, we have begun to develop a method to identify surface exposed regions of MinD through a combination of covalent labeling and mass spectrometry. Optimization of various steps for the assay has been done, and the assay can be applied to the future characterization of MinD polymer structure. Results from this assay, in combination with those from the kinetic measurements described here, will help to improve understanding about how membrane properties modulate MinD ATPase activity, and how this can influence the Min protein oscillation that is required to ensure normal bacterial cell division.

My thesis is about Virginia Woolf’s novels, Mrs. Dalloway, The Waves, and To the Lighthouse. I examine these novels in relation to the theories of Henri Bergson, William James, and Sigmund Freud, and the groundwork of Modernism. I relate Woolf's use of water imagery and stream of consciousness technique to Bergson’s theory of “la durée,” or psychological, subjective time, James’ “stream of consciousness” theory in psychology, and Freud’s theory of the “oceanic” feeling of religious experience.

This thesis examines Dickens's uses of images of the river throughout his fiction, and also in the early sketches, the reprinted pieces from Household Words and The Uncommercial Traveller. The river concerned is usually but not exclusively the Thames, usually but not exclusively in London. The thesis offers some practical evidence to account for the powerful influence of the Thames upon Dickens's imagination and shows how he conceives of it both within existing frames of reference and in some distinctively Dickensian ways. It considers how Dickens's representations of the river play into the cult of the picturesque which emerged at the end of the eighteenth century, and into the tradition which sees it as a symbolic conduit of the empire. It goes on to consider his use of the river as a boundary, the consequent importance of river crossings in his work, and his conception of the riparian space as a liminal one. It then explores a distinctive scheme of discourse which uses the river to represent rebellious forces beyond the control of human agency and shows how this reflects the sense of spiritual threat which is to be found in some of the other, albeit rare, depictions of nature to be found in his writing. It then shows how Dickens uses the river symbolically to express ideas about death and rebirth, together with the loss of and changes in identity, and how he draws on a scheme of distinctively Christian iconography to do so. Finally it shows how he uses it to create and represent an underworld for London, using tropes of epic founded on classical models. The thesis concludes that, in its use of natural forces to signify social ones, Dickens's writing about the river serves to amplify his conception of stratification in Victorian society and adds weight to the socially conservative political stance which is known to be present in his world view.

Natūralios odos fizikinėms–mechaninėms savybėms pagerinti taikomas mechaninio minkštinimo technologinis procesas. Naudojama keletas minkštinimo būdų: vibruojančiais puansonais, besisukančiais velenais srautinėse mašinose ir kt. Pagrindinė problema, su kuria susiduriama minkštinant odą – nėra prietais�� odos minkštumui nustatyti. Minkštumas vertinamas pagal odos standumą, o šis apskaičiuojamas išmatavus santykinį poilgį, esant tam tikro dydžio įtempiams. Norint nustatyti odos minkštumą, tiksliau, santykinį slankumą, su 113 minkštintos odos bandinių buvo atlikti du eksperimentai – tūrinis dviašis ir vienaašis tempimai. Grafiškai pavaizdavus santykinio slankumo, matuoto tūrinio dviašio tempimo principu, S0 priklausomybę nuo storio paaiškėjo, kad turimos odos bandinius reikia suskirstyti į dvi grupes. Tam buvo sprendžiamas režimo pasikeitimo uždavinys. Įžvelgus daugiau galimų režimo pasikeitimo taškų – režimo pasikeitimo uždavinio sprendimas pakartotas dar du kartus. Buvo apskaičiuoti gautų grupių grupuotų duomenų vidurkių ir dispersijų taškiniai ir intervaliniai įverčiai bei koreliacija. Visose nagrinėtose imtyse santykinio slankumo S0, matuoto tūrinio dviašio tempimo principu, duomenų dispersija yra kur kas mažesnė nei santykinio slankumo S1, matuoto vienaašio tempimo metodu, duomenų ir santykinio slankumo S0 grupuotos imties vidurkio bei dispersijos pasikliautinieji intervalai yra siauresni negu santykinio slankumo S1 grupuotos imties. Rezultatai rodo, kad vienaašio tempimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / For the purpose of improvement of physical and mechanical qualities of natural leather, a mechanical softening process is applied. A number of particular softening technologies can be used, i.e. by means of a vibration punch, or using rotating shafts in flow machines, etc. The main issue encountered in the process of leather softening is unavailability of metering tools for determination of softening effect. Softness of leather is determined based on it’s rigidity, while the rigidity is calculated on the basis of measuring relation elongation at a certain tensioning. For the purpose of assessment of leather softness, or, to be more precise, relational fluidity, two experiments have been performed on 113 samples of softened leather, i.e. volume-based dual-axis tensioning and single-axis tensioning. Graphical rendering of the dependence of the relational fluidity, measured according to the principle of volume-based dual-axis tensioning, S0, on the thickness of leather has shown that the samples could be classified under two categories. For this purpose, a structural-change problem had to be resolved. As more possible structural change-points were identified, the structural-change problem was resolved two times more. The calculations have resulted in mean values and dispersion range values (point values and range values), as well as relevant correlations for the groups of the samples. All the sample range measured using volume-based dual-axis tensioning have shown a dispersion... [to full text]

No description available.

A narrative inquiry methodology was utilized to investigate experiences of fluidity of sexuality and the broader processes of sexuality and sexual identity development. Five adult co-researchers, all members of various sexual and gender minority groups, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews centering on their experiences of changes in sexuality over time. The stories told were presented in the research text. Only one experience of a significant and lasting shift in sexual desire during adulthood was reported, occurring in the context of a transition from a male to a female gender identity. A thematic analysis of the co-researchers’ narratives was undertaken, and 3 common and 14 important themes were identified. The co-researchers’ stories and the common and important themes were brought together to form a partial model of sexuality and sexual identity development. Implications for counselling and for further research in this area were also considered. / Counselling Psychology

[pt] Neste trabalho é desenvolvido um modelo constitutivo para representar o comportamento reológico complexo apresentado pelos petróleos parafinicos, na faixa de temperaturas em que estes tendem a se solidificar, em virtude do aprisionamento da fase líquida na rede cristalina formada pela parafina que daí da solução. São considerados os efeitos de memória térmica do óleo e, numa etapa posterior, os efeitos das taxas de cisalhamento através de um modelo de potencia generalizado. Inicialmente são realizados medidas em um viscosímetro cone-placa, em que as amostras são submetidas a diferentes histórias de resfriamento e taxas de cisalhamento. O modelo é baseado nestes dados experimentais obtidos. Para verificação dos resultados previstos pelo modelo, um circuito de testes é construído, com seções de 6 m de comprimento e diâmetros de meio, três quartos e 1. A concordância dos valores previstos pelo modelo com os dados experimentais é apenas qualitativa e estima-se que a diferença entre estes valores possa ser atribuída, entre outros fatores, ao cisalhamento excessivo causado por sucessivas passagens do óleo pela bomba e outros acidentes de tubulação. / [en] In the present work a constitutive model is developped in order to reproduce the rheological behaviour of waxy crude oils near and below their pour points, as wax starts to leave the liquid phase dependency of such behaviour on the previous thermak history of the oil and, later, the effects of shear rate are included by fitting it to a generalized Power Law model. The accuracy is verified on a test loop specially built to hand such oils and, although the predicted values are not in total agreement with measured ones, the qualitative behavior is well reproduced and further efforts should take place in order to get a test loop where the shearing effect, due mainly to the pump, will not interfere that much.

Submitted by Lara Oliveira (lara@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-09-08T22:08:06Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MonicaCPS_DISSERT.pdf: 1456234 bytes, checksum: a294a8e5b47a4265307f32eaa5dbf4f5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-09-11T16:27:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MonicaCPS_DISSERT.pdf: 1456234 bytes, checksum: a294a8e5b47a4265307f32eaa5dbf4f5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Christiane (referencia@ufersa.edu.br) on 2017-09-11T16:28:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MonicaCPS_DISSERT.pdf: 1456234 bytes, checksum: a294a8e5b47a4265307f32eaa5dbf4f5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-11T16:28:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MonicaCPS_DISSERT.pdf: 1456234 bytes, checksum: a294a8e5b47a4265307f32eaa5dbf4f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The honey bee is a resulting food processing the nectar of plants by bees, has its composition strongly influenced by the flowering, soil, climate conditions and bee species. Thus, the honey bee Apis mellifera L. species and genus Melipona subnitida, with different characteristics, both sensory and physical-chemical and antioxidants. The Melipona subnitida honey stands out for high water content and therefore technological processes (dehumidification and maturity) are performed to extend its useful life. Otherwise, the humidifying Apis mellifera L. honey can result in a product similar in characteristics to the Melipona honey, but with reduced caloric constituents. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the physic-chemical characteristics, antioxidant content and sensory profile honeys of Apis mellifera L. and Melipona subnitida submitted humidification and dehumidification treatments. For this, honey samples of Apis mellifera L. and Melipona subnitida were collected in the Rio Grande do Norte state. Honeys packed in sealed containers were transported to the Food Technology Laboratory of the Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), located in the Center Campus in the Mossoró-RN city, where they were stored by refrigeration (6 °C) until the completion analyzes physicochemical (moisture, pH, free acidity, water activity, reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, diastase activity, electrical conductivity, ash, hydroxymethylfurfural, insoluble solids in water and color), antioxidant (phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity) and sensory profile (aroma, flavor, fluidity, color, acceptance and purchase intent). For evaluation was used four samples of 1 L of honey for each bee species. The samples were divided into two samples with equal quantities, was evaluated in natura and the other was subjected to dehumidification in air circulating oven at 40 °C and relative humidity 30 % (Melipona subnitida honey), and humidification by adding distilled water (Apis mellifera L. honey). Data were subjected to analysis of variance (p <0.01), the F test. For compare means, t tests were used (p <0.05) for the results of physico-chemical analysis and antioxidants, and Friedman (p <0.05) for the results of the sensory analysis. Treatment dehumidification honeys of Melipona subnitida significantly changed the moisture content, water activity, reducing sugars, sucrose, ash, insoluble solids and color. While the treatment of humidification honeys of Apis mellifera L. changed the moisture content, water activity, reducing sugars, sucrose. As for the content (total phenolics, flavonoids) and antioxidant capacity there were no treatment effects. However, the sensory attributes of aroma, fluidity and color of honey show any differences in the treatments. However, the flavor, acceptance and purchase intent were not affected by honeys treatments of both species / O mel de abelha é um alimento resultante do processamento do néctar das plantas pela abelha, tem sua composição bastante influenciada pela florada, solo, condições climáticas e espécies de abelha. Assim, o mel de abelha da espécie Apis mellifera L. e do gênero Melipona subnitida, possuem características distintas, tanto sensoriais quanto físico-químicas e antioxidantes. O mel de Melipona subnitida destaca-se pelo elevado teor de umidade e por isso, processos tecnológicos (desumidificação e maturação) são realizados para prolongar a sua vida útil. De outra maneira, a umidificação do mel de Apis mellifera L. pode resultar em um produto semelhante em características ao mel de Melipona, mas com constituintes calóricos reduzidos. Diante disso, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar as características físico-químicas, teor de antioxidante e perfil sensorial de méis de Apis mellifera L. e Melipona subnitida submetidos a tratamentos de umidificação e desumidificação. Para isto, foram coletadas amostras de mel de Apis mellifera L. e Melipona subnitida, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Os méis acondicionados em recipientes fechados foram transportados para o Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos da Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido (UFERSA), localizado no Campus Central, na cidade de Mossoró-RN, onde foram armazenadas sob refrigeração (6 ºC) até a realização das análises físico-químicas (umidade, pH, acidez livre, atividade de água, açúcares redutores, sacarose aparente, atividade diastásica, condutividade elétrica, cinzas, hidroximetilfurfural, sólidos insolúveis em água e cor), antioxidante (fenólicos totais, flavonóides, capacidade antioxidante) e perfil sensorial (aroma, sabor, fluidez, cor, aceitação e intenção de compra). Para avaliação foram utilizadas quatro amostra de 1 L de mel para cada espécie de abelha. As amostras foram divididas em duas sub-amostras com quantidades iguais, uma foi avaliada in natura e a outra foi submetida à desumidificação em estufa de circulação de ar a 40 ºC e UR de 30 % (mel de Melipona subnitida) e, umidificação adicionando-se água destilada (mel de Apis mellifera L.). Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância (p<0,01), pelo teste F. Para a comparação de médias, utilizaram-se os testes t (p<0,05) para os resultados das análises físico-químicas e antioxidantes, e Friedman (p<0,05) para os resultados da análise sensorial. O tratamento de desumidificação dos méis de Melipona subnitida alterou significativamente a umidade, atividade de água, açúcares redutores, sacarose, cinzas, sólidos insolúveis e cor. Enquanto o tratamento de umidificação dos méis de Apis mellifera L. alterou a umidade, atividade de água, açúcares redutores e sacarose. Já para o teor (fenólicos totais, flavonóides) e capacidade de antioxidante não se verificaram efeito de tratamento. Porém, os atributos sensoriais de aroma, fluidez e cor dos méis apresentaram diferenças com os tratamentos. Todavia, o sabor, aceitação e intenção de compra não foram influenciados pelos tratamentos dos méis de ambas as espécies / 2017-09-08