The quantification of skeletal data is one way in which to demonstrate variation in human growth. In South Africa, few researchers have assessed patterns of growth in immature mandibles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate growth and sexual dimorphism in the mandible from the period of 31 gestational weeks to 36 months. A total of 74 mandibles were used, skeletal tissues were sourced from the Raymond A. Dart Collection (University of Witwatersrand), and cadaveric remains were obtained from the University of Pretoria and the University of Witwatersrand. The sources of cadaver materials (both bequeathment and unclaimed remains) included local provincial hospitals. The sample was divided into four groups, namely 31 to 40 gestational weeks (group1), 0 to 11 months (group 2), 12 to 24 months (group 3), and 25 to 36 months (group 4). Twenty-one osteological landmarks were digitized using a MicroScribe G2. Ten standard measurements were created and included: the longest length of mandible, mandibular body length and width, mandibular notch width and depth, mental foramen to inferior border of mandible, mandibular basilar widths bigonial and biantegonial, bigonial width of mental foramen and mental angle. Data were analyzed using PAST statistical software and Morphologika2 v2.5. For the linear measurements, no statistically significant difference between either the foetal and up to 12 month groups or the 2 to 3 years groups. However, statistically significant increases with age were noted between 12 and 24 months for nine variables. This can be associated with growth of the mandibular arch, development and eruption of the dentition and development of the masticatory structures. No evidence of sexual dimorphism was observed until age 3, where the mental angle and mandibular notch were significantly larger in females than males. In conclusion, the mandible develops and grows so as to accommodate development of the tongue, mastication and dental eruption. Future research that considers the influence of secular trends on mandibular growth is needed. AFRIKAANS : Die kwantifisering van skeletale data is ‘n betroubare metode om variasie in menslike groei aan te toon. Slegs enkele Suid-Afrikaanse navorsers, het groeipatrone in onvolwasse mandibulae nagevors. Die doel van hierdie studie was om groei en geslagsdimorfisme in die mandibula vanaf 31 gestasie weke tot 36 maande na geboorte te evalueer. ‘n Totaal van 74 mandibulae was gebruik. Skeletale weefsel uit die Raymond A. Dart Versameling (Universiteit van die Witwatersrand), en kadaweroorskot van die Universiteite van Pretoria en van die Witwatersrand was verkry. Die oorsprong van kadawermateriale (beide skenkings en onopgeëisde oorskot) het plaaslike provinsiale hospitale ingesluit. Die steekproef was verdeel in vier groepe, naamlik 31 to 40 gestasie weke (groep1), 0 tot 11 maande (groep 2), 12 tot 24 maande (groep 3), en 25 tot 36 maande (groep 4). MicroScribe, G2 is aangewend om 21 standaard antropometriese landmerke te digitiseer. Hieruit is 10 standaard antropometriese afmetings geskep o.a.: langste lengte van mandibula, lengte en breedte van corpus mandibula, afstand tussen foramen mentalis en inferior grens, basale wydte bigoniaal en biantegoniaal, bigoniale wydte van foramen mentalis asook mentale hoek. Inligting is d.m.v. PAST statistiese sagteware en Morphologika2 v2.5 ontleed. Volgens die Kruskal-Wallis-toets was die verskille tussen groepe 1 en 2, asook 3 en 4 statisties onbeduidend. Alle afmetings by groepe 2 en 3 het beduidende toenames getoon, behalwe dié van die afstand tussen foramen mentalis en inferior grens. Die veranderings mag die gevolg wees van die groei van die mandibula en koustrukture. Geslagsdimorfisme was aantoonbaar in groep 4, by die mentale hoeke (p=0.03) asook dimensies van die incisura mandibularis (p=0.0006), waar dié van vroulike individue groter was. Voor geboorte vergroot die arcus mandibularis om die ontwikkelende tong te huisves, terwyl dit na geboorte verander om die koustrukture te huisves. Gevolglik hermodelleer en groei die been as aanpassing vir die kouproses en om strukturele integreteit te behou. Geslagsdimorfisme word ook beïnvloed deur die kouproses. Die meeste veranderinge, veral dié van die koustrukture, was duideliker in vroulike individue. Toekomstige navorsing wat die invloed van sekulêre tendense op die groei van die mandibula oorweeg, is nodig. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Anatomy / unrestricted

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Many of the presently approved somatic gene therapy protocols involve reimplantation of genetically engineered autologous cells into a patient. A potentially more cost-effective approach to the delivery of therapeutic gene products is the use of a universal recombinant cell line that can be implanted into a number of patients with the same product requirements. Enclosure of these non-autologous cells inside a permselective microcapsule membrane would permit the diffusion of the recombinant product but prevent entry of the host’s immune mediators. The clinical efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated by the implantation of recombinant fibroblasts and myoblasts to correct mutant phenotypes in murine models of diseases such as dwarfism (Al-Hendy et al., 1995) and lysosomal storage disease (Bastedo, 1994). In the first part of this thesis, a new microcapsule type was created that incorporated a combination of traits from both alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate and barium-alginate microcapsules. The new, barium-poly-L-lysine-alginate microcapsule was cross-linked with BaCl2 and received a poly-L-lysine, and a second alginate coat. The three different types of microcapsules were compared with respect to encapsulated cell viability, proliferation and secretion in vitro. Results of these analyses demonstrated that cells inside alginate-poly-L-lysinealginate microcapsules had higher viability and a greater proliferation rate than did cells inside either barium-alginate or barium-poly-L-lysine alginate microcapsules. However, secretion from the alginate-poly-L-lysine alginate microcapsules was lower than from either of the barium-alginate types, and the two types of barium-alginate microcapsules, formulated with a higher alginate concentration, were more resistant to well-defined fluid shearing forces, than was the calcium alginate microcapsule. No significant difference in any of the parameters measured was observed between the barium-alginate and bariumpoly-L-lysine alginate microcapsule types. In the second part of this thesis the three different types of microcapsules, each containing canine MDCK cells secreting ~20 ng/106 cells/hr of human growth hormone (hGH) were implanted into the peritoneal cavities of a large animal model. The microencapsulated cells were able to deliver recombinant human growth hormone to the circulation of dogs at levels nearly 100 % higher than human physiological levels. In contrast, implantation of unencapsulated recombinant cells resulted only in short-term delivery of hGH to the dogs. The level of titre of anti-hGH antibodies was monitored in the experimental and control animals, and its increase was determined to be associated with the disappearance of the human growth hormone from the circulation of the dogs. The BaCl2 cross-linked capsules with the higher alginate concentration lasted longer in vivo, confirming their superior mechanical integrity relative to the alginate-poly-L-lysine alginate type. The presence of the microcapsules in the peritoneum of the dogs was associated with localized inflammation of the omentum, and mild lymphadenitis. This pathology, combined with varying degrees of fibrotic overgrowth of the microcapsules with increasing time in vivo, suggests that modifications must be made in order to improve the biocompatibility of alginate microcapsules. In conclusion, modifications of alginate microcapsules, such as the cross-linking with barium cations, the use of higher alginate concentrations and lamination with polyL-lysine alginate have contributed to the mechanical stability of the capsules and permitted the long-term delivery of recombinant gene products using non-autologous cells. This study has highlighted some of the issues to be addressed during pre-clinical studies in large animal models, in order to determine the efficacy of this new technology for humans. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

CIS/SOCS (cytokine-inducible SH2 protein/suppressor of cytokine signaling) are a family of proteins that are thought to act as negative regulators of signaling by erythropoetin, interleukin-6 and other cytokines whose receptors are related to the growth hormone receptor (GHR), and like growth hormone (GH), signal through the JAK/STAT pathway. We examined the possibility that CIS/SOCS proteins may also be involved in GH signaling, in particular, in termination of the transient insulin-like effects of GH. mRNAs for CIS, SOCS3, and to a lesser extent SOCS1 were detectable by Northern blot analysis of rat adipocyte total RNA, and the expression of CIS and SOCS3 was markedly increased 30 min after incubation with 500 ng/ml hGH. Both CIS and SOCS3 were detected in adipocyte extracts by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting with their corresponding antisera. GH stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 120 kDa protein (p120) that was co-precipitated from adipocyte extracts along with αCIS and detected in Western blots with phospho-tyrosine antibodies. However, no tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in these cell extracts were immunoprecipitated with antibodies to CIS3/SOCS3. p120 was later identified as the GHR based on the observations that two GHR antibodies recognized p120 in scale-up experiments and that p120 and the GHR share several characteristics, including their molecular weights, tyrosine phosphorylation upon GH stimulation, interaction with CIS, similar extent of glycosylation as judged by electrophoretic mobility shift after Endo F digestion, comparable mobility shifts upon thrombin digestion, and N-terminal histidine-tagging. The findings, however, do not rule out the possibility that there might be other tyrosine phosphorylated 120 kDa protein(s) that interact with CIS and contribute to the p120 signal, as well as the GHR. Further studies of the association of CIS with the GHR revealed that CIS might selectively interact with multiply tyrosine phosphorylated forms of the GHR, and these tyrosines are likely located near the carboxyl end of the GHR. Overexpression of CIS partially inhibited GH-induced STAT5 phosphorylation in CHO cells. Studies in freshly isolated and GH-deprived (sensitive) adipocytes revealed that the abundance of CIS does not correlate with the termination of the insulin-like effects of GH or the emergence of refractoriness. Neither the association of CIS with the GHR nor the tyrosine phosphorylation status of the GHR, JAK2 and STAT5 appear responsible for refractoriness in adipocytes. These data imply that some negative regulators other than CIS might contribute to the termination of GH-induced insulin-like effects in adipocytes.

There is no common opinion, if the final height of female artistic gymnasts is jeopardized due to excessive training from early childhood. The aim of this master thesis is to compare a trend in human height of artistic gymnasts in three consecutive generations. Auxologic and related information were obtained from 49 elite artistic gymnasts via questionnaire. All were the members of national team. We figured out that artistic gymnasts are statistically smaller than their same-age peers. However, all of them have reached their genetically determined growth potential. The final height of artistic gymnasts across generations was increasing as well as the average female population. According to growth charts, constitutional delay is typical for artistic gymnasts. The age of menarche was statistically higher in the two youngest generations in comparison with the average age of their peers. According to our results, artistic gymnasts are not smaller due to excessive training from childhood, but on the grounds of genetic predisposition for small stature, which is favorable for this sport. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Através da análise de obras de Literaturas de três países que falam a Língua Portuguesa (Brasil, Portugal e Moçambique), este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a importância da Literatura na formação individual e social dos jovens, cujos temas estão inseridos no contexto histórico, sociopolítico e cultural. As obras selecionadas para o estudo são: A Chave do Tamanho, de Monteiro Lobato (Brasil); Aventuras de João Sem Medo, de José Gomes Ferreira (Portugal) e Um rio chamado tempo, uma casa chamada terra, de Mia Couto (Moçambique). Três livros que, atentos à realidade social e apoiados em eventos históricos, (a Segunda Guerra Mundial, o Estado Novo de António Salazar e o pósindependência/ guerra civil de Moçambique), apresentam matéria literária sustentada no universo maravilhoso para discutir os momentos dos quais os autores foram testemunhas, propondo reflexões críticas para expressar visões de mundo transformadoras da realidade; leituras, que, além do prazer e emoção estéticos, contribuem na formação da consciência social e crítica do leitor/receptor. / Through the analysis of works of Literature from the three countries that speak Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal and Mozambique), this paper aims to study the importance of literature in individual and social growth of young people, whose subjects are placed in historical context, sociopolitical and cultural. The selected works for the study are: A Chave do Tamanho by Monteiro Lobato (Brazil); Aventuras de João Sem Medo by José Gomes Ferreira (Portugal) and Um rio chamado tempo, uma casa chamada terra by Mia Couto (Mozambique). Three books that, attentive to the social reality and supported by historical events, (the Second World War, the New State of António Salazar and post-independence/civil war of Mozambique), they introduce literary matter in the wonderful universe to discuss moments in which the authors were witnesses. The works propose ideas to express critical views of the world that they can change the reality; readings, which, in addition to aesthetic pleasure and emotion, help in taking of social awareness and criticism of the reader / receiver.

No presente trabalho, cultivou-se o microrganismo Escherichia coli RR1, contendo o vetor que carrega o gene estrutural para a síntese do hormônio de crescimento humano (hGH) (baseado no promotor pL e pR do fago l sob controle do repressor termosensível cI857) em processos descontínuo e descontínuo-alimentado realizados em biorreatores com capacidade útil de 2 e 4 L. Tal cepa é auxotrófica com relação aos aminoácidos l-leucina e l-prolina e à tiamina (vitamina B1). Nos cultivos descontínuos com concentrações menores de extrato de levedura e bactotriptona em relação ao meio denominado basal, a concentração celular foi baixa, atingindo 2,4 g.L-1, com fator de conversão glicose à células de 0,25 g.g-1. Em cultivos descontínuos com aumento (em relação ao meio basal) da concentração de extrato de levedura e de bactotriptona e com adição de l-prolina, a concentração celular alcançou valores da ordem de 5,9 g.L-1 e fator de conversão glicose à células de 0,48 g.g-1, simultaneamente à maior formação de acetato (2,5 g.L-1), este último prejudicial ao processo. Contudo, este resultado de crescimento celular não se repetiu devido a mudança do lote de células utilizado entre o primeiro e o segundo conjunto de ensaios. Os cultivos descontínuos-alimentados foram realizados com diferentes formas de alimentação bem como diferentes composições de solução de alimentação. Uma alimentação contínua com velocidade exponencial e composição semelhante à do meio, pareceu ser a mais favorável, levando à concentração celular final de 9,2 g.L-1 e fator de conversão glicose a células, na fase descontínua-alimentada, de 0,36 g.g-1. Os ensaios com indução térmica não foram eficientes provavelmente devido à problemas na detecção das concentração de glicose existente no instante inicial da ativação da síntese do hGH. Esta glicose presente pode ter prejudicado a formação do hGH por conseqüência do processo fermentativo causado pelo aumento da temperatura e pela presença de elevada concentração de nutrientes complexos. O meio de cultivo utilizado possivelmente não supriu as necessidades metabólicas da célula para a síntese do hormônio de crescimento humano e em nenhum dos cultivos com indução térmica houve a produção de hGH. / In the present work, the host Escherichia coli RR1, having the vector with the structural gene for human growth hormone (hGH) synthesis, based on pL or pR promoters from bacteriophage l under the control of the thermosensitive repressor cI857, was cultivated in batch and fed-batch cultures in bioreactors with working volumes of 2 and 4 L. This host has amino acids (l-leucine and l-proline) and thiamine (Vitamin B1) auxotrophy. Batch cultures under low yeast extract and bacto-tryptone concentrations (relative to the basal medium) resulted in a low biomass yield (2.4 g.L-1) and cell yield on glucose (0.25 g.g-1). Increasing these concentrations and adding l-proline to the medium led to higher biomass formation (5.9 g.L-1), cell yield on glucose (0.48 g.g-1) and acetate high levels (2.5 g.L-1), which were harmful to the process. However, these results of cellular growth were not reproducible due to different cell stocks applied. The fed-batch cultures were performed under different feeding strategies and different nutrients concentrations of the feeding solution. A continuous exponential feeding rate with growth medium-like composition seemed to be the most favorable, reaching final cellular concentration of 9.2 g.L-1 and yield on glucose on fed-batch mode of 0.36 g.g-1. The heat-shock runs were not efficient probably due to problems in detection of glucose concentration existing on initial instant of hGH activation synthesis. Glucose interferes with the hGH synthesis because the fermentation caused by temperature shift and presence of high complex nutrients concentration. The culture medium used, probably was not able to supply cell metabolic needs for the human growth hormone synthesis and in no other temperature-induced experiment the hGH production was observed.