• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 112
  • 110
  • 33
  • 10
  • 10
  • 6
  • 5
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • Tagged with
  • 331
  • 75
  • 60
  • 50
  • 36
  • 33
  • 30
  • 26
  • 25
  • 23
  • 23
  • 23
  • 22
  • 21
  • 20
  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
1

Development of a New Class of Viral Disinfectants: Enzymatic Inactivation of Sa-11 Rotavirus

Walker, Shawn Christopher 30 January 1998 (has links)
The non-enveloped, pH- and heat resistant rotavirus (RV), which is cross species-infective among cattle, swine and humans may cause dehydration and high mortality in the young. Rotaviruses are inactivated only by corrosive and toxic disinfectants. In this study, the effects of bacterial proteases as a new type of disinfectants on simian rotavirus (SA-11) were analyzed. SA-11 rotavirus replicates in cells causing cytopathic effect (CPE) and is similar in protein composition to cattle and swine RV. Preliminary experiments tested the temperature and pH sensitivity of SA-11 rotavirus. At pH 8.5, 45°C was the highest temperature at which no loss in viral titer was seen, and the virus was still infective following treatment at 65°C for 2 hrs. pH sensitivity tests were then conducted for two hours at 45°C, with pH 5 being the lowest and pH 8.5 being the highest at which no loss in titer was observed. Four proteases were then tested for effectiveness at inactivating SA-11 rotavirus at their pH optimal at 45°C. Alcalase was selected as the most efficient protease. Alcalase was found to inactivate SA-11 at 25°C, and pH 8.5 in 3 days, indicating that enzymes were relatively effective at lower temperatures. SA-11 rotavirus virus was then tested for sensitivity to pH at 25°C and 15°C in absence of enzyme. At pH 2, 25°C a ~4 log reduction was seen following 15 min of treatment, with viable virus still remaining after 8 hrs, at 15°C a ~1.75 log reduction was seen following 2 hrs, and a ~4 log reduction following 8 hrs of treatment. At pH 4 and 6, at 25°C and 15°C no effect on SA-11 titer was seen after 120 hrs treatment. The enzyme was then tested at 1.0% and 0.1% enzyme concentration, at 15°C and 25°C, and pH 6 to determine efficacy of enzyme at sub-optimal conditions. Following treatment with 1.0% Alcalase at 25°C a ~3.25 log reduction, and at 15°C, 1.0% Alcalase, a ~1.75 log reduction was seen at 120 hrs. At 15°C, 1.0% Alcalase a ~1.75 log reduction was seen at 120 hrs. Treatment with 0.1% Alcalase at 25°C, pH 6 resulted in ~2.25 log reduction after 120 hrs. At 15°C, 0.1% Alcalase a ~1.25 log reduction was seen following 120 hrs. The results showed that proteases, used as viral disinfectants, were not as effective at inactivating rotaviruses under simulated field conditions as originally hoped, nevertheless the ease of application and moderate but definite efficacy against rotaviruses may help reduce rotaviral infections and severity of clinical signs in young animals. / Master of Science
2

Suppression of Autophagy Dysregulates the Antioxidant Response and Causes Premature Senescence of Melanocytes

Zhang, C.F., Gruber, F., Mildner, M., Koenig, U., Karner, S., Barresi, C., Rossiter, H., Narzt, M.S., Nagelreiter, I.M., Larue, L., Tobin, Desmond J., Eckhart, L., Tschachler, E., Ni, C. 08 December 2014 (has links)
Yes / Autophagy is the central cellular mechanism for delivering organelles and cytoplasm to lysosomes for degradation and recycling of their molecular components. To determine the contribution of autophagy to melanocyte (MC) biology, we inactivated the essential autophagy gene Atg7 specifically in MCs using the Cre-loxP system. This gene deletion efficiently suppressed a key step in autophagy, lipidation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta (LC3), in MCs and induced slight hypopigmentation of the epidermis in mice. The melanin content of hair was decreased by 10–15% in mice with autophagy-deficient MC as compared with control animals. When cultured in vitro, MCs from mutant and control mice produced equal amounts of melanin per cell. However, Atg7-deficient MCs entered into premature growth arrest and accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage, ubiquitinated proteins, and the multi-functional adapter protein SQSTM1/p62. Moreover, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2)–dependent expression of NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 1, and glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 was increased, indicating a contribution of autophagy to redox homeostasis in MCs. In summary, the results of our study suggest that Atg7-dependent autophagy is dispensable for melanogenesis but necessary for achieving the full proliferative capacity of MCs.
3

Efficiency of household water treatment devices, systems in removing pathogenic bacteria causing gastrointestinal diseases.

Mwabi, Jocelyne Kamwanya. January 2012 (has links)
Thesis (MTech. degree in Environmental management.)-Tshwane University of Technology, 2012 / Aims to assist communities on the selection of suitable household water treatment devices/systems that can produce bacteriologically safe drinking water of high quality, at low cost, five selected household water treatment filters were used in this study.
4

Isolamento, purificação e caracterização da peroxidase de yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) /

Kamimura, Gengis Kami Ferro. January 2006 (has links)
Orientador: Valdir Augusto Neves / Banca: Edwil Aparecida de Lucca Gattás / Banca: Eduardo Purgatto / Resumo: Os frutos e vegetais apresentam-se fisiologicamente ativos após a colheita, dessa forma as perdas pós-colheita ocorrem pela influência de diferentes fatores onde se destacam a respiração, a temperatura, a umidade, a concentração de oxigênio e gás carbônico, a produção de etileno e a ação de enzimas endógenas associadas com processos de deterioração. As raízes de yacon têm sido cada vez mais consumidas devido à revelação de qualidades medicinais. A manutenção de sua qualidade in natura é um sério problema nos processos pós-colheita devido a inúmeras reações metabólicas. A peroxidase (POD, E.C.1.11.1.7) é largamente encontrada nos vegetais apresentando importante papel fisiológico/bioquímico embora uma precisa função não tenha ainda sido estabelecida. Sua importância para ciência dos alimentos evidencia-se pelas relações com alterações indesejáveis na qualidade e resistência dos vegetais, tornando interessante sua supressão parcial ou total no pós-colheita. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram isolar, purificar e caracterizar a peroxidase de raízes de yacon. Condições de extração para a POD de yacon foram estabelecidas e a enzima foi isolada por precipitação com sulfato de amônio, eluição em Sephadex G-25 e DEAE-celulose. Somente um pico de atividade foi eluído no processo de purificação com um fator de purificação de 222,33. O peso molecular determinado foi 34.8 kDa com valores de pH e temperatura ótima de 5,5 e 35°C, respectivamente. As constantes Km e Vmax foram de 14,227 mM e 17409 UA/mL, para s-dianisidina, e de 14,434 mM e 14830 UA/mL, para H2O2. Foram testados os efeitos inibidores de sais, quelantes, compostos sulfidrila, ácidos fenólicos e outros. Estudos de inativação térmica da POD foram realizados, nos quais se verificou o efeito protetor da sacarose na inativação enzimática e o efeito promotor de inativação pela ...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The fruits and vegetables still continue physiologically active after the crop, in that way the postharvest losses occurs by the influence of different factors, like the respiration, temperature, humidity, concentration of oxygen and carbonic gas, ethylene production and the action of endogenous enzymes associated with deterioration processes. Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) roots has been more and more consumed by the revelation of prebiotic and medicinal properties. The maintenance of its quality in the postharvest is a serious problem due to several metabolic reactions. Peroxidase (POD, E.C.1.11.1.7) is widely found in plants, having physiological/biochemical importance, although a precise function has not still been established. The POD importance for food science is due to its relationships with alteration of the quality and resistance of the vegetables to the postharvest factors. Its total or partial suppression by thermal inactivation or inhibitor compounds may be interesting for postharvest interests. The objectives of this work were to isolate, purify and characterize the POD from yacon roots. Extraction conditions for yacon POD were determined and the enzyme was isolated by precipitation with ammonium sulfate, elution on Sephadex G-25 and DEAE-cellulose. Only one peak of enzyme activity was eluted on the purification process with a 222.33 fold purification factor. The determined molecular weight was 34.8 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature values were pH 5.5 and 35°C, respectively. Km and Vmax for ï-dianisidine was 14.227 mM and 17409 UA/mL, and 14.434 mM and 14830 UA/mL for H2O2, respectively. The effects of metals, chelating agents, sulphidryl, phenolic acids and other compounds as POD inhibitors were evaluated... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below). / Mestre
5

Calorimetric and microbiological evaluation of bacteria after exposure to food preservation treatments

Lee, Jaesung 09 March 2004 (has links)
No description available.
6

Voltage-dependent gating at the selectivity filter of the MthK K+ channel.

Thomson, Andrew Shane January 2013 (has links)
Voltage-dependent K+ channels can undergo a gating process known as C-type inactivation. This type of gating consists of entry into a nonconducting state that may involve conformational changes near the channel's selectivity filter. However, the details of the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Here, I report on a form of voltage-dependent inactivation gating observed in MthK, a prokaryotic K+ channel that lacks a canonical voltage sensor. In single-channel recordings, I observed that open probability (Po) decreases with depolarization, with a half-maximal voltage of 96 ± 3 mV. This gating is kinetically distinct from blockade by internal Ca2+ or Ba2+, suggesting that it may arise from an intrinsic inactivation mechanism. Inactivation gating was shifted toward more positive voltages by increasing external [K+] (47 mV per 10-fold increase in [K+]), suggesting that K+ binding at the extracellular side of the channel stabilizes the open-conductive state. The open-conductive state was stabilized by other external cations, and selectivity of the stabilizing site followed the sequence: K+ ≈ Rb+ > Cs+ > Na+ > Li+ ≈ NMG+. Selectivity of the stabilizing site is somewhat weaker than that of sites that determine permeability of these ions, consistent with the idea that the site may lie toward the external end of the MthK selectivity filter. MthK gating was described over a wide range of positive voltages and external [K+] using kinetic schemes in which the open-conductive state is stabilized by K+ binding to a site that is not deep within the electric field, with the voltage-dependence of inactivation arising from both voltage-dependent K+ dissociation and transitions between nonconducting (inactivated) states. Studies of C-type inactivation in voltage-gated K+ channels have demonstrated that inactivation can be enhanced by quaternary ammonium (QA) derivatives, which block current through the channel by binding to a site at the cytoplasmic side of the pore. Enhancement of inactivation is thought to occur through a mechanism in which QA blockade leads to depletion of K+ ions in the pore, thus driving the channel toward the inactivated state. I tested this model by using divalent cations to block the current through the MthK channel, and then quantifying the effects on inactivation. I observed that the voltage-dependence of blockade by Ca2+, Mg2+, and Sr2+ was approximately equal (zδ ≈ 0.4 e0 for blockade by each of the divalent cations), suggesting a similar location for the site of blockade. However, Ca2+ and Sr2+ were found to enhance inactivation, whereas Mg2+ does not. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggested that Ca2+ and Sr2+ bind to a site (S5) closer to the selectivity filter than Mg2+, consistent with the idea that binding of a divalent cation to S5 enhances inactivation; the bound cation may in turn electrostatically interact with K+ ions in the selectivity filter to break the K+ conduction cycle. Previous studies on inactivation in KcsA have identified a critical residue involved in the mechanism of C-type inactivation in this channel. This residue, E71, is located in a region known as the pore helix, and is involved in a hydrogen bonding network involving a tryptophan residue also in the pore helix, as well as an aspartic acid residue in the selectivity filter, which drives the channel toward the inactivated state. However, mutation to alanine breaks the hydrogen bonding network and effectively prevents inactivation. To determine whether a similar mechanism may enhance inactivation in MthK, I performed mutagenesis at the MthK residue analogous to KcsA E71 (V55). In single channel recordings, I observed that mutation to glutamate (V55E) destabilized the open state of the channel, consistent with the idea that a hydrogen bonding network that drives the channel toward the inactivated state may be formed in MthK to enhance inactivation, similar to the mechanism proposed for KcsA. These results, along with previous findings, suggest that inactivation gating is linked to the selectivity filter of the channel. In most K+ selective channels, the selectivity filter is composed of a sequence of highly-conserved residues (TVGYG). Within this sequence, the sidechain of the conserved threonine residue determines the entry to the selectivity filter, and may thus be a key regulator of the K+ conduction cycle. Interestingly, the rapidly inactivating voltage-gated K+ channel, HERG, contains a serine at this position instead of a threonine. To determine the impact of a change from threonine to serine, I quantified effects of the mutation T59S in MthK on conduction and inactivation, and further probed these effects using blockade by divalent cations. I observed that this mutation reduces channel conductance and enhances inactivation, compared to the wild type channel, and enhanced blockade by Sr2+. MD simulations suggested an increased energy barrier for K+ ions to enter the selectivity filter, which may account for the decreased conductance. In addition, the serine sidechain may effect a redistribution of K+ within the selectivity filter, which may impact stability of the conducting state. Overall, my results suggest that several mechanisms contribute to K+ channel inactivation, involving a combination of ion-ion interactions in the pore, structural interactions among residues in the selectivity filter that may affect the stability of the conducting state, and interactions between ions and a key sidechain at the entry to the selectivity filter. Further understanding of these components of the inactivation process may provide a clearer picture of the mechanisms that generate diversity in gating properties among K+ channels. / Biochemistry
7

Inactivation virale par méthodes physiques / Viral inactivation by physical methods

Firquet, Swan 17 December 2014 (has links)
Les profils de viabilité sur surface, de virus non enveloppés : murine minute virus (MVM), coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4), virus simien 40 (SV40), et de virus enveloppés : virus de grippe A (H1N1), et virus herpès simplex de type 1 (HSV-1), ainsi que la résistance à la chaleur et aux ultraviolets C (UVc) de ces virus ont été étudiés.Pour déterminer la viabilité de MVM, CVB4, H1N1 et HSV-1 sur surface, 50 µL de suspension virale ont été déposées sur des couvercles de boites de Pétri et séchés sous un flux d’air avant d’être récupérés et titrés sur des lignées cellulaires appropriées. Les virus enveloppés ont persisté moins de 5 jours alors que CVB4 et MVM restent infectieux pendant plusieurs semaines. Cependant, les cycles répétés de séchage et de remise en suspension ont eu un effet plus virucide sur CVB4 que sur H1N1 et HSV-1. Aucun effet des répétitions de ces cycles n’a été observé sur le titre infectieux du MVM. Quand il est exposé au séchage, les concentrations initiales d’albumine de sérum bovin, de sérum de veau fœtal et de chlorure de sodium, ont un impact sur la survie de CVB4. Dans un milieu riche en protéines, CVB4 a été plus facilement inactivé par le séchage, alors qu’en présence de chlorure de sodium le pouvoir virucide du séchage a été réduit. Ces résultats montrent que la résistance des virus vis-à-vis du séchage, n’est pas due à une hétérogénéité de populations virales, mais peut être influencée par la composition du milieu et la concentration des composants.Nous avons évalué la résistance thermique de MVM, CVB4, H1N1 et HSV-1 contenus dans des gouttelettes. Quatre microlitres de suspension virale ont été déposés sur une surface chauffée et exposés à des températures comprises entre 70 et 130°c pendant 0 à 90min, selon le virus, avant d’être titrés. Clairement, MVM a été plus résistant que H1N1, lui-même plus résistant que HSV-1 et CVB4. Pour la première fois, l’inactivation de particules virales contenues dans des gouttelettes exposées à des températures supérieures à 100°C a été étudiée. Il apparaît que le chauffage peut provoquer un effet plus rapidement virucide que décrit précédemment.La résistance aux UVc (254nm) de MVM, CVB4, H1N1, HSV-1 et SV40 contenus dans des gouttelettes a été évaluée. Les virus à ADN double brins (HSV-1 et SV40) restaient infectieux après une exposition à 60mJ/cm² d’UVc, tandis que les virus à ARN (H1N1 et CVB4) et un virus à ADN simple brin (MVM) ont été totalement inactivés par une exposition inférieure ou égale à 35mJ/cm² d’UVc. De plus l’effet des UVc combiné à la chaleur sur la viabilité de MVM a été déterminé. Le titre infectieux de MVM, contenu dans une gouttelette a été totalement inactivé après une exposition à 27mJ/cm² d’UVc. Le chauffage (20s à 100°C) a provoqué une réduction modérée du titre viral de MVM (-1.8 log10TCID50), alors que le chauffage suivi par une exposition à 17mJ/cm² d’UVc entraine une inactivation complète.En conclusion, nos études montrent que les virus peuvent persister pendant des jours voire des semaines sur une surface hydrophobe. Le profil de résistance des virus vis-à-vis du séchage, n’est pas dû à une hétérogénéité de populations virales, comme l’ont montré les résultats obtenus avec CVB4. De plus, dans la mesure où la composition du milieu joue un rôle dans la viabilité des virus exposés au séchage, la persistance des virus devrait être étudiée dans des milieux naturels plutôt que dans des milieux définis. L’impact de temps d’exposition courts à la chaleur sur les virus contenus dans de petits volumes de suspension a été déterminé. La résistance thermique de H1N1 jusqu’à 100°C, supérieure à celle d’HSV-1, un autre virus enveloppé, et à celle de CVB4 un virus non-enveloppé a été observée. Une inactivation virale efficace peut être obtenue en combinant une exposition aux UVc et à la chaleur comme le montrent les résultats obtenus avec MVM. / The pattern of viability of non-enveloped viruses, minute virus of mice (MVM), coxsackievirus B4 (CVB4), and simian virus 40 (SV40) and enveloped-viruses, influenza A virus (H1N1), and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) onto surfaces and their resistance to heating and to ultraviolet C (UVc) exposure have been investigated. To determine the viability of MVM, CVB4, H1N1 and HSV1 on surface, fifty microliters of viral suspension were applied onto petri dish lids and dried under air flow of biosafety cabinet. The recovered viral preparations were titered on appropriate cell cultures. Enveloped viruses persisted for less than 5 days while CVB4 and MVM persisted for weeks. However, repetitive cycles of drying and resuspension had more virucidal effect on CVB4 than on H1N1 and HSV-1. No effect of these repetitive cycles on infectious titer of MVM was recorded. When exposed to drying, initial concentrations of bovine serum albumin, foetal calf and sodium chloride (NaCl) had an impact on the viability of CVB4. In a protein rich medium, CVB4 was more likely inactivated by drying whereas in presence of NaCl, the impact of drying was reduced. Thus, it appears that the resistance of viruses toward drying is not due to a heterogeneity of viral populations, but it can be influenced by media composition and components concentrations.Heat inactivation of viruses was reported, however, the thermal resistance of viruses in droplets has not been studied. We evaluated the pattern of heat resistance of MVM, CVB4, H1N1 and HSV1 contained in droplets. Four microliters droplets containing viruses were applied onto warmed surface obtained by using a self-made heating device. Viral suspensions were exposed to temperatures ranging from 70 to 130°C for 0 to 90 min depending on the virus, and then the recovered viral preparations were titered. Clearly, MVM was more resistant than H1N1 that was more resistant than HSV-1 and CVB4. For the first time, the inactivation of viral particles contained in drops exposed to temperatures higher than 100°C has been investigated. It appears that heating can have an unexpected faster virucidal effect than previously described. The resistance to ultraviolet C (UVc) (254nm) of MVM, CVB4, H1N1, HSV-1 and SV40 contained in droplets has been evaluated. Double-stranded DNA viruses (HSV-1 and SV40) were still infectious after exposure to 60 mJ/cm² UVc, while RNA viruses H1N1, CVB4 and single-stranded DNA virus MVM were fully inactivated when they were exposed to a dose equal to or lower than 35 mJ/cm² UVc. Moreover the effect of UVc (254 nm) combined with heating onto the viability of MVM was determined. The infectious level of MVM suspension droplets applied onto petri dish lids was fully inactivated when exposed to 27 mJ/cm² UVc. Heating (100°C for 20s) provoked a moderate reduction of infectious level (-1.8 log10TCID50) of MVM, whereas heating followed by UVc exposure (17 mJ/cm²) resulted in a full inactivation.In conclusion, our studies show that viruses can persist for days or even weeks on dry hydrophobic surfaces. The pattern of resistance of viruses toward drying is not due to a heterogeneity of viral population as shown by results obtained with CVB4. In so far as media composition play a role in the viability of viruses exposed to drying, the persistence of viruses in natural media (clinical or environmental), instead of defined media, should be investigated. The impact of short time exposure to heat onto the infectivity of viruses contained in a small volume of suspension has been determined. The thermal resistance of H1N1 up to 100°C, higher than the one of HSV1 another enveloped virus, and CVB4 a non-enveloped virus has been observed. An efficient viral inactivation can be obtained by combining UVc exposure and heating as shown by results obtained with MVM.
8

Inactivation of Microorganisms by Photocatalysis

Sontakke Sharad, M January 2012 (has links) (PDF)
Photocatalysis is an advanced oxidation process, which has shown to possess an enhanced capability to remove a wide range of contaminants. It involves the use of a semiconductor photocatalyst and a photon source. Photocatalysis has several advantages such as mild reaction conditions like ambient temperature and pressure, good control over the reaction and faster reaction kinetics. Semiconductor photocatalysts such as TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, CdS, ZnS, etc. absorbs light of energy greater than or equal to its band gap and the electron in the valence band gets excited to conduction band leaving behind the hole in valence band. These charge carrier pair results in the formation of various reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals which results in the degradation of chemical contaminants and inactivation of microorganisms. TiO2 is the most widely used catalyst in photocatalytic studies because of its high photocatalytic activity, non-toxicity and wide availability. Anatase phase TiO2 has been reported to possess higher photocatalytic activity than the rutile phase. Although there are several methods to synthesize TiO2, solution combustion synthesis is a single step process to produce pure anatase phase TiO2. The catalyst produced by this method has been shown to be superior to the commercially available Degussa P-25 catalyst for the degradation of various chemical contaminants. The present investigation focuses on the use of combustion synthesized catalyst for the inactivation of microorganisms. The photocatalytic activity was compared with commercial Degussa P-25 catalyst. The various aspects of photocatalytic inactivation reactions studied in this dissertation are: i) photocatalytic inactivation of microorganisms in presence of UV light, ii) effect of various parameters on the inactivation, iii) photocatalytic inactivation in presence of visible light, iv) use of immobilized catalyst for the photocatalytic inactivation, v) understanding of mechanism and kinetics of inactivation. Combustion synthesized TiO2 (CS-TiO2), combustion synthesized 1% Ag substituted TiO2 (Ag/TiO2 (Sub)) and 1% Ag impregnated CS-TiO2 (Ag/TiO2 (Imp)) were used as photocatalysts. The catalysts were characterized by powder XRD, TEM, BET surface area, UV-Vis spectroscopy, TGA and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The photocatalytic inactivation experiments were carried out using E. coli (K-12 MG 1655), a bacterial strain and P. pastoris (X-33), a yeast strain, as model microorganisms. The results demonstrate higher photocatalytic activity of all the combustion synthesized catalysts than commercial Degussa P-25 catalyst. The optimum catalyst concentration was 0.25 g/L and the maximum inactivation was observed in the presence of Ag/TiO2 (Imp) catalyst. Rapid and complete inactivation of the microorganisms was observed at lower initial cell concentrations. A reduced photocatalytic inactivation was observed in presence of various anions (HCO3¯ , SO4 2¯ , Cl¯ and NO3¯ ) and cations (Na, K, Caand Mg). Even a small addition of H2O2 was observed to improve the photocatalytic inactivation. At higher dosage of H2O2, a 2 min exposure was sufficient to result in a complete inactivation. Changing the initial pH of the solution was observed to have no significant effect on the photocatalytic inactivation. All the combustion synthesized catalysts showed higher activity as compared to those obtained with commercial Degussa P-25 TiO2 in presence of visible light. The higher photocatalytic activity of combustion synthesized TiO2 can be attributed to the lesser crystallite size, higher surface area, large amount of hydroxyl groups and decreased band-gap energy of the catalyst. The present study demonstrates the potential use of catalyst immobilized thin films for the photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli in the presence of UV light. The CS-TiO2 catalyst was immobilized on glass substrate by LbL deposition technique. The performance of immobilized CS-TiO2 was compared to commercial Degussa Aeroxide TiO2 P-25 (Aeroxide) catalyst. The effect of various operating parameters like catalyst loading, surface area and number of bilayers on inactivation has been investigated. It was observed that increasing the number of bilayers and the concentration did not influence the inactivation but increased surface area led to an increase in inactivation. It was observed that the catalyst immobilized on glass slides can be used for repeated experimental cycles with the same efficiency. It was observed that the inactivation process can be studied in continuous mode by using catalyst immobilized on glass beads. The work also focused attention towards understanding the microorganism inactivation mechanism and kinetic aspects. Various microscopy techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to study the inactivation mechanism. From the images obtained, it was suggested that the inactivation is caused due to rupture of cell wall. The mechanism was also examined by carrying out degradation experiments on cell component such as protein and media component such as dextrose. UV alone was observed to degrade protein and the presence of catalyst showed no additional effect. On the other hand, dextrose does not respond to photocatalytic degradation even at a lower concentration. The photocatalytic degradation of Orange G dye was reduced by addition of dextrose sugar or protein which shows a possibility of competitive degradation. The kinetics of inactivation was studied by various models available in literature such as the power-law model, Chick-Watson model, modified Hom model, GInaFIT tool and a Langmuir-Hinshelwood type model. It was observed that power-law based kinetic model showed good agreement with the experimental data. A mechanistic Langmuir-Hinshelwood type model was also observed to model the inactivation reactions with certain assumptions.
9

The Inactivation of Pathogens in Aquaculture Systems

Gonzalez-Alanis, Pablo January 2007 (has links)
As aquaculture has become a significant provider of the human diet, the interest to have better quality of sea and fresh products has been increasing. However the potential hazards associated with pathogenic agents resulting in losses to the industry are major concerns that provided the motivation for this study.The use of ultraviolet irradiation is an alternative to disinfect water in inlet and outlet water sources. However the ultraviolet disinfection method has some drawbacks including no disinfectant residuals and high cost of lamp fouling and replacement. The ultraviolet system needs to be calibrated according with the life time of the ultraviolet lamps.The MS-2 coliphage in this study is an approach to determine a good indicator for determining if an ultraviolet system can be effective in an aquaculture recirculation system. The susceptibility of this system can provide an indication if WSSV can be inactivated and possible other pathogenic agents.The WSSV experiment was successful in reducing mortality. Further studies have to be completed and analyzed before recommending for control of other pathogens.
10

Aspects of molecular analysis in myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplastic syndromes

Champion-Suntharalingam, K. M. January 2001 (has links)
No description available.

Page generated in 0.5034 seconds