No description available.

No description available.

Die Malaria ist heute noch immer die bedeutendste parasitäre Infektionskrankheit des Menschen. Hiervon sind in Endemiegebieten neben Kleinkindern insbesondere schwangere Frauen betroffen. P. falciparum weist eine hohe genetische Diversität auf. So sind in Endemiegebieten Infektionen mit P. falciparum in der Regel polyklonal. Man spricht in diesen Fällen von der Multiplizität der Infektion. Bei Schwangeren sequestrieren mit P. falciparum infizierte Erythrozyten, die spezifische Oberflächenproteine exprimieren, in der Plazenta. Hierdurch bedingt können pathologische Schwangerschafts-verläufe klinische Manifestationsformen der Malaria darstellen. Um die Diversität von P. falciparum und die Multiplizität der Infektion bei schwangeren Frauen zu erforschen, wurden in einer Querschnittsstudie im holoendemischen Malariagebiet von Agogo in Ghana über den Zeitraum von einem Jahr 474 Gebärende mit einer nachgewiesenen plazentaren Infektion von P. falciparum untersucht. Hierzu wurden die Gene, die für das "Merozoiten-Oberflächen-Protein-1" (msp-1) und "Merozoiten-Oberflächen-Protein-2" (msp-2) kodieren, aus peripher und plazentar gewonnen Isolaten typisiert. Plazentar gewonnene Isolate waren im Vergleich zu peripher gewonnenen mit einer signifikant höheren Prävalenz an polyklonalen Infektionen und einer höheren Multiplizität der Infektion assoziiert. Die höchste Multiplizität der Infektion wurde bei Erstgebärenden und jüngeren Patientinnen beobachtet. Mit zunehmendem Alter und einer höheren Anzahl an vorangegangenen Schwangerschaften fielen signifikant sowohl die Multiplizität der Infektion als auch die Parasitendichte. Zudem wurde eine hohe Korrelation zwischen der Multiplizität der Infektion und der Parasitendichte nachgewiesen. Weder das Alter noch die Parität beeinflussten diese Korrelation. Der Einfluss von Alter und Parität auf die Multiplizität der Infektion konnte somit nicht unabhängig von der Parasitendichte nachgewiesen werden. Multivariate Analysen zeigten aber, dass es unabhängig von der Parasitendichte bei plazentaren Infektionen mit zwei und mehr als zwei Klonen im Vergleich zu monoklonalen plazentaren Infektionen mit einer höheren Wahrscheinlichkeit zu einer Frühgeburt kam. Dies betraf insbesondere Erstgebärende und Frauen mit submikroskopischen plazentaren Infektionen. Ob bei polyklonalen Infektionen eine Sequestration von P. falciparum in der Plazenta durch alle oder nur durch einen Teil der zahlreichen Genotypen geschieht, die an einer Infektion bei Schwangeren beteiligt sind, ist nicht entgültig geklärt. Es wurden aus zusammengehörenden plazentar und peripher gewonnenen P.-falciparum-Isolaten die Verteilungsmuster der Genotypen verglichen. Zwar korrelierte die Multiplizität der Infektion plazentarer und peripherer Isolate, die Genotypenmuster der Plazenta und der Peripherie waren jedoch deutlich unterschiedlich. Nur in 12% der Fälle konnte eine Genotypisierung eines peripher gewonnenen Isolates das klonale Gesamtbild der Infektion nachweisen. In 67% der Fälle waren neben identischen Genotypen wenigstens in einem der beiden Isolate unterschiedliche Genotypen nachweisbar. Einzelne spezifische Genotypen traten in der gesamten Untersuchungsgruppe öfter in der Plazenta als in der peripheren Blutprobe auf. Bei Frauen, die mit den Genotypen der Allelfamilie FC27 infiziert waren, lagen signifikant häufiger klinischen Manifestationen der Malaria vor. So konnte in multivariaten Analysen eine Assoziation zwischen FC27 und einer Frühgeburtlichkeit nachgewiesen werden. Darüber hinaus war FC27 zumindest in univariater Analyse mit einer Anämie und einem verminderten Geburtsgewicht assoziiert. Dies konnte insbesondere für Primiparae und für Gebärende mit submikroskopischen plazentaren Infektionen beobachtet werden. / Malaria is still one of the most considerable parasite infections of the human being. Pregnant women are at an increased risk in endemic areas. P. falciparum shows a high genetic diversity. In endemic areas infections with P. falciparum are very often polyclonal. They are described as multiple Infections or as the multiplicity of infection. In pregnant women P.-falciparum-infected-erythrocytes which exprimate specific surface proteins sequester in the placental tissue. Often this is the course of preterm delivery, low birth weight and anaemia. To investigate the diversity of P. falciparum and the multiplicity of infection in pregnant women a cross-sectional study was conducted in the holoendemic area of Agogo in Ghana. In this study over a period of one year 474 labouring women infected with placental P.-falciparum where investigated. To examine the diversity and the multiplicity of infection merozoite surface protein-1 (msp1) block 2 and merozoite surface protein-2 (msp2) genotypes were determined in Isolates from peripheral and placental blood samples. The study showed that in comparision to isolates of peripheral blood samples isolates of placental blood samples where associated with a significant higher prevalence of polyclonal infections and a higher multiplicity of infection. The highest multiplicity of infection was found among primiparae and young women. With age and parity multiplicity of infection as well as parasite density decreased. In addition a high correlation between the multiplicity of infection and parasite density could be demonstrated. Age and parity did not influence this correlation. Thus the influence of age independent from parity on the multiplicity of infection could not be proved. However, multivariate analyses showed, that independently from parasite density placental Infections with two or more clones were in comparison to monoclonal Infections associated with a higher probability of preterm delivery. This was the case especially in primiparae and in women with submicroscopical placental Infection. Presently it is not clear, whether all or only a subset of co-infecting genotypes sequester in the placental tissue. To address this issue the genotype distribution of matched placental and peripheral P. falciparum isolates where investigated. While the multiplicity of infection of placental and peripheral isolates correlated the genotype pattern of the placenta and the periphery differed extensively. Only 12% genotyping of a peripheral Isolate showed the entire picture of the infection. In 67% of the cases despite finding identical genotypes differing genotypes in at least one of the two Isolates were detectable. Specific genotypes appeared more often in the placental than in the peripheral Isolate. In women, who were infected with genotypes of the allelic family FC27 clinical manifestation of malaria were observed more often. In multivariate analysis an association between FC27 and a preterm delivery was established. Beside this at least in univariate analyses FC27 was associated with low birth weight and anaemia. This was the case especially for primiparae and labouring women with submicroscopic placental infections.

No description available.

Submitted by Priscila Nascimento (pnascimento@icict.fiocruz.br) on 2013-03-19T16:07:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana_Carolina.pdf: 2560132 bytes, checksum: 663a398860ff953a4b1de21a209ee151 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-03-19T16:07:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana_Carolina.pdf: 2560132 bytes, checksum: 663a398860ff953a4b1de21a209ee151 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. / O desenvolvimento de uma vacina para malária é considerado atualmente uma prioridade em saúde pública pelo impacto socioeconômico e morbidade da doença com 250 milhões de novos casos por ano. A vacina de febre amarela é considerada uma das vacinas mais bem sucedidas por sua imunogenicidade duradora obtida após uma única dose. Frente a elucidação das respostas polivalentes dirigidas ao vírus vacinal 17D, a utilização do mesmo como vetor de expressão para antígenos heterólogos têm sido encorajada. Tendo em vista que febre amarela e malária compartilham grandes zonas endêmicas nos continentes americano e africano, a construção de uma vacina para malária baseada no vetor de febre amarela 17D se tornou uma abordagem interessante. Foram construídos dois vírus recombinantes contendo a proteína heteróloga MSP-119de P. falciparum (FA17D/MSP-119fal) e P. vivax (FA17D/MSP-119vivax) entre os genes E/NS1 de FA. Esta proteína é constituída de um fragmento de 19 kDa obtido após o processamento proteolítico da proteína de superfície do merozoíta 1 (MSP-1) durante a invasão do eritrócito e é descrita como alvo de anticorpos protetores em animais e pessoas imunes. Os vírus recombinantes foram caracterizados in vitro quanto à capacidade proliferativa em células Vero, estabilidade genética e expressão da proteína heteróloga por microscopia confocal de imunofluorescência e western blotting. A imunização de camundongos BALB/c e primatas não-humanos da espécie Saimiri sciureus foi usada para avaliar as construções quanto à imunogenicidade. Ambos os vírus foram capazes de induzir a produção de anticorpos neutralizantes contra a FA, porém em menores títulos do que os induzidos pelo vírus vacinal 17DD. A indução de anticorpos específicos para a proteína heteróloga após a imunização com os diferentes vírus recombinantes, também foi demonstrada e resultou em baixos títulos de IgG.em ambos os modelos. Os anticorpos induzidos no modelo com macacos Saimiri reconheceram a proteína nativa do parasita em hemácias infectadas por P. falciparum. No entanto, o desafio realizado neste modelo de primata não-esplenectomizado após a imunização com FA17D/MSP-119fal não gerou resultados conclusivos. Estes resultados sugerem a necessidade de aprimoramento da plataforma de expressão em busca de maior imunogenicidade. / The development of a vaccine for malaria is currently considered a priority in public health due to the socioeconomic impact and morbidity of the disease with 250 million new cases registered every year. The yellow fever vaccine is considered one of the most successful vaccines for its longlasting immunogenicity obtained after a single dose. As a result of the elucidation of the polyvalent responses directed to YF17D vaccine virus, the use of this virus as an expression vector of heterologous antigens has been encouraged. Considering that yellow fever and malaria share the major endemic areas in American and African continents, the construction of a vaccine for malaria based on the yellow fever 17D vector became an interesting approach. Two recombinant viruses containing the heterologous protein MSP-119 from P. falciparum (YF17D/MSP-119fal) and P. vivax (YF17D/MSP-119vivax) inserted between the E/NS1 genes have been constructed. This protein consists of a 19 kDa fragment obtained after proteolytic processing of the merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) during invasion of erythrocytes and is described as a target for protective antibodies in animals and immune people. Recombinant viruses were characterized in vitro for their proliferative capacity in Vero cells and genetic stability and expression of heterologous protein were assessed by confocal immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Immunization of BALB/c mice and non-human primate species Saimiri sciureus allowed the evaluation of the constructions in terms of immunogenicity. Both viruses were capable of inducing neutralizing antibodies to YF, but in lower titers than those induced by the vaccine virus 17DD.The induction of specific antibodies for the heterologous protein by the different recombinant viruses was also demonstrated by low levels of IgG in both models. The antibodies induced in this monkey model bound to the native protein in parasite-infected red blood cells by immunofluorescence. The challenge carried out in after immunization of Saimiri monkeys with FA17D/MSP-119fal did not generate conclusive results. These data suggest the need to improve the platform of expression towards higher viral immunogenicity.

Diplomová práca sa zaoberá analýzou iniciatív podpory a rozvoja malých a stredných podnikov (MSP) v EU a Českej Republike, s konkrétnym návrhmi odporúčaní rozvoja podnikania v Juhomoravskom kraji. Tento koncept vyplýva zo skutočnosti, že malé a stredné podniky predstavujú najväčší podnikový segment na Európskom trhu a v národných ekonomikách členských štátov. Prvá kapitola opisuje teoretický základ MSP a ich význam na európskom a českom trhu. Druhá kapitola analyzuje európske, české a regionálne možnosti podpory a rozvoja MSP. Tretia, záverečná kapitola hodnotí jednotlivé možnosti podľa ich možnosti využitia pre MSP v Juhomoravskom kraji a ponúka autorove návrhy pre ďalšie možnosti podpory a rozvoja MSP do budúcnosti.

PsbO (manganese-stabilizing protein) is the largest extrinsic protein of photosystem II, located on the lumen side of photosystem. It is present in all known oxyphototrophic organisms. PsbO facilitates photosynthetic water splitting, which takes place in an oxygen evolving center (Mn4CaO5 cluster) of photosystem II. This work is focused on PsbO of higher plants and its isoforms, particularly their evolution and functions. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that majority of higher plants express exactly two psbO isoforms. A phylogenetic tree of PsbO sequences has an unusual topology. The two paralogous isoforms do not diverge at the base of the phylogenetic tree, as anticipated, but rather at the end of particular branches, at the level of family or lower taxonomic unit. In this work we propose and discuss several hypotheses concerning evolution of PsbO isoforms. The work further includes detailed analysis and identification of protein spots assigned to PsbO on 2D IEF-SDS PAGE gels of potato thylakoid proteins. We identified predominant version of PsbO isoform in most of the spots. We did not succeed to find any posttranslational modification. We optimized a method of psbO expression in E. coli and subsequent purification, which yielded relatively big amount of properly folded recombinant protein. Analysis of...

Diplomová práce je zaměřena na vysvětlení teorie tvorby podnikatelského plánu, která je následně aplikována na podnikatelský plán společnosti Agrovaria export-import spol.s.r.o. Dále tvoří část práce i vysvětlení analýz, které jsou obvykle součástí podnikatelského plánu(SWOT analýza, analýza konkurence). Vybrané problémy mezinárodního marketingu upozorní na časté chyby a rizika s kterými při vstupu na mezinárodní trh třeba počítat, dále uvádí možné formy vstupu pro MSP na mezinárodní trhy a vysvětluje postup eurokontroly. Výsledkem praktické aplikace výše zmíněné teorie je podnikatelský plán Vinotéky Agrovaria export-import spol.s.r.o.

Background: Due to arising shifts in customers’ digital expectations, businesses need to adapt current strategies to dynamic environments in order to stay competitive in today’s digital era. These shifts, which are to set new directions for entire industries, is also known as a digital transformation. To digitally transform a firm entails both opportunities to thrive and challenges to face. The technological advances create a need for new roles and skills to be mastered. In addition, the rise of the sharing economy has led to the need for certain industries to adapt accordingly, including the car rental industry. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the identification of necessary internal and external factors that firms need to consider in order to digitally transform their services. Further, this study aims to provide guidelines for firms aspiring to transform their service to become a MSP. Methodology: This study has adopted a qualitative research strategy and the design of a single case study of a car rental company. In order to collect empirical data, semi- structured interviews were conducted within related fields. Conclusion: The authors of this study have identified prominent internal and external factors within the fields of digital transformation and MaaS. In addition, the authors have come to the conclusion that the identified factors possess different levels of impact within each perspective, which is illustrated through a constructed analysis model. To conclude, this study has contributed with guidelines regarding possible strategies a traditional car rental company could implement in order to transform its business to become a MSP.

The grid in the northern part of Sweden is characterized by long radial lines with just a few customers. To secure electricity supply it is necessary to have a redundant feeding alternative. A loop structured grid which is used in the more populated urban area is a poor solution in the rural areas both regarding economy and technology due to the long distances. To feed the northern grid in Sweden a battery energy storage system (BESS) is therefore a solution that could secure the power delivery. An important aspect to investigate is how the electric power quality changes with the new feeder, but more importantly to secure disconnection of supply at fault occurrence.   This thesis investigates how a battery storage system installed at the end of a mid-voltage line affects the electric power quality and the protection system compared to a reference case which represents the line today. The mid-voltage line is an existing line in the northern grid and is a good representation of the general northern grid.     The results obtained from this study show that the loop impedance does not necessarily have to deteriorate with the new feeder, which means that the voltage quality in this aspect does not change. This is only true for this particular grid when the impedance contribution from the mid-voltage grid is small and the contribution from the low-voltage grid is large because of long and weak distribution low-voltage lines.     The inverter is the limiting factor for the short circuit currents, and the short circuit power and current decrease with the new feeder. At fault occurrence in the low voltage grid the short circuit current does not affect the fuse blow. However the inverter will disconnect for all fault occurrences in the mid-voltage grid, and for faults with high short circuit power in the low voltage grid. This means that the selectivity will decrease, but the system will have a high security level.   For this particular grid the results show that the transformer can be isolated from the ground. A residual overvoltage relay is enough for disconnection of grounding faults. Directional ground fault protection is not necessary for this line with this particular characteristics. If the sensitivity for the disconnection of grounding faults with high transition impedances is adjusted according to ground fault currents in island operation, the sensitivity then decreases at the event of a fault during normal operations when the battery storage system is charging. The sensitivity might also be tuned according to normal operation, which then results in a higher sensitivity than necessary during island operation.