No Brasil, casos de doença exantemática em bovinos e humanos têm sido relatados em diversas regiões, cujo agente causal é o virus vaccinia pertencente ao gênero Orthopoxirus da família Poxviridae. Classicamente, a varíola bovina é causada pelo Cowpoxvirus, entretanto, outros Poxvirus, como o vírus vaccinia podem desenvolver sintomatologia clínica semelhante. Além de comprometer a cadeia produtiva de leite, uma vez que dificulta a ordenha, predispõe a mastite e descarte do produto, é uma zoonose e atualmente está incluída no diagnóstico de doença vesicular. A origem desses casos bem como a epidemiologia da doença ainda é pouco conhecida. Assim, objetivou-se no presente estudo 1) Avaliar a soroprevalência de Orthopoxirus em rebanhos bovinos do circuito sete do Estado de São Paulo que compreendem as regiões do Vale do Paraíba e Mogi das Cruzes e associar os possíveis fatores de risco envolvidos na transmissão da doença; 2) Detectar e caracterizar a presença de Orthopoxirus em amostras suspeitas de doença vesicular, no período de 2007 a 2009, provenientes de diversas regiões do Brasil utilizando técnicas convencionais e moleculares: microscopia eletrônica, isolamento viral, PCR e RFLP; 3) Sequenciamento e análise filogenética das amostras positivas para o vírus vaccinia. Para o inquérito soroepidemiológico foram analisadas 76 propriedades pertencentes ao circuito 7 que compreendem as regiões do Vale do Paraíba e Mogi das Cruzes, estado de São Paulo, selecionadas aleatoriamente, totalizando 619 animais, estratificados em fêmeas acima de dois anos. A soroprevalência de Orthopoxirus no Vale do Paraíba foi de 32,3% (200/619) pela virusneutralização. Associação positiva foi encontrada para presença de animais silvestres. No diagnóstico virológico foram analisadas 227 amostras de epitélio, negativas para outras doenças vesiculares. Encontrou-se frequencia de 63,4% (144/227) positivas para o Orthopoxirus em praticamente todas as regiões do país. A análise por RFLP revelou perfil de padrão para o vírus vaccinia. O sequenciamento dos isolados confirmou que o vírus vaccinia é a estirpe circulante e está agrupado no grupo I de isolados de vaccinia brasileiros. / In Brazil, cases of rash illness in cattle and humans have been reported in several regions whose causal agent is the vaccinia virus belonging to the genus Orthopoxirus (OPV) family Poxviridae. Classically, cowpox is caused by Cowpoxvirus, however, other poxviruses such as vaccinia virus may develop same clinical signs. In addition to compromising the production chain of milk, as it hampers milking, predisposes to mastitis and discard the product, also it is a zoonosis and is currently included in the differential diagnosis of vesicular disease. The origin of these cases as well as the epidemiology of the disease is still unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study 1) assess the serum prevalence of OPV in cattle herds circuit seven Vale do Paraíba and associate the possible risk factors involved in disease transmission, 2) identify and characterize the presence of OPV in samples suspected vesicular disease in the period 2007-2009, from various regions of Brazil using conventional techniques and molecular electron microscopy, virus isolation, PCR and RFLP; 3) Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the samples positive for OPV. For epidemiological survey were analyzed 76 properties in the region of Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, randomly selected, totaling 619 animals, stratified in females more than two years. The serum prevalence of OPV in the Paraíba Valley was 32.3% (200/619) by virus neutralization. Positive association was found for presence of wild animals. The virological diagnosis were analyzed 227 samples of epithelium, negative for other vesicular diseases. Met frequency of 63.4% (144/227) positive for OPV in practically all regions of the country. RFLP analysis revealed default profile for the vaccinia virus. The sequencing of the isolates confirmed that vaccinia virus strain is circulating and is clustered in group I isolates of Brazilians vaccinia.

Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Canine herpesvirus type 1 (CHV-1) is associated with reproductive disorders and neonatal mortality. CHV-1 is widely distributed and is considered enzootic in the dog population. Occurrence of infection in the country is unknown, and thus the real need for additional prevention measures, such as vaccination, is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of antibodies against CHV-1 in serum samples of domestic and sheltered dogs of different regions from Rio Grande do Sul state. For this, 914 serum samples from domestic dogs from Santa Maria (332 dogs obtained from Hospital Veterinário Universitário - HVU / UFSM and 381 from in the anti-rabies vaccination campaign), a veterinary clinical laboratory in Porto Alegre (n=43) and 158 from shelters dogs of Passo Fundo (n=98) and Cachoeira do Sul (n=60). Serum samples were tested by virus-neutralization test (VN) for CHV-1 antibodies. Neutralizing antibodies against CHV-1 in titers equal or higher than 4 were detected in 66,9% (612/914) of the samples. Among household dogs, 79,5% (264/332) from HVU/UFSM and 57.2% (218/381) from the vaccination campaign. Among the samples collected in the clinical laboratory in Porto Alegre, 41.8% (18/43) had antibodies to CHV-1. Among the sheltered dogs, 72.4% (71/98) of samples from Passo Fundo and 68.3% (41/60) from Cachoeira do Sul had antibody to CHV-1. The antibody titers ranged among the groups, but many samples had titers higher than 128. Since there are no commercial vaccines against CHV-1 in Brazil, the presence of neutralizing antibodies indicates the circulation of CHV-1 in the investigated population. Based on these findings, control measures, prevention, immunization and the need for a correct diagnosis should be considered. / O herpesvírus canino tipo 1 (CHV-1) está associado a desordens reprodutivas e mortalidade neonatal em cães. O CHV-1 tem distribuição mundial e é considerado enzoótico na população canina, no entanto, a frequência da infecção no país ainda é desconhecida, e assim, se desconhece a real necessidade de medidas adicionais de prevenção, como a vacinação. Com isso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a presença de anticorpos contra o CHV-1 em amostras de soro de cães domiciliados e de abrigos em diferentes cidades do Rio Grande do Sul. Para isso, foram testadas 914 amostras de soro de cães domiciliados de Santa Maria (332 amostras obtidas do Hospital Veterinário Universitário - HVU/UFSM e 381 obtidas durante a campanha de vacinação antirrábica de 2015), de um laboratório clínico veterinário de Porto Alegre (n=43) e 158 de cães de abrigos dos municípios de Passo Fundo (n=98) e Cachoeira do Sul (n=60). Estas amostras de soro foram testadas pela técnica de soroneutralização (SN) para anticorpos contra o CHV-1. Anticorpos neutralizantes contra o CHV-1, em títulos iguais ou superiores a 4, foram detectados em 66,9% (612/914) das amostras. Entre os cães domiciliados de Santa Maria, 79,5% (264/332) provenientes do HVU/UFSM e 57,2% (218/381) das obtidas durante a campanha de vacinação antirrábica de Santa Maria foram positivas. Das amostras coletadas no laboratório clínico em Porto Alegre, 41,8% (18/43) foram positivas para anticorpos para CHV-1. Entre os cães de abrigo, 72,4% (71/98) das amostras coletadas em Passo Fundo e 68,3% (41/60) das amostras do abrigo de Cachoeira do Sul foram sorologicamente positivas para CHV-1. Os títulos de anticorpos entre os grupos foram variáveis, mas a maioria dos animais positivos possuía títulos acima de 128. Como não existem vacinas comerciais contra o CHV-1 no Brasil, a presença de anticorpos neutralizantes indica a circulação do CHV-1 na população canina das cidades estudadas. Com base nesses achados, medidas de controle, prevenção, imunização e a necessidade de um correto diagnóstico devem ser consideradas contra o CHV-1 em cães no sul do Brasil.

This dissertation investigates the role of grammatical versus methodological influences in the production and perception of final devoicing in experimentally-elicited speech from Russian. It addresses the question of how the partial preservation of the phonological voicing contrast in word-final obstruents is affected by (i) task-independent factors that reflect phonological and lexical properties of stimuli words (underlying voicing, word length, lexical competition) and (ii) task-dependent biases that arise due to the nature of the experimental task performed by the speaker (availability of orthographic inputs, presence of minimal pairs among the stimuli). Results of a series of acoustic production and perceptual identification tasks reveal that task-dependent factors account for the presence of robust and perceptually salient differences in the parameter of phonetic voicing. Several types of stimuli items also show limited but statistically significant differences in closure/frication duration and release duration that are independent of the presence of orthography or inclusion of full minimal pairs among test items. Taken together, these findings indicate that non-grammatical factors can play a prominent biasing role in both production and perception of the voicing contrast in experimentally-elicited speech, such that certain voicing-dependent cues are maintained only in the presence of task-dependent pressures. However, not all incompletely neutralized differences between phonologically voiced versus voiceless final obstruents can be attributed to the effects of orthography or inclusion of minimal pairs among the stimuli. In the theoretical domain, these results are argued to favour a less restrictive definition of neutralization and a model of phonology that views devoicing as a loss of the primary acoustic cue to the underlying voicing contrast rather than complete identity of the [voiced] feature.

La difficulté à induire des anticorps capables de neutraliser (anticorps neutralisants, AcN) la très grande diversité des isolats circulants du VIH-1 reste à l’heure actuelle un obstacle majeur au développement d'un vaccin préventif contre le VIH-1. L’objectif du projet a été de déterminer quels étaient les épitopes neutralisants les plus conservés au sein des 4 groupes M, N, O et P de VIH-1 puis de concevoir un immunogène qui serait capable d’induire la production d’AcN anti-VIH-1. Nous avons montré que l’épitope N160-glycane dépendant de la région V1/V2 de l’enveloppe virale est le plus conservé au sein des 4 groupes du VIH-1 (Morgand et al., JAIDS 2016). Nous avons ensuite montré la faisabilité d’obtenir, en système d’expression transitoire, des particules chimères constituées de la protéine d’enveloppe HBs du virus de l’hépatite B exprimant à leur surface les glycoprotéines d’enveloppe de différents groupes et sous-type du VIH-1. Malgré la présence de certains épitopes neutralisants (supersite N332-V3, site de liaison au CD4, région MPER- membrane proximal external region-), les épitopes d’intérêt de la région V1/V2 ne sont pas exposés sur ces particules chimères. / The difficulty to induce antibodies able to neutralize (neutralizing antibodies, NAb) the large diversity of HIV- 1 isolates remains a major hurdle toward the development of an anti-HIV-1 vaccine. The aim of our study was first, to identify which epitopes are the most conserved within the 4 HIV-1 groups (M, N, O, P) and then, to design an immunogen that would be able to induce NAb against HIV-1. We showed that the V1/V2 N160- glycan epitope is the most conserved within the 4 HIV-1 groups (Morgand et al., JAIDS 2016). Subsequently, we showed the feasibility to generate chimeric particles based on the HBs envelope protein exposing the envelope glycoproteins of different groups and subtypes of HIV-1 at their surface. Although we demonstrated the presence of several neutralizing epitopes on these chimeric particles (N332-V3 supersite, CD4 binding site, membrane proximal external region), none of them exposed the V1/V2 epitopes of interest.

The Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) is notorious for its austere conditions of confinement and human rights violations. In response to widespread criticism, the Ontario provincial government created a dedicated task force in 2016 to address longstanding issues at the jail. To date, little research has examined how OCDC has maintained these deplorable conditions of confinement despite concerted effort to improve them. Drawing on Mathiesen’s (1990) neutralization techniques, this thesis reveals the tactics used by government officials and jail functionaries to maintain the status quo at OCDC and stifle transformative change by comparing task force recommendations with their ensuing implementation. Through a qualitative content analysis of the OCDC task force progress reports, trend analyses, Ombudsman, Community Advisory Board, Independent Review of Corrections, and Jail Accountability & Information Line reports documenting issues at OCDC, I demonstrate how the Ontario provincial government and OCDC administration (a) refer to competing demands, higher authority, policy and procedure, or safety and security as excuses for not instituting changes, (b) define policy alternatives as irrelevant or impossible to implement, (c) postpone implementation of measures for not being developed enough or possible now, as well as (d) puncture and (e) absorb policy alternatives to uphold the status quo and impede transformative change. In doing so, I expose the provincial penal system’s proclivity to ‘finish’ (Mathiesen, 1974) alternatives that threaten the current system, thereby gutting new ideas of their ability to generate meaningful social change. The insights provided by this thesis help lay the groundwork for future critical criminological research to examine the barriers to social change in the penal field on a sub-national, national, and international scale.

The prevalence of bribery in Ghana has increased significantly since the mid-2000s and has received considerable attention in both local and international media, as well as among empirical researchers. Although researchers have examined factors that influence the giving and acceptance of bribes in Ghana, limited theoretical research exists concerning the ways public officials in Ghana defend their corrupt behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine ways bribees in Ghana defend their illegal actions, using Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory. Data were collected from telephone interviews with 11 Ghanaian public officials who have served sentences for bribery; their statements of defense were analyzed through qualitative content analysis to establish whether they used techniques of neutralization. The findings of this study indicate that public officials accused of accepting bribes apply all 5 techniques in Sykes and Matza’s neutralization theory to neutralize the guilt associated with their actions. The findings also indicate that participants believe that bribery has become part of the Ghanaian culture. Legislators, organizational leaders, and criminal justice administrators could use the findings of this study to enact appropriate laws to manage the issue of bribery in Ghana and to design effective and comprehensive ethics policies and programs to prevent its occurrence. Implications for positive social change include reducing the negative economic implications of bribery and improving trust in public officials.

Utilization of cyanide as a nutritional nitrogen source in P. fluorescens NCIMB 11764 was shown to involve a novel metabolic mechanism involving nonenzymatic neutralization outside of cells prior to further enzymatic oxidation within. Several cyanide degrading enzymes were produced by NCIMB 11764 in response to growth or exposure to cyanide, but only one of these cyanide, oxygenase (CNO), was shown to be physiologically required for assimilation of cyanide as a growth substrate.

Background: Social media changed the way of communication between brands and consumers and further enables people to become famous and create their own celebrity brand. Hence, celebrity brands are a new phenomenon, rarely studied by past research but becoming more important in the context of consumer-brand-relationships. Those relationships are similar to interpersonal ones, which are also highly affected by emotions. Negative emotions are perceived to have a higher impact on the relationship and are reflected in consumer behavior, for example, in avoiding the brand. Purpose: Besides the behavioral outcomes of negative emotions toward celebrity brands, the study strives to examine the reasons for negative emotions. Additionally, the purpose of the study is to investigate possible neutralization actions that celebrity brands can undertake to alleviate the negative emotions of consumers. Method: The study followed an exploratory research design. The qualitative data collection was done by conducting semi-structured interviews. Participants were selected based on the criterion of having negative emotions toward a celebrity brand and using social media. In total, 16 interviews were conducted. Conclusion: Negative emotions were either elicited by characteristics or behaviors of the celebrity. Whereas characteristics, e.g. attractiveness, are difficult to influence for celebrities, unfavorable behaviors, e.g. greed and violence, that trigger negative consumer emotions are preventable by the celebrities. The consumers start avoiding, unfollowing, and spreading negative word-of-mouth about the celebrity if they feel negatively toward the brand. To neutralize negative emotions, the celebrity brands are recommended to engage in building authenticity, trust, acceptance, attachment, and adding value to society. However, due to the consumers unfollowing the celebrity, the biggest challenge for celebrity brands is to address neutralization actions in a noticeable way for consumers.

We studied the mutual neutralization of Li+ and H- at effective collision energies of a few hundred meV, which corresponds to temperatures of around 2000 K, in the double ion storage ring DESIREE.We present a new approach to match beam velocities and a new general analysis method for non-fragmenting mutual neutralization at DESIREE.Our results show two features, which we could clearly assign to the product channel into the electronically   excited  3s state of neutral lithium and an unresolved combination of 3p and 3d final state contributions.Branching fractions into 3s are extracted for ten different collision energies via spectral binning and compared to several theoretical investigations and two previous measurements, which focused on the heavier isotope deuterium.We find a significant isotope effect, as theoretically predicted, but in contrast to previous experimental results. The branching fractions agree well with different theoretical approaches using non-empirical couplings and  best with a combination of ab initio potentials and Landau-Zener transition probabilities.

HIV-1 primarily utilizes the CCR5 receptor as a co-receptor, but over time, viruses can evolve to use the CXCR4 protein. Changes in the viral envelope V3 loop mediate this switch. The emergence of CXCR4-utilizing viruses has been presumed to occur as a consequence of decreased humoral immunity. We show that exclusively CXCR4-using (X4) viruses contain a 2 to 3 amino acid insertion in the V3 loop. Structural modeling revealed that this insertion caused a protrusion in the V3 loop, which impacts CCR5 receptor interaction. These genotypic and structural motifs affected neutralization susceptibility because X4, as compared to co-circulating CCR5-utilizing (R5) viruses, were less neutralization sensitive to autologous contemporaneous and heterologous plasma. Individuals with co-circulating X4 and R5, as compared to those with only R5, viruses had similar neutralization breadth and potency indicating that the emergence of X4 viruses is not associated with decreased humoral immunity. These results suggest that X4 viruses are neutralization escape variants and arise due to humoral selective pressure. This work has implications for future antibody-based therapeutics. Along with providing a framework for developing an HIV-1 vaccine, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are also being investigated as a potential therapeutic. BnAbs target a limited number of conserved HIV-1 envelope structures, including glycans in and around the V1/V2 and V3 domains. Along with the V3 loop, changes in V1/V2 are also known to impact co-receptor usage. We show that viruses that exclusively use the CXCR4 co-receptor, as compared to variants that only utilize CCR5, were less neutralization sensitive to V1/V2 and V3 directed bnAbs. In contrast, R5 and X4 viruses did not demonstrate neutralization differences to bnAbs that target non-V1/V2 and V3 envelope regions, such as the CD4 binding site and the membrane proximal external region. Structural modeling revealed that the predicted orientation of the V1/V2 loop among diverse HIV-1 variants predicts susceptibility to V3 loop directed bnAbs. In aggregate, our results suggest that viruses with different co-receptor usage have differing bnAb susceptibility. Furthermore, structural modeling may be used as a tool to predict neutralization susceptibility to bnAbs against regions associated with co-receptor usage. / 2020-06-12T00:00:00Z