• Refine Query
  • Source
  • Publication year
  • to
  • Language
  • 139
  • 62
  • 29
  • 12
  • 9
  • 5
  • 4
  • 4
  • 2
  • 2
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • 1
  • Tagged with
  • 315
  • 122
  • 59
  • 57
  • 53
  • 40
  • 37
  • 36
  • 34
  • 31
  • 30
  • 28
  • 24
  • 23
  • 21
  • 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.
191

Um ambiente de execução para suporte à programação paralela com variáveis compartilhadas em sistemas distribuídos heterogêneos. / A runtime system for parallel programing with shared memory paradigm over a heterogeneus distributed systems.

Craveiro, Gisele da Silva 31 October 2003 (has links)
O avanço na tecnologia de hardware está permitindo que máquinas SMP de 2 a 8 processadores estejam disponíveis a um custo cada vez menor, possibilitando que a incorporação de tais máquinas em aglomerados de PC's ou até mesmo a composição de um aglomerado de SMP's sejam alternativas cada vez mais viáveis para computação de alto desempenho. O grande desafio é extrair o potencial que tal conjunto de máquinas oferece. Uma alternativa é usar um paradigma híbrido de programação para aproveitar a arquitetura de memória compartilhada através de multihreadeing e utilizar o modelo de troca de mensagens para comunicação entre os nós. Contudo, essa estratégia impõe uma tarefa árdua e pouco produtiva para o programador da aplicação. Este trabalho apresenta o sistema CPAR- Cluster que oferece uma abstração de memória compartilhada no topo de um aglomerado formado por nós mono e multiprocessadores. O sistema é implementado no nível de biblioteca e não faz uso de recursos especiais tais como hardware especializado ou alteração na camada de sistema operacional. Serão apresentados os modelos, estratégias, questões de implementação e os resultados obtidos através de testes realizados com a ferramenta e que apresentaram comportamento esperado. / The advance in hardware technologies is making small configuration SMP machines (from 2 to 8 processors) available at a low cost. For this reason, the inclusion of an SMP node into a cluster of PCs or even clusters of SMPs are becoming viable alternatives for high performance computing. The challenge is the exploitation of the computational resources that these platforms provide. A Hybrid programming paradigm which uses shared memory architecture through multihreading and also message passing model for inter node communication is an alternative. However, programming in such paradigm is very hard. This thesis presents CPAR- Cluster, a runtime system, that provides shared memory abstraction on top of a cluster composed by mono and multiprocessor nodes. Its implementation is at the library level and doesn't require special resources such as particular hardware or operating system moditfications. Models, strategies, implementation aspects and results will be presented.
192

Avaliação de variáveis associadas à redução do número de linfonodos em espécime cirúrgico de câncer de reto após quimiorradioterapia neoadjuvante / Evaluation of variables associated to the reduction in the number of lymph nodes in rectal cancer specimen after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Bustamante Lopez, Leonardo Alfonso 03 May 2017 (has links)
Introdução: De acordo com a União Internacional Contra o Câncer um mínimo de 12 linfonodos (LN) deve ser obtido no espécime cirúrgico para o estadiamento do câncer colorretal (CCR). Estudos recentes reportaram que o uso da quimioirradioterapia neoadjuvante (QRN) pode resultar na não obtenção do número mínimo de LN na peça em 30-52% dos pacientes. Objetivo: Identificar os fatores relacionados à redução do número de LN ressecados em pacientes submetidos à neoadjuvancia e a excisão total do mesorreto. Pacientes e métodos: De janeiro de 2012 a março de 2013, 160 pacientes com câncer de reto foram submetidos à QRN (5-FU e 5040 Gys) seguida de excisão total de mesorreto com ligadura dos vasos mesentéricos inferiores nas suas raízes. Foram incluídos pacientes com estadiamento T3, T4 e/ou N+ que distavam até 10cm da borda anal e T2N0 que distavam até 7 cm da borda anal. Foram excluídos pacientes cujo tratamento com quimiorradioterapia neoadjuvante foi incompleto, ou que tiveram atrasos significativos para re-estadiamento e/ou realização da cirurgia. Todos foram estadiados através de toque retal, colonoscopia, TC de tórax e de abdome, e RM de pelve e igualmente re-estadiados 8 semanas após o término da neoadjuvância, operados e submetidos a excisão total do mesorreto. Os pacientes foram divididos em 2 grupos: A) menos de 12 LN, e B) 12 ou mais LN. Foram estudadas as possíveis variáveis relacionadas ao número de LN obtidos: sexo, idade, presença de LN acometidos, tamanho do tumor, localização da altura do tumor no reto, comprimento da peça, preservação esfincteriana, via de acesso, estadiamento inicial, grau de resposta tumoral e resposta patológica à quimiorrradioterapia neoadjuvante. Resultados: Noventa e cinco pacientes (60 masculinos) preencheram os critérios de inclusão e conseguiram ser tratados, re-estadiados e operados dentro das datas pré-estabelecidas. A média de LN ressecados foi 23,2 (3-67). Resposta patológica completa foi obtida em 18 pacientes (19%). Um mínimo de 12 LN foram obtidos em 81 pacientes (85%). Dentre os 14 doentes que obtiveram menos de 12 LN, 7 (50%) eram respostas patológicas completas. De todas as variáveis estudadas apenas resposta patológica completa na peça foi fator associado à não obtenção do número mínimo de 12 LN (p=0,002). Conclusões: Em pacientes submetidos à QRN e ETM, a resposta patológica completa foi o único fator associado a não obtenção de um mínimo de 12 de LN na peça / INTRODUCTION: According to the International Union against Cancer a minimum of 12 lymph nodes (LN) must be obtained from the surgical specimen for staging colorrectal cancer. However, recent studies reported that neoadjuvant chemoradiation may result in failure to obtain a minimum number of LN in 30-52 % of patients. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with decreased number of LN resected in patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy followed by total mesorectal excision (TEM). METHODS: From January/2012 to March/2013, 160 patients with rectal cancer underwent CRT (5 - FU and Gys 5040) followed by TEM and ligation of inferior mesenteric vessels in the roots. Patients with stage T3, T4 and/or N + within 10cm from anal verge were included. Patients with T2N0 located within 7cm from the anal verge were also included. Patients who were not able to complete the chemoradiation treatment or who presented significant delay on restaging and/or surgery were excluded from analyses. All patients were staged by digital rectal examination, colonoscopy, CT of the abdomen and chest, and MRI of the pelvis. Patients were re-staged 8 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, and submitted to total mesorectal excision right after that. Patients were stratified according to LN retrieval in two groups: A) less than 12 LN, B) 12 or more LN. Possible factors associated with the decreased number of LN were evaluated: gender, age, presence of metastatic LN, tumor size, tumor location, and length of the specimen, sphincter preservation, surgical access, initial staging, tumor regression grade and pathological response to chemoradiation. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients (60 male) met the inclusion criteria and were able to be treated, re-staged and operated within the pre-established intervals. The mean number of resected LN was 23.2 (3-67). Pathological complete response was achieved in 18 patients (19%). A minimum of 12 LN were obtained from 81 patients (85%). Half of the 14 patients with less than 12 LN presented pathologic complete response. Of all the variables studied only pathologic complete response was associated with less than 12 LN yield (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In patients submitted to chemoradiation followed by TME the complete pathological response was the only factor associated with failure to obtain a minimum of 12 LN in the specimen
193

Estadiamento mediastinal pré-operatório em câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células utilizando fusão de imagem SPECT/TC com 99mTC-SESTAMIBI / Preoperative mediastinal staging in non-small cell lung cancer using image fusion SPECT/CT with 99mTc-Sestamibi

Juliana Muniz Miziara 18 April 2011 (has links)
INTRODUÇÃO: A avaliação do mediastino quanto à presença de metástases linfonodais é importante na escolha do tratamento dos pacientes com câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células. Apesar da tomografia computadorizada ser o exame de imagem de escolha no estadiamento do câncer de pulmão, tem limitações conhecidas quanto à avaliação dos linfonodos regionais. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a acurácia do SPECT/TC utilizando o radiofármaco 99mTc-sestamibi no estadiamento linfonodal do mediastino em pacientes com diagnóstico de carcinoma de pulmão de não pequenas células e candidatos a tratamento cirúrgico. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada coleta prospectiva de dados de 41 pacientes entre dezembro de 2006 a fevereiro de 2009. Os pacientes foram submetidos à tomografia computadorizada de tórax e ao SPECT/TC com 99mTc-sestamibi no prazo máximo de 30 dias antes da cirurgia. O SPECT/TC foi considerado positivo quando havia captação no mediastino e a tomografia de tórax, quando havia linfonodos maiores do que 10 mm no menor eixo. Os resultados da interpretação do SPECT/TC com sestamibi e da TC de tórax foram comparados aos encontrados na patologia, definido como método padrão ouro. RESULTADOS: O SPECT/TC identificou de maneira correta seis dos 19 casos com envolvimento dos linfonodos hilares e um dos sete casos com metástases ganglionares no mediastino pela patologia. Os valores de sensibilidade, especificidade, valores de predição positivo e negativo para o 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/TC na avaliação do hilo foram respectivamente de: 31,6%, 95,5%, 85,7% e 61,8% e para o mediastino de 14,3%, 97,1%, 50% e 84,6%. A tomografia de tórax encontrou sensibilidade para a análise dos linfonodos hilares e mediastinais de 47,4% e 57,1%, especificidade de 95,5%, e 91,2%, valores de predição positivo de 90% e 57,1% e negativo de 67,7% e 91,2%, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: Nos pacientes com câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células com doença inicial e ressecável o SPECT/TC com 99mTc-sestamibi no estadiamento linfonodal do mediastino apresentou baixa sensibilidade e acurácia, apesar da alta especificidade. O SPECT/TC não adicionou informações relevantes à TC de tórax, que poderiam justificar o seu emprego no estadiamento pré-operatório do carcinoma de pulmão de não pequenas células / INTRODUCTION: The proper nodal staging of non-small cell lung cancer is important to choose the best treatment modality. Although CT is the first-line imaging test for primary staging of lung cancer, it is well known its limitations on mediastinum nodal staging. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of SPECT/CT using 99mTc-sestamibi in the nodal staging of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and potential candidates towards surgical treatment. METHODS: A prospective data collection of 41 patients was conducted from December 2006 to February 2009. The patients underwent chest CT and SPECT/CT with 99mTc-sestamibi within 30 days interval before surgery. SPECT/CT was considered positive when there was focal uptake of sestamibi in the mediastinum and CT scan when there was lymph nodes larger than 10 mm in short axis. The results of SPECT/CT and CT were correlated with pathology findings after surgery. RESULTS: SPECT/CT correctly identified six of 19 cases with involvement of hilar lymph nodes and one of seven cases with nodal metastases in the mediastinum. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT in the assessment of the hilum were respectively: 31.6%, 95.5%, 85.7% and 61.8% and for the mediastinum 14.3%, 97.1%, 50% and 84.6%. Chest tomography showed a sensitivity of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes of 47.4% and 57.1%, specificity of 95.5% and 91.2%, positive predictive value of 90% and 57.1% and negative predictive value of 67.7% and 91.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT with 99mTc-sestamibi showed very low sensitivity and accuracy for nodal staging of patients with non-small cell cancer despite its high specificity. Moreover, the performance of SPECT/CT added no relevant information compared to CT that could justify its use in the routine preoperative staging of non-small cell lung carcinoma
194

Estadiamento mediastinal pré-operatório em câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células utilizando fusão de imagem SPECT/TC com 99mTC-SESTAMIBI / Preoperative mediastinal staging in non-small cell lung cancer using image fusion SPECT/CT with 99mTc-Sestamibi

Miziara, Juliana Muniz 18 April 2011 (has links)
INTRODUÇÃO: A avaliação do mediastino quanto à presença de metástases linfonodais é importante na escolha do tratamento dos pacientes com câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células. Apesar da tomografia computadorizada ser o exame de imagem de escolha no estadiamento do câncer de pulmão, tem limitações conhecidas quanto à avaliação dos linfonodos regionais. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a acurácia do SPECT/TC utilizando o radiofármaco 99mTc-sestamibi no estadiamento linfonodal do mediastino em pacientes com diagnóstico de carcinoma de pulmão de não pequenas células e candidatos a tratamento cirúrgico. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada coleta prospectiva de dados de 41 pacientes entre dezembro de 2006 a fevereiro de 2009. Os pacientes foram submetidos à tomografia computadorizada de tórax e ao SPECT/TC com 99mTc-sestamibi no prazo máximo de 30 dias antes da cirurgia. O SPECT/TC foi considerado positivo quando havia captação no mediastino e a tomografia de tórax, quando havia linfonodos maiores do que 10 mm no menor eixo. Os resultados da interpretação do SPECT/TC com sestamibi e da TC de tórax foram comparados aos encontrados na patologia, definido como método padrão ouro. RESULTADOS: O SPECT/TC identificou de maneira correta seis dos 19 casos com envolvimento dos linfonodos hilares e um dos sete casos com metástases ganglionares no mediastino pela patologia. Os valores de sensibilidade, especificidade, valores de predição positivo e negativo para o 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/TC na avaliação do hilo foram respectivamente de: 31,6%, 95,5%, 85,7% e 61,8% e para o mediastino de 14,3%, 97,1%, 50% e 84,6%. A tomografia de tórax encontrou sensibilidade para a análise dos linfonodos hilares e mediastinais de 47,4% e 57,1%, especificidade de 95,5%, e 91,2%, valores de predição positivo de 90% e 57,1% e negativo de 67,7% e 91,2%, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: Nos pacientes com câncer de pulmão de não pequenas células com doença inicial e ressecável o SPECT/TC com 99mTc-sestamibi no estadiamento linfonodal do mediastino apresentou baixa sensibilidade e acurácia, apesar da alta especificidade. O SPECT/TC não adicionou informações relevantes à TC de tórax, que poderiam justificar o seu emprego no estadiamento pré-operatório do carcinoma de pulmão de não pequenas células / INTRODUCTION: The proper nodal staging of non-small cell lung cancer is important to choose the best treatment modality. Although CT is the first-line imaging test for primary staging of lung cancer, it is well known its limitations on mediastinum nodal staging. The aim was to evaluate the accuracy of SPECT/CT using 99mTc-sestamibi in the nodal staging of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and potential candidates towards surgical treatment. METHODS: A prospective data collection of 41 patients was conducted from December 2006 to February 2009. The patients underwent chest CT and SPECT/CT with 99mTc-sestamibi within 30 days interval before surgery. SPECT/CT was considered positive when there was focal uptake of sestamibi in the mediastinum and CT scan when there was lymph nodes larger than 10 mm in short axis. The results of SPECT/CT and CT were correlated with pathology findings after surgery. RESULTS: SPECT/CT correctly identified six of 19 cases with involvement of hilar lymph nodes and one of seven cases with nodal metastases in the mediastinum. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT in the assessment of the hilum were respectively: 31.6%, 95.5%, 85.7% and 61.8% and for the mediastinum 14.3%, 97.1%, 50% and 84.6%. Chest tomography showed a sensitivity of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes of 47.4% and 57.1%, specificity of 95.5% and 91.2%, positive predictive value of 90% and 57.1% and negative predictive value of 67.7% and 91.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: SPECT/CT with 99mTc-sestamibi showed very low sensitivity and accuracy for nodal staging of patients with non-small cell cancer despite its high specificity. Moreover, the performance of SPECT/CT added no relevant information compared to CT that could justify its use in the routine preoperative staging of non-small cell lung carcinoma
195

Novel Insights into Schwann Cell Dynamics in Peripheral Nervous System Myelination: a dissertation

Gatto, Cheryl Lynn 07 April 2004 (has links)
This body of work details the exploitation of an incredibly powerful neural culture system, which enables the in vitrostudy of events involved in peripheral nervous system (PNS) development. Using a myelinating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explant culture system, node of Ranvier formation and maintenance and the associated generation and maturation of myelin segments was examined. In addition, Schwann cell (SC) development, dynamics, and migration were extensively studied. First, in characterizing these cultures, the discrete axonal localization of specific ankyrin isoforms was revealed. Ankyrins are peripheral membrane proteins that immobilize classes of integral membrane proteins to the spectrin based-membrane skeleton. Ankyrins interact with proteins such as the voltage-dependent/gated sodium channel (vgsc) and members of the L1 family of cell adhesion molecules. These interactions are physiologically relevant to the formation of membrane specializations involved in axon guidance and the initiation and propagation of action potentials. We examined ankyrinB and ankyrinG expression in cultured DRG explants, which allowed visualization of individual axons. AnkyrinB and ankyrinG exhibited differential localizations to specific axonal populations. This was evident as early as one day in vitro and persisted over time. In mature pre-myelinated cultures, axons having an apparent diameter of less than 1 µm predominantly expressed ankyrinB, whereas axons having a diameter greater than or equal to 1 µm predominantly expressed ankyrinG (based on immunocytochemical reactivity). When myelination was induced, ankyrinGwas appropriately localized to sites of nodal development flanked by myelinating glial processes in the large caliber axons. These observations suggest that axons destined for myelination may express a distinct complement of peripheral, and perhaps integral, membrane proteins as compared to those observed in non-myelinated axons. These distinguishing features may play a role in the selection of axons for myelination. This work was followed with defining the role axo-glial interactions play in organizing domains along the axon being myelinated. Nodes of Ranvier are specialized, highly polarized axonal domains crucial to the propagation of saltatory action potentials. In the PNS, axon-glial cell contacts have been implicated in SC differentiation and the formation of nodes of Ranvier. SC microvilli establish axonal contact at mature nodes, and their components have been observed to localize early to sites of developing nodes. However, a role for these contacts in node formation remains controversial. Using the myelinating explant culture system, we observed that SCs reorganize and polarize microvillar components, such as the ezrin-binding phosphoprotein 50kDa (EBP50)/regulatory co-factor of the sodium-hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHERF-1), actin, and the activated ezrin, radixin, and moesin (ERM) family of proteins, concomitant with myelination in response to inductive signals. These components were targeted to the SC distal tips where live cell imaging revealed novel, dynamic growth cone-like behavior. Further, localized activation of the Rho signaling pathway at SC tips gave rise to these microvillar component-enriched “caps” and influenced the efficiency of node formation. Extending these findings, a more profound examination of SC dynamics was undertaken. This was a particularly important experimental transition, as SC motility is crucial in the development and regeneration of the PNS. The seemingly equivalent bipolarity of mature SCs represents a conundrum in terms of directed motility. Fluorescence time-lapse microscopy of transfected SCs within the myelinating DRG explants revealed a novel cycling of these cells between static, bipolar and motile, unipolar morphologies via asymmetric process retraction and extension. Concentrations of PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate), activated ERMs, and EBP50 delineated the transitory asymmetry associated with the generation and neuron-like migration of the unipolar cell. EBP50 over-expression enhanced unipolar SC migration, suggesting a new role for this adaptor protein in cell motility. Further, the ERMs themselves were found to be essential to both motility and process dynamics with ERM disruption yielding a dysfunctional, multipolar SC phenotype. We propose this novel form of motility may be associated with the correct alignment and spacing of SCs along axons prior to elaboration of the myelin sheath. These compiled studies present significant advances in understanding and examining axo-glial interactions in the PNS. This work establishes the foundation for further, novel exploration of normal PNS development and the regeneration and repair mechanisms involved in PNS injury and disease states.
196

Gravity Control System: Realistic Balanced Poses and Animations

Remmers, Tobias January 2007 (has links)
<p>The Gravity Control for Maya will be extraordinary</p><p>beneficial to an animator trying to create realistic</p><p>animation, by calculating the center of gravity and area</p><p>of balance. This control will provide the animator with</p><p>the ability to rotate around the center of gravity and</p><p>keep the character in a balanced pose. With that ability,</p><p>the animator can easily create accurate poses and</p><p>animation, such as mid-air flips. The system also</p><p>supports a vast number of characters with different</p><p>shapes, sizes and number of limbs.</p>
197

Studies of Experimental Bacterial Translocation

Stenbäck, Anders January 2005 (has links)
<p>One of the main obstacles to maintaining patients with short bowel syndrome on parenteral nutrition, or successfully transplanting these patients with a small bowel graft, is the many severe infections that occur. Evidence is accumulating that translocating bacteria from the patient’s bowel causes a significant part of these infections. In this thesis bacterial translocation is studied in a Thiry-Vella loop of defunctionalised small bowel in the rat. </p><p>Bacterial translocation to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) occurs in almost 100% of the rats after three days. No systemic spread of bacteria is observed unless there is additional immunosupression with depletion of Kupffer cells in the liver. However, blocking the function of α/β T cells does not increase the translocation. Removal of MLNs does not either aggravate bacterial translocation in the Thiry-Vella loop model. Conversely, after small bowel transplantation translocating bacteria spread systemically if the MLNs are removed. </p><p>The Thiry-Vella loop should also be a suitable model for the testing of potentially translocation-inhibiting substances. Reinforcement of the intestinal barrier with glutamine or phosphatidylcholine proved insufficient in decreasing bacterial translocation. Even selective bowel decontamination with tobramycin failed to abolish bacterial translocation. Thus, it seems that the driving force for translocation in this model is strong regardless of the relatively small trauma of intestinal defunctionalisation.</p><p>Flow cytometric studies of the immune cells in the spleen MLNs showed a decrease in MHC class II positive T cells in the MLNs of the Thiry-Vella loop. Concurrently the number of macrophages increased with time as observed by immunohistochemistry. The fraction of MHC class II negative macrophages increased in the spleens of rats treated with glutamine. </p><p>In conclusion, the Thiry-Vella loop model offers possibilities of immunological as well as mechanistic studies on bacterial translocation from small intestine.</p>
198

Stress driven changes in the kinetics of bilayer embedded proteins: a membrane spandex and a voltage-gated sodium channel

Boucher, Pierre-Alexandre 27 May 2011 (has links)
Bilayer embedded proteins are affected by stress. This general affirmation is, in this thesis, embodied by two types of proteins: membrane spandex and voltage-gated sodium channels. In this work, we essentially explore, using methods from physics, the theoretical consequences of ideas drawn from experimental biology. Membrane spandex was postulated to exist and we study the theoretical implications and possible benefits for a cell to have such proteins embedded in its bilayer. There are no specific membrane spandex proteins, rather any protein with a transition involving a large enough area change between two non-conducting states could act as spandex. Bacterial cells have osmovalve channels which open at near-lytic tensions to protect themselves against rupture. Spandex expanding at tensions just below the osmovalves’ opening tension could relieve tension enough as to avoid costly accidental osmovalve opening due to transient bilayer tension excursions. Another possible role for spandex is a tension-damper: spandex could be used to maintain bilayer tension at a fixed level. This would be useful as many bilayer embedded channels are known to be modulated by tension. The Stress/shear experienced in traumatic brain injury cause an immediate (< 2 min) and irreversible TTX-sensitive rise in axonal calcium. In situ, this underlies an untreatable condition, diffuse axonal injury. TTX sensitivity indicates that leaky voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels mediate the calcium increase. Wang et al. showed that the mammalian adult CNS Nav isoform, Nav1.6, expressed in Xenopus oocytes becomes “leaky” when subjected to bleb-inducing pipette aspiration. This “leaky” condition is caused by a hyperpolarized-shift (left-shift or towards lower potentials, typically 20 mV) of the kinetically coupled processes of activation and inactivation thus effectively degrading a well-confined window conductance into a TTX-sensitive Na leak. We propose experimental protocols to determine whether this left-shift is the result of an all-or-none or graded process and whether persistent Na currents are also left-shifted by trauma. We also use modeling to assess whether left-shifted Nav channel kinetics could lead to Na+ (and hence Ca2+ ) loading of axons and to study saltatory propagation after traumatizing a single node of Ranvier.
199

Stress driven changes in the kinetics of bilayer embedded proteins: a membrane spandex and a voltage-gated sodium channel

Boucher, Pierre-Alexandre 27 May 2011 (has links)
Bilayer embedded proteins are affected by stress. This general affirmation is, in this thesis, embodied by two types of proteins: membrane spandex and voltage-gated sodium channels. In this work, we essentially explore, using methods from physics, the theoretical consequences of ideas drawn from experimental biology. Membrane spandex was postulated to exist and we study the theoretical implications and possible benefits for a cell to have such proteins embedded in its bilayer. There are no specific membrane spandex proteins, rather any protein with a transition involving a large enough area change between two non-conducting states could act as spandex. Bacterial cells have osmovalve channels which open at near-lytic tensions to protect themselves against rupture. Spandex expanding at tensions just below the osmovalves’ opening tension could relieve tension enough as to avoid costly accidental osmovalve opening due to transient bilayer tension excursions. Another possible role for spandex is a tension-damper: spandex could be used to maintain bilayer tension at a fixed level. This would be useful as many bilayer embedded channels are known to be modulated by tension. The Stress/shear experienced in traumatic brain injury cause an immediate (< 2 min) and irreversible TTX-sensitive rise in axonal calcium. In situ, this underlies an untreatable condition, diffuse axonal injury. TTX sensitivity indicates that leaky voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels mediate the calcium increase. Wang et al. showed that the mammalian adult CNS Nav isoform, Nav1.6, expressed in Xenopus oocytes becomes “leaky” when subjected to bleb-inducing pipette aspiration. This “leaky” condition is caused by a hyperpolarized-shift (left-shift or towards lower potentials, typically 20 mV) of the kinetically coupled processes of activation and inactivation thus effectively degrading a well-confined window conductance into a TTX-sensitive Na leak. We propose experimental protocols to determine whether this left-shift is the result of an all-or-none or graded process and whether persistent Na currents are also left-shifted by trauma. We also use modeling to assess whether left-shifted Nav channel kinetics could lead to Na+ (and hence Ca2+ ) loading of axons and to study saltatory propagation after traumatizing a single node of Ranvier.
200

Energy-efficient Real-time Coordination And Routing Framework For Wireless Sensor And Actor Networks

Shah, Ghalib Asadullah 01 March 2007 (has links) (PDF)
In Wireless Sensor Actor Networks (WSANs), sensor nodes perform the sensing task and actor nodes take action based on the sensed phenomenon. The presence of actors in this configuration can not be benefited from, unless they are able to execute actions at right place and right time in the event region. The right place can be related to the accurate position of the sensor nodes. While, the right time is related to delivering the packets directly to the appropriate actors within the event specific response times. Hence, the efficient localization of sensor nodes, sensor-actor/actor-actor coordination and real-time routing is indispensable in WSANs. Furthermore, the limited energy levels and bandwidth of the state of art sensor nodes currently impose stringent requirements for low-complexity, low-energy, distributed coordination and cooperation protocols and their implementation. In this study, we propose an integrated framework which addresses the issues of sensors localization, network configuration, data aggregation, real-time data delivery, sensor-actor/actor-actor coordination and energy saving mechanisms. The proposal incorporates novel approaches on three fronts / (1) timing-based sensors localization (TSL) algorithm to localize the sensor nodes relative to actors, (2) real-time coordination and routing protocols and (3) energy conservation. The distributed real-time coordination and routing is implemented in addressing and greedy modes routing. A cluster-based real-time coordination and routing (RCR) protocol operates in addressing mode. The greedy mode routing approach (Routing by Adaptive Targeting, RAT) is a stateless shortest path routing. In dense deployment, it performs well in terms of delay and energy consumption as compared to RCR. To keep the traffic volume under control, the framework incorporates a novel real-time data aggregation (RDA) approach in RCR such that the packets deadlines are not affected. RDA is adaptive to the traffic conditions and provides fairness among the farther and nearer cluster-heads. Finally, framework incorporates a power management scheme that eliminates data redundancy by exploiting the spatial correlation of sensor nodes. Simulation results prove that the framework provides the real-time guarantees up to 95 % of the packets with lesser energy consumption of up to 33 % achieved using MEAC as compared to LEACH and SEP. The packet delivery ratio is also 60 % higher than that of semi-automated architecture. Furthermore the action accuracy is supported by TSL which restricts the localization errors less than 1 meter by tuning it according to the expected velocity of nodes and required accuracy.

Page generated in 0.06 seconds