Introduction: This study assessed student perceptions, preparation, and result use strategies of the Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment (PCOA). Secondarily, it studied the effect of schools/colleges of pharmacy (S/COP) PCOA management on student perceptions. Methods: A 52-item electronic questionnaire assessed PCOA preparation of final year students, review/use of results, remediation participation, self-reported motivation, and perceptions of the exam's ability to measure PCOA blueprint areas and North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)/advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) readiness. Programs were given a questionnaire to determine their PCOA practices. Results: The student survey was completed by 341 students (40% response rate). Students prepared very little for the PCOA and few reported participation in PCOA-based remediation (6%). Students perceived the PCOA to measure the four domains moderately well, although administrative sciences were significantly lower. Students reported less confidence in the exam's ability to measure APPE/NAPLEX-readiness. Although few used the PCOA to guide their NAPLEX preparation (18%), they were more likely to do so than for APPEs (4%). Students reported a higher perceived increase in motivation if PCOA results were connected to APPE placement, remediation, and progression as opposed to prizes, rewards, or other recognitions. Conclusion: This is the first multi-institutional study to review student perceptions about the PCOA. These data can be used along with other PCOA data to help schools develop incentive, remediation, and examination administration procedures depending on the programs desired use for the PCOA exam.

Submitted by Daniele Amaral (daniee_ni@hotmail.com) on 2016-10-21T15:37:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissTFM.pdf: 1618625 bytes, checksum: ba3b310ad76c72c7db050d705a64ff5b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-11-08T18:56:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissTFM.pdf: 1618625 bytes, checksum: ba3b310ad76c72c7db050d705a64ff5b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-11-08T18:56:51Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissTFM.pdf: 1618625 bytes, checksum: ba3b310ad76c72c7db050d705a64ff5b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-08T18:56:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissTFM.pdf: 1618625 bytes, checksum: ba3b310ad76c72c7db050d705a64ff5b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Sugar, ethanol and bionergy are products generated from sugarcane, whose current demand remains high. However, two rust diseases have threatened its yield, brown rust (Puccinia melanocephala) and orange rust (P. kuehnii). The most efficient method to control these diseases is resistant varieties. The success and longevity of varieties depends basically on two factors: pathogen diversity and correct evaluation of genotype reaction. Therefore, chapter 1 of this dissertation aimed to examine phenotypic and genotypic diversity of rusts pathogens and existence of a direct correlation between these traits. Genotyping of P. melanocephala employed 31 isolates and 39 for P. kuehnii with 10 SSR markers. The genetic diversity was verified through UPGMA clustering and PCoA analyses. The phenotypic diversity was investigated by leaf lesion area and compatible/incompatible interaction between host and pathogen. Data of this work showed similar grouping between UPGMA and PCoA with identification of nine genetic subpopulations for P. kuehnii and 10 subpopulations for P. melanocephala. As for phenotypic diversity, three races were identified in P. kuehnii whereas two were detected in P. melanocephala. Direct correlation between genetic and phenotypic diversity was only observed in P. kuehnii. The chapter 2 examined reaction of five sugarcane commercial varieties to P. kuehnii over different period of time as well as quantity and viability of urediniospores. For disease progress disease, three isolates were inoculated on five varieties and their reactions evaluated 21, 28, 35, 42 days after by disease score. Disease reaction measured by quantity and viability of uredinispores was examined in two different trials. In the first, spores from different type of lesions were investigated 42 days after inoculation, in the second, spores from the same type of reaction but from a susceptible and resistance varieties were observed. Our data identified one variety which reaction changed over time. Therefore, in order to avoid false resistant materials other traits should be taking into account, quantity and viability of urediniospores. / Açúcar, etanol e bionergia são produtos gerados a partir da cana-de-açúcar, cuja demanda atual permanece alta. Entretanto, duas ferrugens têm ameaçado a produtividade, ferrugem marrom (Puccinia melanocephala) e ferrugem alaranjada (P. kuehnii). O mais eficiente método de controle dessas doenças é variedades resistentes. O sucesso e longevidade das variedades dependem de vários fatores, podendo ser os dois principais: a diversidade do patógeno e a correta avaliação da reação dos genótipos. Portanto, o capítulo 1 desta dissertação objetivou examinar a diversidade genética e fenotípica dos patógenos das ferrugens e a existência de correlação direta entre essas características. 31 isolados de P. melanocephala e 39 de P. kuehnii foram genotipados por 10 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat). A diversidade genética foi verificada através grupamento UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Methods Using Arithmetic Averages) e análise de PCoA (Principal Coordinate Analyses). A diversidade fenotípica foi investigada pela porcentagem de área afetada e reações incompatíveis/compatíveis entre o patógeno e o hospedeiro. Os resultados deste trabalho mostraram similar agrupamento entre UPGMA e PCoA com identificação de nove subpopulações genéticas para P. kuehnii e 10 subpopulações para P. melanocephala. Para a diversidade fenotípica, três raças foram detectadas em P. kuehnii, enquanto em P. melanocephala duas. Correlação direta entre diversidade genética e fenotípica foi encontrada somente em P. kuehnii. O capítulo 2 examinou a reação de algumas variedades comerciais de cana-de-açúcar à P. kuehnii em diferentes períodos de tempo, assim como viabilidade e quantidade de urediniósporos. Para o progresso da doença, três isolados foram inoculados, em cinco variedades e sua reação avaliada aos 21, 28, 35 e 42 dias depois pela escala de notas. Reação da doença medida pela quantidade e viabilidade de urediniósporos foi examinada em dois diferentes ensaios. No primeiro, esporos de diferentes tipos de lesão foi investigado 42 dias depois da inoculação, no segundo, esporos do mesmo tipo de reação, mas de uma variedade suscetível e a outra resistente foram observadas. Nosso dado verificou que uma variedade pode mudar de reação de resistente para suscetível ao longo do tempo. Portanto, a fim de evitar falsos resistentes outras características do material devem ser levadas em conta, quantidade e viabilidade de urediniósporos.

This masters thesis has a few objectives. One of them is to acquaint with the problems of genome engineering, especially with fragmentation of DNA, the macromolecule DNA, the methods for purification and separation of the nucleic acids, the enzymes used for modification of these acids, amplification and get to know with cluster and gradient analysis as well. The next aim is to peruse the existed application and compare it to the layout of the proposed application, that is the third aim. The last one from the objectives is the implementation and the report how was the application tested by the real data. The results will be discussed as well as the possibilities of the further extension.

In human microbiome analysis, sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes has revealed a role for the gut microbiota in maintaining health and contributing to various pathologies. Novel community analysis techniques must be evaluated in terms of bias, sensitivity, and reproducibility and compared to existing techniques to be effectively implemented. Next- generation sequencing technologies offer many advantages over traditional fingerprinting methods, but this extensive evaluation required for the most efficacious use of data has not been performed previously. Illumina libraries were generated from the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene of samples taken from 12 unique sites within the gastrointestinal tract for each of 4 individuals. Fingerprint data were generated from these samples and prominent bands were sequenced. Sequenced bands were matched with OTUs within their respective libraries. The results demonstrate that denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) represents relatively abundant bacterial taxa (>0.1%) beta-diversity of all samples was compared using Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) of UniFrac distances and Multi-Response Permutation Procedure (MRPP) was applied to measure sample cluster strength and significance; indicator species analysis of fingerprint bands and Illumina OTUs were also compared. The results demonstrate overall similarities between community profiling methods but also indicate that sequence data were not subject to the same limitations observed with the DGGE method (i.e., only abundant taxa bands are resolved, unable to distinguish disparate samples). In addition, the effect of stochastic fluctuations in ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? differ for DGGE and next-generation sequencing. I compared pooled and individual reactions for samples of high and low template concentration for both Illumina and DGGE using the combined V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, and demonstrated that template concentration has a greater impact on reproducibility than pooling. This research shows congruity between two disparate molecular methods, identifies sources of bias, and establishes new guidelines for minimizing bias in microbial community analyses.

Introduction: À la naissance, les signatures du microbiote intestinal sont différentes entre le nourrisson né à terme et le Preterme (PT), signalant un possible explication des déficits neurodéveloppementaux chez le PT via l’axe de communication entre le cerveau et l’intestin. Cette étude vise à démontrer que le microbiote intestinal peut être un biomarqueur précoce d’une évaluation neuromotrice anormale à l’âge corrigé du terme chez les PT. Méthodes: Des échantillons fécaux ont été collectés à la naissance et à l’âge corrigé du terme dans cette cohorte de PT. L’ADN génomique a été extrait pour chaque échantillon et amplifié dans la région V3-V4 de l’ARNr 16S. L’analyse bio-informatique du microbiote a été réalisée grâce à QIIME2 (v2020.2). À l’âge corrigé du terme, l’évaluation neuromotrice sera faite à l’aide de deux tests neuromoteurs: « Amiel-Tison Test » (ENTAT) et « Global Motor Assessment » (GMA). Résultats: L’analyse PCoA a permis de délimiter l’évaluation neuromotrice anormale à l’âge corrigé du terme en utilisant l’ENTAT combiné au GMA comme évaluation neuromotrice. En utilisant l’indice de dissimilarité du Bray-Curtis comme mesure de β-diversité, la PCoA démontre une plus forte similarité au niveau des MI des PTs à évaluation neuromotrice normaux à la naissance. L’analyse corrélationnelle nous montre que l’indice Shannon de diversité-α est plus élevé à la naissance chez les PTs avec une évaluation neuromotrice normal (*P=0.56), qui continue d’augmenter à l’âge corrigé du terme, se traduisant par un gain de biodiversité dans le MI de l’enfant avec une évaluation neuromotrice normal. Les mesures d’abondance relatives de genres bactériens nous démontrent une plus forte prévalence de pathogènes opportunistes, ainsi qu’une faible présence de bactéries commensales à la naissance et à l’âge corrigé du terme dans le groupe à évaluation neuromotrice anormale. Conclusion: Les niveaux de bactéries opportunistes sont plus élevés à l’âge corrigé du terme chez les PT à évaluation neuromotrice anormal de même qu’une raréfaction de bactéries commensales. La diversité du microbiote intestinale à l’âge corrigé du terme est aussi réduite chez les PT à évaluation neuromotrice anormale. / Background: The early developmental window of the gut microbiome occurs in parallel with the nervous system development, which may be influenced by early life exposure including variation in gut microbiota colonization. Emerging evidence are now highlighting how gut microbiota signatures are distinct between term and preterm infants (PT). This study aims to explore if gut microbiota colonization, as an early biomarker, is associated with abnormal neuromotor examination at term-corrected age in infants PT. Methods: Fecal samples of thirty-four participants were collected at birth and from 26 participants at term-corrected age at term-corrected age from a longitudinal observational cohort of PT. Genomic DNA was extracted and V3-V4 region from 16S rRNA was amplified. Taxonomy abundance tables were generated from the FASTQ data obtained, using QIIME2 (v2020.2) for further analysis. At term-corrected age, two neuromotor examination were performed to evaluate neuromotor outcomes: The Amiel-Tison Test (ENTAT) and the Global Motor Assessment (GMA). Results: PCoA cluster analysis allowed to delineate abnormal neuromotor assessment at term-corrected age using ENTAT examination alone or in combination with GMA. In fact, using Bray-Curtis distance for β-diversity, PCoA shows a better clusterisation at birth of normal neuromotor examination than the abnormal neuromotor examination. Correlational analyses showed that Shannon diversity is higher at birth in PT with a normal neuromotor examination (*P=0.56), which increases at term-corrected age translating a gain in biodiversity in infant with a normal neuromotor examination. Relative abundance analysis showed a higher prevalence of opportunistic pathogens at birth and at term-corrected age in the abnormal neuromotor examination group, along with a rarefaction of commensal bacteria. Summary: Opportunistic pathogen levels are higher at term-corrected age in PT presenting an abnormal neuromotor examination along with a rarefaction of their commensal bacteria of their gut microbiota. This preliminary analysis also indicates that an early life poor bacterial diversity in the gut microbiota could be predictive of abnormal neuromotor examination at term-corrected age in infants PT.