Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:04:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LorenaGFB.pdf: 460479 bytes, checksum: aa12e0a9baa8d74666214337a2a8c5f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-05-19 / Nowadays there are many reasons that aim to include people with special necessities, like those with visual deficiency, in the world of work, education, and in the society as a whole. However it is observed that when we talk about schooling inclusion, especially in High School, there is a huge gap between the theory and the practice. The lack of didactic resources, the inadequate installations, unprepared teachers, the families? lack of information, are some of the factors that hinder the process of inclusion. Furthermore, the educators also have to deal with the roughness of the disciplinary contents and, refering to the study of Chemistry, with the use of signals related to this subject?s language. So, the objective of our research is to reflect about the apprehension of this language by the visually handicapped people, and try to contribute with their process of inclusion in the school life. On this perspective we work with the Periodic Table, which constitutes one of the indispensable tools necessary to the Chemistry learning. In order to acomplish it, the way followed by us happened in three passages. Initially, by means of a semistructured interview, we tried to get acquainted with the blind students opinion, who were participating in the research about the Periodic Table used by them throughout High School, as well as the dificulties felt when using it. After getting the answers, the Table was reelaborated to fill those students?necessities. Here, two new Tables were designed, one in Braille which shape is more compacted, and another made with high printed dots, built with sand and glue. On the third moment, the new designed Tables were tested by the students and, by means of a semi-structured interview, we tried to identify if this new resource would solve the problems concerned to the old Table. The students showed that the compacted Tables would facilitate the touch reading of the chemical elements simbols, making it clear and fast. We hope that, with the elaboration of this learning tools we can contribute with one of the elements to favor the effective participation of blind students in Chemistry classes, when studying the Periodic Table / Na atualidade, in?meras s?o as raz?es que visam ? inclus?o de pessoas com necessidades especiais, dentre essas, aquelas com defici?ncia visual, no mundo do trabalho, na educa??o, e na sociedade como um todo. Entretanto, observa-se que em se tratando da inclus?o escolar dessas pessoas, especialmente no Ensino M?dio, h? um enorme distanciamento entre a teoria e a pr?tica. A falta de recursos did?ticos, as instala??es f?sicas inadequadas, o despreparo dos professores, a desinforma??o das fam?lias, s?o alguns dos fatores que emperram o processo de inclus?o. Al?m disso, os educandos deparam-se tamb?m com a aridez dos conte?dos disciplinares e, no caso do estudo da Qu?mica, com a utiliza??o dos signos relativos ? linguagem que ? concernente ? mat?ria. Logo, o objetivo de nossa pesquisa ? refletir sobre a apreens?o dessa linguagem pelas pessoas com defici?ncia visual, com vistas a contribuir para o seu processo de inclus?o escolar. Nessa perspectiva, trabalhamos com a Tabela Peri?dica, que se constitui em uma das ferramentas indispens?veis para apropria??o do conhecimento qu?mico. Para tanto, o percurso metodol?gico adotado foi realizado em tr?s etapas. Inicialmente, por meio de uma entrevista semi-estruturada, procurou-se conhecer a opini?o de alunos cegos, participantes da pesquisa, sobre a Tabela Peri?dica que utilizaram no Ensino M?dio, bem como as dificuldades sentidas no seu manuseio. A partir das respostas obtidas, a tabela foi re-elaborada para atender ?s necessidades destes alunos. Nessa etapa, foram constru?das duas tabelas, uma em Braille cuja forma ? mais compacta, e a outra em alto relevo, confeccionada com areia e cola. Na terceira etapa, as tabelas elaboradas foram submetidas a an?lise dos participantes e por meio de entrevista semi-estruturada procurou-se identificar se esse recurso atendia ?s solicita??es feitas pelos alunos quanto ao manuseio. Os participantes sinalizaram que as tabelas compactas facilitavam a leitura t?ctil dos s?mbolos dos elementos qu?micos de forma mais ?gil e clara. Espera-se que, com a elabora??o dessas ferramentas, possamos contribuir com mais um dos elementos a favorecer a participa??o efetiva de alunos cegos nas aulas de Qu?mica, ao estudar a Tabela Peri?dica

The Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) is a recently introduced form of a circular external orthopaedic fixator for long bone fracture reduction and deformity correction. The TSF is constructed from two circular rings interconnected with six variable-length struts. Its kinematics are based on the Stewart-Gough platform. The TSF is attached to the patient's anatomy using fine wires and half-pins. In this thesis, three aspects of the TSF are analysed. First, the solution to non-trivial forward and inverse kinematics has been addressed. Second, the mechanical properties of the TSF fixator are investigated. Individual component stiffness is assessed separately and then the complete fixator is modelled. Simple stiffuess models of fine wires and half-pins are derived. Considerations for the use of the TSF for the peri-articular fractures are investigated and potential modifications are proposed. The effect of backlash in the frame components on the accuracy of the fixator has been analysed. Finally, in rder to validate the kinematics solution, to provide a training aid for surgeons and to demonstrate the concept of accurately controlled interfragmentary motion, a prototype of an active TSF was designed and built. Computationally efficient algorithms for solving the forward and inverse kinematics have been developed that require little numerical processing overhead and can be implemented on a mobile computing device. It was found that the TSF fixator has similar axial stiffuess to the circular Ilizarov ring fixator, since wires and half-pins are significantly less stiff than the frames. Furthermore, the TSF exhibits more uniform stiffuess for a range of off-axis loads and is significantly stiffer for torsional loads than the Ilizarov fixator. Slack, in the form of a backlash, can lead to severe strains in the unloaded frames and therefore fractures, and hence precautions are recommended. Finally, considerations and prototype for the automated TSF are presented that can be utilised for demonstration purposes and surgeon training.

abstract: Since the Enlightenment, humanist philosophy has understood materiality as an inert and determinate world categorically separate from the sphere of consciousness and language. However, after evolving significantly during the 20th century, the natural sciences now recognize the complexity, indeterminacy and agency of matter. A parallel transformation can be observed in contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature and is exemplified in the works of Cristina Peri Rossi and Cecilia Vicuña. Drawing on knowledge which emerges from the natural sciences, the humanities and personal experience, these poets explore multiple dimensions of materiality from the microscopic world of subatomic particles and DNA molecules to the macroscopic world of the body and the structure of the universe. The theoretical orientation of this study emerges from posthumanism, which critiques the epistemological foundations of humanist thought and reconfigures reductionist concepts of matter, discourse, the subject, and agency which are grounded in dualistic ontology. Material feminist theorists explore materiality through interdisciplinary approaches which establish a dialogue between posthumanism, feminist theory and the natural sciences. The material feminist Karen Barad proposes an agential realist ontology which constitutes the principal theoretical framework of this thesis. According to Barad, phenomena are not exclusively social or material but rather material-discursive practices, and the concept of agency is reconfigured as the product of the dynamics of intra-action rather than an as an attribute restricted to the human sphere. Furthermore, this thesis utilizes diverse materials from the areas of literary criticism and scientific research in order to achieve an authentically interdisciplinary interpretation of materiality in the poetry. Peri Rossi and Vicuña express a profound questioning of the fundamental assumptions of humanism and offer perspectives which take into account matter's agency and dynamism. Their poetry presents materiality as a constant process of creation and as an active participant in the unfolding of reality, thereby opening up new horizons of investigation. By interpreting the works of Peri Rossi and Vicuña through the lens of posthumanist theory, this study contributes to a growing body of interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Spanish 2013

Uma das complicações mais importantes relacionadas com o tratamento de implante dentário é a peri-implantite. Devido a limitação pela sobreposição de estruturas da técnica periapical, nos casos da perda óssea peri-implantar nas faces vestibulares e linguais ou palatais necessita-se de um exame capaz de prover imagens em 3 dimensões para o correto diagnóstico, sendo as imagens de tomografia computadorizada por feixe cônico (TCFC) as mais indicadas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a acurácia, especificidade, sensibilidade, concordância inter e intraobservadores e determinar a influência dos artefatos na detecção dos defeitos ósseos peri-implantares simulados em mandíbulas humanas edêndulas secas. Foram utilizados dois aparelhos de TCFC com diferentes protocolos de aquisição: i-CAT Gendex CB-500(120kVp, 5mA) e ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH OP300(90kVp, 6.3mA). Foram instalados 24 implantes dentários cilíndricos e executados dezesseis defeitos somente nas faces vestibulares, com os comprimentos que variaram de 0,5mm a 15mm. Somente cortes sagitais foram utilizados para avaliação qualitativa e quantitativa dos defeitos foi realizada por meio de Image J. Os resultados do teste de concordância intra e inter-observadores tanto nas avaliações qualitativas e quantitativas foram predominantemente fracos. Os valores de Área Sob a Curva (ASC) variaram de 0.51 a 0.72 no i-CAT Gendex CB-500; e no ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH OP300 variaram de 0.54 a 0.75, demonstrando desempenho diagnóstico ligeiramente superior. Nas imagens obtidas em aparelho com 120kVp (i-CAT Gendex CB-500) foram observados maior contraste em relação ao aparelho 90kVp (ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH® OP300); em aparelho com o menor kVp (OP300) formaram mais artefatos e estes, degradaram a qualidade das imagens e influenciaram o desempenho diagnóstico das TCFCs na detecção e nas mensurações de perda óssea peri-implantar. Os protocolos de aquisições diferentes podem influenciar no aumento ou redução da formação dos artefatos. / One of the most important complications related to dental implant treatment is periimplantitis. Due to the structures overlapping inherited to periapical technique, in cases of buccal and lingual or palatal bone loss in peri-implantitis, the 3 dimensions observation exam like cone beam computed tomography(CBCT) is most indicated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, interand intra-observer agreement and to determine the influence of the artifacts in the detection of the peri-implant bone defects simulated in human dry mandibles. The two CBCT devices with different acquisition protocols were used in this study: i-CAT Gendex CB-500 (120kVp, 5mA) and ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH OP300 (90kVp, 6.3mA). Twenty-four cylindrical dental implants were placed and 16 defects were prepared only on buccal faces, the defect lengths ranged from 0.5mm to 15mm. For qualitative and quantitative assessment, only sagittal slices were evaluated by the observers, using Image J software. The results of intra and inter-observer agreement tests in both assessments were generally poor. The AUC values ranged from 0.51 to 0.72 on the i-CAT Gendex CB-500; and in the ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH OP300 ranged from 0.54 to 0.75, showing slightly higher diagnostic performance. Higher contrast was observed in the 120 kVp device\'s images (i-CAT Gendex CB-500) when compared with the 90 kVp device\'s image (ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPH® OP300). The low kVp device (OP300), formed more artifacts which degraded the image quality and influenced the CBCT diagnostic performance in the detection and measurement of peri-implant bone loss. Different CBCT acquisition protocols may influence increasing or reducing artefact formation.

L’élevage périurbain est un sujet d’actualité dans un monde de plus en plus caractérisé par la croissance urbaine. Cependant, le lien entre ville et élevage dans les grandes agglomérations d’Afrique de l’Ouest reste peu étudié sous le prisme de la métropolisation. Sachant que les productions modernes de volailles et de porcs ont prospéré à Abidjan depuis le milieu des années 1970 sans espace officiellement dédié, cette thèse interroge l’influence de la métropolisation sur leur territorialisation à la périphérie de la capitale économique ivoirienne. Dans un cheminement à la croisée des géographies urbaine et rurale, nos enquêtes de terrain nous ont permis de saisir d’une part une tendance à la relocalisation « de proche en proche » vieille des premiers bourgeons de l’expansion spatiale abidjanaise sur la campagne environnante. Et d’autre part, nous constatons la création de nouvelles exploitations ou une dynamique renouvelée des élevages avicoles situés plus loin de la métropole notamment à Agnibilékrou, Assinie, Jacqueville ou à Agboville. Si les voies terrestres structurantes et les possibilités financières des industriels réorganisent le bassin de production avicole, les choses sont plus timides pour les élevages porcins. Ainsi, la variabilité des réponses à l’échelle des seuls producteurs gagnerait à se stabiliser avec un développement agro-industriel régional mieux défini. / Peri-urban breeding is a hot topic in a world increasingly characterized by urban growth. However, the link between city and breeding in the large agglomerations of West Africa remains less studied under the prism of metropolisation. Knowing that moderns poultry and pig productions have flourished in Abidjan since the mid-1970s without officially dedicated space, this thesis questions the influence of metropolisation on their territorialization on the Ivorian economic capital periphery. In a cross-section of urban and rural geography, our field surveys allowed us to grasp, on the one hand, a tendency to relocate « step by step » at the time of the old buds of Abidjan's spatial expansion. On the other hand, we see the creation of new farms or a renewed dynamics of poultry farms located farther from the metropolis, notably in Agnibilékrou, Assinie, Jacqueville or Agboville. While the structural land routes and the financial possibilities of industrialists reorganize the poultry production area, things are lesser for pig farms. Thus, the variability of responses at the producer level alone would tend to stabilize with clearer regional agro-industrial development.

L'accès aux soins dentaires est devenu, au cours de ces dernières années, un service de plus en plus demandé par la population. En particulier, la pose d'un implant, destiné à remplacer une dent manquante, en recréant une racine artificielle, devient un acte de plus en plus courant. Une des principales sources de complications entrainant l'échec de la pose d'un implant est une maladie inflammatoire : la péri-implantite. Cette maladie induit la perte des os de soutien dans les tissus entourant l'implant fonctionnel. Actuellement, il n'existe pas d'implant prévenant ces infections bactériennes, seuls des traitements curatifs sont proposés. Le développement d'un traitement antibactérien implantaire apparaît alors comme une solution préventive pertinente pour limiter les complications post-opératoires et représente un défi de santé publique. Pour parvenir à cet objectif, dans ce travail de thèse, plusieurs solutions pour préparer un revêtement implantaire bioactif ont été étudiées et évaluées. Elles sont toutes basées sur le recouvrement d'une surface modèle de titane par un polymère naturel bioactif, le chitosane. Le greffage du biopolymère au substrat a été réalisé via une liaison covalente en utilisant un agent de couplage. Les différentes étapes de la synthèse du revêtement ainsi que ses propriétés biologiques ont été caractérisées à l'aide de techniques d'analyses de chimie de surface, par des études de tenue et de restitution du biopolymère en milieu acide ainsi que par des études in vitro de l'activité antibactérienne et des propriétés biologiques des revêtements. Les résultats de ce travail ont permis de sélectionner le revêtement bioactif possédant les meilleurs propriétés pour l'application visée, notamment en raison de sa tenue en milieu acide et de son activité antibactérienne en présence des bactéries communes / In the past years, population requirement for dental care service increased. More precisely, replacement of missing tooth using dental implant is now a common intervention. As implant provides an artificial root, this procedure is permanent. The failure of the placement procedure is mainly due to an inflammatory disease: peri-implantitis. This disease leads to the death of bone tissues surrounding the dental implant. Today only curative solutions are available, and no implants can prevent bacterial development. It appears that preventing post-surgical complications by designing antibacterial implants is now a public health issue. To achieve this goal, we evaluate in this thesis different solutions to design bioactive implant coatings. We focused our work on coating of a model titanium surface by a bioactive polymer: chitosan. Polymer binding on the substrate is achieved by covalent link using a coupling agent. We described each step of the coating synthesis and characterized its biological properties using both surface chemistry analysis and cell biology techniques. We studied its behavior in an acid environment and analyzed its biological and antibacterial properties in vitro. Results of this work were used to select the bioactive coating with the best properties for the intended application, particularly due to its resistance in acidic condition and its antibacterial activity against common bacteria

Orientador: Margarete Cristiane de Costa Trindade Amorim / Resumo: O acelerado crescimento das cidades associado a um planejamento ineficiente ocasionou inúmeros problemas ambientais que recaem sobre a qualidade de vida da população. Nesse contexto de alterações das condições do ambiente natural, inúmeros estudos científicos foram suscitados, dentre eles, destacam-se os que se propuseram a estudar o clima das cidades. Diante disso, esta pesquisa baseou-se na proposta teórica e metodológica do Sistema Clima Urbano (S.C.U), com enfoque no subsistema termodinâmico e teve como objetivo central investigar os efeitos de áreas agrícolas urbanas na intensidade das ilhas de calor em Florianópolis - SC, no que se refere às condições de temperatura, um dos principais elementos climáticos responsáveis pelo conforto térmico. A ênfase dada à Florianópolis relaciona-se à presença de um marco legal que prevê a implantação e apoio à prática agrícola nos espaços intraurbano e periurbano. Os procedimentos metodológicos realizados, consistiram na busca por dados de temperatura a partir de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e pontos fixos. Foram tratadas e analisadas as imagens do satélite Landsat-8, que mostraram diferenças nas características térmicas dos alvos, comparando-se áreas densamente construídas com áreas não construídas, apresentando intensidades de ilhas de calor de superfície de até 14ºC. As áreas com maior desenvolvimento vegetativo, com destaque para aquelas localizadas nos topos dos morros, apresentaram as menores temperaturas das cenas e as áreas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The accelerated growth of cities associated with inefficient planning has caused numerous environmental issues that affect the population quality of life. In this context of changes in natural environment conditions, several scientific studies have been carried out, among which stand out those who focused on studying the climate of cities. Therefore, the present research was based on the theoretical and methodological proposal of the Urban Climate System (UCS), with emphasis on the thermodynamic subsystem. The main objective was to investigate the effects of urban agricultural areas on the intensity of heat islands in Florianópolis - SC, with regard to temperature conditions, one of the main climatic elements responsible for thermal comfort. The emphasis given to Florianópolis is related to the presence of a legal framework that provides for the implementation and support of agricultural practice in intra-urban and peri-urban spaces. The methodological procedures performed consisted of researching temperature data using remote sensing techniques and fixed points. Landsat-8 satellite images were treated and analyzed, which presented differences in the thermal characteristics of the targets, comparing densely built areas with non-built spaces, revealing intensities of surface heat islands of up to 14ºC. The areas with the highest vegetative development, with emphasis on those located at the top of hills, presented the lowest temperatures in the scenes, and the areas of urban an... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Many agricultural landscapes in India are irrigated with wastewater, and it is a common livelihood practice particularly in urban and peri-urban areas. Farmers around urban agglomerations continuously depend on the wastewater released from nearby urban centres. While providing opportunities with respect to water and nutrient supply, irrigating with wastewater has adverse environmental impacts, particularly on the local aquifer systems. Therefore, addressing the wastewater irrigation influence on local aquifer systems is crucial for sustainable groundwater management. The present research demonstrates the impacts of wastewater irrigation, seasonality and spatio-temporal variations in the groundwater quality and its geochemical evolution and mixing processes in different land use and crop settings. The doctoral research aims at understanding the aquifer heterogeneity, land use conditions, groundwater dynamics and contaminant fate and transport in the long-term wastewater irrigation system to develop sustainable and suitable groundwater management strategies. The selected study watershed is located on the banks of Musi River in a peri-urban catchment of the Musi River basin in India. Statistical techniques, land use change modelling and solute flow and transport modelling tools are employed to identify and quantify the linkages between contaminants, agricultural use and environmental variables, particularly those characterizing the groundwater qualities. The research results suggest that concentrations of the major ionic substances increase after the monsoon season, especially in wastewater irrigated areas and the major polluted groundwaters to come from the wastewater irrigated parts of the watershed. Clusters of chemical variables identified indicate that groundwater pollution is highly impacted by mineral interactions and long-term wastewater irrigation. The groundwater geochemistry of the watershed is largely controlled by long-term wastewater irrigation, local rainfall patterns and water-rock interactions. The detected land use changes in the watershed indicate that, as a consequence of urban pressures, agricultural landscapes are being converted into built-up areas and, at the same time, former barren land is converted to agricultural plots. The mapped land use data are used in modelling the aquifer conditions and to observe the groundwater dynamics in the peri-urban environment. The study results provide the basis for sustainable agriculture and groundwater development using the efficient scenarios identified for wastewater irrigation management. The resulting strategies for integrated management of water and waste will contribute to the water security and achieve the respective Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 3, 6, 11 and 15).

La perception des signaux chimiques de l’environnement est un processus nécessaire aux interactions sociales entre les animaux. La Drosophile détecte les molécules odorantes et sapides grâce à ses systèmes gustatif et olfactif impliquant plusieurs familles multigèniques de chimiorécepteurs. Ainsi, ces composés chimiques pénétrant dans l'organe sensoriel (sensille) doivent être solubilisés avant d'être transportés à travers la lymphe sensillaire hydrophile baignant les dendrites des neurones chimiosensoriels. Ces événements périrecepteurs font intervenir plusieurs familles de protéines solubles parmi lesquelles se trouvent les odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). Si les OBPs ont été initialement identifiées dans les sensilles olfactives, certaines sont également exprimées dans les sensilles gustatives. La fonction physiologique des OBPs est encore peu connue mais certaines études révèlent que ces protéines agissent comme transporteurs de molécules lipophiles. Les affinités relativement faibles des OBPs pour les odorants ainsi que leur abondance dans la lymphe sensillaire suggèrent que ces protéines peuvent se lier, solubiliser et transporter des molécules hydrophobes jusqu’aux chimiorécepteurs en traversant la lymphe sensillaire hydrophile. De nouveaux rôles ont été attribués aux OBPs, et en particulier leur capacité à «tamponner» des changements soudains de concentrations d'odorants et leur implication dans la détection de l’humidité. Récemment, l’OBP49a exprimée dans les sensilles gustatives, a été montrée comme étant impliquée dans la détection de certains composés amers. Comme le rôle pérircepteur des OBPs reste encore très peu compris, l'objectif de mon projet de thèse a consisté à clarifier l'implication de certaines OBPs dans l'odorat et le goût chez Drosophila melanogaster. Ma thèse a d’abord consisté à mesurer le rôle des OBPs dans la perception des composés alimentaires chez les adultes D. melanogaster. Les OBPs exprimées dans les appendices gustatifs ont été identifiées par q-PCR et produites en utilisant un système d'expression hétérologue, la levure. Les propriétés de liaison des OBPs recombinantes purifiées ont ensuite été testées pour leur capacité à lier de nombreux ligands potentiels. L’OBP19b est capable de lier certains acides aminés. La cartographie des sensilles et des cellules exprimant l’OBP19b révèle que cette protéine est uniquement exprimée dans certaines cellules accessoires de sensilles précises du labellum. L’OBP19b a été aussi localisée dans le tube digestif et dans certains organes reproducteurs. La comparaison des réponses comportementales et électrophysiologiques sensillaires des mouches témoins et des mouches transgéniques a confirmé que l’OBP19b est impliquée dans la détection de certains acides aminés. De plus, la comparaison des séquences protéique a révélé sa relativement haute conservation au sein des espèces de Drosophilidae et même entre Diptères, ce qui suggère qu’elle joue un rôle crucial vis-à-vis de la recherche de nutriments chez ce groupe d’espèces. J’ai ensuite étudié le rôle de l’OBP28a dans l’olfaction. Cette OBP, l’une des plus abondante dans les antennes de Drosophile, a été montrée importante pour tamponner les variations soudaines de concentrations d'odorants. Des études structurales, génétiques, biochimiques, comportementales et électrophysiologiques ont été réalisées en collaboration avec les membres de l’équipe. L’OBP28a a d'abord été exprimée puis purifiée et sa structure 3D a été résolue. L'étude de ses propriétés de liaison a révélé la capacité de l'OBP28a à se lier à des composés floraux tels que la β-ionone. Les mesures comportementales et électrophysiologiques ont confirmé son rôle physiologique dans la détection de la β-ionone. En conclusion, ma thèse de doctorat met en évidence les rôles nouveaux de deux OBPs dans la chimioréception: l’OBP28a est impliquée dans le détection de molécules florales alors que l’OBP19b est nécessaire pour détecter certains acides aminés. / Chemoperception is used by animals to detect nutritive food and avoid toxic compounds. It also allows animals to identify suitable ecological niche and mating partners. Like many other insects, Drosophila melanogaster possesses a very sensitive chemosensory ability and can detect and discriminate a wide panel of semiochemicals. Chemosensory detection is mostly mediated by olfactory and gustatory systems involving several multigene chemoreceptor families. Volatile and non-volatile chemical compounds entering the sensory organ (sensillum) must be solubilized before being transported through the hydrophilic sensillum lymph bathing the dendrites of chemosensory neurons. These perireceptor events involve a family of soluble proteins named odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). Despite the fact that OBPs were initially found in olfactory sensilla, some OBPs are also expressed in gustatory sensilla. While their physiological roles in olfaction and gustation remain unclear, many studies suggest that OBPs transport lipophilic chemicals. The relatively low affinity of OBPs for odorants and their high abundance in the sensillum lymph both suggest that OBPs can bind, solubilize and transport hydrophobic stimuli to the chemoreceptors across the aqueous sensilla lymph. In addition to this broadly accepted “transporter role” hypothesis, OBPs have also been proposed to buffer sudden changes in odorant levels and to be involved in hygroreception. The role of OBP49a was recently shown in taste: this OBP, expressed in the gustatory system, is required to detect some bitter compounds. However, the role of OBPs in perireceptor events remains largely unknown. The main goal of my thesis project consisted to investigate the involvement of OBPs in the smell and taste sensory modalities using a multi-faceted approach in Drosophila melanogaster.My first research axis consisted to better understand the role of OBPs in the perception of food compounds by using both in vitro and in vivo approaches of OBPs expressed in the gustatory appendages of D. melanogaster adults. After identifying by q-PCR the OBPs expressed in gustatory appendages, we produced them using a heterologous yeast expression system. Then, the binding properties of the recombinant purified OBP were investigated. Our binding assay screen revealed that the taste-expressed OBP19b is able to bind some amino acids. The expression of OBP19b was mapped in specific accessory cells in a subset of proboscis sensilla. This OBP was also expressed in the digestive tract and in some internal reproductive organs. The comparison of behavioural and single-taste sensilla responses between transgenic variants and control flies supported our finding that OBP19b is indeed involved in the detection of some amino acids. Finally, the comparison between various dipteran insects of the OBP19b-like protein coding sequence indicates the relatively high conservation of this protein suggesting its critical role in food search.The second research axis of my PhD thesis focused on the olfactory role of OBP28a. OBP28a was previously shown to be highly expressed in the Drosophila antennae and proposed to buffer quantitative odour variations. To better understand the physiological role of this OBP, and in collaboration with different members of the team, we used structural, genetic, biochemical, behavioural and electrophysiological methods to better understand the role of this OBP. OBP28a was first heterologously expressed and purified. The folding of OBP28a was then determined and the protein was crystallized. The study of the binding properties of OBP28a revealed that it can bind floral compounds such as β-ionone. Behavioural and electrophysiological recordings supported the physiological role of OBP28a in β-ionone detection. In summary, this PhD thesis reveals novel roles of two OBPs in perireceptor chemoreception: OBP28a in the detection of floral compounds and OBP19b in the detection of some amino acids.

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