Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-04-05Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:41:38Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 colli_vc_dr_araca.pdf: 1176842 bytes, checksum: 7b5e4f64a86568d1041b8b5218994711 (MD5) / A ação da ocitocina (OT) como regulador direto da massa óssea foi reportada em roedores jovens e este efeito anabólico foi atribuído à ação periférica deste hormônio. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a ação periférica de OT no processo de reparo alveolar de ratas Wistar de 12, 18 e 24 meses. Ratas de 12 meses com ciclo estral normal e ratas de 18 e 24 meses em diestro permanente receberam duas injeções intra-peritoniais (12 horas de intervalo) de salina (NaCl 0,15M – grupos controle) ou OT (134g/Kg – grupos tratados). Sete dias após, o incisivo direito foi extraído e as análises foram realizadas com 28 dias de reparo alveolar (35 dias após administração de salina ou OT). Os resultados plasmáticos de cálcio e fósforo não diferiram entre os grupos. Os marcadores bioquímicos sistêmicos de formação óssea, fosfatase alcalina (FAL) e osteocalcina (OC), não revelaram diferença significativa de valores na comparação entre grupos controle e tratado de 12 meses, porém esta diferença foi significativa para os dois marcadores quando os animais tratados de 18 e 24 meses foram comparados com os respectivos controles. A análise histomorfométrica e a reação de imunohistoquímica contra OC confirmaram estes resultados mostrando que o tratamento com OT, promoveu maior formação óssea nos animais de 18 e 24 meses. O marcador sistêmico de reabsorção óssea, fosfatase ácida resistente ao tartarato (TRAP) não foi estatisticamente diferente entre animais dos grupos controle e tratado de 12 e 18 meses, porém nos de 24 meses este valor foi significativamente menor nos animais tratados indicando diminuição de reabsorção por ação de OT nos animais desta idade. A imunomarcação para TRAP realizada nos cortes alveolares confirmou os... / The action of oxytocin (OT) as a direct regulator of bone mass has been reported in young rodents and this anabolic effect was attributed to the peripheral action of this hormone. The aim of this study was to investigate the peripheral action of OT in the process of alveolar repair of Wistar rats with 12, 18 and 24 months. Rats of 12 months with normal estrous cycle and rats with 18 and 24 months in permanent diestrus received two intra-peritoneal injections (12 hours apart) of saline (NaCl 0.15 M - control group) or OT (134  g / kg - treated groups). Seven days later, the right incisor was extracted and the analyzes were performed with 28 days of alveolar repair (35 days after administration of saline or OT). The plasma results of calcium and phosphorus did not differ between groups. The systemic biochemical bone formation markers, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC), revealed no significant difference of values in animals of 12 months, but this difference was significant for both markers when treated animals of 18 and 24 months were compared to controls. The histomorphometric analysis and immunohistochemical reaction against osteocalcin confirmed these results showing that treatment with OT, promoted greater bone formation in animals with 18 and 24 months. The systemic marker of bone resorption, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) was not statistically different between animals of the control and treated groups of 12 and 18 months, but in 24 months the values were significantly lower in treated animals indicating decreased resorption action of OT in animals of this age. The immunostaining for TRAP performed on alveolar cuts confirmed the results of the results of systemic markers in groups of 12 and 24 months... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Injury and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) are among the major causes for disabilities in humans. They result in permanent damage that is not repaired by regenerative processes. In contrast, anamniotes like fish and amphibia display a striking potential for successful regeneration in the CNS. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been established as a model for successful regeneration after spinal cord injury. However, it is yet unknown which factors are involved in regeneration after spinal lesions and other insults to the CNS. Focusing on motor neurons, I asked whether regeneration can also be observed in larval zebrafish. This would allow to take advantage of their accessibility to live imaging, pharmacological and genetic manipulation. It is unknown, whether the loss of a specific cell type in the absence of injury, which is reminiscent of the pathological change observed in neurodegenerative diseases, would be sufficient to induce regeneration. Comparing the regenerative response after spinal lesion to that after selective neuronal cell loss would allow to identify factors that act as a trigger for regeneration, e.g. mechanical injury signals, the extent of cell death or microglia activation. To address these questions, an experimental paradigm in which motor neurons can be selectively ablated without the need to inflict tissue damage would prove useful. Key findings of this work are: · Motor neuron generation ceases during early larval developmental stages. · The Nitroreductase system can be used for successful ablation of motor neurons in the larval spinal cord. · New motor neurons are generated in a regenerative response to both targeted ablation of motor neurons and spinal lesion in larval zebrafish after cessation of developmental generation of MNs. To test whether larval zebrafish can be used to analyse motor neuron regeneration, I carried out a birthdating study to establish a developmental time line for motor neuron generation in the spinal cord. The end of developmental motor neuron generation at an early time point, at around 54 hours post fertilisation, allows for the use of larval zebrafish to assess the regenerative response after insults to the spinal cord. In addition, I could show a time dependent role for Hedgehog signalling during the generation of a motor neuron subpopulation. The influence of Hedgehog is diminished before the end of motor neurogenesis. Utilizing the Gal4/UAS system to combine the Nitroreductase‐mCherry fusion protein expressing Tg(UAS:nfsB‐mCherry) with the motor neuron specific driver Tg(hb9:Gal4), I generated a new transgenic zebrafish line for the genetically targeted ablation of motor neurons. In the resulting transgenic fish, the administration of the prodrug Metronidazole induces apoptotic cell death in ~25% of spinal motor neurons leading to impaired motor performance and increased numbers of microglia in the spinal cord. My work shows that larval animals subjected to motor neuron ablation or spinal lesion display a regenerative response detected by increased numbers of newborn motor neurons. Importantly, this happens after developmental production of motor neurons has ceased, suggesting that progenitor cells are reverting to the generation of motor neurons. The data presented shows that in larval zebrafish, the selective loss of motor neurons is sufficient to induce a regenerative response in the spinal cord. The increased numbers of microglial profiles in the spinal cord after both spinal lesion and targeted cell ablation indicates a role for the immune system in mediating a regenerative response. This new targeted cell ablation paradigm in larval zebrafish will allow to identify and characterize the progenitor cell population forming new motor neurons. One can then further investigate how specific loss of motor neurons is sensed and which factors contribute to the activation of the endogenous stem cell populations. Using larval zebrafish has many benefits, as they are accessible to pharmacological testing with small molecules and live imaging. Moreover, the combination of additional transgenic reporter lines will allow for the investigation of single cell behaviour during regeneration.

The aim of this study was to determine the trends in protocol, success rates, and consistency in follow up of revascularization procedures in a controlled environment. Patients of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry were identified who were offered revascularization therapy as a treatment option on immature permanent teeth from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2017. A total of 77 patients and 78 teeth were evaluated for revascularization therapy. For patients accepting treatment, records were reviewed for outcome assessment and consistency of follow up. A total of 30 patients (31 teeth) were treated following revascularization protocols, with only 20 patients (21 teeth) returning for follow up. Six of the 21 teeth needed some form of additional therapy due to patients remaining symptomatic, however 15/21 exhibited varying levels of success. Recall rate was 67.7%. With a success rate of 71.4%, revascularization therapy should continue to be considered for all patients with teeth having necrotic pulps and immature root apices. However, changes to recall protocols need to be improved in order to better monitor the status of teeth that undergo revascularization therapy.

Abstract not available

An examination was undertaken of the literature and restoration cases for 4 major Australian vegetation types (sclerophyll; rainforest; grassland; and wetland) to explore the proposition that ecological resilience may govern recovery after anthropogenic damage, and/or provide a fundamental guide and measure of success for ecological restoration. Also, primary data were collected from highly degraded sites (5 sclerophyll, 3 rainforest, and 4 grassy sites) to assess recovery after restoration treatment. These were supplemented with questionnaire data from practitioners working at a wider range of rainforest and sclerophyll sites, and reports from practitioners working on grassland and wetland sites. In all 4 vegetation types, species generally fell into two main groups : longer-lived 'resprouters' and shorter-lived 'obligate seeders'. But different resilience models were identified for the 4 vegetation types. The sclerophyll type exhibited higher in situ resilience but lower migratory resilience than the rainforest type, which was facilitated by flying frugivore dispersal to perch trees. Self-perpetuation was more tightly coupled with disturbance in the sclerophyll, grassland and wetland types than rainforest; and therefore 'designed disturbance' played a more obvious role in enhancing recovery within these types, than in rainforest. Results suggest that resilience (as both an ecosystem property and a theoretical concept) is fundamental to the practice of ecological restoration. Some prediction of resilience potential of particular degraded sites (and prediction of the degree and type of restoration subsidy needed) can be based on knowledge of : individual species' recovery mechanisms; resilience models for individual vegetation-types; and the site's colonisation potential and impact history / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Myostatin, a TGF-β superfamily member, is a key negative regulator of embryonic and postnatal muscle growth. In order to further elucidate the role of myostatin during postnatal growth, several lines of investigation were undertaken in mice. Analysis of myostatin downstream target genes identified several known and unknown genes. From these, the regulation of an androgen receptor binding co-factor, ARA70, was selected for further investigation. Reverse Northern analysis on the differentially expressed cDNA library indicated an increased expression of ARA70 in myostatin-null muscles, which was later confirmed by Northern blot and semi-quantitative PCR analysis. In corroboration, treatment of myoblast cultures with exogenous myostatin resulted in the down-regulation of ARA70, confirming that myostatin is a negative regulator of ARA70 gene expression. The role of myostatin during sarcopenia, a progressive age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, was also investigated. The atrophy associated with sarcopenia is frequently correlated with insufficient muscle regeneration, resulting from an impaired propensity of satellite cells to activate and a subsequent decline in myogenesis. Myostatin is a known inhibitor of postnatal satellite cell activation and muscle regeneration, thus muscle mass and regeneration, and satellite cell behaviour were examined in young and aged myostatin-null mice. Myostatin-null mice had increased individual muscle weights, as a consequence of massive fibre hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and an increased proportion of type IIB fibres. Aging induced oxidative fibre type changes and atrophy in the wild-type muscle while no fibre type switching was observed in the myostatin-null muscle and atrophy was minimal. No decrease in satellite cell numbers was observed with aging in both genotypes; though a gradual decline in the number of activated satellite cells was noted during aging. However, both young and aged myostatin-null mice displayed increased satellite cells and activation compared to wild-type mice, suggesting a greater myogenic potential in the myostatin-null satellite cells. Consistent with this, aged myostatin-null myoblasts proliferated faster and displayed a higher fusion index during differentiation than the aged wild-type myoblasts, confirming that the reduced sarcopenia in the myostatin-null mice was due to a preserved increase in the myoblast myogenic activity. An increase in a Pax7-only myoblast population from myostatin-null muscle indicated an enhanced satellite cell self-renewal process, consistent with the increased satellite cell number observed on the myostatin-null muscle fibres. Additionally, muscle regeneration of aged myostatin-null muscle following notexin injury was accelerated, and fibre hypertrophy and type were recovered with regeneration, unlike the aged wild-type muscle. Testing the therapeutic value of a myostatin antagonist, Mstn-ant1, indicated that a short term blockade of myostatin by the antagonist significantly enhanced muscle regeneration in aged mice after injury and during sarcopenia. Antagonism of myostatin led to satellite cell activation, increased Pax7 and MyoD protein levels, and greater myoblast and macrophage cell migration culminating in enhanced muscle regeneration in the aged mice. In conclusion, the hypertrophic phenotype associated with myostatin-null mice may in part result from increased androgen receptor (AR) activity due to the up-regulation of ARA70, given that increased expression of the AR leads to hypertrophy. Additionally, the increased muscle mass in myostatin-null mice is likely to result from an augmented myogenic potential and self-renewal process. Overall, a prolonged absence of myostatin reduced sarcopenia and the associated loss of muscle regenerative capacity. Furthermore, the antagonism of myostatin displayed significant therapeutic potential in the alleviation of sarcopenia, through the restoration of the myogenic and inflammatory responses in the aged environment. Thus, the research work clearly demonstrates the role of myostatin in sarcopenia, and documents for the first time a valid therapeutic for alleviating sarcopenia.

Satellite cells are a distinct lineage of myogenic precursors that are responsible for the growth of muscle during post-natal life and for its repair after damage. During muscle growth and regeneration satellite cells are activated in response to growth signals from the environment, which induces the expression of one or both of the two MRFs, Myf-5 or MyoD. Activated satellite cells migrate to the site of injury and proliferate before these transcription factors go on to activate transcription of myogenic genes. The myoblasts can then adopt one of two fates. Some myoblasts initiate terminal differentiation and are able to either fuse into existing myofibres to repair them, or fuse with other myoblasts to form new fibres. Other myoblasts do not differentiate but instead return to quiescence and adopt a satellite cell position on repaired or newly formed fibres. Mighty, a downstream target of myostatin that was discovered by the Functional Muscle Genomics Laboratory has recently been shown to induce cell hypertrophy in cell culture through enhanced differentiation and fusion of myoblasts. Myostatin-null mice have hypertrophic muscles and an improved muscle regeneration phenotype. These mice have also been shown to have higher basal levels of Mighty in skeletal muscle than wild-type mice. In this thesis the expression profile of Mighty during skeletal muscle regeneration was characterised in relation to MyoD. During regeneration Mighty gene expression was induced at day five post-injury in both wild-type and myostatin-null mice. In the myostatin-null mice Mighty gene expression remained elevated at day seven post injury in contrast to the levels in the wild-type, which had decreased at this time point. By day-14 and day-28 post-injury Mighty levels were decreased. The up-regulation of Mighty occurs at the time of peak myotube formation in regenerating skeletal muscle, consistent with a role for Mighty in enhancing differentiation and fusion of myoblasts. The extended up-regulation of Mighty in the myostatin-null muscle may be responsible for the enhanced regeneration phenotype of these mice. Analysis of the myotube and reserve cell populations, which are an in vitro model of satellite cells, from both C2C12 cells and Mighty over-expressing clones (Clone 7 and Clone 11) showed that Mighty expression down-regulates two satellite cell markers, CD34 and Sca-1. Both these molecules have been recently shown to be involved in myoblast fusion and reserve cell specification, although their exact role in these processes is not yet known. Expression of Sca-1 is associated with a slowly proliferating non-dividing state while CD34 is associated with the population of reserve cells that do not fuse when notch signalling is inhibited. The results of this thesis indicate that Mighty over-expression may cause the enhanced fusion phenotype by regulating these two molecules. In conclusion the data in this thesis supports a role for Mighty in the myotube formation phase of regeneration and may be able to enhance regeneration by recruiting more myoblasts to terminal differentiation by altering CD34 and Sca-1 expression.

How are people in a global society reconstructing their sense of place? This key question is addressed in this thesis. Australian society has emerged from the period of industrialisation and entered the period of globalisation, a modern to a postmodern world. Sense of place is a vital source of both individual and cultural identity and security, a point of departure from which we orient ourselves in the world. The use of a place, its terrain (landscape), connectedness to that place and its inherent meaning are identified here as the 4 key elements in the construction of a sense of place. The case study approach adopted in this thesis examines a former industrial site in Pyrmont currently being redeveloped as a waterfront residential community, known as Jacksons Landing. The site is reviewed at the moment in time it transcends the industrial era and enters the global era. The mixture of research methods examining the transition includes observation; key informant interviews; structured interviews; and document analysis. The study document the shift of the site from 'space' to 'place' through personal presence and association. It catches a glimpse of how individual experience of place is formed from a unique moment in space-time, which is interlinked with memories, emotions and identity. The findings indicate that communities of the future, in the era of globalisation, will be markedly different to those of the industrial era. Results suggest lifestyle and economic factors will shape future communities, which have the potential to be gated and homogenous, representing a microcosm of segmentation and secularisation. Security, income and occupation will be increasingly valued, forming the basis of identity and the shaping of place. / Master of Science (Hons)

Microwave heating has unique advantages compared to convection-radiation heating methods including fast heating rate and selective heating of objects. This thesis studied two applications of microwave heating in the environmental field: adsorbent regeneration and oil sands coke activation. The thermal behavior during microwave heating of select adsorbents when dry or saturated with selected adsorbates was studied to assess the potential for using microwave heating to regenerate adsorbents. Strong microwave-absorbing adsorbents depicted faster heating rate when dry. Weakly microwave-absorbing adsorbents depicted faster heating rate when saturated with polar adsorbates. Fast activation of oil sands coke using microwave heating and KOH was successfully completed. The iodine number of the activated delayed coke obtained after 10 minutes of microwave activation was 1130 mg/g. The short activation time and simplicity of the process demonstrate that microwave-activation is a promising approach to convert oil sands coke into activated carbon adsorbent with high adsorption capacity. / Environmental Engineering

A hallmark of retinal diseases is degeneration of neural cells, leading to subsequent vision loss. For such diseases, replenishment of functional neural cells may be an optimal therapy. Unlike humans, the adult red-spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, possesses the remarkable ability to regenerate a complete retina following its removal or injury. The purpose of this study was to develop a reproducible model of retinal damage and regeneration in the newt to understand the process of retinal regeneration. Intense light, shown in other organisms to be a relevant model of visual cell loss, was tested in the newt and resulted in variable loss of retinal function, correlating with the appearance of apoptotic cells. Due to the variability of damage observed, surgical removal of the retina was used to complement the light-damage model. A novel and non-invasive protocol using full-field electroretinography was developed to assess retinal function in vivo following damage. Measures of retinal function with the electroretinogram protocol successfully showed that photoreceptor function is initially lost and subsequently restored during regeneration. These results enhance our understanding of retinal regeneration in the adult newt and serve as a starting point for further studies aimed at determining the molecular mechanisms involved in the regeneration process.