In 2011, Poa annua L. (Poa) biotypes were collected from greens of two golf courses in Lexington, Kentucky: 1.) The Lexington Country Club (LCC) and 2.) The University Club (UC). The samples were collected based on exhibiting one of two appearances while on the same green: 1.) dark green, with few to no flower heads (dark biotype) or 2.) light green, with numerous flower heads (light biotype). Two PGRs, paclobutrazol and flurprimidol, and two herbicides, bispyribac-sodium and amicarbazone, were applied to the plants both in the field and the greenhouse. Quality ratings were recorded weekly in both the field and greenhouse and grass clippings were collected and measured weekly in the greenhouse. Flurprimidol controlled the dark biotypes and paclobutrazol controlled the light biotypes in the field in 2011. However, only location by treatment interactions were in 2012; flurprimidol, bispyribac-sodium, and amicarbazone controlled the biotypes from the LCC while paclobutrazol controlled the biotypes from UC. In the greenhouse study there was a significant three way interaction between color, location, and treatment for quality. PGRs controlled the light biotypes from LCC and the dark biotypes from UC. Herbicides controlled the light biotypes more than the dark, however, the light biotypes recovered after amicarbazone treatments. PGRs reduced clipping weights of the dark biotypes more than the light and herbicides reduced clipping weights of the light biotypes more than the dark. Both PGRs and herbicides reduced clipping weights of the Poa collected from the LCC more than UC. These results demonstrate both the potential for differential responses between Poa biotypes to PGRs and herbicides and that these differences, like all things about Poa, may be complex. A laboratory experiment was also designed to examine the absorption and potential metabolism of 14C-labeled flurprimidol in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera (L.)), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.)), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis (L.)), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne (L.)), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.)), and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica (Steud.)) and light and dark Poa biotypes collected from golf greens. Flurprimidol absorption and translocation was greater for warm season grasses than cool season grasses. Only parent flurprimidol was detected in all turf species.

Serratia marcescens, a member of Enterobacteriaceae family, is a causative agent of nosocomial and opportunistic infections. Numerous reports show that the multidrug resistance among S. marcescens is growing. This organism has high-level intrinsic resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents, which makes the treatment of infections caused by this bacterium very difficult. The major mechanism for antibiotic resistance, especially to fluoroquinolones, in Gram-negative organisms is the active efflux of the antibiotic molecule mediated by efflux pumps belonging to the Resistance-Nodulation-Cell Division (RND) family. It was previously shown that the SdeAB and SdeXY multidrug efflux pumps are important for conferring the intrinsic drug resistance in S.marcescens. In Escherichia coli, the up-regulation of transcriptional activators, such as MarA, SoxS and Rob, affect transcription of acrAB, tolC and micF. Over-expression of Rob results in increased expression of the E. coli AcrAB-TolC efflux pump and decreases outer membrane permeability through up-regulation of micF, resulting in multidrug, organic solvent and heavy metal resistance. In the present study, we report the identification of a rob gene in S. marcescens which has a 70% identity at the DNA level and 71% identity at the amino acid level to that of E. coli. Moreover, the S. marcescens rob demonstrated similar properties to the E. coli rob including having an effect on expression of outer membrane protein F (OmpF) and over-expression of SdeAB and SdeXY, conferring antibiotic resistance to divergent antibacterial agents and tolerance to organic solvents. We performed rob promoter evaluations using transcriptional fusions to the Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) in the vector pGlow-TOPO and constructed a rob knock-out using the TargeTron Gene Knockout System. Promoter activity assessment, using the pGlow-TOPO reporter plasmid, showed that rob had higher promoter activity at 37°C than 30°C. In the presence of 2,2’-dipyridyl, rob promoter activity was observed to be slightly increased in the early and mid-log phase by 1.4 and 1.1 fold, respectively. We also showed that sodium decanoate and sodium salicylate can reduce the transcription of rob at 30°C and 37°C. This reduction was observed more potently when rob was exposed to sodium decanoate at 30°C. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for various antibiotics of the S. marcescens rob knock-out demonstrated a decrease in susceptibility to nalidixic acid, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin. Over-expression of rob resulted in an increased resistance by 4, 2, and 2-fold to nalidixic acid, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, respectively. In addition, rob over-production displayed 8, 4, and 4-fold increase in resistance to ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, respectively. To discover the role of rob in the efflux mechanism, we performed ethidium bromide accumulation assays on over-expressing and knock-out strains. Organic solvent tolerance assays were carried out using n-hexane to determine if rob is involved in expression of efflux pumps. We found the rob null mutant to be sensitive to n-hexane while the over-expression of rob resulted in resistance to n-hexane. RT-PCR of the rob knock-out strain showed a decrease in expression of micF, ompC, sdeXY, sdeAB and tolC, respectively, and an increase in the expression of ompF. To conclude, we identified a rob homolog in S. marcescens which contributes to resistance to multiple antibiotics and tolerance to organic solvent.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1996. / "May 1996." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-150). Also available on the Internet.

Univ., Diss., 2010--Würzburg.

abstract: A novel integrated constant current LED driver design on a single chip is developed in this dissertation. The entire design consists of two sections. The first section is a DC-DC switching regulator (boost regulator) as the frontend power supply; the second section is the constant current LED driver system. In the first section, a pulse width modulated (PWM) peak current mode boost regulator is utilized. The overall boost regulator system and its related sub-cells are explained. Among them, an original error amplifier design, a current sensing circuit and slope compensation circuit are presented. In the second section – the focus of this dissertation – a highly accurate constant current LED driver system design is unveiled. The detailed description of this highly accurate LED driver system and its related sub-cells are presented. A hybrid PWM and linear current modulation scheme to adjust the LED driver output currents is explained. The novel design ideas to improve the LED current accuracy and channel-to-channel output current mismatch are also explained in detail. These ideas include a novel LED driver system architecture utilizing 1) a dynamic current mirror structure and 2) a closed loop structure to keep the feedback loop of the LED driver active all the time during both PWM on-duty and PWM off-duty periods. Inside the LED driver structure, the driving amplifier with a novel slew rate enhancement circuit to dramatically accelerate its response time is also presented. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2016

Orientador: Elizabeth Orika Ono / Coorientador: Nobuyoshi Narita / Banca: João Domingos Rodrigues / Banca: Jose Carlos Cavichioli / Resumo: O mercado de frutas exóticas no Brasil tem ganhado prestígio e o cultivo da pitaya apresenta-se promissor. Porém, o seu ciclo é limitado ao longo do ano, principalmente, pela influência do fotoperíodo no seu florescimento. A utilização de regulador vegetal, sobretudo a giberelina (GA), pode substituir a necessidade de dias longos. Nesse sentido se estudou diferentes épocas de aplicação e várias concentrações de GA3 no período não indutivo com o objetivo de induzir e antecipar o florescimento. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 3x5, sendo três épocas de aplicação e cinco concentrações do regulador vegetal. As épocas de aplicação iniciaram em maio, junho e julho, sendo realizadas três aplicações a cada 30 dias. As concentrações estudadas foram 0, 100, 200, 300 e 400 mg L-1 de GA3. A época de aplicação de GA3 não influenciou em nenhuma das características estudadas, por outro lado o fator concentração, apesar de não ter antecipado o florescimento, proporcionou aumento na fixação de frutos, número de frutos, massa média de frutos e produtividade. Com base nos resultados obtidos é possível concluir que a aplicação de GA3 foi benéfica às características agronômicas da pitaya / Abstract: The exotic fruit market in Brazil has gained prestige and cultivation of pitaya presents promising. But the cycle is limited throughout the year, and its flowering by photoperiod. The use of plant growth regulator, especially gibberellins, can replace the need for long days, in this sense, we studied different application periods and some concentrations of GA in non-inductive period in order to anticipate flowering. The experimental design was randomized blocks in factorial scheme 3x5, being three times of application and five concentrations of the GA3. The application periods began in May, June and July, and three times application, one every 30 days. The concentrations studied were 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg L-1 GA3 application timing did not influence any of the traits on the other hand the concentration factor, despite not having anticipated the flowering could provide increased fruit set, fruit number, mean fruit mass and productivity. Based on the results, we concluded that the GA3 application was beneficial to the agronomic characteristics of pitaya / Mestre

Orientador: Giuseppina Pace Pereira Lima / Banca: João Domingos Rodrigues / Banca: Armando Reis Tavares / Resumo: A produção de flores de corte constitui uma atividade promissora, cuja comercialização exige técnicas de conservação que contribuem em manter a qualidade floral pós-colheita. A giberelina é um regulador vegetal que apresenta grande eficiência no crescimento, na indução de florescimento, na brotação, pode retardar a senescência, entre outros. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de baixas concentrações de ácido giberélico (GA3) aplicado a campo no crescimento da flor e qualidade pós-colheita de crisântemo cv. 'Faroe'. As plantas foram pulverizadas aos 28 (vinte e oito) dias após o transplantio das mudas e a colheita programada com 95% das lígulas expandidas. Após a colheita, foram medidos os parâmetros: altura e diâmetro da haste, diâmetro da flor, comprimento da lígula, número de flores e tempo de reação (indução ao florescimento). Após a avaliação, as hastes foram armazenadas em câmara fria a temperatura de 10 °C e UR 95% durante 48 horas e levadas à temperatura ambiente. Após o periodo de armazenamento em câmara fria, foram comparadas com as hastes mantidas em temperatura ambiente e submetidas às seguintes análises: avaliação da senescência floral (escala de notas), consumo da solução do recipiente e medida do pH, ambas em intervalos de dois dias. A qualidade das hastes foi acompanhada pelas as análises bioquímicas (protéinas totais, carboidratos totais solúveis, atividade da peroxidase e poliaminas livres) no intervalo de quatro dias durante o tempo de vida de vaso. Apenas uma única aplicação de GA3 não teve interferência nas características fenotípicas em plantas de crisântemo cv 'Faroe', pelo menos em baixas concentrações, assim como não promoveram incremento na qualidade pós-colheita das flores. Não foi observado melhoria na qualidade das flores armazenadas ...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The production of cut flowers is a promising commercial activity and its business demands conservation techniques that contribute to keep the post-harvested flower quality. Gibberellin is a growth regulator that is very efficient in the growth, flowering induction, budding, senescence delay, etc. Thus, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of low concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3) applied under field conditions on flower growth and post-harvest quality of chrysanthemums cv. 'Faroe'. Application was carried out at 28 days after seedling transplanting and harvest was scheduled when 95% of ligulas were expanded. The following parameters were measured after harvest: stem height and diameter, flower diameter, ligula length, number of flowers and reaction time (flowering induction). After evaluation, the stems were stored in a cold chamber at 10° C and relative humidity of 95% for 48 hours and then taken to room temperature. Later they were compared to the stems kept at room temperature and submitted to the following analyses: flower senescence evaluation (score scale), solution consume, pH measurement, both at 2-day intervals. Stem quality was evaluated through biochemical analysis (total proteins, total soluble carbohydrates, peroxidase activity and free polyamines) at four-day intervals during the vase life. A single low concentration GA3 application has not interfered on phenotypic characteristics of chrysanthemum cv. 'Faroe' plants neither has improved post-harvested flower quality. There was not quality improvement of flowers stored in cold chamber after stem exposure to room temperature and flower senescence evaluation. In both treatments, stems presented a higher solution consume and pH varied during the vase life. Stems kept at room temperature showed great decreases in total protein content as well as in total soluble carbohydrate content in leaves and flowers of chrysanthemum cv. Faroe. There was an increase ... / Mestre

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-05-04T13:51:09Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertaçãoSILVA2016.pdf: 1538144 bytes, checksum: 5e9ed18ffcbde4ab9a92d5f040477ab7 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-04T13:51:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertaçãoSILVA2016.pdf: 1538144 bytes, checksum: 5e9ed18ffcbde4ab9a92d5f040477ab7 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-21 / FACEPE / O paclobutrazol (PBZ) é o regulador vegetal utilizado no manejo da produção da mangueira na maioria dos pomares sob as condições semiáridas do Nordeste. Apesar da sua eficiência na produtividade, estudos demonstram que o PBZ permanece ativo no solo por muito tempo e isso pode afetar o desenvolvimento das próximas colheitas, reduzindo o vigor vegetativo. A biodegradação do paclobutrazolem solo não saturado e com histórico de aplicação,foi avaliada durante 49 dias usando glicerol e resíduos industriais (glicerol do biodiesel, torta de amendoim e torta de gergelim) como fontes de adicionais de carbono. Os resíduos agroindustriais (torta de amendoime e torta de gergelim) além de carbono, também são fontes de nitrogênio. Foram realizados estudos cinéticos do consumo de PBZ, além da contagem dos micro-organismos totais, do perfil do pH e da fitotoxicidade no início e final dos experimentos. Adicionalmente, estudos investigativos acerca de produtos da biodegradação foram realizados, com análises de espectroscopia de infravermelho. A torta de amendoim foi o melhor resíduo agroindustrial, sendo usado nas quatro estratégias realizadas na próxima etapa. Nessas quatro estratégias de biodegradação foram realizados experimentos usando 100, 80, 50 e 20 % m/m do solo sem histórico com a adicão de 0, 20, 50 e 80 % m/m de solo com histórico, respectivamente. A adição de solo com histórico (50 ou 80% m/m) e a torta de amendoim favoreceram a biodegradação dosolo sem histórico, cuja biodegradação foi maior que 95%. O resíduoselecionado apresentou-se como uma adequada fonte de carbono e de nitrogênio, e, o solo com histórico um eficiente reservatório de micro-organismos capazes de degradar o PBZ. / Paclobutrazol (PBZ) is a growth regulator used in the management of mango production in most orchards in semi-arid conditions of the Northeast. Despite its efficiency in productivity, studies show that the PBZ remains active in the soil for a long time and this may affect the development of the next crop, reducing plant vigor. The biodegradation of paclobutrazol (PBZ) was evaluated during 49 days using glycerol and agro-industrial wastes (biodieselderived glycerol, peanut cake and sesame cake) as additional carbon sources and unsaturated soil with a history of PBZ application. Kinetic studies were performed of PBZ consumption beyond count of total microorganisms, pH profile and phytotoxicity at the beginning and end of the experiments. Additionally, investigative studies on the caracterization of biodegradation samples were performed with infrared spectroscopy analysis. Biodieselderived peanut cake was the best agro-industrial waste, andthis was used in the following four strategies. Four biodegradation strategies were performed using 100 %, 80 %, 50 % and 20 % of soil without history with the addition of 0 %, 20 %, 50 % and 80 % of soil with history, respectively. The addition of soil with history (50 or 80%) and the selected waste (peanut cake) favored biodegradation of soil without history, with rates about 95 %. The peanut cake waste proved to be an adequate source of carbon and nitrogen, and the soil with history, proved to be an efficient reservoir of microorganisms capable of biodegrading PBZ.

Automatic control is used to operate all kinds of processes: everything from temperature in houses to the control of robots. The course in automatic control in Uppsala University includes laboratory experiments where students conduct tests on a wheel controlled by a, so called, PID-controller which is one of the most widely used control mechanisms. This is a prime opportunity for students to get practical experience of working with PID-regulators and test how different parameters influence results. That system has been improved in this project as there were previously several issues with the system. The system was buggy and one of the tasks where the students are to test the systems’ reaction to oscillating input signals was cancelled because that feature had not been implemented yet. These issues were successfully fixed in this project and all tasks are now doable. Another problem was (and is still to some degree) that a lot of measurement noise occurs when measuring speed. This in turn causes the part of the controller that is sensitive to noise (the derivative part, for those familiar with PID-controllers) to function poorly. Some improvement has been made to this by using low-pass filtering for control purposes and the least square method for display purposes, but the signal is still noisy. The key to solving this issue lies in implementing an algorithm that can precisely estimate the speed without distorting any other information, or alternatively buy sensors with higher precision.

Drosophila melanogaster is a widely used and efficient genetic model to study nervous system development. The conservation of many genes from Drosophila to vertebrates and a short reproduction cycle makes the fruitfly a great tool for providing insight into crucial events in nervous system formation. In studying the development of the sensory nervous system, Drosophila also provides a model for understanding the formation and function of structurally diverse cilia. Cilia are hairlike organelles present throughout our bodies and responsible for many processes such as chemo, mechano, and thermosensation, fluid movement, hearing and fertility. In Drosophila the only somatic ciliated cells are the Type I sensory neurons in which a cilium forms the sensory dendrite. There are more than two diverse subtypes of the ciliated sensory neurons and the mechanism by which this diversity is achieved remains unclear. The mechanism of ciliated sensory neuron differentiation was hereby studied on an example of a differentially expressed ciliary gene - CG6129 - a Drosophila orthologue of human Rootletin, a main protein components of ciliary rootlets. CG6129 expression is specific to the ciliated cells and exhibits so called chordotonal-enriched pattern - a strong and permanent expression in the chordotonal subtype of type I neurons and weaker and transient expression in the external sensory subtype. I have shown that CG6129 knock-down causes severe disruption of the chordotonal organs function without any obvious change in the structure of the cilium, other than the lack of ciliary rootlet. The function of the external sensory subtype was only slightly affected which further highlights the difference between the two types of ciliated sensory organs. The fact that CG6129 is differentially expressed in the two subtypes of the Drosophila ciliated sensory neurons suggests that the genes involved in the formation of various cilia are differentially regulated. I have shown that CG6129 is regulated by the two well known ciliary transcription factors - RFX and fd3F (distant homologue of Foxj1). Of the two enhancers found the early-to-late enhancer is almost entirely dependent on RFX and not on fd3F while the late enhancer is dependent on both fd3F and RFX. The fact that there is some residual CG6129 expression in the absence of both RFX and fd3F suggests involvement of another regulator that may contribute to the cilia diversity. Zmynd10 is a recently characterised ciliary gene that is involved in the axonemal dynein arms assembly. Mutations in human Zmynd10 cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and Drosophila Zmynd10 mutants have immotile cilia that lack dynein arms. Due to the presence of specific protein domains Zmynd10 has been suggested to act as a transcriptional regulator. I have shown that the transcript levels of CG6129 and other ciliary genes are reduced in the Zmynd10 mutant. This implies that Zmynd10 may regulate ciliary genes on a transcriptional or post transcriptional level and may contribute to the regulatory network governing ciliogenesis.