The aim of this study is to examine the legal regulation regarding the psychosocial work environment for temporary agency workers. Furthermore, the aim of the study is to examine how temporary agency workers perceive their psychosocial work environment, and possible consequences of such perception. The methodology of the study consists of practical legal method and qualitative method in the form of interviews. The results show that the psychosocial work environment for temporary agency workers is regulated at both the EU legal level by Directive as well as at national level in Arbetsmiljölagen and regulations issued by Arbetsmiljöverket. The study finds that health and safety responsibility for temporary agency workers is shared between the agency and the client company. The result of the study indicates that there are shortcomings in the introduction and training of temporary agency workers, which can contribute to an unsatisfactory work environment. Furthermore, the study shows that temporary agency workers have satisfying relationships with the manager of the client company that enables the temporary agency worker to obtain social support. However, there are shortcomings in the contact with the employer at the agency, which indicates that there is a lack of safety responsibilities from the agency. Overall temporary agency workers seem to enjoy their work, but groupings between temporary workers and permanent employees are present in some workplaces.

Proefschrift Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. / Lit. opg.: p. 223-235. - Met een samenvatting in het Nederlands.

The atheistic worldview has, ironically, experienced a sort of “re-birth” in modern times. The “New Atheists,” of which Sam Harris is a prominent spokesperson, have made no secret of their desire to make converts to their worldview, liberating people from the false and repressive shackles of religion. It is their desire to officiate the funeral of religion, and usher in a new era governed by reason and science. Harris, in his book The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values, seeks to naturalize ethics through the means of science, so that religion might lose its grasp on a stronghold it has held for centuries. In so doing, he presents an ethical system based on the worldview of philosophical naturalism, which leaves no room for a divine foot in the door. His ethical system is supported by several presuppositional pillars, including an unwavering belief in Darwinian evolution, a neo-Aristotelian concept of well-being, a commitment to strict determinism, a confidence in moral realism, and the belief that science and religion are in irresolvable conflict with each other as modes of seeking truth. This dissertation seeks to analyze Harris’ naturalistic worldview by inspecting these five pillars as the foundation upon which his ethical system stands. In the famous words of Francis Schaeffer, I attempt to “take the roof off” of Harris’ worldview, in order to analyze the philosophical ideas he espouses. It is my assertion that Harris ultimately fails to properly defend the controversial claims his book makes, as the most important points he makes are not actually scientific at all, but philosophical. Although he approaches the issue as a scientist, his arguments rely on philosophical presuppositions of which science can only be applied a posteriori. If this is true, it is a positive force for Christian apologetics, as the Christian worldview may continue to be a valid alternative to the philosophical naturalism Harris espouses.

Protein arginine methylation is a posttranslational modification catalyzed by the family of proteins known as the protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). Thousands of methylated arginines have been found in mammalian cells. Many targets of arginine regulation are involved in important cellular processes like transcription, RNA transport and processing, translation, cellular signaling, and DNA repair. Since PRMT dysregulation has been linked to a variety of disease states, understanding how the activity of the PRMTs is regulated is of paramount importance. PRMT1 is the predominant PRMT, responsible for about 85% of all arginine methylation in cells, but very little is known about how PRMT1 is regulated. Although a few methods to regulate PRMT1 activity have been reported, the details of interaction and regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. To better understand how PRMT1 is able to bind its substrates and how PRMT1 activity is regulated, we followed a mechanistic and structural biology approach to better understand how PRMT1 interacts with its substrates and protein regulators. In this study the regulation of Hmt1 methyltransferase activity by the Air1 and Air2 proteins was analyzed and only one was determined to affect Hmt1 activity. The posttranslational phosphorylation of Hmt1 had also been reported to affect Hmt1 activity in vivo and our preliminary studies suggest that additional factors may help influence the regulatory effect of phosphorylation. Lastly, we report a new method of PRMT regulation through the reversible oxidation of key PRMT1 cysteine residues. We are also able to show that this regulation occurs in cells and affects several PRMT isoforms.

Student achievement has become a main concern for schools in the United States. Emphasis has long been placed on reading, writing, and arithmetic; however, reading achievement remains insufficient. The passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 required all students to be reading on grade level by 2014. With states and school districts striving to make adequate yearly progress, finding programs and practices that prove effective in improving student achievement has become a main priority for schools. In an effort to improve reading achievement, a reading program was implemented at Gauge Middle School and studied for its impact. The Mississippi Curriculum Test 2 (MCT2) and Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) tests were analyzed to determine the impact of the program. The voices of the students and the voices of the teachers were considered important in understanding the impact. The reasons for this research include (a) determining whether the implementation of READ 180 increased student reading achievement and (b) understanding the perceptions of the students and teachers in READ 180. A struggling reader is defined as a student who is experiencing difficulty learning to read. The literature on struggling readers indicated that a struggling reader will never read on grade level, but they can make increases in their reading level. The data obtained from this research supports the literature review. After the participating in READ 180, the MCT2 scores did not increase; however, the SRI scores did increase for all the students. Future research that replicates this study may be conducted with various grades and schools in Leese County School District to determine if the findings of the study can be duplicated. Also, research could address the age or grade at which to focus more intently on reading interventions. Students who are too low for READ 180 need an intervention or program. A high school reading intervention would benefit high school students and help reduce the dropout rate. Motivation and student behavior for middle and high school students requires more research.

Some men are born to greatness, others to great tragedy. This novel is a fictional account of one of those men: the notorious Texas outlaw, Sam Bass. Set in the Old West of the 1870s, the story primarily concerns itself with events in the train robber's life from the time he owned and raced the Denton Mare to the now famous shoot-out in Round Rock, Texas. It is a story of crime and betrayal told through the eyes of Bass and one of his close confederates, Jim Murphy.

Monocamadas auto-organizadas formadas pela quimissorção de alcanotióis sobre ouro apresentam estruturas bem definidas, organizadas e reprodutíveis. As propriedades de SAMs, aliadas à facilidade de síntese, têm atraído o interesse da comunidade cientifica o que ocasionou um grande avanço na área de nanotecnologia, especialmente em engenharia de superfícies. Neste trabalho, avaliou-se a modificação de um substrato de ouro com uma mistura dos ácidos 3-mercaptopropiônico e 11-mercaptoundecanóico. Com isso procurou-se controlar a configuração da superfície da SAM a fim de se obter um arranjo com ilhas de 3amp circundadas por 11amu, similar a um conjunto de ultramicroeletrodos. A SAM mista foi produzida por incubação de um substrato de ouro em solução etanólica contendo ambos os tiois. O estudo do processo redox do par [Fe(CN)6]4-/[Fe(CN)6]3- demonstrou que monocamadas de 3amp se comportam como a superfície de ouro não modificado, apresentando os mesmos valores de corrente de pico (Ip), potencial de pico (Ep) e resistência de transferência de carga (Rtc), pois permitem que ocorra a transferência eletrônica por efeito de tunelamento quântico dos elétrons através da monocamada. Entretanto monocamadas de 11amu demonstram comportamento isolante, apresentando uma Rtc 250 vezes maior e Ip significativamente menores que a observada para a SAM-3amp. As cargas de dessorção redutiva e variação de massa obtidas com a MECQ para a SAM mista evidenciaram alto recobrimento da superfície e um mecanismo de adsorção que varia com o tempo de incubação do substrato em solução contendo os tiois. Assim, a configuração da superfície com domínios de 3amp bem estabelecidos é alcançada com 20 horas de incubação do substrato. O perfil observado com a voltametria cíclica, aliado aos dados obtidos com a EIE comprova a existência de segregação de fases na SAM mista contendo regiões recobertas pelo 3amp (raio médio de 4,3 µm) circundadas por 11amu (com separação média de 75,42 µm). O estudo do comportamento eletroquímico do fisetin confirma o surgimento de propriedades diferenciadas com a SAM mista, onde observou-se apenas um processo redox sem que o analito permanecesse adsorvido na superfície da SAM. Todavia para a SAM-3amp e ouro não modificado foi observado dois processos redoxes seguido de adsorção irreversível do produto da reação na superfície eletródica. Utilizando a SAM mista como sensor eletroquímico para determinação de fisetin em água alcançou-se um limite de detecção de 1,67 x10-8 mol L-1. / Self-assembled monolayers obtained by chemiosorption of alkanethiols on gold present well-defined, organized and reproducible structures. The unique properties exhibited by such surfaces, allied to the great facility to obtain, have attracted the interest of the scientific community and caused a significant advance in the nanotechnology research, especially in the surface engineering one. In this work, the modification of gold substrate with a mixture of 3-mercaptopropionic acid and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid was evaluated. The aim was control the surface of the SAMs in order to obtain an island arrangement of 3mpa isolated by 11mua, similar to an array of ultramicroelectrodes. The mixed-SAM was built by the incubation of Au substrate in an ethanolic solution containing both thiols. The redox couple [Fe(CN)6]4-/[Fe(CN)6]3- study demonstrated that pure 3mpa monolayers behaves like the bare gold surface, presenting barely the same parameters of peak current (Ip), peak potential (Ep) and charge transfer resistance (Rct), since it allows the electronic transference to occurs by quantum tunneling effect through the monolayer. On the other hand the 11mua monolayers showed an insulating behavior and a Rct value nearly 250 times greater and, consequently, Ip values significantly less than that for 3mpa. The reductive desorption charges and mass changes obtained with an EQCM for the mixed-SAM indicated the high coverage of gold surface and a adsorption mechanism that depends on the incubation time of the substrate in the thiols solution. The surface configuration with 3mpa domains is reached after 20 hours of immersion. The cyclic voltammetric profile, together with the data from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy , proved the existence of phases segregation in the mixed-SAM with surface regions covered solely by 3mpa (with mean radius of 4.3 µm) surrounded by 11mua with a mean separation of 75.42 µm. The electrochemical behavior of the flavonoid fisetin confirms the rising of differentiated properties with the mixed-SAM, where only one electrochemical process was able to be observed, without irreversible adsorption of the analyte. For 3mpa and bare gold surfaces, two (or more) electrochemical processes were observed together with the blocking of the electrode surface by irreversible adsorption of the reaction product. The utilization of the mixed-SAM with electrochemical sensor for fisetin determination in pure water yielded a detection limit of 1.67 x10-8 mol L-1.

Um método amplamente utilizado na proteção contra a corrosão de ligas de alumínio é a formação de camadas de conversão de cromo. Na busca de métodos \"ambientalmente amigáveis\" de proteção contra corrosão existe a possibilidade da utilização de polímeros condutores, como a polianilina (PAni), que pode atuar por efeito barreira, assim como pela absorção de cargas provenientes da solução e / ou camadas auto-organizadas (SAM, do inglês \"self assembled monolayers\"), onde a proteção pode ocorrer de forma indireta, quando a SAM atua como promotora de adesão para outros revestimentos ou de forma direta, quando a própria monocamada bloqueia o acesso de substâncias responsáveis pela corrosão, à superfície protegida. Neste trabalho é proposta a utilização de bi-camadas baseadas de propil-trimetóxi-silano (PTMS) + PAni e octadecil-trimetóxi-silano (ODTMS) + PAni para a proteção contra a corrosão das ligas de alumínio AA1050, AA2024 e AA7075. Para os ensaios de corrosão foram utilizadas as técnicas de potencial de circuito aberto, curvas de polarização potenciodinâmica e espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica. Análise de microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) foram realizadas antes e após os ensaios de corrosão para verificar a eficiência de proteção contra corrosão dos revestimentos propostos. Adicionalmente foram realizados testes de névoa salina e aderência, além da caracterização das ligas por MEV e espectroscopia de energia dispersiva de raios X (EDX). Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os tratamentos utilizados resultaram em melhoras na resistência contra a corrosão na seguinte ordem: PTMS < ODTMS < PAni < PTMS + PAni < ODTMS + PAni, sendo que este último o que apresenta os melhores resultados como maiores deslocamentos do Ecorr para valores mais positivos, diminuição da icorr, menor número de pontos de corrosão após a realização das curvas de polarização, maiores valores de impedância total em todo o intervalo de frequência utilizado e maior resistência à exposição à névoa salina. / A method widely used in corrosion protection of aluminum alloys is the formation of conversion layers of chromium. In search of \"environmentally friendly\" corrosion protection methods there is the possibility of using conducting polymers such as polyaniline (PAni), which can act by barrier effect or absorbing charged particles from the solution and / or self-assembled monolayers (SAM), where protection may occur indirectly, when the SAM acts as a promoter of adhesion to other coatings, or directly, when the monolayer blocks the access of aggressive substances to the surface. This work proposes the use of bi-layers based on propyl-trimethoxy-silane (PTMS) + PAni and octadecyl-trimethoxy-silane (ODTMS) + PAni for corrosion protection of aluminum alloys AA1050, AA2024 and AA7075. For the corrosion tests were used different techniques such as: open circuit potential, potentiodynamic polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Analysis of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed before and after the corrosion tests in order to verify the efficiency of the proposed coatings in corrosion protection. Additionally, tests of salt spray and adhesion were made, in addition to the characterization of the alloys by SEM and X-ray dispersive energy. The results show that the treatments resulted in improvements in corrosion resistance in the following order: PTMS < ODTMS < PAni < PTMs + PAni < ODTMS + PAni. The last one gives the best results such as larger shifts of the Ecorr to more positive values, decrease of the icorr, fewer corrosion points after the polarization curves, higher values of total impedance in the entire range of frequency used and more resistant to the exposure to salt spray.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-24T19:37:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 cintiafav.pdf: 4767448 bytes, checksum: 5cb193787f5e0c0461b164eb3079f888 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-06 / Thin films of tin dioxide (SnO2) with the addition of doping are widely used because its various applications, so develop a search on this subject is of great value technology, since many different forms of doping, formulation and preparation, can be made and modified, intended to improve this material according to their physical and chemical properties. This paper used for niobium oxide (Nb2O5) as doping, an important factor in the formulation, since Brazil has the largest reserves of natural element, found in various forms of ore. The preparation of thin films is a process that requires great care and high quality control. However, care is not sufficient to avoid the appearance of defects in his deposition, and subsequent calcination, as broken, deterioration, poor adhesion to the substrate, which are considered problems, undermining the efficiency of the material and its applicability. The addition of self assembled monolayers (SAM) on thin films of SnO2 aimed to reduce or correct this type of defect. Different techniques were used experimentally, as: X-ray diffraction, fotochronoamperometric, eletrochemical impedance spectroscopy, electrochemistry, measures of potential open circuit, optical microscopy optical, scanning electron microscopy and Infrared. The results of the measures to density of current and electrochemical impedance of samples of thin films of SnO2 containing SAM showed positive results, confirming that the SAM not only improved the structure of films about the electrochemical properties and photovoltaic, but also corrected the defects caused existing surface the techniques for the generation thin film. The efficiency of photosensitive films studied increased in the following sequence: SnO2 + SAM < SnO2:Nb2O5(0.1) + SAM SnO2:Nb2O5(0.3) + SAM. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, showed that the addition of SAM to thin films studied in this work is diminishing Rtc, minimizing the resistance. The film of SnO2 containing 0.3 Nb2O5 + SAM presents a resistance around 1000 Wcm-1 less than the film containing 0.1 Nb2O5. The thin films containing SAM showed that when immersed in the electrolyte solution, extending the capacitance of double layer electrical probably due to accumulation of cargo between the surface of films. The scanning electron microscopy showed that the nucleation of SAM has a higher incidence of disruptions in the regions (of higher energy) in the form of needles and often mixed, needles and mushrooms, as observed for the film: SnO2: Nb2O5 (0.3 ) + SAM. / Filmes finos de dióxido de estanho (SnO2) com adição de dopantes são muito utilizados devido as suas diversas aplicações, assim o desenvolver de uma pesquisa sobre este tema é de grande valia tecnológica, já que muitas formas diferentes de dopagem, formulação e preparação, podem ser feitas e modificadas, visando o melhoramento deste material em função de suas propriedades físicas e químicas. Neste trabalho foi utilizado óxido de nióbio (Nb2O5) como dopante, um fator importante na formulação, já que o Brasil possui a maior reserva natural deste elemento, encontrado em várias formas de minérios. A preparação de filmes finos é um processo que exige muito cuidado e alto controle de qualidade. Porém, cuidados não são suficientes para evitar o aparecimento de defeitos em sua deposição e, posterior calcinação, como trincas, deteriorização, baixa aderência ao substrato, que são considerados problemas, comprometendo a eficiência do material e sua aplicabilidade. A adição de moléculas auto-organizáveis (SAM) em filmes finos de SnO2 teve como objetivo reduzir ou corrigir este tipo de defeito. Diferentes técnicas foram utilizadas experimentalmente, tais como: difração de raios X, fotocronoamperometria, espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica, medidas de potencial de circuito aberto, micrografia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e Infravermelha. Os resultados das medidas de densidade de corrente e impedância eletroquímica das amostras dos filmes finos de SnO2 contendo SAM mostraram resultados positivos, confirmando que a SAM não só melhorou a estrutura dos filmes quanto às propriedades eletroquímicas e fotovoltaicas, como também corrigiu os defeitos superficiais existentes provocados pelas técnicas de geração do filme fino. A eficiência fotossensível dos filmes estudados aumentou na seguinte seqüência: SnO2 + SAM < SnO2:Nb2O5 (0,1) + SAM < SnO2:Nb2O5 (0,3) + SAM. A espectroscopia de impedância eletroquímica mostrou que a adição de SAM aos filmes finos estudados neste trabalho diminui a Rtc, minimizando a resistência do mesmo. O filme de SnO2 contendo 0,3 Nb2O5 + SAM apresenta uma resistência aproximadamente 1000 Wcm-1 menor do que o filme contendo 0,1 Nb2O5. Os filmes finos contendo SAM mostraram que ao serem imersos na solução eletrolítica, ampliaram a capacitância da dupla camada elétrica devido provavelmente ao acúmulo de carga entre a superfície dos filmes. A microscopia eletrônica de varredura mostrou que a nucleação da SAM tem maior incidência nas regiões de rupturas (de maior energia) em forma de agulhas e muitas vezes mista, agulhas e cogumelos, como observado para o filme: SnO2:Nb2O5 (0,3) + SAM.

Les centres FeS sont un des cofacteurs protéiques majeurs, ils se trouvent aussi bien chez les bactéries que chez les eucaryotes. Ils ont des rôles essentiels de transfert d'électron, liaison de substrat et son activation, régulation d'expression de gènes, donneur de soufre etc. Leur agencement est très varié, allant du centre [2Fe-2S] à l'agrégat plus complexe MoFe7S9X (X = C, N ou O) de la nitrogénase. L'assemblage de ces centres se fait par des machineries protéiques. Nous avons étudié le système ISC (Iron-Sulfur Cluster) chez les bactéries, qui fabrique des centres [2Fe-2S] et [4Fe-4S]. Il est composé des protéines IscS, IscU, IscA, HscA, HscB et d'une ferrédoxine. Deux de ces protéines, IscS, qui est une cystéine désulfurase et IscU, protéine dite échafaudage, sont le cœur de la machinerie puisque IscS apporte le soufre sur la protéine IscU, qui, avec le fer qu'elle aura obtenu d'une autre protéine (non clairement identifiée à ce jour), fabriquera le centre fer-soufre et le transfèrera à une apoprotéine. Nous avons isolé un complexe stable (IscS-D35A-IscU)2 contenant un centre [2Fe-2S] dans des conditions anaérobie. Différentes formes du complexe ont été obtenues et cristallisées afin d'obtenir leurs structures, résolues par remplacement moléculaire. Ces structures nous ont permis de proposer un mécanisme d'assemblage des centres [2Fe-2S] à l'échelle atomique et électronique. Nous avons d'autre part étudié la protéine HmdB probablement impliquée dans la maturation de l'hydrogénase à fer. HmdB fait partie de la superfamille des protéines à radical SAM. Des cristaux de l'apoprotéine ont été obtenus et sa structure a été résolue par remplacement moléculaire. Même si une partie de la structure n'est pas visible du fait de l'absence de centre [4Fe-4S], elle donne une première vue du site actif de la protéine. / FeS clusters are widely used protein cofactors, found both in bacteria and eukaryotes. They play key roles such as electron transfer, substrate binding and activation, regulation of gene expression, sulfur donor etc. They are really various, ranging from the [2Fe-2S] cluster to the more complex MoFe7S9X (X = C, N or O) agregate of nitrogenase. Clusters assembly is carried out by protein machineries. We studied the ISC (Iron-Sulfur Cluster) in bacteria, who assembles [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters. It is composed of IscS, IscU, IscA, HscA, HscB proteins and a ferredoxin. Two of these proteins: the cysteine desulfurase IscS, and the scaffold protein IscU, represent the core of the machinery as IscS provides sulfur protein on IscU, which, with iron obtained from another protein (not clearly identified to date), assemble the iron-sulfur center. The latter transfers it to an apoprotein. We isolated under anaerobic conditions a stable (IscS-D35A-IscU)2 complex containing a [2Fe-2S] cluster. Different forms of the complex were obtained and their structures were solved by molecular replacement. These structures allowed us to propose a mechanism for the assembly of the [2Fe-2S] clusters at the atomic and electronic levels. We have also studied the HmdB protein, which is proposed to maturate the [Fe]-hydrogenase. HmdB is a member of the radical SAM proteins superfamily. Crystals of the apoprotein were obtained and its structure was solved by molecular replacement. Although part of the structure is not visible due to the absence of the [4Fe-4S] cluster, this structure gives a first view of the active site of the protein.