A large part of the antibiotics consumed ends up in wastewater, and in the wastewater the antibiotics may exert selective pressure for or maintain resistance among microorganisms. Antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes encoding antibiotic resistance are commonly detected in wastewater, often at higher rates and concentrations compared to surface water. Wastewater can also provide favourable conditions for the growth of a diverse bacterial community, which constitutes a basis for the selection and spread of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, wastewater treatment plants have been suggested to play a role in the dissemination and development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a large problem worldwide as a nosocomial pathogen, but knowledge is limited about occurrence in non-clinical environments, such as wastewater, and what role wastewater plays in dissemination and development of MRSA.   In this thesis we investigated the occurrence of MRSA in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). We also investigated the concentration of genes encoding resistance to aminoglycosides (aac(6’)-Ie+aph(2’’)), β-lactam antibiotics (mecA) and tetracyclines (tetA and tetB) in three wastewater-associated environments: (1) soil from an overland flow area treating landfill leachates, (2) biofilm from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, and (3) sludge from a hospital wastewater pipeline. In addition, concentrations of mecA, tetA and tetB were investigated over the treatment process in the WWTP. These investigations were performed to determine how the prevalence and concentration of MRSA and the antibiotic resistence genes are affected in wastewater and wastewater treatment processes over time. The occurrence of MRSA was investigated by cultivation and a commercially available real-time PCR assay. In order to determine concentrations of the genes aac(6’)-Ie+aph(2’’), mecA, tetA and tetB in wastewater we developed a LUXTM real-time PCR assay for each gene.   Using cultivation and real-time PCR we could for the first time describe the occurrence of MRSA in wastewater and show that it had a stable occurrence over time in a WWTP. MRSA could mainly be detected in the early treatment steps in the WWTP, and the wastewater treatment process reduced the number and diversity of cultivated MRSA. However, our results also indicate that the treatment process selects for strains with more extensive resistance and possibly higher virulence. The isolated wastewater MRSA strains were shown to have a close genetic relationship to clinical isolates, and no specific wastewater lineages could be detected, indicating that they are a reflection of carriage in the community. Taken together, these data indicate that wastewater may be a potential reservoir for MRSA and that MRSA are more prevalent in wastewater than was previously thought.   The real-time PCR assays, for aac(6’)-Ie+aph(2’’), mecA, tetA, and tetB that we developed, were shown to be sensitive, fast, and reproducible methods for detection and quantification of these genes in wastewater environments. The highest concentrations of all genes were observed in the hospital pipeline, and the lowest in the overland flow system, with tetA and aac(6´)-Ie+aph(2´´) detected in all three environments. In the full-scale WWTP, we continuously detected mecA, tetA and tetB over the treatment process and over time. In addition, it was shown that the treatment process reduces concentrations of all three genes. The data presented in this thesis also indicate that the reduction for all three genes may be connected to the removal of biomass, and in the reduction of tetA and tetB, sedimentation and precipitation appear to play an important role.

Από τότε που ολοένα και περισσότερα εμπιστευτικά δεδομένα ανταλλάσσονται με ηλεκτρονικό τρόπο η ανάγκη για προστασία των δεδομένων αυτών γίνεται ολοένα και μεγαλύτερη. Στις πραγματικές εφαρμογές όπου χρησιμοποιούνται συστήματα κρυπτογραφίας παρατηρούνται νέες τεχνικές επίθεσης πέρα από αυτές που στηρίζονται στην μαθηματική ανάλυση. Εφαρμογές τόσο σε υλικό όσο και σε λογισμικό, παρουσιάζουν ένα αχανές πεδίο από επιθέσεις. Οι Side-Channel-Attacks εκμεταλλεύονται πληροφορίες που διαρρέουν από μια συσκευή κρυπτογράφησης. Μάλιστα από την μέρα που εμφανίστηκε μία συγκεκριμένη μέθοδος επίθεσης, προσελκύει ολοένα και μεγαλύτερο ενδιαφέρον. Πρόκειται για την Διαφορική Ανάλυση Ισχύος (Differential Power Analysis (DPA)) που πρωτοπαρουσιάστηκε από την Cryptography Research. Η DPA χρησιμοποιεί την πληροφορία που διαρρέει από μια συσκευή κρυπτογράφησης, και πρόκειται για την κατανάλωση ισχύος. Μία λιγότερο δυνατή παραλλαγή της DPA είναι η Simple Power Analysis (SPA), που παρουσιάστηκε επίσης από την Cryptography Research. Βασικός στόχος της DPA είναι να μετρηθεί με ακρίβεια η κατανάλωση ισχύος του συστήματος. Έπειτα απαιτείται η γνώση του αλγόριθμου που εκτελείται από την συσκευή, ενώ τέλος απαραίτητο είναι ένα σύνολο από γνωστά κρυπτογραφήματα ή αυθεντικά μηνύματα. Η στρατηγική της επίθεσης απαιτεί την μέτρηση πολλών δειγμάτων και στην συνέχεια την διαίρεσή τους σε δύο ή περισσότερα σύνολα με βάση ενός κανόνα . Εν συνεχεία στατιστικές μέθοδοι χρησιμοποιούνται για την επιβεβαίωση του κανόνα αυτού. Αν και μόνο αν ο κανόνας αυτός είναι σωστός τότε μπορούμε να παρατηρήσουμε αξιοπρόσεκτες τιμές στην στατιστική ανάλυση. Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής είναι να καθορίσουμε με περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες την DPA, να αναπτύξουμε ένα περιβάλλον που θα πραγματοποιεί την επίθεση αυτή, σε μια υλοποίηση του DES (Data Encryption Standard) αλγόριθμου κρυπτογράφησης με την χρήση FPGA Board και να γίνει πειραματική εκτίμηση. / -

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the needs and consumer behavior in spa services to the dominant segments Czech clientele and also predictions of potential behaviors that part of the population that has been in the spa. In the practical part mainly analyzes the project titled "Let's go to the spa," which was presented to the 6th challenges in the Integrated Operational Programme and in April 2010 was from this program and approved for funding. The project was completed in June 2012. The project was elaborated author of this thesis. Finally, the practical part was especially pointed out the current situation ongoing in almost all spa facilities with regard to the results of research just everything where R is the author's spa visits and the number of received proposals on health care in the previous period and a summary of current critical situation in the spa is

This diploma thesis deals mainly with patients with diagnosed metabolic syndrome disease in connection with the importance of spa treatment in Mariánské Lázně. The objectives of this work are: to find the most commonly used spa method for patients with metabolic syndrome, to find out the current lifestyle of patients with metabolic syndrome and to find out whether the health condition of patients who have undergone spa treatement was improved during their spa stay. A qualitative survey method was used to achieve the objectives. Data collection was conducted through interviews of patients with metabolic syndrome and visitors to Parkhotel Golf a.s., Mariánské Lázně. I consider the increased consumption of white bread, alcohol and cigarettes in some respondents to be the fundamental findings of my research. Most respondents do not consume vegetables in sufficient quantity, and deficiencies are also evident in dedicating to sporting activities. Information about the metabolic syndrome itself or the complications of the individual components of this syndrome is sufficient. In connection with metabolic syndrome, it was found out that not all patients who underwent spa treatment want to change their lifestyle after returning from the spa facility. Considering the findings from spa patients, I would recommend to increase the education of patients with metabolic syndrome, to emohasize to them the importance of healthy nutrition, smoking abstinence, or enough movement as the basis for preventing this disease. A lecture which has been created on the basis of interview information and is part of the supplement to this work can be used as means for patients with metabolic syndrome.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Technology: Tourism Management Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / There are 11 thermal springs in the Western Cape, seven of which have been developed into eight resorts. Only one of these resorts has a focus on health and wellness, with appropriate facilities, with the others functioning primarily as family leisure resorts. Internationally there has been a move by traditional thermal spring resorts to begin offering a combination of health (medical and wellness) services in combination with leisure activities. In light of current international trends, as well as perceived domestic needs, it appears that the Western Cape‟s thermal spring resources are not being optimally utilized as tourist attractions, neither for domestic nor for international tourist markets. This research sets out to evaluate the potential for health tourism development of thermal springs in the Western Cape. It analyses relevant aspects of both the supply and demand sides of thermal spring tourism in the Western Cape. A database is compiled of thermal spring resorts and undeveloped thermal springs in the Western Cape, which includes facilities and services, and relative locations with respect to tourist attractions and tourism routes. The mineral and radon gas contents of the respective thermal waters are measured and discussed in relation to known medicinal properties. A questionnaire-based survey was undertaken, involving 383 respondents at six resorts, and activity-based market segmentation was carried out using k-means cluster analysis. A four-segment user profile (typology) of current visitors, based on activity preferences, was compiled. It was found that there is considerable potential for the development of thermal spring health (medical and wellness) tourism products in the Western Cape, based on available resources. A framework for thermal spring health tourism product development in the Western Cape is proposed, and recommendations are made for future development and marketing. Key recommendations include the development of balneological treatments, and radon therapies, at certain resorts, and investigating of the availability of local resources that could be incorporated into medical or wellness tourism products.

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2018-02-21T21:24:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AlineDeSousaMarques_TESE.pdf: 5792072 bytes, checksum: 2628df662db724e0c0d729e9a2af99c5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-02-22T21:38:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 AlineDeSousaMarques_TESE.pdf: 5792072 bytes, checksum: 2628df662db724e0c0d729e9a2af99c5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-22T21:38:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AlineDeSousaMarques_TESE.pdf: 5792072 bytes, checksum: 2628df662db724e0c0d729e9a2af99c5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-18 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / Esta tese de doutorado ? um aporte te?rico-pr?tica para o desenvolvimento de estudos que utilizem a bioanal?tica, particulamente materiais biol?gicos provenientes de bact?rias, podendo estes ser isolados, DNA, entre outros, em conjunto com ferramentas quimiom?ticas de an?lise. Para isso, buscou-se identificar diferen?as bacterianas quando submetidas a uma fonte de estresse a partir de diferentes t?cnicas anal?ticas. A primeira abordagem foi realizada partindo da bioespectroscopia, utilizando-se de dados espectrosc?picos obtidos na regi?o do infravermelho. A bioespectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho ? descrita como uma t?cnica n?o invasiva, de alto rendimento, baixo custo (quando comparado com t?cnica padr?es de an?lise) e objetivas, e que possui um enorme potencial na an?lise de bact?rias, complementando ou mesmo substituindo m?todos de diagn?stico de doen?as convencionalmente conduzidos por especialistas atrav?s de m?todos padr?es de an?lises de alto custo e que necessitam de reagentes espec?ficos. Os dados obtidos a partir da bioespectroscopia em amostras bacterianas s?o complexos e apresentam muitas bandas de sobreposi??o sendo necess?ria a aplica??o de ferramentas matem?ticas para superar estas dificuldades. Para isso, algumas ferramentas matem?ticas, como os m?todos de sele??o de vari?veis, que utilizam a an?lise discriminante linear com Algoritmo de Proje??o Sucessiva (SPA-LDA) e Algoritmo Gen?tico (GA-LDA), geralmente s?o utilizadas com a finalidade de facilitando a extra??o de informa??es relevantes. A espectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho, em espec?fico infravermelho pr?ximo (NIR) e infravermelho com trasformata de Fourier e reflect?ncia total atenuada (ATR-FTIR), em conjunto com m?todos de sele??o de vari?veis (SPA-LDA e GA-LDA) foram utilizadas na discrimina??o de amostras de bact?rias (Sthaphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoneae e Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Foram identificados prov?veis biomarcadores como lip?deos e prote?nas em ~1550 cm-1 e 1400 cm-1 e vibra??es de DNA em ~1080 cm-1. Valores de sensibilidade de 75% e 95% para modelos de SPA-LDA e 100% e 93% para modelos GA-LDA foram encontrados. Com base nesses resultados, pode-se concluir que o SPA-LDA e GA-LDA em conjunto com a espectroscopia na regi?o do infravermelho mostraram-se ferramentas eficientes melhorando o tempo e custo de diagn?stico possibilitando o tratamento mais r?pido em rela??o aos m?todos padr?es de diagn?stico e, consequentemente, sendo poss?vel evitar a evolu??o de uma poss?vel infec??o. A segunda abordagem foi avaliar poss?veis mudan?as no perfil lipid?mico de bact?rias resultante de sua exposi??o a uma fonte de estresse externa (Ars?nio (III)), utilizando as cianobact?rias Anabaena sp. e Planktothrix agardhii. Os dados foram obtidos a partir a Cromatografia L?quida- Espectrometria de Massas (LC-MS) que por gerar uma matriz de dados muito extensa foi necess?ria a utiliza??o de uma estrat?gia de sele??o proposta recentemente, definida como ROI (do ingl?s regions of interests) que diminui significativamente o tamanho da matriz de dados obtidas por LC-MS. Resolu??o Multivariada de Curvas com M?nimos Quadrados Alternantes (MCR-ALS) foi utilizado como m?todo de resolu??o das fontes de varia??o, recuperando as informa??es de seus componentes puros que se encontravam misturadas. As massas majorit?rias encontradas, sendo algumas delas 766.54, 565.40 e 871.56 (m/z), determinam que as cianobact?rias estudadas, ao serem submetidas a As(III), sofrem mudan?as relacionadas a estruturas que comp?em os processos fotossint?ticos das mesmas. / This doctoral thesis is a theoretical-practical contribution for the development of studies that use bioanalytical, particularly biological materials from bacteria, which can be isolated, DNA, among others, in conjunction with chemistry analysis tools. For this, it was sought to identify bacterial differences when submitted to a source of stress from different analytical techniques. The first approach was based on biospectroscopy, using spectroscopic data obtained in the infrared region. Biospectroscopy in the infrared region is described as a non-invasive, high-throughput, low-cost (when compared with standard analytical techniques) and objective techniques, and has a huge potential in the analysis of bacteria, complementing or even replacing diagnostic methods of diseases conventionally conducted by skilled persons by standard methods of expensive analyzes and requiring specific reagents. The data obtained from biospectroscopy in bacterial samples are complex and have many overlapping bands and it is necessary to apply mathematical tools to overcome these difficulties. For this, some mathematical tools, such as variable selection methods, using Linear Discriminant Analysis with Successive Projection Algorithm (SPA-LDA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA-LDA), are generally used for the purpose of solving these data, facilitating the extraction of information. Infrared spectroscopy, in specific Near Infrared (NIR) and infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform and Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR- FTIR), in conjunction with variable selection methods (SPA-LDA and GA-LDA) was used in the discrimination of bacterial samples (Sthaphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoneae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Possible biomarkers such as lipids and proteins were identified at ~ 1550 cm -1 and 1400 cm -1 and DNA vibrations at ~ 1080 cm -1. Sensitivity values of 75% and 95% for SPA-LDA models and 100% and 93% for GA-LDA models were found. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the SPA-LDA and GA- LDA in conjunction with the infrared spectroscopy showed efficient tools improving the time and cost of diagnosis allowing the treatment faster than the standard methods of diagnosis, and consequently, it is possible to avoid the evolution of a possible infection. The second approach was to evaluate possible changes in the lipid profile of bacteria resulting from its exposure to an external stress source (Arsenic (III)), using the cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. and Planktothrix agardhii. The data were obtained from Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), which, in order to generate a very extensive data matrix, required the use of a recent selection strategy, defined as ROI (regions of interest), which significantly decreased the Size of the data matrix obtained by LC-MS. Multivariate Curve Resolution - Alternating Least Squares (MCR-ALS) was used as a method to solve variation sources, retrieving the information of its pure components that were mixed. The majority masses found, such as 766.54, 565.40 and 871.56 (m/z), determine that the studied cyanobacteria, when subjected to As (III), undergo changes related to structures that make up the photosynthetic processes of the same.

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate and analyze the supply of traditional spa and wellness products in the monitored facilities,which offer this kind of services. It applies to three South Bohemian spa resorts Třeboň, Bechyně and Vráž near Písek.

Digitalization has changed our world and how we interact with different systems. Desktop applications have more and more been integrated with internet, and the web browser has become the Graphical User Interface (GUI) in today’s system solutions. A change that needs to be considered in the automated regression testing process. Using the actual GUI has over time shown to be a complicated task and is therefore often broken out as its own standalone test object. This study looked into time and quality constrains of using the GUI as driver of the regression testing of business requirements in a web based solution. By evaluating the differences in execution times of test cases between Application Programming Interface (API) calls and GUI driven testing, flakiness of test results and required modifications over time for a specific test suite. These constraints were analyzed by looking into how reliability of the test results could be achieved. With a GUI driven full end to end scope the quality in software solutions could be improved with a reduction in the number of interface issues and detected errors in deployed systems. It would also reduce the volume of test cases that needs to be executed and maintained as there are no longer standalone parts to verify separately with partially overlapping test cases. The implementation utilized Selenium WebDriver to drive the GUI and the results showed that by utilizing Selenium the test execution times were increased from approximately 2 seconds (API) to 20-75 seconds (Selenium). The flaky test results could be eliminated by applying the appropriate pattern to detect, locate, and scroll into visibility prior to interacting with the elements. In the end of the study the test execution results were 100% reliable. The navigation required 15 modifications over time to keep them running. By applying the appropriate pattern a reliable test result can be achieved in end to end regression testing where the test case is driven from the GUI, however with an increase in execution time.

A single-page application is a website that retrieves all needed components in one single page load. The intention is to get a user experience that reminds more of a native appli- cation rather than a website. Single-page applications written in Javascript are becoming more and more popular, but when the size of the applications grows the complexity is also increased. A good architecture or a suitable framework is therefore needed. The thesis begins by analyzing a number of design patterns suitable for applications containing a graphical user interface. Based on a composition of these design patterns, an architecture that targets single-page applications was designed. The architecture was designed to make applications easy to develop, test and maintain. Initial loading time, data synchronization and search engine optimizations were also important aspects that were considered. A framework based on the architecture was implemented, tested and compared against other frameworks available on the market. The framework that was implemented was designed to be modular, supports routing and templates as well as a number of different drivers for communicating with a server-side database. The modules were designed with a variant of the pattern Model-View-Controller (MVC), where a presentation model was introduced between the controller and the view. This allows unit tests to bypass the user interface and instead communicate directly with the core of the application. After minification and compression, the size of the framework is only 14.7 kB including all its dependencies. This results in a low initial loading time. Finally, a solution that allows a Javascript application to be indexed by a search engine is presented. It is based on PhantomJS in order to produce a static snapshot that can be served to the search engines. The solution is fast, scalable and easy to maintain.

No description available.