Thesis (MSc.(Chemical Pathology)--Faculty of Health Sciences)-University of Pretoria, 2008. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-171)

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2009. / Härtill 5 uppsatser. "Based on joint research training between SLU and Makerere University"

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaf 122.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, November, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-171)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-11-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:24:15Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 atiquenetto_h_dr_jabo.pdf: 752417 bytes, checksum: 1940ba0e1342e275a0d75fb22bd55128 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O trabalho presente objetivou pesquisar a presença de Leptospira interrogans sorovar Canicola em 32 cães, dos quais 20 infectados e 12 controle, em 4 grupos de estudo com 5 infectados e 3 de controle. No G1 os animais foram eutanasiados 7 dias após a inoculação, no G2, 15 dias, no G3, 30 dias e no G4 45 dias. Colheu-se sêmen, urina e sangue nos dias 0, 3, 5, 7, 10 e após, a cada 5 dias, com realização de exames andrológicos do sêmen e bioquímicos da urina e do sangue, e reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) dessas amostras. Avaliou-se o estado clínico, e o soro sangüíneo foi submetido à soro-aglutinação microscópica (SAM). Os títulos sorológicos dos infectados chegaram a 2.560. Na PCR, detectou-se DNA de leptospiras primeiro no sêmen e depois na urina, e não se detectou nos testículos, epidídimos, próstata, rins e fígado. Na Levaditi, foi encontrada leptospira em um fígado, e no histopatológico, 5 animais com prostatite, evidenciada também pelo aumento do número de espermatozóides com a patologia cabeça isolada. O exame andrológico mostrou declínio na motilidade, no vigor, na concentração espermática e defeitos maiores acima de 10%. No hemograma, observou-se alterações a partir do dia 3 pós-infecção, e ao exame bioquímico a partir do dia 30, indicando possíveis alterações hepáticas e renais. Conclui-se que cães infectados com Leptospira interrogans sorovar Canicola apresentam queda na qualidade espermática, sendo importantes fontes de infecção para o homem e animais, podendo inclusive transmitir a leptospirose por meio de sêmen nos primeiros dias pós-infecção, antes da transmissão urinária, sendo detectada pela PCR anteriormente a SAM. / The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola. in 32 dogs, of which 20 are infected and 12 control, 4 study groups with 5 infected and 3 of control. In G1 animals were euthanasing 7 days after inoculation, the G2, 15 days, the G3, 30 days in the G4 and 45 days. It is collected semen, urine and blood on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 10 and after, every 5 days, with laboratory tests of semen andrological and biochemical of urine and blood, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR ) Of these samples. Evaluated the clinical status, and serum was submitted to serum-microscopic agglutination (SAM). The serological evidence of infection arrived in 2560. In PCR, DNA was found in semen of leptospires first and then in the urine, and is not detected in testis, epididymis, prostate, kidney and liver. In Levaditi, was found leptospira in a liver, and the histopathology, 5 animals with prostatitis, evidenced also by increasing the number of sperm with the pathology head alone. The examination showed andrologic decline in motility, in effect, defects in sperm concentration and higher above 10%. In the blood, it was observed changes from day 3 post-infection, and the biochemical examination on the day 30, indicating possible kidney and liver abnormalities. It follows that dogs infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar Canicola present decrease in sperm quality, and important sources of infection for humans and animals, which may include forward to leptospirosis through semen during the first day post-infection, before urinary transmission, and PCR detected earlier by the SAM.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-11-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:03:41Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 camargo_gmpa_dr_arafcf.pdf: 861757 bytes, checksum: 26d683e65ae5237b982eb2865098bad0 (MD5) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / O objetivo do presente trabalho foi o de verificar a formação de incrustações e o bloqueio do cateter de Foley utilizando-se um modelo laboratorial de bexiga humana. Para tanto, foram utilizadas duas urinas artificiais de diferentes composições: a) urina AS composta por dez solutos em concentrações semelhantes as encontradas na urina humana de 24 horas, acrescida de gelatina; b) urina AT composta por 4 solutos também encontrados na urina humana, mas em concentrações maiores e suplementada com ovalbumina de galinha. Também foi utilizada a urina de 24 horas de três homens. As urinas contaminadas com o P. mirabilis foram bombeadas (0,5ml/min) para o frasco em que o cateter estava inserido até a oclusão do cateter. A Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) foi utilizada para verificar a presença de biofilme nos segmentos dos cateteres. Foi observado uma diferença significante no peso dos segmentos dos cateteres após a canalização das urinas AS, AT e UH contaminadas com o P. mirabilis vs a canalização das urinas sem o microrganismo (p<0,05). O tempo de bloqueio dos cateteres que canalizaram a urina AS vs urina AT e UH vs urina AT também foram diferentes (p<0,05). O tempo de bloqueio dos cateteres, o número de células viáveis presentes no inóculo inicial e no momento do bloqueio do cateter, e variação no peso dos segmentos dos cateteres após a canalização com as urinas sem a adição do P. mirabilis e contaminadas com o P. mirabilis não foram diferentes para as urinas AS, AT e UH. As três urinas examinadas mostraram a estabilização do P. mirabilis e a manutenção em 108UFC/ml bem como a formação de biofilme. Os cateteres que canalizaram a urina AS e UH apresentaram tempos semelhantes de bloqueio. Os cateteres que utilizaram a urina AT foram bloqueados mais rapidamente (p<0,05). Não houve alteração de peso dos segmentos dos cateteres quando testados com o P. mirabilis entre as urinas. / The aim of the present work was to verify formation of encrustations and occlusion on Foley catheter using a laboratorial model of human bladder. Two artificial urines with different compositions were used: a) AS urine consisted by ten solutes in concentrations similar to those found in 24 hour human urine, added gelatin; b) AT urine consisted by four solutes, also found in human urine but in higher concentrations, and supplemented with chicken ovalbumin and UH 24 hour urine of three men. Urines contaminated with P. mirabilis were pumped (0,5ml/min) to flasks where the catheter was inserted reaching catheter occlusion. Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) was used to check the presence of biofilms in catheter segments. The period of catheter occlusions after canalization was determined with the three urines, as well as the number of P. mirabilis viable cells present in the initial inoculum and in the end of the experiment. The period CFU/ml as well as biofilm formation. Catheters that canalized AS and HU urines showed similar occlusion periods. Catheters using AT urine were occluded faster (p<0.05). of catheter occlusions, the number of viable cells present in the initial inoculum and in the moment of catheter occlusion, as well as the variation in catheter segment weights after canalization with urines without P. mirabilis addition and with contaminated urines were not different for AS, AT and HU urines. The three examined urines showed stabilization of P. mirabilis, maintenance of 108 There was no alteration in catheter segment weights when tested with P. mirabilis among urines.

Cancer is one of the greatest causes of death in modern societies, affecting over 350,000 new cases every year in the UK. Although there are currently more than 100 different cancer types, breast and prostate cancer remain the most common types for women and men respectively. A number of different cancer types follow, with bladder cancer being the ninth most significant type, accounting for 3% of the total new cases. The currently employed techniques aim to diagnose the cancer at an early stage, where the symptoms are easier to be treated and the disease more likely to be cured. A further issue is that many cancers diagnosed will not affect a patient in their lifetime. The current gold standard for cancer diagnosis, biopsy followed by histopathology, is an invasive, restrictive technique and the screening tests suffer from low specificity, the need for a novel diagnostic concept is vital. Furthermore, the current clinical approach does not identify those patients most at risk of advancing disease. A promising approach consists of molecular vibrational spectroscopy techniques, which are based on the interactions of light with matter. One of these is Raman spectroscopy, a technique with wide applications in research and industry, which has the advantage of being non-invasive and chemically highly specific. In this thesis we explore the potential of a group of minimally invasive diagnostic techniques, based on Raman scattering, for prostate, breast and bladder cancer. In the case of the two most prevalent types of cancer, prostate and breast cancer, deep Raman spectroscopy has been employed to study the origin of Raman scattering (Chapters 5 and 6) in animal tissue and tissue phantoms, containing highly scattering materials resembling suspicious features found in tissues (calcifications). The spatial distribution of the Raman signal through the sample volume has been studied in relation to the optical properties and the composition of the sample, showing that a couple of transmission measurements would potentially cover the measuring volume of prostate of typical dimensions. Deep Raman measurements were also extended to animal and human tissue samples, in order to investigate the feasibility of collecting Raman scattering from human prostate tissue and its major tissue components (Chapter 6). Further improvements on these measurements were attempted by introducing the ‘’photon diode’’ element (Chapter 7) in order to achieve signal enhancement, which proved to be in the range of ×1-2.4, depending on the optical properties of the tissue and the depth of the probing element. The same ‘’photon diode’’ concept was utilised to attempt depth prediction of a calcification feature in sample volume (Chapter 8). Regarding bladder cancer, the minimally invasive approach adopted was Raman spectroscopy on urine samples, rather than deep Raman spectroscopy. Raman microscopy was employed in order to discriminate pathological features of bladder cancer between healthy and malignant urine samples. For that reason, the potential differences in urea’s distribution and interactions in urine from healthy and patients with bladder cancer were studied, resulting in promising diagnostic values (73% sensitivity, 80% specificity). The results presented in this thesis are expected to lead to a better understanding of the Raman scattering signals collection through biological tissues and help in this way the future design of Raman instruments aiming to target disease specific signals. This study shows promise for future application of Raman spectroscopy and paves the way towards the future integration of Raman spectroscopy in a non-invasive cancer diagnosis.

Upland grasslands comprise a large proportion of the UK’s land area and are primarily used to graze sheep. These grasslands store large quantities of carbon (C). Changes in land use or climate could affect the ability of these soils to store C and the fluxes of other greenhouse gases associated with agricultural soils, nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Grazing substantially changes the cycling of C and nitrogen in grassland ecosystems, particularly through the deposition of rapidly degrading excreta, both dung and urine, on the soil. The major non-enteric greenhouse gas emissions associated with this type of extensive farming of ruminants are the emission of N2O and CH4 from soils affected by the animal’s excreta. This PhD project has investigated the cycling of sheep dung in two upland soils of different management regimes to investigate the effects imposed by the plant community. Dung incorporation was measured by capitalising on the natural difference in natural 13C abundance (δ13C ratios) between maize and native British vegetation, which permitted maize-derived sheep dung to be used as a 13C tracer of dung incorporation into soil. A physical and chemical soil fractionation methodology was used to isolate the distinct soil organic carbon (SOC) pools and ascertain the location of the dung C. There were differences between soils in dung C cycling, with more dung C being measured in semi-improved soils at experiment’s end. Throughout the one year timeframe of this experiment, most of the dung C was recovered in the particulate organic matter fraction. Changing the plant community did not have a measurable effect on dung C cycling within the experimental period. Urine patches in grazed pastures represent a major source of agriculture’s N2O emissions. The N2O, CH4 and CO2 fluxes from chambers treated with synthetic urine, synthetic urine and dung, or dung, and an untreated control in randomised block design at two sites were measured over one year. Relevant soil parameters were also measured at each sampling point. From this data N2O emission factors for sheep excreta at these sites were calculated. N2O emission factors were significantly different between sites, were different for dung and urine, and in all cases were less than the current default value used by countries utilising a Tier 1 methodology, according to the IPCC, to inventory N2O emissions derived from grazing livestock. Dietary manipulation has been proposed to increase certain components in urine that are thought to inhibit N2O emission with the aim of reducing livestock greenhouse gas emissions. One such urinary component is hippuric acid. Soil to which synthetic urine with incrementally increased quantities of hippuric acid were added were incubated, as were soils to which dung only and dung and synthetic urine had been added, as well as an untreated control. No significant effect of hippuric acid concentration was observed. N2O emissions from the dung only and dung and urine treatments were unusually high and surpassed those of the urine only treatments. This has been hypothesised to be due to fungal denitrification in the dung treatments or suppression of microbial activity due to ammonia toxicity in the urine-treated soils. The key conclusions from this PhD work are that the effect of dung deposition on SOC cycling may be quite small and appears to result in substitution of native SOC with dung C, rather than an increase in SOC; N2O emissions from sheep dung and urine deposition in semi-improved grasslands is likely to be very low and much lower than the current IPCC default value; and that in our incubation experiment there was no discernible impact of hippuric acid on N2O emissions, but it is possible that this is an experimental artefact.

This thesis deals with the activity of a thyroid gland of a goat in terms of an excessive iodine excretion in urine and milk. The milk iodine content as a potential source of iodine for humans is still a significant affair. Five milk collections were done in five observed farms during a lactation period. It was collected 144 individual mixed milk samples from 32 animals in total. Urine collections were made five times in the five observed farms 29 individual urine samples in total from 12 animals. The total iodine excretion in milk and urine was set. The average iodine content in milk of individual farms ranged from 41.72 to 143.54 ?g I.l-1 and the average iodine content in urine of individual farms ranged from 104,1 to 165,3 ?g I.l-1. It appears from that that type of stabling and also ration with mineral supplements have an impact on the iodine content. No impact on the iodine content was registered from lactation stage, age or specific breed. There's possible dependency on iodine content in milk and iodine content in urine.