Emotion processing involves specialised brain regions allowing for effective evaluation of the social environment and for the acquisition of social skills that emerge over childhood. In humans, an important aspect of normal development is the ability to understand the facial expressions of others that signal the nature and safety of the environment. Existing functional data, however, have not characterised the developmental trajectories associated with the differing neural and cognitive-behavioural development. The current thesis investigates the functional specialisation and development of the spatial and temporal patterns in neural activities during implicit processing of facial emotions from early childhood through adulthood. The first study identified brain regions engaged in implicit processing of emotional expressions using a simple emotion-processing paradigm (target detection task) with fourteen healthy adults using magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings. Participants responded to a non-face target (a scrambled pattern) while ignoring the emotional face presented in a different hemifield. Results showed ACC and right-lateralised amygdala activations in early latencies in response to the unattended emotional faces related to rapid and implicit attention to the task-irrelevant facial emotions, specifically during the processing of the fearful emotion. Based on the findings in the first study, the second study investigated the developmental patterns and age-related differences in brain activities associated with the rapid and automatic processing of the emotional expressions in MEG with twelve children 7 – 10 years old, twelve adolescents 12 – 15 years old and twelve young adults (mean age 24.4 years) using the same paradigm. The results showed that emotion processing developed early in childhood in the amygdalae, whereas the processing of fear had later maturation engaging the ACC. The results further demonstrated an age-correlated increase in development in ACC activity and an age-related laterality shift in the amygdalae related to fear processing. The present thesis provides new evidence contributing to the understanding of the protracted but differing normal development in the emotional brain over the childhood into adulthood, and offers critical insights into understanding possible dysfunctions of these brain regions during development.

Progress in DNA sequencing of plant genomes has revealed that, in addition to microorganisms, a number of plants contain genes which share similarity to microbial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminases. ACC deaminases break down ACC, the immediate precursor of ethylene in plants, into ammonia and α-ketobutyrate. We therefore sought to isolate putative ACC deaminase cDNAs from tomato plants with the objective of establishing whether the product of this gene is a functional ACC deaminase. It was demonstrated that the enzyme encoded by the putative ACC deaminase cDNA does not have the ability to break the cyclopropane ring of ACC, but rather that it utilizes D-cysteine as a substrate, and in fact encodes a D-cysteine desulfhydrase. Kinetic characterization of the enzyme has shown that it is similar to other previously characterized D-cysteine desulfhydrases. Using site-directed mutagenesis, it was shown that altering two amino acid residues within the predicted active site changed the enzyme from D-cysteine desulfhydrase to ACC deaminase. Concomitantly, it was shown that by altering two amino acids residues at the same position within the active site of ACC deaminase from Pseudomonas putida UW4 changed this enzyme into D-cysteine desulfhydrase.

Bacteria that provide benefit to plants are considered to be plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and can facilitate plant growth by a number of different mechanisms. Plant growth-promoting bacteria that are able to utilize the plant compound 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) as a sole source of nitrogen, as a consequence of possessing the enzyme ACC deaminase, can protect host plants from a number of environmental stresses. In addition to ACC deaminase, PGPB may utilize other mechanisms to facilitate plant growth including IAA synthesis, siderophore production, phosphate solubilization activity, ammonia production, and antibiotic production. Plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes employ similar plant growth promotion mechanisms to those used by rhizospheric PGPB. In fact, bacterial endophytes are PGPB that go one step further and colonize the inside of the plant tissues and provide more efficient and prompted protection to their hosts compared to those that bind exclusively to the plant’s rhizosphere. Therefore, it is likely that endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria will be superior to similar non-endophytic bacterial strains in promoting plant growth under a wide range of environmental conditions. In the work reported here, new bacterial endophytes were isolated and characterized. Among twenty-five ACC deaminase positive strains, two best strains were selected and ACC deaminase deficient mutants were constructed. The ability of two newly isolated 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-containing plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes Pseudomonas fluorescens YsS6, Pseudomonas migulae 8R6 and their ACC deaminase deficient mutants was shown to 1) delay the senescence of mini carnation cut flowers and 2) to facilitate tomato plant growth under salinity stress. In the mini carnation flower senescence evaluation, the only difference between wild-type and mutant bacterial endophytes was ACC deaminase activity, our results demonstrate that this enzyme is directly responsible for a significant delay in flower senescence. Despite containing ACC deaminase activity, the rhizosphere-binding PGPB Pseudomonas putida UW4 was not taken up by the cut flowers and therefore had no effect on prolonging flower shelf life. In evaluating the effect of bacterial endophytes under salt stress, tomato plants treated with either of the wild-type strains of the two selected bacterial endophytes demonstrated early flowering and fruiting and had significantly greater numbers of flowers, buds, and fruits than either the corresponding ACC deaminase mutant strain-treated plants or the control plants. Although both bacterial endophytes P. fluorescens YsS6 and P. migulae 8R6 showed significant plant growth-promotion capabilities, P. migulae 8R6 demonstrated better plant growth facilitation under salt stress than did P. fluorescens YsS6. P. migulae 8R6 treated tomato plants demonstrated the least sodium uptake, the highest chlorophyll content, and highest fresh and dry biomass. The results of the work presented here suggest that ACC deaminase containing selected bacterial endophytes could be employed as environmentally friendly adjuncts to agricultural and horticultural practice.

Progress in DNA sequencing of plant genomes has revealed that, in addition to microorganisms, a number of plants contain genes which share similarity to microbial 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminases. ACC deaminases break down ACC, the immediate precursor of ethylene in plants, into ammonia and α-ketobutyrate. We therefore sought to isolate putative ACC deaminase cDNAs from tomato plants with the objective of establishing whether the product of this gene is a functional ACC deaminase. It was demonstrated that the enzyme encoded by the putative ACC deaminase cDNA does not have the ability to break the cyclopropane ring of ACC, but rather that it utilizes D-cysteine as a substrate, and in fact encodes a D-cysteine desulfhydrase. Kinetic characterization of the enzyme has shown that it is similar to other previously characterized D-cysteine desulfhydrases. Using site-directed mutagenesis, it was shown that altering two amino acid residues within the predicted active site changed the enzyme from D-cysteine desulfhydrase to ACC deaminase. Concomitantly, it was shown that by altering two amino acids residues at the same position within the active site of ACC deaminase from Pseudomonas putida UW4 changed this enzyme into D-cysteine desulfhydrase.

As the electronic products are getting more and more small, the trend of the needs for speed and accuracy is more precise. Therefore, upgrading the speed and the accuracy of contour error on tracking control has become an important point. This research is focus on the improving of contour error and terminus error. In the contour error, we design the acceleration /deceleration profile based on digital FIR filter. And then remodel the compensatory method of cross-coupled controller, making the design of controller parameter easier, and getting better efficiency. And further, we get the time-variable gain by curve of contour error, making the accuracy better. In terminus error, according to two-step control, we switch the controller in deceleration region, not only directly improving the terminus error, but also improving the contour error. Finally, the above improved strategies are verified by the simulation and experimental results.

<p>In the first part of this dissertation, the first asymmetric anti selective aldol addition of a ketone-derived donor that is independent of the structure of the ketone is described. This transformation is facilitated by the use of chiral N-amino cyclic carbamate (ACC) auxiliaries. Under certain conditions, this transformation not only exhibits near perfect anti selectivity and enantioselectivity but also does so via thermodynamic control. Simple manipulation of the reaction conditions allows for the <italic>O</italic>-benzylation of the prepared aldol products and the subsequent removal of the ACC auxiliary to give the &beta;-benzyloxy ketone. Both symmetric and asymmetric ketones can be utilized, and aldol products that would otherwise be difficult if not impossible to prepare via conventional methods are able to be prepared.</p><p>The second part of this dissertation describes the asymmetric total synthesis of (+)- and (-)-mefloquine hydrochloride, a potent antimalarial compound. The synthesis is based on an ACC-mediated asymmetric Darzens reaction between an &alpha;-chloro ketone and a quinoline-based aldehyde. This novel methodology gives a highly enantioenriched epoxide that can be further functionalized to prepare both enantiomers of the antimalarial drug.</p> / Dissertation

The aim of this thesis is to overview studies examining the effect ethnicity has on the neural and physiological responses associated with empathy and the underlying mechanisms behind this effect.  It has been revealed that ethnicity can modulate the empathic responses in that faster physiological arousal and greater sensorimotor resonance occurs during the perception of own ethnic members in suffering. A reduction and even total absence of activity in empathy-associated brain regions such as anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, temporo partial junction and medial prefrontal cortex has further been seen during the perception of other ethnic members in pain. There have however been studies where ethnicity has not had an effect on empathic responses, indicating that it might not be ethnicity per se but instead other underlying mechanisms that causes the difference in empathic responses. There is an ongoing debate on which these mechanisms might be. It has been suggested that it might be attitudes, similarity and familiarity with the target, general ingroup bias, differences in perceptual processes and culture. The thesis will end with a discussion on how the results can be interpreted, the implications of the results, proposals for future research directions and a conclusion.

Bacteria that provide benefit to plants are considered to be plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and can facilitate plant growth by a number of different mechanisms. Plant growth-promoting bacteria that are able to utilize the plant compound 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) as a sole source of nitrogen, as a consequence of possessing the enzyme ACC deaminase, can protect host plants from a number of environmental stresses. In addition to ACC deaminase, PGPB may utilize other mechanisms to facilitate plant growth including IAA synthesis, siderophore production, phosphate solubilization activity, ammonia production, and antibiotic production. Plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes employ similar plant growth promotion mechanisms to those used by rhizospheric PGPB. In fact, bacterial endophytes are PGPB that go one step further and colonize the inside of the plant tissues and provide more efficient and prompted protection to their hosts compared to those that bind exclusively to the plant’s rhizosphere. Therefore, it is likely that endophytic plant growth-promoting bacteria will be superior to similar non-endophytic bacterial strains in promoting plant growth under a wide range of environmental conditions. In the work reported here, new bacterial endophytes were isolated and characterized. Among twenty-five ACC deaminase positive strains, two best strains were selected and ACC deaminase deficient mutants were constructed. The ability of two newly isolated 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase-containing plant growth-promoting bacterial endophytes Pseudomonas fluorescens YsS6, Pseudomonas migulae 8R6 and their ACC deaminase deficient mutants was shown to 1) delay the senescence of mini carnation cut flowers and 2) to facilitate tomato plant growth under salinity stress. In the mini carnation flower senescence evaluation, the only difference between wild-type and mutant bacterial endophytes was ACC deaminase activity, our results demonstrate that this enzyme is directly responsible for a significant delay in flower senescence. Despite containing ACC deaminase activity, the rhizosphere-binding PGPB Pseudomonas putida UW4 was not taken up by the cut flowers and therefore had no effect on prolonging flower shelf life. In evaluating the effect of bacterial endophytes under salt stress, tomato plants treated with either of the wild-type strains of the two selected bacterial endophytes demonstrated early flowering and fruiting and had significantly greater numbers of flowers, buds, and fruits than either the corresponding ACC deaminase mutant strain-treated plants or the control plants. Although both bacterial endophytes P. fluorescens YsS6 and P. migulae 8R6 showed significant plant growth-promotion capabilities, P. migulae 8R6 demonstrated better plant growth facilitation under salt stress than did P. fluorescens YsS6. P. migulae 8R6 treated tomato plants demonstrated the least sodium uptake, the highest chlorophyll content, and highest fresh and dry biomass. The results of the work presented here suggest that ACC deaminase containing selected bacterial endophytes could be employed as environmentally friendly adjuncts to agricultural and horticultural practice.

The Traffic Situation Estimator is a method that analyses vehicle behaviour by monitoring and counting the surrounding traffic. This is done with image analysis that keepstrack of several vehicles through consecutive frames under good lightning conditionson a straight one way road. The behaviour of the detected vehicles is then analysedin a state machine driven counter to estimate the traffic rhythm and determine if thedetected vehicles are approaching, getting away, have been overtaken or have overtakenthe ego-vehicle. Depending on the result the Traffic Situation Estimator suggest different reactions helping the driver to follow the traffic rhythm which will improve safetyand the energy efficiency. If the user is not following the traffic rhythm the applicationwill give advice to the user how to adapt to the traffic rhythm by driving faster, sloweror optionally suggest to overtake vehicles ahead.

Submitted by Marco Antônio de Ramos Chagas (mchagas@ufv.br) on 2017-04-05T13:20:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 754082 bytes, checksum: 9fbc505e90247c8c5cba11e335573762 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-05T13:20:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 754082 bytes, checksum: 9fbc505e90247c8c5cba11e335573762 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2002-03-22 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / As mutações espontâneas na espécie Lycopersicon esculentum têm sido muito utilizadas pelos melhoristas como fonte de variabilidade genética com o objetivo de produzir tomates que apresentem maior resistência ao manuseio pós-colheita. Na região produtora de hortaliças de Viçosa, MG, identificaram-se plantas de tomate ‘Santa Clara’ cujos frutos apresentam coloração “amarelo-creme” quando imaturos e diversos aspectos de seu amadurecimento alterados. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi de estudar as alterações fisiológicas, visuais e ultraestruturais em frutos de tomateiro do cv. Santa Clara e seu mutante natural ‘Firme’ durante o amadurecimento na planta e o efeito da aplicação de etileno em frutos colhidos no estádio verde-maduro. Durante o amadurecimento na planta, os frutos ‘Santa Clara’ apresentaram mudança de cor da epiderme mais gradual e menos intensa do que os frutos mutantes, que apresentaram maior intensidade de cor vermelha nos últimos estádios de maturidade; observou-se aumento nos teores de carotenóides totais e licopeno de mais de 20 vezes tanto para frutos normais como para frutos mutantes. Os estudos de ultraestrutura evidenciaram que durante o amadurecimento de tomates ‘Santa Clara’ os cloroplastos pré-existentes se diferenciam em cromoplastos; por outro lado, no mutante ‘Firme’ a diferenciação em cromoplastos pode ocorrer inteiramente independente da presença de cloroplastos. Os frutos mutantes, durante o amadurecimento na planta, apresentaram menor produção de CO 2 e etileno em todos os estádios de amadurecimento; apesar da atividade da oxidase do ACC ter apresentado padrão de comportamento distinto durante o amadurecimento na planta entre frutos mutantes e normais, a magnitude da atividade foi a mesma. Frutos mutantes apresentaram atraso no aumento da atividade da enzima poligalacturonase em relação aos frutos normais. Os frutos normais acumularam açúcares durante seu amadurecimento na planta, enquanto que os frutos mutantes perderam açúcares com o amadurecimento, sendo que estes apresentaram teores de açúcares totais menores do que os de tomates normais tanto no pericarpo quanto no tecido locular. As mudanças fisiológicas características do amadurecimento dos frutos de tomate, como a perda de firmeza e a mudança de cor, foram influenciadas de maneira semelhante pela aplicação de etileno em frutos colhidos no estádio verde-maduro e armazenados a temperatura ambiente tanto para frutos normais como para frutos mutantes, o que indica que a sensibilidade do tecido ao etileno não foi alterada pela mutação. Os frutos mutantes apresentaram atraso na produção autocatalítica de etileno em relação aos frutos normais após a aplicação de etileno. A menor dose de etileno, 100 μL.L -1 , foi suficiente para acelerar o amadurecimento dos frutos do cv. Santa Clara assim como de seu mutante natural ‘Firme’. / Breeders have been using natural mutants of Lycopersicon esculentum species as source of genetic variability to enhance tomato fruit postharvest life. ‘Santa Clara’ tomato plants showing pale-yellow fruits and others fruit ripening aspects changed were found in Viçosa, MG. The aim of this work was to study the physiological, visual, and ultrastructural changes during ripening of ‘Santa Clara’ and ‘Firme’ fruits attached to the plant and the effect of exogenous ethylene on ripening of mature green fruit. ‘Santa Clara’ fruit showed a more gradual and less intense change on skin color than mutant fruit; we reported a rise higher than twenty fold in total carotenoids and lycopene levels during fruit ripening for ‘Santa Clara’ and ‘Firme’ fruits. Ultrastucture studies provide evidence that during ‘Santa Clara’ tomato fruit ripening chromoplast indeed differentiate from preexisting chloroplast; on the other hand, chromoplast differentiation in mutant fruit indicates that chromoplast development can be a process entirely independent of the chloroplast. Mutant fruit showed lower ethylene and CO 2 production at all maturity stages. ACC oxidase activity showed a distinct pattern during ripening of attached wild type and mutant fruits, nevertheless, the amount found for mutant and wild type were practically the same. Mutant fruit showed a delay on poligalacturonase activity rise comparing to wild type fruit. While wild type fruit showed a rise on total soluble sugars content during ripening mutant fruit showed a decrease on it, nevertheless, mutant fruit showed lower levels than wild type fruit for locular and pericarp total soluble sugars content at all maturity stages. Physiological changes during tomato fruit ripening, such as firmness loss and color change, were effected in a similar way by application of exogenous ethylene on mature green fruit stored at room temperature for mutant and wild type fruit, indicating that mutation did not change tissue ethylene-sensitivity. Mutant fruit showed a delay on autocatalytic ethylene production after application of exogenous ethylene when compared to ‘Santa Clara’ fruit. The lower ethylene concentration studied, 100 μLL -1 , enhanced ripening of ‘Santa Clara’ and ‘Firme’ fruits. / Tese importada do Alexandria