Global ETD Search

11	Development and evaluation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for equine encephalosis virus Rathogwa, Ntungufhadzeni Maclaughlin 22 November 2012 (has links) Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is the cause of equine encephalosis. The disease is similar to mild forms of African horse sickness (AHS) and the two diseases are easily confused. Laboratory identification and serotyping of EEV is based on viral isolation in BHK-21 cells and a viral plaque inhibition neutralization test (Erasmus <i<et al., 1970). These procedures require long durations to confirm results and it was desirable that a rapid diagnostic assay was developed to distinguish EEV from African horse sickness virus (AHSV). A PCR test developed for AHSV (Quan et al., 2008) formed the basis for development of a similar assay for EEV. The aim was to develop and evaluate a real time PCR assay for the detection of EEV in the blood and organs of horses. FastPCR software was used to design primers to amplify and sequence the EEV S7 (VP7) gene. RNA was extracted from EEV tissue culture isolates, representing all seven serotypes, using a MagMaxTM Express Particle Processor and MagMaxTM-96 Total RNA Isolation kits. A one step reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was carried out to amplify the EEV S7 gene using a GeneAmp Gold RNA PCR core kit. Sequence reactions were carried out using a BigDye terminal v3.1 sequencing kit and analyzed with an ABI 3130xl Genetic Analyzer. After sequences alignment using BioEdit software, conserved regions were identified and Primer Express 3.0 software was used to design EEV primers and TaqMan® MGBTM hydrolysis probes for real-time RT-PCR assay. The EEV real-time RT-PCR assay was specific and did not detect AHSV nor bluetongue virus (BTV). The real-time format was selected because of its convenience, sensitivity and ability to produce results rapidly. Validation of the assay is the next step in establishing it as a routine diagnostic assay. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted AHS African horse sickness EEV Equine encephalosis virus UCTD
12	The characterization of inner core protein VP6 of African horsesickness virus De Waal, Pamela Jean 08 November 2006 (has links) VP6 is one of the minor structural core proteins of African horsesickness virus. The minor core proteins VP1, VP4 and VP6 are presumed to constitute the dsRNA dependent RNA polymerase transcription complex of the virus. In the Orbivirus prototype bluetongue virus (BTV), VP6 has a helicase activity. The aim of this investigation was to characterize the primary structure and nucleic acid binding function of the inner core protein VP6 of African horsesickness virus (AHSV). To characterize the primary structure of AHSV VP6, VP6 genes of serotypes 3 and 6 were cloned and sequenced. Both genes encode a 369 amino acid polypeptide. A comparison to the VP6 proteins of other Orbiviruses indicated that in all cases the proteins are rich in basic residues and in glycine. The proteins are highly conserved within serogroups but the conservation between serogroups is low. VP6 of AHSV-3 and AHSV-6 have 93.5% identity and 96% similarity in amino acid residues. AHSV-6 VP6 has 27% identical and 46% similar amino acid residues to BTV-10 VP6. Phylogenetic analysis of four orbivirus VP6 genes indicated that AHSV and BTV are most closely related to each other. Motifs characteristic of known helicases were identified by sequence analysis. Glycine rich protein motifs and a N-glycosylation signal were present. No nucleic acid binding motifs identified in other proteins were found in AHSV VP6. To characterize the VP6 protein of AHSV VP6, the genes were expressed using both a baculovirus and a bacterial expression system. Proteins were found to be soluble and the VP6 expressed in insect cells was found to be N-glycosylated. The nucleic acid binding function of AHSV VP6 was investigated. Bacterially expressed VP6 was demonstrated to bind nucleic acids by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Baculovirus expressed VP6 bound double and single-stranded RNA and DNA in nucleic acid overlay protein blot assays. Competition assays indicated that VP6 may have a preference for binding to RNA rather than DNA. Glycosylation was found to play no direct role in nucleic acid binding but the binding is strongly dependent on the NaCl concentration. A series of truncated VP6 peptides were produced to investigate the importance of localized regions in nucleic acid binding. Two partially overlapping peptides were found to bind dsRNA at pH 7.0, while other peptides with the same overlap did not. Binding appeared to be influenced by charge as reflected by the isoelectric points (pI) of the peptides and experiments indicating the effect of pH on the binding activity. However, only peptides containing amino acid residues 190 to 289 showed binding activity. This region corresponded to the region on BTV VP6 that contains two binding domains. It is proposed that the dsRNA binding domain in AHSV VP6 is a sequence of positively charged amino acids constituting a domain that determines the nucleic acid binding characteristics of the peptide. The mechanism of binding of baculovirus expressed VP6 in a nucleic acid overlay protein blot is proposed to be charge related. / Thesis (PhD (Genetics))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Genetics / unrestricted Virus Bluetongue virus V6 protein Inner core Characterization African horse sickness (AHS) UCTD
13	Housing Challenges of Asian and Pacific Island Elders in the United States from 1995 to 2007 Lee, Sung-jin 03 May 2010 (has links) Limited government supports under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 could cause low-income immigrants to struggle with housing affordability. Thus, this study examined housing challenges of Asian and Pacific Island elders, focusing on government assistance, and demographic, housing, and neighborhood characteristics. The research framework was based on the theory of housing adjustment (Morris & Winter, 1975, 1978). When investigating housing challenges, housing satisfaction was considered a representative term, as the dependent variable. The sample was Asian and Pacific Island households with a head 65+ who responded to the American Housing Survey (AHS) from 1995 through 2007 (N = 1,039). Asian and Pacific Island elders included those who lived in the U.S. for a long time as well as recent immigrants. Several statistical methods were employed: descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, crosstabs, multiple regression, and simple regression. Overall housing satisfaction level of the sample tended to be high from 1995 to 2007. However, there was no statistically significant impact of the PRWORA of 1996 on housing satisfaction and on the government assistance, and demographic, housing, and neighborhood characteristics of Asian and Pacific Island elders since 1996. Variables influencing satisfaction levels, and thus housing challenges, included qualifying for Food Stamps, education, family income, Census region, household size, housing quality, structure size, and neighborhood rating. Other significant findings included the impact of government assistance, geographical location and household size by year. An additional value of this study are the profiles of demographic, housing, and neighborhood characteristics and government assistance of Asian and Pacific Island elders from 1995 to 2007. Data analyses with the secondary datasets can assist housing researchers, educators, nonprofit organizations, or policymakers in their future studies or policies. / Ph. D. American Housing Survey (AHS) Housing Challenges Housing Satisfaction Asian and Pacific Island Elders
14	學科型教室與學習自我效能之研究：以政大附中國中部學生為例 / A study on variation type classroom and academic self-efficacy: An example of junior high students in AHS of NCCU 林韋秀, Lin, Wei-Hsiu Unknown Date (has links) 本研究旨在瞭解政大附中學科型教室之規劃理念、學生使用現況、使用滿意度、使用感受與學生學習自我效能，分析不同性別學生在使用現況、滿意度、使用感受及學習自我效能之差異，探討學生學科教室滿意度與使用感受與其學習自我效能之相關，最後提出學科型教室在臺灣規劃實施之相關建議俾供參考。　　本研究以政大附中國中部學生（有效樣本158人）為問卷調查對象，以秘書及各班副班長共六人為訪談對象，並以其中二班學生一日作息、在學科教室、班級基地、教學研究室及討論室中從事特定活動之學生（共計931人次），以及學科教室之設備與佈置情形為觀察對象。在資料分析上，主要採用描述性分析、次數百分比、平均數與標準差及Pearson積差相關等方法。研究結論如下：一、政大附中學科型教室空間設備之規劃理念涵蓋班級課程、師生教學、學生置物、移動與人際交流等需求，延長下課時間以增加互動機會並使移動更平順。二、政大附中學科型教室之國中部學生空間使用現況符合學科教室便利教與學、班級基地兼顧置物與學生交流、教學研究室方便師生談話、討論室供學生交流及停等以及學生移動便利等理念。三、政大附中國中部學生學科型教室使用滿意度高，使用感受非常好。四、政大附中國中部學生學習自我效能屬於普通偏高，其中以言語說服、生理狀態及樂意學習三向度平均較高，而整體學習效能為女生高於男生。五、政大附中國中部學生學科教室滿意度與使用感受與其學習自我效能為中度正相關，且學生學科教室滿意度與使用感受越高，學習自我效能也越高，高低分組在言語說服及樂意學習之差異最明顯。　　　　研究者根據文獻探討與研究發現，提出以下幾點建議：一、對教育機關及人員之建議（一）學科型教室空間營運模式值得推廣。（二）學校規劃者在規劃學科型教室空間設備時，應將校地條件、班級數、教師員額、課程設計及師生需求融入規劃考量。（三）實施學科型教室，教室應有充足教學設備並強化學科佈置，以突顯其特色。（四）學科教室與班級基地之配置應注意動線便利性，並配合課表強化空間機能。（五）實施學科型教室應提供安全置物空間及便利停等設施，以減少學生移動負擔，可延長下課時間至15到20分鐘，以增加人際互動機會並使移動更平順。（六）推行學科型教室時，學校對教師、學生及家長均需持續加強溝通與理念宣導。（七）定期調查使用者對學科型教室運作之意見，作為對現有措施調整參考。二、對未來相關研究之建議（一）在研究學校的選擇上，增加研究學校，與其他學科型教室學校比較。（二）在研究對象的選擇上，擴大研究對象，納入全校學生或教職員。（三）在研究內容方面，拓廣研究範圍，作更完整之用後評估，探討更廣泛之學習態度及行為。 / Variation type classroom is one of the operational models of school classrooms. In this model, all classrooms belong to subject teachers instead of students of the class. It is believed that this model could help teachers teach and students learn from the results of literature review. This study examines the relationship between the using satisfaction of variation type classroom and academic self-efficacy of junior high school students in AHS of NCCU. It also examines behaviors of junior high school students in variation type classroom. There are 158 junior high school students in AHS of NCCU surveyed, the secretary and 5 assistant class leaders interviewed, and 931 person-time and 2 classrooms observed in this study. Data gathered in this study indicated the following are the other key findings in this study: 1. The planning rationale of variation type classroom in AHS of NCCU consists of the needs of teachers teaching and students learning, storage, classroom transferring, interpersonal interactions and longer class break for more interaction and smoother classroom transferring of students. 2. The junior high students’using behaviors of variation type classroom in AHS of NCCU correspond to the planning rationale of it. 3. The junior high school students in AHS of NCCU have great using satisfaction toward variation type classroom. 4. The junior high school students in AHS of NCCU have general academic self-efficacy (2.88), with higher efficacy in verbal persuasion, physiological state, and enjoyment of learning. The female junior high students have higher academic self-efficacy than the male students do. 5. There is significant mid-level correlation between the using satisfaction and academic self-efficacy of junior high school students in variation type classroom, and the higher the using satisfaction the students have, the higher their academic self-efficacy is. The major implications of this study are as follows: 1. Variation type classroom operational model is worth promoting. 2. School planner should fully consider about the ground of the school, number of classes and faculty, curricula design and needs of teachers and students when planning space and facilities of variation type classroom. 3. In the variation type classroom operational model, classrooms should be equipped with enough teaching facilities and context of subjects should be emphasized to express the strengths of this model. 4. The convenience of the routes between subject classrooms and student lockers should be considered during arrangement process of the school and in correspondence with the class schedule. 5. The school in variation type classroom should provide safe lockers and convenient facilities for stay and wait to make students move with less stuff. Longer break (15-20 minutes) could be taken into account to promote interpersonal interaction and make students’ transferring of classrooms more smoothly. 6. The school administration needs to communicate and advocate consistently with the students, their parents and the faculty about the rationale of variation type classroom. 7. The school administration could survey about the users’ using satisfaction and opinion regularly to make necessary modification of the model or space and facilities of variation type classroom. 學科型教室學習自我效能政大附中 variation type classroom academic self-efficacy AHS of NCCU
15	APHASIE HANDICAP SCORE Detante, Olivier 06 October 2004 (has links) (PDF) L'accident vasculaire cérébral (AVC) est la principale cause de handicap de l'adule dont la quantification est indispensable à l'évaluation de la qualité des soins. Le score de Rankin est un " best-seller " qui a contribué à démontrer l'efficacité de la thrombolyse. Ce score global du handicap est simple et le plus " patient-orienté " des scores actuels. Il nous a semblé intéressant d'adapter cette approche globale du handicap post-AVC au problème spécifique des aphasies. L'objectif était de disposer d'un outil simple, unique et reproductible du retentissement de l'aphasie sur la vie du patient, quelque soit le type d'aphasie. L'Aphasie Handicap Score (AHS) a ainsi été conçu aux Urgences Cérébro-Vasculaires de la Salpêtrière. Il classe les patients en 5 catégories selon quelques critères dont les plus importants sont : persistance d'un langage vecteur de communication, handicap résultant de l'aphasie. Nous avons testé sa reproductibilité inter-observateur chez 71 patients à la phase initiale de l'AVC. Nous avons ensuite corrélé les résultats de l'AHS à ceux de l'Echelle de Communication Verbale de Bordeaux (ECVB) et de la fluence verbale au cours de 182 consultations chez 84 aphasiques chroniques. A la phase initiale de l'AVC, la reproductibilité de l'AHS est bonne (k pondéré = 0,71). Lors du suivi en consultation, l'AHS est fortement corrélée à l'ECVB (R = -0,89) et à la fluence (R = -0,67). L'analyse discriminante montre qu'il existe des valeurs seuils significatives de score ECVB et de fluence correspondant aux principales catégories d'AHS. CONCLUSION : l'AHS est un outil " patient-orienté " d'évaluation du handicap résultant d'une aphasie. Il est aussi rapide et accessible au neurologue que le score de Rankin. Sa reproductibilité est satisfaisante dès la phase initiale de l'AVC, et il est corrélé à la fluence sémantique et à l'ECVB. Ces résultats suggèrent que l'AHS peut être considéré comme un équivalent du Rankin dans le domaine de l'aphasie et pourrait donc devenir un outil d'évaluation et de recherche thérapeutique intéressant. Aphasie Handicap Score AHS accident vasculaire cérébral AVC aphasie handicap autonomie test score échelle
16	Characterisation of selected Culicoides (Diptera : Ceratopogonidae) populations in South Africa using genetic markers Debeila, Thipe Jan 20 June 2011 (has links) Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are small (<3mm) blood feeding flies. These flies are biological vectors of viruses, protozoa and filarial nematodes affecting birds, humans, and other animals. Among the viruses transmitted those causing bluetongue (BT), African horse sickness (AHS) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) are of major veterinary significance. Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer, a proven vector of both AHS and BT viruses, is the most abundant and wide spread livestock-associated Culicoides species in South Africa. Field isolations of virus and oral susceptibility studies, however, indicated that a second Avaritia species, C. bolitinos Meiswinkel may be a potential vector of both BT virus (BTV) and AHS virus (AHSV). Differences in oral susceptibility, which are under genetic control, of populations from different geographical areas to viruses may be an indication of genetic differences between these populations, which may be the result of limited contact between these populations. A good knowledge of the distribution, spread and genetic structure of the insect vector is essential in understanding AHS or BT disease epidemiology. In the present study, an effort was made to gather field specimens of both C. imicola and C. bolitinos from different areas within their natural distribution in South Africa. The aim was to partially sequence two mitochondrial genes from these specimens and to analyse the sequence data making use of phylogenetic trees to clarify the genetic relationships between individuals or groups collected from geographically distinct sites. The two species were collected from four geographically separated areas in South Africa viz. Gauteng Province, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province as well as the Free State Province. DNA was extracted from a total of 120 individual midges of the two Culicoides species using DNA extraction kits. Extracted DNA was analysed using PCR, sequencing as well as phylogenetic methods. A total of 117 mitochondrial DNA COI and 104 mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA Culidoides</i. sequences were analysed. DNA sequence polymorphism and phylogenetic relationships of various groups of C. imicola and C. bolitinos midges were determined. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of Culicoides populations using mitochondrial COI gene fragment showed that, at least one subpopulation of C. imicola and two distinct genotypes of C. bolitinos species do exist in South Africa, and further analysis is necessary. This study showed that COI has the potential to separate Culicoides midges based on their geography / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Veterinary Tropical Diseases / unrestricted Bluetongue (BT) Culicoides Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Sequences Cytochrome oxidase subunit i coi 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) C imicola C bolitinos South Africa (SA) African horse sickness (AHS) UCTD
17	A plm implementation for aerospace systems engineering-conceptual rotorcraft design Hart, Peter Bartholomew 08 April 2009 (has links) The thesis will discuss the Systems Engineering phase of an original Conceptual Design Engineering Methodology for Aerospace Engineering-Vehicle Synthesis. This iterative phase is shown to benefit from digitization of Integrated Product&Process Design (IPPD) activities, through the application of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) technologies. Requirements analysis through the use of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and 7 MaP tools is explored as an illustration. A "Requirements Data Manager" (RDM) is used to show the ability to reduce the time and cost to design for both new and legacy/derivative designs. Here the COTS tool Teamcenter Systems Engineering (TCSE) is used as the RDM. The utility of the new methodology is explored through consideration of a legacy RFP based vehicle design proposal and associated aerospace engineering. The 2001 American Helicopter Society (AHS) 18th Student Design Competition RFP is considered as a starting point for the Systems Engineering phase. A Conceptual Design Engineering activity was conducted in 2000/2001 by Graduate students (including the author) in Rotorcraft Engineering at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA. This resulted in the "Kingfisher" vehicle design, an advanced search and rescue rotorcraft capable of performing the "Perfect Storm" mission, from the movie of the same name. The associated requirements, architectures, and work breakdown structure data sets for the Kingfisher are used to relate the capabilities of the proposed Integrated Digital Environment (IDE). The IDE is discussed as a repository for legacy knowledge capture, management, and design template creation. A primary thesis theme is to promote the automation of the up-front conceptual definition of complex systems, specifically aerospace vehicles, while anticipating downstream preliminary and full spectrum lifecycle design activities. The thesis forms a basis for additional discussions of PLM tool integration across the engineering, manufacturing, MRO and EOL lifecycle phases to support business management processes. Teamcenter systems engineering Teamcenter community Teamcenter unified Teamcenter engineering Teamcenter manufacturing CATIA V5 Rotorcraft design Boeing AHS Joint heavy lift VPLM MBOM EBOM Product change control Product definition Configuration management Product structure architecture Design engineering Aerospace engineering System engineering PLM CIE IDE SE Affordability Cost savings Executive helicopter Joint chiefs of staff Marine CAE CAD CAM CAA MDO RSM DOE Consulting Engineering management Perfect storm Engineering software Requirements data management CATIA V4 NX Engineering communications RFP Digitization Air Force Navy Army BAMS FIPER ACSYNT Sikorsky Bell Georgia Tech Engineering methodology Requirements engineering System engineering Search Rescue IDE Integrated digital environment Kingfisher Search and rescue Helicopter Helicopter engineering QFD Legacy design IPPD Quality engineering Defense systems acquisition Coast Guard Decision support systems Rotors (Helicopters) Design Concurrent engineering

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