Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2017-04-11T16:02:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Elton Lima Santos.pdf: 629199 bytes, checksum: 4a4e2175cbcad51125cd66f7f4ae9359 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-11T16:02:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elton Lima Santos.pdf: 629199 bytes, checksum: 4a4e2175cbcad51125cd66f7f4ae9359 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-23 / The research was developed in Laboratory of Ponderal Evaluation in aquatic Animals (LaAqua), located in the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the UFRPE, with the aim to study the effect of the natural promoter growth additive in feed for Nile tilapia, through the evaluation of the digestibility of the dry matter, crude protein and crude energy of the rations, the performance and the morfometry of the mucosa gut of Nile tilapia. The used natural additives had been the alcoholic extract of propolis and garlic powder in the levels of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % and 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0% of inclusion in the ration, respectively, arranged in a design randomized with four treatments and six repetitions. In the performance, that was carried through in aquariums of 70L, in a system of closed water circulation with the use of biofilter, the profit of weight, apparent alimentary conversion, consumption of apparent ration, hepatossomatic index, protein efficiency tax, viscerosomatic fat index, digestives somatic index and the morfometry of the mucosa gut had been evaluated, on the basis of the intestinal villus height. In the digestibility experiment had been used 320 juveniles of Nile tilapia with initial average weight of 20,00 ±5,0g The rations hadbeen supplied “ad libitum” (of 45 in 45 minutes) in small portions, in the period of the 8:00 to 17:00 h. The excrements had been collected in the deep one of the aquariums, daily, to each six hours. In the condition where the experiment was carried through, the use of the alcoholic extract of propolis that as additive promoter of growth for Nile tilapia, did not imply in improvement in the performance, however it provided one better energy exploitation of the ration. The garlic powder as additive in rations for youthful the Nile tilapia, did not provide positive effect as promotional of growth, in the studied levels. / Os experimentos foram conduzidos no Laboratório de Avaliação Ponderal em Animais Aquáticos (LaAqua), localizado no Departamento de Pesca e Aqüicultura da UFRPE, com o objetivo de estudar os efeitos da adição de aditivos naturais promotores de crescimento na alimentação de tilápia do Nilo, através da avaliação da digestibilidade da matéria seca, da proteína e da energia das rações, do desempenho produtivo e da morfometria da mucosa intestinal de tilápia do Nilo. Os aditivos naturais utilizados foram o extrato alcoólico de própolis e alho em pó nos níveis de 0,0; 0,5; 1,0 e 1,5,% e 0,0; 1,0; 2,0 e 3,0 % de inclusão na ração, respectivamente, arranjados num delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos e seis repetições, tanto para digestibilidade, quanto para o desempenho. No desempenho, que foi realizado em aquários de 70L, em um sistema de circulação fechada de água com a utilização de biofiltro, foram avaliados o ganho de peso, conversão alimentar aparente, consumo de ração aparente, índice hepato-somático, taxa de eficiência protéica, índice de gordura viscero-somática, índice digestivo-somático e amorfometria da mucosa intestinal, com base na altura das vilosidades. No experimento de digestibilidade foram utilizados 320 juvenis de tilápia do Nilo com peso médio inicial de 20,00 ± 5,0g. As rações foram fornecidas “ad libitum” (de 45 em 45 minutos) em pequenas porções, no período das 8h às 17h. As fezes foram coletadas no fundo dos aquários, diariamente, a cada seis horas. Nas condições em que foram realizados os experimentos, pode-se concluir que o uso do extrato alcoólico de própolis, como aditivo promotor de crescimento para tilápia do Nilo, não implicou em melhora no desempenho, porém, proporcionou um melhor aproveitamento energético da ração. O alho em pó, como aditivo em rações para juvenis de tilápia do Nilo, não proporcionou efeito positivo como promotor de crescimento, nos níveis estudados.

Intimal hyperplasia is associated with graft failure and vascular sutures in the first year after surgery and in postangioplasty restenosis. Allium sativum (common garlic) lowers cholesterol and has antioxidant effects; it also has antiplatelet and antitumor properties and, therefore, has great potential to reduce or inhibit intimal hyperplasia of the arteries. Attempts have been made to inhibit intimal hyperplasia of the arteries with cilostazol and other drugs. Therefore, it is important to address the following research question: what is the difference between the mean of post-angioplasty myointimal thickening in the iliac artery of rabbits treated with A. sativum and that treated with cilostazol? Our objective is to determine the mean difference of post-angioplasty myointimal hyperplasia in the external iliac artery of rabbits with induced atherosclerosis, and compare the outcome between treatment with A. sativum and treatment with cilostazol. This is a randomized preclinical trial study conducted in experimental animals. We used female New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), submitted to an atherosclerotic diet and angioplasty of the external iliac artery. The animals were divided into the following groups (n = 10 each) according to treatment: group A, A. sativum, 800 μg⋅kg-1⋅day-1, orally; group C, cilostazol, 50 mg/day, orally; group S, 10 mL of 0.9% physiological saline solution, orally. Our primary variable is the difference of the mean myointimal hyperplasia. The secondary variable is the mean plate thickness of the arterial wall. Complementary data include frequency of limb ischemia, limb loss frequency, frequency of hematoma or bruising, frequency of infection, frequency of bleeding, frequency of animal death, and mean of lipid levels. The sample size was arbitrated in 30 rabbits. Statistical analysis was performed by using ANOVA and Tukey tests, as well as the χ2 test. We calculated the 95% confidence interval (CI) for each point estimate, and the P value was set as < 0.05. Group S had a mean hyperplasia rate of 35.74% (95% CI, 31.76–39.71%); group C, 16.21% (95% CI, 13.36–19.05%); and group A, 21.12% (95% CI, 17.26–25.01%); P < 0.0001. In conclution the Allium sativum quite as effective in inhibiting myointimal hyperplasia compared with those treated with cilostazol. / A hiperplasia intimal está relacionada à falha de enxertos e suturas vasculares no primeiro ano pós-cirurgia e nas reestenoses pós-angioplastia. O Allium sativum (alho comum) reduz o colesterol e tem efeito antioxidante, antiplaquetário e antitumoral; logo havia grande possibilidade de reduzir ou inibir a hiperplasia da íntima das artérias, a qual sua inibição vem sendo tentada com o Cilostazol e outros tratamentos. Sendo assim é relevante responder a pergunta de pesquisa: qual a diferença de média de hiperplasia miointimal pós-angioplastia na artéria ilíaca de coelhos tratados com Allium sativum comparada aos tratados com Cilostazol? O objetivo é determinar a diferença de média de hiperplasia miointimal pós-angioplastia na artéria ilíaca externa de coelhos com aterosclerose induzida e tratados com Allium sativum comparada aos tratados com Cilostazol. O estudo foi um ensaio pré-clínico aleatório em animais de experimentação por 35 dias. Os animais foram coelhos fêmeas (Oryctolagus cuniculus), da linhagem Nova Zelandia, submetidos à dieta ateroslcerótica e à angioplastia da artéria ilíaca externa direita. Os animais foram divididos em: Grupo A (n=10) coelhos tratados com a Allium sativum (800 μg/kg/dia), em doses diárias, por via oral. Grupo C (n=10): coelhos tratados com Cilostazol em doses diárias de 50 mg/dia, por via oral. Grupo S (n= 10) coelhos tratados com 10 mL de soro fisiológico 0,9%, por via oral, que foi nosso controle negativo. A variável primária foi a diferença de frequência da média de hiperplasia miointimal. Variáveis secundárias: a média de espessura da placa na parede arterial. Dados complementares: a frequência isquemia do membro, a frequência de perda do membro, a frequência de hematoma ou equimose, a frequência de infecção, a frequência de sangramento, a frequência de morte do animal e a média dos níveis lipídicos. O tamanho da amostra foi arbitrado em 30 coelhos. A análise estatística foi realizada com o teste ANOVA, Qui-quadrado e Tukey. Foi calculado o intervalo de confiança de 95% para cada ponto estimado. Os resultados foram: grupo S teve um índice médio de hiperplasia de 35,74% IC de 95% (31,76% a 39,71%); grupo C teve um índice médio de hiperplasia de 16,21% IC de 95% (13,36% a 19,05%); grupo A teve um índice médio de hiperplasia de 21,12% IC de 95% (17,26% a 25,01%); com P < 0,0001. Sendo assim, o Allium sativum tem a mesma eficácia na inibição da hiperplasia miointimal comparada aos tratados com Cilostazol

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Fusarium verticil/ioides (Sacc) Nirenberg a common phytopathogen of maize and maize-based products produces fumonisin B (FB) mycotoxins that have been related to several diseases such as equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM), porcine pulmonary edema (PPE), liver toxicity in several animals and esophageal and liver cancer in humans. In one of our studies we hypothesize that aqueous extracts of indigenous South African wild garlic species (Tulbaghia violacea, T. alliacea and T. simmleri) may enhance the efficacy of the fungicides, SporekilPu, Thiram, Itraconazole and Fluconazole against F. verticil/ioides (MRC 826). Data analysis from in vitro results indicates that for the 16 different mixtures of each plant extract and fungicide combination, several significantly (P<O.05) higher growth inhibition responses were produced. More synergistic interactions were observed for the combinations of sporekill with T. violacea (62%) and T. alliacea (75%) than for T. simmleri (25%) .. Mixtures between the azole fungicides and T. simmleri produced 94 % synergistic interactions. Combination of fungicides and plant compounds offers the opportunity to find synergistic mixtures and may validate disease control strategies with increased biological activity and low dose rate application. Modulation studies of hepatic drug metabolizing enzymes and oxidative properties of AI/ium sativum, Tulbaghia violacea and T. alliacea in male Fischer rats were also evaluated. Due to its complex phytochemical composition a battery of assays were used to evaluate antioxidant potential. The extracts exhibited no adverse effects in the liver and kidneys of the rats. Total plasma iron was not affected showing no evidence for iron catalyzed lipid peroxidation. An increase was noted in hepatic ORAC values for rats consuming T. violacea and T. al/iacea. However, no correlation was observed between the phenolic intake by the rats and the increased hepatic ORAC levels. In this study, pre-treatment with aqueous extracts of T. violacea, T. al/iacea and A. sativum resulted in a significant elevation in GSH levels, induction of GST -IJ and UDP-GT and modulation of CAT and SOD. This modulated oxidative status and phase II drug metabolizing enzymes in the liver may protect the liver against the adverse effects related to oxidative damage and mutagenesis. The chemoprotective properties of crude aqueous extracts of A. sativum, T. violacea and T. alliacea were investigated on preneoplastic foci formation promoted by culture material of F. verticil/ioides MRC 826 utilizing diethylnitrosamine (DEN) as cancer initiator. Clinical chemical parameters related to liver and kidney function and decreased body weight gain suggesting that severe, acute liver injury had been induced in the positive control (DEN-eMF) rats, while the levels were mostly reduced by the garlic treatments. This study further indicates that T. alliaceae (2 % w/v) and A. sativum (1% w/v) treatment suppressed GST-P+ foci formation with the modulation of GST-0 phase II detoxification enzymes, as well as the antioxidant enzyme, SOD (T. alliaceae) and decreased GSH levels as being possible mechanisms of protection. These results provide new evidence showing the modulation of phase II drug metabolizing enzymes and the oxidative status in the liver of rats by the wild garlic species as well as A. sativum.

Interest in wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) and diamond has increased due to their ability to deliver high power, high switching frequency and low loss electronic devices for power conversion applications. To meet these requirements, semiconductor material defects, introduced during growth and fabrication, must be minimized. Otherwise, theoretical limits of operation cannot be achieved. In this dissertation, the non-ideal current- voltage (IV) behavior of GaN-based Schottky diodes is discussed first. Here, a new model is developed to explain better the temperature dependent performance typically associated with a multi-Gaussian distribution of barrier heights at the metal-semiconductor interface [Section 3.1]. Application of this model gives researches a means of understanding not only the effective barrier distribution at the MS interface but also its voltage dependence. With this information, the consequence that material growth and device fabrication methods have on the electrical characteristics can be better understood. To show its applicability, the new model is applied to Ru/GaN Schottky diodes annealed at increasing temperature under normal laboratory air, revealing that the origin of excess reverse leakage current is attributed to the low-side inhomogeneous barrier distribution tail [Section 3.2]. Secondly, challenges encountered during MOCVD growth of low-doped GaN drift layers for high-voltage operation are discussed with focus given to ongoing research characterizing deep-level defect incorporation by deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS) [Section 3.3 and 3.4]. It is shown that simply increasing TMGa so that high growth rates (>4 µm/hr) can be achieved will cause the free carrier concentration and the electron mobilities in grown drift layers to decrease. Upon examination of the deep-level defect concentrations, it is found that this is likely caused by an increase in 4 deep level defects states located at E C - 2.30, 2.70, 2.90 and 3.20 eV. Finally, samples where the ammonia molar flow rate is increased while ensuring growth rate is kept at 2 µm/hr, the concentrations of the deep levels located at 0.62, 2.60, and 2.82 eV below the conduction band can be effectively lowered. This accomplishment marks an exciting new means by which the intrinsic impurity concentration in MOCVD-grown GaN films can be reduced so that >20 kV capable devices could be achieved. / Doctor of Philosophy / We constantly rely on electronics to help assist us in our everyday lives. However, to ensure functionality we require that they minimize the amount of energy lost through heat during operation. One contribution to this inefficiency is incurred during electrical power conversion. Examples of power conversion include converting from the 120 V wall outlet to the 5 V charging voltage used by cellphones or converting the fluctuating voltage from a solar panel (due to varying sun exposure) to the 120 V AC power found in a typical household. Electrical circuits can be simply designed to accomplish these conversions; however, consideration to every component must be given to ensure high efficiency. A popular example of an electrical power conversion circuit is one that switches the input voltage on and off at high rates and smooths the output with an inductor/capacitor network. A good analogy of this process is trying to create a small stream of water from a fire hydrant which can either be off or on at full power. Here we can use a small cup but turning the fire hydrant on and trying to fill the cup will destroy it. However, if the fire hydrant is pulsed on and off at very short intervals (1 µs), its possible to fill the cup without damaging it or having it overflow. Now, under ideal circumstances if a small hole is poked in the bottom of the cup and the interval of the fire hydrant is timed correctly, a small low power stream of water is created without overflowing the cup and wasting water. In this analogy, a devices capable of switching the stream of water on and off very fast would need to be implemented. In electrical power conversion circuits this device is typically a transistor and diode network created from a semiconducting material. Here, similar to the fire hydrant analogy, a switch would need to be capable of holding off the immense power when in the off position and not impeding the powerful flow when in the on position. The theoretical limit of these two characteristics is dependent on the material properties of the switch where typically used semiconductors include silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), or gallium nitride (GaN). Currently, GaN is considered to be a superior option over Si or SiC to make the power semiconductor switching device, however research is still required to remove non-ideal behavior that ultimately effects power conversion efficiency. In this work, we first examine the spurious behavior in GaN-based Schottky diodes and effectively create a new model to describe the observed behavior. Next, we fabricated Ru/GaN Schottky diodes annealed at different temperatures and applied the model to explain the room-temperature electrical characteristics. Finally, we grew GaN under different conditions (varying TMGa and ammonia) so that quantum characteristics, which have been shown to affect the overall ability of the device, could be measured.

A cebola comum Allium cepa L. (2n=16), devido à sua excelente condição cromossômica, tem sido largamente utilizada como um sistema de testes para se examinar os efeitos citogenéticos causados por diversos compostos químicos em material biológico. Em estudos de monitoramento de riscos ambientas, observou-se limitação no crescimento das raízes quando as cebolas são expostas a aguas residuárias provenientes de indústrias químicas. Nesse estudo, nós avaliamos este sistema de testes escolhendo alguns compostos de metais pesados, cujos efeitos em outros sistemas de testes já se encontram descritos. Além disso, foram estuados vários fatores que poderiam interferir nos resultados tais como: temperatura; luminosidade; qualidade da água e qualidade das cebolas. As concentrações mais baixas empregadas (1,5 mg/l) nos testes, de cádmio e cobre demostraram alta capacidade inibidora sobre o crescimento das raízes. O zinco apresentou toxicidade moderada a 1,5 mg/l e crescente às concentrações sucessivas mais elevadas. Efluentes industriais, contendo misturas de níquel e sulfatos ou cobre e cianeto, demonstraram-se altamente inibidores às concentrações mais baixas empregadas (0,7%), resultados que demonstram a alta sensibilidade do teste aos sais de metais pesados. Quanto às condições experimentais que levaram a esses resultados, os testes revelaram que não existe influência pronunciada dos fatores luminosidade e temperatura. Quanto à água para controle e diluição, não deve ser de torneira devido ao efeito inibidor do zinco e do cobre. Os resultados foram contraditórios em relação a um possível efeito osmótico da água destilada, sendo conveniente adicionar entre 100 a 250 mg/l de NaCl. A melhor resposta foi obtida com cebolas de origem argentina de 3,5 a 4,0 cm de diâmetro sendo preferível a manutenção de cascas para evitar murchamento. / The common onion Allium cepa. L., due to its excellent chromosome conditions, has been widely used as a test system for examining the citogenetic effects of several chemical compounds on biological material. It has been observerd, in monitoring environmental studies, some growth restriction on Allium roots when they are exposed to wastewater from chemical factories. In this study, we evaluate these test systems by choosing some hard metals which harmful effects on biological materials has been already described. Furthermore, some factors that could interfere on the results, such as: temperature; light; water quality and onion quality were studied. The lowest concentration (1.5 mg/l) for cadmium and cupper were found to have hard capacity to inhibit root growth. The zinc showed moderate toxicity at 1.5 mg/l and this effect was more evident at increased concentrations. The industrial wastewater that contains mixture of nickel and sulphate or cupper and cyanate inhibited root growth at lower concentration (0.7%). These results showed that the test system has high sensitivity for hard metals. There was no direct influence of temperature and light on the experiment conditions. With regard to the type of water, tap water should not be used because of inhibition on the root growth caused by zinc and copper. The results contradicted a potential osmotic effect of distillated water, being convenient to add 100 - 250 mg/l of NaCl. The best response was obtained with onions from Argentina with 3.5 - 4.0 cm of diameter being recommended to keep the onion peel for avoiding dryness.

Submitted by Edisangela Bastos (edisangela@ufpa.br) on 2018-09-14T17:56:45Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Tese_EssentialOilsComponents.pdf: 4263439 bytes, checksum: c1189e55f12d63ca94f4a519200746ce (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Edisangela Bastos (edisangela@ufpa.br) on 2018-09-14T17:57:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Tese_EssentialOilsComponents.pdf: 4263439 bytes, checksum: c1189e55f12d63ca94f4a519200746ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-14T17:57:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Tese_EssentialOilsComponents.pdf: 4263439 bytes, checksum: c1189e55f12d63ca94f4a519200746ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-31 / Óleos essenciais derivados do metabolismo secundário de plantas podem ter atividades contra nematóides das galhas, Melodogyne incognita. Devido à necessidade de nematicidas mais eficientes e menos tóxicos para o homem e para o ambiente do que os disponíveis para o controle de Meloidogyne incognita, assim, neste trabalho objetivou-se estudar os óleos essenciais de Cinnamomum cassia e de Allium sativum, que foram descritos como ativos in vitro contra o nematóide Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. O óleo essencial de ambas as espécies foi obtido por hidrodestilação, dissolvidos em solução aquosa de Tween 80 a 0,01 g mL-1 e testado in vitro contra M. incognita. A 62 μg mL-1 as emulsões dos óleos foram mais ativas sobre ovos e juvenis de segundo estagio (J2) do que o Carbofuran a 173 μg mL-1. De acordo com a análise de cromatografia gasosa-espectrometria de massas, o constituinte majoritário de C. cassia é o (E)-cinamaldeído (83,3%), enquanto para o óleo de alho foram trisulfeto de dialila (66.7%) e dissulfeto de dialila (21.3%). Esses constituintes explicaram a atividade nematicida in vitro do óleo essencial de cada espécie de planta. A emulsão do óleo de C. cassia (500 μg mL-1), (E)-cinamaldeído (416 μg mL-1) e alho (250 μg mL-1) reduziram o numero de galhas e de ovos em plantas de soja e tomateiro, respectivamente, a valores estatisticamente iguais àquele obtido pelo Carbofuran (416 μg mL-1). Vapores dos óleos essenciais e do (E)-cinamaldeído foram ativos tanto quanto o nematicida fumigante Basamid usado nos ensaios in vitro contra M. incognita. A infectividade e a reprodução de M. incognita em plantas de soja e de tomate cultivadas em substrato infestado artificialmente com ovos do nematóide e tratado com 0,2 mL (alho), 1,0 mL (E)-cinamaldeído e 0,25 g de Basamid foram estatisiticamente iguais entre si na redução da população do nematoide. Esses resultados inequivocamente provam a atividade nematicida dos óleos essenciais e da substância (E)-cinamaldeído contra M. incognita, portanto, tanto o óleo quanto o (E)-cinamaldeído são muito promissores ao desenvolvimento de novos nematicidas fumigantes para o controle de nematóides em plantas de soja e de tomate. / Essential oils derived from secondary plant metabolism may have activities against root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita. Because nematicides that are more efficient and less toxic to humans and the environment than those available are desirable to control this pathogen, this work aimed at studying the essential oil of Cinnamomum cassia and Allium sativum, which were described as active in vitro against the nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. The essential oils of both species were obtained by hydrodistillation, initially dissolved in aqueous solution of Tween 80 at 0.01 g mL-1 and tested in vitro against M. incognita. At 62 μg mL-1 the oil emulsions were more active on eggs and second stage juveniles (J2) than Carbofuran at 173 μg mL-1. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the major constituent of C. cassia is (E) -cinnamaldehyde (83.3%), while for garlic oil were diallyl trisulfide (66.7%) and diallyl disulfide (21.3%). These constituents explained the in vitro nematicidal activity of the essential oil of each plant species. The emulsion of the C. cassia (500 μg mL-1), E)-cinnamaldehyde (416 μg mL-1) and garlic (250 μg mL -1) reduced the number of galls and eggs in roots soybean and tomatoes to values statistically equal to those obtained with Carbofuran at 415 μg mL-1. Vapors from the essential oils and (E)-cinnamaldehyde were active as much as the basamid fumigant nematicide used in the in vitro assays against M. incognita. Infectivity and reproduction of M. incognita in soybean and tomato plants grown on substrate artificially infested with nematode eggs and treated with 0.2 mL (garlic), 1.0 mL (E)-cinnamaldehyde and 0.25 g of Basamid were statistically equal among themselves in reducing the nematode population. These results unequivocally proofs of the nematicidal activity of the essential oils and of the (E)-cinnamaldehyde substance against M. incognita, therefore, both oil (E)-cinnamaldehyde are very promising to the development of new fumigant nematicides for the control of nematodes in soybean and tomato plants. / UFPA/Altamira

A cebola comum Allium cepa L. (2n=16), devido à sua excelente condição cromossômica, tem sido largamente utilizada como um sistema de testes para se examinar os efeitos citogenéticos causados por diversos compostos químicos em material biológico. Em estudos de monitoramento de riscos ambientas, observou-se limitação no crescimento das raízes quando as cebolas são expostas a aguas residuárias provenientes de indústrias químicas. Nesse estudo, nós avaliamos este sistema de testes escolhendo alguns compostos de metais pesados, cujos efeitos em outros sistemas de testes já se encontram descritos. Além disso, foram estuados vários fatores que poderiam interferir nos resultados tais como: temperatura; luminosidade; qualidade da água e qualidade das cebolas. As concentrações mais baixas empregadas (1,5 mg/l) nos testes, de cádmio e cobre demostraram alta capacidade inibidora sobre o crescimento das raízes. O zinco apresentou toxicidade moderada a 1,5 mg/l e crescente às concentrações sucessivas mais elevadas. Efluentes industriais, contendo misturas de níquel e sulfatos ou cobre e cianeto, demonstraram-se altamente inibidores às concentrações mais baixas empregadas (0,7%), resultados que demonstram a alta sensibilidade do teste aos sais de metais pesados. Quanto às condições experimentais que levaram a esses resultados, os testes revelaram que não existe influência pronunciada dos fatores luminosidade e temperatura. Quanto à água para controle e diluição, não deve ser de torneira devido ao efeito inibidor do zinco e do cobre. Os resultados foram contraditórios em relação a um possível efeito osmótico da água destilada, sendo conveniente adicionar entre 100 a 250 mg/l de NaCl. A melhor resposta foi obtida com cebolas de origem argentina de 3,5 a 4,0 cm de diâmetro sendo preferível a manutenção de cascas para evitar murchamento. / The common onion Allium cepa. L., due to its excellent chromosome conditions, has been widely used as a test system for examining the citogenetic effects of several chemical compounds on biological material. It has been observerd, in monitoring environmental studies, some growth restriction on Allium roots when they are exposed to wastewater from chemical factories. In this study, we evaluate these test systems by choosing some hard metals which harmful effects on biological materials has been already described. Furthermore, some factors that could interfere on the results, such as: temperature; light; water quality and onion quality were studied. The lowest concentration (1.5 mg/l) for cadmium and cupper were found to have hard capacity to inhibit root growth. The zinc showed moderate toxicity at 1.5 mg/l and this effect was more evident at increased concentrations. The industrial wastewater that contains mixture of nickel and sulphate or cupper and cyanate inhibited root growth at lower concentration (0.7%). These results showed that the test system has high sensitivity for hard metals. There was no direct influence of temperature and light on the experiment conditions. With regard to the type of water, tap water should not be used because of inhibition on the root growth caused by zinc and copper. The results contradicted a potential osmotic effect of distillated water, being convenient to add 100 - 250 mg/l of NaCl. The best response was obtained with onions from Argentina with 3.5 - 4.0 cm of diameter being recommended to keep the onion peel for avoiding dryness.

Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) and Iris Yellow Spot Virus (IYSV) constitute a pest complex of global concern for allium growers. Yield losses due to onion thrips alone can be heavy, and in tandem with IYSV, these losses can be complete. This study was one phase of a multi-phase research project intent on exploring the potential drivers of thrips and virus infestation in onion. Preliminary observations in participating growers’ fields in northern Utah pointed towards a potential link between weedy field borders and thrips/IYSV infestation in onion. Field work was carried out at the Kaysville experiment station examining the possible relationships between thrips and IYSV incidence in onion and the presence of adjacent weed populations. This research was conducted with the intent of guiding growers’ decisions regarding field border management, and to provide additional insights into onion thrips behavior. While implications for growers remain unclear, thrips preferences regarding host plant utilization were identified, as well as preliminary evidence of additional plant species capable of hosting IYSV.

Lectins are a class of proteins that bind to carbohydrates with a high degree of specificity. They are involved in various cellular processes such as, host - pathogen interactions, targeting of proteins within cells, cell - cell interaction, cellular segregation and development. They serve as important tools for probing the carbohydrate structures in biological systems such as cell membranes and also as model systems for elucidating protein - carbohydrate interactions. Lectins are distributed ubiquitously in nature ranging from microorganisms to the plants and animals. Plant lectins are a group of proteins that according to a recently updated definition comprise all plant proteins possessing at least one non-catalytic domain that binds reversibly to specific mono- or oligosaccharide. The majority of all currently known plant lectins may be classified into four major groups - (1) Legume lectins, (2) Chitin-binding lectins, (3) Type 2 Ribosome inactivating proteins and the (4) Monocot mannose binding lectins. The monocot mannose binding lectins are an extended superfamily of structurally and evolutionarily related proteins. Till now these proteins have been isolated from the following families, namely, Amaryllidaceae, Affiaceae, Araceae, Orchidaceae, Iridaceae and Li/iaceae. They exhibit marked sequence homology and a unique specificity for mannose. At present there is a wide interest in the monocot mannose-binding lectins because of: (1) their exclusive specificity towards mannose, (2) their anti - retroviral activity and (3) their potent entomotoxic properties. Of particular interest are lectins from the bulbs of garlic (Allium sativum) and ramson (A. ursinum), which contain more than one type of lectin. The first report of the presence of lectins in the bulbs of garlic {Allium sativum agglutinin, ASA) was made by Van Damme et al in 1991. Bulbs of garlic are known to accumulate two types of mannose binding lectins, the heterodimeric, ASAI and the hornodimeric, ASAII. Though these two lectins differ in the lengths of their polypeptide chains, they exhibit marked similarities with respect to their primary sequence, post translational modifications, serological properties, immunochemical attributes as well as carbohydrate binding properties. This thesis describes the successful cloning of the ASAI gene from the garlic genomic DNA and expression of the functional recombinant protein in insect cell lines. ASAI was subsequently characterized for its carbohydrate binding specificity by means of a sensitive enzyme based assay. Finer insights into this sugar binding topology of ASAI for its complementary ligands was obtained from the surface plasmon resonance studies. Lastly, the folding behaviour as well as an estimate of its conformational stability was investigated by differential scanning calorimetric and equilibrium solution denaturation studies. Chapter 1 provides a comprehensive review on lectins pertaining to their definition, historical background, occurrence in nature, three dimensional structure and architecture, modes of bonding, biological functions and implications as well as their applications in biomedical research. Chapter 2 describes the isolation and purification of the heterodimeric lectin, ASAI in two steps using affinity chromatography followed by gel filtration chromatography from the bulbs of garlic. The purified ASAI was then characterized for their serological, physico- and immuno-chemical properties by means of capillary electrophoresis, hemagglutination activity and generation of antisera against ASAI in rabbits. Chapter 3 revolves around the cloning of the gene encoding ASAI by PCR amplification from garlic genomic DNA. The authenticity of the ASA gene was established by means of gene sequencing, which in turn provided us with the primary sequence of this lectin. With the ASAI clone established innumerable attempts, as highlighted in the chapter, were made to express the functional protein in bacteria. All attempts yielded pure recombinant garlic lectin with no detectable activity. This prompted us to shift our efforts into expression of the recombinant protein in the baculovirus expression system using the Sf21 insect cell lines and the Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV). The choice of this system proved beneficial as we obtained functional recombinant garlic lectin with its hemagglutinating activity comparable to the native protein. Chapter 4 highlights the design of an elegant coupled enzyme-based colorimetric assay (Enzyme Linked Lectin Adsorbent Assay) for elucidation of the carbohydrate binding specificity of ASAI. This expansive and extensive study involved the assay of a wide range of mannooligosaccharides in order to gain an insight into the sugar binding details of ASAI. ASAI recognizes monosaccharides in the mannosyl configuration. The potencies of the ligands for ASAI is shown to increase in the following order: Mannobiose < Mannotriose Mannopentaose Man9 oligosaccharide. Mannononase glycopeptide (Man9GlcNAc2Asn), the highest oligomer studied exhibited the greatest binding affinity suggesting ASAI to possess a preference for cluster of terminal αl-2-linked mannosyl residues at the non-reducing end. This kind of exquisite specificity is unique in the lectins described so far. Among the glycoproteins assayed, invertase, soyabean agglutinin and ovalbumin displayed high binding affinity. Chapter 5 unravels the fine specificity of the mannose containing carbohydrate moieties for binding to ASAI with emphasis on their kinetics of binding. This has been achieved by invoking the principle of surface plasmon resonance allowing measurement of bimolecular interactions in real time. This investigation corroborates our earlier study about the special preference of garlic lectin for terminal a α1-2 linked mannose residues. Increase in binding propensity can be directly correlated to the addition of αl-2 linked mannose to the mannooligosaccharide at its non-reducing end. An analyses of these data reveals that the α1-2 linked terminal mannose on the α1-6 arm to be the critical determinant in the recognition of mannooligosaccharides by the lectin. While kI increases progressively from Man3 to Man7 derivatives, and more dramatically so for Man8 and Man9 derivatives, k-1 decreases relatively much less gradually from Man3 to Man9 structures. An unprecedented increase in the association rate constant for interaction with ASAI with the structure of the oligosaccharide ligand constitutes a significant finding in protein-sugar recognition. Chapter 6 deals with the thermal unfolding of ASAI, characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism which shows it to be highly reversible and can be defined as a two-state process in which the folded dimer is converted directly to the unfolded monomers (A2 2U). Moreover, its conformational stability has been determined as a function of temperature; GdnCl concentration and pH using a combination of thermal and isothermal GdnCl induced unfolding monitored by DSC, far-UV CD and fluorescence, respectively. Analysis of these data yielded the heat capacity change upon unfolding (∆CP) as also the temperature dependence of the thermodynamic parameters, namely, ∆G, ∆H, ∆S. The protein appears to attain a completely unfolded state irrespective of the method of denaturation. The absence of any folding intermediates suggests the quaternary interactions to be the major contributor to the conformational stability of the protein, which correlates very well with its X-ray structure. The final chapter summarizes the findings reported in the thesis.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude des propriétés optiques et électroniques des puits quantiques de GaN / AlGaN grâce à des techniques classiques de réflectivité résolue en angle et de photoluminescence, ainsi qu’avec la technique de photoluminescence résolue temporellement. Les expériences de photoluminescence en régime continu ont permis d’estimer les énergies des transitions excitoniques qui sont également accessibles en réflectivité. Ces techniques ont ainsi permis de mettre en évidence l’effet Stark dans les puits quantiques GaN / AlGaN. L’effet Stark sur les énergies de transition est cohérent avec la théorie des fonctions enveloppes. Les spectres de réflectivité permettent d’accéder à la force d’oscillateur des excitons grâce à leur modélisation par le formalisme des matrices de transfert, prenant en compte les phénomènes d’élargissement homogène et inhomogènes des transitions optiques. Enfin, les mesures de photoluminescence résolue en temps en fonction de la température, ont également permis d’extraire la force d’oscillateur qui est inversement proportionnelle au temps de recombinaison radiative. Cette étude a également permis de mettre en évidence l’effet Stark responsable de la diminution de la force d’oscillateur en fonction de l’épaisseur du puits quantique mais aussi en fonction de la composition d’aluminium. L’augmentation de l’épaisseur du puits entraîne une diminution du recouvrement des fonctions d’onde, et une augmentation de la composition d’aluminium intensifie le champ électrique et diminue également le recouvrement des fonctions d’onde. / This work deals with the study of optical and electronic properties of GaN / AlGaN quantum wells, by classical techniques of spectroscopy including angle resolved reflectivity or photoluminescence, but also by time resolved photoluminescence. The continuous wave photoluminescence experiments allowed estimating the energies of the excitonic transitions, which are also available through reflectivity. These techniques highlighted the Stark effect in GaN / AlGaN quantum wells. The influence of the Stark effect on the energies of the excitonic transitions is well reproduced by envelop functions theory. Reflectivity spectra give access to the oscillator strength via their fitting by transfer matrix formalism, taking in account both homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadenings of the optical transitions. Finally, time resolved photoluminescence measurements as a function of temperature were performed to extract the oscillator strength, which is proportional to the inverse of the radiative recombination time. This technique also highlighted the Stark effect which is responsible of the vanishing of the oscillator strength with the thickness of the well and the aluminium composition. Increasing of the quantum well’s thickness induces decreasing of wave functions overlap, as well as an increasing of the aluminium composition which intensifies the electric field and splits the wave functions.