Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-233).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-72).

Thesis (M.Phil) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-117). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Η παρούσα εργασία εστιάζει στην παρασκευή και μελέτη ανοσολιποσωμάτων είτε για στόχευση των υποδοχέων τρανσφερρίνης του ΑΕΦ είτε με εξειδίκευση για τα Αβ πεπτίδια. Για την πρόσδεση των αντισωμάτων στην επιφάνεια των λιποσωμάτων εφαρμόσαμε μια τεχνική βασισμένη στο σύστημα πρόσδεσης βιοτίνης/στρεπταβιδίνης. Έχει πρόσφατα προταθεί ότι νανοσυστήματα που φέρουν πολλόυς προσδέτες στην επιφάνεια ίσως είναι πιο κατάλληλα για στόχευση ασθενειών ή βιολογικών φραγμών. Σε αυτές τις περιπτώσεις πρέπει να διασφαλιστεί ότι η ικανότητα στόχευσης ενός προσδέτη δεν θα επηρεαστεί από την παρουσία και δευτερου. Σκοπός είναι η παρασκευή ΟΧ-26 (κατά του υποδοχέα τρανσφερρίνης μονοκλωνικό αντίσωμα) νανολιποσωμάτων, η μελέτη διαφόρων παραγόντων κατά την παρασκευή τους και οι μελέτες πρόσληψης από μοντέλο του ΑΕΦ. Ο συγκεκριμένος τύπος ανοσολιποσωμάτων επιλέχθηκε γιατί είναι γνωστό ότι στοχεύουν σε κύτταρα που υπερεκφράζουν τον υποδοχέα της τρανσφερρίνης (TfR). Πρώτος στόχος είναι η παρασκευή ανοσολιποσωμάτων που φέρουν προσδεδεμένο στην επιφάνεια το μονοκλωνικό αντίσωμα ΟΧ-26 που στοχεύει στον υποδοχέα της τρανσφερρίνης και έγιναν μελέτες της πρόσληψης των ΟΧ-26 ανοσολιποσωμάτων από την αθανατοποιημένη κυτταρική σειρά hCMEC/D3. Εκτός από τις μελέτες πρόσληψης έγιναν και μελέτες κυτταρικού εντοπισμού του περιεχομένου των λιποσωμάτων με σκοπό να διασαφηνίσουμε το μηχανισμό πρόσληψης. Τα αποτελέσματα μας έδειξαν ότι η πρόσληψη των ανοσολιποσωμάτων από τα κύτταρα hCMEC/D3 είναι αρκετά υψηλή σε σύγκριση με την πρόσληψη ανοσολιποσωμάτων που φέρουν IgG αντίσωμα στην επιφάνειά τους. Επίσης, η δέσμευση είναι δοσοεξαρτώμενη και εξαρτάται και από την ποσότητα του αντισώματος στην επιφάνεια των λιποσωμάτων. Οσον αφορά στον μηχανισμό πρόσληψης τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι έχουμε λυσοσωματικό εντοπισμό του περιεχομένου των λιποσωμάτων συνεπώς μπορούμε να ισχυριστούμε ότι η πρόσληψη γίνεται μέσω υποδοχέα και ακολουθεί μεταφορά στα λυσοσώματα. Δεύτερος στόχος είναι η παρασκευή λιποσωμάτων με εξειδίκευση για τα Αβ πεπτίδια. Παρασκευάστηκαν λιποσώματα που φέρουν κουρκουμίνη εγκλωβισμένη στη λιπιδική διπλοστιβάδα και μελετήθηκε η ικανότητα τους να αναστέλουν τη συσσωμάτωση Αβ1-40 μονομερών ή ολιγομερών ή και να αποσσυσωματώνουν ινιδικές μορφές του Αβ1-42 πεπτιδίου. Για τον λόγο αυτό εφαρμόστηκε το πρωτόκολλο θειοφλαβίνης Τ, με τη χρήση του οποίου μπορούμε να ανιχνεύουμε την ύπαρξη β-δομών. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι η λιποσωμική κουρκουμίνη έχει μεγαλύτερη ικανότητα αναστολής της συσσωμάτωσης και αποσσυσωμάτωσης των δομών των Αβ πεπτιδίων σε σύγκριση με την ίδια ποσότητα ελεύθερης κουρκουμίνης. Παρασκευάστηκαν επίσης και αnti-Abeta ανοσολιποσώματα και έγιναν μελέτες προσδιορισμού της συγγένειας πρόσδεσης αυτών σε ακινητοποιημένα μονομερή Αβ πεπτίδια καθώς και σε ινίδια με την τεχνική SPR. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι η συγγένεια πρόσδεσης των ανοσολιποσωμάτων στα Αβ πεπτίδια και ινίδια είναι υψηλή καθώς και ότι η σταθερά δέσμευσης των ανοσολιποσωμάτων στα Αβ πεπτίδια εξαρτάται από την ποσότητα του αντισώματος στη λιποσωμική επιφάνεια. / This work focuses on the manufacture and study of immunoliposomes either for targeting of transferrin receptors of blood Brain Barrier or with specialization for Aβ peptides. For the attachment of antibodies in the surface of liposomes applied a technique based on the biotin/streptavidin linkage. It has been recently proposed that perhaps multiligant-decorated nanosystems may be more efficient to target specific diseases or biological barriers.insuch cases,it is important to be sure that the targeting potential of one ligand will not be negatively affected by the presence of the second on the same nanosystem. OX-26 (anti-transferrin momoclonal antibody) nanoliposomes werw prepared and after evaluation of several preparative aspects their brain targeting potential was studied on a cellular model of BBB. Manufactured pegylated immunoliposomes coated with the monoclonal antibody OX-26 aimed transferrin receptor and studies of uptake of OX-26 immunoliposomes from cell line hCMEC/D3 were done. Also studies of cell tracking content of immunoliposomes were done in order to clarify the mechanism of intake. Our results showed that the uptake of immunoliposomes from hCMEC/D3 cell line is quite high in comparison with the uptake of immunoliposomes coated with IgG antibody. Moreover the uptake of immunoliposomes is dosedependent and depends on the quantity of antibody in the liposomal surface. With regard to the mechanism of intake, results show that there is lysosomatic localization of the liposomal content so we can say that uptake is achievied through receptor and then followed shipment to lysosomes. In the second part, manufactured liposomes and immunoliposomes with specialization for Ab peptides. In the first case prepared liposomes with curcumin incorporated into the lipid bilayer and the ability to inhibit the linking of Aβ1-40 monomers or oligomers or even to disagreggate fibrillar forms of Aβ1-42 peptide was studied. For this purpose applied the thioflavin–T protocol, using which we can prove the existence of β-structures. The results showed that liposomal curcumin is more capable to inhibit the agreggation or to disaggregate structures of Aβ peptides compared with the same amount of free curcumin. In the second case, prepared anti-Abeta immunoliposomes and studies for the determination of the affinity for immobilized Aβ peptides monomers and fibrils were done with the SPR technique. The results showed that the affinity of immunoliposomes for Aβ monomers and fibrils is high and that the Ka of immunoliposomes in Aβ peptides depends on the amount of antibodies that is tethered on the liposomal surface.

abstract: Miedema's plot is used to select the Cu/metal barrier for Cu metallization.The Cu/metal barrier system selected should have positive heat of formation (Hf) so that there is no intermixing between the two layers. In this case, Ru is chosen as a potential candidate, and then the barrier properties of sputtered Cu/Ru thin films on thermally grown SiO2 substrates are investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and electrical resistivity measurement. The Cu/Ru/SiO2 samples are analyzed prior to and after vacuum annealing at various temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 oC and at different interval of times of 0.5, 1 and 2 hrs for each temperature. Backscattering analysis indicate that both the copper and ruthenium thin films are thermally stable at high temperature of 600 oC, without any interdiffusion and chemical reaction between Cu and Ru thin films. No new phase formation is observed in any of the Cu/Ru/SiO2 samples. The XRD data indicate no new phase formation in any of the annealed Cu/Ru/SiO2 samples and confirmed excellent thermal stability of Cu on Ru layer. The electrical resistivity measurement indicated that the electrical resistivity value of the copper thin films annealed at 400, 500, and 600 oC is essentially constant and the copper films are thermally stable on Ru, no reaction occurs between copper films and Ru the layer. Cu/Ru/SiO2 multilayered thin film samples have been shown to possess good mechanical strength and adhesion between the Cu and Ru layers compared to the Cu/SiO2 thin film samples. The strength evaluation is carried out under static loading conditions such as nanoindentation testing. In this study, evaluation and comparison is donebased on the dynamic deformation behavior of Cu/Ru/SiO2 and Cu/SiO2 samples under scratch loading condition as a measure of tribological properties. Finally, the deformation behavior under static and dynamic loading conditions is understood using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the focused ionbeam imaging microscope (FIB) for topographical and cross-sectional imaging respectively. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Materials Science and Engineering 2010

Oxytocin release within the brain modulates several social behaviours in animals and humans. Moreover, low central oxytocin content has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and autism. The exogenous administration of oxytocin has been proposed for therapeutic treatment, but oxytocin does not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in physiologically significant amounts. An alternative approach to oxytocin administration is to stimulate central oxytocin release using melanocortins. Central administration of the naturally occurring melanocortin, α-MSH, has been shown to trigger somatodendritic oxytocin release in vitro. Unfortunately, endogenous melanocortins also do not penetrate the BBB in neuroactive amounts. In this study, I investigated whether systemic administration of synthetic melanocortin receptor 3/4 (MC3/4) agonist, Melanotan-II (MT-II), affects oxytocin neuronal activity and secretion in anaesthetised rats. I hypothesised that systemic administration of MT-II directly (centrally) acts on magnocellular oxytocin neurones to trigger somatodendritic oxytocin release from neurones of the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus in vivo. Firstly, using double immunohistochemistry against Fos protein, a widely used marker for neural activity, and oxytocin, I showed that intravenous (i.v.; 1 mg/kg), but not intranasal (1 and 30 μg rat), administration of MT-II markedly induced Fos expression in magnocellular oxytocin neurones of the SON and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the hypothalamus, and this response was prevented by prior intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the melanocortin antagonist, SHU-9119 (1 μg rat). In addition, brain areas receiving peripheral inputs which are involved in the regulation of oxytocin and vasopressin release were also analysed, showing that i.v. MT-II significantly increased Fos expression in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), but not in circumventricular organs of the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region. MT-II-induced Fos in the NTS was not prevented by the i.c.v. melanocortin antagonist. Then, using in vivo electrophysiology, I investigated whether i.v. administration of MT-II affects the electrical activity of SON neurones. Extracellular single-unit recordings from identified magnocellular neurones of the SON showed that MT-II significantly increased the firing rate in oxytocin neurones, however, no significant changes in firing rate were detected in vasopressin neurones. Finally, in vivo oxytocin release experiments showed that i.v. administration of MT-II did not trigger somatodendritic oxytocin release within the SON as measured by microdialysis and subsequent radioimmunoassay. Interestingly, the i.c.v. administration of MT-II (1 μg rat) also failed to trigger oxytocin release within the SON. The analysis of oxytocin content in plasma revealed that the change in oxytocin concentration was significantly greater in i.v. MT-II injected rats compared to vehicle-injected rats. Taken together, these results show that after i.v., but not intranasal, administration of MT-II, the activity of magnocellular neurones of the SON is increased. As previous studies showed that SON oxytocin neurones are inhibited in response to direct application of melanocortin agonists, the actions of i.v. MT-II are likely to be mediated, at least in part, indirectly by activation of inputs from the caudal brainstem.

A umidade nas edificações pode ser proveniente de diversas fontes. Entre elas está a umidade ascensional, que provém do solo na ausência ou falha de barreiras. A umidade ascende pelas paredes por capilaridade existente devida a estrutura porosa dos materiais de construção. Sua ação pode prejudicar o desempenho das paredes das edificações, possibilitando a degradação progressiva das paredes. Dessa forma, estas podem deixar de cumprir funções, como por exemplo, de proteção e acabamento. Vários tratamentos têm sido estudados pelo mundo. Entretanto a avaliação dos métodos de reparação das paredes afetadas tem sido um problema de difícil resolução. O objetivo deste trabalho é a avaliação da eficiência do tratamento de paredes com umidade ascensional através do método de corte hídrico por inserção do cristalizante através da ação gravitacional, utilizando os diferentes produtos disponíveis no mercado nacional brasileiro. Apesar de limitada a paredes pouco espessas, essa técnica tem apresentado eficácia, versatilidade de execução e baixa interferência na fachada da parede. Essas características justificam a escolha dessa técnica para servir de objeto de estudo do presente trabalho. Visto que não há ensaio normalizado para avaliar a eficiência dos produtos para tratamento contra umidade ascensional será utilizado como referência um experimento realizado por outros pesquisadores, explanado neste documento. A avaliação da umidade presente no corpo de prova é através da medição da massa e imagens com câmera termográfica. Constatou-se que, no período analisado, não houve a redução total da umidade ascensional, no entanto os cristalizantes conseguiram diminuir consideravelmente (em média mais que 50%) a absorção da água por capilaridade. / Dampness in buildings can be derived from several sources. Among them is the upward moisture, which comes from the soil in absence of barriers. The moisture ascends on the walls due to the existing capillarity of porous building materials. Its action may impair the performance of the walls of buildings, leading to their progressive degradation. Thus, the walls may cease to comply with their functions, such as protecting and finishing. Several treatments have been studied worldwide. However, evaluating the methods of repairing affected walls has been a difficult problem to be solved. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of walls presenting upward moisture through the method of the crystallizing insertion through gravitational action using different available products within the Brazilian market. In spite of being limited to thin walls, this technique has presented efficacy, versatility of execution and little interference on the treated facade as it has been demonstrated on the studied bibliography. These features justify choosing that technique to be studied in the present work. A reference experiment conducted by other researchers is used, since there is no standard test to evaluate the efficiency of treatment products rising damp against. The evaluation of the moisture present in the specimen is by measuring the mass and images with thermographic camera. It was found that in the period analyzed, there was no reduction of the total moisture upward. However the crystallizing managed to reduce significantly (on average more than 50%) the absorption of water by capillarity.

Thermal barrier coatings have been widely used to provide thermal protection to components in the hot section of gas turbines. This research focuses on two influencing factors on coating behavior: thermal gradient and cyclic oxidation. The delamination mechanics under thermal gradient is analyzed, taking thermally grown oxide into consideration. Coatings experience thermal gradients at different stages during actual service flight. One is due to engine power shut down when landing and the other due to internal cooling of the substrate. Thermally grown oxide (TGO) also acts as a critical factor in delamination mechanics. The induced stress gradient and corresponding energy release rate for interface delamination and shallower delamination are presented. Mechanism maps that explain the criteria for preventing delamination from developing and propagating are established. Three cooling trajectories are envisaged to analyze the variation in the possibility of delamination. Multilayer coatings used in components of the hot section of aero turbine engines also experience cyclic temperature variation during flight cycles. As experiment conditions vary and coating performance is improved, the time required to run through the test of coating failure can be both time-consuming and prohibitive. Therefore, protocols providing prediction of quantified coating behavior are in demand to shorten life-time tests. Curves of mass change are obtained from quantifying scale growth and loss by different models such as Cyclic Oxidation Spall Program (COSP). A modification is made by combining COSP and a mechanic based model to obtain critical parameters for lifetime prediction from short time experiment. The time for coatings to reach peak temperature during cycling is discovered to influence prominently on modeling results. Predictions for several coating compositions and cycling conditions are consistent with the data from the existing experiments of the coating system.