In the past decade there has been a growing interest in one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes and nanorods, owing to their size-dependent optical and electronic properties and their potential application as building blocks, interconnects and functional components for assembling nanodevices. One of the ways to obtain such architectures is a template-directed synthesis which is practically a straightforward route to 1D nanostructures. In this approach, the template simply serves as a scaffold, within (or around) which a different material is generated in situ and shaped into a nanostructure with its morphology complementary to that of the template. It is generally accepted that template-directed synthesis provides a simple, high-throughput, and cost-effective procedure that also allows the complex topology present on the surface of a template to be duplicated in a single step. In the current work, utilization of the molecular bottle brushes as templates is proposed for the fabrication of conductive nanorods. Their non-spherical macromolecular geometries and lengths up to a few hundred nanometers allow the application of these structures in nanowire synthesis. The variety of molecular bottle brush architectures and their composition enables the adjustment of appropriate conditions for the preparation of conductive materials. Moreover, the ability of the brushes to assemble on a surface under certain conditions provides their usage as building blocks for the preparation of complex conductive networks. Here, the preparation, characterization, and applications of molecular bottle brushes are discussed. Two main goals were pursued. First, to deepen the knowledge in the synthesis of molecular bottle brushes, and to investigate their behavior on the surface. Second, to explore the application of the brushes as templates or building blocks for the formation of conductive nanowires. For the purpose, new ways of molecular brush synthesis by using the “grafting to” approach had to be developed. It was found that the reaction of nucleophilic addition based on pentofluorophenol chemistry and a coupling “click chemistry” reaction can be used to fabricate molecular brushes. Both methods showed efficient results and demonstrated high reactivity of the backbone with the end groups of the side chains. The “click chemistry” approach, however, demonstrated better results considering higher thicknesses of the brushes and, therefore, higher grafting density of the side chains. The “grafting to” together with the “grafting from” methods are very powerful synthetic tools, which can be used in the fabrication of any desired molecular bottle brush architectures. Additionally, complexation of oppositely charged bottle polymer brushes at a single-molecule level using AFM and CryoTEM was experimentally investigated. It was found that polyelectrolyte complexes have “scrambled-egg” morphology, where oppositely charged polymer chains are not oriented parallel to each other but cross each other. Furthermore, molecular bottle brushes were used as templates for the preparation of conductive nanowires. Three approaches for their fabrication were tested. It was found that brushes could easily be covered with various conductive materials, for example conductive polymers or metals. It was showed that for very small, tiny objects as molecular bottle brushes, one can use FIB in order to build up electrodes at its ends. The electrodes could be sputtered with an accuracy of 500 nm and further be used in the determination of the conductivity. The molecular bottle brushes covered with palladium showed the resistance of 50 MΩ, which, regarding the size of the brush, corresponds to a conductivity of one single molecule being ~1 S*cm-1. The obtained conductivity data were in good correlation with the data found in literature. We believe that the molecular bottle brushes have high potential applicability for the building of complex conductive networks. Future refinement of the synthetic methods, combined with improvements in structuring and positioning of objects at the nanoscale, could lead to their implementation in the construction of high-performance electronic devices.

[pt] Com as novas regulamentações ambientais proibindo o uso de fluidos de perfuração que apresentassem em sua composição elementos como óleo diesel, se fez necessário a busca por novos componentes que, além de serem eficazes em sua função, apresentassem característica de biodegradabilidade sendo, assim, menos danoso ao meio ambiente. A base do fluido de perfuração escolhida para se enquadrar as novas regras foi estudada neste trabalho com objetivo de avaliar a sua estabilidade e o seu comportamento reológico. O fluido trabalhado é uma emulsão inversa cuja fase contínua é a olefina e a fase dispersa, salmoura de NaCl, acrescido de um emulsificante primário, Cybermul, e um secundário, Cyberplus. Para retardar o processo de desestabilização, majoritariamente caracterizado pela sedimentação, em um segundo momento, foi adicionada a cal hidratada. Os testes realizados foram divididos em duas etapas: a primeira avaliando emulsões preparadas a 5000 rpm, 7500 rpm e 10000 rpm sem cal em sua composição e a segunda avaliando emulsões preparadas com a mesma velocidade de rotação, entretanto com cal hidratada. A principal variável adotada foi a velocidade de rotação com objetivo de ratificar o conhecimento de que quanto maior a velocidade de agitação durante a emulsificação, menores são as gotas geradas e, consequentemente, mais estável a emulsão. Os testes foram compostos por tensão interfacial, bottle test, distribuição do tamanho de gotas (microscopia e espalhamento dinâmico de luz) e testes de comportamento reológico, que incluem, tensão constante, curva de escoamento e varredura de tensão e tempo. Os resultados obtidos permitiram relacionar o tamanho das gotas geradas com a estabilidade da emulsão e com a sua viscosidade. / [en] Since new environmental regulations were established prohibiting the use of drilling fluids that had elements such as diesel in their composition, it was necessary to search for new components that, besides being effective in their function, had a biodegradability characteristic, thus being less harmful to the environment. The base of the drilling fluid chosen to fit the new rules was studied in this thesis in order to characterize its stability and rheological behavior. The fluid used is an inverse emulsion whose continuous phase is the olefin and the dispersed phase, brine, plus a primary emulsifier, Cybermul, and a secondary one, Cyberplus. To delay the destabilization process, mainly characterized by sedimentation, in a second moment, hydrated lime was added to the emulsion s composition. The tests performed were divided into two stages: the first, emulsions prepared at 5000 rpm, 7500 rpm and 10,000 rpm without lime in their composition were analyzed and the second, emulsions prepared at the same rotation velocities however with hydrated lime in their composition. The main variable adopted was the speed of rotation in order to confirm the knowledge that the higher is the speed of agitation during emulsification, the smaller are the drops generated and, consequently, the more stable is the emulsion. The tests consisted of interfacial tension, bottle test, droplet size distribution (microscopy and dynamic light scattering) and rheological behavior tests, which include, creep tests, flow curve and stress and time sweep tests. The results obtained allowed to relate the size of the drops with the emulsion s stability and with its viscosity.

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background Diarrhoea (frequent, loose, watery stools) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality globally and affects mainly infants and children under the age of five years. Unhygienic feeding practices and feeding utensils contribute to diarrhoeal incidences. The most common causes of acute gastroenteritis worldwide are infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria and parasites Aim The aim of the study was to investigate which out of three particular sterilising methods is the most effective for sterilising feeding bottles and cups. Methods An experimental quantitative approach was most appropriate for the current study. An in vitro experimental study with a descriptive design was utilised under controlled laboratory conditions. The study was conducted at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in April 2009. Results The sample size consisted of 16 samples, of which two were used for each method of sterilisation, namely: two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for sunlight; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Milton™; two (2) bottles and two (2) cups for Sunlight™ dishwashing liquid; and control utensils that consisted of two (2) bottles and two (2) cups. The target population for the study comprised infant feeding bottles and feeding cups. The analysis for the APC cultures that was compared in the cups vs. bottles, in order to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts, shows that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 6 cfu/ml and 9 cfu/ml for the cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -1.17524. As the ρ-value was 0.2595, no significant difference was found between the cups and bottles. The E. coli cultures were compared in the cups vs. bottles to see whether there was a significant difference between the mean bacteria counts. The results show that the average bacteria count (on the ln scale) was 7 cfu/ml and 7.6 cfu/ml for cups and bottles, respectively. The t-value was -0.211902. The ρ-value was 0.835237, and therefore there was no significant difference between cups and bottles. Conclusion The current study showed no significant difference between the sterilising methods or between the use of either bottles or cups. Therefore, a study with a larger sample size is recommended for further research. Recommendations The researcher recommends that future researchers conduct broader studies, with a larger sample size on the topic. Studies with a larger sample size enabled the real differences to be large enough to be significant. The use of sunlight is recommended as a sterilisation method for infant feeding utensils, as it is both time- and cost-effective. Sunlight is an inexpensive and readily available method of sterilisation; therefore, it can be used by relatively under resourced socio-economic communities. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond Diarree (gereelde, los, waterige stoelgang) is een van die hoofoorsake van morbiditeit en sterflikheid wêreldwyd en affekteer hoofsaaklik suigelinge en kinders onder die ouderdom van vyf jaar. Onhigiëniese voedingspraktyke en -gereedskap dra by tot die voorkoms van diarree-gevalle. Die mees algemene oorsake van akute gastroënteritus wêreldwyd word veroorsaak deur aansteeklike agente soos virusse, bakterieë en parasiete. Doel Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek te doen na watter van die drie bepaalde steriliseringsmetodes die mees effektiewe is vir die sterilisering van bottels en koppies. Metodes ’n Eksperimentele kwantitatiewe benadering is die mees geskikte een vir die huidige studie. ’n In vitro-eksperimentele studie met ’n deskriptiewe ontwerp is onder gekontroleerde laboratorium omstandighede aangewend. Die studie is by die Universitet van die Wes-Kaap (UWK) in April 2009 uitgevoer. Resultate Die steekproefgroote het bestaan uit 16 monsters waarvan twee gebruik is vir elke steriliseringsmetode, naamlik: twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir sonlig; twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir Milton™; twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies vir Sunlight™ skottelgoedopwasmiddel; en kontrole gereedskap wat bestaan het uit twee (2) bottels en twee (2) koppies. Die teikenbevolking vir die studie het bestaan uit voedingsbottels en -koppies vir suigelinge. Die analise vir die APC-kulture wat vergelyk is in die koppies vs. bottels om te bepaal of daar ’n beduidende verskil is tussen die gemiddelde bakterie-tellings, toon dat die gemiddelde bakterie-telling (op die In-skaal) is 6 cfu/ml en 9 cfu/ml vir die koppies en bottels respektiewelik. Die t-waarde is -1.17524. Aangesien die p-waarde 0.2595 is, is daar geen beduidende verskil gevind tussen die koppies en die bottels nie. Die E. coli-kulture is vergelyk in die koppies vs. bottels om te bepaal of daar ’n beduidende verskil tussen die gemiddelde bakterie-tellings is. Die uitslae wys dat die gemiddelde bakterie-telling (op die In-skaal) is 7cfu/ml en 7.6 cfu/ml vir koppies en bottels respektiewelik. Die t-waarde is -0.211902. Die p-waarde is 0.835237 en dus is daar geen beduidende verskil tussen koppies en bottels nie. Gevolgtrekking Die huidige studie toon dat daar geen beduidende verskil tussen die steriliseringsmetodes of tussen die gebruik van of bottels of koppies is nie. Dus, ’n studie met ’n groter steekproefgrootte word aanbeveel vir toekomstige navorsing. Aanbevelings Die navorser beveel aan dat toekomstige navorsers meer omvattende studies met ’n groter steekproefgrootte oor die onderwerp uitvoer. Studies met ’n groter steekproefgrootte sal veroorsaak dat die werklike verskille vanweë hul grootte genoegsaam sal wees, om beduidend te wees. Die gebruik van sonlig as ’n steriliseringsmetode vir die gereedskap van suigelinge word aanbeveel, aangesen dit beide tyd- en kostebesparend is. Sonlig is ’n goedkoop en maklik verkrygbare metode van sterilisasie; dus kan dit gebruik word deur gemeenskappe wat nie oor die nodige middele beskik nie, vanweë hul sosio-ekonomiese situasies.

Babies with cleft lip and palate which is a common craniofacial deformity suffer from feeding problem which interfere with their growth and development and render the subsequent corrective surgery and also endure their daily suffering during the feeding time. This thesis reports the design of anew bottle feed to overcome this problem. Also a clinical study was preformed to study the patterns of baby feed in cleft lip and palate babies to support the use of the bottle feeding for this group of babies.

This is a report of findings from an American Indian Rapid Cultural Assessment that was conducted in 1997. The focus of the study is a location on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) where the Kistler Aerospace Corporation proposes to build a launch site for a communications satellite. As such, this is a rapid cultural assessment of Water Bottle Canyon on which construction is expected in the near future. The purpose of this study is to summarize American Indian cultural resources, as these exist on and near to site 26NY10133 and to consider potential mitigation strategies. This report is a summary of the cultural assessments made by members of the American Indian Writers Subgroup (AIWS) which is representing in this study the cultural resource interests of the 17 tribes and 3 Indian organizations that constitute the CGTO.

The main results of this dissertation show evidence supporting the Successive Surface Scaffolding Conjecture. This is a new conjecture that, if true, guarantees the existence of all the wye-delta-order minimal obstructions of a surface S as subgraphs of the irreducible triangulations of the surface S with a crosscap added. A new data structure, i.e. an augmented rotation system, is presented and used to create an exponential-time algorithm for embedding graphs in any surface with a constant-time check of the change in genus when inserting an edge. A depiction is a new formal definition for representing an embedding graphically, and it is shown that more than one depiction can be given for nonplanar embeddings, and that sometimes two depictions for the same embedding can be drastically different from each other. An algorithm for finding the essential cycles of an embedding is given, and is used to confirm for the projective-plane obstructions, a theorem that shows any embedding of an obstruction must have every edge in an essential cycle. Obstructions of a general surface S that are minor-minimal and not double-wye-delta-minimal are shown to each have an embedding on the surface S with a crosscap added. Finally, open questions for further research are presented. / Graduate

Master of Science / Department of Architectural Engineering and Construction Science / Kimberly Waggle Kramer and Bill Zhang / Concrete masonry units are a common method of construction in the world. Since the masonry units can be constructed with ease. Fifty billion water bottles are consumed every year. Lack of waste management and recycling in third world countries has come to the attention of many organizations. The use of plastic bottles in construction materials has been around for the past twenty years, but with little focus on using full plastic bottles in the materials. The Engineers Without Borders student group on the campus at Kansas State University have found a way to utilize the full 500-mL plastic bottle in the creation of concrete walls. The bottles laid horizontally with concrete on both sides and as mortar between the bottles was used. These bottles create large voids in the wall decreasing the compressive strength of the wall. This thesis presents the results of a study conducted to determine the compressive strength of concrete masonry units with plastic bottle cores. The plastic bottles were used to create the center voids in the masonry units. Concrete was placed around the bottles to encase them in the masonry units. The study utilized 500-mL plastic bottles from five different water companies placed inside masonry units of 7.87-inch wide by 8.26-inch high by 15.75-inch long (200-mm wide by 210-mm high by 400-mm long) in size and analyzed the resultant compressive strength. The testing for compressive strength was determined according to the ASTM C140 standard. Results from this study were deemed reasonable due to the testing of concrete cylinders as a control compressive strength. Determination of the compressive strength of the concrete masonry units allows for further study to continue in concrete masonry units with plastic bottle cores to determine if they are viable in third world countries.

Student Number : 9603059A - MA research report - School of Speech Pathology - Faculty of Humanities / Rationale: Infant feeding practices are cur rently under the spotlight due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the awareness that the virus may be transmitted through breast milk . Aim: This study examined the beliefs and practices of mothers living with HIV/AIDS regarding infant feeding. Method: An exploratory-descriptive cross -sectional survey research design was employed which incorporated both qualitative and quantitative dimensions, and involved the use of individual interviews . Participants: Forty-two mothers living with HIV who had infants under 6 months of age and attended Coronation Hospital were interviewed . Results: The majority of mothers living with HIV, reported that they fed their infants formula milk. However, they felt that breastfeeding was still best for their babies. Most of the mothers fed their infants formula milk out of fear of them contracting HIV/AIDS. They appeared to be influenced in their infant feeding decisions by their community, culture and family members . Conclusions: The findings have implications for enhancing theoretical knowledge and understanding of infant feeding practices and cultural beliefs ; early intervention and the clinical practice of speech-language pathologists; the formulation of feeding policies of provincial hospitals ; and future research.

As práticas alimentares da criança menor de um ano trazem inúmeras particularidades que transcendem o biológico e, portanto requerem ser analisadas nas dimensões culturais, psicológicas, sociais e econômicas. Desta forma, buscou-se compreender quais as representações sociais das mulheres/mães sobre as práticas alimentares das crianças menores de um ano. Tratase de uma pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida com 15 mulheres/mães de crianças menores de um ano e usuárias de um serviço da rede básica de saúde de Ribeirão Preto-SP. A coleta de dados foi através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas gravadas e transcritas na íntegra e registros de imagens do contexto social da alimentação da criança, fotografadas pelas mães. A coleta se deu após o consentimento livre e esclarecido, no domicílio dos sujeitos. O conteúdo foi categorizado com base na técnica de análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática, e as fotografias possibilitaram uma análise complementar. À luz das representações sociais na perspectiva socioantropológica, analisou-se como as mulheres, enquanto agentes do cuidado infantil, em especial da alimentação do filho, atuam nas diversas dimensões do \"espaço social alimentar\". Depreenderam-se quatro categorias temáticas: 1) O contexto de construção das práticas da alimentação infantil: a alimentação da família; 2) A alimentação da criança no primeiro ano de vida; 3) Pessoas tidas como referência para as práticas alimentares infantis e 4) A alimentação e a saúde da criança. A alimentação é a primeira socialização dos indivíduos, e a família é tradicionalmente o lócus no qual a aprendizagem social se dá, tendo os pais, particularmente as mães, a função de primeiros educadores alimentares. As mães fornecem os sentidos e ideologias que sustentam e determinam as decisões alimentares, desde o primeiro alimento recebido, o leite materno, até a introdução à comida da família. O comportamento alimentar da criança está delimitado por condicionantes fisiológicos, como as alternâncias de sensação de fome e saciedade, parâmetros esses manifestados pelas crianças, que guiam as condutas maternas na oferta do peito ao filho e na avaliação de sua capacidade como nutriz, evidenciando a necessidade de introduzir outro leite. Na alimentação complementar, o aspecto socioeconômico tem peso determinante na seleção dos alimentos, assim como o valor do alimento que deve ter vitaminas e que sustente a criança. A aceitação da comida, avaliada com base na quantidade ingerida, é entendida como uma preferência da criança, a qual guiará as condutas maternas futuras. Relacionam ainda a aceitação da comida como um comportamento esperado de uma criança saudável. O preparo dos alimentos infantis segue princípios que acreditam ser compatíveis com a fase de desenvolvimento da criança, sendo a textura e consistência valorizadas para evitar engasgos, e ao mesmo tempo encorpadas para garantir a sustância da criança. As práticas alimentares infantis se orientam por saberes que perpassam pela legitimidade do discurso científico e alcançam as subjetividades do conhecimento das mulheres do meio relacional, predominantemente de domínio feminino. A introdução precoce da comida da família, \"a mesma comida que a gente come, ele come\", é uma prática comum. Assim, as práticas alimentares demonstram estabelecer-se em um universo próprio que vai além do acesso à informação e das condições socioeconômicas, mas perpassam pelos desacordos existentes entre a prática declarada e a prática real, sendo guiadas pelas representações da comida como fonte de saciedade, evitando a fome, dando sustância e deixando a criança com o corpo forte e saudável. / The feeding practices of children under one year of age take on innumerable particularities that transcend the biological aspect, and, therefore, should be analyzed according to the cultural, psychological, social, and economic dimensions. Hence, the aim of this study was to understand what social representations that women/mothers have toward the feeding practices of children under one year of age. This is a qualitative study, developed with 15 women/mothers of children under one year of age, users of a public health service in the city of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State. Data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and fully transcribed, in addition to photographs of the child\'s social context in feeding, provided by the mothers. This process took place after receiving consent from the participants at their households. The content was categorized based on content analysis technique, thematic mode, and the photographs allowed for a complementary analysis. Considering the social representations from the social-anthropologic perspective, the authors analyzed how women, as child care agents, particularly regarding their child\'s feeding practices, act in the various dimensions of the \"social feeding environment\". Four thematic categories emerged: 1) The context of constructing child feeding practices: feeding the family; 2) Child feeding in the first year of life; 3) People considered as a reference for child feeding practices, and 4) Child feeding and health. Eating is a person\'s first socialization experience, and the family is traditionally the location where social learning takes place. Therefore, parents, particularly mothers, have the role of being the first eating educators. Mothers provide the senses and ideologies that support and determine feeding decisions, from the first food provided, breast milk, to the introduction of food in the family. The child\'s eating behavior is limited by physiological conditionings, such as alternations between feelings of hunger and satiation. Children demonstrate these parameters, and guide the mother\'s act of offering her breast to her child and of evaluating her capacity of nursing, which may raise the need of introducing another milk. In complementary feeding, the socioeconomic aspect determines the selection of foods and the value assigned to the food that has the vitamins needed to feed the child. The acceptance of food, evaluated based on the amount consumed, is understood as the being a child\'s preference, and will guide the mother\'s behaviors in the future. Furthermore, there is an assumption that accepting food is a behavior expected in healthy children. The preparation of child food follows principles that believe to be compatible with the child\'s stage of development, in which texture and consistency are considered to avoid chocking, but are also made thick to assure child nourishment. Child feeding practices are guided by knowledge that skims over the legitimacy of scientific discourse and reaches the subjectivity of the knowledge of women in the relational environment, one that is mainly of feminine domain. The early introduction to family food, \"he eats the same food we eat\" is a common practice. Thus, feeding practices are established in their own universe, which goes beyond access to information and socioeconomic condition. However, they are also subject to the disagreement existing between the declared practice and the real practice, and are guided by the representations of food as a source of satiation, avoiding hunger, providing nourishment, and making the child strong and healthy.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding for six months, with introduction of appropriate complimentary feeding at six months, continuing to 2 years and beyond comes highly recommended. Although breastfeeding rates have improved in South Africa, the prevalence still remains lower than the Rome target of 50%, supporting investigation into factors that influence infant feeding practices. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe infant feeding practices and to determine the factors influencing infant feeding practices of mothers and care givers of infants in the Polokwane Municipality - Limpopo Province. Methods: A cross-sectional health facility-based quantitative and descriptive survey was conducted using a validated-structured questionnaire. Interviews only were conducted to gather quantitative data. The questionnaires were administered to the mothers, one mother at a time. Chi–square tests were used to determine the relationship between selected variables, where p<0.05 was set as level of significance. Results: A total of 146 mothers participated in the study. All were biological mothers of infants. Ninety-four percent of the mothers initiated breastfeeding, however, at the time of data collection 8% of mothers had stopped. Of those who had stopped breastfeeding, 5% stopped earlier than one month after initiation. Thirty-nine percent of mothers breastfed exclusively, while 61% practiced mix feeding. A positive association between breast feeding practices and age of the mother (p<0.036) was observed. The reasons mothers reported for stopping breastfeeding were: mother was ill (45.4%) and going back to school or work (27.3%). Reasons for not breastfeeding were cited as: medical condition, not enough milk and infant refusal to breastfeed at 33.3%. Health workers are the main source of HIV information (77%). Mothers believe that HIV-positive women should breastfeed their infants (57%). Conclusion: breastfeeding initiation is well practiced. Exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months is rarely practiced. Infant formula and solid foods were introduced at an early age. Young mothers tend to stop exclusive breastfeeding compared to older mothers.