We have developed a rigorous leaky-mode analysis on the antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROW¡¦s) using a so-called ¡§coupled electric (CE) coupled magnetic (CH) field method.¡¨ Radiation loss characteristics and the field distribution of the ARROW are analyzed in detail. Meanwhile, both the refractive indices and the thickness dependence for the isolation and distinction of modes are also investigated in this thesis. From the CE¡VCH method, the associated complex symmetric tridiagonal matrices are derived to solve the modal solutions via the eigenvalue-eigenvector technique. The uniquely designed formulation of CE¡VCH method yields better numerical properties, specifically in calculating the field distribution. This is suitable for any combination of materials and is capable of handling complex problems such as the leaky characteristics for both lossless and lossy cases. To quickly solve the complex roots of the ARROW, a set of accurate closed-form approximations for estimating both the field distribution and complex propagating constant have been derived from the CE¡VCH matrices. These first-order approximations provide six significant figures of the real part of the propagation constant

Reduction of cholesterol ester (CE) from lipid burden lesion-associated macrophage foam cells has been shown to reduce plaque volumes. Hydrolysis of CE to free cholesterol (FC) in macrophages is an essential step for removal of CE from the macrophage and its transport to the liver by high density lipoprotein (HDL) for further metabolism. Since CE must again be hydrolyzed into FC in the liver catalyzing this hydrolysis, it becomes imperative to find the identity of these enzymes. In this study the role of key enzyme in catalyzing the hydrolysis of CE to FC, neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH) was evaluated. Further, ability of this CEH to hydrolyze CE delivered via scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI) or SR-BII was also monitored. CE hydrolysis and FC efflux were monitored from cells transfected with CEH expression vector. No significant difference was noted in either the intracellular CEH activity or FC efflux between cells transfected with an empty vector or a CEH expression vector. Further no difference was seen when experiments were repeated with cells stably transfected with SR-BI or SR-BII. Future experiments with more optimization of the cells system used will be required to reach any conclusions on the role of CEH in hydrolyzing HDL-CE delivered via SR-BI/BII.

Anos de intensos conflitos armado internos resultaram em inúmeros fatos de violência e violações de direitos humanos na Guatemala (1960-1996) e no Peru (1980-2000). Depois do fim destes enfrentamentos se estabeleceram Comissões de Verdade com o fim de investigar o acontecido durante os mesmos e de elaborar relatos que incluíssem as causas dos conflitos, os períodos de violência, os atos de violência perpetrados e as consequências e sequelas dos mesmos na população. Em ambos os países, os principais afetados pela violência foram as populações indígenas, o setor historicamente mais excluído e marginalizado. Nesta dissertação analisa-se comparativamente as abordagens usadas pela Comisión de Esclarecimiento Histórico (CEH) da Guatemala e a Comisión de la Verdad (CVR) do Peru nos seus Relatórios Finais para retratar a situação de impacto diferenciado da violência que as mulheres indígenas sofreram durante os enfrentamentos armados internos acontecidos nestes países. Baseados no conceito de colonialidade do poder de Aníbal Quijano e da colonialidade do gênero de María Lugones, buscar-se-á entender a etnia, o gênero e a classe social como fatores de exclusão indissolúveis que repercutiram nas experiências e no impacto diferenciado da violência que sofreram as mulheres indígenas durante os conflitos armados internos acontecidos na Guatemala e no Peru. / Years of intense internal armed conflicts resulted in countless acts of violence and human rights violations in Guatemala (1960-1996) and Peru (1980-2000). After the end of these conflicts, Truth Commissions were established in order to investigate what occurred during these clashes and elaborate reports that would include the causes of the struggles, the periods of violence, the acts of violence that were carried out and the consequences and effects on the population. In both countries the indigenous populations, the most excluded and marginalized historically, were the main victims of horrendous crimes. In this dissertation we compare the approaches that the \"Historical Clarification Truth Commission\" of Guatemala and the \"Truth and Reconciliation Truth Commission\" of Peru used in their Final Reports regarding the differential impact of violence on indigenous women during the armed conflicts that took place in these countries. Based on the concept of coloniality of power by Aníbal and coloniality of gender by María Lugones, we argue that ethnicity, gender and social class are indissoluble factors that greatly influenced the experiences and the singular impact of violence on indigenous women during the armed conflicts in Guatemala and Peru.

No / Dental Enamel Hypoplasia has long been used as a common nonspecific stress indicator in teeth from archaeological samples. Most researchers report relatively minor linear and pitted hypoplastic defects on tooth crown surfaces. In this work we report a high prevalence and early age of onset of extensive enamel defects in deciduous and permanent molars in the subadults from the post-medieval cemetery of Broadgate, east central London. Analysis of the dentition of all 45 subadults from the cemetery, using both macroscopic and microscopic methods, reveals disturbed cusp patterns and pitted, abnormal and arrested enamel formation. Forty-one individuals from this group (93.2%) showed some evidence of enamel hypoplasia, 28 of them showing moderate or extensive lesions of molars, deciduous or permanent (63.6% of the sample). Scanning Electron Microscope images reveal many molars with grossly deformed cuspal architecture, multiple extra cusps and large areas of exposed Tomes' process pits, where the ameloblasts have abruptly ceased matrix production, well before normal completion. This indented, rough and poorly mineralized surface facilitates both bacterial adhesion and tooth wear, and when such teeth erupt fully into the mouth they are likely to wear and decay rapidly. We suggest that this complex combination of pitted and plane-form lesions, combined with disruption of cusp pattern and the formation of multiple small cusps, should henceforth be identified as Cuspal Enamel Hypoplasia.