abstract: This research investigated using impedance as a minimally invasive oral cancer-screening tool by modeling healthy and diseased tissue. This research developed an ultra-structurally based tissue model for oral mucosa that is versatile enough to be easily modified to mimic the passive electrical impedance responses of multiple benign and cancerous tissue types. This new model provides answers to biologically meaningful questions related to the impedance response of healthy and diseased tissues. This model breaks away from the old empirical top down "black box" Thèvinin equivalent model. The new tissue model developed here was created from a bottom up perspective resulting in a model that is analogous to having a "Transparent Box" where each network element relating to a specific structural component is known. This new model was developed starting with sub cellular ultra-structural components such as membranes, proteins and electrolytes. These components formed the basic network elements and topology of the organelles. The organelle networks combine to form the cell networks. The cell networks combine to make networks of cell layers and the cell layers were combined into tissue networks. This produced the complete "Transparent Box" model for normal tissue. This normal tissue model was modified for disease based on the ultra-structural pathology of each disease. The diseased tissues evaluated include cancers type one through type three; necrotic-inflammation, hyperkeratosis and the compound condition of hyperkeratosis over cancer type two. The impedance responses for each of the disease were compared side by side with the response of normal healthy tissue. Comparative evidence from the models showed the structural changes in cancer produce a unique identifiable impedance "finger print." The evaluation of the "Transparent Box" model for normal tissues and diseased tissues show clear support for using comparative impedance measurements as a clinical tool for oral cancer screening. / Dissertation/Thesis / normal oral mucosal tissue model / cancer type 1 oral mucosal tissue model / cancer type 2 oral mucosal tissue model / cancer type 3 oral mucosal tissue model / hyperkeratosis oral mucosal tissue model / hyperkeratosis over cancer type 2 oral mucosal tissue / necrotic inflammation oral tissue model / Ph.D. Electrical Engineering 2012

Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2018-04-02T15:02:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LucianaFentanesMouraDeMelo_DISSERT.pdf: 1510669 bytes, checksum: f402172547ca541fafef3500e5ce47a8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-04-05T14:12:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 LucianaFentanesMouraDeMelo_DISSERT.pdf: 1510669 bytes, checksum: f402172547ca541fafef3500e5ce47a8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-05T14:12:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LucianaFentanesMouraDeMelo_DISSERT.pdf: 1510669 bytes, checksum: f402172547ca541fafef3500e5ce47a8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-08 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / O uso de plantas medicinais ? uma pr?tica comum da humanidade desde a antiguidade. Tal conhecimento baseado na experi?ncia tem sido repassado por muitas comunidades e grupos ?tnicos, e serve como ponto de partida para estudos bioqu?micos e farmacol?gicos dos princ?pios ativos presentes nas plantas. Para isto, neste trabalho foram avaliados o potencial antioxidante e tamb?m biol?gico, utilizando sistemas in vitro e in vivo dos diferentes extratos obtidos de folhas da planta Coccoloba alnifolia. Foram obtidos inicialmente seis extratos: hexano (EH), clorof?rmio (EC), etan?lico (EE), metan?lico (EM), ?gua final (EAF) e aquoso (EA) a partir das folhas frescas da planta. Posteriormente, foram avaliados o teor de a??car, prote?nas e compostos fen?licos. Os resultados obtidos na triagem fitoqu?mica sugerem a presen?a de fen?is, flavonoides, saponinas, n?cleo triterp?nicos e esteroidais e n?cleo esteroidal insaturado, j? com a metodologia de cromatografia em camada delgada (CCD), foi observado uma abund?ncia de flavonoides. Foram realizados quatro ensaios: Teste do Poder Redutor, Quela??o de ?ons Metais, Quela??o de Cobre e Atividade Sequestradora de Radical Hidroxila. Estes ensaios permitiram verificar que os extratos apresentaram atividade antioxidante nas concentra??es avaliadas de 100, 250 e 500 ?g/mL. Foi verificado principalmente para os extratos EE, EM e EA as atividades antioxidante nos ensaios poder redutor e sequestro do radical hidroxila. A correla??o de Pearson mostrou que estes dados est?o associados aos compostos fen?licos e a??cares. E com o modelo das linhagens celulares foi observado que a maioria dos extratos avaliados neste trabalho n?o mostrou-se citot?xico para as linhagens celulares. Os extratos tamb?m n?o inibiram o crescimento da levedura Candida parapsilosis. Os extratos obtidos da folha de C. alnifolia apresenta um potencial antioxidante interessante, e os resultados obtidos tanto nos modelos in vitro, como as linhagens celulares, refor?am que s?o necess?rios mais estudos para compreender o potencial destes extratos in vivo e identificar quais s?o as biomol?culas associadas com estas atividades e seus respectivos potenciais biotecnol?gicos. / The use of medicinal plants has been a common practice in folk medicine. This knowledge has been based on the experience that it has been passed though many generations. However, many times this knowledge do not have any scientific base. The molecules responsive for these activities are the secondary metabolic produce as a response to environmental conditions (biotic or abiotic stress). The Mata atl?ntica biome has a rich flora, which needs to be studied for its biological activities, and its potential to identify new biomolecules. In order to do this, six extracts (HE, CE, EE, ME, WEE e WE) were obtained from Coccoloba alnifolia leaves and then it was evaluated the antioxidant and the biological potential using different in vitro and in vivo systems. First, it was measured the sugar content, proteins and phenolic compounds. Based on these results, qualitative experiments were carried out to determine the secondary metabolites present in these extracts. It was detected the presence of phenols, flavonoids, saponins, triterpenic, and steroidal nuclei and unsaturated steroidal nuclei. After that, it was evaluated the antioxidant potential by four in vitro assay: Redution Power test, Metal Ion Chelation, Copper Chelation and Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Activity. These assays allowed us verify that the extracts presented antioxidant activity at extract concentrations: 100, 250 and 500 ?g/mL. It was observed the ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous extracts had activity in reducing power and scavenging of the hydroxyl radical. The Pearson?s correlation showed that these results may be associated to the presence of phenolic compounds and sugars. The third in vitro model used in this work was cell culture. When it was used the 3T3 lineage it was observed that these extracts were not cytotoxic. However, it was not observed any antiproliferative activity in tumor cell lineages. In sumary, the data obtained here showed that using in vitro assays that these extracts in special ethanolic and aqueous had an interesting antioxidant potential and it will be important to go further in this research.

The object of this research was follow up the cumulation of nitrates in individual kinds of vegetables. Analysed was 240 samples of root crops, cole crops and potatoes distributed in the trade network in Humpolec in the years 2008 - 2010. The measurement results show that all the vegetables went beyond the nitrate permitted limit, according to a law n. 53/2002. The most frequently it was in potatoe samples (50 % samples). The next was a carrot (27 %), kohlrabi (25 %), broccoli (24 %) and celery (17 %). From aspect cumulation of nitrates is parsley unchallenged kind of vegetable. Permitted limit was transcendent in 10 % about less than 1 %. The origin of the vegetables was detected as well. Czech republic had the worst results (52,5 %) because of the high nitrate concentration in potatoes. It is grown by a domestic growers. Spain had 20 % in broccoli and kohlrabi. It is imported to our market. Although the high nitrate concentration in some vegetable samples the vegetable influence the human health in a positive way and it doesn?t make health hazard.

The relationship between post-mortem state and changes of biological tissue impedance has been investigated to serve as a basis for developing an in-vitro measurement method for monitoring the freshness of meat. The main challenges thereby are the reproducible measurement of the impedance of biological tissues and the classification method of their type and state. In order to realize reproducible tissue bio-impedance measurements, a suitable sensor taking into account the anisotropy of the biological tissue has been developed. It consists of cylindrical penetrating multi electrodes realizing good contacts between electrodes and the tissue. Experimental measurements have been carried out with different tissues and for a long period of time in order to monitor the state degradation with time. Measured results have been evaluated by means of the modified Fricke-Cole-Cole model. Results are reproducible and correspond to the expected behavior due to aging. An appropriate method for feature extraction and classification has been proposed using model parameters as features as input for classification using neural networks and fuzzy logic. A Multilayer Perceptron neural network (MLP) has been proposed for muscle type computing and the age computing and respectively freshness state of the meat. The designed neural network is able to generalize and to correctly classify new testing data with a high performance index of recognition. It reaches successful results of test equal to 100% for 972 created inputs for each muscle. An investigation of the influence of noise on the classification algorithm shows, that the MLP neural network has the ability to correctly classify the noisy testing inputs especially when the parameter noise is less than 0.6%. The success of classification is 100% for the muscles Longissimus Dorsi (LD) of beef, Semi-Membraneous (SM) of beef and Longissimus Dorsi (LD) of veal and 92.3% for the muscle Rectus Abdominis (RA) of veal. Fuzzy logic provides a successful alternative for easy classification. Using the Gaussian membership functions for the muscle type detection and trapezoidal member function for the classifiers related to the freshness detection, fuzzy logic realized an easy method of classification and generalizes correctly the inputs to the corresponding classes with a high level of recognition equal to 100% for meat type detection and with high accuracy for freshness computing equal to 84.62% for the muscle LD beef, 92.31 % for the muscle RA beef, 100 % for the muscle SM veal and 61.54% for the muscle LD veal. / Auf der Basis von Impedanzspektroskopie wurde ein neuartiges in-vitro-Messverfahren zur Überwachung der Frische von biologischem Gewebe entwickelt. Die wichtigsten Herausforderungen stellen dabei die Reproduzierbarkeit der Impedanzmessung und die Klassifizierung der Gewebeart sowie dessen Zustands dar. Für die Reproduzierbarkeit von Impedanzmessungen an biologischen Geweben, wurde ein zylindrischer Multielektrodensensor realisiert, der die 2D-Anisotropie des Gewebes berücksichtigt und einen guten Kontakt zum Gewebe realisiert. Experimentelle Untersuchungen wurden an verschiedenen Geweben über einen längeren Zeitraum durchgeführt und mittels eines modifizierten Fricke-Cole-Cole-Modells analysiert. Die Ergebnisse sind reproduzierbar und entsprechen dem physikalisch-basierten erwarteten Verhalten. Als Merkmale für die Klassifikation wurden die Modellparameter genutzt.

William Shakespeare's play, The Taming of the Shrew has a varied and interesting stage history. Beginning with Fletcher's The Tamer Tarn'd (1633), a sequel to Shakespeare, there have been many adaptations of the plot in farce, opera and poetic drama, including an American musical comedy. This thesis will follow the stage history of The Taming of the Shrew, focussing on the dramatic development and treatment of the heroine, Katherine. Shakespeare's shrew, Katherine, is much more than a traditional shrew stereotype. Her dramatic presentation in language and action has enough depth and subtlety to provoke much conflicting criticism and interpretation. What motivates her anger? Why is she physically abusive? Is she subdued, tamed or reeducated? Enough clues are present in the play to provide for interesting debate. The first part of the thesis is concerned with examining Shakespeare's dramatic concept of the shrew to establish the scope and range of Katherine's personality and her response to Petruchio's taming tricks. In later versions of the play, the character of Katherine receives a variety of dramatic treatments. Some playwrights reduce Katherine's dramatic function to a mere outline. Others accentuate her physically abusive and sharp-tongued qualities. Yet another variation is a softening of the shrewish disposition to allow for a sentimental treatment of shrew conditioning. The dramatic vigour of the shrew character is constant, but variations in plot, language and thematic idea result in very different and entertaining shrew types. This stage history of The Taming of the Shrew as it relates to the heroine, Katherine, includes an analysis of the following plays. The Tamer Tarn'd (1633), a sequel by John Fletcher serves to comment on Shakespeare's Kate by direct allusion and by dramatic contrast. Sauny the Scot (1667) is a bastardised Restoration version in which the shrew is a farcical stereotype who must suffer extensive physical humiliation for her excessive displays of nastiness. Catherine and Petruohio (1756) is David Garrick's miniature version of Shakespeare which stresses the farce, simplifying the play and the dramatic impact of Catherine. John Tobin's The Honeymoon (1805) is a poetic attempt to re-create The Shrew. The heroine in this play suffers the sin of pride, but is won over to domesticity and humility by love and rural surroundings provided by a gentle tamer. The thesis also considers the nineteenth century attempts to revive the Shakespeare original which struggled unsuccessfully with the popularity of the Garrick version. Some of the musical adaptations of The Shrew provide a rich variety of shrew heroines in very different settings. Included are a ballad opera, A Cure for a Scold (1735), a German opera by Hermann Goetz, The Taming of the Shrew (1878), and a modern musical comedy version, Kiss Me Kate (1948). These adaptations and variant versions provide a veritable school of Katherines. The streak of genius in Shakespeare's dramatic idea of a shrew, who, even in the realm of farce is seen as a human being with the capacity to feel, change and grow, becomes very strongly apparent as Shakespeare's Kate is measured against the shrew heroines in these derivative plays. The contrasting shrew types, though interesting and pleasing in their own way, never quite acquire the stature, poise, wit, intelligence and humour which characterise Shakespeare's attractive Kate. For Kate's civilising and learning encounter with Petruchio is not the brutalising, punitive or subjugating ritual of tradition; amidst the slapstick of farce, Kate, with her Petruchio, provides a unique variation of the shrew heroine. She is not conquered. She changes herself. This is her distinction and her strength and the mark of Shakespeare's human touch. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

The thesis is focused on the study of electric and dielectric properties of thin film organic materials that can be used as an active layer of photovoltaic cells. Primarily were studied the properties of the layers on the glass substrates, which consist of a thin active layer of phthalocyanines. On the samples were first measured current-voltage characteristics (in the dark and during the exposure) and the basic parameters of the photovoltaic conversion were determined. Finally were measured frequency dependencies (impedance spectra, in the dark and during the exposure) and the parameters of a model of the structure with organic semiconductor were determined. The obtained results will be used to optimize the properties of photovoltaic cells.

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This thesis enters the developing conversation in the linguistic domain about the culture and struggles of the Black community. It explores the collectivist perspective of the Black community in the 20th and 21st century through the umbrella of Linguistics and its subfields. Collectively, the literary and musical works in this study demonstrates the frustrations of the Black community—including its correlation to antebellum slavery—the lamentations of oppression, which showcases in a collection of poems and their syntactical aspects, and the Black pride emulating from the societies. Despite the clear correlation between Hip-Hop culture and literary works from the early 20th century, a lack of connection between the two remains. This thesis explores the linguistic connections between narratives of art, specifically Harlem Renaissance literary works (i.e., poetry, novels, etc.) and Hip-Hip culture. The bridge between Harlem Renaissance poetry and Hip-Hop music is nuanced in the Linguistics field and it warrants further research.

Pour respecter les droits d'auteur, la version électronique de ce mémoire a été dépouillée de ses documents visuels et audio-visuels. La version intégrale du mémoire a été déposée au Service de la gestion des documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal. / Ce mémoire s’intéresse à la façon dont s’intègrent les tableaux à sujets historiques du peintre canadien-français Joseph Légaré (1795-1855) au sein d’une tradition américaine de représentation picturale. L’analyse du corpus de l’artiste suggère que ce dernier participe à la diffusion de récits mythologiques propres à l’Amérique : à cet effet, la comparaison des œuvres de Légaré aux séries de tableaux du peintre états-unien Thomas Cole (1801-1848) souligne la présence d’une structure cyclique similaire, inspirée des mythologies européennes, mais dans laquelle sont réactualisées de nouvelles données (territoriales, socioculturelles, politiques) proposées par le continent américain. Ainsi, la production de Légaré s’ordonne en fonction d’un archémythe principal, celui de la régénérescence de la nation, et de mythes fondateurs qui retracent les débuts de l’histoire coloniale, alors que se côtoyaient l’Amérindien et le missionnaire jésuite. Tandis que le premier, par association symbolique, devient une figure de rhétorique prédominante dans le discours identitaire tenu par l’artiste, le second y est plutôt célébré pour sa résistance à l’Autre et son courage. À ce chapitre, cette étude démontre l’existence d’une filiation effectuée par l’artiste entre les Canadiens français, les communautés autochtones et les martyrs jésuites, laquelle repose sur le destin tragique qui leur est respectivement associé et le statut de victime qu’ils endossent. Ainsi, la mythologie nationale véhiculée dans les œuvres de Légaré s’articule autour de mythes dépresseurs, axés sur l’idée d’une nation vaincue, mais qui, par la prise en charge de sa mémoire collective, pourra un jour renaître de ses cendres. / The purpose of this study is to integrate the historical paintings of French Canadian painter Joseph Légaré (1795-1855) into an American tradition of pictorial representation. The analysis of the artist’s corpus suggests that he participates in the diffusion of American mythological narratives. Indeed, the comparison between the paintings of Légaré and those of the American painter Thomas Cole (1801-1848) underlines the presence of a similar cyclic structure, inspired by European myths, but in which are updated new territorial, cultural and political data specific to the American continent. From this perspective, the artistic production of Légaré organizes itself according to a main “archémythe”, one of national renewal, and some founding myths, which redraw the beginnings of colonial history, where the Amerindian and the Jesuit missionary predominated. The Indian, by symbolic association, becomes a rhetorical figure in the discourse of national identity formulated by the artist, whereas the Jesuit martyr is rather celebrated for his resistance and his courage in front of the other. In this regard, this study demonstrates the existence of an association made by the painter between French Canadians, Native people and Jesuit martyrs, which is based on the tragic fate that is associated with each group and the status of victim that they had to assume. Consequently, the national mythology represented in the works of Légaré is structured around depressant myths, based on the idea of a defeated nation, but which, by the creation of a collective memory, can, one day, rise from the ashes.