Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) planting date and plant density are agronomic decisions made simultaneously at the beginning of the growing season that can be used to maximize yield and economic return. Research on these basic soybean agronomic decisions must be conducted to support the expansion of soybean production in northern growing regions of the Northern Great Plains (NGP). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of planting dates based on soil temperature on soybean emergence, maturity, and yield for short and long season varieties in Manitoba, and to determine optimum soybean plant density for early to very late planting dates in northern growing regions of the NGP. In the first experiment, calendar date had a greater influence than soil temperature at planting on soybean yield. Soybean yield declined with later planting rather than increasing soil temperature at planting. The earliest planting dates resulted in the greatest soybean yields. In the second experiment, soybean yield-density relationships were responsive to planting date. Yield-density relationships formed early/mid (May 4 to 26) and late/very late (June 2 to 23) planting date groups for combined site years. Early/mid planting dates resulted in greater maximum yields. According to the yield-density model, true yield maximization did not occur for any planting dates and site years within the range of plant densities tested in this field study. Soybean economic optimum seed densities (EOSDs) were much lower than predicted plant densities that maximized yield. Soybean EOSDs were identified as 492,000 and 314,000 seeds ha-1 by marginal cost analysis for early/mid and late/very late planting, respectfully. These values were sensitive to changes in soybean grain price and seed cost. Thus, growers need to adjust EOSDs for changes in price and cost. A combined analysis of soybean yields from both experiments using similar target plant densities determined that a significant negative linear relationship existed between soybean yield and planting date. The greatest soybean yields resulted from early planting and declined by 16 kg ha-1 for each one-day delay in planting from Apr 27 to June 16. However, yield responses varied among site years. The overall recommendation from this study would be to plant soybeans during the month of May at a profit-maximizing seed density, accounting for fluctuating grain price and seed cost. / May 2017

1. Many ecologists have recently advocated the study of spatial patterns of abundance or growth rates as a means of better understanding population dynamics. In this study I described the spatial pattern of abundance of the field vole, Microtus agrestis, which has previously been shown to have cyclic temporal fluctuations of abundance in my study area in Kielder Forest, northern England. A combination of techniques was then used to investigate which processes determine the spatial pattern of dynamics in these vole populations.2. Previous analysis of spatial patterns in density of field voles from an area of approximately 80 km2 within Kielder forest over a 13-year period indicate that density varies as a periodic travelling wave moving across the landscape. I collected data on vole density from a larger area (approximately 600 km2) over a 2.5-year period and used the same analysis to show that the spatio-temporal variation in density was well explained by a travelling wave of density moving across the entire region. Estimates of the wave's speed of 14 kmyr-1 and direction of 66° from north were consistent with the estimates obtained from the data set covering a smaller spatial extent but spanning a longer temporal scale.3. Processes that determine population abundance do so by acting on vital demographic rates. Spatial patterns in demographic rates were therefore described to help identify potential causes of the spatial patterns of density. Eight 0.3 ha live-trapping grids were established within the study area and animals were trapped at monthly intervals during a period of extended low density and during a period of increasing densities. Capture-mark-recapture techniques were used to estimate abundance, juvenile recruitment rate, apparent survival rate and immigration rate at these sampling sites. The synchrony of changes in these parameters between sites was measured as the cross-correlation coefficient between the time series of each parameter and the spatial patterns in the synchrony of each demographic rate were described using Mantel correlations. Field vole abundance, juvenile recruitment rate and a derived estimate of mortality rate were most synchronous between the closest sites, however no directionality was found in these patterns and they could not therefore be related to the travelling wave pattern of density. I concluded that the process responsible for the wave probably only acted during the period of declining density and that therefore the factors causing spatial patterns in abundance could differ at different stages of the population cycle.

Les Maladies Inflammatoires Chroniques de l’Intestin (MICI) regroupent la maladie de Crohn (MC) et la Rectocolite Hémorragique (RCH), deux maladies qui se caractérisent par l’inflammation de la paroi d’une partie du tube digestif, source de lésions destructrices (ulcérations). Ces pathologies complexes sont influencées par de multiples facteurs génétiques et environnementaux. D’une part, de nombreux gènes de susceptibilité pour ces maladies ont été identifiés, mais ils ne permettent d’expliquer qu’une fraction mineure du développement des MICI. D’autre part, certaines études montrent qu’un dysfonctionnement du processus de prise en charge des xénobiotiques dans la muqueuse digestive peut jouer un rôle dans l’initiation et/ou la progression des MICI. Notre travail a consisté, dans un premier temps, en l’étude du profil d’expression de gènes codant pour des protéines impliquées dans le métabolisme et le transport des xénobiotiques. Une stratégie de RT-PCR quantitative en temps réel, permettant l’analyse simultanée de l’expression de 377 gènes, a été utilisée. Cette analyse a été réalisée sur des échantillons de muqueuse intestinale de sujets témoins et de patients atteints de MC, ainsi que sur cinq lignées de cellules épithéliales intestinales.Cette étude a permis d’identifier les systèmes de prise en charge des xénobiotiques présents dans la muqueuse intestinale saine. Des profils d’expression différents ont été mis en évidence entre les tissus intestinaux sains et inflammatoires, mais également entre les tissus intestinaux et les lignées cellulaires intestinales, ce qui suggère des différences majeures dans les processus de prise en charge cellulaire des xénobiotiques, et, par conséquent des différences de susceptibilité à l’effet des composés toxiques exogènes. Dans un second temps, la petite protéine G, Rac1, a été étudiée. Cette protéine est impliquée dans la réparation des ulcérations de l’épithélium intestinal et a récemment été identifiée comme la cible des métabolites actifs des médicaments thiopuriniques, largement prescrits dans le traitement des MICI. La nature et l’étendue de la variabilité de la séquence nucléotidique du gène Rac1 a été évaluée, chez des volontaires sains et des patients atteints de MICI, à l’aide d’une stratégie basée sur le couplage de l’analyse du polymorphisme de conformation de fragments d’ADN simple brin générés par réaction de polymérisation en chaine (PCR-SSCP) et du séquençage. Des études in silico et in vitro des conséquences fonctionnelles des polymorphismes d’intérêts ont ensuite été effectuées dans des lignées cellulaires intestinales (HT29 et Caco-2) et lymphocytaires (Jurkat). Cela nous a conduits à mieux caractériser le promoteur de Rac1 par une analyse de délétion séquentielle et par des techniques de ChIP et d’EMSA.Cette étude nous a permis de démontrer pour la première fois l’existence de polymorphismes génétiques fonctionnels de Rac1 et d’identifier son promoteur minimal, ainsi que des facteurs de transcription à l’origine de la régulation de cette protéine. / Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) of the gastrointestinal tract. These are multifactorial polygenic diseases with probable genetic heterogeneity. An emerging concept suggesting that dysfunction(s) of the processing of xenobiotics in the intestinal mucosa may be an important event in the initiation and progression of IBD has been discussed. Firstly, in this study, a precise and reliable characterization of the global expression profile of genes which code enzymes, transporters and nuclear factors involved in the processing of xenobiotics has been performed in intestinal epithelium of controls or patients with IBD, and in 5 intestinal cell lines. A quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis using TaqMan Low Density Arrays (TLDA) was performed to simultaneously measure the expression of 377 genes.This work has identified genes encoding proteins that are involved in the metabolism and the disposition of xenobiotics in the healthy intestinal mucosa. Different genes expression profile between healthy and inflammatory intestinal tissues and between healthy intestinal tissues and intestinal cell lines were found. These tissues will consequently display distinctive susceptibility toward environmental chemicals and their toxic effects.Secondly, the small G protein, Rac1, which regulates cutaneous and mucosal intestinal wound healing and is identified as a target of active metabolites of thiopurine drugs, used in the treatment of IBD, has been studied. We searched for sequence variations by analysing the nucleotide sequence of the promoter and the coding sequence of Rac1 in genomic DNA from healthy volunteers and patients with IBD, using a PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) strategy and sequencing. The functional consequences of variations, that have been identified, were then analysed in silico and in vitro, in human intestinal cell lines (HT29 and Caco-2) and leukemia T-lymphocyte cell line (Jurkat). Via various deletion constructs, a putative regulatory region was identified and characterized further by chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays.This work provides the first evidence that a functional genetic polymorphism of Rac1 activity exists. Furthermore, this study characterizes the proximal promoter of Rac1 gene and demonstrates the presence of consensus binding sites for numerous transcription factors, which could influence gene expression.

Graphite epoxy composites are being used in aerospace industry and spacecraft applications for their light weight and high strength. As a matter of fact these materials also have some disadvantages like damage which is hazardous when used in cryogenic application. Composite materials IM7/977-2, IM7/5555 and IM7/5276-1 are of interest for the aerospace industry and this research concentrates on study of microcracking, delamination and other defects in the [0/90]s composite laminates of the above materials. These materials were uni-axially tested to pre-determined stress levels and the damages in the material were recorded in the form of microcrack density at different stress levels. In this research work the use of X-Ray Microtomography has proven to be an excellent tool to characterize the crack connectivity and damage information three dimensionally. Dye penetrant technique was also used in this work to enhance the visibility of the cracks.

RhoA stimuliert den Vasotonus durch eine Ca2+-Sensitivierung der glatten Muskelzellen, z.B. bei der Hypercholesterinämie oder Atherosklerose. Diese Studie untersuchte den Einfluss von oxidierten Lipoproteinen (OxLDL), die in atherosklerotischen Läsionen akkumulieren, auf den durch Angiotensin II (Ang II) erhöhten Vasotonus an isolierten Kaninchenaorten mit besonderem Augenmerk auf den RhoA/RhoA-KLinase-Signalweg. Zunächst wurde die Dilatationsfähigkeit des Endothels nach Vorinkubationen mit Ang II und Erhöhung des oxidativen Stresses überprüft und gezeigt, dass auch nach mehrstündiger Behandlung mit hohen Dosen des Vasokonstriktors die Endothel-abhängige Dilatationsfähigkeit voll erhalten blieb. OxLDL hatte keinen Einfluss auf den Vasotonus eines unstimulierten Gefäßes, potenzierte aber die Kontraktionsantwort durch Ang II. Dieser Effekt wurde durch die Behandlung mit Calyculin A und Staurosporin abgeschwächt. Eine RhoA-Kinase-Inhibition mit Y27632 hat den OxLDL-Effekt vollkommen aufgehoben und die RhoA-Inhibition durch die C3-ähnliche Transferase von Clostridium limosum deutlich abgeschwächt um ca. 50%. Lysophosphatidylcholin (LPC), ein Bestandteil von OxLDL, ruft denselben Effekt hervor wie OxLDL auf die Kontraktionsantwort von Ang II-stimulierten Aorten und dieser wird ebenso durch Y27632 vollkommen antagonisiert, wie durch die C3-ähnliche Transferase partiell vermindert. OxLDL und sein Bestandteil LPC vermitteln Ihren Effekt durch eine Stimulation des RhoA/RhoA-Kinase-Signaltransduktionsweg, was in atherosklerotischen Gefäßen zur Entstehung von Vasospasmen beitragen kann. / RhoA stimulates the vascular tone via a Ca2+-sensitizing of smooth muscle cells, for e.g. in case of hypercholesterinemia or atherosclerosis. This study has investigated the influence of oxidized low-density-lipoproteins (OxLDL), which are accumulated in atherosclerotic lesions, on angiotensin-II (Ang II) induced vasoconstriction in isolated aortic rings of rabbits. We focused on the rhoA/rhoA-kinase-pathway. First we showed that treatment for hours with AngII and inductors of oxidative stress had no effect on the endothel-derived vasodilation. OxLDL alone had no effect on the vasodilatation, but it potentiates the vasoconstriction that was induced by Ang II. In absence of Ang II there was no vasoconstriction response of vascular smooth muscle if OxLDL was co-incubated. The effect of OxLDL is partially diminushed by calyculin A and staurosporine. Inhibition of rhoA-kinase by Y27632 led to a complete reduction of the OxLDL-effect and inhibition of rhoA by a C3-like transferase of clostridium limosum resulted in a 50% decrease. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a component of OxLDL, had the same effect on vasoconstriction and vasodilator-response as OxLDL. Treatment with Y27632 and the C3-like transferase modulated the effect of LPC the same way. OxLDL and the component LPC are taking influence on the rhoA/rhoA-kinase-pathway. This can be a cause of increase vascular tone in atherosclerotic lesions.

Fong Ching-yee. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-76). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (English Version) --- p.iii / ABSTRACT (Chinese Version) --- p.v / ACKNOWLEGEMENT --- p.vi / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.ix / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xi / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.xiii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Importance and Recent Development in Metalloporphyrin --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Structure of Metalloporphyrin --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- General Properties of Metalloporphyrin --- p.4 / Chapter 1.4 --- Linkage Patterns of Metalloporphyrin Polymers --- p.7 / Chapter 1.5 --- Reasons for Studying Co-Por-Au Polymer --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- Cobalt Porphyrin Gold (Co-Por-Au) Polymer Model / Chapter 2.1 --- Synthetic Scheme --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- Experimental Results and Related Properties --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Structure of Co-Por-Au Polymer --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- Structure Characterization of Co-Por-Au Polymer by DFT Method / Chapter 3.1 --- Quantum Chemical Calculations --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2 --- Density Functional Theory --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3 --- Computational Details --- p.24 / Chapter 3.4 --- Justification for using Gaussian 98 and VASP --- p.27 / Chapter 3.5 --- Results and Discussions --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Monomers of TPHP and TPCNP --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5.1.1 --- The Geometry of the Monomer Structures of TPhP and TPCNP --- p.30 / Chapter 3.5.1.2 --- The Axial Coordination Mode of Monomer in TPhP and TPCNP --- p.34 / Chapter 3.5.1.3 --- Comparison between Hybrid DFT and Pure DFT method --- p.38 / Chapter 3.5.1.4 --- Comparison with Other Porphyrin System --- p.40 / Chapter 3.5.1.5 --- Summary --- p.43 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Polymers of TPhP and TPcnP --- p.44 / Chapter 3.5.2.1 --- (μ-pyrazine)(octaethylporphyrinato)iron(II) {[Fe(OEP)pyz]}n --- p.44 / Chapter 3.5.2.2 --- Energetic Comparison of TPHP and TPCNP with Different Axial Coordination Modes --- p.46 / Chapter 3.5.2.3 --- Geometry of the Repeating Units in the Polymer of TPhP and TPCNP --- p.48 / Chapter 3.5.2.4 --- Comparison with Other Porphyrin System --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5.2.5 --- The Electronic Structures of TPHP and TPCNP --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.2.6 --- Summary --- p.58 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- Conclusion --- p.59 / APPENDIX I-III --- p.61 / REFERENCES --- p.72

The use of forward-looking information from option prices attracted a lot of attention after the 2008 financial crisis, which highlighting the difficulty of using historical data to predict extreme events. Although a considerable number of papers investigate extraction of forward-information from cross-sectional option prices, Figlewski (2008) argues that it is still an open question and none of the techniques is clearly superior. This thesis focuses on getting information from option prices and investigates two broad topics: applying machine learning in extracting state price density and recovering natural probability from option prices. The estimation of state price density (often described as risk-neutral density in the option pricing litera- ture) is of considerable importance since it contains valuable information about investors' expectations and risk preferences. However, this is a non-trivial task due to data limitation and complex arbitrage-free constraints. In this thesis, I develop a more efficient linear programming support vector machine (L1-SVM) estimator for state price density which incorporates no-arbitrage restrictions and bid-ask spread. This method does not depend on a particular approximation function and framework and is, therefore, universally applicable. In a parallel empirical study, I apply the method to options on the S&P 500, showing it to be comparatively accurate and smooth. In addition, since the existing literature has no consensus about what information is recovered from The Recovery Theorem, I empirically examine this recovery problem in a continuous diffusion setting. Using the market data of S&P 500 index option and synthetic data generated by Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) process, I show that the recovered probability is not the real-world probability. Finally, to further explain why The Recovery Theorem fails and show the existence of associated martingale component, I demonstrate a example bivariate recovery.

Mammographic density (MD), created predominantly by increased stromal tissue, is a major breast cancer risk factor, though little is known about the biological mechanisms mediating it. Tamoxifen prevents breast cancer in a subset of high risk women via mechanisms that appear dependent on reduction of MD. Animal models suggest tamoxifen remodels the mammary stroma to a tumour-inhibitory phenotype. This study aims to analyse the effect of tamoxifen on human breast fibroblast function and identify pro-tumourigenic pathways contributing to density-associated risk. Methods Primary human breast fibroblasts from normal, high risk or breast cancer patients were treated with hydroxytamoxifen (100nM-5μM). Fibroblast function was analysed by measuring: proliferation, expression of stromal proteins fibronectin and collagen 1; effects on TGF-β signalling and up-regulation of myofibroblast marker SMA. Genome wide analysis was performed using RNA-Seq. Significantly deregulated pathways were validated by PCR, western blotting and mass spectrometry. Results Fibroblasts from 23 patients were treated with hydroxytamoxifen. All patients showed reduced proliferation with treatment. 62% of patients showed reduced fibronectin expression. TGF- β-mediated up-regulation of SMA and fibronectin were consistently inhibited by tamoxifen. RNA-Seq analysis revealed down-regulation of Wnt signalling, an established profibrogenic and pro-tumourigenic pathway. In addition, there was significant modulation of many metabolic pathways, including components of the microsomal anti-oestrogen binding site (AEBS). Binding of tamoxifen to the AEBS inhibits cholesterol epoxide hydrolase (ChEH) enzyme activity, promoting an anti-tumourigenic phenotype. The effects of tamoxifen on fibroblasts could be partly replicated using tesmilifene, a commercially available 5 inhibitor of ChEH. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed an altered cholesterol metabolite profile in tamoxifen treated fibroblasts. Conclusion These data indicate that tamoxifen can directly remodel the mammary stromal microenvironment, generating a less 'reactive' stroma. Thus, tamoxifen impacts on multiple pathways, many independent of the oestrogen receptor, to create a tumourinhibitory microenvironment. This offers exciting potential for patient monitoring and alternative breast cancer prevention strategies.

Este estudo permitiu a padronização da densidade mineral óssea (DMO) na extremidade distal do rádio de 36 cães adultos da raça Rottweiler, por meio da densitometria óptica radiográfica. Os membros foram radiografados juntamente com uma escala de referência confeccionada em alumínio. As radiografias foram digitalizadas e analisadas por um programa de computador para comparação de tonalidades de cinza entre as duas imagens da escala de referência (padrão e a radiografada junto ao osso). Posteriormente aos ajustes realizados nos tons da imagem, foram feitas as medições densitométricas no osso, cujos valores foram expressos em milímetros de alumínio (mmAl). Também foram estudadas correlações entre a DMO e o sexo, peso corpóreo e as medidas externas como o comprimento da coluna, altura do animal e circunferência na extremidade distal do membro em estudo. Os valores médios e os desvios-padrão da densidade mineral óssea na extremidade distal do rádio foram: para a região metafisária foi de 7,88 ± 0,89 mmAl, para a região diafisária 1 de 8,58 ± 0,80 mmAl e para região diafisária 2 de 9,00 ± 0,74 mmAl. / This study allowed the standardization of the bone mineral density (BMD) of the distal extremity of the radio of 36 dogs adults in Rottweiler breed by radiographic optic densitometry. The limbs of the animals were radiographed with scale of aluminum that served as a reference. The radiographies images were digitalized and analyzed by a computer program for comparison of gray tones between the standard image and the image of the reference scale radiographed with the bone. Afterwards the values of density were expressed in millimeters of aluminum. Also studied the correlations between BMD and the sex, weight and external measures as the length of spine, height of the animal and circumference the distal extremity of the limb in study. The mean values and standard deviations of the bone mineral density of the distal extremity of the radio were: for the metaphysary region the average of BMD of 7,88 ± 0,89 mmAl, the diaphysary region 1 the average of BMD of 8,58 ± 0,80 mmAl and for diaphysary region 2 of BMD of 9,00 ± 0,74 mmAl.

To Wing Kee William. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-118). / Abstracts in English and Chinese ; questionnaires in Chinese. / Declaration --- p.3 / List of Abbreviations and definitions --- p.4 / List of Tables and Figures --- p.5 / Acknowledgement --- p.6 / Abstract of thesis --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- "Menstrual dysfunction, physical exercises and bone mineral density - a review" --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Assessment of bone mineral density in young females - a review --- p.29 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Objectives of the study --- p.33 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- A comparison of bone mineral density in adolescents with polycystic ovaries and normal ovaries --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- The effects of oligomenorrhoea and amenorrhoea on bone mineral density in collegiate dance students --- p.57 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Comparison of bone mineral density in young dancers and non-dancing young women --- p.70 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Rate of interval changes in bone mineral density in exercising and non-exercising young women - an 18-month longitudinal assessment --- p.82 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Summative discussion and conclusion --- p.95 / References --- p.102 / Appendix 1 Questionnaire for recruited dance students --- p.119 / Appendix 2 Information sheet and consent form for dance students --- p.124 / Appendix 3 Questionnaire for subjects recruited from Adolescent Clinic --- p.125 / Appendix 4 Proformer sheet for subjects recruited from Adolescent Clinic --- p.129 / Appendix 5 Consent form and information sheet for subjects from Adolescent Clinic --- p.130 / Abstracts presented in relation to thesis --- p.134 / Papers submitted in relation to thesis --- p.135