Die gegenwärtige Vorstellung von Genexpression in Plastiden leitet sich von der Analyse weniger, individueller Gene ab und ist deshalb noch relativ lückenhaft. In dieser Arbeit sollte daher differenzierende RNA Sequenzierung- eine neue Methode, die zwischen prozessierten und Primärtranskripten unterscheiden kann, verwendet werden, um ein vollständigeres Bild des Transkriptionsprozesses und der RNA Prozessierung von Hordeum vulgare L. (Gerste) Chloroplasten zu erhalten. Plastidengene in höheren Pflanzen können sowohl von einer plastidenkodierten, bakterienähnlichen RNA-Polymerase (PEP), als auch von einer kernkodierten, phagenähnlichen RNA-Polymerase (NEP), die beide unterschiedliche Promotoren erkennen, abgelesen werden. In dieser Arbeit wurde die Verteilung von Transkriptionsstartstellen innerhalb des Plastidengenoms von grünen (reife Chloroplasten; Transkriptionsaktivität von PEP und NEP) und weißen Plastiden (Transkriptionsaktivität von NEP) der Gerstenmutantenlinie albostrians analysiert. Dies führte zu neuen Erkenntnissen bezüglich polymerasenspezifischer Genexpression in Plastiden. Auf Grundlage neuerer Arbeiten wird angenommen, daß nicht kodierende RNAs (ncRNAs) in Chloroplasten vorkommen. Die bisher verwendeten Methoden waren jedoch nicht geeignet, ncRNAs als Primärtranskripte zu identifizieren, die zumindest in Prokaryoten die häufigste Klasse von ncRNAs darstellen. In dieser Arbeit konnte durch dRNA-seq gezeigt werden, daß auch in Plastiden zahlreiche ncRNAs als Primärtranskripte generiert werden. Die wichtigsten Schritte im Prozess der mRNA Reifung in Plastiden sind 5´und 3´ Endformation und intercistronische Prozessierung. Vor Kurzem wurde gezeigt, daß ein PPR (Pentatricopeptide repeat) Protein zur Bildung der Ende von einigen prozessierten Plastiden mRNAs beiträgt, indem es als Hindernis für Exonukleasen wirkt. Mit dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, daß dies ein genereller Mechanismus zur Bildung prozessierter mRNA-Enden in Chloroplasten ist. / The current view on plastid gene expression is mainly based on the analysis of a few individual genes, and thus it is lacking in comprehensiveness. Here, a novel differential RNA-seq approach, designed to discriminate between primary and processed transcripts, was used to obtain a deeper insight into the plastid transcription and RNA maturation of mature barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) chloroplasts. Transcription in plastids of higher plants is dependent on two different transcription machineries, a plastid-encoded bacterial-type RNA polymerase (PEP) and a nuclear-encoded phage-type RNA polymerase (NEP), which recognize distinct types of promoters. This study provided a thorough investigation into the distribution of transcription start sites within the plastid genome of green (mature chloroplasts; transcription by both PEP and NEP) and white (PEP-deficient plastids; transcription by NEP) plastids of the barley line albostrians. This analysis led to new insights on polymerase specific gene expression in plastids. Recent studies have suggested that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are common in chloroplasts. However, they did not directly detect ncRNAs generated via transcription, the so far most abundant class of known regulatory ncRNAs in bacteria. Here, dRNA-seq analysis of the transcriptome of barley chloroplasts demonstrated the existence of numerous ncRNA generated via transcription of free-standing genes. Major events in plastid mRNA maturation include 5’ and 3’ processed end formation and intercistronic processing. Recently, a PPR (pentatricopeptide repeat) protein was shown to participate in the generation of several plastid mRNA processed ends by serving as a barrier to exonucleases. This study provided evidence for the global impact of this mechanism on processed termini formation in chloroplasts.

Toxoplasma gondii ist einer der häufigsten intrazellulären Protozoen weltweit und ein wichtiger Krankheitserreger des Menschen. Er kommt in drei Lebensstadien vor: Sporozoiten, Tachyzoiten und Bradyzoiten. Während Sporozoiten nach sexueller Vermehrung im Endwirt (Katzenartige) und Freisetzung in die Umwelt gebildet werden, entstehen Tachyzoiten und Bradyzoiten asexuell durch Endodyogenie in Zwischenwirten wie Vögeln, Säugetieren und dem Menschen. Tachyzoiten sind schnell replizierende Parasiten, die nahezu jede nukleäre Zelle des Körpers infizieren können. Dagegen bilden die nach Differenzierung von Tachyzoiten entstehenden, weitgehend ruhenden Bradyzoiten Gewebszysten und persistieren bevorzugt in neuronalen oder muskulären Geweben der Zwischenwirte. Der Verzehr von Bradyzoiten-haltigem, rohem oder ungegartem Fleisch von T. gondii-infizierten Nutztieren ist einer der Hauptübertragungswege des Parasiten auf den Menschen und kann zum Ausbruch der Toxoplasmose-Krankheit führen. Die Toxoplasmose ist vor allem bei immunsupprimierten Patienten und erstmalig infizierten Schwangeren nach Übertragung auf den Fötus klinisch gefährlich und kann sogar tödlich enden. Da Fleischverzehr infizierter Nutztiere einen der Hauptinfektionswege darstellt, weisen Skelettmuskelzellen (SkMZ) eine enorme Bedeutung für die Übertragung von Toxoplasma auf den Menschen auf. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es daher, zelltyp-spezifische Faktoren zu identifizieren und zu charakterisieren, die die Toxoplasma-Entwicklung und Bradyzoitenbildung in SkMZ regulieren. Die Untersuchungen wurden mithilfe der murinen C2C12-SkMZ-Linie in vitro durchgeführt, die von proliferierenden Myoblasten in Pferdeserum-haltigem Medium oder aufgrund erhöhter Zelldichte effektiv zu polykernigen Myotuben differenzierten. Die Effektivität der terminalen Differenzierung von C2C12-SkMZ wurde durch den Nachweis muskelspezifischer Marker wie MyoD, Myogenin und Myosin Heavy Chain (MyHC) mittels Reverse Transkriptase-qPCR (RT qPCR), Immunfluoreszenz sowie Nachweis des Zellzyklusarrests mittels BrdU-Markierung validiert. Die Infektion von terminal differenzierten C2C12-Myotuben, proliferierenden C2C12-Myoblasten und murinen NIH3T3-Kontrollfibroblasten mit T. gondii zeigte, dass der Parasit in Myotuben deutlich mehr bradyzoitenspezifische ENO1- bzw. BAG1-Transkripte exprimierte als in Myoblasten und Fibroblasten. Außerdem war die Gewebszystenbildung bei gleichzeitig reduzierter Parasitenreplikation in terminal differenzierten C2C12-Myotuben deutlich erhöht. Demgegenüber förderten proliferierende C2C12-Myoblasten und NIH3T3-Fibroblasten die Replikation von Toxoplasma bei gleichzeitig geringer Bradyzoitenbildung. Diese Daten weisen erstmalig auf die Bedeutung des Zelltyps und dessen Differenzierung für die Parasitenentwicklung und die Stadienkonversion in SkMZ hin. Für genauere Untersuchungen von Zelltyp-spezifischen Interaktionen mit T. gondii wurden die Transkriptome von terminal differenzierten C2C12-Myotuben und Neuronen sowie von proliferierenden NIH3T3-Fibroblasten und Astrozyten vor und nach Infektion mit T. gondii für 24 Stunden mittels High-Throughput RNA-Sequenzierung ermittelt. Die Analysen zeigten einen deutlich größeren Einfluss der zelltyp-spezifische Genexpression auf das Gesamttranskiptom der vier Zelltypen als die Expressionsveränderungen aufgrund der Toxoplasma-Infektion. Allerdings wurden auch Gengruppen identifiziert, die in den terminal differenzierten SkMZ und Neuronen im Vergleich zu Fibroblasten und Astrozyten differentiell exprimiert waren. Des Weiteren bewirkte die T. gondii-Infektion eine signifikante Expressionssteigerung u. a. von Zellzyklus-regulierenden Transkripten spezifisch in terminal differenzierten SkMZ und Neuronen, was auf ihre mögliche Beteiligung an der Toxoplasma-Stadienkonversion hindeutete. Daher wurden anschließend die Expressionsprofile ausgesuchter Zellzyklusregulatoren im Laufe der terminalen C2C12-SkMZ-Differenzierung und der Toxoplasma-Infektion mittels RT qPCR- und Western Blot-Analysen untersucht. Während die Transkription der negativen Zellzyklus-Modulatoren Tspyl2 und dem ‚down stream‘-liegenden Targetgen p21 im Laufe der terminalen Differenzierung von C2C12-Myoblasten zunahm, sank begleitend die Transkription der Uhrf1- und Ccnb1- (CyclinB1) Aktivatoren. Nach Infektion wurde spezifisch in Myotuben, nicht aber in Myoblasten oder Fibroblasten, eine weitere Steigerung der Tspyl2-Transkripte durch RT-qPCR-Analysen nachgewiesen. Gleichzeitig reagierten C2C12-Myotuben auch mit Hochregulation der Uhrf1- und Ccnb1-Transkription auf Toxoplasma-Infektion. Allerdings wurde durch BrdU-Markierung nachgewiesen, dass die spezifische Modulation von Zellzyklusregulatoren nach Infektion von Myotuben den Zellzyklusarrest nicht aufhob und C2C12-Myotuben nicht zur Zellteilung anregte. Da Überexpression von CDA-1 (humanes Tspyl2-Ortholog) in humanen Fibroblasten die Stadienkonversion von T. gondii fördert, wurde die Funktion des Tspyl2-Zellzyklusregulators in SkMZ analysiert. ‚Knock-down‘ von Tspyl2 mittels shRNA unterdrückte effektiv die terminale C2C12-Myoblastendifferenzierung. Bemerkenswerterweise führte dies nach T. gondii-Infektion zweier ausgesuchter Tspyl2 shRNA-C2C12-Transfektanten zu einer verstärkten Toxoplasma-Replikation im Vergleich zu Kontrolltransfektanten und WT Myotuben. Gleichzeitig war in Tspyl2-‚Knock-down‘-Mutanten die Parasitendifferenzierung zum Bradyzoitenstadium sowie die Gewebezystenbildung vermindert. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen erstmalig, dass in SkMZ die spontane Differenzierung von T. gondii zum Bradyzoiten wesentlich von dem Zellzyklusregulator Tspyl2 und der terminalen Myotubendifferenzierung abhängt. Differenzierung von SkMZ führte u.a. auch zu veränderten Expressionsprofilen von Zytokinen und Chemokinen in C2C12-Myotuben, -Myoblasten und Kontrollfibroblasten. So wurden mehrere pro-inflammatorischen Zytokine in Myotuben deutlich stärker als in Myoblasten oder Fibroblasten exprimiert. Nach Infektion von C2C12-Myotuben stiegen die Transkriptmengen von IL-23, IL 1α und IL 1β an. Diese Ergebnisse könnten neben Zellzyklusregulatoren auch auf den Einfluss von Immunfaktoren bei der Zelltyp-spezifischen Stadienkonversion in differenzierten SkMZ hindeuten In dieser Arbeit wurde zum ersten Mal gezeigt, dass der Differenzierungsstatus der SkMZ die Stadienkonversion und die Gewebszystenbildung eindeutig beeinflusst. Da die terminale SkMZ-Differenzierung von Zellzyklusregulatoren eingeleitet wird und ihre Expressionen offensichtlich unter dem Einfluss der T. gondii-Infektion stehen, könnten sie einen Einflus auf die Induktion der Stadiendifferenzierung von schnell replizierenden Tachyzoiten zu persistierenden Bradyzoiten ausüben, was am Beispiel des negativen Zellzyklusregulators Tspyl2 in dieser Arbeit nachgewiesen wurde. Des Weiteren wurde gezeigt, dass Myotuben mit der Produktion von proinflammatorischen Molekülen aktiv auf die Toxoplasma-Infektion reagieren und ihre Expression zur lokalen Immunantwort der SkMZ beitragen dürften.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 27-30, 1997 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper presents the Mission Integrated Decommutation and Analysis System (MIDAS), a multi-threaded, multi-processing application developed in Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows NT by the Air Force Development Test Center (AFDTC) Eglin AFB, Florida. The primary function of MIDAS is to support post-test processing of instrumentation data by decommutating, logging, and reporting MIL-STD-1553B or pulse code modulated (PCM) encoded data extracted from MARS-II digital tape recordings. MIDAS processes multiple data streams from a single recording, and can process multiple recordings in parallel. MIDAS also serves as a diagnostics tool for investigating data processing anomalies reported during normal production runs. MIDAS is part of an integrated suite of applications developed to provide AFDTC development test and operational test customers with quickly delivered, high-quality data products. Software development is underway to support the processing of Digital Data Acquisition and On-Board Recording Standard (DDAS) packetized telemetry data. DDAS is derived from the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) standard. [MARS-II is the digital acquisition and recording system supported by MIDAS. MARS-II was developed by DATATAPE, Incorporated, Pasadena, California. It records up to 20 gigabytes of mission data across as many as eight channels of MIL-STD-1553B or PCM encoded data. Digital recording technology provides an alternative to traditional analogbased telemetry ground systems.]

Os Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) evoluíram a partir da idéia de que sensores sem fio podem ser utilizados para coletar informações de ambientes nas mais diversas situações. Os primeiros trabalhos sobre WSNs foram desenvolvidos pelo Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)1, com o conceito de Smart Dust baseados em microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), dispositivos com capacidades de detectar luminosidade, temperatura, vibração, magnetismo ou elementos químicos, com processamento embarcado e capaz de transmitir dados via wireless. Atualmente tecnologias emergentes têm aproveitado a possibilidade de comunicação com a World Wide Web para ampliar o rol de aplicações desta tecnologia, dentre elas a Internet das Coisas (Internet of Things) IoT. Esta pesquisa estuda a implementação de um novo algoritmo e protocolo que possibilita o encaminhamento dos dados coletados nos microsensores em cenários de redes ad hoc com os sensores distribuídos aleatoriamente, em uma área adversa. Apesar de terem sido desenvolvidos vários dispositivos de hardware pela comunidade de pesquisa sobre WSN, existe um esforço liderado pela Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)2, na implementação e padronização de protocolos que atendam a estes mecanismos, com limitações de recursos em energia e processamento. Este trabalho propõe a implementação de novos algoritmos de encaminhamento de pacotes utilizando o conceito de códigos convolucionais. Os resultados obtidos por meio de extensivas simulações mostram ganhos em termos da redução de latência e do consumo de energia em relação ao protocolo AODV. A complexidade de implementação é extremamente baixa e compatível com os poucos recursos de hardware dos elementos que usualmente compõem uma rede de sensores sem fio (WSN). Na seção de trabalhos futuros é indicado um extenso conjunto de aplicações em que os conceitos desenvolvidos podem ser aplicados. / Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have evolved from the idea that small wireless sensors can be used to collect information from the physical environment in a large number of situations. Early work in WSNs were developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)1, so called Smart Dust, based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), devices able to detect light, temperature, vibration, magnetism or chemicals, with embedded processing and capable of transmitting wireless data. Currently emerging technologies have taken advantage of the possibility of communication with the World Wide Web to expand to all applications of this technology, among them the Internet of Things IoT. This research, studies to implement a new algorithm and protocol that allows routing of data collected in micro sensors in ad hoc networks scenarios with randomly distributed sensors in adverse areas. Although they were developed several hardware devices by the research community on WSN, there is an effort led by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)2, in the implementation and standardization of protocols that meet these mechanisms, with limited energy and processing resources. This work proposes the implementation of new packets forwarding algorithms using the concept of convolutional codes. The results obtained by means of extensive simulations show gains in terms of latency and energy consumption reduction compared to the AODV protocol. The implementation complexity is extremely low and compatible with the few hardware resources usually available in the elements of a wireless sensor network (WSN). In the future works section a large set of applications for which the developed concepts can be applied is indicated.

Os Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) evoluíram a partir da idéia de que sensores sem fio podem ser utilizados para coletar informações de ambientes nas mais diversas situações. Os primeiros trabalhos sobre WSNs foram desenvolvidos pelo Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)1, com o conceito de Smart Dust baseados em microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), dispositivos com capacidades de detectar luminosidade, temperatura, vibração, magnetismo ou elementos químicos, com processamento embarcado e capaz de transmitir dados via wireless. Atualmente tecnologias emergentes têm aproveitado a possibilidade de comunicação com a World Wide Web para ampliar o rol de aplicações desta tecnologia, dentre elas a Internet das Coisas (Internet of Things) IoT. Esta pesquisa estuda a implementação de um novo algoritmo e protocolo que possibilita o encaminhamento dos dados coletados nos microsensores em cenários de redes ad hoc com os sensores distribuídos aleatoriamente, em uma área adversa. Apesar de terem sido desenvolvidos vários dispositivos de hardware pela comunidade de pesquisa sobre WSN, existe um esforço liderado pela Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)2, na implementação e padronização de protocolos que atendam a estes mecanismos, com limitações de recursos em energia e processamento. Este trabalho propõe a implementação de novos algoritmos de encaminhamento de pacotes utilizando o conceito de códigos convolucionais. Os resultados obtidos por meio de extensivas simulações mostram ganhos em termos da redução de latência e do consumo de energia em relação ao protocolo AODV. A complexidade de implementação é extremamente baixa e compatível com os poucos recursos de hardware dos elementos que usualmente compõem uma rede de sensores sem fio (WSN). Na seção de trabalhos futuros é indicado um extenso conjunto de aplicações em que os conceitos desenvolvidos podem ser aplicados. / Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have evolved from the idea that small wireless sensors can be used to collect information from the physical environment in a large number of situations. Early work in WSNs were developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)1, so called Smart Dust, based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), devices able to detect light, temperature, vibration, magnetism or chemicals, with embedded processing and capable of transmitting wireless data. Currently emerging technologies have taken advantage of the possibility of communication with the World Wide Web to expand to all applications of this technology, among them the Internet of Things IoT. This research, studies to implement a new algorithm and protocol that allows routing of data collected in micro sensors in ad hoc networks scenarios with randomly distributed sensors in adverse areas. Although they were developed several hardware devices by the research community on WSN, there is an effort led by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)2, in the implementation and standardization of protocols that meet these mechanisms, with limited energy and processing resources. This work proposes the implementation of new packets forwarding algorithms using the concept of convolutional codes. The results obtained by means of extensive simulations show gains in terms of latency and energy consumption reduction compared to the AODV protocol. The implementation complexity is extremely low and compatible with the few hardware resources usually available in the elements of a wireless sensor network (WSN). In the future works section a large set of applications for which the developed concepts can be applied is indicated.

Structure and functional study of glycans are highly challenging due to the difficulties in analyzing glycans and limited availability of samples for study. These limitations could be resolved by attaching DNA barcode to the glycan, which virtually represent glycan in further application, by increasing the sensitivity of detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), requiring minimal samples for analysis. Assuming bigger arena of DNA Encoded Glycan Libraries (DEGL) in future, we propose here a method for uniquely coding all glycans using computer program that can convert the structural information of glycans to DNA barcode. A unique and universal coding for glycans will benefit both synthesis and analysis of DEGLs. As a proof of principle study, a small DNA Encoded Glycan Library (DEGL) of blood and globo series glycan antigen and its application was demonstrated in detecting blood group and breast cancer from plasma.

DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DEL) allows an exhaustive chemical space sampling with a large-scale data consisting of compounds produced through combinatorial synthesis. This novel technology was utilized in the early drug discovery stages for robust hit identification and lead optimization. In this project, the aim was to build a Machine Learning- based QSAR model with conformal prediction for hit identification on two different target proteins, the DEL was assayed on. An initial investigation was conducted on a pilot project with 1000 compounds and the analyses and the conclusions drawn from this part were later applied to a larger dataset with 1.2 million compounds. With this classification model, the prediction of the compound activity in the DEL as well as in an external dataset was aimed to be analyzed with identification of the top hits to evaluate model’s performance and applicability. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF) models were built on both the pilot and the main datasets with different descriptor sets of Signature Fingerprints, RDKIT and CDK. In addition, an Autoencoder was used to supply data-driven descriptors on the pilot data as well. The Libsvm and the Liblinear implementations were explored and compared based on the models’ performances. The comparisons were made by considering the key concepts of conformal prediction such as the trade-off between validity and efficiency, observed fuzziness and the calibration against a range of significance levels. The top hits were determined by two sorting methods, credibility and p-value differences between the binary classes. The assignment of correct single-labels to the true actives over a wide range of significance levels regardless of the similarity of the test compounds to the training set was confirmed for the models. Furthermore, an accumulation of these true actives in the models’ top hit selections was observed according to the latter sorting method and additional investigations on the similarity and the building block enrichments in the top 50 and 100 compounds were conducted. The Tanimoto similarity demonstrated the model’s predictive power in selecting structurally dissimilar compounds while the building block enrichment analysis showed the selectivity of the binding pocket where the target protein B was determined to be more selective. All of these comparison methods enabled an extensive study on the model evaluation and performance. In conclusion, the Liblinear model with the Signature Fingerprints was concluded to give the best model performance for both the pilot and the main datasets with the considerations of the model performances and the computational power requirements. However, an external set prediction was not successful due to the low structural diversity in the DEL which the model was trained on.

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are threatening human health, and the resistance is progressingfaster than the development of new antimicrobial compounds. Antibiotic resistant infections cost enormous sums of money and resources, but most importantly human lives. Therefore, early prediction and detection of antibiotic resistance in bacteria are research areas of high priority. The use of analytical instruments such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool for research in antibiotic resistant bacteria, both as quick microbe identification and for other areas in the field.Due to its relatively easy interpretable spectra provided by the soft ionization technique, and ability to ionize macromolecules without compromising sample integrity, it has also been used for biomarker screening for detection of antimicrobial resistance. Although these studies have shown promising results, the area is still progressing and needs further method development and standardized protocols. This study aimed to use MALDI-TOF MS for carbapenemaseassociated screening in Klebsiella oxytoca. The presumed key spectral peaks would derive from presence of the enzyme Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase, type 1 (VIM-1), and would not be found if VIM-1 were absent. The isolates, carrying the enzyme, used in the study were isolated from wastewater and river water in Örebro, Sweden. Bacteria genus and species was determined by MALDI-TOF identification, whereupon the microbes were tested for antibiotic susceptibility using the disk diffusion method. Carbapenem hydrolysis assay was used to confirm the presence/absence of functional carbapenemase. A genotypic confirmation was performed by polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. Mass spectra from MALDI-TOF were compared for identification of possible biomarker peaks that could indicate carbapenem resistance. Nine key mass spectral peaks were found that could potentially be used as biomarkers in future studies. The peaks differentiated two groups of Klebsiella oxytocaisolates, one group producing functional carbapenemase and one group that did not, consistent with the aim of this study.

No description available.

This thesis describes methods for using spectral interferometry for the complete space-time characterisation of few-cycle near-infrared femtosecond pulses and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) attosecond pulses produced via high harmonic generation (HHG). Few-cycle pulses tend to exhibit one or more of the following: (1) an octave-spanning bandwidth, (2) a highly modulated spectrum and (3) space-time coupling. These characteristics, coupled with the desire to measure them in a single-shot (to characterise shot-to-shot fluctuations) and in real-time (for online optimisation and control) causes problems for conventional characterisation techniques. The first half of this thesis describes a method, based on a spatially encoded arrangement for spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction (SEA-SPIDER). SEA-SPIDER is demonstrated for sub-10fs pulses with a central wavelength near 800nm, a bandwidth over 350nm, and a pulse energy of several nano-Joules. In addition, the pulses exhibit a modulated spectrum and space-time coupling. The spatially-dependent temporal intensity of the pulse is reconstructed and compared to other techniques: interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating (IFROG) and spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction (SPIDER). SEA-SPIDER will prove useful in both femtoscience, which requires accurate knowledge of the space-time character of few-cycle pulses, and in HHG, which requires the precise knowledge of the driving pulse for seeding into simulations and controlling the generation process itself. Pulses arising from HHG are known to exhibit significant space-time coupling. The second half of this thesis describes how spectral interferometry may be performed to obtain the complete space-time nature of these fields via the use of lateral shearing interferometry. Finally, it is shown, via numerical simulations, how to extend the SPIDER technique for temporal characterisation of XUV pulses from HHG by driving the process with two spectrally-sheared driving pulses. Different experimental configurations and their applicability to different laser systems are discussed. This method recovers the space-time nature of the harmonics in a single shot, thus reducing the stability constraint currently required for photoelectron based techniques and may serve as a complimentary method for studying interactions of XUV attosecond pulses with matter.