Components of the response function of a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector due to full or partial energy deposition by gamma- and X-rays were studied. Experimental response functions for 241Am, Ba and Tb were compared with those obtained from the Monte Carlo simulations. The role of physical mechanisms for each component was investigated by considering escape/absorption of photons, photoelectrons, Auger electrons, recoil electrons and X-rays of the detector material. A detailed comparison of the experimental Compton, photoelectron, detector X-ray escape components and full-energy peaks with those obtained from Monte Carlo program are presented.

En el presente trabajo de tesis, se realizó un análisis de evaluación comparativa del consumo de combustible e índices de emisiones de un vehículo liviano funcionando con dos mezclas de gasolina y etanol (E7,8 y E10) en Lima Metropolitana. El vehículo, de marca Hyundai modelo Santa Fe, fue instrumentado e implementado adecuadamente mediante un único sistema de adquisición de datos para obtener un registro en tiempo real del consumo de aire de admisión de motor, las emisiones de gases de escape, la distancia recorrida y la velocidad del vehículo, y las condiciones ambientales durante las pruebas. La campaña experimental se desarrolló en dos circuitos de conducción urbana en Lima Metropolitana: circuito en condiciones de tráfico y circuito a velocidad constante. Las pruebas fueron realizadas en un periodo aproximado de dos semanas, tratando de asemejar las condiciones de operación: hora de inicio, carga del vehículo, presión de neumáticos entre otros. De los resultados obtenidos en condiciones de tráfico, se constató que el consumo de combustible prácticamente no fue alterada al incrementar el contenido de etanol en el gasohol comercial (E7,8). En cambio, para el circuito a velocidad constante, el consumo de combustible aumentó en 11,2 % al incrementar el contenido de etanol. Con respecto a los índices de emisiones calculados (g/km) en condiciones de tráfico, estos presentaron una mejora en reducción al usar E10 bajo condiciones de tráfico, ya que con E10 se obtuvo un índice de emisión de 91,71 mg/km de NOX, 208,70 mg/km de HC, 14.24 g/km de CO y 273,80 g/km de CO2, mientras que utilizando E7,8 el vehículo emitió 102,61 mg/km de NOX, 232,44 mg/km de HC, 15,00 g/km de CO y 277,74 de CO2. El consumo de combustible promedio (km/L) y todos los índices de emisiones (g/km) disminuyeron, significativamente, indiferente del tipo de combustible (E7,8 o E10), en condiciones a velocidad promedio constante respecto a condiciones de tráfico. Finalmente, el estudio concluye que el E10 representa una alternativa económicamente y ambientalmente viable debido a los resultados de desempeño y emisiones obtenidas en el presente estudio. / Tesis

An experimental approach was taken in determining the quantum yield of Ruthenium(II) with Oxygen using two different Ru complexes. This reaction results in Ruthenium(III) and O2-. The Coulombic interactions caused by a carboxylate functional was found to increase the yield of charge separation. This was done using a diode to measure the intensity of the completed reaction over a certain time frame. The intensities were turned into concentrations. The concentration over time was used to determine the quantum yield. This information is useful in creating more efficient light emitting diodes.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of English, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

Applications of nanotechnology in medicine, also known as nanomedicine, is a rapidly growing field as it holds great potential in the development of novel therapeutics toward treatment of various diseases. Shell crosslinked knedel-like nanoparticles (SCKs) that are self assembled from amphiphilic block copolymers into polymeric micelles followed by crosslinking selectively throughout the shell domain have been investigated as theranostic agents for the delivery of nucleic acids and incorporation of imaging probes. The main focus of this dissertation is to design and develop unique multifunctional bio-synthetic hybrid nanoparticles that can carry agents for radiolabeling, moieties for inducing stealth properties to minimize protein adsorption in vivo, ligands for site-specific targeting, therapeutic payloads, and are optimized for efficient delivery of cargoes intracellularly and to the target sites toward constructing novel nanoscopic objects for therapy and diagnosis. Alteration of polymeric building blocks of the nanoparticles provides opportunities for precise control over the sizes, shapes, compositions, structures and properties of the nanoparticles. To ensure ideal performance of nanoparticles as theranostic agents, it is critical to ensure high intracellular bioavailability of the therapeutic payload conjugated to nanoparticles. Special efforts were made by employing well-defined multi-step polymerization and polymer modification reactions that involved conjugation of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to chain terminus of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain grafts such that they were presented at the outermost surface of SCKs. Additionally, chemical modification reactions were performed on the polymer backbone to integrate positive charges onto the shell of the nanoparticles to afford cationic SCKs (cSCKs) for facilitating cellular entry and electrostatic interactions with negatively charged nucleic acids. Covalent conjugation of F3, a tumor homing peptide, post-assembly of the nanoparticles enhanced cellular uptake and knockdown of nucleolin (a shuttling protein overexpressed at the sites of angiogenesis) and thus inhibiting tumor cell growth. Furthermore, these polymer precursors of the cSCKs were modified with partial to full incorporation of histamines to facilitate their endosomal escape for efficient delivery into the cytosol. The cSCKs were further templated onto high aspect ratio anionic cylinders to form hierarchically-assembled nanostructures that bring together individual components with unique functions, such as one carrying a therapeutic payload and the other with sites for radiolabeling. These higher order nanoobjects enhance circulation in vivo, have capabilities to package nucleic acids electrostatically and contain sites for radiolabeling, providing an overall advantage over the individual components, which could each facilitate only one or the other of the combined functions. Hierarchically-assembled nanostructures were investigated for their cellular uptake, transfection behavior and radiolabeling efficiency, as the next generation of theranostic agents.

A key step in malignant progression is the acquired ability of tumour cells to escape immune-mediated lysis. A potential mechanism by which tumour cells avoid immune destruction involves the shedding of MHC Class I Chain-Related Protein A (MICA), a Natural Killer (NK) cell-activating ligand, from the tumour cell membrane. Hypoxia has been shown to cause increased MICA shedding; however, this hypoxia-induced effect can be attenuated by pharmacological activation of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent nitric oxide (NO)-signalling pathway in cancer cells. The primary objective of the present study was to determine whether treatment of tumour-bearing nude mice with the NO-mimetic glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) attenuates in vivo tumour growth and if so, whether this effect is dependent on the presence of an intact NK cell compartment. Results indicated that continuous transdermal administration of GTN (1.8 µg/h) can significantly attenuate the growth of transplanted human DU-145 prostate tumours but that this effect of GTN is lost in mice whose NK-cells have been depleted. Tumours and serum from the mice in this study were analysed to determine whether GTN treatment had any effect on the expression levels of proteins integral to the proposed MICA shedding mechanism; however, the results of these studies were inconclusive. As phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibition represents a potential method to enhance NO-signalling, experiments were performed to determine whether treatment with the PDE5/6 inhibitor zaprinast could also attenuate hypoxia-induced MICA shedding and decrease in vivo growth of DU-145 tumours. Results demonstrated that treatment with zaprinast (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuates MICA shedding in DU-145 cancer cells and significantly decreases in vivo tumour growth. Taken together, the results of these experiments indicate that GTN attenuates tumour growth by sensitising tumour cells to innate immunity, likely by increasing membrane-associated tumour cell MICA levels through the reactivation of NO-signalling, and that zaprinast decreases tumour growth likely through a similar mechanism. These findings are important because they indicate that agents capable of reactivating NO-signalling, such as NO-mimetics and PDE inhibitors, can potentially be used as immunosensitisers in the treatment and/or prevention of cancer. / Thesis (Master, Anatomy & Cell Biology) -- Queen's University, 2011-04-18 10:43:28.077

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ceilândia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências e Tecnologias em Saúde, 2016. / Submitted by Fernanda Percia França (fernandafranca@bce.unb.br) on 2016-07-20T14:03:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_DeniseLicaYoshimuraMikami.pdf: 1514529 bytes, checksum: 0c35da7fa58b50cbb73591cc1627f219 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Raquel Viana(raquelviana@bce.unb.br) on 2016-08-16T20:43:11Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_DeniseLicaYoshimuraMikami.pdf: 1514529 bytes, checksum: 0c35da7fa58b50cbb73591cc1627f219 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-16T20:43:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_DeniseLicaYoshimuraMikami.pdf: 1514529 bytes, checksum: 0c35da7fa58b50cbb73591cc1627f219 (MD5) / Introdução: A bandagem elástica é um recurso terapêutico recente descrito na literatura para o tratamento do escape salivar. Ela tem sido utilizada concomitante a outros tratamentos para aumentar a frequência da deglutição de saliva em crianças com alterações neurológicas, sendo aplicada na musculatura supra hioidea. No entanto, as desordens neurológicas também alteram a sensibilidade e tonicidade muscular interferindo na postura da cavidade oral em repouso e, consequentemente, o selamento labial, facilitando o escape de saliva. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos do uso da bandagem elástica aplicada na região de orbicular de boca associado ao tratamento fonoaudiológico para controle do escape salivar em indivíduos com alterações neurológicas. Método: 15 indivíduos, idade entre 4 e 18 anos, com alteração neurológica associado a queixa de escape salivar constante foram submetidos a terapia fonoaudiológica e oito aplicações da bandagem elástica na região do músculo orbicular de boca, duas vezes na semana. Parâmetros avaliados: impacto do escape salivar, gravidade, frequência, número de babadores utilizados por dia, diferença de abertura de boca, peso do babador, habilidade motoras orais. A avaliação ocorreu antes da intervenção (baseline), após 15 e 30 dias. Resultados: Idade média foi de 10 anos e 7 meses. Impacto do escape salivar diminuiu após 15 e 30 dias (p = 0.028; p = 0.041); Gravidade e frequência diminuíram após 15 dias (p = 0.009, p = 0.041) e 30 dias (p = 0.003, p = 0.004) de tratamento; Número de babadores diminuiu após 15 e 30 dias (p = 0.034, p = 0.034); Diferença de abertura de boca após bandagem reduziu (p < 0.001); habilidades motoras orais aumentaram após 15 e 30 dias de intervenção (p = 0.001, p< 0.001). Conclusão: a bandagem elástica aplicada no músculo orbicular de boca associada `a terapia fonoaudiológica diminuiu o escape salivar em crianças com alterações neurológicas. São importantes outros estudos que avaliem o efeito a longo prazo, além do uso de outras técnicas objetivas para avaliar a eficácia dos tratamentos. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT / Introduction: The elastic bandage is a new therapeutic approach described in the literature for reduce drooling. It has been used concomitantly with other treatments to increase the frequency of swallowing of saliva in children with neurological disorders, being applied in the supra hyoid muscles. However, neurological disorders also affect the sensitivity and muscle tone, which interfere the posture of the oral cavity at rest and consequently the lip seal, facilitating drooling. Objective: Evaluate the effects of elastic bandage associated with speech therapy to control drooling in children with neurological disorders. Method: 15 children were selected, aged 4-18 years with neurological disorders and complaint of drooling. All were submitted to speech therapy and eight application of elastic bandage in the orbicularis muscle region of the mouth, twice a week. Parameters analyzed: drooling impact on the child's life and his caregiver; severity and frequency of drooling; drooling estimated by the number of bibs used daily; mouth opening difference; drooling estimated by pooling of saliva on bibs; oral motor skills. Results: mean age was 10y7mo (SD 4y4mo). Impact of drooling in life quality became decreased after 15 and 30 days of treatment (p = 0.028; p = 0.041). Severity and frequency of drooling became decreased after 15 (p = 0.009, p = 0.041) and 30 days of treatment (p = 0.003, p = 0.004). Drooling estimated by the number of bibs became decreased after 15 and 30 days of treatment (p = 0.034, p = 0.034). Mouth opening difference after KT application became decreased (p < 0.001). Oral motor skills became increased after 15 and 30 days of treatment (p = 0.001, p< 0.001). Conclusion: speech therapy plus oral bandage on the orbicularis oris muscles rapidly decreased drooling in children with neurological disorders. Other studies are important conducting follow-up after the intervention to assess the long-term effect and the use of other objective techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments.

Los estudios de emisiones sonoras por vehículos han adquirido gran relevancia en los últimos años por dos razones: (1) el incremento de la sensibilización social hacia los fenómenos de contaminación ambiental entre los que se encuentra la contaminación acústica, y (2) las mayores exigencias del mercado (vehículos de mayores prestaciones a la vez que más confortables: confort acústico). Dentro de la complejidad de los fenómenos de generación acústica por el vehículo, en esta tesis doctoral nos centraremos en una de las contribuciones del motor: en el ruido generado durante el proceso de escape. Esta componente sonora es la resultante de dos fenómenos distintos: el ruido pulsante originado en el proceso de llenado y vaciado de los cilindros, y el ruido de flujo asociado a los fenómenos de turbulencia desarrollados por la existencia de un flujo medio continuo que atraviesa el sistema de escape. De estos dos fenómenos será el estudio del ruido de flujo y su predicción el núcleo de nuestro trabajo, con la motivación añadida de que así como el ruido pulsante ha sido ampliamente estudiado y existen métodos de predicción del mismo, todo lo referente al ruido de flujo es en gran medida desconocido. A esto, se debe añadir que a medida que se ha ido reduciendo la contribución del ruido pulsante, fuente principal, la contribución del ruido de flujo al ruido de escape es cada vez más importante, tanto por su interacción con la acústica del sistema (pudiendo amplificar la contribución de la fuente principal), como por la existencia de silenciadores que actúan como fuentes generadoras del mismo, de forma que a altos regímenes de giro se constituye como la fuente dominante. Para el estudio de la contribución del ruido de flujo al ruido de escape la presente tesis doctoral se ha estructurado en seis capítulos bien diferenciados: En un primer capítulo se realiza un inventario de las distintas contribuciones que pueden distinguirse en el ruido total emitido por un vehículo,........... / Andrés Verdú, IC. (2003). Contribución al estudio y caracterización de la generación de ruido de flujo en el sistema de escape [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/2622 / Palancia

Liposomal doxorubicin is a clinically important drug formulation indicated for the treatment of several different forms of cancer. For doxorubicin to exert a therapeutic effect, it must gain access to the nucleus. However, a large proportion of the liposomal doxorubicin dose fails to work because it is sequestered within endolysosomal organelles following endocytosis of the liposomes due to the phenomenon of ion trapping. Listeriolysin O (LLO) is a pore-forming protein that can provide a mechanism for endosomal escape. The present study demonstrates that liposomal coencapsulation of doxorubicin with LLO enables a significantly larger percentage of the dose to colocalize with the nucleus compared to liposomes containing doxorubicin alone. The change in intracellular distribution resulted in a significantly more potent formulation of liposomal doxorubicin as demonstrated in both the ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780 and its doxorubicin-resistant derivative A2780ADR.