Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2007. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Health Sciences. Bibliography: leaves 207-217.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-127). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Resumo: O fluxograma de investigação laboratorial da hepatite C, proposto pelo Ministério da Saúde, envolve a utilização de metodologias que pesquisam anticorpos anti-VHC como testes de triagem para a infecção, sendo que os testes moleculares vêm sendo utilizados como confirmatórios mediante sorologia positiva. Neste fluxo, algumas amostras podem apresentar, nos testes de triagem, resultados reagentes próximos ao limiar de reatividade e estes resultados muitas vezes não se confirmam quando se utilizam outras metodologias. Estes resultados falso-positivos podem gerar descarte de bolsas de sangue e conseqüências psicológicas negativas para doadores e pacientes. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi estabelecer valores de corte entre resultados reagentes e fracamente reagentes no diagnóstico laboratorial da hepatite C pelo Imunoensaio Quimioluminescente de Micropartículas (CMIA), e avaliar estes resultados com outras metodologias. Foram analisados 2535 resultados anti- VHC por CMIA para a seleção das amostras reagentes independente do valor da razão S/CO. Destas, apenas as amostras com a razão S/CO entre 1,11 e 6,99 por CMIA foram testadas por MEIA, ELISA e RT-PCR. Das 2535 amostras, 100 (3,95%) foram reagentes pela CMIA e destas, a menor freqüência foi observada em amostras com a razão S/CO entre 6,00 e 6,99. No mesmo sentido, a detecção do RNA do VHC foi crescente a partir da razão S/CO 7,00 sugerindo uma maior ocorrência de resultados falso-positivos em amostras com valor de S/CO inferior a 7,00. No período do estudo, 56 amostras apresentaram-se reagentes por CMIA com razão S/CO entre 1,11 e 6,99 e 49 (87,5%) delas foram reagentes por MEIA, das quais 25 (44,6%) também foram reagentes por ELISA. Apenas uma amostra apresentou RNA do VHC detectável por RT-PCR. Esses resultados sugerem que os resultados reagentes pelos métodos de triagem com valores próximos ao limiar de ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Hepatitis C laboratorial investigation, proposed by Ministry of Health, includes anti-HCV tests for screening and molecular methodologies for confirmation of the positive results. Some time the samples can present reagents results near to the cut off and, these results, a lot of times, are not confirmed by other methodologies. False positives results can lead blood units discard and negative psychological consequences for donors and patients. The goal of this study was establish a threshold among resulted reagents and weakly reagents in the hepatitis C laboratorial diagnosis by CMIA, and to evaluate these results with other methodologies. In this study were analyzed 2535 resulted anti-VHC by CMIA for the selection of the reagents samples independent of the S/CO obtained. The samples with S/CO between 1.11 and 6.99 by CMIA were tested by MEIA, ELISA and RT-PCR. From 2535 samples, 100 (3.95%) were reagents for CMIA and the lower frequency it was observed in samples with S/CO between 6.00 and 6.99. In the same sense, the HCV RNA detection was confirmed in samples with S/CO upper than 7.00; suggesting an occurrence of false-positive results in samples with S/CO lower to 7.00. In study period 56 samples were reagents by CMIA with S/CO between 1.11 and 6.99 and 49 (87.5%) were reagents by MEIA, which 25 (44.6%) were also reagents by ELISA. One sample presented HCV RNA detected by RTPCR. Those results suggest that the reagents results by the screening tests, with S/CO near to cut off should be analyzed with precaution and different of the reagents results with upper S/CO / Orientador: Maria Inês de Moura Campos Pardini / Coorientador: Rejane Maria Tommasini Grotto / Banca: Giovanni Faria Silva / Banca: Neiva Sellan Lopes Gonçales / Mestre

abstract: DNA nanotechnology has been a rapidly growing research field in the recent decades, and there have been extensive efforts to construct various types of highly programmable and robust DNA nanostructures. Due to the advantage that DNA nanostructure can be used to organize biochemical molecules with precisely controlled spatial resolution, herein we used DNA nanostructure as a scaffold for biological applications. Targeted cell-cell interaction was reconstituted through a DNA scaffolded multivalent bispecific aptamer, which may lead to promising potentials in tumor therapeutics. In addition a synthetic vaccine was constructed using DNA nanostructure as a platform to assemble both model antigen and immunoadjuvant together, and strong antibody response was demonstrated in vivo, highlighting the potential of DNA nanostructures to serve as a new platform for vaccine construction, and therefore a DNA scaffolded hapten vaccine is further constructed and tested for its antibody response. Taken together, my research demonstrated the potential of DNA nanostructure to serve as a general platform for immunological applications. / Dissertation/Thesis / Movie 4.1-a / Movie 4.1-b / Movie 4.1-c / Ph.D. Biochemistry 2012

This study investigated the use of non-specific immunostimulants to alleviate stress-mediated suppression of defence mechanisms and subsequent susceptibility to bacterial pathogens in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). One yeast (1-3),)1-6)-β-glucan and a bacterial peptidoglycan were selected as immunostimulants from a panel of test substances on the basis of enhanced intracellular superoxide generation by kidney macrophages stimulated in vitro. Kidney macrophage effector activity was not affected after 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks of in-feed treatment with 0.05% or 5% of glucan or peptidoglycan. However, production of bactericidal superoxide by inflammatory peritoneal macrophages did increase significantly after four weeks of oral treatment with 0.05% peptidoglycan. Although a single confinement of fish (93% reduction of water volume for five minutes) caused a physiological stress response, as indicated by hyperglycaemia in plasma, kidney and inflammatory macrophage activities were only affected after six daily confinements. Phagocytosis, intracellular superoxide production and killing of Aeromonas salmonicida in vitro by kidney macrophages were significantly reduced. Conversely, production of extracellular superoxide, which may be associated with damage to self, was enhanced. Peritoneal macrophages displayed a similar but less marked respiratory burst response after repeated confinement. Some of the alterations in macrophage function caused by daily confinement were prevented by feeding 0.05% peptidoglycan four weeks before the first confinement. The increase in kidney macrophage extracellular superoxide production caused by repeated confinement was significantly alleviated by in-feed peptidoglycan. Similarly, the decrease in intracellular production by peritoneal macrophages caused by repeated confinement was prevented by in-feed treatment with peptidoglycan. Neither peptidoglycan nor repetitive confinement had any effect on complement lytic activity. These results indicate that dietary peptidoglycan was able to reduce, by regulating macrophage function, the impact of stress on certain bactericidal defences and potential damage to self. However, there was no significant difference in the persistence of viable A. salmonicida in the spleen or blood of infected fish in any of the experimental treatments.

No description available.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc Agric (Plant Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Microbiology and Plant Pathology / unrestricted