BACKGROUND: Understanding the hemodynamics of the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) may lead to further optimization of the connection design and surgical planning, which in turn may lead to improved surgical outcome. While most experimental and numerical investigations have mainly focused on somewhat simplified geometries, the investigation of the flow field of true TCPC configurations is necessary for a true understanding. METHODS: This study details a manufacturing methodology yielding more accurate in vitro models that would provide a better understanding of the TCPC hemodynamics and adequate data for the validation of anatomical CFD simulations. This approach is illustrated on two different TCPC templates: an intra-atrial TCPC with a single superior vena cava (SVC) and a bilateral SVC with an extra-cardiac conduit. Power loss, flow visualization, digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) flow measurements as well as computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to characterize the anatomic flow structure. Additional parametric glass models of the TCPC were manufactured to help understand the fluid dynamics of the anatomical models and support the computational model validation effort. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Both anatomic configurations revealed very different fluid dynamics underlining once again the need for at least one comprehensive experimental campaign per TCPC template for a good understanding of the flow phenomena. The absence of caval offset in the anatomical intra-atrial model resulted in important flow turbulence, which was enhanced by the large connection area and yielded high pressure drops and power losses. On the other hand, the bilateral SVC, which featured a smooth extra-cardiac conduit and wider vessels, led to power losses that were one order of magnitude lower than those of the anatomic intra-atrial model and a smooth flow field with lower levels of instability. The simplified glass models demonstrated that the diameter of the connecting vessels and of the pulmonary arteries in particular, was a parameter of prime importance. Finally, this study also reports on a combined experimental and numerical validation methodology, suggesting a cautious approach for the straightforward use of available CFD tools and pointing out the need for developing high resolution CFD techniques specifically tailored to tackle the complexities of cardiovascular flows.

PhD. Thesis are structured into two parts - first is comparison of effect of 4 seeds (amaranth, rapeseeds, sunflowerseeds and linseeds) on parametres of rumen fermentation and composition of fatty acids. Seeds were modified by milling, grinding or microwave heating.Findings of their effect on rumen fermentation were compared by control diet without seeds. The second part was specialised on effect of different amount of concentrate and forage in diet on fermentation parametres and amount of fatty acids. Diets were composed by barley and hay and then 3 diets for lactating cows were observed. Experiments were made on RUSITEC, which was apparature simulating environment in rumen of ruminants.

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive technique producing a variety of biological effects by either thermal or mechanical mechanisms of ultrasound interaction with the targeted tissue. FUS could bring benefits, e.g., tumour sensitisation, immune stimulation, and targeted drug delivery, but investigation of FUS effects at the cellular level is still missing. New techniques are commonly tested in vitro on two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cancer cell culture models. The 3D tumour model—spheroid—is mainly utilised to mimic solid tumours from an architectural standpoint. It is a promising method to simulate the characteristics of tumours in vitro and their various responses to therapeutic alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FUS on human prostate and glioblastoma cancer tumour spheroids in vitro. The experimental follow-up enclosed the measurements of spheroid integrity and growth kinetics, DNA damage, and cellular metabolic activity by measuring intracellular ATP content in the spheroids. Our results showed that pulsed FUS treatment induced molecular effects in 3D tumour models. With the disruption of the spheroid integrity, we observed an increase in DNA double-strand breaks, leading to damage in the cancer cells depending on the cancer cell type.

No description available.

Orientador: Angela Maria Moraes, Silvia Yuko Eguchi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T08:16:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Capelletti_RaquelVannucci_M.pdf: 647054 bytes, checksum: c35c09b03ca4ad293e07ecb39071b2b4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Biofilmes são associações de espécies microbianas interdependentes, funcionando de forma complexa e coordenada como mecanismo de colonização de superfícies. Quando indesejavelmente instalados em uma planta industrial, os biofilmes contribuem para a contaminação de muitas áreas de processo, pois representam fontes de liberação e disseminação de microrganismos que podem deteriorar produtos, causando prejuízos financeiros e retrabalho, situação esta que pode ser prevenida e/ou controlada. No entanto, sua remoção representa um desafio, principalmente no que diz respeito à determinação do tipo e da dosagem adequada de biocida para este fim. Freqüentemente, a abordagem para a resolução deste problema é empírica. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo desenvolver um protocolo reprodutível para a formação de biofilmes em laboratório a partir de consórcios microbianos e a avaliação de sua susceptibilidade aos biocidas mais recomendados. Foram utilizados como inóculo microrganismos presentes em fluido de corte proveniente da indústria de usinagem de metais, por ser este um dos principais segmentos industriais sujeitos à formação de biofilmes. A metodologia adotada foi a recomendada para a utilização do dispositivo MBEC¿, um aparato amplamente empregado nas áreas médica e odontológica para o estudo de patógenos isolados, enfocando-se no estudo a influência de variáveis como tipo e concentração do inóculo, tempo e temperatura de incubação para a obtenção do biofilme e tempo de sonicação para desagregação do biofilme. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o procedimento estabelecido para a obtenção in vitro de biofilmes foi plenamente satisfatório utilizando o inóculo constituído do fluido contaminado, e que tais biofilmes foram eficientemente erradicados na presença de biocidas não-oxidantes em concentrações 12 vezes superiores às normalmente empregadas. A temperatura de 25 ou 35°C e período de 48 h de incubação devem ser empregados para o desenvolvimento do biofilme e, para sua desagregação, recomenda-se efetuar a sonicação por 30 minutos. O isolamento das culturas puras a partir do consórcio microbiano original da amostra de fluido de corte, e o estudo dos biofilmes formados a partir das cepas isoladas não resultou na formação de biofilmes com número suficiente de células aderidas, indicando a ocorrência de seleção de cepas sem grande capacidade de adesão e de cepas fastidiosas e até mesmo não-cultiváveis, que requerem condições especiais de cultivo e que são essenciais para corresponder à flora original da amostra na formação do biofilme / Abstract: Biofilms are complex structures consisting of interdependent microbial species associations acting as surface colonization mechanism. Once undesirably installed at an industrial plant, biofilms contribute to contaminate many process areas, because they represent sources of microbial release and dissemination, which can deteriorate products, causing financial damages and work rebdoing, undesirable situations that can be controlled and/or prevented. However, biofilm removal represents a challenge, mainly referring to biocide type and dosage selection. Frequently, empiric approaches are used to solve this problem. The aim of the present work was to develop an in vitro experimental protocol for biofilm formation employing microbial consortia and to evaluate its susceptibility to recommended biocides. Microrganisms contaminating cutting fluid used in metalworking industry were employed as inoculum, since this is one of the main industrial segments subject to frequent biofilm formation. The adopted methodology was the recommended for the use of the MBEC¿ device thoroughly employed in the medical and dentistry areas for the study of isolated pathogenic microorganisms, and the study of the influence of variables such as inoculum type and concentration, incubation time and temperature for biofilm development, and sonication time for disaggregating the biofilms were focused. The achieved results showed that the established procedure for in vitro biofilm development was fully satisfactory when using the inoculum consisting of contaminated cutting fluid and that these biofilms were efficiently eradicated using non-oxidant biocide concentrations twelve times superior to those usually employed. Incubation temperature of 25 or 35°C and 48 h time period should be employed for biofilm development, while a 30 minute sonication period is recommended for disaggregating the biofilm. The isolation of the microorganisms in consortium, in the same cutting fluid, and their use for biofilm formation resulted in insufficient adhered cell numbers, indicating the occurrence of unadherent cells as well as unculturable strains, which require special culture conditions, and are essential for to reflect the original flora in the biofilm formation / Mestrado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Biotecnologicos / Doutor em Engenharia Química

Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), agent causatif de l'ulcère de Buruli (UB), une maladie infectieuse humaine émergente, est associé aux milieux aquatiques tropicaux, et en particulier ceux modifiés par les activités humaines. L’écologie de cette mycobactérie est encore peu informée, et des interrogations demeurent sur son cycle de transmission au sein des écosystèmes et à l’humain. La tendance observée aujourd’hui en recherche est de montrer l’existence d’une multitude de taxa porteurs du bacille au sein des écosystèmes aquatiques mais aussi terrestres, laissant donc imaginer qu’un ou quelques facteurs en commun puissent expliquer sa présence et son développement. Dans ce contexte, nous avons développé des approches expérimentales au laboratoire pour analyser les effets de paramètres environnementaux, sélectionnés comme être importants dans la définition de la niche écologique de MU, sur le maintien et le développement des populations bactériennes. En tenant compte de gammes de valeurs rencontrées dans des régions endémiques et non endémiques, où sévit, nous avons testé dans un premier temps l'effet de deux polysaccharides très largement présents dans les écosystèmes naturels (la chitine et l’amidon) ainsi que cinq composants chimiques (le fer, le calcium, le zinc, le phosphate et le sulfate), représentant des nutriments indispensables pour les bactéries, sur la croissance de MU. Notre travail montre que la chitine augmente de manière très significative la croissance de MU. A l’inverse, la présence d’amidon ne favorise pas son développement. Le calcium est le seul élément chimique à contribuer à l’augmentation de quantité de cellules de MU avec le temps, mais ce paramètre reste toutefois très marginal. L’absence d’effet joué par le fer, le zinc, le sulfate et le phosphate sur la croissance in vitro de MU tend à indiquer que les valeurs utilisées dans nos expériences correspondent à des valeurs limites pour expliquer la distribution géographique de MU dans les écosystèmes aquatiques tropicaux. Dans un deuxième temps, eu égard au peu d‘informations existant concernant le rôle joué par le pH sur la présence et le développement de MU, nous avons reproduit des environnements pour étudier la croissance de MU en fonction de différentes valeurs de pH rencontrées dans des régions du Cameroun et de Guyane française où la mycobactérie peut être présente ou absente. Nos résultats montrent que le pH présente un effet significatif sur la dynamique de croissance de MU avec un effet plus marqué pour des valeurs de pH proches de 6,0. De plus, il existe une forte interaction entre pH et chitine puisque pour des mêmes valeurs de pH, la croissance bactérienne est 10 fois plus importante en présence de milieu avec chitine. Ces résultats suggèrent aussi que des pH trop acides, inférieurs à 5,0, sont défavorables à la croissance de la mycobactérie.Finalement, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’expression génique de différents isolats de MU générés à partir de différents environnements expérimentaux. Pour ce faire, et en nous servant d’une nouvelle approche de séquençage des ARN, nous avons étudié l’expression de MU dans différents environnements ; Nous nous sommes notamment intéressés à l’expression des gènes impliqués dans les voies métaboliques de production de la mycolactone, le peptide responsable des ulcérations chez l’humain. Des contextes environnementaux spécifiques pourraient conduire à une sur-expression de toxine peptidique traduisant ainsi une écologie et une épidémiologie (micro-)contexte-dépendant ayant des incidences pathologiques et cliniques très particulières.Dans leur ensemble, nos résultats participent à une recherche permettant de mieux comprendre les paramètres clés de la niche écologique de M. ulcerans et au-delà contribue à l’identification des écosystèmes aquatiques favorables, ou non, au maintien et au développement de cette mycobactérie responsable de l’ulcère de Buruli. / Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), an emerging human infectious disease, is associated with tropical aquatic environments, particularly those modified by human activities. The ecology of this mycobacterium is still poorly understood, and questions remain about its transmission cycle within ecosystems and from nature to humans. Nowadays the research orientation is to show the existence of a multitude of host taxa carrying the bacillus in both aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Thus, it is likely to think that one or a few common factors might contribute and explain the presence and development of this bacillus across distinct localities and regions.In this context, we have developed experimental approaches in the laboratory to analyze the effects of several environmental parameters, selected as being important in the definition of the MU ecological niche and in its growth and persistence in natural ecosystems. Considering ranges of values encountered in endemic and non-endemic regions where BU occurs, we first tested the effect on MU growth of two polysaccharides widely present in nature (chitin and starch) and five chemical components (iron, calcium, zinc, phosphate and sulfate) representing essential nutrients for bacteria. Our work shows that chitin increases significantly the growth of MU. Conversely, the presence of starch does not favor its development with time. Calcium is the only chemical element contributing to increase MU cell number over time, but this effect remains very marginal. The lack of effect exerted by iron, zinc, sulfate and phosphate on the in vitro growth of MU suggests that values used in our experiments correspond to the limit values to explain the geographical distribution of MU in tropical aquatic ecosystems.Secondly, given the few existing information about the role of pH on the presence and development of MU in natural settings, we have reproduced in the lab some environments to study the growth of MU depending on different pH values encountered in regions of Cameroon and French Guiana where the mycobacterium can be present or absent. Our results show that pH has a significant effect on MU growth with a greater effect at pH values close to 6.0. In addition, there is a strong interaction between pH and chitin as to the same pH bacterial growth is 10 times greater in the presence of medium with chitin. These results also suggest that pH too acidic, lower than 5.0 are unfavorable for MU growth.Finally, we looked at gene expression of different MU cultures from different experimental frameworks. Here, and by making use of a new RNA sequencing approach, we studied the genetic expression of MU in differents environments. We are especially interested in the expression of genes implicated in the metabolic pathways of mycolactone production, the peptide toxin responsible of ulcerations in human. Specific environmental contexts could lead to an over-expression of these genes by MU populations, thus pinpointing the fact that MU ecology and epidemiology could be (micro-) context-dependent having some pathological and clinical implications. Taken together, our results participate in a research allowing to better understand the key parameters of the ecological niche of MU, and beyond helping to identify the aquatic ecosystems favorable or not to the maintenance and development of this mycobacterium responsible for Buruli ulcer.

No description available.

An implantable closed-loop insulin delivery device (INsmart device) containing a glucose responsive gel has been developed within the INsmart research group, over a period of 10 years, to mimic pancreas. In this thesis, the reliability and performance capability of the INsmart device was studied for future clinical use. Investigations into the device material compatibility with insulin solution, assessed by monitoring insulin loss and degradant formation over a period of 31 days using RP-HPLC have shown that stainless steel and titanium are the most compatible materials. Polycarbonate contributes to insulin loss after 11 days, resin might not be the best material and polyurethane is the least compatible for future device designs. To study insulin delivery mechanism and kinetics from the device, fluorescently labelled human insulin (FITC-insulin) was synthesised and characterised using RP-HPLC and MS, to produce a product with predominantly di-labelled conjugate (>75%) with no unreacted FITC or native insulin. Clinically used insulin analogues were also fluorescently labelled to produce predominantly di-labelled FITC-insulin conjugate with potential future biological and in vitro applications. The drug release mechanism from the glucose sensitive gel held in the INsmart device, studied using fluorescein sodium was determined as a Fickian diffusion controlled release mechanism. The diffusion coefficient (D) for FITC-insulin in the non-polymerised dex2M-conA gel (NP gel) determined using mathematical models, QSS and TL slope methods was 1.05 ± 0.02 x 10-11 m2/s and in the cross-linked dex500MA-conAMA gel (CL gel) was 0.75 ± 0.06 x 10-11 m2/s. In response to physiologically relevant glucose triggers in the NP gel, the diffusivity of FITC-insulin increases with increasing glucose concentrations, showing a second order polynomial fit, device thus showing glucose sensitivity and graded response, mimicking pancreas. Rheological measurements further confirmed the gel glucose responsiveness demonstrated by a third order polynomial fit between FITC-insulin D and the NP complex viscosity in response to increasing glucose concentration. The knowledge of FITC-insulin diffusion kinetics in the gel has aided in making some theoretical predictions for the capability and performance of the INsmart device. Alternate device geometry and design optimisation is also explored.