Diamidines are compounds with antiparasitic properties that target the minor groove of DNA. The mechanism of action of these compounds is unknown, but topological changes to DNA structure are a possibility. In this study, we have developed a polyacrylamide gel based screening method to determine topological effects of diamidines on four target sequences: AAAAA, TTTAA, AAATT, and ATATA. The changes caused are sequence dependent, but generally the effect on AAAAA and AAATT is the same while the effect on TTTAA and ATATA is the same. A few compounds show interesting sequence dependent topological effects in the polyacrylamide screening method that could be caused by the compound forming a dimer. Mass spectrometry is used to determine the stoichiometry of DNA-compound complexes. Once compounds show topological effects in the screening method, a bent fragment of kinetoplast DNA is isolated to determine if the same effects occur with DNA from a parasite.

The occurrence in which Nursing Accreditation has included Clinical Ladders Program impacts the Nursing Department significantly. Nursing administrators of hospitals need to plan and adopt Clinical Ladders Program in order to maintain good performance and development. The published literatures in planning this program are numerous. We investigated the influence of Clinical Ladders on nursing staff. The purpose of this study was to differentiate nursing competency, and satisfaction of program between low level of staff nurses and high level of staff nurses. Another purpose was to explore the influencing factors in nurse¡¦s choice of advanced role in Clinical Ladders Program. The study is conducted by questionnaire surveying. The designing of questionnaire was based on the reviewing of literature and the studying of reference. The researcher sent out 700 questionnaires and 571 were responded. The responding rate was 79.51%. SPSS for Window was in use of data analysis, the statistic methods of Mean, Standard Deviation, Factor analysis, ANOVA and Scheffe¡¦s test, Pearson¡¦s Correlation, Multiple Regression analysis and Logistic analysis. Results of this study were as followed: 1. Comparing different levels, the fourth level nurses had the highest scores in eight-dimensional and total nursing competencies; the first level nurses had got the lowest scores. 2. The nurses on higher level had higher satisfaction in program. 3. Most of staff nurses tend to choose CNS as advanced role in their nursing career. 4. The influencing factors of staff nurses in choosing the advanced role included individual characteristic, hospital trails, nursing competencies, and program satisfactions. Recommendations were made regarding nursing policy, nursing administration, nursing education, and nursing research.

Dimerized antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 chains and ladders demonstrate quantum critical phase transition, the existence or absence of which is dependent on the dimerization and the dimerization pattern of the chain and the ladder, respectively. The gapped phases can not be distinguished by the conventional Landau long-range order parameters. However, they possess non-local topological string order parameters which can be used to classify different phases. We utilize the self-consistent free fermionic approximation and some standard results for exactly solved models to analytically calculate the string order parameters of dimerized spin chains. As a complement parameter the gapped phases possess the topological number, called the winding number and they are characterized by different integer values of the winding number. In order to calculate the string order parameters and winding numbers in dimerized spin chains and two-leg ladders we use analytical methods such as the Jordan-Wigner transformation, mean-field approximation, duality transformations, and some standard results available for the exactly 1D solve models. It is shown that the winding number provides the complementary framework to the string order parameter to characterize the topological gapped phases.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:35:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-02-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:46:49Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 britto_sg_dr_botib.pdf: 1644144 bytes, checksum: c6d77fe56b475af7cfe73a4dfad1432a (MD5) / A construção das barragens e formação de lagos artificiais acarreta uma série de impactos com danos sobre a fauna e flora, e em especial, sobre as comunidades de peixes. Decorrente da legislação ambiental existe a polêmica exigência de construção de meios para transposição de peixes (escadas e outros artefatos) nestas barragens. Teoricamente, esta inclusão visa à manutenção da diversidade ou a conservação das espécies com estratégia reprodutiva envolvendo a migração de longas distâncias, as quais são efetivamente impactadas pelos barramentos. Esses mecanismos são concebidos para fornecer condições ecológicas favoráveis à manutenção de populações viáveis, possibilitando rotas migratórias alternativas. Nesse sentido, foram construídas escadas para peixes nas usinas hidrelétricas Canoas I e Canoas II, situadas no trecho médio-inferior do Rio Paranapanema, Bacia do Alto Paraná. Com o objetivo de avaliar a estratégia reprodutiva de peixes migradores frente à eficiência destas escadas na transposição de peixes, foram realizadas amostragens, durante cinco períodos reprodutivos, entre os anos de 2001 e 2006. Os estudos implementados abordaram as populações de peixes que fizeram uso destes mecanismos de transposição, com enfoque quali-quantitativo sobre as espécies migradoras de longa distância. Além disso, da avaliação do deslocamento dos peixes rio acima após essas transposições, utilizando a técnica de marcação e recaptura e a verificação do sucesso reprodutivo das espécies migradoras registradas nas escadas. Para tanto, foram realizadas coletas de ovos, larvas e juvenis de peixes, nos reservatórios a montante. No período de estudo verificou-se uma redução do número de espécies, inclusive das migradoras de longa distância, e também uma acentuada redução quantitativa na captura, indicando a ocorrência de algum... / The construction of dams and creation of artificial lakes leads a series of impacts with damages on the fauna and flora, in special on the fish communities. Due environmental laws, have the controversy requirement of the construction of way for fish transposition (the fish ladders or others artifacts). Theoretically, this inclusion is aimed at the maintenance of biodiversity or the species conservation with reproductive strategy involving long distances migration, which is more effective impacted by dams. These mechanisms are designed as a way to create favorable ecological conditions to the maintenance of viable populations, enabling alternative migration routes. In that sense, has been built fish ladders in Canoas I and II Canoas dams, located in the mid-lower portion of the Paranapanema River, the Alto Parana Basin. With the objective to assess the reproductive strategy of migratory fish front the fish ladders efficiency in the transposition, samples were taken for five reproductive periods, between the years 2001 and 2006. The studies were implemented about the fish populations that have made use of these mechanisms, with qualitative-quantitative focus on the long-distance migratory species. Moreover, assessing the displacement of fish upstream after transpositions, using the catch, mark and recapture techniques and check the reproductive success of migratory species recorded in fish ladders. For this, were performed collections of eggs, larval and juvenile fish in reservoirs upstream. In studied period, there was a reduction in the number of species, including the longdistance migratory, with a marked quantitative reduction of catch, indicating some impact on the populations of the downstream. Specially, the data of recaptures demonstrated that of the fish ladders are, generally, unidirectional upward, with barely any downward transposition. Also, after going up the fish ladders... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Diamidines are a class of compounds that target the minor groove of DNA and have antiparasitic and antimicrobial properties. Their mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated, but may include changes in DNA topology. In this study we have investigated such changes using methods of gel electrophoresis including ligation ladders and cyclization assays. We found that topology changes were sequence dependent. Compounds typically caused non-anomalously migrating ATATA sequences to migrate as if they were bent, while A5 sequences that normally migrated anomalously became less so in the presence of certain diamidines. Select compounds induced changes in cyclization efficiency that were also sequence dependent; DB75 significantly abolished cyclization in A5 containing sequences but enhanced it in sequences containing ATATA sites.

Parametric equations are used to represent the pathway of an object in terms of time or another changing variable. This allows, for example, for equations that are written using two variables to be examined in terms of the passage of time. In this paper the author examines two traditional application problems whose solutions can be enriched through the use of parametric equations. In the first, the falling ladder problem, a ladder is leaned against a wall then pulled away with a constant velocity. Deriving parametric equations for this scenario permits the pathway of the ladder to be plotted. Parametric equations also make it possible for the horizontal and vertical velocities of the ladder to be examined separately. The second problem is that of maximizing the length of a ladder that can fit around a hallway corner. In this problem an envelope algorithm is first developed, then parametrized to further investigate this scenario. Using these two situations, this report ultimately shows how parametric equations can be used to give a more thorough approach to some of today’s most classic calculus problems. / text

Orientador: Edmir Daniel Carvalho / Banca: Francisco Langeani / Banca: Angelo Agostinho / Banca: Mario Luiz Orsi / Banca: Gilmar Bastos Santos / Resumo: A construção das barragens e formação de lagos artificiais acarreta uma série de impactos com danos sobre a fauna e flora, e em especial, sobre as comunidades de peixes. Decorrente da legislação ambiental existe a polêmica exigência de construção de meios para transposição de peixes (escadas e outros artefatos) nestas barragens. Teoricamente, esta inclusão visa à manutenção da diversidade ou a conservação das espécies com estratégia reprodutiva envolvendo a migração de longas distâncias, as quais são efetivamente impactadas pelos barramentos. Esses mecanismos são concebidos para fornecer condições ecológicas favoráveis à manutenção de populações viáveis, possibilitando rotas migratórias alternativas. Nesse sentido, foram construídas escadas para peixes nas usinas hidrelétricas Canoas I e Canoas II, situadas no trecho médio-inferior do Rio Paranapanema, Bacia do Alto Paraná. Com o objetivo de avaliar a estratégia reprodutiva de peixes migradores frente à eficiência destas escadas na transposição de peixes, foram realizadas amostragens, durante cinco períodos reprodutivos, entre os anos de 2001 e 2006. Os estudos implementados abordaram as populações de peixes que fizeram uso destes mecanismos de transposição, com enfoque quali-quantitativo sobre as espécies migradoras de longa distância. Além disso, da avaliação do deslocamento dos peixes rio acima após essas transposições, utilizando a técnica de marcação e recaptura e a verificação do sucesso reprodutivo das espécies migradoras registradas nas escadas. Para tanto, foram realizadas coletas de ovos, larvas e juvenis de peixes, nos reservatórios a montante. No período de estudo verificou-se uma redução do número de espécies, inclusive das migradoras de longa distância, e também uma acentuada redução quantitativa na captura, indicando a ocorrência de algum... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The construction of dams and creation of artificial lakes leads a series of impacts with damages on the fauna and flora, in special on the fish communities. Due environmental laws, have the controversy requirement of the construction of way for fish transposition (the fish ladders or others artifacts). Theoretically, this inclusion is aimed at the maintenance of biodiversity or the species conservation with reproductive strategy involving long distances migration, which is more effective impacted by dams. These mechanisms are designed as a way to create favorable ecological conditions to the maintenance of viable populations, enabling alternative migration routes. In that sense, has been built fish ladders in Canoas I and II Canoas dams, located in the mid-lower portion of the Paranapanema River, the Alto Parana Basin. With the objective to assess the reproductive strategy of migratory fish front the fish ladders efficiency in the transposition, samples were taken for five reproductive periods, between the years 2001 and 2006. The studies were implemented about the fish populations that have made use of these mechanisms, with qualitative-quantitative focus on the long-distance migratory species. Moreover, assessing the displacement of fish upstream after transpositions, using the catch, mark and recapture techniques and check the reproductive success of migratory species recorded in fish ladders. For this, were performed collections of eggs, larval and juvenile fish in reservoirs upstream. In studied period, there was a reduction in the number of species, including the longdistance migratory, with a marked quantitative reduction of catch, indicating some impact on the populations of the downstream. Specially, the data of recaptures demonstrated that of the fish ladders are, generally, unidirectional upward, with barely any downward transposition. Also, after going up the fish ladders... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

As introduced by Slater in 2008, liar's domination provides a way of modeling protection devices where one may be faulty. Assume each vertex of a graph G is the possible location for an intruder such as a thief. A protection device at a vertex v is assumed to be able to detect the intruder at any vertex in its closed neighborhood N[v] and identify at which vertex in N[v] the intruder is located. A dominating set is required to identify any intruder's location in the graph G, and if any one device can fail to detect the intruder, then a double-dominating set is necessary. Stronger still, a liar's dominating set can identify an intruder's location even when any one device in the neighborhood of the intruder vertex can lie, that is, any one device in the neighborhood of the intruder vertex can misidentify any vertex in its closed neighborhood as the intruder location or fail to report an intruder in its closed neighborhood. In this thesis, we present the liar's domination number for the finite ladders, infinite ladder, and infinite P_3 x P_infty. We also give bounds for other grid graphs.

Este trabalho se propõe a examinar aspectos de engenharia, particularmente da engenharia hidráulica, referentes aos impactos dos aproveitamentos hidrelétricos sobre deslocamentos migratórios ascendentes de peixes, buscando identificar medidas para a redução da eventual mortalidade de peixes, em tubos de sucção de turbinas e em regiões de restituição do escoamento de vertedouros, e descrever os sistemas de transposição de peixes usuais, com destaque para escadas de peixes tipo ranhura vertical. A revisão bibliográfica se inicia abordando migrações de peixes e o impacto causado pela implantação de usinas hidrelétricas, vindo, em seguida, aspectos hidráulicos relativos a barreiras para o impedimento da entrada de peixes em tomadas dágua e sua possível aplicação para tubos de sucção de turbinas. São relatados estudos de casos relativos à implantação de canais de restituição em vertedouros, para evitar a mortalidade de peixes, eventualmente aprisionados em poços e depressões na região de restituição do escoamento vertido, quando esta não possui água permanentemente, após o fechamento das comportas. A revisão da literatura prossegue tratando de sistemas usuais de transposição de peixes para montante, de acordo com a experiência internacional e, também, com a experiência nacional recente. Em seguida, são apresentados estudos em modelo reduzido realizados para a avaliação e caracterização de escoamentos em tanques de algumas escadas de peixes tipo ranhura vertical, tanto com seção transversal retangular, que constituem solução clássica, quanto com seção transversal trapezoidal, com caráter inédito na literatura, que possui, comparativamente, menores custos de implantação, descrevendo-se as instalações experimentais utilizadas, os ensaios realizados e os resultados obtidos, com a discussão de aspectos hidráulicos e de ictiofauna. Conclui-se que as soluções mais promissoras para reduzir a mortalidade de peixes são grades metálicas e barreiras comportamentais sonoras e elétricas, na saída de tubos de sucção, bem como a implantação de canais de restituição do escoamento de vertedouros. Conclui-se, também, que escadas de peixe tipo ranhura vertical com seção transversal trapezoidal fornecem condições de escoamento adequadas, compatíveis com os supostos requisitos natatórios das diferentes espécies de peixes em suas migrações ascendentes, além de exigirem menores investimentos de implantação, quando comparadas com escadas com seção transversal retangular. Recomenda-se que sejam feitos estudos e monitoramentos de ictiofauna específicos para subsidiar projetos de engenharia nessa área. / This work aims to examine engineering, mainly hydraulic engineering, aspects related to the effects of hydroelectric dams on upstream fish migration, identifying possible measures for the reduction of fish mortality, inside turbines draft tubes and in the region downstream from spillways, and describing the most common upstream fish passages, mainly vertical slot fishways. The literature review starts with fish migrations and the effects of dams and reservoir on fishes, followed by hydraulic aspects of barriers to prevent fish entrance in water intakes and their possible application to turbine draft tubes. Case studies are reported concerning the construction of spillway exit channels to avoid the possible mortality of fish entrapped in depressions and pools in the old riverbed, when it`s not permanently flooded, after the closure of the spillway gates. The literature review proceeds with the most common upstream fish passages, according to the international experience and to the recent Brazilian`s experience. Next, the hydraulic model studies developed for evaluation and characterization of flow inside pools of vertical slot fishways are described, for the classical rectangular cross section, as well as for trapezoidal ones, not presented in the literature so far, which have comparatively lower costs, detailing the experimental arrangements, the experiments and experimental results, with discussions on hydraulic and ichthyofauna aspects. Its concluded that the most promising solutions to reduce fish mortality are fish screens and sound and electric behavioural barriers, at the exit of draf tubes, and the construction of spillway exit channels. Its also concluded that vertical slot fishways with trapezoidal cross sections provide good flow conditions, meeting the supposed swimming requirements of different fish species on their upstream migrations, with lower capital costs than classical fishways, with rectangular cross sections. Its recommended that specific ichthyofauna studies and monitoring be developed to subsidize engineering design in this field.

Este trabalho se propõe a examinar aspectos de engenharia, particularmente da engenharia hidráulica, referentes aos impactos dos aproveitamentos hidrelétricos sobre deslocamentos migratórios ascendentes de peixes, buscando identificar medidas para a redução da eventual mortalidade de peixes, em tubos de sucção de turbinas e em regiões de restituição do escoamento de vertedouros, e descrever os sistemas de transposição de peixes usuais, com destaque para escadas de peixes tipo ranhura vertical. A revisão bibliográfica se inicia abordando migrações de peixes e o impacto causado pela implantação de usinas hidrelétricas, vindo, em seguida, aspectos hidráulicos relativos a barreiras para o impedimento da entrada de peixes em tomadas dágua e sua possível aplicação para tubos de sucção de turbinas. São relatados estudos de casos relativos à implantação de canais de restituição em vertedouros, para evitar a mortalidade de peixes, eventualmente aprisionados em poços e depressões na região de restituição do escoamento vertido, quando esta não possui água permanentemente, após o fechamento das comportas. A revisão da literatura prossegue tratando de sistemas usuais de transposição de peixes para montante, de acordo com a experiência internacional e, também, com a experiência nacional recente. Em seguida, são apresentados estudos em modelo reduzido realizados para a avaliação e caracterização de escoamentos em tanques de algumas escadas de peixes tipo ranhura vertical, tanto com seção transversal retangular, que constituem solução clássica, quanto com seção transversal trapezoidal, com caráter inédito na literatura, que possui, comparativamente, menores custos de implantação, descrevendo-se as instalações experimentais utilizadas, os ensaios realizados e os resultados obtidos, com a discussão de aspectos hidráulicos e de ictiofauna. Conclui-se que as soluções mais promissoras para reduzir a mortalidade de peixes são grades metálicas e barreiras comportamentais sonoras e elétricas, na saída de tubos de sucção, bem como a implantação de canais de restituição do escoamento de vertedouros. Conclui-se, também, que escadas de peixe tipo ranhura vertical com seção transversal trapezoidal fornecem condições de escoamento adequadas, compatíveis com os supostos requisitos natatórios das diferentes espécies de peixes em suas migrações ascendentes, além de exigirem menores investimentos de implantação, quando comparadas com escadas com seção transversal retangular. Recomenda-se que sejam feitos estudos e monitoramentos de ictiofauna específicos para subsidiar projetos de engenharia nessa área. / This work aims to examine engineering, mainly hydraulic engineering, aspects related to the effects of hydroelectric dams on upstream fish migration, identifying possible measures for the reduction of fish mortality, inside turbines draft tubes and in the region downstream from spillways, and describing the most common upstream fish passages, mainly vertical slot fishways. The literature review starts with fish migrations and the effects of dams and reservoir on fishes, followed by hydraulic aspects of barriers to prevent fish entrance in water intakes and their possible application to turbine draft tubes. Case studies are reported concerning the construction of spillway exit channels to avoid the possible mortality of fish entrapped in depressions and pools in the old riverbed, when it`s not permanently flooded, after the closure of the spillway gates. The literature review proceeds with the most common upstream fish passages, according to the international experience and to the recent Brazilian`s experience. Next, the hydraulic model studies developed for evaluation and characterization of flow inside pools of vertical slot fishways are described, for the classical rectangular cross section, as well as for trapezoidal ones, not presented in the literature so far, which have comparatively lower costs, detailing the experimental arrangements, the experiments and experimental results, with discussions on hydraulic and ichthyofauna aspects. Its concluded that the most promising solutions to reduce fish mortality are fish screens and sound and electric behavioural barriers, at the exit of draf tubes, and the construction of spillway exit channels. Its also concluded that vertical slot fishways with trapezoidal cross sections provide good flow conditions, meeting the supposed swimming requirements of different fish species on their upstream migrations, with lower capital costs than classical fishways, with rectangular cross sections. Its recommended that specific ichthyofauna studies and monitoring be developed to subsidize engineering design in this field.