En un intento de optimizar el sistema de fecundación in vitro en la especie porcina se estudió la influencia de distintas condiciones de maduración y de cocultivo de los gametos. Se evaluó la reducción del tiempo de coincubación de los gametos a 10 min observándose un claro efecto del ratio espermatozoides:ovocito. El estudio de las necesidades de los espermatozoides en términos de aditivos del medio de fecundación y tiempo de coincubación reveló variaciones entre verracos. La utilización de un tiempo de coincubación tan corto como 2 min fue suficiente para obtener unas tasas de penetración y monospermia similares a las alcanzadas por los sistemas de FIV tradicionales. El sistema de FIV en pajuela con 10 min de coincubación aumentó la penetración monoespérmica y mejoró la calidad de los blastocistos. La adición de 5 nM de 9- cis ácido retinoico al medio de maduración aumentó significativamente la formación de blastocistos. / The present study was conducted in an attempt to optimize porcine in vitro fertilization system. For this purpose, the influence of maturation and gamete coculture conditions were studied. The coincubation time may be reduced to 10 min to increase the efficiency of fertilization depending on the sperm:oocytes ratio. The needs of boar spermatozoa for IVF, in terms of additives to IVF medium and coincubation times vary among boars. The use of coincubation time as brief as 2 min is long enough to obtain good fertilization rates similar to those achieved from current long term exposure times in IVF. A straw IVF system in combination with a 10 min coincubation increased monospermic penetration and the quality of blastocysts compared with the microdrop-IVF system. The addition of 5 nM of 9- cis retinoic acid in the IVM medium increased blastocyst formation rate, suggesting that RA may play an important role during IVM.

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Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-25. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:26:10Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 Publico-12694a.pdf: 304264 bytes, checksum: cba6cc96909393802ebc71ea67e960ba (MD5). Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-11T03:26:10Z : No. of bitstreams: 2 Publico-12694a.pdf: 304264 bytes, checksum: cba6cc96909393802ebc71ea67e960ba (MD5) Publico-12694b.pdf: 2030731 bytes, checksum: d847d011541fe13e0332367b34968461 (MD5) / Os limiares de lactato são utilizados para a avaliação da capacidade aeróbia em diferentes idades. Estudos demonstraram que crianças e adolescentes apresentam menores concentrações sanguíneas de lactato ([la]) para mesma carga de esforço do que adultos. Existem evidências de que isto está relacionado ao desenvolvimento maturacional das mesmas. Objetivo: Verificar a associação entre a maturação sexual e o limiar de lactato de atletas de futebol de 12 a 15 anos de idade. Método: A amostra foi do tipo intencional, não probabilística, com um total de 36 meninas, entre 12 e 15 anos, participantes de escolinhas de futebol da prefeitura da cidade de São Paulo. Foram obtidas da amostra a massa corporal, a estatura e a tomada de dobras cutâneas triciptal e subescapular. A maturação sexual foi feita através da observação direta, por uma médica, do desenvolvimento de órgãos genitais e de pilosidade púbica, por meio de planilhas propostas por Tanner. Para determinação do limiar de lactato foi realizado teste progressivo em pista, onde as jovens realizaram três corridas de 800 metros, com a intensidade do esforço sendo controlada por zonas de frequência cardíaca pré-estabelecidas, com mensurações das [la] no final de cada corrida. Através da interpolação linear foi encontrada a velocidade correspondente a [la] de 2,5 mmol.L-1 (V2,5). Para compreender melhor a natureza das associações entre as variáveis foi utilizada a regressão linear múltipla, tendo como variável dependente o limiar de lactato (V2,5) e como variáveis independentes idade (anos), IMC (kg/m2), estatura (cm) e somatório de dobras cutâneas (mm). Resultados: Em mais jovens, pré-púbere, as variáveis de crescimento e a maturação sexual tem pouca associação com o limiar de lactato. Sendo importante uma ponderação sobre a influência da maturação sexual no limiar de lactato. Conclusão: Levando em consideração a homogeneidade do grupo e o fato de a idade entre 12 e 15 anos ser um período de diversas modificações, o desenvolvimento maturacional, e não a idade cronológica, mostrou uma diferença significante nas variáveis analisadas. / The lactate thresholds are used to assess the aerobic capacity in different ages. Studies show that children and adolescents present less lactate blood concentrations [la] than adults under certain effort loads. There are evidences that this is related to their maturational development. Objective: To verify the association between the sexual maturation and the lactate threshold in some adolescent soccer players ranging from 12 to 15 years old. Method: The sample was related to the intentional and not probabilistic type involving 36 girls, from 12 to 15 years old, members of the soccer schools held by the Mayority of São Paulo. The body weight, height and the sum of two skinfolds – calf and triceps were obtained from the sample. A physician directly observed the sexual maturation of the genitals and pubic hair development through the Tanner index. To determine the lactate threshold a progressive test, a 3 x 800 m in running track, was performed by adolescents, their effort intensity was controlled by pre-established heart rate zones and the [la] were measured at the end of each run. The velocity corresponding to [la] of 2,5 mmol.L-1 (V2,5) was obtained through the linear interpolation. The multiple linear regression was used to better understand the nature of these associations between the variables, considering the lactate threshold (V2,5) as a dependent variable and the age (years), the body weight index (kg/m2), height (cm) and the sum of the skinfolds (mm) as independent variables. Result: The growth variables and the sexual maturation have little association with the lactate threshold in the youngest and pre-adolescent girls. It is important to take in consideration the sexual maturation influence on the threshold lactate. Conclusion: Taking in account the group homogeneity and being the range between 12 and 15 years old a period susceptible to many modifications, the maturational development and not the chronological age showed to be responsible for a significant difference in the analyzed variables. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

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Ce mémoire de thèse porte sur le traitement et l'analyse des signaux issus des unités de soins intensifs néonatales (USIN) pour l'étude de la maturité, de l'infection généralisée et de l'influence de l'immunisation chez le nouveau-né prématuré. Une attention particulière est portée sur l'électroencéphalographie et le signal de respiration. Pour le premier, ce signal est souvent bruité en USIN et des méthodes de décomposition du signal et d'annulation optimale du bruit, adaptées aux particularités des EEG immatures, ont été proposées et évaluées objectivement sur signaux réels et simulés. L'analyse de l'EEG et des bouffées delta, repérées automatiquement par un classificateur proposé, ont permis d'étudier la maturation et les effets de la vaccination. Pour la seconde modalité, la respiration, des méthodes non-linéaires et fractales sont retenues et adaptées pour évaluer la maturité et l'infection généralisée. Une étude de robustesse des méthodes d'estimation est menée et on montre que l'exposant de Hurst, estimé sur des signaux de variabilité respiratoire, est un bon détecteur de l'infection. / This Ph.D. dissertation processes and analyzes signals from the neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for the study of maturity, systemic infection (sepsis) and the influence of immunization in the premature newborn. A special attention is payed to the electroencephalography and the breathing signal. The former is often contaminated by several sources of noise, thus methods based on the signals decomposition and optimal noise cancellation, adapted to the characteristics of the immature EEG, were proposed and evaluated objectively on real and simulated signals. By means of the EEG and delta burst analysis, detected automatically by a proposed classifier, infant's maturation and the effects of vaccination are studied. Concerning the second signal, breathing, non-linear and fractal methods are adapted to evaluate maturity and sepsis. A robustness study of estimation methods is also conducted, showing that the Hurst exponent, estimated on respiratory variability signals, is a good detector of infection.

German text / Gutes Altern gelingt selbst bei den zumeist günstigen äusseren Voraussetzungen in der Schweiz nicht allen Menschen. Die Frage stellt sich, unter welchen Bedingungen sowohl echtes Wohlbefinden im Alltag als auch Lebenssinn und -perspektive erreicht und erhalten werden können. Gelingt dies bekennenden Christen besser als nicht religiösen Menschen? Im Hinblick auf diese Fragestellung untersuchte die vorliegende Arbeit die bisherige gerontologische Forschung hauptsächlich in der Schweiz. Es wurde versucht, die Begriffe Wohlbefinden, Lebenssinn in Verbindung mit Religionsgerontologie anhand einzelner Exponenten zu definieren und das Zusammenspiel der Faktoren aufzuzeigen. In einer qualitativen empirischen Studie wurden gemäss der Grounded Theory zwölf Personen zwischen 50 und 80 Jahren (drittes Alter) mit zehn verschiedenen religiös/spirituellen Hintergründen mit Hilfe eines halbstrukturierten Leitfadens interviewt. Die Hauptthemen waren Wohlbefinden, Lebenssinn, Glaube/Spiritualität und Sterben/Tod. Der Zusammenhang zwischen alltäglichem Wohlbefinden und Lebenssinn bzw. -perspektive erwies sich als stark. Menschen mit einer persönlichen Gottesbeziehung schienen über mehr Ressourcen zu verfügen, nicht nur, um die eigene Endlichkeit zu akzeptieren oder schwierige Ereignisse im Leben zu meistern, sondern auch, um ihren letzten Lebenssinn in Gott zu erkennen, also ausserhalb von sich selbst. So waren sie besser befähigt, in ihrem Lebenslauf Erreichtes wieder abzugeben. Dieser Lebensstil benötigt Einübung, er kann jedoch auch gezielt gefördert werden. Aufgrund der Erkenntnisse konnten eine Reihe von Aufgaben formuliert werden, die den älteren Menschen Anweisung geben, wie sie diesen Lebensstil konkret in ihrem Alltag umsetzen könnten. Zudem scheint christliche Gemeinde ein geeigneter Rahmen darzustellen, wenn sie für das dritte Alter interdisziplinäre Lernangebote aus den Bereichen Medizin, Psychologie, Soziologie und Theologie wie auch die Möglichkeit persönlicher Seelsorge bereitstellt. Der ältere Mensch wird dadurch frei, sich generativ für andere einzusetzen und für sie da zu sein, innerhalb der christlichen Gemeinde oder auch ausserhalb als Teil der Gesellschaft. Somit wird dem neutestamentlichen Gebot der Nächstenliebe nachgekommen, Solidarität anderen gegenüber wird gelebt. Stärkeres Sinnempfinden und höheres Wohlbefinden sind geschenkte Nebenprodukte, die zu einem erfüllten Leben beitragen. / In Switzerland ageing is not necessarily unproblematic, even in the most favorable conditions. The question to answer is on what conditions in everday life a high level of wellbeing as well as meaning and perspective of life can be attained and preserved. Do professing Christians succeed better than non-religious people? The present study examined the results of current gerontological resarch in this respect, primarily in Switzerland. It attempted to define the terms of wellbeing, meaning of life in connection with religious gerontology with specific criteria and to show up the interaction of their several components. In a qualitative empirical study, according to the Grounded Theory, twelve persons between fifty and eighty years of age with ten different religious/spiritual backgrounds were interviewed with the aid of a semistructured interview guide. The main topics were wellbeing, meaning of life, faith/spirituality and dying/death. The relationship between everyday wellbeing and meaning of life and life perspective proved to be strong. People with a personal relationship with God seemed to have more resources to accept not only their own mortality or to cope with negative events in life, but to recognize their ultimate meaning of life to be in God, which is outside themselves. In consequence they were better able to let go any of their own achievements. This lifestyle requires practise and promotion. On account of the results a number of tasks were formulated to guide the older people in their daily life in practicing this lifestyle. The Christian community seems to be a suitable framework to provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities for the third age in the fields of medicine, psychology, sociology and theology as well as the opportunity of personal counseling. In this way, the never-ending process of maturation of individual elderly people should be encouraged. They are free, according to their talents, to get themselves involved with other people, to have time for them, that is within the Christian community or outside, in society. Thus, the New Testament commandment to love one another can be complied with, and solidarity with others will truly be fact. A stronger sense of meaning and a higher grade of wellbeing will be welcome by-products, which will contribute to a fulfilled life. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This autoethnography tells the story of my faith journey with a special focus on my years as a Catholic seminarian and the change towards embarking on a career as a clinical psychologist. Pertinent childhood experiences are also shared to contextualise my story. The narrative, “Wrestling Heart”, is the centre and the produced data of this autoethnography. As an “evocative” narrative, it independently seeks to fulfil many of the goals of an autoethnography, such as being therapeutic for both writer and readers, and imbuing culture with critical thinking. The sharing of the narrative is augmented with a thematic analysis of it and Carl Rogers’ Person-Centred Approach is mainly used to comprehend the gleaned themes. The movement towards a comprehension of my experience is consistent with the philosophical foundation of this study: phenomenology. It is envisaged that the utility of this study lies primarily in its interrogation of the relationship between religion and mental health, its in-depth depiction of an individual grappling with their faith in relation to mental health, and the way in which the writing of this autoethnography therapeutically fostered greater congruence for me the writer, as I prepare to work as a clinical psychologist. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

D. Tech. (Department of Biotechnology and Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The synthesis of Ag and Cu nanoparticles was carried out using the thermal decomposition method in the presence of oleylamine as a capping agent. This method was used because it can produce uniform and monodisperse nanoparticles with controlled size distribution. The nanoparticles synthesized under various conditions were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV/Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effect of precursor concentration on the morphology and size of the nanoparticles was investigated. It was observed that an increase in the precursor concentration resulted in an increase in particle sizes with different morphologies for both Ag and Cu nanoparticles. The increase in particle sizes for Ag nanoparticles was due to Ostwald ripening, while for Cu nanoparticles it was due to agglomeration, as Cu tends to oxidize in the atmosphere, leading to a change in particle size and shape. However, the ability to control and manipulate their physical and chemical properties depends on tuning their size and shape. Therefore, varying the precursor concentration helped in selecting the optimal concentration for this study. The nanoparticles produced were used in another study as fillers or additives for the production of nanofiber composites. The development of nanofibers by electrospinning process has led to potential applications in filtration, tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, wound dressing and etc. The current study is an attempt to fabricate composite nanofibers that can be used as wound dressing material for effective wound healing. The approach involves the blending of two different polymers both being biocompatible and biodegradable were one is a natural polymer and the other is a synthetic polymer. In this study, different weight ratios of CS/PVA blends, Ag/Cu/CS/PVA, Ag/CS/PVA and Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers have been successfully prepared by the electrospinning process. The tip-to-collector distance was kept at 15 cm and the applied voltage was varied from 15 to 25 kV. The effects of the weight ratios applied voltage and the nanoparticles loading on the morphology and diameter of the fibers were investigated. The resultant fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The SEM results showed that an increase the amount of chitosan in the CS/PVA blend resulted in a decrease in the fiber diameters while an increase in the voltage from 15 to 25 kV led to a decrease in the fiber diameters. Furthermore, an increase in fiber diameters was observed with irregular morphologies upon addition of Ag/Cu nanoparticles into the blend. The latter changes are perceived to be as a result of an increased conductivity and a higher charge density. The XRD results showed peaks which correspond to Ag in the face centred cubic. Ag peaks are more dominant than Cu peaks in the XRD of the mixed nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra of the Ag/Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers gave almost identical features as the blend. This proves that there was an interaction between CS and PVA polymer due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The TGA curves showed no significant effect on the thermal stability of the composite fibers upon addition of different nanoparticles loadings. The absorption spectra of the composite fibers showed an improved optical properties compared to the blend. For Ag and Cu nanoparticles composite fibers it was observed that addition of Ag nanoparticles in the blend resulted in an increase in fiber diameters with uniform morphology whereas for Cu resulted in a decrease in fiber diameters. Both Ag and Cu composite fibers showed an improved optical properties. The effect of CS/PVA, Ag/Cu, Ag, and Cu nanofibers on the selected microorganism (K.pneumoniae, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E.coli) was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. It was observed that Ag/Cu/CS/PVA composite fibers showed greater activity against all microorganisms compared to Ag and Cu composite fibers. The alamar blue and Pierce Lactase dehydrogenase (LDH) assay were used to assess the effect of the blend and the composite fibers on cell viability and cytotoxicity, respectively. The results show that the prepared blend and the composite fibers did not have any toxic effect on human adipose derived stem cells (hADSC). The results also showed that as the concentration of Ag/Cu nanoparticles was increased the viability of the cells also increased after 24 hour incubation. More proliferation was observed in day 1 compared to day 3. The 30/70 blend showed more viable cell compared to the negative control. For Ag and Cu composite fibers the 30/70 CS/PVA blend increased cell proliferation after 3 days with 17% more viable cells compared to the negative control. These results show that the prepared blend with its composite fibers are biocompatible with human (ADSC) and may be suitable for use in biomedical application such as wound dressing.