Este trabalho está dividido em duas partes: (i) estudo da adsorção da enzima horseradish peroxidase (HRP) sobre substratos planos (lâminas de Si/SiO2, filmes ASP/Si/SiO2, filmes CABads/Si/SiO2, filmes CABspin/Si/SiO2 e filmes CMCABspin/Si/SiO2) seguida de testes da atividade enzimática da HRP imobilizada sobre estes substratos e (ii) obtenção de oligômeros divinílicos mediada pela HRP. Na primeira parte, a imobilização da HRP sobre substratos planos foi estudada através de elipsometria, microscopia de força atômica (AFM) e medidas de ângulo de contato. As isotermas de adsorção da HRP sobre Si/SiO2, APS/Si/SiO2 e CABads/Si/SiO2 apresentaram um aumento contínuo da quantidade de material adsorvido ΓHRP em função da concentração da solução de enzima até atingir um patamar de adsorção no qual verificou-se a formação de uma monocamada de HRP adsorvida. Nestes casos, o processo de adsorção da HRP pode ser descrito pelo modelo de adsorção aleatória (RSA). Para filmes HRP/CABspin/Si/SiO2 e HRP/CMCABspin/Si/SiO2 observou-se adsorção cooperativa de moléculas de HRP e formação de multicamadas. A adsorção da HRP sobre Si/SiO2, filmes APS, CABads e CMCABspin é um processo irreversível. Ao contrário, HRP adsorve reversivelmente sobre filmes CABspin, fato evidenciado pelo decréscimo de ~30% na espessura dos filmes de enzima. A atividade catalítica dos filmes de HRP imobilizados sobre substratos planos foi verificada na reação de oxidação do ABTS. Os testes de atividade catalítica mostraram que os substratos com a HRP adsorvida podem ser reutilizados 3 vezes sem dessorção ou perda da atividade catalítica da enzima, com exceção dos filmes HRP/CABspin/Si/SiO2 que se tornam inativos após a primeira catálise. A condição de máxima atividade catalítica de HRP imobilizada foi correlacionada com grau de cobertura de ~55%. O emprego do monômero etileno glicol dimetacrilato (EGDMA) em reações de polimerização catalisadas por filmes HRP/Si/SiO2 ou pela HRP livre em solução à temperatura ambiente revelou a formação de partículas cristalinas com geometria poligonal. Com objetivo de compreender a formação das estruturas cristalinas, a segunda parte do trabalho focou a formação de oligômeros de EGDMA e trietileno glicol dimetacrilato (TEGDMA) em meio aquoso catalisada pela HRP na presença H2O2 a temperatura ambiente. Os oligômeros de EGDMA e/ou TEGDMA foram caracterizados por gravimetria, cromatografia de permeação em gel, espectroscopia vibracional na região do infravermelho e espectroscopia 1H RMN. A auto-associação dos oligômeros originou partículas cristalinas com ângulos retos, como evidenciado pelas imagens de microscopia eletrônica de varredura. As medidas de calorimetria exploratória diferencial e difração de raio-x confIrmaram a cristalinidade das amostras. Os oligômeros de EGDMA, TEGDMA e EGDMA-co-TEGDMA sintetizados na presença do sistema HRP-H2O2 apresentaram grupos vinila pendentes, boa solubilidade em clorofórmio e ponto de fusão bem definido, evidenciando pouca reticulação ou ciclização e mostrando que as propriedades catalíticas da HRP propiciam um ambiente reacional apropriado para produzir materiais poliméricos com novas características. / This work is divided into two parts: (i) study on the adsorption of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) onto flat substrates (silicon wafers, ASP/Si/SiO2 films, CABads/Si/SiO2 films, CABspin/Si/SiO2 films, and CMCABspin/Si/SiO2 films) followed by enzymatic catalytic tests of HRP immobilized onto these substrates, and (ii) formation of divinyl-based oligomers mediated by HRP. In the first part, the HRP immobilization onto flat substrates was investigated by means of ellipsometry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements. Adsorption isotherms of HRP onto silicon wafers, APS/Si/SiO2, and CABads/Si/SiO2 presented the continuous increase of HRP adsorbed amount ΓHRP as a function of enzyme solution concentration until an adsorption plateau, which evidenced monolayer formation. In these cases, the HRP adsorption process can be described by the random sequential adsorption model (RSA). For HRP/CABspin/Si/SiO2 and HRP/CMCABspin/Si/SiO2 cooperative adsorption of HRP molecules and multilayer formation were evidenced. The HRP adsorption onto silicon wafers, APS, CABads, and CMCABspin films is an irreversible process. Contrarily, HRP adsorbed reversibly onto CABspin films, since desorption of ~30% could be detected. The catalytic activity of HRP films immobilized onto flat substrates was verified by oxidation reaction of ABTS. Catalytic tests showed that substrates with adsorbed HRP can be reused three times without desorption or catalytic activity lost, except for HRP/CABspin/Si/SiO2 films, which became inactive after first use. The emulsion polymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in mediated by HRP/Si/SiO2 films or by free HRP at room temperature revealed the formation of crystalline particles with polygonal geometry. In order to understand the formation of such crystalline structures, the second part of this thesis focused on EGDMA and/or triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) oligomers formation in aqueous medium catalyzed by HRP in the presence of H2O2 at room temperature. EGDMA and/or TEGDMA oligomers were characterized by means of gravimetry, gel permeation chromatography, infrared vibrational spectroscopy and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Self-assembling of oligomers led to right-angled crystalline particles, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy images. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry measurements ratified the samples crystallinity. EGDMA, TEGDMA and EGDMA-co-TEGDMA oligomers synthesized in the presence of HRP-H2O2 system presented pendant vinyl groups along the chains, good solubility in chloroform, and well defined melting point. These features evidenced few crosslinking or cyclization and revealed that the catalytic properties of HRP provide an appropriate environrnent for production of materials with new characteristics.

Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Kinetik der Fehlfaltung und Aggregation von Proteinen. Anhand dreier Beispiele, der Phosphoglyceratkinase (PGK) aus Hefe, einer Variante von Barstar und des Prion-Proteins des Syrischen Hamsters (SHaPrP(90-232)) wurde insbesondere die Kinetik der Bildung von Amyloidfibrillen und deren kinetischer Vorläuferstrukturen mittels dynamischer und statischer Lichtstreuung, Circulardichroismus, Infrarotspektroskopie, Elektronenmikroskopie und teilweise analytischer Chromatographie untersucht. Die Kinetiken wurden mit Konzepten der Aggregationstheorie von Kolloiden und der chemischen Kinetik beschrieben. Die Modellierung der Kinetiken weist ausgehend von der monomeren PGK bei pH 2 und 190 mM NaCl auf eine zweistufige Reaktionskaskade, bestehend aus irreversiblen, bimolekularen Elementarschritten hin. Während der ersten Stufe wird ein engverteiltes Ensemble von Oligomeren mit einer mittleren Masse von 10 Monomeren und wesentlichen Anteilen an beta-Faltblattstrukturen gebildet. Die Protofibrillen entstehen durch die Vereinigung der strukturell polaren Oligomere, die durch die erste Reaktionsstufe bereitgestellt werden und als kritische Oligomere bezeichnet werden. Die gefundene Kopplung des Wachstums der intermediären Zustände und die Zunahme der beta-Faltblattstruktur kann innerhalb eines verallgemeinerten Diffusions-Kollisions-Modells interpretiert werden, bei dem die beta-Stränge durch intermolekulare Wechselwirkungen stabilisiert werden. Die Fehlfaltung und Aggregation des SHaPrP(90-232) bei pH 4.2 und 1 M GuHCl und geeigneten Zusätzen an Salz zeigt einen augenscheinlichen Zweizustandsübergang mit hoher Reaktionsordnung ( >2.5) zwischen dem monomeren, alpha-helikalen Ausgangszustand und einem beta-faltblattreichen, ringförmigen Oktamer. Die Progresskurven der Umwandlung der Sekundärstruktur lassen sich mit dem Zeitverlauf einer bimolekularen Reaktion anpassen. Das Oktamer bildet bei hohen eingesetzten Proteinkonzentrationen Multimere. Auf sehr langen Zeitskalen setzt die Bildung von Protofibrillen ein. Das kritische Oktamer stellt die Vorstufe der nachgeschalteten Wachstumsphänomene dar. Unter geeigneten Umgebungsbedingungen kann der nicht-nativ, partiell gefaltete Zustand von Barstar bei niedrigem pH (A-Zustand) in einem zweistufigen Prozess erst in Protofibrillen und anschlie"send in reife Amyloidfibrillen konvertiert werden. Zur Aktivierung der Konversion des oligomeren A-Zustandes (mittlere Masse von 16 Monomeren) sind moderate Ionenstärken ([NaCl]>0) und erhöhte Temperaturen (T>50°C) notwendig. Die Bildung der Protofibrillen ist unabhängig von der eingesetzten Proteinkonzentration. Bei Raumtemperatur und entsprechender Ionenstärke bilden sich amorphe Aggregate. Dagegen führt die Erhöhung der Temperatur in Abwesenheit von Salz zur Dissoziation des oligomeren A-Zustandes. Alle drei Proteine müssen zur Ausbildung protofibrillärer Strukturen und gegebenenfalls reifer Fibrillen oligomere Zustände mit partiell gefalteter Konformation einnehmen. Diese kritischen Oligomere sind langlebige Intermediate, die den Dreh- und Angelpunkt für die Bildung nachgeordneter Strukturen darstellen. Die Bildung von Amyloidfibrillen ist somit ein mehrstufiger hierarchischer Strukturbildungsprozess. Die in der Literatur bekannten Modelle der nukleierten Polymerisierung und der nukleierten Konformationskonversion werden dem höchstens in gewissen Teilaspekten gerecht. Die Annahme einer universellen Kinetik der Amyloidbildung kann im Lichte der Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit nicht aufrechterhalten werden. Dagegen scheinen die Zustände des kritischen Oligomers und der Protofibrille als Hierarchiestufen der Amyloidbildung generische Bestandteile des Prozesses zu sein. Die Kinetik der Bildung der verschiedenen Hierarchiestufen weist keine nennenswerten Gemeinsamkeiten zwischen den drei untersuchten Proteinen auf. / This thesis deals with the kinetics of misfolding and aggregation of proteins. The kinetics of amyloid formation and precursors of three proteins, phosphoglcerate kinase (PGK), a barstar variante and the Syrian hamster Prion protein (SHaPrP(90-232)) were investigated by the use of dynamic and static light scattering, infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, electron microscopy and in part by analytical chromatography. The kinetics were described with concepts from the theory of colloidal aggregation and chemical kinetics. The modelling of the kinetics starting from the monomeric PGK at pH 2 and 190 mM NaCl points to a two stage reaction cascade built up by irreversible, bimolecuar elementary reaction steps. During the first stage a narrow distributed ensemble of oligomeric states with an average mass of ten monomers and essentially ordered amounts of beta-sheet structure is built up. Protofibrils are formed by coalescence of the structural polar oligomers provided by the first stage which are termed critical oligomers. The found coupling between growth and acquisition of beta-sheet structure is interpreted in terms of a generalized diffusion-collision model, where stabilization takes place by intermolecular interactions. The misfolding and aggregation of SHaPrP(90-232) shows an apparent two-state transition between the initial monomeric, alpha-helical state and an beta-sheet rich, annular octamer with high reaction order (>2.5) at pH 4.2 and 1 M GuHCl with appropriate amounts of salt added. Progress curves monitoring the secondary structure transition can be fitted by the time-course of bimolecular reactions. The octamer forms multimers at high protein concentrations. Formation of protofibrils sets up on very long time-scales. The critical octamer is a precursor for all subsequent growth processes. The non-native, partially folded state of barstar at low pH (A-state) can be converted in a two-stage process first to protofibrils and then to mature amyloid fibrils under appropriate environmental conditions. Conversion of the oligomeric A-state (average mass of 16 monomers) can be activated by elevated temperatures (T>50°C) in the presence of moderate amounts of salt ([NaCl]>0). Formation of protofibrils is independent of protein concentration. Amorphous aggregates are formed at room temperature with sufficient amounts of salt added. In contrast elevated temperatures in absence of salt lead to dissociation of the oligomeric A-state. All three proteins have to populate an oligomeric, partially folded state to form protofibrils and eventually mature fibrils. These critical oligomers are long-lived intermediates which are the pivotal point from which all other structures arise. Formation of amyloid fibrils is a hierarchical assembly process where structures are built up by several stages. Models known from the literature, in particular nucleation polymerization and nucleated conformational conversion, only master partial aspects of amyloid formation. The wide-spread assumption of a universal kinetics of amyloid formation turns out to be unjustified. In contrast, the states of critical oligomer and protofibril seem to be generic parts of the hierarchical assembly process. Comparison of the kinetics of each hierarchical level amoung the three investigated proteins shows no considerable similarities.

Neste trabalho estudamos a dinâmica molecular e o empacotamento em semicondutores orgânicos com diferentes tamanhos de cadeias conjugada usando uma estratégia de multi-técnicas, em particular Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RMN), espalhamento de Raios-X de alto ângulo (WAXS), Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial (DSC), espectroscopia Raman e espectroscopias Ópticas de absorção UV-Vis e fluorescência. Nestes estudos utilizamos oligômeros de fluorenos, com 3, 5 e 7 unidades repetitivas e copolímeros multibloco conjugados/não-conjugados com as unidades conjugadas constituídas por unidades de fenileno de vinileno (PV) e as não-conjugadas formadas por unidades metilênicas. No estudo com oligômeros, foi mostrado que a capacidade e a forma de ordenamento das cadeias dependem do número de unidades repetitivas, com o Pentâmero possuindo uma tendência muito maior de cristalização. Essa conclusão foi suportada por cálculos teóricos ab-initio, que mostraram que a conformação de menor energia do pentâmero favorece as interações intercadeias e, portanto, o ordenamento de longo alcance. Os resultados referentes aos estudos de dinâmica molecular corroboraram essas características e mostraram que a ativação dos movimentos moleculares nas fases amorfas dos oligômeros são predominantemente dependentes dos comprimentos das cadeias oligoméricas, em concordância com o comportamento encontrado para as suas Tg´s. No estudo referente aos copolímeros multiblocos, foi encontrado que a presença dos grupos espaçadores alifáticos inibem a forte tendência de cristalização das unidades de PV, porém não impedem a agregação dessas unidades. Foi verificado que, a dispersão de tamanhos das unidades agregadas afeta fortemente as características de emissão dos copolímeros, onde a emissão nas cadeias maiores é privilegiada. No que diz respeito a dinâmica molecular, foi observado que a presença de movimentos na região alifática contribui para o aparecimento de processos de relaxação não radiativos o qual inibem a emissão dos copolímeros e provocam alargamento das bandas vibrônicas. Por fim, foi observado que movimentos isotrópicos das cadeias de PV são responsáveis pela transição vítrea dos copolímeros, sendo que as energias necessárias para ativar esses movimentos aumentam com o tamanho da cadeia. Portanto, de forma geral, nossos resultados indicam que mesmo em sistemas com comprimento de cadeias muito bem controlados, as fortes interações intermoleculares presentes em polímeros conjugados, podem tornar a morfologia em estado sólido desses sistemas bastante complexa, sendo que muitas das propriedades ópticas (e provavelmente também elétricas) são afetadas pela forma de empacotamento, desordem conformacional e térmica, além da própria constituição das cadeias. / In this dissertation we present a study of the molecular dynamics and packing in organics semiconductor with different conjugated chains lengths using a of multi-techniques approach, in particular, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Wide Angle X-ray Scattering (WAXS), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The studies were carried-in fluorene oligomers with 3, 5 and 7 repeat units and multi-block conjugated/non-conjugated copolymers with the conjugated part formed by phenylene-vinylene units (PV) and the non-conjugated block formed by methylene units. Concerning the oligomers studies, it was shown that the ability of the chain to form ordered domains as well as the domain structure depend on the number of repeat units, with the pentamer having a higher tendency to crystallization. This conclusion was supported by theoretical ab-initio calculations, which showed that the pentamer conformation favors inter-chain interactions and therefore long-range ordering. The molecular dynamics studies support these characteristics and showed that the activation of molecular motions in oligomers amorphous phase are predominantly dependent on the oligomeric chain lengths, in agreement with the behavior observed for their glass transitions (Tg´s). In the study concerning the multi-block copolymers, it was found that presence of the aliphatic chains inhibit the strong tendency to crystallization of the PV units, but do not prevent their aggregation. It was found that the dispersion in aggregated units sizes strongly affects the copolymers emission, with the emission of larger chains being privileged. Regarding the molecular dynamics, we observed that the presence of motion on aliphatic region contributes to the appearance of non-radiative relaxation processes that inhibit the emission of the copolymers and produce broadening of the vibronic bands. Finally, we observed that isotropic motions of the PV chains are responsible for the copolymers glass transition and the energy required to activate these movements increase with length of the chain. In summary, our results indicate that even in systems with well controlled chains length, the strong intermolecular interactions present in conjugated polymers, can make the solid state morphology of these systems quite complex, which may affect many optical (and probably electric) properties are affected by the packaging structure, thermal and conformational disorder, in addition to the constitution of the chains composition.

The skin provides protection and maintains homeostasis, making it essential for survival. Additionally, skin has the impressive ability to grow, as observed in children as they grow into adults. However, skin functions are compromised in large skin defects, a serious problem that can be fatal. The gold standard treatment is to use an autologous skin graft; however, due to donor site morbidity and limited availability, when full-thickness defects surpass 2% total body surface area (TBSA), skin substitutes are preferred. Unfortunately, current skin substitutes on the market: are slow to revascularize (2+ weeks), have low graft survival rates (<50% take), and lead to significant scarring and contracture. Fortunately, a promising solution is to prevascularize engineered skin substitutes in vitro, which has been shown to facilitate rapid tissue integration upon grafting by providing an intact vascular network that readily connects to the host’s circulation. However, current approaches for prevascularizing tissue constructs require long in vitro culture times or implement low extracellular matrix (ECM) density tissue constructs – both which are problematic in a clinical setting. To address this, we implemented a novel multitissue interface culture model to define the design parameters that were essential for rapid vascularization of soft tissue constructs in vitro. Here, we identified endothelial colony forming cell (ECFC) density and maintenance of cell-matrix tensional forces as important factors for rapid in vitro tissue vascularization (18% vessel volume percentage after 3 days of culture). We then applied these parameters to achieve rapid in vitro vascularization of dense, oligomer tissue constructs (12, 20, and 40 mg/mL). We demonstrated, for the first time, rapid in vitro vascularization at 3 days within dense matrices (ECM concentration > 10 mg/mL). Lastly, a rat full-thickness excisional wound model was developed to determine the acellular densified oligomer’s (20 and 40 mg/mL) ability to resist wound contraction and facilitate a wound healing response (recellularization and vascularization) when grafted into wounds. Future work will implement the vascularized, dense tissue constructs into the developed animal model to assess the vascularized graft’s efficacy on treating wounds to reduce scarring and contracture outcomes.

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No. of bitstreams: 2 tese_cassyo_de_araujo_rufino.pdf: 1782663 bytes, checksum: 48211778344c5f757ff01c4c9282d9b8 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-05 / Sem bolsa / A utilização de produtos naturais conjuntamente com nanopartículas de prata tem atraído interesse de pesquisadores, tanto do ponto de vista tecnológico quanto cientifico devido à ação desses produtos no controle de doenças e pragas. O objetivo desse trabalho foi testar produtos naturais (associados ou não a nanoprata) com ação antimicrobiana sobre Bipolaris oryzae, in vitro, e no tratamento de sementes de arroz. Para o estudo dos compostos contendo quitina e própolis adicionadas opcionalmente nanoprata foram utilizados sementes de arroz na cultivar IRGA 424 inoculadas com um isolado de Bipolaris oryzae. Os compostos utilizados são naturais, têm propriedades antiadesivas e atividade antimicrobiana contra microrganismos, possuem propriedades biocompatíveis e não fitotóxicas aos vegetais em geral. O processo de sínteses dos compostos contendo própolis, quitina e nanoprata, foi realizado por meio da aplicação de sonicação para a dispersão e mistura entre as substâncias. Foram testados os produtos no desenvolvimento e crescimento do fungo Bipolaris oryzae em placas de petri e em sementes de arroz infectadas. Os tratamentos foram: quitina, própolis, prata, quitina+própolis, quitina+própolis+nanoprata, quitina+prata, própolis+nanoprata e testemunha (T - sementes sem tratamentos), totalizando neste estudo 10 tratamentos. Logo a eficiência dos produtos e suas soluções foram testados por meio do blotter test (teste de sanidade de sementes), porcentagem de inibição e diâmetro de crescimento do fungo, germinação e comprimento de plântulas das sementes tratadas com os produtos. Os resultados demonstram que os oligômeros de quitosana e os compósitos de quitosana com extrato de própolis e nanopartículas de prata controlam o crescimento do patógeno. A importância deste achado reside no fato de que é um passo em direção ao objetivo de diminuir o uso de fungicidas químicos. A partir de testes de germinação poderá concluir-se que os melhores resultados foi o tratamento com quitosano/prata compósito NPs, com uma taxa de germinação de 91%. Os novos materiais poliméricos são considerados como muito promissores para o controle de Bipolaris oryzae no arroz, tornando-se assim alternativas ecológicas aos fungicidas químicos. / The use of natural products in conjunction with silver nanoparticles has attracted interest of many researches, from both scientific and technological point of view due to their action for disease and pests control. The objective was to test natural products (with or without nanosilver) with antimicrobial action against Bipolaris oryzae, in vitro, and in the treatment of rice seeds. To study the compounds containing chitin and propolis optionally added nanosilver rice seeds were used in IRGA inoculated with an isolated 424 Bipolaris oryzae. The compounds used are natural, have anti-adhesive properties and antimicrobial activity against microorganisms, have biocompatible properties and not phytotoxic to plants in general. The process of synthesis of compounds containing propolis, chitin and nanosilver was performed by applying the sonication for the dispersion and mixing of the substances. Products were tested on the development and growth of Bipolaris oryzae fungus in petri dishes and infected rice seeds. The treatments were: chitin, propolis, silver, chitin + propolis, chitin + Propolis + nanosilver, chitin + silver, propolis + nanosilver and control (T - treatments seeded), totaling 10 treatments in this study. The results were conclusive in showing that chitosan oligomers and the composites of chitosan with propolis extract and silver nanoparticles led to a remarkable reduction in growth of the pathogen. The importance of this finding lies in the fact that it is a step towards the goal of decreasing the use of chemical fungicides in plant pathology. From germination tests it could be concluded that the best results was the treatment with chitosan/silver NPs composite, with a germination rate of 91%. The novel polymeric materials can thus be deemed as very promising for the control of the Bipolaris oryzae of rice and pave the way towards eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fungicides.

Färgning av polyester (PET) sker i temperaturer omkring 130℃ och som en följd av den höga värmen migrerar oligomerer ut ur PET-fibern. Dessa oligomerer skapar därefter problem i form av vita fällningar och avlagringar, som leder till en reducering av maskinernas effektivitet, samt försämring av materialets utseende. En vanligt förekommande metod för att begränsa problemet är att tillsätta hjälpkemikalier i färgbadet. Novozymes A/S hävdar att genomförda studier med PET-garn och enzymet cutinase NS59038 har visat en minskning av det vita damm som kan ses på garnet i samband med migration av oligomerer. Eftersom enorma mängder PET produceras globalt varje år skulle endast en liten minskning av mängden kemikalier innebära en stor skillnad. Kemikalier som ersätts med andra kemikalier kan ifrågasättas om det är en bra metod eller om det bestrider syftet. Ur ett hållbarhetsperspektiv kan enzymer ses som ett bättre alternativ eftersom de enligt Jajpura (2017) är biologiskt hållbara, formar sällan någon biprodukt och dess reaktion kräver oftast mildare förhållanden. Hjälpkemikalien Sera Con P-NSI används av Ludvig Svensson AB som färgar garn av den flamskyddade polyesterfibern Trevira CS. Syftet med projektet har därmed varit att undersöka om enzymet cutinase NS59038 är ett alternativ till hjälpkemikalien Sera Con P-NSI, för att reducera de problem som uppstår med oligomerer i färgningsprocessen med Trevira CS. Garnets egenskaper har jämförts genom visuell analys med mikroskop, viktförändring, reflektionsspektrofotometer och dragprovning. Metoder som använts i syfte att detektera oligomerer har varit FTIR, UV-vis spektrofotometer och svart svavelfilterpapper. Utifrån genomförda analyser av garnets vikt, styrka, färgupptagning och visuell bedömning har det inte kunnat konstateras att cutinase NS59038 skulle vara ett alternativ till Sera Con P-NSI. Resultat från analysmetoderna visade skillnader i medelvärde, men inget samband mellan val av färgrecept och garnets egenskap har detekterats. De olika färgningsförsöken visade inte någon förekomst av fällningar/avlagringar som med använda testmetoder har kunnat bekräftas som oligomerer. Resultaten bedömdes därmed inte som tillräckliga för att konstatera om cutinase NS59038 påverkar garnets kvalitet i jämförelse med hjälpkemikalien Sera Con P-NSI. / In the dyeing process of polyester (PET) the temperature goes up to around 130℃ and as a result oligomers migrate out of the PET fiber. These oligomers create problems as white precipitates that deposits on the material and the inside of machines. This leads to a reduction in machine efficiency, as well as a change of material appearance. One common method for limiting the problem is to add help chemicals in conjunction with the dyeing process. According to results from previous studies, Novozymes A/S claims that the enzyme cutinase NS59038 has reduced the white dust on the yarn of polyester. Based on the enormous quantity of PET that are produced every year, even a small reduction of the chemicals that are used would mean a huge difference. Chemicals that replace other chemicals can be questioned whether or not it can be seen as an alternative or if it disputes the purpose. From a sustainable point of view enzymes could according to Jajpura (2017) be seen as a better alternative because they are biodegradable, their reaction seldom form any byproduct and often requires less energy. The help chemical Sera Con P-NSI is used by Ludvig Svensson AB and is added to the dye bath in the dyeing process of the specific polyester Trevira CS (a flame retardant polyester fiber). The purpose of the project has thus been to investigate whether the enzyme cutinase NS59038 is an alternative to the help chemical Sera Con P-NSI, to reduce the problems with oligomers in the dyeing process of Trevira CS. The properties of the yarn have been compared by visual analysis with microscope, weight change, measurement of the color change with spectrophotometer and tensile strength. Methods used to detect oligomers have been FTIR, UV-vis spectrophotometer and black sulfur filter paper. Based on the analysis of the weight of the yarn, strength, color uptake and visual assessment, it can not be established that cutinase NS59038 would be an alternative to Sera Con P-NSI. Results from the analysis methods show differences in the mean, but no connection between the choice of dye recipe and the properties of the yarn can be detected. None of the precipitates that was predicted to arise on the surface of the yarn was ever detected. The results are therefore not considered sufficient to determine whether cutinase NS59038 affects the quality of the yarn compared to the help chemical Sera Con P-NSI.

Übergewicht, Diabetes oder Fettstoffwechselstörungen sind mit erniedrigten Adiponectinspiegeln assoziiert. Eine Modulation des Adiponectins kann durch genetische und metabolische Gegebenheiten erfolgen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Analyse von Faktoren, welche die Adiponectinspiegel beeinflussen können, sowie eine Charakterisierung der Oligomerverteilung unter verschiedenen metabolischen Bedingungen. In der MeSyBePo-Kohorte waren die zirkulierenden Adiponectinspiegel mit den Promotorpolymorphismen ADIPOQ -11377 C/G und ADIPOQ -11391 G/A im Adiponectingen assoziiert. Im Hinblick auf die metabolischen Faktoren korrelierte Adiponectin eng mit Parametern des Glukose- und Fettstoffwechsels sowie dem Übergewicht. Innerhalb von hyperinsulinämischen euglykämischen Clamps führte eine akute Hyperinsulinämie zu einer Abnahme der Adiponectinspiegel. Adiponectin zirkuliert im Serum als hochmolekulare (HMW), mittelmolekulare (MMW) und niedrigmolekulare (LMW) Spezies. Mit zunehmendem Körpergewicht konnte eine Verlagerung von HMW-Spezies hin zu den LMW-Spezies beobachtet werden. Durch eine moderate Gewichtsabnahme erhöhten sich die Anteile an HMW- und MMW-Adiponectin wieder. Während sich in Abhängigkeit vom Glukosemetabolismus keine Unterschiede in den Gesamtspiegeln ergaben, wurden bei Personen mit normaler Glukosetoleranz signifikant höhere Anteile an MMW-Adiponectin detektiert als bei Personen mit einem gestörten Glukosestoffwechsel. Insgesamt scheinen die HMW- und MMW-Spezies gegensätzlich zur LMW-Spezies reguliert zu werden. Die Arbeit unterstreicht die wichtige Rolle des Adiponectins im Glukose- und Fettstoffwechsel sowie bei einer Adipositas in vivo. Dabei waren Änderungen der Adiponectinspiegel bei Vorliegen von Insulinresistenz und Adipositas stets mit einer Umverteilung der Oligomerfraktionen verbunden. Vor allem die HMW- und MMW-Spezies des Adiponectins scheinen von entscheidender Bedeutung zu sein. / Experimental data suggest that a dysregulation of adiponectin might be involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome. Adiponectin circulates as a variety of multimeric forms and its concentration was found to be decreased in obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Polymorphisms within the adiponectin gene, as well as the metabolic status, may modulate the adiponectin level. The aim of this work was to evaluate factors that may modulate total adiponectin levels as well as the distribution of its multimeric complexes under specific metabolic conditions. In the caucasian MeSyBePo population, serum adiponectin concentrations were associated with two promoter polymorphisms, ADIPOQ -11377 C/G and ADIPOQ -11391 G/A, respectively. Mean serum adiponectin levels were related to obesity, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Additionally, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps acutely lowered serum adiponectin concentration. Adiponectin circulates in serum as low-, medium-, and high-molecular-weight complexes (LMW, MMW, and HMW, respectively). Adiponectin oligomer composition was related to BMI, with decreased HMW and MMW fractions in case of high BMI levels. According to this, HMW and MMW adiponectin increased after moderate weight reduction. While total adiponectin levels were comparable between patients with type 2 diabetes and control subjects, a reduction of MMW oligomers was observed in patients with impaired glucose metabolism. Finally, these studies all suggested a differential regulation of HMW and MMW species compared to the LMW fraction. The data presented underline the important role of adiponectin within the glucose- and lipid metabolism as well as in obesity. We showed that modulation of total adiponectin levels in case of insulin resistance or obesity are always accompanied with changes of adiponectin oligomer composition. Thereby the HMW and MMW species seem to play a crucial role in affecting metabolic changes.

Conjugated polymers and oligomers have been widely studied based on their wide range of useful properties and applications. Given the importance of self-assembly and charge transfer in the development of conjugated materials for use in electronic applications, it is crucial to: (i) prepare functional materials by molecular design, (ii) evaluate the structure-property relationships of new materials, and (iii) develop fundamental understanding of electronic structure and charge transport behavior. The use of conjugated polymeric materials in electronic applications relies on control of the assembly and orientation of the polymer chains in the solid state. Conjugated polymers with liquid crystalline behavior could be used to implement an additional level of control over orientation and resultant properties. Substitution of the conjugated polythiophene backbone with semifluoroalkyl side chains (i.e., the diblock -(CH2)m(CF2)nF) has afforded materials with unusual properties. The mutual immiscibility of the aromatic backbone, the alkyl side-chain segments, and the fluoroalkyl side-chain termini provides control over supramolecular packing. A series of eight polymers has been synthesized, in which the lengths of the alkyl (m) and fluoroalkyl (n) segments are varied. One regiorandom analogue and two poly(3-alkylthiophene)s were also synthesized for comparative purposes. The structure, molecular weight, and regioregularity of the polymers were evaluated using a variety of techniques. The semifluoroalkyl-substituted polymers have been systematically studied to determine the effect of side chain length and m:n block ratios on their solution state, liquid crystalline, and solid state properties. The effect of side chains on conjugation was determined, where solubility allowed, by solution-state UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy. The thermal and liquid crystalline properties of the homopolymers were evaluated by DSC, variable-temperature X-ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. Several semifluoroalkyl-substituted polythiophene homologues show liquid crystalline behavior. Molecular packing and charge transport are key factors governing the use of conjugated materials in electronic applications. A wide variety of oligomers have been studied as models for charge migration in conjugated polymers. One-dimensional models do not adequately represent two-dimensional charge transport; thus, a variety of two-dimensional, covalently-linked models have been developed. Previous work by our group, and others, led to the proposal of bis(oligothienyl) compounds as models to study the interaction of the ð-conjugated chains. Previous reports by other researchers described the synthesis and characterization of hydrogen-terminated analogues of 1,8-bis(oligothienyl)naphthalenes. However, these materials proved to be unsuitable for use as charge transport models, as they were subject to irreversible polymerization upon oxidation. Installation of methyl groups at the terminal a-positions of 1,8-bis(oligothienyl)naphthalenes allowed us to create a series of models in which conjugated chains are held in close proximity. This provides access to multiple redox states, and future systems based on these molecules may be used as models for charge transport or as functional materials for incorporation into devices.

The structural, electronic, and optical properties of a series of organic pi-conjugated polymer, oligomer, or molecular materials of interest for applications in organic electronics are described. For this purpose, quantum-chemical techniques ranging from Density Functional Theory to Hartree-Fock ab initio and semiempirical methods are used to evaluate the charge-transport, charge-transfer, and electroluminescence properties of pi-conjugated organic materials. First, the effect of electronic polarization on the charge-transport parameters of organic semiconductors is discussed. A generalized methodology based on a basis set orthogonalization procedure is developed to determine reliable charge-transport characteristics. The charge-transport parameters of a number of organic semiconductors such as oligoacenes and derivatives are studied with this methodology. Then, triplet emitters, in particular iridium complexes, that achieve high efficiency electroluminescence in organic light-emitting diodes are discussed. The effects of ligand substitution and orientation on the luminescent properties of iridium compounds are investigated in order to develop structure-properties relationships. The emission properties of these complexes are found to be governed by an interplay between metal-to-ligand charge transfer excitations and ligand-centered and/or interligand excitations. The extent of mixing of these various excitations turns out to be highly dependent on the nature of the substituents. Design strategies to shift the emission color towards deep blue are proposed. Finally, several classes of materials acting as hosts for phosphorescent emitters are studied. It is shown that restricting the conjugation length leads to high energy gap host materials suitable for blue phosphorescent emitters.

Les protéines amyloïdes sont impliquées dans les maladies neurodégénératives comme Alzheimer, Parkinson et les maladies à prions et forment des structures complexes, les fibres amyloïdes. Le mécanisme de formation de ces fibres est un processus complexe qui implique plusieurs espèces d’agrégats intermédiaires. Parmi ces espèces, des petits agrégats, les oligomères, sont reconnus comme étant l’espèce amyloïde toxique, mais leur mécanisme de toxicité et d’agrégation sont mal compris. Cette thèse présente les résultats d’une étude numérique des premières étapes d’oligomérisation d’un peptide modèle GNNQQNY, issu d’une protéine prion, pour des systèmes allant du trimère au 50-mère, par le biais de simulations de dynamique moléculaire couplée au potentiel gros-grain OPEP. Nous trouvons que le mécanisme d’agrégation du peptide GNNQQNY suit un processus complexe de nucléation, tel qu’observé expérimentalement pour plusieurs protéines amyloïdes. Nous observons aussi que plusieurs chemins de formation sont accessibles à l’échelle du 20-mère et du 50-mère, ce qui confère aux structures un certain degré de polymorphisme et nous sommes capable de reproduire, dans nos simulations, des oligomères protofibrillaires qui présentent des caractéristiques structurelles observées expérimentalement chez les fibres amyloïdes. / Amyloid proteins are involved in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases and form complex structures called amyloid fibrils. The fibril formation mechanism is a complex process, which involves several intermediary species. Among these species, small early aggregates, called oligomers, are thought to be the toxic amyloid species but their toxicity and aggregation mechanisms are poorly understood. This thesis aims at presenting the results of a numerical study of the first oligomerization steps of the model peptide GNNQQNY, from a prion protein, for system sizes ranging from the trimer to the 50-mer, via molecular dynamics simulations using the OPEP coarse-grained potential. We find that GNNQQNY’s assembly follows a complex nucleation process, as observed experimentally for numerous amyloid proteins. We also observe that the 20-mer and 50-mer systems form polymorphic structures that are the byproducts of different formation pathways. We further report the spontaneous formation of protofibrillar oligomers with structural characteristics typical of experimentally determined amyloid fibril structures.