Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) maintain the viability of Gram-negative bacteria by functioning as receptors, transporters, ion channels, lipases, and porins. Folding and assembly of OMPs involves synchronized action of chaperones and multi-protein machineries which escort the highly hydrophobic polypeptides to their target outer membrane in a folding competent state. Previous studies have identified proteins and their involvement along the OMP biogenesis pathway. Yet, the mechanisms of action and the intriguing ability of all these molecular machines to work without the typical cellular energy source of ATP, but solely based on thermodynamic principles, are still not well understood. Here, we highlight how different single-molecule studies can shed additional light on the mechanisms and kinetics of OMP biogenesis.

With the tremendous growth in the mobile data traffic, the demand for highdata rate is increasing rapidly, and higher frequency resources shall be exploredto alleviate the congestion in the overcrowded spectrum, thus, the millimeterwave (mmWave) frequency resource ranging from 30 GHz to 300 GHz has beenrecognized as a nature fit for the fifth-generation (5G) and beyond network. Tocompensate the severe path-loss in the mmWave band as well to realize theefficient transmissions by applying the low-cost architecture, it is of intereststo investigate the beamforming schemes with large-scale antenna arrays andthe full-duplex (FD) relaying strategy, which are indispensable in the operationof directional signal transmission and the efficient spectrum utilization inthe mmWave transmission, respectively. However, the self-interference (SI)occurring between the separate antenna arrays is the main impediment inrealizing a FD wireless node while considering the simultaneous transmission andreception.This thesis project aims to design efficient hybrid beamforming algorithms toimprove spectral efficiency and eliminate SI. The orthogonal matching pursuit(OMP)-based hybrid analog-digital beamforming design, and the alternatingdirection method of multipliers (ADMM)-based schemes are explored to improvethe spectral efficiency and eliminate the SI in this work. Moreover, a fast ADMMenabledhybrid precoding approach with SI cancellation is proposed to achievethe efficient performance and superior convergence compared with the existingschemes, as it is verified by the presented numerical simulations. / Med den enorma tillväxten i den mobila datatrafiken ökar efterfrågan påhög datahastighet snabbt, och högre frekvensresurser ska undersökas för attminska trängseln i det överbefolkade spektrumet, vilket innebär att Volymvågens(mmwave) frekvensresurs, som sträcker sig från 30 GHz till 300 GHz, har erkäntssom en naturlig resurs för den femte generationen (5G) och utanför nätverket.För att kompensera den allvarliga förlusten av tågläge i mmwave-bandet ochför att förverkliga de effektiva sändningarna genom att tillämpa den billigaarkitekturen.Det är av intresse att undersöka strålformningsprogrammen medstorskaliga antennmatriser och strategin för återutläggning av hela duplex (FD),som är oumbärliga för att driva den direkta signal överföringen och det effektivaspektrumutnyttjandet i mmwave-transmissionen.separata antennmatriser är etthuvudhinder för att förverkliga en trådlös nod från FD samtidigt som manöverväger samtidig överföring och mottagning.Syftet med detta avhandlingsprojekt är att utforma effektiva kombineradestrålformningsinformationsalgoritmer för att förbättra spektraleffektiviteten ocheliminera SI. Den ortogonala matchande jakten (OMP)-baserad hybrid analogdigitalstrålformning, och metoden med alternerande riktning för multiplikatorer(ADMM)-baserade system utforskas för att förbättra spektraleffektiviteten ochelimineraSI i det här arbetet. Dessutom föreslås en snabb, adMM-aktiveradhybrid förkonditionering med SI-annullering för att uppnå effektiv prestandaoch överlägset konvergens jämfört med de befintliga systemen, eftersom denkontrolleras av de presenterade numeriska simuleringarna.

Master of Science / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Roman Reddy R. Ganta / Ehrlichia chaffeensis, a Gram-negative organism belonging to the order Rickettsiales, is responsible for an emerging infectious disease in humans, the human monocytic ehrlichiosis. E. chaffeensis also infects several other vertebrate hosts including dogs, goats, coyotes and white tailed deers. This organism is transmitted by an infected tick, Amblyomma americanum. The exact pathogenic mechanisms involved for the persistence of the pathogen in vertebrate hosts are still unclear. E. chaffeensis protein expression varies significantly in vertebrate and tick hosts. Differentially expressed proteins include the immunodominant outer membrane proteins encoded by the p28-Omp multigene locus. The p28-Omp 14 is expressed primarily in tick cells and the p28-Omp 19 is the major expressed protein in macrophages both under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The objective of this study is to prepare recombinant proteins and use them to assess the secondary structures and protein functions. The protein sequences were analyzed with the aid of bioinformatics programs to make structural predictions. The analysis suggested the presence of eight β barrel structures for both the p28-Omp proteins. The coding sequence of the p28-Omp genes were cloned and over expressions of proteins in in E. coli was accomplished by using the plasmid expression construct, pET28. The proteins were purified to near homogeneity and used to refold using detergents to mimic native protein structure in the bacterial outer membrane. Refolding of proteins was analyzed by two methods; SDS-PAGE and Circular Dichroism. The Circular dichroism spectroscopy analysis suggested the formation of β-sheet structures of proteins in micelles formed with the detergents. β-sheet structures may have been formed with the hydrophobic domains of the protein imbedded in the micelles. The hydrophilic segments (predicted by bio informatics analysis) may be exposed to the aqueous phase. The recombinant proteins were also iii used to prepare proteoliposomes and tested for the porin activity. The analysis demonstrated the porin activity for both p28-Omp 14 and 19 recombinant proteins by using mono-, di- and tetra- saccharides as well as for amino acid L-glutamine. This study forms the basis for initiating studies to compare the structural difference between the two differentially expressed proteins of E. chaffeensis.

This thesis is focused on object tracking by a decentralized sensor network using fusion center-based and consensus-based distributed particle filters. The model includes clutter as well as missed detections of the object. The approach uses sparsity of global likelihood function, which, by means of appropriate sparse approximation and the suitable dictionaty selection can significantly reduce communication requirements in the decentralized sensor network. The master's thesis contains a design of exchange methods of sparse data in the sensor network and a comparison of the proposed methods in terms of accuracy and energy requirements.

The thesis deals with addition of pixels outside the image. Lists some methods for inpainting using computers and highlights the pitfalls that appear here. Examines methods for interpolation and approximation of functions in order to find the best method for extrapolating the image beyond its borders. Describes the basics of Wavelet transformation and Multiresolution analysis. It is proposed several methods for replenishment of pixels outside the image. PSNR and SSIM are used to compare achieved results. These methods are explained and compared. Briefly discusses the algorithm OMP, falling within the sparse representation of signals, and used in one of the methods. Also discussed is the development environment of MATLAB as a tool for the implementation of algorithms that practically solves the given problem. The practical part describes the implemented methods for adding pixels outside the image.

The thesis deals with addition of pixels outside the image. Lists some methods for inpainting using computers and highlights the pitfalls that appear here. Examines methods for interpolation and approximation of functions in order to find the best method for extrapolating the image beyond its borders. Describes the basics of Wavelet transformation and Multiresolution analysis and briefly discusses about spatial filtering, edge detection and the algorithm OMP, falling within the sparse representation of signals. Theoretical knowledge of these areas are used in the design of several methods for adding pixels outside the image. PSNR and SSIM are used to compare achieved results. Also discussed is the development environment of MATLAB as a tool for the implementation of algorithms that practically solves the given problem.

No description available.

<p>The β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) is responsible for the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) into the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. These OMPs have a membrane-embedded domain consisting of a β-barrel fold which can vary from 8 to 36 β-strands, with each serving an important role in the cell such as nutrient uptake and virulence. BAM was first identified nearly two decades ago, but only recently has the molecular structure of the full complex been reported. Together with many years of functional characterization, we have a significantly clearer depiction of BAM's structure, the intra-complex interactions, conformational changes that BAM may undergo during OMP biogenesis, and the role chaperones may play. But still, despite advances over the past two decades, the mechanism for BAM-mediated OMP biogenesis has remained elusive. Over the years, several theories have been proposed that have varying degrees of support from the literature, but none has of yet been conclusive enough to be widely accepted as the sole mechanism. Here we present our recent work on the structures of BAM in its near native environment, characterized by cryo-EM, and study its interaction with OMP substrates. Specifically, we focused on the role of BAM-mediated EspP biogenesis, and structurally characterized crosslinked intermediates to atomic resolution, allowing for a more complete understanding of BAM-mediated OMP biogenesis. We also characterized BAM-mediated OmpT and OmpA biogenesis, which further supports a BamA-budding model for OMP biogenesis. Given its essential role in Gram-negative bacteria, BAM is an attractive target for antibiotics, and we contributed to characterizing a novel antibiotic designed against BAM called darobactin, which binds to the lateral gate of BAM, thereby disrupting OMP biogenesis and leading to programmed bacterial lysis.</p>

This study focused on using magnetic sensors for localization and identification of targets with a wireless sensor network (WSN). A wireless sensor network with MICAz motes was set up utilizing a centralized tree-based system. The MTS310, which is equipped with a 2-axis magnetic sensor was used as the sensor board on MICAz motes. The use of magnetic sensors in wireless sensor networks is a topic that has gained limited attention in comparison to that of other sensors. Research has generally focused on the detection of large ferromagnetic targets (e.g., cars and airplanes). Moreover, the changes in the magnetic field intensity measured by the sensor have been used to obtain simple information, such as target direction or whether or not the target has passed a certain point. This work aims at understanding the sensing limitations of magnetic sensors by considering small-scale targets moving within a 30 cm radius. Four heavy iron bars were used as test targets in this study. Target detection, identification and sequential localization were accomplished using the Minimum Euclidean Distance (MED) method. The results show the accuracy of this method for this job. Different forms of sensor sensing region discretization were considered. Target identification was done on the boundaries of sensing regions. Different gateways were selected as entrance point for identification point and the results of them were compared with each other. An online ILS system was implemented and continuous movements of the ferromagnetic objects were monitored. The undesirable factors which affect the measurements were discussed and techniques to reduce or eliminate faulty measurements are presented. A magnetic sensor orientation detector and set/reset strap have been designed and fabricated. Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithm was proposed for multiple sensors multiple target case in ILS systems as a future work. This study can then be used to design energy-efficient, intelligent magnetic sensor networks

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:06:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TacioDBG.pdf: 1757176 bytes, checksum: 3cabe1cee719475706ab99a62bb862f6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-11-13 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / &#65279;The work presents the effect of plasma treatment when applied in fibers or carbon/glass posts in the adhesion fiber/resin and posts/cement. This has for objective the modification of the surface of the fibers, as well as the wettability of the posts, seeking the improvement of the adhesion and of the connection fiber/resin in the processing of polymeric composites reinforced with the same ones. 120 posts (Reforpost) were used and 30 meters of fibers of carbon and of glass (Fibrex), of the company Angelus. The samples were divided in three groups of 40 specimens: GROUP I - 20 posts of glass fiber and 20 of carbon without treatment to it shapes, GROUP II -20 posts of glass fiber and 20 of carbon treated to it shapes in the surface and GROUP III - 20 posts of glass fiber and 20 of carbon make with fibers in natura after plasma treatment. The plasma treatment was accomplished with oxygen and with temperature in the camera fixed at 200?C, for one hour of exhibition. The posts and the fibers were characterized before and after the treatment. The wettability was measure by pendent drop method, and interface fiber/resin and posts/cement were observed by optical and electronic microscopy. It was observed that both wettability and texture were increased with plasma treatment / &#65279;O presente trabalho aborda o tratamento superficial a plasma de pinos e fibras de carbono e de vidro, para uso odontol?gico. Este tem por objetivo a modifica??o da superf?cie das fibras, bem como a superf?cie dos pinos, visando a melhoria da ades?o fibra/resina e pino/cimento. Foram utilizados 120 pinos (Reforpost) e 30 metros de fibras de carbono e de vidro (Fibrex), da empresa Angelus. As amostras foram divididas em tr?s grupos de 40 esp?cimes: GRUPO I - 20 pinos de fibra de vidro e 20 de fibra de carbono sem tratamento em plasma, GRUPO II -20 pinos de fibra de vidro e 20 de carbono tratados a plasma na superf?cie e GRUPO III- 20 pinos de fibra de vidro e 20 de carbono confeccionados a partir do tratamento em plasma da fibra in natura . O tratamento em plasma foi realizado com atmosfera de oxig?nio durante 1 hora. Tanto as fibras como os pinos foram colocados a uma dist?ncia de 7cm, de modo a evitar o aquecimento dos mesmos. A temperatura do catodo foi de 200?C. Os pinos e as fibras foram caracterizados antes e ap?s o tratamento, atrav?s de metalografia, microscopia ?tica e eletr?nica de varredura. Em seguida, foram realizados ensaios de capilaridade das fibras, tor??o e molhabilidade nos pinos. Os resultados mostram que o tratamento empregado modifica a superf?cie das fibras, aumenta a molhabilidade dos pinos, modifica a textura superficial de ambos quando em compara??o com as amostras sem tratamento, como tamb?m demonstra um aumento da ades?o das interfaces fibra/matriz e pino/cimento resinoso