<p>Prior to the mid-20th century, the idea of electric propulsion had been all but a foreign one that manifested itself in the topic of science fiction. It was around this time when companies and agencies like NASA began to take interest in the topic of space propulsion, as most famously seen in the landing of the Apollo 11 mission on the moon. It was not until the early-1960s where the idea of a pulsed plasma thruster was first realized, with its first test being in 1964 aboard the Russian Zond-2 satellite which contained 6 ablative Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, or “Teflon”) pulsed plasma thrusters.</p> <p>In this paper, a new low-voltage, liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster was developed, tested, and characterized. This project took influence from the previous low-voltage, liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster in Purdue’s EPPL and desired to transition it from a current gas-fed system to its intended liquid-fed system. The two main objectives for this project included conducting direct studies of the cathode’s erosion rate using a simple weighing method after simulating a lifetime of discharging the thruster, and completing the initial design of the liquid-fed pulsed plasma thruster using AF-M315E as its propellant while gathering data on its required breakdown voltage, exhaust velocity, and specific impulse.</p> <p>Both objectives were successfully completed, with the following parameters being measured or calculated. The required breakdown voltage was seen to be less than 26kV to keep the ignition spark inside the chamber. For the subsequent results measured however, the breakdown voltage was kept between 10-16kV for all successive tests. The peak current measured for all discharges was an average of 11kA, far exceeding similar geometries such as MPD thrusters. The operational voltage was less than 200V, although an operational voltage closer to 100V is expected after further optimization of the system is completed. The erosion rate of the tungsten cathode at this operational setting was found to be 15.4046 +/- 0.592 microgram/Coulomb which is much less than the cathode spot erosion rate reported for tungsten in literature of about 60 microgram/Coulomb and is beneficial for extending system lifetime. The exhaust velocity was calculated to be 30.6 +/- 4.8km/s which is typical of state-of-the-art PPT electric propulsion devices. The specific impulse was also extrapolated from the ion’s exhaust velocity, calculating to be 3,119 +/- 489 seconds. Future work would require optimization of the propellant injection mechanism to minimize propellant loss.</p>

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<p>Prostate cancer is one leading cause of cancer-related death among men in Western countries. The standard therapies for localized prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. Such measures are relatively effective in the short term, but many patients ultimately relapse. These patients may benefit from a combination of standard therapy and oncolytic virus therapy. My work aimed to develop viruses for this purpose.</p><p>TARP is a protein that in males is specifically expressed in prostate epithelial and cancer cells. In my thesis, I characterized the TARP promoter and showed that TARP expression is regulated at the transcriptional level by testosterone through binding of the androgen receptor in the proximal TARP promoter. I further developed TARP promoter-based regulatory sequences for prostate-specific gene expression. A sequence comprising a PSA enhancer, a PSMA enhancer and the TARP promoter was constructed and designated PPT. An adenoviral vector containing the PPT sequence shielded from transcriptional interference by an H19 insulator showed high prostate-specific transcriptional activity in human cells both in the presence and absence of testosterone. However, in experimental murine prostate cancer the PPT sequence is not active. Therefore, a two-step transcriptional amplification (TSTA) system was used together with the PPT sequence to develop an adenovirus that confers prostate-specific transgene expression also in murine cells.</p><p>I constructed a conditionally replicating adenovirus where the E1A gene expression is controlled by an H19 insulator-shielded PPT regulatory sequence, Ad[I/PPT-E1A]. This virus exhibited absolute prostate specificity in terms of E1A expression, viral replication and cytolysis <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. Importantly, our virus is active both in the presence and absence of testosterone, which may prove beneficial for patients treated by hormonal withdrawal. </p><p>Hopefully, my work will improve existing gene therapy strategies for prostate cancer and in the long term improve the prognosis for patients with prostate cancer.</p>

Prostate cancer is one leading cause of cancer-related death among men in Western countries. The standard therapies for localized prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. Such measures are relatively effective in the short term, but many patients ultimately relapse. These patients may benefit from a combination of standard therapy and oncolytic virus therapy. My work aimed to develop viruses for this purpose. TARP is a protein that in males is specifically expressed in prostate epithelial and cancer cells. In my thesis, I characterized the TARP promoter and showed that TARP expression is regulated at the transcriptional level by testosterone through binding of the androgen receptor in the proximal TARP promoter. I further developed TARP promoter-based regulatory sequences for prostate-specific gene expression. A sequence comprising a PSA enhancer, a PSMA enhancer and the TARP promoter was constructed and designated PPT. An adenoviral vector containing the PPT sequence shielded from transcriptional interference by an H19 insulator showed high prostate-specific transcriptional activity in human cells both in the presence and absence of testosterone. However, in experimental murine prostate cancer the PPT sequence is not active. Therefore, a two-step transcriptional amplification (TSTA) system was used together with the PPT sequence to develop an adenovirus that confers prostate-specific transgene expression also in murine cells. I constructed a conditionally replicating adenovirus where the E1A gene expression is controlled by an H19 insulator-shielded PPT regulatory sequence, Ad[I/PPT-E1A]. This virus exhibited absolute prostate specificity in terms of E1A expression, viral replication and cytolysis in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, our virus is active both in the presence and absence of testosterone, which may prove beneficial for patients treated by hormonal withdrawal. Hopefully, my work will improve existing gene therapy strategies for prostate cancer and in the long term improve the prognosis for patients with prostate cancer.

The thesis deals with the evaluation of the influence of foam rolling on selected parameters of somatosensory perception (pressure-algic threshold, vibrotactile sensation). The theoretical part discusses fascial tissue, summarizes the current knowledge of foam rolling and focuses on the mechanisms of pain and vibrotactile sensation. The research part consists of a randomized blind study on a group of 15 healthy probands (11 women, 4 men), which evaluates the effect of foam rolling. The effect is objectivized by pressure algometry and vibrametry on the m. rectus femoris and m. biceps femoris of both lower limbs (measured before and after therapy). The value of the pressure pain threshold (PPT) increased after foam rolling. Vibrotactile threshold (VT) was lower after foam rolling than before its use, which means that vibrotactile sensitivity was increased. The results show that these changes do not occur only in the interventioned m. rectus femoris, but some changes in parameters can be found in other muscles as well. Keywords fascial tissues, foam rolling, pressure algometry, pressure pain treshold, PPT, vibrametry, somatosensory system, nociception, diffuse noxious inhibitory control, DNIC

Magister Artium - MA / Recent years have seen an upsurge of interest from governments and development organisations in adopting the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach when developing and operating ecotourism projects. A PPP is a contract between a public sector institution and a private party, in which the private party assumes substantial financial, technical and operational risk in the design, financing, building and operation of a project (South African National Treasury 2004). Countries such as India, China and Kenya have developed numerous projects through PPPs. Protected Areas have followed suit in adopting the PPP approach, to be able to focus on their core business, namely conservation. To date, relevant research on PPP ecotourism projects, specifically pro-poor tourism approach is fragmented, limited in scope, and lacks examples that can assist practitioners in embedding pro-poor tourism principles in the PPP methodology. Academically, studies are largely evaluations that compare progress against projects’ defined objectives or broad based sustainable tourism goals. However, this study is an assessment of a tourism development from a pro-poor tourism perspective. Thus, this study interrogated the extent to which ecotourism PPP at De Hoop is pro-poor. Furthermore, the study sought to establish if rural local communities living in and near De Hoop PPP benefit and how their benefits can be enhanced. Pro-poor tourism indicators are used in this study as a theoretical base to evaluate De Hoop PPP.

The thesis deals with the effect of two methods of physical therapy on myofascial trigger point, in particular combined therapy (US + TENS) and ultra- electrostimulation. Furthermore, there is investigated whether the release of MTrP is reflected in values of pressure pain threshold in chained muscles and there is discussed the use of combined therapy as an objectification tool. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with general and latest knowledge about myofascial trigger points. There are discussed some possibilities of the therapy with emphasis on physical therapy and transcutaneous electroneurostimulation, which form the basis for combined therapy (CT) and ultra-electrostimulation. The research part evaluates the effect of combined therapy and ultra-electrostimulation on a group of 12 probands randomly divided into two subgroups. Values of pressure pain threshold sensitivity, visual analogue pain scale (VAS) and the minimum intensity of electric current necessary to induce muscle contraction (measured by combined therapy) are used for objectification. Ultra-electrostimulation has proven to be a more effective method in VAS values, but in summary, the results cannot be considered statistically significant. The effect of MTrP release (of the trapezius muscle) on the chained muscles could not...

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Submitted by Eduardo Sanchez Palma (edsanpa7@hotmail.com) on 2017-01-17T17:31:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Fabiana da Silva Segura (fabiana.segura@fgv.br) on 2017-01-17T17:35:15Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-17T17:53:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 17012017 MPA PALMA.pdf: 6332936 bytes, checksum: 491bc558997174d0785b04d3518b6105 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-09 / A maioria dos investidores se vê esmagada por uma vasta quantidade de informações, muitas vezes de natureza abstrata. Além disso, o formato padrão utilizado para comunicar os riscos é, geralmente de difícil compreensão e de pouca ajuda na tomada da decisão de investimento, pois a mencionada padronização, raramente leva em consideração os diferentes níveis de conhecimento dos investidores sobre finanças (Sachse, Jungermann, & Belting, 2012, v. 33, p. 438, tradução nossa). Alinhada a isso, a presente pesquisa utiliza questionário baseado na Teoria do Paradigma Psicométrico, para investigar as percepções de risco entre especialistas e investidores leigos sobre seis produtos financeiros. Baseado no elevado conhecimento sobre investimentos que possuem, os Certified Financial Planners foram escolhidos como grupo de controle para comparar as percepções de risco da categoria profissional melhor remunerada no Brasil, qual seja a dos médicos da Grande São Paulo (IBRE, 2009). Testes t para diferença de médias foram feitos para avaliar as percepções entre gêneros e os cinco construtos de risco, respectivamente, relacionados à volatilidade, ao desconhecimento, a desconfiança, a adversidade e as falhas regulatórias; os testes mostraram que são distintas as percepções de risco entre CFPs e médicos, com resultados muitas vezes contrários aos indicados pela literatura, assim como a maior percepção de risco entre as mulheres somente para os construtos relacionados às falhas regulatórias e desconfiança nos consultores de investimento, instituições financeiras e órgãos reguladores. O estudo mostra, ainda, que estão negativamente correlacionadas as percepções do benefício/retorno com os construtos desconfiança e falhas regulatórias somente entre os médicos, e que há diferenças de percepção importantes para o Tesouro Direto e PGBL/VGBL entre as duas categorias profissionais. Dentre os resultados encontrados destacam-se as diferentes percepções de risco sobre os construtos falhas da regulamentação e desconfiança, sugerindo que iniciativas de educação voltadas ao investidor podem não surtir o efeito esperado em razão de serem patrocinadas exatamente por instituições vistas com suspeição pelos investidores. O estudo conclui atribuindo à comunicação o papel determinante do sucesso na relação com o investidor e a necessidade que ela seja construída a partir das percepções de risco e níveis de familiaridade com investimentos dos consumidores. / Most individual investors may be overwhelmed by this vast amount of information and by its abstract nature. Furthermore, this way of informing about risk might be hardly helpful when making a particular investment decision, because this kind of standardized information neglects different levels of experience and financial literacy of the clients (Sachse, Jungermann, & Belting, 2012, v. 33, p. 438). Aware of this, this research paper will use a questionnaire in Psychometric Paradigm Theory to investigate risk perceptions among specialists and lay investors of six financial products. Certified Financial Planners were selected as the control group to assess how risk perceptions of the best-paid category in Brazil, compounded by physicians in São Paulo Metropolis (IBRE, 2009). T Tests about average differences were taken to assess gender perceptions and the five risk constructors associated with volatility, lack of knowledge, mistrust, adversity and regulatory failures; tests showed that risk perceptions are different between CFPs and physicians, with some results contradicting literature, as well as a greater perception of risks among women only to risk constructs related to regulatory failures and mistrust in investment advisors, financial institutions and regulatory bodies. The study also shows that correlations between benefit/return and constructs distrust and regulatory failures are negative only among physicians, and that there are significant perceptual differences about Tesouro Direto and PGBL/VGBL among the two professional categories. Different risk perceptions about the lack of regulation, as well as distrust, suggest that investor education initiatives may not have the expected effect, since they are sponsored by the same institutions of which investors are suspicious. Finally, the study says consumer perceptions of risk and their level of familiarity with investments are crucial, and attributes to communication the role for determining success in the relationship with investors.

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