Fluorometric density gradient ultracentrifugation is used to measure the lipoprotein density profile for cardiovascular disease risk assessment. The work presented establishes the effectiveness of using a single-spin separation as both an analytical tool and a preparative tool, while yielding valuable density information. This research expands on the analytical power of density gradient ultracentrifugation (DGU) by combining novel ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) gradient solutions, a fluorescent probe for analysis, and modern statistical methods for classification of heart disease risk. Sub-classes of lipoproteins are analyzed based on their density from the fluorescent lipoprotein density profile. The application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and sliced average variance estimation (SAVE) to the fluorometric DGU data yields a powerful classification tool. This method is capable of determining differences between control and cardiovascular disease patients that do not exhibit the traditional risk factors. The combination of these methods has great potential to serve as analytical tools for researchers in understanding the mechanisms of disease development and as a diagnostic tool for clinicians.

Darbe nagrinėjamas paprastųjų Dirichlė eilučių, turinčių polinominę Oilerio sandaugą, analizinį pratęsimą, Rymano tipo funkcinę lygtį bei tenkinančių Ramanudžano hipotezę, klasės funkcijų reikšmių pasiskirstymas. Įrodyta ribinė teorema silpnojo tikimybinių matų konvergavimo prasme šios klasės funkcijoms, meromorfinių funkcijų erdvėje pateiktas išreikštinis ribinio mato pavidalas. / The paper examines ordinary Dirichlet series with Euler product of a polynomial, analytical continuation, the Riemann-type functional equation and satisfying Ramanudžano hypothesis class distribution function values​​. Been shown to limit theorem of the weak convergence of probability measures in terms of the class functions meromorfinių functions in the explicit marginal visible form.

<p>In this thesis, two different vaccines were evaluated as adjuvant therapy for patients with colorectal cancer. The ability of the two candidate vaccines to generate antigen-specific cellular and humoral responses, respectively, was studied. The effectiveness of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as a cytokine adjuvant to augment the immune response was also examined.</p><p>The first vaccination strategy involved immunization with the recombinant tumor-associated protein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Recombinant CEA was administered at 4 different dose levels 7 times during one year. Peripheral blood samples were regularly analyzed during 36 months. This vaccination regimen induced a strong immunoglobulin 1 (IgG1) and IgG4 response, a moderate IgG2 response and a weak IgG3 response against CEA. GM-CSF markedly augmented the effect on IgG1 and IgG4 as well as the T cell response. In contrast, dose of rCEA had no or modest effect on induced immune responses. The response gradually increased during the 12 months immunization period. Responses of all three IgG subclasses and of T cells were protracted up to 36 months. The anti-CEA IgG titers related significantly to survival. Functional HLA-DR epitopes of CEA could be defined. These major histocompatibility class II epitopes may serve as putative components of a peptide-based vaccination strategy. </p><p>The other vaccine strategy consisted of the tumor-associated antigen epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-Cam) expressed as a transgene in a viral vector, ALVAC. Patients were immunized subcutaneously/intradermally 3 times over 6 weeks and monitored for immune responses for 46 weeks. No anti-Ep-Cam specific humoral response was induced, but Ep-Cam specific type 1 T cells (interpheron-gamma production) were induced, mainly in the GM-CSF group. The cytotoxic cellular response appeared late, or a few months after the last immunization.</p><p>Both vaccines were well tolerated. Since GM-CSF was an important component for both regimens, immungenicity of this cytokine was assessed. Multiple immunizations with low dose GM-CSF were associated with a low incidence of GM-CSF antibodies that did not neutralize the biological effect of GM-CSF. </p><p>In conclusion, both vaccines are promising candidate vaccines. GM-CSF is necessary to induce a strong humoral and cellular immune response. Large clinical trials are urgently warranted to evaluate the clinical efficacy.</p>

In this thesis, two different vaccines were evaluated as adjuvant therapy for patients with colorectal cancer. The ability of the two candidate vaccines to generate antigen-specific cellular and humoral responses, respectively, was studied. The effectiveness of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as a cytokine adjuvant to augment the immune response was also examined. The first vaccination strategy involved immunization with the recombinant tumor-associated protein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Recombinant CEA was administered at 4 different dose levels 7 times during one year. Peripheral blood samples were regularly analyzed during 36 months. This vaccination regimen induced a strong immunoglobulin 1 (IgG1) and IgG4 response, a moderate IgG2 response and a weak IgG3 response against CEA. GM-CSF markedly augmented the effect on IgG1 and IgG4 as well as the T cell response. In contrast, dose of rCEA had no or modest effect on induced immune responses. The response gradually increased during the 12 months immunization period. Responses of all three IgG subclasses and of T cells were protracted up to 36 months. The anti-CEA IgG titers related significantly to survival. Functional HLA-DR epitopes of CEA could be defined. These major histocompatibility class II epitopes may serve as putative components of a peptide-based vaccination strategy. The other vaccine strategy consisted of the tumor-associated antigen epithelial cell adhesion molecule (Ep-Cam) expressed as a transgene in a viral vector, ALVAC. Patients were immunized subcutaneously/intradermally 3 times over 6 weeks and monitored for immune responses for 46 weeks. No anti-Ep-Cam specific humoral response was induced, but Ep-Cam specific type 1 T cells (interpheron-gamma production) were induced, mainly in the GM-CSF group. The cytotoxic cellular response appeared late, or a few months after the last immunization. Both vaccines were well tolerated. Since GM-CSF was an important component for both regimens, immungenicity of this cytokine was assessed. Multiple immunizations with low dose GM-CSF were associated with a low incidence of GM-CSF antibodies that did not neutralize the biological effect of GM-CSF. In conclusion, both vaccines are promising candidate vaccines. GM-CSF is necessary to induce a strong humoral and cellular immune response. Large clinical trials are urgently warranted to evaluate the clinical efficacy.

Orientador: Gustavo Paim Valença / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T08:57:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jeronimo_AdroaldoClovis_M.pdf: 2547870 bytes, checksum: db0568200ec6542fe22342aefa0b36e1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Esta dissertação faz exposições de tópicos sobre o potencial de risco nas operações de transporte de substâncias químicas perigosas. Inicialmente, se propõe estudar casos de transporte de substâncias químicas perigosas, buscando explorar as características de alguns produtos químicos em relação aos cuidados especiais no gerenciamento de processos de transporte e movimentação e a complexidade na aplicação dos regulamentos, principalmente nas cargas fracionadas. Numa outra seqüência, procura-se discursar sobre os métodos existentes utilizados nas operações de transporte de algumas substâncias químicas de alta periculosidade relacionando o tipo de transporte das substâncias químicas com materiais comuns. Afora isso, realizam-se simulações de transporte, restrições de consolidações de cargas, riscos de impactos ambientais no decorrer do transporte, necessidade de melhorar as informações das substâncias químicas transportadas. A metodologia utilizada nas operações de transporte e sua influência nos custos de produção em de que as substâncias químicas perigosas por suas características físico-químicas requerem equipamentos de transporte personalizados às características dos produtos químicos a serem transportados. Através das idéias expostas neste trabalho, será possível situar-se no ambiente e avaliar o nível de desempenho das atividades logísticas envolvidas com o transporte de produtos químicos perigosos / Abstract: This dissertation is about topics of potential of when a company transports dangerous chemical substances. Initially the proposition is to study cases of it searching for characteristics of some chemical products regarding the special cares in the transport trials management of transporting and moving besides the complexity application of the rules, mainly in the fragmented cargo. This material discourses about some existing methods used in the transport operations of some high dangerous chemical substances relating to the transport used with the chemical products and common material. Besides of this dissertation shows simulations of transport, restriction of consolidated cargo, analysis of risk that can be caused at the environment and the necessity to improve the information of transported chemical substances. It is discussed also the methodology used in transport operations and influence in the costs production when the dangerous chemical products, due to its physical-chemical characteristics require special equipment of transport. Through the ideas exhibited in this study it will be possible to be situated in the environment and evaluate the performance level of the logistic activities involved with the transport of risk chemical products / Mestrado / Desenvolvimento de Processos Químicos / Mestre em Engenharia Química

Reliable analytical tools are important for time efficient and economical process development, production and batch release of pharmaceuticals. Therapeutics recovered from human plasma, called plasma protein products, involve a large pharmaceutical industry of plasma fractionation. In plasma fractionation of human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) and albumin (HSA) recommended analysis techniques are regulated by the European Pharmacopoeia and are including total protein concentration assays and zone electrophoresis for protein composition and purity. These techniques are robust, but more efficient techniques with higher resolution, specificity and less hands-on time are available. Surface plasmon resonance is an optical method to study biomolecular interactions label-free in real time. This technology was used in this master thesis to set up assays using Biacore systems for quantification of HSA and hIgG from all steps of chromatographic plasma fractionation as a tool for process development and in-process control. The analyses have simplified mass balance calculations to a high extent as they imply specific detection of the proteins compared with using total protein detection. The assays have a low hands-on time and are very simple to perform and the use of one master calibration curve during a full week decreases analysis time to a minimum. Quick, in-process control quantification of one sample is easily obtained within &lt;10 minutes. For final QC of hIgG or for process development, an assay to quantify the distribution of the IgG subclasses (1-4) was set up on Biacore and showed significantly lower hands-on time compared with a commercial ELISA. All assays showed reliable quantification and identification performed in unattended runs with high precision, accuracy and sensitivity.

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The overall aim of this thesis is to improve knowledge about the prevention of infectious and bleeding complications in patients with hematological malignancies, primarily in those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS). Hypogammaglobulinemia, impaired production of immunoglobulins (Ig), is an established risk factor for infection, but the impact of IgG pure subclass deficiency (IgG subclass deficiency with adequate production of IgG, IgA, and IgM) has been debated. In a retrospective single institution study, we concluded that pure IgG subclass deficiency in CLL patients is rare and is not associated with an increased risk of infection. Hence, routine analysis of IgG subclasses in patients with CLL is not warranted. There is no consensus on recommending vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae to CLL patients mainly because comparative studies are lacking. In our randomized trial, the efficacy of a conjugated pneumococcal vaccine on immune response was superior or equal to a polysaccharide vaccine for all pneumococcal serotypes common for the two vaccines. A conjugate pneumococcal vaccine should therefore be included in vaccination programs for patients with CLL. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a well-established invasive method to identify the cause of pulmonary infiltrates in immunocompromised patients. In a retrospective trial, we have studied the diagnostic yield of BAL in patients with hematological malignancies. We concluded that BAL is highly useful in either verifying or excluding some of the important respiratory tract infections affecting these patients, particularly invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). However, standardized procedures for BAL sampling should be continually revised to avoid unnecessary microbiological tests. Thrombocytopenia, an adverse prognostic factor in patients with MDS, can be aggravated by azacitidine, first-line treatment for high-risk MDS. Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (TPO-R), alleviates thrombocytopenia in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In a phase I clinical trial, we concluded that the combination of eltrombopag and azacitidine in high-risk MDS patients with thrombocytopenia is feasible and well tolerated in doses up to 200 mg eltrombopag daily.

Anti-IgA Antikörper werden häufig als Ursache nicht-hämolytischer Transfusionsreaktionen angesehen. Die Inzidenz solcher Reaktionen schwankt zwischen 1:17.000 bis 1:770.000 und beruht größtenteils auf Fallberichten. Die Bedeutung dieser Antikörper, obwohl mit einer Prävalenz von 1: 18 bis 1:1.250 relativ häufig vorkommend, konnte in den circa vierzig Jahren seit ihrer Entdeckung nicht eindeutig geklärt werden; verschiedene Spezifitäten der Antikörper mit unterschiedlichen Reaktionen erschweren die Diagnose und eine klare Schematisierung. Ein Nachteil war bisher das Fehlen einer schnellen und unkomplizierten Nachweismethode, die in vielen Laboratorien angewandt werden kann. Die Ende der sechziger Jahre entwickelte Die Ende der 1960’er Jahre entwickelte Passive Hämagglutination (PHA) ist oft ungenau und unterliegt starken Schwankungen, kann aber relativ einfach durchgeführt werden und ist deshalb die Hauptmethode in der Diagnose von anti-IgA gewesen. Neuere und genauere Methoden wie Radio Immuno Assay (RIA) und Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) sind weder schnell durchzuführen noch in vielen Laboratorien verfügbar. In dieser Arbeit wird eine neue Agglutinationsmethode, Particle Gel Immuno Assay (PaGIA) evaluiert und mit der PHA verglichen. Im ersten Teil wurden die Seren 105 gesunder Spender untersucht: 70 führten zu Reaktionen im PHA mit Titern bis 1:80 während keines im PaGIA reagierte, was die Spezifität des PaGIA unterlegt. Anschließend wurden elf Seren von Patienten mit selektivem IgA Mangel (sDIgA) und 23 Seren von Patienten mit variablem Immundefektsyndrom (CVID) auf das Vorliegen eines anti-IgA Antikörpers untersucht. Fünf Seren beider Patientengruppen führten in beiden Tests zu Agglutinationen und ein Serum (sDIgA) reagierte mit einem Titer von 1:1 in der PHA aber nicht im PaGIA. Die hier gefundenen Prävalenz (22% sDIgA, 45% CVID) und Größe der Titer (sDIgA>CVID) von anti-IgA stimmt mit den bisherigen Erkenntnissen überein. Weitere Untersuchungen konnten die Stabilität des PaGIA bzw. dessen Beads und Reproduzierbarkeit der Ergebnisse über mehrere Monate als auch die Möglichkeit subklassenspezifisches anti-IgA nachzuweisen darlegen. Der PaGIA stellt einen schnell und einfach durchzuführenden Test dar, mit dem anti-IgA Antikörper verschiedener Spezifität verläßlich bestimmt werden können, um Untersuchungen im großen Rahmen durchzuführen, die die Bedeutung der anti-IgA Antikörpern erhellen. / Anti-IgA antibodies are thought to be responsible for non-hemolytic transfusion reactions in one in 17,000 to one in 770,000 number of cases. This incidence is mainly supported by case reports. Despite their relative frequency of one in 18 to one in 1,250, since their discovery approximately forty years ago, the true significance of these antibodies has not yet been determined. Several specificities of these antibodies resulting in different reaction patterns make diagnosis and categorization difficult. Until recently, the lack of a fast and reliable laboratory test was a drawback. This test needed to be easily performed, fast, accurate, reproducible and accessible to many practitioners in many laboratories. The Passive Hemagglutination Assay (PHA), developed in the late 1960’s, is neither precise nor reliable but easy to perform and therefore has been the mainstay in diagnosis of anti-IgA. While newer methods, such as Radio Immuno Assay (RIA) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), are neither fast nor easily performed but very precise. This thesis studies and evaluates a new agglutination assay, the Particle Gel Immuno Assay (PaGIA), and compares it to the PHA. In the first part of our study we established the specificity of PaGIA. Sera of 105 healthy blood donors were tested: 70 led to positive reactions with the PHA with titers up to 1:80 while none reacted with the PaGIA. Subsequently, eleven sera of patients with selective deficiency of IgA (sDIgA) and 23 sera of those with Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) were tested for the presence of anti-IgA antibodies. Five sera in each group led to agglutinations in both assays and one serum reacted with a titer of 1:1 in the PHA but not in the PaGIA. The prevalence (22% sDIgA, 45% CVID) and strength of the titers (sDIgA>CVID) of anti-IgA corresponds with current knowledge. Further tests demonstrated the PaGIA’s and its beads stability and reproducibility over several months as well as the possibility for detection of subclass-specific anti-IgA. The PaGIA is a fast and easily performed assay which reliably detects anti-IgA antibodies of different specificities, thereby providing a tool for large scale studies to shed more light on the significance of anti-IgA antibodies.