Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2015-12-04T11:30:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marianamacedodealmeida.pdf: 4650594 bytes, checksum: 73217ac8cb6474bd22ccc88955919c7c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2015-12-07T03:19:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marianamacedodealmeida.pdf: 4650594 bytes, checksum: 73217ac8cb6474bd22ccc88955919c7c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-07T03:19:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marianamacedodealmeida.pdf: 4650594 bytes, checksum: 73217ac8cb6474bd22ccc88955919c7c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-04 / A prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade está crescendo em taxa alarmante no mundo. Essas condições fornecem maior risco para doenças crônicas, incluindo diabetes tipo 2. Nesse contexto, o ácido linoléico conjugado (CLA) tem atraído considerável atenção, principalmente devido às suas propriedades antiobesidade e antidiabética. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar de forma independente os efeitos do CLA proveniente de fontes natural e sintética sobre o risco de obesidade, sensibilidade à insulina e perfil de lipídeos séricos. Cinquenta ratos Wistar machos foram atribuídos aos seguintes tratamentos dietéticos (n=10/ grupo), por 60 dias: Controle Normolipídico (CN): dieta contendo 4,0% de óleo de soja (OS); Manteiga Controle (MC): dieta contendo 21,7% de manteiga padrão e 2,3% de OS; Manteiga enriquecida com CLA (M-CLA): dieta contendo 21,7% de manteiga enriquecida com CLA cis-9, trans-11 e 2,3% de OS; Controle Hiperlipídico (CH): dieta contendo 24,0% de OS e CLA Sintético (S-CLA): dieta contendo 1,5% de mistura de isômeros de CLA (Luta-CLA 60) e 22,5% de OS. Os animais alimentados com M-CLA tiveram menores níveis de insulina em jejum do que aqueles alimentados com dieta MC, enquando os níveis de PPARγ no tecido adiposo foram aumentados no grupo M-CLA comparado com o grupo MC. Além disso, R-QUICK foi menor nos animais alimentados com MC do que naqueles alimentados com CN, enquanto nenhuma diferença no R-QUICK foi observada entre os grupos CN e M-CLA. Os níveis de colesterol HDL e triglicérides foram maiores nos ratos alimentados com CLA-M. Portanto, a manteiga alto CLA preveniu a hiperinsulinemia, aumentou o colesterol HDL e causou hipertrigliceridemia. A dieta S-CLA não teve efeito sobre a ingestão alimentar e composição alimentar. Os ratos alimentados com S-CLA apresentaram menores níveis da proteína PPARγ no tecido adiposo, hiperinsulinemia, hiperglicemia, índice de HOMA aumentado e maiores níveis de colesterol HDL. Portanto, cautela deve ser tomada antes que suplemetos sintéticos contendo CLA cis-9, trans-11 e CLA trans- 10, cis-12 sejam recomendados. / The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. These conditions are a major risk for chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes. In this context, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has attracted considerable attention, mainly due to its anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties. The present study aimed to independently evaluate the effects of CLA from natural and synthetic sources on obesity risk, insulin sensibility and profile of serum lipids. Fifty male Wistar rats were assigned to the following dietary treatments (n=10/group), for 60 days: Normolipidic Control (CN): diet containing 4.0% soybean oil (SO); Control Butter (MC): diet containing 21.7% standard butter and 2.3% SO; and CLA enriched Butter (M-CLA): diet containing 21.7% cis-9, trans-11 CLA-enriched butter and 2.3% SO; Hyperlipidic Control (CH), diet containing 24.0% SO; Synthetic CLA (S-CLA), diet containing 1.5% of an isomeric CLA mixture (Luta-CLA 60) and 22.5% SO. M-CLA-fed rats had lower serum insulin levels at fasting than those fed with the MC diet, while the PPARγ protein levels in adipose tissue was increased in M-CLA-fed rats compared to MCfed rats. Furthermore, R-QUICK was lower in MC than in CN group, while no differences in R-QUICK were observed among CN and M-CLA. Serum HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels were higher in M-CLA-fed rat. Thus, feeding rats on a high-fat diet containing butter naturally enriched in cis-9, trans-11 CLA prevented hyperinsulinemia, increased HDL cholesterol levels and caused hypertriglyceridemia. The S-CLA diet had no effect on dietary intake and body composition. S-CLA-fed rats had lower levels of PPARγ protein in adipose tissue, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, increased HOMA index and higher levels of serum HDL cholesterol. Therefore, caution should be taken before synthetic supplements containing cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA are recommended.

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With on-going developments in the field of trans-critical carbon dioxide (R-744) vapour compression cycles, a need to effectively describe the heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in larger diameter tube-in-tube heat exchangers was identified. This study focuses on the in-tube cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in the gas cooler of a trans-critical heat pump. A literature study has revealed Nusselt number correlations specifically developed for the cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide. These correlations were proven to be accurate only for certain operating conditions and tube geometries. A shortcoming identified in the reviewed literature was a generic heat transfer correlation that can be applied over a wide range of fluid conditions for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling. The objective of this study was to compare experimental data obtained from a trans-critical heat pump with different Nusselt number correlations available in literature. The experimental tube diameter used for this study (16mm), was considerably larger than the validated tube diameters used by the researchers who developed Nusselt number correlations specifically for the supercritical cooling of carbon dioxide. The experimental Reynolds number (Re) ranges (350’000 - 680’000) were very high compared to the studies found in the literature (< 300’000), due to the test section from this study forming part of a complete heat pump cycle. Experimental results showed that correlations specifically developed for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling generally over-predicts experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp) with an average relative error of 62% to 458% and subsequently also over-predicts the convection heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, generic heat transfer correlations were compared to the experimental results which over-predicted the Nuexp with an average relative error between 20% and 45% over the entire Re number range. More specifically, the correlation by Dittus & Boelter (1985) correlated with an average relative error of 9% for 350’000 < Re < 550’000. From the results of this study it was concluded that cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide in larger tube diameters at higher Re numbers is more accurately predicted by the generic Dittus & Boelter (1985) and Gnielinski (1975) correlations mainly due to the absence of thermo-physical property ratios as seen in the CO2-specific correlations. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Published Article / In their research as well as their teaching, universities of technology (UoTs) expect to be infused by the application of technology and to be integrally related to the world of work. At the same time, research at UoTs is characteristically innovatory, in the specific sense of transforming research discoveries into products or services that are user-oriented and commercially viable. Since practical problems and user needs do not respect disciplinary boundaries it follows, firstly, that such research at a UoT will in some sense not respect disciplinary boundaries, i.e. it will have to connect, cross, or integrate traditional disciplines. This paper seeks accordingly conceptually to differentiate the relevant senses of multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary (MIT) research. It then characterises the fourteen current research programmes at Central University of Technology (CUT) in these regards, comparing the findings from interviews with the programme leaders with the insights of the authors. Secondly, in that most research at UoTs is also expected to be innovatory, it is demanded of researchers that they also master the skill of researching the feasible applications of findings, developing products, and envisaging commercialisation; and handing the stakeholder relationships that arise in these interactions. The interviews further indicate the extent to which the respective programmes have moved down the MIT road. They also reveal that the challenges that are faced by the programmes are overwhelming generic rather than specifically MIT-related. Some strategic recommendations are extracted from the findings.

With on-going developments in the field of trans-critical carbon dioxide (R-744) vapour compression cycles, a need to effectively describe the heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in larger diameter tube-in-tube heat exchangers was identified. This study focuses on the in-tube cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide for application in the gas cooler of a trans-critical heat pump. A literature study has revealed Nusselt number correlations specifically developed for the cooling of supercritical carbon dioxide. These correlations were proven to be accurate only for certain operating conditions and tube geometries. A shortcoming identified in the reviewed literature was a generic heat transfer correlation that can be applied over a wide range of fluid conditions for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling. The objective of this study was to compare experimental data obtained from a trans-critical heat pump with different Nusselt number correlations available in literature. The experimental tube diameter used for this study (16mm), was considerably larger than the validated tube diameters used by the researchers who developed Nusselt number correlations specifically for the supercritical cooling of carbon dioxide. The experimental Reynolds number (Re) ranges (350’000 - 680’000) were very high compared to the studies found in the literature (< 300’000), due to the test section from this study forming part of a complete heat pump cycle. Experimental results showed that correlations specifically developed for supercritical carbon dioxide cooling generally over-predicts experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp) with an average relative error of 62% to 458% and subsequently also over-predicts the convection heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore, generic heat transfer correlations were compared to the experimental results which over-predicted the Nuexp with an average relative error between 20% and 45% over the entire Re number range. More specifically, the correlation by Dittus & Boelter (1985) correlated with an average relative error of 9% for 350’000 < Re < 550’000. From the results of this study it was concluded that cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide in larger tube diameters at higher Re numbers is more accurately predicted by the generic Dittus & Boelter (1985) and Gnielinski (1975) correlations mainly due to the absence of thermo-physical property ratios as seen in the CO2-specific correlations. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

La régulation de l’expression génétique est essentielle afin qu’un organisme puisse s’adapter aux changements environnementaux. Chez les bactéries, la régulation peut s’effectuer à plusieurs étapes de l’expression des gènes (transcription, stabilité de l’ARN, traduction, maturation et dégradation des protéines) et par des mécanismes impliquant différents types de molécules (ADN, ARN, protéines, métabolites ou ions inorganiques). Traditionnellement, les protéines se situaient au centre de ces mécanismes de régulation. On sait maintenant que certains ARN, dont les riborégulateurs, ont également un grand rôle à jouer dans ce processus. Un riborégulateur est un élément génétique retrouvé dans une région non-codante de certains ARN messagers (ARNm), qui peut lier directement un ligand spécifique afin de réguler l’expression de son transcrit. Chez Escherichia coli (E. coli), trois riborégulateurs lient la thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). Un d’entre eux, le riborégulateur thiB, n’a toujours pas été étudié. On croit qu’il contrôlerait, au niveau de l’initiation de la traduction, l’expression de l’opéron thiBPQ encodant un transporteur ABC de la thiamine. De plus, un petit ARN nommé SroA a précédemment été identifié grâce à des techniques de séquençage d’ARN. SroA correspond à l’aptamère du riborégulateur thiB, mais aucun rôle ne lui a été attribué à ce jour. Le présent mémoire porte sur la caractérisation du riborégulateur thiB d’E. coli. Dans un premier temps, nous avons démontré que le riborégulateur est fonctionnel. Le mécanisme permettant la régulation génétique en cis est cependant plus complexe que seulement la régulation prédite au niveau traductionnel. Dans un second temps, nous avons utilisé deux approches différentes à l’échelle transcriptomique afin de vérifier si SroA régule l’expression de certains ARNm en trans. Plusieurs cibles potentielles découlent de cette étude. Une caractérisation préliminaire de certaines d’entre elles est présentée ici et devra être poursuivie par des travaux subséquents. Les résultats présentés ici suggèrent que le riborégulateur thiB régulerait l’expression de l’opéron thiBPQ (en cis) et d’autres gènes en trans.

The recent discovery of objects near the 5:1 Neptune resonance prompts the study of the size, structure, and surface properties of this population to determine if these parameters are consistent with a ‘Nice model’ type evolution of the outer Solar System. Previous TNO discovery surveys have primarily targeted the ecliptic plane, where discovery of high inclination objects such as the 5:1 resonators is unlikely, and theoretical work on the evolution of the outer Solar System has focused on structure in and around the main Kuiper belt and largely ignored the distant resonant TNOs. I tracked these objects for several semesters, measured their positions accurately, and determined precise orbits. Integrating these orbits forward in time revealed that three objects are 5:1 resonators, and one object is not resonant but may have been resonant in the past. I constrained the structure of the 5:1 resonance population based on the three detections and determined that the minimum population in this resonance was much larger than expected, 1900(+3300,−1400) with H < 8. I compared this large population with the orbital distribution of TNOs resulting from a Nice model evolution and determined that the population in the real 5:1 resonance is ~20–100 times larger than the model predicts. However, the structure of the 5:1 resonance in this model was consistent with the orbital distribution I determined based on the detections. The orbital distribution of the scattering population in the Nice model is consistent with other models and survey results, leading to the conclusion that the 5:1 resonance cannot be a steady state transient population produced via resonance sticking from the scattering objects. To test the origin of the 5:1 resonators, I measured the objects’ surface colors in multiple wavelength ranges and compared their surface reflectance to TNOs from a large color survey, ColOSSOS. The 5:1 resonators have a consistent selection criteria to the TNOs from the ColOSSOS survey, so these samples have known selection biases and can be usefully compared to each other. The surfaces of the three 5:1 resonators showed three different spectral reflectance shapes, indicating that these three objects do not share a common formation location. The surface properties and orbital distribution of current 5:1 resonators are consistent with the remnant of a large captured population, partially resupplied by the scattering objects. However, the scattering event which produced this large 5:1 population remains unexplained. / Graduate

A fracture and permeability analysis was performed on the Santana Tuff because of its similarity to the Topopah Springs unit at the Yucca Mountain site. The Topopah Springs unit is the proposed horizon for the spent nuclear fuel repository. Because of the impossibility of completely characterizing the flow properties of the unit without destroying the characteristics that make it desirable as a repository, other ash flow tuffs must be studied. The Santana Tuff and the Topopah Springs tuff both are rhyolitic in composition, nonwelded to densely welded and fractured. Fractures were examined at six outcrop locations spanning a five mile area. Stereonets and rose diagrams were constructed from over 312 fracture orientations. Although the composite data showed two major orientations of nearly vertical fractures, fracture trends at individual outcrops showed a variety of preferred orientations. Over 900 surface permeability measurements were taken using a mini-permeameter. The samples were categorized by three observed types of surface weathering: fresh, weathered, or varnished. Fracture surfaces were generally classified as weathered. The average permeabilities for the samples are 55.33 millidarcies, 5.03 millidarcies, and 3.31 millidarcies, respectively. The one-way statistical analysis performed on the data indicated that the permeability of fresh tuff surfaces is significantly different than both the permeabilities of the weathered and varnished tuffs, using both a least significant difference and greatest significant difference test. However, no difference was shown to exist between the weathered and varnished tuff permeabilities. Samples of fresh, weathered, and varnished tuffs were examined by X-Ray Defraction, the Scanning Electron Microscope, and in thin section. The SEM analysis showed surface differences between the three weathering classifications. The weathered and varnished samples were similar, exhibiting a platy, lamellate texture. The fresh surfaces were irregular and jagged. In thin section, a thin rind of dark minerals (FE-oxides) is observed on the edges of the varnished samples and in microcracks. This fills surface pores and causes the reduction in permeability. Two other zones of weathering have been identified in some of the samples, which may also cause changes in permeability. Tuff permeabilities were also analyzed for directional dependence. After an ash flow tuff is deposited and cooled, it may undergo flattening of pumice fragments and glass shards. These flattened fragments can be identified in handsamples, and are indicative of the direction of flow emplacement. The analysis showed that permeability is enhanced parallel to the emplacement direction, which is generally horizontal. Cut surfaces showed a 30% decrease in permeability perpendicular to flow direction. On varnished surfaces, this trend is still evident, although decreased in magnitude. This is expected because of the clay particles which make up the desert varnish. This study indicates that the formation of low permeability weathering rinds in association with vertical fractures may inhibit infiltration at the surface. It may accelerate infiltration at depth and allow more fluid to penetrate vertically into the tuff. In the event that fluid is absorbed into the matrix, it will travel horizontally, along the enhanced permeability parallel to the emplacement direction. / text

Dynamic stability is commonly defined as the ability to maintain balance through center of mass control during locomotion. Patients with locomotor impairments are especially challenged when walking over uneven surfaces (Richardson 2004). We studied dynamic stability margins in young healthy adults and in adults with unilateral traumatic trans-tibial amputations (TTA). To date, studies have not controlled for walking speed over an uneven surface in a patient population. We hypothesized that: 1) DSMs would increase over the uneven rocky surface (URS) for both groups, 2) DSMs would be greater on the involved side at faster walking speeds for subjects with TTA and, 3) DSMs would increase more for the involved limb when on the URS. 17 (4 females, 13 males) young healthy military service members (22.8 ± 6.4 years) and 12 (1 female, 11 males) service members (27.2 ± 4.7 years) with traumatic unilateral trans-tibial amputations participated in two study designs. A 15-segment model was used to estimate whole body COM motions. All subjects walked at 5 dimensionless speeds over a flat level surface (FLS) and an URS. Subjects completed 6-10 trials over each surface at each speed. Minimum frontal plane DSM values were extracted for each stride for statistical analyses. For young healthy subjects a two factor (speed x surface) ANOVA was used to test significance (p<.05). The DSMs were not greater over the URS (p=.307), but a main effect due to speed was found (p<.001) for young healthy subjects. In contrast, DSMs were significantly larger when subjects with TTA walked on the URS compared to the FLS (p = 0.011). For subjects with unilateral TTA, a three-factor ANCOVA ((amputation) side x speed x surface) with residual limb length (p=.029) and time in prosthesis (p=.741) as covariates was used for hypothesis testing. When limb length and time in prosthesis were accounted for there was no significant within subjects effect due to speed (p=.656). There were no significant differences between involved and uninvolved limbs (p = 0.211). There were no significant interaction effects. In conclusion, there was a difference in DSMs due to speed in unimpaired subjects and due to surface and residual limb length in subjects with unilateral TTAs. In subjects with unilateral TTA side-to-side symmetry was found for DSM measures, which was in contrast to an earlier study of subjects with unilateral trans-femoral amputations (Hof 2006). It appears that symmetry and dynamic stability are reasonable expectations for young adults with isolated TTAs. / text

Studiens övergripande syfte är att göra en kvalitativ studie om hur transpersoners livsvillkor påverkas av deras könsidentitet, könsuttryck samt heteronormen. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka hur transpersoner upplever att de blivit bemötta när de passerat som kvinnor och/eller uttryckt en kvinnlig könsidentitet jämfört med när de passerat som män och/eller uttryckt en manlig könsidentitet. Data samlades in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fem självidentifierade transpersoner, varav tre identifierade sig som MtF (Male to female), en som FtM (Female to male) och en som intergender eller genderqueer. Deltagarna rekryterades med hjälp av Internet samt med hjälp av personliga kontakter. Med utgångspunkt i socialkonstruktivistiska teorier som queerteori har en tematisk analys av insamlad data genomförts, av vilken det framgått att transpersoners livsvillkor i stor utsträckning påverkas av heteronormen samt att de blivit bemötta på mycket olika sätt beroende på om de passerat som män eller kvinnor. Forskning om transpersoner i relation till socialt arbete är i Sverige idag mycket begränsad och denna studie kan på ett småskaligt plan bidra till att fylla det hål som forskning om transpersoner i relation till socialt arbete utgör.