Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 181 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-112).

Para avaliação do potencial anestésico do óleo de cravo na mitigação dos efeitos fisiológicos do estresse de exposição aérea e de transporte do lambari, A. altiparanae, foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro, fêmeas adultas (n = 80) foram submetidas a quatro tratamentos: controle, anestesia (óleo de cravo 50 mg.L-1), estresse (exposição aérea durante 5 minutos) e anestesia prévia ao estresse. Registraram-se os níveis plasmáticos de cortisol, glicose e lactato, o hematócrito, índice hepatossomático (IHS), as concentrações de glicogênio hepático e muscular branco, a peroxidação lipídica e a atividade das enzimas lactato desidrogenase (LDH), catalase (CAT) e glutationa redutase (GR). Os dados foram submetidos à ANOVA, comparando-se as médias pelo Teste de Tukey (p<0,05). No segundo experimento, avaliaram-se a concentração adequada e os efeitos do anestésico, combinado ou não ao NaCl (sal), sobre as respostas ao estresse de transporte simulado em juvenis (n = 1.269). Foi estabelecido um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 3x3 (0, 3 e 6 g.L-1 de NaCl; 0, 5 e 7,5 mg.L-1 do anestésico). Os dados foram submetidos à ANOVA com estudo de regressão (p<0,05). No primeiro experimento, observou-se elevação da glicose (53,9%) após a anestesia e/ou o estresse. O estresse elevou os níveis de cortisol (146,6%), de lactato (294,6%) e a peroxidação lipídica no músculo branco (45%) e reduziu o glicogênio muscular (40,1%). O hematócrito aumentou 7,9% após o estresse ou a anestesia. O glicogênio hepático e o IHS não diferiram entre os tratamentos. A anestesia ou o estresse não alteraram a atividade da LDH, mas reduziram a atividade da CAT (46,1%) e da GR (30,3%). No segundo experimento observou-se redução linear da glicose em função das diferentes concentrações de anestésico, na presença de sal (3 g.L-1), e redução quadrática desta variável em função das concentrações crescentes de sal, na presença de anestésico (7,5 mg.L-1). O sal ou anestésico reduziram linearmente o cortisol, entretanto, não houve alteração do hematócrito e do IHS. A adição crescente de sal aumentou linearmente o glicogênio hepático, elevou de forma quadrática o glicogênio muscular e reduziu linearmente o lactato. A anestesia provocou aumento linear do glicogênio muscular e não alterou a peroxidação lipídica, variável que aumentou de forma quadrática em função do acréscimo de sal. A LDH reduziu linearmente, em função das concentrações crescentes de sal, e houve efeito quadrático da interação sal e anestésico nesta resposta. A adição do anestésico provocou redução linear na atividade da CAT e a atividade da GR foi elevada pela interação entre sal e anestésico. Conclui-se que a exposição aérea e o transporte caracterizam-se como agentes estressores em lambaris, reduzindo o bem-estar e a qualidade do pescado. O óleo de cravo na concentração 50 mg.L-1 mitiga as respostas fisiológicas ao estresse e não provoca a peroxidação lipídica, porém não evita esta resposta causada pela exposição aérea. O óleo de cravo e o sal nas concentrações 5 e 7,5 mg.L-1 e 3 a 6 g.L-1, respectivamente, isolados ou associados, são seguros e eficazes para mitigar os efeitos do estresse de transporte no lambari. / The effects of clove oil anesthetic on mitigating the physiological stress responses to air exposure and simulated transporting were evaluated in lambari (A. altiparanae). In the first experiment, adult females (n = 80) were subjected to four treatments: control, anesthesia (clove oil 50 mg L-1), stress (5 min air exposure) and pre-anesthesia associated to stress. Cortisol, glucose and lactate levels, hematocrit, hepatosomatic index (HSI), liver and muscle glycogen content, lipid peroxidation level and the enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR), were recorded. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, comparing the means by Tukey´s test (P<0.05). In the second experiment the potential of clove oil and sodium chloride (salt) added to water in mitigating the stress responses to simulated transporting was evaluated in 1.269 female juveniles. The experiment was conducted in a factorial design 3x3 (0, 3, 6 g.L-1 salt; 0, 5, 7.5 mg.L-1 clove oil) and data were submitted to ANOVA (p<0.05). In the first experiment, we observed glucose increase (53.9%) after anesthesia and/or stress. The stress increased cortisol levels (146.6%), lactate (294.6%) and lipid peroxidation in white muscle (45%) and decreased glycogen (40.1%). The hematocrit increased 7.9% after stress or anesthesia and the liver glycogen and HSI did not changed between treatments. Anesthesia or stress did not affect the LDH activity, but reduced the activity of CAT (46.1%) and GR (30.3%). In the second experiment a reduction of blood glucose was observed when the anesthetic was associated to salt (linear) or salt was associated to anesthetic (quadratic). The salt or anesthetic decreased the cortisol (linear) but did not affected hematocrit or hepatosomatic index. The salt increased glycogen in liver (linear) and white muscle (quadratic), but reduced the lactate (linear). Anesthesia increased the muscle glycogen (linear) and did not affect the lipid peroxidation that was increased (quadratic) by salt. The LDH activity was reduced (linear) by increasing concentrations of salt or its association with the anesthetic (quadratic). Clove oil decreased CAT activity (linear) and when associated to salt increased the GR activity. We concluded that air exposure and transporting are stressful situations that reduces welfare and meat quality and that clove oil (50 mg.L-1) mitigates the physiological responses to stress and does not cause lipid peroxidation but does not prevent this response resulting from air exposure. The clove oil and the salt (5 and 7.5 mg.L-1 and 3 to 6 gL-1, respectively), either in its isolated or combined form, are safe and effective in mitigating the stress effects of transporting in lambari.

The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether a plasma membrane high affinity Ca²+-ATPase plays an integral role in the maintenance of cytoplasmic free Ca²+ in pancreatic acinar cells. To achieve this, the Ca²+-transport and Ca²+-ATPase activities were characterized and their properties compared. Plasma membranes from guinea-pig pancreatic acini were shown to contain an ATP-dependent high affinity Ca²+-pump and a high affinity Ca²+-dependent ATPase activity. In addition, a low affinity ATPase activity was also observed. The high affinity Ca²+-ATPase activity as well as the Ca²+-transport were found to be dependent on Mg²+, whereas the low affinity ATPase activity appeared to be inhibited by Mg²+. The high affinity ATPase activity was 7-fold greater in magnitude than the Ca²+-transport. Whereas the Ca²+-transport was very specific for ATP as a substrate, the high affinity Ca²+-ATPase showed little specificity for various nucleotide triphosphates. These data would suggest that the Ca²+-transport and the high affinity Ca²+-dependent ATPase in guinea-pig pancreatic acinar plasma membranes may be two distinct activities To further investigate whether the two activities were related, we investigated how the Ca²+-transport and Ca²+-ATPase activities were regulated by intracellular mediators. Regulation of the two activities by calmodulin, cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, Protein kinase C and inositol phosphates was investigated. Calmodulin failed to stimulate either activity. In addition, calmodulin antagonists, trifluoperazine and compound 48/80 produced a concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca²+-transport. These data suggested the presence of endogenous calmodulin. Both antagonists failed to influence the Ca²+-dependent ATPase activity. Experiments using boiled extracts from guinea-pig pancreatic acinar plasma membranes and erythrocyte plasma membranes Ca²+-ATPase confirmed the presence of endogenous calmodulin. The catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase stimulated Ca²+ transport, suggesting that cyclic AMP may have a role in the regulation of Ca²+-pump-mediated Ca²+ efflux from pancreatic acini. Ca²+-dependent ATPase activity, on the other hand, was not affected by the catalytic subunit. HA 1004, a specific inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase, failed to inhibit the Ca²+-transport and Ca²+-dependent ATPase activities. Since, this inhibitor was also ineffective at inhibiting the catalytic-subunit-stimulated Ca²+ transport, it may be concluded that HA 1004 is ineffective in blocking the actions of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in pancreatic acinar plasma membranes. In our studies, purified protein kinase C, the phorbol ester TPA and the diacylglycerol derivative, SA-DG, failed to stimulate the Ca²+-uptake activity. However, these agents produced stimulation of the Ca²+-dependent ATPase activity in the presence of phosphatidylserine. CGP 41 251, a potent and selective inhibitor of protein kinase C, did not inhibit the Ca²+-transport or Ca²+-dependent ATPase activities. These observations suggest that protein kinase C may not be involved in the regulation of the plasma membrane Ca²+-pump in guinea-pig pancreatic acinar cells. These results also point to another difference between Ca²+-transport and the Ca²+-ATPase activities in guinea-pig pancreatic acinar plasma membranes. Neither inositol trisphosphate nor inositol tetrakisphosphate produced a statistically significant effect on Ca²+-uptake, suggesting that IP₃- and/or IP₄-mediated Ca²+ releasing pathways may not operate in the isolated guinea-pig pancreatic acinar plasma membrane vesicles. In summary, the results presented here provide evidence to suggest that the high affinity Ca²+-ATPase is not the biochemical expression of plasma membrane Ca²+-transport in panreatic acini. Our results imply a role for calmodulin and cAMP-dependent protein kinase, but not protein kinase C, in the regulation of Ca²+ efflux from pancreatic acinar cells. / Medicine, Faculty of / Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department of / Graduate

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Environmentally friendly photovoltaic devices make use of solar radiation as the energy source to generate electricity. Organic solar cells (OSCs) have been making headway in the last decade due to their cost-effectiveness and potential application in flexible devices. One of the disadvantages of OSCs is the short lifetime of the charge carriers, where the various interfaces that are present in the material play a significant role. In the inverted organic solar cell (IOSC), electrons are injected into the transparent conducting oxide, whereby the electrode alignment is reversed compared to the conventional structure. Nanosized zinc oxide (ZnO) thin-films with nanoridges/ripples embedded on the surface of the thin-film can be used as an electron transport/hole-blocking layers in inverted organic solar cells to enhance light-capturing by the active layer of the solar cell.

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[pt] Este trabalho se propôs a estudar o efeito da variação da tensão interfacial entre dois líquidos imiscíveis; no comportamento de bolhas de ar, que formadas na fase inferior, depois de atravessarem a interface líquido/líquido, sobem através da fase superior transportando consigo uma película envolvente. Manteve-se a viscosidade 1,00C.s. para a fase inferior, o,45C.s. para a superior, e variou-se a tensão interfacial entre eles de 5din/cm a 30din/cm, os diâmetros das bolhas tiveram uma variação entre 2 e 10mm com grande número de pontos interméários. Vários métodos fotográficos e equipamentos de medida foram idealizados e experimentados antes de colher os resultados apresentados pelas curvas de transporte de massa. Verificou-se a existências de um acréscimo na faixa para a qual existe transporte de massa, e diminuição da quantidade de líquido transportada, quando decresce a tensão interfacial. / [en] The purpose of this work was to study the effect of variations in the interface tension between two immiscible liquids on the behavior of air bubbles that are formed in the lower phase, pass through the liquid/liquid interface, and the rise through the upper phase transporting an envolving layer. The viscosity of the lower phase was maintained at 1.00c.c., and the upper at 0.45c.s. and the interface tension between the phases was varied from 5din/cm to 30din/cm. The diameter of bubbles had a variation from 2 to 10mm, with a large number of intermediary points. Several photographic and measurement techniques were developed and tried before taking the data presented in the mass-transport curves. The existence of an increase in range for which mass-transport exists and a decrease in the portion of liquid transported was found when the interfacial tension decreases.

[pt] Este trabalho faz parte de um estudo sobre o comportamento de gotas e bolhas, que há muito, vem sendo pesquisando nesta universidade. Foi realizado em paralelo com dois outros trabalhos, com a finalidade conjunta de se estudar a influência da tensão interfacial, no transporte de massa, trajetória, forma e velocidade de bolhas de ar, que ao passarem através de uma interface líquido-líquido, são envolvidas por uma película do líquido inferior, transportando-a até a superfície do líquido superior. Este trabalho, pesquisou a influência da tensão interfacial, na trajetória e velocidade de bolhas de ar, passando através da interface de dois líquidos de baixa viscosidade cinemática: água filtrada, v igual a 1,0cs e hexana, v igual a 0,45cs. Os valores da tensão interfacial na pesquisa foram: 35,0din/cm, 17,5din/cm e 6,0din/cm. Constatou-se que a variação da tensão interfacial, afeta o comportamento da bolha, em relação à trajetória, forma e velocidade. Com o aumento da tensão interfacial, verificou-se que: - A faixa de diâmetros equivalentes, de bolhas que carregam películas até a superfície do líquido superior, diminui. - Há pouca variação na trajetória de subida da bolha. - O achatamento a forma esferóide, diminui. - A velocidade aumenta. / [en] This work was part of studies on bubbles and drops that is being developed in this University. This study was conducted in parallel with two other studies; all had the objective of determining the influence of the interfacial tension on mass transport, trajectory, shape and velocity of air bubbles as they passed through a liquid-liquid interface with a surrounding film of the lower liquid. In the study, research was conducted on the influence of interfacial tension on the trajectory, shape and velocity of air bubbles passing across the interface of two low kinematic viscosity liquids; filtered water, v equal 1.00c.s. and hexane two low kinematic viscosity liquids; filtered water, v equal 1.00 c.s and hexane, v equal 0.45 c.s. The interfacial tensions observed were: 35.0 din/cm, 17.5 din/cm and 6.0 din/cm. It was found that a variation in the interfacial tension, changes the bubbles shape, trajectory and velocity. With increasing interfacial tension, it was observed that: - The equivalent diameter range of bubbles carrying the film to the upper surface, decreases. - There is little variation in the trajectory of the rising bubble. - The flattening of the spheroid decreases. - The velocity increases.

Anhydrous proton conducting polymers are highly sought after for applications in high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). N-heterocycles (eg. imidazole, triazole, and benzimidazole), owing to their amphoteric nature, have been widely studied to develop efficient anhydrous proton transporting polymers. The proton conductivity of N-heterocyclic polymers is influenced by several factors and the design and development of polymers with a delicate balance among various synergistic and competing factors to provide appreciable proton conductivities has been a challenging task. In this thesis, the proton transport (PT) characteristics of polymers functionalized with two diverse classes of functional groups - N-heterocycles and phenols have been investigated and efforts have been made to develop the molecular design criteria for the design and development of efficient proton transporting functional groups and polymers. The proton conduction pathway in 1H-1,2,3-triazole polymers is probed by employing structurally analogous N-heterocyclic (triazole, imidazole, and pyrazole) and benz-N-heterocyclic (benzotriazole, benzimidazole, and benzopyrazole) polymers. Imidazole-like pathway was found to dominate the proton conductivity of triazole and pyrazole-like pathway makes only a negligible contribution, if any. Polymers containing benz-N-heterocycles exhibited higher proton conductivity than those with the corresponding N-heterocycles. Pyrazole-like functional groups, i.e. the molecules with two nitrogen atoms adjacent to each other, were found not to be good candidates for PT applications. A new class of proton transporting functional groups, phenols, has been introduced for anhydrous PT. One of the highlighting features of phenols over N-heterocycles is that the hydrogen bond donor/acceptor reorientation can happen on a single -OH site, allowing for facile reorientational dynamics in Grotthuss PT and enhanced proton conductivities in phenolic polymers. Unlike the case of N-heterocycles, comparable conductivities were achieved between poly (3,4,5-trihydroxy) styrene and the corresponding small molecule, pyrogallol. This observation suggests that reorientation should be considered as a crucial design parameter for PT functional groups. The PT characteristics of phenol-based biaryl polymers are studied and compared with the analogous phenol-based linear styrenic polymers. The two-dimensional disposition of -OH moieties in biaryl polymers, although resulted in lower apparent activation energies (Ea), did not improve the net proton conductivity due to the accompanying increase in glass transition temperature (Tg). Thus, the ease of synthesis and lower Tg values of phenol-based styrene polymers make the styrenic polymer architecture preferable over the biaryl architecture. Finally, the synthesis of a series of poly(3,4-dihydroxy styrene)-b-polystyrene block copolymers has been demonstrated via anionic polymerization. These block copolymers will provide an opportunity to systematically investigate the effect of nanoscale morphology on proton transport.

Orientador: Konstantin Georgiev Kostov / Resumo: Nos últimos anos, tem intensificado o emprego de plasmas em pressão atmosférica para diferentes aplicações. Com o desenvolvimento dos jatos de plasma em pressão atmosférica, alguns tratamentos precisos, como no campo biomédico ou em específicos processamentos de superfícies, tornaram-se mais frequentes. No entanto, a aplicação de plasma à objetos irregulares, dentro de tubos ou mesmo dentro de órgãos ocos é limitada quando se utilizam configurações convencionais de jatos de plasma. Portanto, essas limitações podem ser superadas com o desenvolvimento de jatos de plasma alongados ou gerados remotamente. Neste trabalho, duas configurações de jato de plasma longo visando diferentes campos de aplicação foram aperfeiçoadas e caracterizadas. Inicialmente foi desenvolvido um jato de plasma endoscópico (plasma endoscope) operando em configuração de descarga por barreira dielétrica (DBD) com dimensões milimétricas, versátil ao acoplamento em endoscópios típicos. Este jato de plasma pode operar com hélio ou neônio e conta com um canal externo e concêntrico de gás que permite a introdução de uma cortina de gás eletronegativo ao redor da pluma de plasma. A cortina de proteção a gás preserva a forma do jato de plasma quando operado dentro de cavidades fechadas. As dificuldades advindas do desenvolvimento deste foram investigadas quando diferentes gases foram testados como cortina de proteção dele, dentre estes, o dióxido de carbono se mostrou uma boa opção evitando a formação de descargas ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The use of atmospheric pressure plasmas for different purposes has increased in recent years. With the development of atmospheric pressure plasma jets, some precise treatments such as in the biomedical field or specific surface processing became more often. However, the delivery of plasma to irregular shaped objects, inside tubes or even hollow organs is limited with the use of conventional plasma jet configurations. Therefore, those limitations can be surpassed with the development of elongated or remotely generated plasma jets. In this work, two extended plasma jet configurations aiming at different application fields were further developed and characterized. Firstly, an endoscopic plasma jet (plasma endoscope) operating with a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) configuration in millimeter dimensions that can be coupled to a typical endoscope was developed. This plasma jet can operate with helium or neon and counts with an external concentric shielding gas channel that provides the introduction of an electronegative gas curtain around the plasma plume. The shielding gas allows the preservation of the plasma jet shape when operated inside closed cavities. The construction difficulties arisen from the use of different feed and shielding gases were explored. Carbon dioxide was proven to be a good option for the curtain gas around the plasma plume avoiding the formation of parasitic discharges inside the shielding gas tube and the endoscopic housing. When operated with neon, th... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor