Applications of natural gases that contain high levels of hydrogen have become a primary interest in the gas turbine market. For reheat gas turbines, understanding of the ignition delay times of high-hydrogen natural gases is important for two reasons. First, if the ignition delay time is too short, autoignition can occur in the mixer before the primary combustor. Second, the flame in the secondary burner is stabilized by the ignition delay time of the fuel. While the ignition delay times of hydrogen and of the individual hydrocarbons in natural gases can be considered well known, there have been few previous experimental studies into the effects of different levels of hydrogen on the ignition delay times of natural gases at gas turbine conditions. In order to examine the effects of hydrogen content at gas turbine conditions, shock-tube experiments were performed on nine combinations of an L9 matrix. The L9 matrix was developed by varying four factors: natural gas higher-order hydrocarbon content of 0, 18.75, or 37.5%; hydrogen content of the total fuel mixture of 30, 60, or 80%; equivalence ratios of 0.3, 0.5, or 1; and pressures of 1, 10, or 30 atm. Temperatures ranged from 1092 K to 1722 K, and all mixtures were diluted in 90% Ar. Correlations for each combination were developed from the ignition delay times and, using these correlations, a factor sensitivity analysis was performed. It was found that hydrogen played the most significant role in ignition delay time. Pressure was almost as important as hydrogen content, especially as temperature increased. Equivalence ratio was slightly more important than hydrocarbon content of the natural gas, but both were less important than pressure or hydrogen content. Further analysis was performed using ignition delay time calculations for the full matrix of combinations (27 combinations for each natural gas) using a detailed chemical kinetics mechanism. Using these calculations, separate L9 matrices were developed for each natural gas. Correlations from the full matrix and the L9 matrix for each natural gas were found to be almost identical in each case, verifying that a thoughtfully prepared L9 matrix can indeed capture the major effects of an extended matrix.

General toxicity evaluation and risk assessment for human exposure is essential when developing new pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Developmental toxicology is an important part of this risk assessment which consumes large resources and many laboratory animals. The prediction of developmental toxicity could potentially be assessed in vitro using embryo-derived pluripotent stem cells for lead characterization and optimization. This thesis explored the potential of short-time assays with pluripotent stem cells of embryonic origin using toxicogenomics. Three established pluripotent stem cell lines; P19 mouse embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells, R1 mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells, and SA002 human embryonic stem (hES) cells were used in the studies. Valproic acid (VPA), an antiepileptic drug which can cause the neural tube defects spina bifida in human and exencephaly in mouse, was used together with microarrays to investigate the global transcriptional response in pluripotent stem cells using short-time exposures (1.5 - 24 h). In addition to VPA, three closely related VPA analogs were tested, one of which was not teratogenic in mice. These analogs also differed in their ability to inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC) allowing this potential mechanism of VPA teratogenicity to be investigated. The results in EC cells indicated a large number of genes to be putative VPA targets, many of which are known to be involved in neural tube morphogenesis. When compared with data generated in mouse embryos, a number of genes emerged as candidate in vitro markers of VPA-induced teratogenicity. VPA and its teratogenic HDAC inhibiting analog induced major and often overlapping deregulation of genes in mES cells and hES cells. On the other hand, the two non-HDAC inhibiting analogs (one teratogenic and one not) had only minor effects on gene expression. This indicated that HDAC inhibition is likely to be the major mechanism of gene deregulation induced by VPA. In addition, a comparison between human and mouse ES cells revealed an overlap of deregulated genes as well as species specific deregulated genes.

With advances in neonatal, medical and surgical care there are an increasing number of infants and young children surviving with medical conditions. Many of these children have associated complex feeding difficulties as a result of the disruption to early oral feeding experiences and periods of restricted or non-oral feeding. These children are at risk of developing long-term feeding difficulties associated with sub-optimal nutrition and poor appetite regulation, delays in mastering skills that lead to eating and mealtime independence, and disruptive mealtime behaviours. Managing the extraordinary demands associated with feeding and ensuring nutrition for these children can present significant challenges for parents as well as health care professionals involved in their care. Occupational therapists are often core members of multidisciplinary teams providing hospital-based services to these children and their families. Embracing an occupation-centred perspective, participation in feeding and mealtimes are considered important co-occupations for infants, children and their parents and carers that occur within the context of parenting and family life. Understanding these contextual influences and the occupational needs of parents are essential but have been understated in the occupational therapy literature and clinical practice. This thesis describes a qualitative study using a phenomenological perspective to explore the lived experiences of parents of children with complex medical and feeding difficulties. Parents from fourteen families participated in the study. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, family mealtime observations and demographic questionnaires. Key findings indicated that parents experienced a high degree of stress in their everyday lives as a result of their children’s feeding difficulties, especially in relation to tube-feeding. Mothers’ self-image was devastated because they believed that it was their ultimate responsibility to feed and nourish their children. Differences in how parents identified with and fulfilled their parenting roles and responsibilities emerged, not just in relation to feeding but also for other childcare and domestic activities. Overwhelmingly, it was mothers who assumed the greater share of these parenting responsibilities, and in addition, expressed a sense of responsibility for preserving family unity and the need to get on with family life despite the chronic nature of their children’s problems. These findings contribute to our understanding of the occupational challenges for parents of these children, especially mothers who have a primary role in feeding, and the impact of feeding disruptions on the lives of their families. This knowledge will assist clinicians providing feeding interventions to be more sensitive and responsive to the needs of both parents and other family members. Recommendations for clinical practice are proposed. Limitations of the study are presented along with suggestions for future research.

The olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most ancient fruit trees and has been cultivated for its oil in the Mediterranean area for thousands of years. Today, the consumption of olive oil and table olives is increasing both in traditional producing countries and the entire world. Most olive cultivars are self-incompatible and do not produce a commercial yield after self pollination. In this thesis, inflorescence architecture and sexual compatibility relationships of some olive cultivars, and gene expression in olive pistils during flowering were studied. To study the inflorescence architecture of olive, 45 inflorescences in each of the cultivars Manzanillo, Mission, and Frantoio were checked every morning from flower opening to petal fall. The flower position on the inflorescence had a highly significant effect on the opening day in all cultivars. Terminal flowers and the flowers located on the primary branches opened earlier than flowers located on the secondary branches. Flower position also had a highly significant effect on gender in Manzanillo and Mission. In Manzanillo, the secondary branches had fewer perfect flowers than the primary branches. In Mission, the secondary branches had no perfect flowers at all. In Manzanillo, perfect flowers had significantly longer petal persistence than staminate flowers. To study flower competition within the inflorescence, the distal halves, on which the flowers tend to be perfect, of 120 inflorescences in three trees of Manzanillo were removed about one month before full bloom. This resulted in a highly significant increase in the percentage of perfect flowers on the proximal halves. The effects of shoot orientation and inflorescence location on inflorescence characteristics in the cultivars Frantoio, Kalamata, and Koroneiki were also studied. For each cultivar, inflorescence characteristics in three sections of shoots (top, middle, and base) and four sides of the three selected trees (north, south, east, and west) were recorded. The statistical analysis showed that basal inflorescences were shorter and with fewer flowers but with the same percentage of perfect flowers. Shoot orientation did not have any influence on these characteristics in any of the cultivars. Sexual compatibility was assessed using two methods. In the first method, controlled crossings were performed in the cultivars Frantoio, Koroneiki, and Kalamata. The pistils were harvested one week after hand pollination and stained with 0.1% aniline blue. The styles and ovules were separated, mounted in 80% glycerol, and observed under a fluorescence microscope. In Frantoio and Koroneiki, the number of ovules penetrated by a pollen tube was used to estimate the level of sexual compatibility. In Kalamata, the numbers of ovules penetrated by pollen tubes were not significantly different between treatments; therefore, the number of pollen tubes in the lower style was used. All the cultivars studied were self- incompatible. Frantoio (as a host) was incompatible with Koroneiki and Barnea but partially compatible with Mission. Koroneiki (as a host) was incompatible with Barnea but partially compatible with Frantoio and Mission. Kalamata (as a host) was compatible with Barnea, incompatible with Mission and Koroneiki in 2004, but partially compatible with them in 2005. In the second method, eight microsatellite markers were used for genotyping three Kalamata mother trees, 40 embryos per mother tree, and all the potential pollen donors. Genotyping data were analysed using FaMoz software, and the number of embryos assigned to each putative pollen donor was determined. Paternity analysis showed that Kalamata (as a host) was self-incompatible, compatible with Barnea, Benito, and Katsourela, but incompatible with Arbequina, Azapa, and Picual. To study the gene expression in olive pistils during flowering, a genomic approach was initiated using cDNA subtractive array analysis. Total RNA was isolated from olive pistils at two developmental stages, where self-incompatibility (SI) genes are expected to be differentially expressed: 1) small green flower buds (expression of SI genes not expected) and 2) large white flower buds containing receptive pistils just prior to opening (expression of SI genes expected). From each stage, cDNA libraries were prepared and put through forward and reverse subtractive hybridisations to enrich for differentially expressed cDNAs in stage 2. Macroarrays were prepared by printing 2304 differentially expressed cDNAs onto nylon membranes and hybridised with forwardand reverse-subtracted probes. The analysis identified 90 up-regulated cDNA clones highly expressed in receptive pistils. Further subtracted and unsubtracted hybridisations confirmed up-regulation of the majority of these cDNAs. Gene expression profiles across different tissues showed that most of the genes were pistil-specific. The expression pattern of the genes showed high similarity in Kalamata, Frantoio, Barnea, and Pendolino. All the screened genes were sequenced and their similarities were searched in the NCBI database. The most redundant and interesting up-regulated clones were those similar to a receptor protein kinase-like protein. Some versions of this protein play a role in the sporophytic SI system of Brassica and the gametophytic SI system of Papaver and rye. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1325369 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2008

Molybdenum experiments: In Australia young Merlot vines sometimes suffer from vegetative disorders such as slow, zigzagged growth and leaf distortion. Merlot is also particularly known as a low- and inconsistent-yielding grape variety. Previous research showed that when foliar applications of molybdenum (Mo) were applied to Merlot vines the vegetative symptoms improved. More recently, when sodium molybdate was applied to Mo-deficient Merlot, yield improved; a function of increased bunch weight brought about by bigger berries. It has also been reported that at high concentrations, molybdenum might be detrimental to yield. Experiments were conducted on own-rooted Merlot (clone D3V14) vines in commercial vineyards in the Adelaide Hills (Hills) and at McLaren Vale, South Australia. Effects of molybdenum deficiency on the vegetative growth and yield of Vitis vinifera cv. Merlot: The aims of the current study were to: a) elucidate the mechanism by which molybdenum affects yield of Merlot; b) to monitor the effects of Mo-treatment on the balance between vine reproductive and vegetative growth; c) to monitor the residual effects of Mo-treatment on growth and yield of Merlot and; d) to determine whether high concentrations of molybdenum are detrimental to yield. Three rates of sodium molybdate were applied to vines in springtime (control = 0g, rate 1 = 0.101g and rate 2 = 0.202g sodium molybdate per vine). Vine molybdenum status was measured prior to treatment and again at flowering time using petiole, shoot tip and inflorescence analysis. The effects on vegetative growth were monitored at veraison, during dormancy and at budburst in the seasons following Mo-treatment. At flowering time, pollen vitality, pollen tube growth and flower structure were examined. Bunch number per vine, fruitset, berry weight and berry composition were measured at harvest. In the Hills, the controls had adequate molybdenum however, at McLaren Vale petiolar molybdenum concentration fell within the suggested deficiency range of 0.05-0.09 mg/kg in the petioles at flowering time. No visual symptoms of Mo-deficiency were observed on the experimental vines. At McLaren Vale, Mo-treatment reduced pruning weight and improved vine balance. Mo-treated vines in the Hills and at McLaren Vale were affected by delayed budburst in the season following Mo-treatment irrespective of their Mo-status. However, no seasonal carryover of molybdenum could be detected in tissue analysis at flowering time. Juice total soluble solids, pH and titratable acidity were not affected by Mo-treatment at McLaren Vale or in the Hills. However, juice from Mo-treated vines in the Hills had a significantly higher concentration of molybdenum than the controls. At McLaren Vale there was no significant difference in juice molybdenum concentration between treatments. In the Hills, yield was not affected by Mo-treatment. However, Mo-treated vines at McLaren Vale had significantly higher yields (approximately double) than the Mo-deficient controls. Bunch number per vine was not affected by Mo-treatment, either in the year that treatments were applied or in the following season. However, bunches from Mo-treated vines had significantly better fruitset resulting in more berries per bunch. Berry weight was affected by Mo-treatment in one season only. Yield was not detrimentally affected on vines that received the higher rate of sodium molybdate. In the Hills, Mo-treatment did not affect pollen numbers, pollen vitality or pollen tube growth. At McLaren Vale, where the controls were Mo-deficient, pollen vitality was not affected by Mo-treatment. However, pollen tube growth was significantly enhanced by Mo-treatment. Significantly more pollen tubes penetrated the ovules from Mo-treated vines and a higher proportion of ovaries had at least one penetrated ovule. Structural observations revealed that a significantly higher proportion of ovules from Mo-deficient vines were defective. The absence of an embryo sac in those ovules is probably the cause of pollen tube growth inhibition and subsequent poor fruitset. Effects of mode of pollination on yield of Merlot and the interacting effects of sodium molybdate sprays: Pollination experiments were conducted on field-grown own-rooted Merlot (clone D3V14) vines in commercial vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and at McLaren Vale in 2003-04 and in 2004-05. Inflorescences were supplied with supplementary Merlot pollen (self-pollination), with pollen from another variety (cross-pollination) or they were left to pollinate naturally (open pollination). In the Hills, mode of pollination did not affect fruitset or berry weight. In 2003-04 fruitset increased significantly at McLaren Vale when inflorescences were cross-pollinated with Semillon. Applying supplementary Merlot pollen also tended to improve fruitset, however none of the treatments affected berry weight. In 2004-05 there was no significant difference between treatments. These results indicate that Merlot may be a poor producer of pollen and may suffer from self-incompatibility. Given the significant improvements in yield gained by spring foliar applications of sodium molybdate to Mo-deficient Merlot vines, in 2005-06 a reciprocal experiment was conducted to separate the effects of Mo-treatment and mode of pollination on the male and female flower parts. The aims of this experiment were to: a) determine whether the male or female reproductive organs are more important in determining the success of fruitset of Merlot and; b) determine which remedial measure, Mo-treatment or pollination, is more effective at overcoming poor fruitset. Supplementary pollination treatments—cross-pollination (Semillon); self-pollination (Mo-deficient pollen); self-pollination (Mo-treated pollen) and; open-pollination—were applied to Mo-treated and Mo-deficient vines. Cross-pollinating Mo-deficient vines with Semillon significantly improved fruitset of Merlot compared to other pollination treatments on those vines, however applying molybdenum to the vines in springtime was more effective at improving fruitset. Within the Mo-treated vines the effects of supplementary pollination on fruitset were not thought to be of any practical significance. The results of this experiment provide further evidence that Mo-deficiency affects the female flower parts more than the male reproductive organs of Merlot. The occurrence of ‘star’ flowers in Australia: In 2003 faulty flowers were discovered on Canada Muscat grown in the Coombe Vineyard at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus. The Canada Muscat flowers opened from the top in ‘star’ formation in contrast to normal grape flowers, which shed the calyptra from its base. Star flowers were reported in French literature in the late 1800s. They were reported to as a symptom of a ‘disease’ that caused ‘coulure’, the cure for which was vine removal. The current report is the first known report of star flowers occurring in Australia. Through dissemination of the news of this discovery, several star flower variants were found in other varieties in South Australia. The association of star flowers with poor berry development and the frequency of the occurrence of star flowers suggest that this flower aberration may be affecting yield to a greater extent than previously recognised. This study provides a detailed description of two types of star flowers: those that occur in response to environmental conditions and those that occur every season. Other star flower variants are also documented. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1280856 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2007

The olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most ancient fruit trees and has been cultivated for its oil in the Mediterranean area for thousands of years. Today, the consumption of olive oil and table olives is increasing both in traditional producing countries and the entire world. Most olive cultivars are self-incompatible and do not produce a commercial yield after self pollination. In this thesis, inflorescence architecture and sexual compatibility relationships of some olive cultivars, and gene expression in olive pistils during flowering were studied. To study the inflorescence architecture of olive, 45 inflorescences in each of the cultivars Manzanillo, Mission, and Frantoio were checked every morning from flower opening to petal fall. The flower position on the inflorescence had a highly significant effect on the opening day in all cultivars. Terminal flowers and the flowers located on the primary branches opened earlier than flowers located on the secondary branches. Flower position also had a highly significant effect on gender in Manzanillo and Mission. In Manzanillo, the secondary branches had fewer perfect flowers than the primary branches. In Mission, the secondary branches had no perfect flowers at all. In Manzanillo, perfect flowers had significantly longer petal persistence than staminate flowers. To study flower competition within the inflorescence, the distal halves, on which the flowers tend to be perfect, of 120 inflorescences in three trees of Manzanillo were removed about one month before full bloom. This resulted in a highly significant increase in the percentage of perfect flowers on the proximal halves. The effects of shoot orientation and inflorescence location on inflorescence characteristics in the cultivars Frantoio, Kalamata, and Koroneiki were also studied. For each cultivar, inflorescence characteristics in three sections of shoots (top, middle, and base) and four sides of the three selected trees (north, south, east, and west) were recorded. The statistical analysis showed that basal inflorescences were shorter and with fewer flowers but with the same percentage of perfect flowers. Shoot orientation did not have any influence on these characteristics in any of the cultivars. Sexual compatibility was assessed using two methods. In the first method, controlled crossings were performed in the cultivars Frantoio, Koroneiki, and Kalamata. The pistils were harvested one week after hand pollination and stained with 0.1% aniline blue. The styles and ovules were separated, mounted in 80% glycerol, and observed under a fluorescence microscope. In Frantoio and Koroneiki, the number of ovules penetrated by a pollen tube was used to estimate the level of sexual compatibility. In Kalamata, the numbers of ovules penetrated by pollen tubes were not significantly different between treatments; therefore, the number of pollen tubes in the lower style was used. All the cultivars studied were self- incompatible. Frantoio (as a host) was incompatible with Koroneiki and Barnea but partially compatible with Mission. Koroneiki (as a host) was incompatible with Barnea but partially compatible with Frantoio and Mission. Kalamata (as a host) was compatible with Barnea, incompatible with Mission and Koroneiki in 2004, but partially compatible with them in 2005. In the second method, eight microsatellite markers were used for genotyping three Kalamata mother trees, 40 embryos per mother tree, and all the potential pollen donors. Genotyping data were analysed using FaMoz software, and the number of embryos assigned to each putative pollen donor was determined. Paternity analysis showed that Kalamata (as a host) was self-incompatible, compatible with Barnea, Benito, and Katsourela, but incompatible with Arbequina, Azapa, and Picual. To study the gene expression in olive pistils during flowering, a genomic approach was initiated using cDNA subtractive array analysis. Total RNA was isolated from olive pistils at two developmental stages, where self-incompatibility (SI) genes are expected to be differentially expressed: 1) small green flower buds (expression of SI genes not expected) and 2) large white flower buds containing receptive pistils just prior to opening (expression of SI genes expected). From each stage, cDNA libraries were prepared and put through forward and reverse subtractive hybridisations to enrich for differentially expressed cDNAs in stage 2. Macroarrays were prepared by printing 2304 differentially expressed cDNAs onto nylon membranes and hybridised with forwardand reverse-subtracted probes. The analysis identified 90 up-regulated cDNA clones highly expressed in receptive pistils. Further subtracted and unsubtracted hybridisations confirmed up-regulation of the majority of these cDNAs. Gene expression profiles across different tissues showed that most of the genes were pistil-specific. The expression pattern of the genes showed high similarity in Kalamata, Frantoio, Barnea, and Pendolino. All the screened genes were sequenced and their similarities were searched in the NCBI database. The most redundant and interesting up-regulated clones were those similar to a receptor protein kinase-like protein. Some versions of this protein play a role in the sporophytic SI system of Brassica and the gametophytic SI system of Papaver and rye. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1325369 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2008

With advances in neonatal, medical and surgical care there are an increasing number of infants and young children surviving with medical conditions. Many of these children have associated complex feeding difficulties as a result of the disruption to early oral feeding experiences and periods of restricted or non-oral feeding. These children are at risk of developing long-term feeding difficulties associated with sub-optimal nutrition and poor appetite regulation, delays in mastering skills that lead to eating and mealtime independence, and disruptive mealtime behaviours. Managing the extraordinary demands associated with feeding and ensuring nutrition for these children can present significant challenges for parents as well as health care professionals involved in their care. Occupational therapists are often core members of multidisciplinary teams providing hospital-based services to these children and their families. Embracing an occupation-centred perspective, participation in feeding and mealtimes are considered important co-occupations for infants, children and their parents and carers that occur within the context of parenting and family life. Understanding these contextual influences and the occupational needs of parents are essential but have been understated in the occupational therapy literature and clinical practice. This thesis describes a qualitative study using a phenomenological perspective to explore the lived experiences of parents of children with complex medical and feeding difficulties. Parents from fourteen families participated in the study. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, family mealtime observations and demographic questionnaires. Key findings indicated that parents experienced a high degree of stress in their everyday lives as a result of their children’s feeding difficulties, especially in relation to tube-feeding. Mothers’ self-image was devastated because they believed that it was their ultimate responsibility to feed and nourish their children. Differences in how parents identified with and fulfilled their parenting roles and responsibilities emerged, not just in relation to feeding but also for other childcare and domestic activities. Overwhelmingly, it was mothers who assumed the greater share of these parenting responsibilities, and in addition, expressed a sense of responsibility for preserving family unity and the need to get on with family life despite the chronic nature of their children’s problems. These findings contribute to our understanding of the occupational challenges for parents of these children, especially mothers who have a primary role in feeding, and the impact of feeding disruptions on the lives of their families. This knowledge will assist clinicians providing feeding interventions to be more sensitive and responsive to the needs of both parents and other family members. Recommendations for clinical practice are proposed. Limitations of the study are presented along with suggestions for future research.

With advances in neonatal, medical and surgical care there are an increasing number of infants and young children surviving with medical conditions. Many of these children have associated complex feeding difficulties as a result of the disruption to early oral feeding experiences and periods of restricted or non-oral feeding. These children are at risk of developing long-term feeding difficulties associated with sub-optimal nutrition and poor appetite regulation, delays in mastering skills that lead to eating and mealtime independence, and disruptive mealtime behaviours. Managing the extraordinary demands associated with feeding and ensuring nutrition for these children can present significant challenges for parents as well as health care professionals involved in their care. Occupational therapists are often core members of multidisciplinary teams providing hospital-based services to these children and their families. Embracing an occupation-centred perspective, participation in feeding and mealtimes are considered important co-occupations for infants, children and their parents and carers that occur within the context of parenting and family life. Understanding these contextual influences and the occupational needs of parents are essential but have been understated in the occupational therapy literature and clinical practice. This thesis describes a qualitative study using a phenomenological perspective to explore the lived experiences of parents of children with complex medical and feeding difficulties. Parents from fourteen families participated in the study. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, family mealtime observations and demographic questionnaires. Key findings indicated that parents experienced a high degree of stress in their everyday lives as a result of their children’s feeding difficulties, especially in relation to tube-feeding. Mothers’ self-image was devastated because they believed that it was their ultimate responsibility to feed and nourish their children. Differences in how parents identified with and fulfilled their parenting roles and responsibilities emerged, not just in relation to feeding but also for other childcare and domestic activities. Overwhelmingly, it was mothers who assumed the greater share of these parenting responsibilities, and in addition, expressed a sense of responsibility for preserving family unity and the need to get on with family life despite the chronic nature of their children’s problems. These findings contribute to our understanding of the occupational challenges for parents of these children, especially mothers who have a primary role in feeding, and the impact of feeding disruptions on the lives of their families. This knowledge will assist clinicians providing feeding interventions to be more sensitive and responsive to the needs of both parents and other family members. Recommendations for clinical practice are proposed. Limitations of the study are presented along with suggestions for future research.

The thesis titled Securing airways in pediatric patients on ARD deals with the specifics of nursing care of airways. Care of airways of children hospitalised at the Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department is an integral part of comprehensive nursing care. Each nurse must have a sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge, as well as experience to independently perform nursing care of airways of pediatric patients. Free and patent airway is a prerequisite for ensuring one of the basic life functions. The aim of the theoretical part of the thesis was to summarise the issue of securing airway in children and to focus on nursing care for airways in pediatric patients. The aim of the research was to determine the specifics of nursing care for children hospitalised at the Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department due to impaired breathing. Based on the aim of the thesis, the author set out four research questions: 1. What nursing activities are performed by nurses when securing an airway in a child? 2. How nurses treat airways of intubated children? 3. What nursing care do nurses provide for children before, during and after extubation? 4. What nursing care do nurses provide for children with a tracheostomy? In the empirical part of the thesis the author employed qualitative research. Data collection was performed by the use of individual interviews with nurses. The survey was conducted at a pediatric ICU and a children's Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department. Based on the research questions and information obtained from literature sources the author drew up the basic points for interviews with nurses. The interviews were supplemented by an observation performed on a children's Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department. Interviews and observation were complemented with two case reports of pediatric patients. The reports were processed in accordance with Henderson's model. The thesis's results show specifics and difficulties of nursing care of pediatric patients hospitalised at an Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department. The thesis maps nursing care for pediatric patients when securing airway, it focuses on intubation, tracheostomy tube, extubation, aspiration, and care for oral and nasal cavities. The objective of the thesis is to show not only the specifics of this kind of nursing care and also to demonstrate the importance of communication and emotional support to pediatric patients before, during, and after the medical intervention. The intensive nursing care is continuously improving thanks to new methods and devices. The results will be provided to the nursing management of the pediatric ICU and the children's Anaesthetic Resuscitation Department. They will also be presented at professional seminars and in professional journals.

O presente trabalho apresenta um breve apanhado do processo de forjamento, resultados da investigação experimental e da análise computacional acerca do teste de compressão do anel e ensaio do tubo cônico, ambos visando a determinação do coeficiente de atrito existente na região de contato entre as matrizes e os corpos-de-prova, para as ligas de alumínio AA6351 e de titânio Ti6Al4V. Foram realizadas curvas teóricas de calibração do coeficiente de atrito tanto para o alumínio quanto para o titânio com faixa de temperatura distinta para cada um dos materiais. Após a realização da calibração por meio das curvas foram realizados os ensaios práticos de compressão do anel e do tubo cônico, também foram realizadas as simulações computacionais dos ensaios do tubo. Estas simulações permitiram a verificação teórica do fluxo de material no interior dos corpos de prova comparando-as com o material obtido em ensaios práticos, comprovando a eficiência dos programas de simulação, visto que a geometria do tubo favorece a comparação entre a simulação e os testes experimentais. Os resultados obtidos tanto nos experimentos teóricos como os práticos, efetuou-se uma comparação com os dados das referências bibliográficas descritas neste trabalho. Em que os dois lubrificantes testados apresentaram desempenho satisfatório, devido à redução do contato interfacial da relação matriz/peça. E o ensaio do tubo cônico mostrou-se viável apenas para determinação a quente do coeficiente de atrito, neste caso o comportamento em ambos os ensaios é similar. / This paper presents a brief overview of the forging process and the results of experimental investigation and computational analysis of ring compression testing and conical tube-upsetting test, both aiming to determine the coefficient of friction in the region of contact between die and bodies-of-evidence for the AA6351 aluminum alloy and titanium Ti6Al4V. Theoretical calibration through curves were performed of the coefficient of friction were performed for both aluminum and titanium with different temperature range for each material. After completion of the calibration curves compression ring and the conical tube practical tests were performed, computer simulations of the tube-upsetting test were also performed. Continue) These simulations allowed to verify the theoretical flow of material within the samples and comparing them with the material obtained in practical tests, proving the efficiency of simulation programs, since the geometry of the tube facilitates the comparison between the simulation and testing experiments. The results in both theoretical and practical experiments, were a compared with the data from the references described herein. Two oils tested showed a satisfactory performance due to the reduced interfacial contact relationship die/workpiece. And the tube-upsetting test was feasible only to determine the hot coefficient of friction, in this case the behavior in both tests is similar.