Ce travail vise à montrer l'intérêt de valoriser des phosphates d'origine animale, après une étape de calcination qui produit des cendres minérales constituées essentiellement d'hydroxyapatite : Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2. Elles constituent une matière première renouvelable, riche en phosphore. Plusieurs voies de valorisations sont examinées. La première est la fabrication d'un acide phosphorique très pur, de pureté supérieure à celui produit industriellement à partir de phosphates géologiques. Les propriétés des hydroxyapatites font que ces cendres pourraient être utilisées comme des barrières chimiques pour fixer des éléments polluants contenus dans un sol, un effluent ou une nappe. L'étude de la fixation de divers éléments polluants a montré les grandes capacités de fixation de ces matériaux. / Natural phosphorus sources are drastically decreasing, and it is necessary to find new phosphorus sources. Ashes obtained from calcination of bone meals are mainly hydroxyapatite: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2. Thus, they can be used as phosphorus-rich raw material. Several valorization ways were evaluated. Bone ashes can be used for the synthesis of a pure phosphoric acid without metallic elements, mainly cadmium and uranium. Hydroxyapatite properties suggest that bone meals ashes can be used for remediation of soils, sludge, effluents and groundwater. Experiments with different metallic elements (Cr, Pb, La...) showed the high sorption properties of this material.

The cold season in the Arctic extends over eight to nine months during which ecosystem gas exchange and water balance of arctic plants have been largely unexplored. The overall objective of this thesis was to examine two critical gaps in our knowledge about tundra cold season processes – ecosystem respiration at very low temperatures and water uptake during the winter-spring transition. I determined the temperature response of ecosystem respiration of tundra monoliths down to temperatures as low as can be expected under snow-covered conditions (-15 °C). Temperature responses fit the Arrhenius function well with Q10 values over the range of -15 to 15 °C varying from 6.1 to 4.8. I used deuterium-enriched water (2H2O) as a tracer to evaluate water uptake of evergreen plants at snowmelt when soils are largely frozen. The results revealed that evergreen plants take up water under snow cover, possibly via roots but undoubtedly by foliar uptake.

Ce travail de thèse a concerné l’évaluation des impacts écotoxicologiques de rejetsindustriels complexes issus de la filière du traitement de surface et de solutionssynthétiques mono- et polycontaminées sur la laitue Lactuca sativa L. Il est ainsimontré que les résultats des tests écotoxicologiques de germination des semences delaitue reflètent la variabilité de la composition chimique des rejets et de leuramélioration après traitement d’abattement de la charge métallique et/ou organique.Ces tests ont également permis de classer selon leur toxicité croissante certains ETM(Fe, Cr, Co, Cu, B, Al, F, Ni, Cd, Ag, Zn, Sn) et quelques molécules organiques (4NP,NAP, DBP, NP9). En revanche, quelle que soit la qualité chimique du rejet testé, lestaux de germination des semences et les élongations des plantules (principalement leslongueurs racinaires) dépendent de la variété de laitue choisie pour le test. Cetteobservation s’applique aussi aux solutions synthétiques métalliques monocontaminées.Ainsi, pour un même rejet, la Batavia dorée de printemps apparait plus résistante auxpolluants que la Kinemontepas et la Grosse Blonde Paresseuse, et que l’Appia (CE50estimées respectivement à ~99, 59, 43 et 25 %). Ces différences intraspécifiquess’observent également pour la composition interne et les tendances d’enrichissement encertains nutriments et ETM, malgré la présence de Cd dans le péricarpe de semences“vierges”. / This thesis has explored the surface treatment DW and mono- and polycontaminatedsynthetic solution ecotoxicological impact assessment on lettuce Lactuca sativa L.Ecotoxicological seed germination bioassays reflect the DW chemical variability, theirchemical improvement after metallic and/or organic abatement, and also permit toclassify MTE (Fe, Cr, Co, Cu, B, Al, F, Ni, Cd, Ag, Zn, Sn) and POP (4NP, NAP,DBP, NP9) according to their increasing ecotoxicity. However, whatever the DWchemical quality, seeds germination rates and plantlets elongations (mainly rootelongations) depend on lettuce variety’s choice. It is also true for monometallicsolutions. Thus for the same DW sample, the Batavia dorée de printemps varietyappears to be more resistant to pollutant than the Kinemontepas and the GrosseBlonde Paresseuse varieties, and than the Appia variety (estimated EC50 respectively99, 59, 43 and 25 %). Despite the presence of Cd in virgin pericarp seeds, intraspecificdifferences occured as well when analyzing the inner plantlet compositions and thenutrients and MTE uptake patterns.

O objetivo geral do presente estudo foi analisar o comportamento dos valores do pico de consumo de oxigênio (VO2pico) e de lactato, em grupos de crianças e jovens não praticantes de natação e atletas de natação no período etário de sete a 17 anos de idade; e ainda, a) investigar as possíveis diferenças entre os valores de VO2pico dos grupos durante o período etário citado em relação ao gênero e ao treinamento sistemático, b) analisar a influência da massa corporal total na variação do VO2pico em função da idade, gênero e treinamento para o período etário citado, c) analisar a influência da massa corporal total na variação do VO2pico tendo como fator interveniente à gordura corporal, d) analisar as concentrações de lactato no sangue após esforço gradualmente crescente até a exaustão para o período etário citado. O delineamento utilizado foi transversal e contou com uma amostra de 145 crianças e jovens de sete a 17 anos de idade, com no mínimo três sujeitos de cada idade e gênero que foram subdivididos em dois grupos – controle (escolares) e experimental (nadadores).Cada grupo foi subdividido em três grupos etários (sete a 10, 11 a 14 e 15 a 17 anos) perfazendo 12 subgrupos (seis no feminino e seis no masculino). Após aprovação de Comissão de Ética Institucional e assinatura do termo de consentimento informado os voluntários realizaram uma anamnese para avaliar o histórico de saúde. Em laboratório, foram realizadas medidas antropométricas, eletrocardiograma de repouso e teste funcional em esteira para a avaliação da aptidão cardiorespiratória – VO2pico. Os resultados foram apresentados de forma descritia e inferencial como análise descritiva, diagramas box-plot, ANOVA e ANCOVA. O programa estatístico usado foi o SPSS versão 11.0. O nível de significância adotado foi 0,05. Os valores médios de VO2picoabs, VO2picorelcor e VO2picorelcor ajustado entre crianças e jovens de diferentes faixas etárias de escolares e nadadores em ambos os gêneros não são equivalentes, com exceção das meninas da faixa etária de sete a 10 anos. O delta de lactato (repouso e pós exercício) é dependente do gênero, faixa etária e grupo de treinamento. Os valores de VO2pico em escolares e nadadores sofrem influência da idade e do gênero. Os valores de VO2pico das crianças e jovens de sete a 17 anos de idade escolares e nadadores para diferentes faixas etárias sofrem influência da massa corporal total, em especial da somatória de dobras cutâneas periféricas, tendo como fator interveniente a gordura corporal. As variáveis de delta de lactato e somatória de dobras cutâneas consideradas como covariáveis levaram ao estabelecimento do modelo para VO2picorelcor (ml.kg-1.min-1) e VO2picorelcor ajustado (ml.kg-0,67.min-1) com R2 elevados, mas maiores no último caso. / The general aim of this study was to analyze the behavior of the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) values and lactate, in children and youths groups no swimming practitioner and swimming athletes from seven to 17 years age group; and even, a) to investigate the possible differences among VO2peak values of groups during this age group related to gender and systematic training, b) to analyze the influence of total body mass in VO2peak variation related to the age, gender and training for this age group, c) to analyze the influence of total body mass in VO2peak variation having as interventional factor the body fat, d) to analyze the blood lactate concentrations after growing gradually effort until exhaustion for this age group. The cross-sectional experimental design had a sample with 145 children and youths from seven to 17 years old, with three subjects at least of each age and gender subdivided in two groups – control (pupils) and experimental (swimmers). Every group was subdivided in three age groups (7-10, 11-14 and 15-17 years) making 12 sub-groups (6 female and 6 male). After approved Institutional Ethical Boarding and Informed Consent signed, the volunteers were submitted the anamnesis for participation health screening. In the lab, were performed anthropometrical measurements, rest electrocardiogram and functional test on a treadmill to asses the cardiorespiratory fitness – VO2peak. The results were presented on a descriptive and inferential way like descriptive analyses, diagrams box-plot, ANOVA e ANCOVA. The statistic program used was the SPSS version 11.0. The significance level adopted was 0,05. The VO2peakabs, VO2peakrelcor e VO2peakrelcor adjusted means values between children and youths of different age groups pupils and swimmers in both genders are not equivalent, with exception on the girls from seven to 10 years old age group. The lactate delta (rest and after exercise) is dependent of the gender, age group and training group. The VO2peak means values in pupils and swimmers suffer influence of the age and the gender. The VO2peak values of the children and youths from seven to 17 years old pupils and swimmers for different age groups suffer influence of the total body mass, in special of the peripheral skinfolds sum, having as interventional factor the body fat. The variables lactate delta and skinfolds sum here considered like covariate leaded to the establishment of the model for VO2peakrelcor (ml.kg-1.min-1) and VO2peakrelcor adjusted (ml.kg-0,67.min-1) with higher R2, but greater in the last case.

No description available.

Cílem této práce bylo studium mechanismu oxidace lipidů katalyzované hovězím methemoglobinem a zhodnocení účinků různých experimentálních podmínek a antioxidantů (EDTA, askorbová kyselina, kávová kyselina, a-tokoferol, d-tokoferol, astaxanthin a L-askorbyl-6-palmitát) na methemoglobinem zprostředkovanou oxidaci lipidů v modelovém systému liposomů připravených z fosfolipidů. K monitorování oxidace lipidů při pH 5,5 a teplotě 30 °C bylo použito spotřeby kyslíku. Pro zhodnocení antioxidační aktivity v modelovém systému liposomů se ukázaly být důležitými faktory typ prooxidantu a koncentrace prooxidantu a antioxidantu. Dalšími důležitými faktory jsou struktura molekuly antioxidantu, jeho hydrofilita/lipofilita a umístění v systému. Všechny testované antioxidanty ve všech koncentracích (kromě koncentrace 0.1 % astaxanthinu and 0.1 % askorbyl palmitátu) inhibovaly oxidaci vyvolanou methemoglobinem. Účinnost antioxidantu stoupala s jeho zvyšující se koncentrací. Koncentrace 0.1 % astaxanthinu neměla žádný vliv na oxidaci liposomů. Koncentrace 0.1 % askorbyl palmitátu měla prooxidační efekt, který lze vysvětlit prooxidačním působením radikálu askorbylu, který může urychlit štěpení hydroperoxidů. Volné železo uvolněné z methemoglobinu se podílelo jen velmi málo na oxidaci liposomů, zatímco část prooxidační aktivity methemoglobinu byla přisouzena tvorbě singletového kyslíku (methemoglobin jako fotosenzitizátor). Antioxidační aktivita astaxanthinu, askorbyl palmitátu a tokoferolu byla z části přisouzena schopnosti zhášet singletový kyslík. Ovšem hlavním prooxidačním mechanismem methemoglobinu se ukázal být rozklad lipidových hydroperoxidů, tvorba volných radikálů a hypervalentních forem hemoglobinu. EDTA utlumila oxidaci liposomů díky chelataci přechodných kovů obsažených v liposomech a chelataci volného železa přítomného v methemoglobinovém roztoku. Velmi důležitým antioxidačním mechanismem (který vykazují askorbyl palmitát, askorbová a kávová kyselina) se ukázala být redukce hypervalentních forem hemoglobinu. Askorbová kyselina, kávová kyselina, tokoferoly a astaxanthin inhibovaly methemoglobinem zprostředkovanou oxidaci lipidů odstraňováním volných radikálů. Při použití peroxidu vodíku nebyl pozorován žádný vliv na oxidaci liposomů vyvolanou methemoglobinem. Působení vysoké teploty (tepelná denaturace) mírně utlumilo oxidaci. Významná inhibice oxidace byla pozorována u liposomů obsahujících TPP (triphenylphosphin), což značí, že je methemoglobinem vyvolaná oxidace liposomů závislá na přítomnosti již vzniklých lipidových peroxidů. Výsledky této práce přispívají k hlubšímu pochopení prooxidačních a antioxidačních mechanismů a faktorů, které ovlivňují oxidaci liposomálních roztoků, buněčných membrán a emulzí typu olej ve vodě stabilizovaných fosfolipidy.

Masters of Science / Bacterial endophytes are able to improve the growth of their hosts through a number of different mechanisms such as nutrient uptake regulation, plant hormone production and regulation, siderophore production and phosphate solubilisation. They have also been shown to be able to provide protection to plants against various abiotic stressors, through various means such as oxidative stress protection. The purpose of this study was therefore to isolate endophytic bacteria from the stems of different weeds, to characterize their ability to use some of the most important growth promoting mechanisms including the ability to produce IAA, siderophores and ACC deaminase, what effect they had on the nutrient uptake in their hosts and to determine to what extent they could promote growth in the roots, stems and leaves of Brassica napus plants. In addition to this the endophytes were tested to see to what extent they could protect Brassica napus from the negative effects of vanadium stress and how this affected the plant physiologically in terms of morphology, overall biomass, the plants nutrient profile, lipid peroxidation and levels of cell death. The effect of vanadium stress on the oxidative state of Brassica napus was also monitored by determining the levels of stress induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the corresponding antioxidants that are responsible for regulating these reactive oxygen species. Six different endophytes (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6) were isolated from different weed samples. Each endophyte was found to be able to significantly improve germination and growth in their host plant. Each isolate was able to improve the uptake of certain macronutrients and micronutrients in their respective hosts, while all of the isolates were shown to be capable of producing siderophores and ACC deaminase. One isolate had high levels of IAA production, with the remaining isolates producing small amounts of IAA. All isolates were also unable to solubilize phosphate. The five best performing endophytes (P1, P2, P3, P5, P6) in the preliminary growth trials were used in the follow up vanadium stressed growth trials, with endophyte P4 being left out of the remaining experiments. All of the endophytes showed improvements in growth promotion in comparison to the control, with endophyte treated plants showing both increased growth and biomass in both the non-stressed and vanadium stressed treatments of the vanadium stressed growth trial; however, the leaves of the vanadium stressed plants were significantly smaller than their non-stressed counterparts. When looking at the oxidative state it was found that vanadium stress caused a significant increase in the development of O2 -, H2O2 and •OH in the control and in addition to this it was shown that treatment with endophytes was able to cause a significant decrease in the levels of stress induced H2O2 and •OH in all of the treatments and O2 - for plants treated with endophyte P5. The noted change in the oxidative state of endophyte treated plants was attributed to an increase in the antioxidant activity of these plants, as it was found that endophyte treated plants showed a combination of increased activity for Superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. This study has shown that endophytic bacteria from plant stems can be used to improve crop growth and yield, while simultaneously producing more nutrient dense crops from the same amount of land. It has also determined that endophytes P1, P2, P3, P5 and P6 are able to successfully provide protection to crop plants from the harmful effects of exposure to vanadium stress. This has great potential for improving food security locally and around the world, by allowing those who cannot gain access to large amounts of food to take in more nutrients from the same amount of food. Furthermore, it also presents the opportunity to use endophyte treatments to grow crops on land that has been previously contaminated with certain heavy metals. / 2023-12-01

MPH / Department of Public Health

Positron emission tomography (PET) visualizes increased cellular [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) uptake. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is conceived of a proliferative disease of the lung vessels. Increased glucose uptake can be quantified as pulmonary [18F]FDG uptake via PET imaging. Because the angioproliferative mechanisms in PH are still in need of further description, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether [18F]FDG PET/CT imaging can elucidate these pathophysiologic mechanisms in different etiologies of PH. Patients (n = 109) with end-stage pulmonary disease being evaluated for lung transplant were included in this observational study. Mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) of predefined regions of interest in lung parenchyma (LP), left (LV), and right ventricle (RV) of the heart, and SUVmax in pulmonary artery (PA) were determined and normalized to liver uptake. These SUV ratios (SUVRs) were compared with results from right heart catheterization (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP], pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR]), and serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide. Group comparisons were performed and Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were calculated. The [18F]FDG uptake ratios in LP, RV, RV/LV, and PA, but not in LV, were found to be significantly higher in both patients with mPAP ≥25 mm Hg (P = 0.013, P = 0.006, P = 0.049, P = 0.002, P = 0.68, respectively) and with PVR ≥480 dyn·s/cm5 (P < 0.001, P = 0.045, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.26, respectively). The [18F]FDG uptake in these regions positively correlated also with mPAP, PVR, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide. The SUVR of PA positively correlated with the SUVR of LP and RV (r=0.55, r=0.42, respectively). Pulmonary and cardiac [18F]FDG uptake in PET imaging positively correlated with the presence and severity of PH in patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. Increased glucose metabolism in the central PAs seems to play a certain role in terms of severity of PH. These results suggest that [18F]FDG-PET imaging can help understand the pathophysiology of PH as a proliferative pulmonary disease.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, a widespread plant-fungal relationship, is based on reciprocal resource exchange. The functioning of this fragile relationship balances on the scale from mutualism to parasitism, depending on the specific context. The thesis aims to interlink the functioning of AM symbiosis both with the composition of AM fungal communities and with different abiotic conditions. The thesis is divided into a methodological and a factual part and consists of three publications and one manuscript. All experiments were conducted in greenhouse conditions with medic (Medicago sp.) as host plant. Host plants were inoculated with single AM fungal species in Paper I and II, and with a synthetic AM fungal community of five species in Paper III and IV. The host plant identity, the amount of phosphorus (P) in substrate and the type of substrate played an important role for the achievement of mutualistic AM symbiosis, as demonstrated in Paper I. Paper II showed that mitochondrial and nuclear qPCR markers can be used alternatively for the quantification of particular AM fungal species. However, intraradical fungal biomass was better related to copy numbers of nuclear DNA than of mitochondrial DNA. The functioning of AM symbiosis was modulated by the availability of P, light and water,...