Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:18:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2009 - Cristiano Chaves Pessoa da Veiga.pdf: 2664372 bytes, checksum: dbcf8de82d489c307ae912d7064a4b85 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-07-24 / This work aimed to evaluate changes due to parasitism by Strongylus vulgaris in the aorta, cranial mesenteric and ileocecocolic artery by B-mode ultrasound and blood flow in Doppler mode. In this study it was determined that the incidence is still quite high, and evaluated among the arteries, the artery ileocecocolic presented the major changes ultrasound. Was achieved by brightness mode (B-mode) ultrasonography identify arterial lesions caused by S. vulgaris, however the occurrence of the formation of thrombus was low. The ultrasound showed it is a method much more sensitive than palpation in the diagnosis of arteritis verminotic. The Doppler ultrasound allowed assessment of the hemodynamic flow of blood from the aorta and cranial mesenteric. Doppler in the evaluation of the aorta increased peak systolic velocity (Vmax) of media velocity (Vmedia), the gradient of pressure and relationship between systolic and diastolic velocity (S/D) show increased resistance to blood flow of in the group of animals with any change in ultrasound of the arteries evaluated (C/A). The increase in blood flow volume of the aorta may be related to the increase in pressure gradient. The reduction of resistive index (IR) in the group of animals C/A indicates lesion in the arterial wall due to destruction of elastic fibers that form the arterial wall. Increasing the diameter of the cranial mesenteric artery of the animals in group C/A, accompanied by thickening of the wall, indicates verminotic arteritis. Doppler evaluation in the cranial mesenteric artery was only observed increased in Vmedia indicating increased resistance to blood flow of animals in group C / A. The IR, pulsatilid index (IP) and S/D of the cranial mesenteric artery of the animals in group C / A, was reduced indicating lesion in the arterial wall, which reduces the resistance of the arterial wall, caused by arteritis verminotic. By B-mode ultrasound was possible to identify the dilation of the artery ileocecocolic (small aneurysms), thickening and mineralization observed in the arterial wall. The color Doppler ultrasound allowed the identification of alteration of blood flow in the artery aneurysms ileocecocolic. ? / No presente estudo avaliou-se as altera??es decorrentes do parasitismo por Strongylus vulgaris, nas art?rias aorta, mesent?rica cranial e ileocecoc?lica atrav?s da ultrassonografia em modo B e do fluxo sangu?neo em modo Doppler. No presente estudo determinou-se que a incid?ncia ainda ? bastante elevada e, dentre as art?rias avaliadas, a art?ria ileocecoc?lica foi a que apresentou maiores altera??es ultrassonogr?ficas. Foi poss?vel atrav?s da ultrassonografia em modo brilho (modo B) identificar les?es arteriais causadas por S. vulgaris, entretanto a ocorr?ncia da forma??o de trombos foi baixa. A ultrassonografia demonstrou-se um m?todo muito mais sens?vel do que ? palpa??o no diagn?stico da arterite vermin?tica. A ultrassonografia Doppler permitiu a avalia??o da hemodin?mica do fluxo arterial da aorta e da mesent?rica cranial. Na avalia??o dopplervelocim?trica da art?ria aorta o aumento da velocidade do pico sist?lico (Vm?x), da velocidade m?dia (Vm?dia), do gradiente de press?o e da rela??o entre a velocidade sist?lica e a diast?lica (S/D) indicam aumento da resist?ncia do fluxo sangu?neo no grupo dos animais com altera??o ultrassonogr?fica em alguma das art?rias avaliadas (C/A). O aumento do volume do fluxo sangu?neo da art?ria aorta pode estar relacionado ao aumento do gradiente de press?o. A redu??o do ?ndice de rsistividade (IR), no grupo dos animais C/A indica les?o na parede arterial, devido ? destrui??o das fibras el?sticas que constituem a parede arterial. O aumento do di?metro da art?ria mesent?rica cranial no grupo dos animais C/A, acompanhado do espessamento da parede, indica arterite vermin?tica. Na avalia??o dopplervelocim?trica da art?ria mesent?rica cranial somente foi observado aumento da Vm?dia indicando aumento da resist?ncia ao fluxo sangu?neo no grupo dos animais C/A. O IR, o ?ndice de pulsatilidade (IP) e a S/D da art?ria mesent?rica cranial no grupo dos animais C/A, apresentaram-se reduzidos indicando les?o na parede arterial, que reduz a resist?ncia da parede arterial, causada por arterite vermin?tica. Foi poss?vel atrav?s da ultrassonografia em modo B identificar a dilata??o da art?ria ileocecoc?lica (pequenos aneurismas), observar espessamento e mineraliza??o na parede arterial. A ultrassonografia em modo Doppler colorido permitiu a identifica??o de altera??o do fluxo sangu?neo nos aneurismas da art?ria ileocecoc?lica.

Tese de Mestrado Integrado. Bioengenharia. Área de Especialização de Engenharia Biológica. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2012

The primary air pollutant sulfur dioxide has been shown to affect plant biochemistry and physiology, although very little is known about its effects on N2-fixation in legumes. This study was designed to determine if N2-fixation, carbon partitioning , and productivity are affected under short term low level, so2 exposures. Greenhouse grown snapbeans (P has eo lus vulgaris L. cv. Ear l iwax), 29 days from planting, were exposed to 0.0, 0.4, and 0.8 parts per million sulfur dioxide for 4 hours day-l for 5 days in a fumigation chamber. At these concentrations there was no visible damage of the plant tissue and no significant changes in dry weight or yield components. Only t he 0.8 parts per million sulfur dioxide treatment reduced acetylene reduction rates but rates returned to control levels with in 2 days after the removal of the stress. Sulfur dioxide treatment increased the total carbon -14 exported from the leaves of 0.4 parts per million sulfur dioxide treated plants while the 0.8 parts per million sulfur dioxide treated plants were found to retain more of their total carbon -1 4. This retention of carbon-14 at the 0.8 parts per million level may account for the inhibit ion of acetylene reduction due to lower photosynthate supplies arriving at the root - nodules. These data suggest that low sulfur dioxide levels that would not cause any visible injury, may be interacting with carbohydrate assimilation and/or transport in P. vulgaris.

Segregation patterns of several pod shapes of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Tendercrop, were studied. The causes of build-up of off-type pods in a seed stock were examined as were possible means of reversing the buildup. Natural selection factors such as germination, vigor, earliness , and ease of threshing, favored the off-types. Careful, selective milling was found to be an aid to roguing in keeping stock seed as free as possible of the off-type pods.

Orientador: Leandro Borges Lemos / Resumo: O feijão é a principal fonte de proteína das populações de países subdesenvolvidos, e o nitrogênio (N) é um dos nutrientes que mais determina a produtividade dessa cultura. A qualidade dos seus grãos pode ser influenciada pelo manejo agrícola e pelas cultivares. Objetivou-se com esse trabalho: a) avaliar o efeito de doses de nitrogênio em cobertura na produtividade de grãos de cultivares de feijoeiro comum (Phaseolus vulgaris L.); b) classificar essas cultivares quanto à eficiência no uso e responsividade a aplicação do N; e c) avaliar os efeitos de baixa e alta dose de N em cobertura nos atributos qualitativos dos grãos de cultivares de feijoeiro comum, e indicar as cultivares com melhores características tecnológicas dos grãos. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições. As parcelas foram constituídas por 16 cultivares de feijoeiro comum de grão comercial carioca: ANFc 9, BRSMG Uai, BRS Estilo, BRSMG Madrepérola, Pérola, BRS FC402, IAC Alvorada, IAC Milênio, IAC Sintonia, IPR Andorinha, IPR Campos Gerais, IPR Curió, IPR Celeiro, IPR Maracanã, TAA Dama e TAA Bola Cheia. As subparcelas foram compostas por duas doses de N: 20 e 120 kg ha-1 de N aplicados em cobertura por ocasião da emissão da terceira folha trifoliada. As avaliações realizadas relacionadas ao desempenho agronômico e à eficiência de uso e resposta ao N foram número de vagens por planta e de grãos por vagem, massa de cem grãos, massa seca da ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Common beans are the main source of protein in underdeveloped countries, and nitrogen (N) is one of the nutrients the most determine the yield of this crop. The quality of its grains can be influenced by agricultural management and cultivars. This study aimed to: a) evaluate the effect of nitrogen topdressing rates on grain yield of common bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.); b) classify these cultivars regarding use efficiency and responsivity to application of N; c) evaluate the effects of low and high rates of N topdressing on the qualitative attributes of common bean cultivars, and indicate the cultivars with better grain technological characteristics. The experimental design was in randomized blocks in split-plot scheme, with four replicates. Plots consisted of 16 cultivars of common beans commercially classified as 'Carioca': ANFc 9, BRSMG Uai, BRS Estilo, BRSMG Madrepérola, Pérola, BRS FC402, IAC Alvorada, IAC Milênio, IAC Sintonia, IPR Andorinha, IPR Campos Gerais, IPR Curió, IPR Celeiro, IPR Maracanã, TAA Dama e TAA Bola Cheia. Subplots comprised two doses of N: 20 and 120 kg ha-1 of N applied as top-dressing on the occasion of the emission of the third trifoliate leaf. The evaluations related to agronomic performance and use efficiency and responsivity to N were number of pods per plant and grains per pod, hundred-grain weight, shoots dry matter at full flowering (phenological stage R6), straw dry matter at physiological maturity (phenological stage R9) and grain... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Much effort has been devoted to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles with different shapes, including the zero-dimensional nanospheres, one dimensional nanorods, and two-dimensional nanoplates. Compared to zero or one dimensional nanostructures, the synthesis of two-dimensional nanostructures in high yield has always been more involved, often requiring complex and time-consuming steps such as morphology transformation from the nanospheres, or the seeded growth process. Herein we report a high yield method for gold nanoplate synthesis using the extract of unicellular green alga Chlorella vulgaris, which can be carried out under ambient conditions. More than 90% of the total nanoparticle population is of the platelet morphology, surpassing the previously reported value of 45%. The control of the anisotropic growth of different planes; as well as the lateral size, has also been partially optimized. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

With the current interest in alternative methods of energy production and increased utilization of existing energy sources, microbial fuel cells have become an important field of research. Microbial fuel cells are devices which harvest electrons from microorganisms created by their enzymatic oxidation of complex carbon substrates or consumed by their reduction of chemical oxidants. Microbial fuel cells with photosynthetic biocathodes are of particular interest due to their ability to simultaneously produce electricity and hydrocarbons while reducing carbon dioxide. Most species of microorganisms including many bacteria and yeasts require exogenous electron transfer mediators in order to allow electron transfer with an electrode. While adding such chemicals is simple enough at a lab scale, problems arise with chemical costs and separation at a larger scale. The goal of this research was to develop electrodes composed of a robust material which will eliminate the need for added soluble electron mediators in a photosynthetic biocathode microbial fuel cell. Electrodes made from stainless steel 304L have been coated in a conductive polymer (polypyrrole) and an immobilized electron transfer mediator (methylene blue) and tested chemically for stability and in a microbial fuel cell environment for use in bioanodes and biocathodes. The use of these immobilized mediator in the photosynthetic biocathode increased the open circuit voltage of the cell from 0.17 V to 0.24 V and the short circuit current from 8 mA/m2 to 64 mA/m2 (normalized to the geometric surface area of the electrode) when compared to using the same mediator in solution. The opposite effect was seen when using the electrodes in a bioanode utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The open circuit voltage decreased from 0.37 V to 0.31 V and the short circuit current decreased from 94 mA/m2 to 24 mA/m2 when comparing the immobilized mediator to soluble mediators. The impact of the membrane and pH of the anode and cathode solutions were quantified and were found to have much less of an effect on the internal resistance than the microbial factors.

With the current interest in alternative methods of energy production and increased utilization of existing energy sources, microbial fuel cells have become an important field of research. Microbial fuel cells are devices which harvest electrons from microorganisms created by their enzymatic oxidation of complex carbon substrates or consumed by their reduction of chemical oxidants. Microbial fuel cells with photosynthetic biocathodes are of particular interest due to their ability to simultaneously produce electricity and hydrocarbons while reducing carbon dioxide. Most species of microorganisms including many bacteria and yeasts require exogenous electron transfer mediators in order to allow electron transfer with an electrode. While adding such chemicals is simple enough at a lab scale, problems arise with chemical costs and separation at a larger scale. The goal of this research was to develop electrodes composed of a robust material which will eliminate the need for added soluble electron mediators in a photosynthetic biocathode microbial fuel cell. Electrodes made from stainless steel 304L have been coated in a conductive polymer (polypyrrole) and an immobilized electron transfer mediator (methylene blue) and tested chemically for stability and in a microbial fuel cell environment for use in bioanodes and biocathodes. The use of these immobilized mediator in the photosynthetic biocathode increased the open circuit voltage of the cell from 0.17 V to 0.24 V and the short circuit current from 8 mA/m2 to 64 mA/m2 (normalized to the geometric surface area of the electrode) when compared to using the same mediator in solution. The opposite effect was seen when using the electrodes in a bioanode utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The open circuit voltage decreased from 0.37 V to 0.31 V and the short circuit current decreased from 94 mA/m2 to 24 mA/m2 when comparing the immobilized mediator to soluble mediators. The impact of the membrane and pH of the anode and cathode solutions were quantified and were found to have much less of an effect on the internal resistance than the microbial factors.

El projecte MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) de l'Agència Espacial Europea (ESA) és un ecosistema artificial concebut com una eina per estudiar i desenvolupar la tecnologia per a sistemes de suport de vida biològics requerits per a missions tripulades de llarga durada a l'espai. El fet que el projecte internacional MELiSSA es desenvolupa en cooperació amb organitzacions de diferents països ha permès que el treball experimental d'aquesta tesi es realitzés part a la Planta Pilot MELiSSA (MPP), ubicada a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), i part a Controlled Environmental Systems Research Facility de la University of Guelph (Canada). Inspirant-se en un ecosistema natural aquàtic, el bucle MELiSSA produeix aliments, aigua i oxigen a partir de la degradació dels residus orgànics (biomassa no comestible, femta, orina i CO2) utilitzant l'activitat combinada de diferents microorganismes i plantes superiors, que colonitzen cinc compartiments interconectats. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és avançar en el desenvolupament dels compartiments fotosintètics del bucle per tal de ser integrats a la MPP. Concretament, el treball s'ha estructurat en 3 unitats principals. I - Compartiment d'Arthrospira: S'han realitzat cultius en continu a diferents velocitats de dilució i intensitats lumíniques (seleccionades segons un disseny central composat tipus Box Wilson) per determinar els límits operacionals i la màxima productivitat del fotobioreactor a escala pilot d'Arthrospira. La productivitat més alta aconseguida fou de 27 mg·L-1·h-1 a una velocitat de dilució de 0.044 h-1 i 194 W·m-2. S'ha estudiat la resposta dels cultius davant de pertorbacions afectant el pH i els cabals de líquid i gas. De forma més detallada, s'ha avaluat l'efecte de l'amoni en la producció i composició de l'Arthrospira, determinant que per tal d'evitar l'inhibició del creixement d'Arthrospira cal mantenir les concentracions d'amoni a l'estat estacionari per sota de 5.6 mM.II - Compartiment de Plantes Superiors: S'han realitzat cultius de remolatxa i enciam dins de cambres de plantes estanques per obtenir dades de referència de productivitat, composició, consum de nutrients i fixació de carboni. La productivitat mitjana entre els 3 cultius en discontinu i els 2 en etapes és de 15.31 g dw·m-2·d-1 per remolatxa i de 13.85 g dw·m-2·d-1 per enciam. La mesura de la fixació neta de carboni és una bona tècnica per estimar el creixement i la producció de les plantes dintre les cambres sense utilitzar mètodes destructius. A més, s'ha provat que el consum de nutrients permet estimar el contingut mineral total dins la cambra utilitzant la producció de biomassa. També s'ha avaluat l'adequació d'un model fotosintètic per estimar la producció de biomassa dins la cambra. S'ha conclòs que el model hiperbòlic és adequat per descriure la resposta fotosintètica d'una fulla a diferents intensitats lumíniques. A més l'estimació dels corresponents paràmetres ha permès determinar que ni el rendiment quàntic (?), ni la velocitat fotosintètica màxima (Pmax) ni la velocitat de respiració (Rd) depenen de l'edat de la planta i únicament la Pmax depèn de la concentració de CO2.III - Integració dels Compartiments Fotosintètics:S'han dimensionat i dissenyat les cambres de plantes que s'integraran pròximament a la MPP. Les 3 cambres de plantes amb una àrea de producció de 5 m2 cada una tindran una producció de biomassa comestible (remolatxa, enciam i blat) equivalent al 20% dels requeriments diaris d'un humà. La configuració seleccionada (una cambra allargada amb dues subcàmares estanques a cada banda) permetrà obtenir una producció semicontínua de biomassa i assegurar d'estanqueïtat del sistema. Finalment, s'ha avaluat l'impacte de la integració dels compartiments fotosintètics a la MPP desenvolupant un model que permet calcular els balanços de nitrogen, CO2 i O2 dins del bucle i determinar en quines condicions és possible aconseguir el tancament dels mateixos. / The MELiSSA project (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) of the European Space Agency is an artificial ecosystem conceived as a tool to study and develop technology for a future biological life support system required for long term manned space missions. The fact that the MELiSSA project is formed by several independent organizations of different countries made possible that part of the experimental work of this thesis was carried out in the MELiSSA Pilot Plant (MPP) located at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) and the Controlled Environmental Systems Research Facility located at University of Guelph (Canada). Based on the principle of an aquatic ecosystem, MELiSSA aims to produce food, fresh water and oxygen from organic wastes (inedible biomass, faeces, urine and CO2) using the combined activity of several microorganisms and higher plants, which colonize five interconnected compartments. The main contribution of this thesis is in the engineering of the photosynthetic compartments and their integration into MPP. Particularly, the work has been structured in the following three main units.I - Arthrospira Compartment: Several continuous cultures have been carried out at different dilution rates and light intensities, planned using a Box-Wilson Central Composite Design, to determine the operational limits and maximum productivity of Arthrospira pilot plant photobioreactor. The highest Arthrospira productivity attained is 27 mg·L-1·h-1 at a dilution rate of 0.044 h-1 and a light intensity of 194 W·m-2. Disturbances of normal operating conditions affecting pH, liquid and gas flow rate influence Arthrospira growth has been studied. The effect of ammonium on Arthrospira production and composition has been evaluated in detail and it is determined that to avoid inhibition of the Arthrospira growth, the steady-state ammonium concentration must be lower than 5.6 mM.II - Higher Plant Compartment: Three batch and two staggered cultures in sealed environment chambers have been performed to collect baseline data of productivity, tissue composition, nutrient uptake and canopy photosynthesis from beet and lettuce trials. The mean total plant productivity among batch and staggered cultures is 15.31 g dw·m-2·d-1 for beet and 13.85 g dw·m-2·d-1 for lettuce. The net carbon exchange rate technique is a good alternative to classical growth analysis for estimating plant growth and production inside the chamber without using destructive analyses. In addition to this, the ionic uptake of the nutrient solution has been proven to be a good predictor of total canopy mineral content using the estimated biomass. Moreover, the photosynthetic study performed at leaf level has contributed to estimates of light energy related parameters for the canopy model. The rectangular hyperbola model is suitable in defining the leaf photosynthetic response to light at different CO2 levels and crop ages. No significant differences are detected for the quantum yield (?) and dark respiration rate (Rd) among CO2 levels, but in contrast, the maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax) was found to depend on CO2 concentration. Moreover, it is observed that that ?, Pmax and Rd values remain constant through crop development. III - Photosynthetic Compartments Integration:The HPC prototype to be integrated into the MPP has been designed. It is concluded that 3 HPC prototypes with 5 m2 of growing area each, will be constructed to provide 20% of the daily crew diet with beet, lettuce and wheat. The selected configuration, an elongated chamber with two air-locks at each end, allows the semi-continuous biomass production while ensuring gas environment isolation. Finally, the impact of the integration of the photosynthetic compartments into the MPP has been evaluated using a static mass balance model for assessing the nitrogen, CO2 and O2 balances, while determining the conditions under which the closure of the mass balances can be expected.

Thèse doctorat : Sciences et Techniques du Déchet : Villeurbanne, INSA : 2004. / Titre provenant de l'écran-titre. Bibliogr. p. 161-171.