Academic literature on the topic 'BFOA'

The artist discusses her Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, Confessions, held at the Tipton Gallery, from November 14th to November 25th. The exhibit portrays how the artist responds to issues such as organized religion, war, and politics. Being drawn to art from the Renaissance to Baroque era, the work encorporates an "old world" aesthetic, also with an emphasis on Gothic architecture.

This thesis is a picture of my journey as an educator. I taught at the University level from Fall 2001 – Summer 2006 before I became a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Theatre Pedagogy where I continued to teach until 2008. My education and real life experiences over the last seven plus years have contributed to my teaching methodology which is ever evolving. There were several trials and tribulations as I progressed as an educator and this is an exploration of my experience teaching in the BA and BFA curriculums.

Escherichia coli enteropatogênica (EPEC) é um dos principais agentes etiológicos da diarreia infantil tanto em países desenvolvidos como em países em desenvolvimento. Esta bactéria possui dois fatores de virulência comprovadamente envolvidos na patogênese, intimina e bundle-forming pilus (BFP). Este patotipo está dividido em EPEC típica e EPEC atípica, ambos apresentam uma ilha de patogenicidade cromossomal denominada locus of enterocyte effacement (região LEE) onde está localizado o gene eae (E. coli attachment effacement), que codifica a intimina, uma proteína de membrana externa que medeia a adesão íntima da bactéria ao enterócito. Diferente da EPEC típica, as cepas de EPEC atípica não possuem o plasmídeo EAF (EPEC adherence factor) no qual encontra-se o operon bfp (bundle forming pilus) constituído por 14 genes incluindo bfpA o qual codifica a bundlina (BfpA), principal subunidade da fímbria Bfp, que possibilita a agregação bacteriana. Na infecção por EPEC ocorre grave disfunção da barreira epitelial, e uma das conseqüências é a inflamação. Na literatura, é bem descrito a interação entre as proteínas efetoras de EPEC com as células epiteliais e os processos iniciais da interação bactéria à célula hospedeira. Entretanto, poucos são os estudos que analisam a produção de citocinas em infecções por EPEC ou suas moléculas efetoras com relação a ativação de macrófagos, fundamentais para o controle do processo inflamatório e geração da resposta imune durante esta infecção. A análise das citocinas produzidas constitui uma parte importante da resposta imune e representa a tentativa do hospedeiro em lidar com um determinado microrganismo. Em função disto analisou-se o papel da intimina e do BfpA na capacidade de ativar a resposta inata mediada por macrófagos in vitro, onde avaliou-se a produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias (TNF-&#945;, IL-1, IL-6 e IL-12), citocina antiinflamatória (IL-10) e quimiocina (MCP-1). Os resultados demonstraram que as proteínas recombinantes intimina e BfpA são potentes ativadores de macrófagos, de forma dose dependente, produzindo TNF-&#945;, IL-12 e IL-6, IL-10 e MCP-1, mas não IL-1&#946;. Neste estudo não foi observado efeito sinérgico na produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias ao associar intimina e BfpA, entretanto em dose mais elevada potenciou a produção de IL-10, um mediador antiinflamatório. O efeito imune obtido foi atribuído majoritariamente a estas proteínas uma vez que o tratamento destas com polimixina B não alterou a produção de TNF-&#945;. Conclui-se que intimina e BfpA são potentes ativadores de macrófagos durante a resposta inata podendo colaborar para o controle do processo inflamatório durante a infecção por EPEC.<br>Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a common cause of childhood diarrhea in developed countries as well as developing countries. This bacterium has two proven virulence factors involved in pathogenesis, intimin and bundle-forming pilus (BFP). This pathotype EPEC is divided into typical and atypical EPEC, both having a chromosomal pathogenicity island called locus of enterocyte effacernent (LEE region) which contains the gene eae (E. coli attachment effacement). eae encodes intimin, an outer membrane protein that mediates the intimate adherence of bacteria to the enterocyte. Unlike typical EPEC, atypical EPEC strains do not possess the plasmid EAF (EPEC adherence factor) which is in the operon bfp (bundle forming pilus) consisting of 14 genes including bfpA, which encodes bundlin (BfpA), the main subunit of BFP allowing bacterial aggregation. EPEC infection occurs in severe dysfunction of the epithelial barrier, and one consequence is inflammation. In the literature, the interaction between effector proteins of EPEC and epithelial cells and the initial processes of bacterial interaction with the host cell are well described. However, there are few studies that have examined cytokine production in EPEC infections or their effector molecules with respect to macrophage activation, essential for controlling inflammation and immune response during this infection. The production of cytokines is an important part of the immune response and represents the host\'s attempt to deal with a particular microorganism. Therefore, we examined in vitro the role of intimin and BfpA in the ability to activate the innate response mediated by macrophages, where we analyzed the production of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-&#945;, IL-1, IL-6 and IL-12, and the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10 and chemokine MCP-1. The results show that recombinant intimin and BfpA are potent activators of macrophages in a dose-dependent manner, where the stimulated cells produce TNF-&#945;, IL-12 and IL-6, IL-10 and MCP-1, but not IL-1&#946;. In this study, no synergistic effect was observed in the production of proinflammatory cytokines by combining BfpA and intimin, although production of IL-10, an antiinflammatory mediator, was potentiated at a higher dose. The effect obtained was largely attributed to these proteins, as the treatment of proteins with polymyxin B did not alter the production of TNF-&#945;. We conclude that intimin and BfpA are potent activators of macrophages during the innate response and may contribute to the control of inflammation during infection with EPEC.

Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition, No Place Like It, held at Tipton Street Gallery, 126 Spring Street, Downtown Johnson City, TN, from April 2nd to April 6th. The show exhibit consists largely of drawings mostly done in graphite or charcoal, an installation piece, a quilt and found objects completed between the summer of 2010 and spring of 2012. The work uses family photos and Jackalopes to show the relationship to the artist as well as ideas about family, isolation, and identity.

La bréfeldine A (BFA) est une lactone macrocyclique isolée en 1958 d’un champignon phytopathogène Penicillium decumbens . Elle possède de nombreuses propriétés biologiques. Elle inhibe en particulier le transport des protéines du réticulum endoplasmique vers l’appareil de Golgi selon un mécanisme d’action original (inhibition interfaciale par reconnaissance d’une protéine G et de son effecteur) qui pourrait ouvrir une nouvelle voie de recherche pour la conception de médicaments. La synthèse de nouveaux analogues structuraux de la BFA qui conserveraient la même activité que la molécule naturelle, en étant moins toxiques, a dès lors été envisagée. Ce mémoire décrit les synthèses totales de la 15-nor-Me-BFA et de son épimère en C4, la 4-épi-15-nor-Me-BFA, selon une stratégie développée précédemment au laboratoire pour la synthèse de la BFC (bioprécurseur de la BFA). Ces deux analogues ont été préparés chacun en 24 étapes avec un rendement global de 2,9 %. Les résultats des tests biochimiques réalisés sur la BFA et les deux analogues nous ont permis de mieux comprendre le mécanisme d’inhibition interfaciale caractéristique de ces macrolactones bicycliques<br>Brefeldin A (BFA) is a macrocyclic lactone first isolated from Penicillium decumbens in 1958. Early studies showed that BFA exhibits a wide range of biological activities including the inhibition of proteins transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. BFA acts in a specific and unusual manner following an interfacial inhibition process (BFA recognizes both a small G protein and its protein effector) that could inspired new conceptions for drug design. The utility of BFA is hampered however by its toxicity so that the synthesis of active, but less toxic, analogues, is highly desirable. We report herein on the total synthesis of 15-nor-Me-BFA along with its C4 epimer (4-epi-15-nor-Me-BFA) following a strategy that was previously developed in our laboratory for the synthesis of BFC, the non-hydroxylated analogue of BFA at carbon C7. These two analogues have been prepared in 24 steps in a 2. 9 % overall yield. The results of biochemical tests, realized on both BFA and its synthetic analogues, have allowed us to better understand the mode of action of these bicyclic macrolactones

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a powerful emerging technology widely used for asset tracking, supply chain management, animal identification, military applications, payment systems, and access control. Over the years, RFID has emerged as a popular technology in various industries because of its ability to track moving objects. As RFID is becoming less expensive and more robust, many companies and vendors are developing tags to track objects. Multiple vendors manufacture RFID tags worldwide. Therefore, it is quite possible that they manufacture tags with the same identification code (ID) as vendor ID code data sets may not be synchronized or may be subject to tag id errors. Due to this drawback, there is the possibility that non-unique tags exist along with unique tags in the same RFID system. As existing implementations optimize the performance of RFID systems performance based on the assumption of unique tags, it is important to study the effect of non-unique tags on RFID systems. This thesis focuses on a formal analysis of the Basic Frame Slotted ALOHA (BFSA) Muting RFID system with non-unique tags. An RFID network was modeled with OPNET Modeler 14.5. An evaluation model was built to measure the total census delay, optimal frame size, and network throughput for an RFID network based on a BFSA protocol for non-unique tags and support for muting. The evaluation results are in agreement with results obtained from the evaluation of a similar model for unique tags [Kang08]. Comparing total census delay for unique and non-unique tags for variable frame sizes showed an increase in total census delay with an increase in the number of tags. Comparing minimum network throughput, mean network throughput, and maximum network throughput for unique and non-unique tags for variable frame sizes showed a decrease in network throughput with an increase in the number of tags.

As part of Modern Portfolio Theory, Portfolio management is a subject introduced by Markowitz back in 1950s. In Chapter 1 of this paper, we describe the Mean- Variance portfolio selection model proposed by Markowitz. Since its introduction, this model has been considered as the standard model. Although it has many advantages, with the years passing and the increased complexity of the markets, the model showed all its limits. The main drawbacks arises from the unrealistic assumptions at the base of the model. In other words, the assumptions are not able to present the real world and the risk measure used. Therefore, there was the need of a new class of risk measures, coherent risk measure, suitable for financial portfolios. The coherent measure of risk that belongs to this class chosen for this paper is the two-sided risk measure introduced by Chen and Wang in 2008. Chapter 2 describes the metaheuristics and in particular focuses on those chosen for this paper. Metaheuristic can be describe as trial and error optimization techniques able to find high level solutions to complex problems. Those high-level solutions, although high quality solutions, are not the optimal ones. However, metaheuristics find good solutions in a reasonable amount of time. In this paper we decided to choose bio-inspired metaheuristics, in particular Particle Swarm Optimization and Bacterial Foraging Optimization. In Chapter 3 we presented an alternative model to the one introduced by Markowitz, that is the realistic portfolio proposed by Corazza, Fasano and Gusso. This strategy allows to make the analysis more realistic by overcoming the limits of the model described in Chapter 2. However, in order to effectively solve the NP-hard problem that arises from the use of the two-sided risk measure combined with the realistic portfolio chosen, we applied an exact penalty method, which allows to transform the constrained problem into an unconstrained one. Finally, in Chapter 4, we applied PSO and BFO to solve the portfolio selection problem presented in the previous chapter. For this application, the data used are the daily closing prices of DAX 30 index from March 2014 to November 2018. The periods considered are eight, and each one consists of 8 in-sample months and 3 out-of-sample. In addition, we also analyzed the respect of the monotonicity property of the risk measure. Lastly, we carried out a comparison between the given respectively between PSO and BFO.

Over the years, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology has gained popularity in a number of applications. The decreased cost of hardware components along with the recognition and implementation of international RFID standards have led to the rise of this technology. One of the major factors associated with the implementation of RFID infrastructure is the cost of tags. Low frequency (LF) RFID tags are widely used because they are the least expensive. The drawbacks of LF RFID tags include low data rate and low range. Most studies that have been carried out focus on one frequency band only. This thesis presents an analysis of RFID tags across low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and ultra-high frequency (UHF) environments. Analysis was carried out using a simulation model created using OPNET Modeler 17. The simulation model is based on the Basic Frame Slotted ALOHA (BFSA) protocol for non-unique tags. As this is a theoretical study, environmental disturbances have been assumed to be null. The total census delay and the network throughput have been measure for tags ranging from 0 to 1500 for each environment. A statistical analysis has been conducted in order to compare the results obtained for the three different sets.