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The human genome contains genetic elements which are more or less similar to infectious retroviruses. These are called human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and are thought to be remnants of infections in the primate lineage. Most of them have been inserted 10 to 60 million years ago but have at different time points spread in the genome via intracellular retrotransposition and make up as much as
Fire dynamics in multi-room compartments are explored in this thesis and new methods to study conditions in rooms adjacent to the room of fire origin are presented. Simple and transparent engineering methods can create good possibilities for understanding different complex phenomena present in fire science. Such methods can also be used in the design process in order to perform rough estimates bef
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was studied in cytosolic and particulate fractions in reproductive organs from rabbit (uterus and vagina) and rat (uterus, vagina and cervix). NOS was found predominantly in cytosolic fractions in all tissues and the activity of NOS in both fractions was highly Ca2+ dependent. NOS activity in vagina and cervix were much higher (3-6-fold) than in the uterus. Est
CD40 is a cell surface receptor of pivotal importance that is expressed on several of the cells in the immune system. It is critical for many important events, such as T cell dependent B cell activation, isotype switching, somatic mutation and generation of B cell memory. The central role of CD40 in the immune system makes it an ideal target for antibody based immunotherapy. This led us to charact
Most terrestrial vertebrates have colour vision, some perceive a less colourful world and others actually discriminate a wider colour spectrum than humans do. Still, we can all make use of the valuable colour information, which is more rigid than just brightness. However, at night when the light is dim, the lack of photons makes colour vision difficult. Nevertheless, some hawkmoths and bees can se
The present study deals with the works of John Rufus, disciple of Peter the Iberian at Gaza. There are three works preserved from him, composed in Greek at the turn of the sixth century, and preserved in Syriac: the Life of Peter the Iberian, the Commemoration of the Death of Theodosius, and the Plerophories. This study reads the hagiographic works of John Rufus in search for the basic ideological
This thesis focuses on electron transport in single and double quantum dots defined in low-dimensional, narrow-band-gap III-V semiconductor materials. Fabrication schemes are presented for defining single and double quantum dots in lateral InGaAs/InP heterostructures, either by a combination of etching and local gating or solely by local top gating. The quantum dots are here electrostatically conf
Chlorinated fatty acids (ClFAs) are the major contributors of extractable, organically bound chlorine in fish lipids. A known anthropogenic source of ClFAs is chlorine bleached pulp production. Additional anthropogenic sources may exist, e.g., chlorine-containing discharge from industrial and house-hold waste and they may also occur naturally. ClFAs have a wide geographic distribution. They have,
Amongst the various –omics sciences, proteomics has the highest potential for functional characterization and consequently can contribute significantly to the field of cancer research. In particular, the focus of this thesis is on breast cancer. Alas, since state-of-the-art technologies cannot meet the complexity of upper eukaryotic proteomes, a complete resolution of clinical samples is still una
This thesis deals with large eddy simulations (LES) of turbulent combustion processes in direct injection internal combustion (IC) engines. Modeling of direct injection IC engine combustion involves modeling of turbulent spray/gas two-phase flow, modeling of chemical reactions of large hydrocarbon fuels and coupling of chemistry with turbulent flows. LES is chosen in this thesis for it capability
Macroporous hydrogels are regarded as interesting materials both within biotechnology and biomedicine due to their properties. These materials can be prepared from a wide range of synthetic or naturally occurring compounds using a number of different techniques for their production. For this thesis, cryostructuring was used to prepare macroporous hydrogels, often named cryogels. The work utilized
The cells of higher organisms exist in a complex protein network, the extracellular matrix (ECM), which has a wide variety of different components such as glycoproteins, proteoglycans and carbohydrates. As well as being the physical scaffold on which the cells are dependent for their positioning and mobility, the ECM exercises control over the cells, and changes in the matrix will affect the adhes
The external ventricular drain (EVD) is an important instrument in the management of neuro-intensive care patients through its ability to meassure intracranial pressure and to treat increased intracranial pressure by drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, EVDs are associated with the risk of external ventricular drain related infection (EVDRI). EVDRI diagnosis is challenging as symtoms an
The work in this thesis concerns polymer gels, especially their swelling and mechanical properties modelled using a coarse-grained model of polyelectrolytes. The method used to study polymer gels was molecular simulation utilising the simulation package MOLSIM. Particular focus is on the effect of salt, macroions and network topology effects (polydispersity, loose-ends and interpenetrating network
Temperature-dependent structure and function of group A streptococcal M proteins.This thesis describes the temperature-dependent structure of the members in the group A streptococcal M protein family. M proteins are cell-surface proteins that are important for the bacterial virulence and bind to a diverse set of human plasma proteins. The proteins are dimeric coiled-coil molecules, but temperature
Just as all other organisms, plants adapt to various environmental conditions. This work focuses on the role of chloroplast light harvesting complex II, LHCII, in adaptation of photosynthesis to changed light conditions. The two photosystems of oxygenic photosynthesis, photosystem I and II, use light of slightly different wavelengths for photochemistry. Since the photosystems are coupled in serie
The objective of the work described in this thesis is to identify the principles and parts of an aftertreatment system for the catalytic NOx reduction for heavy-duty diesel vehicles, and to demonstrate such a system in full-scale. The reducing agent is diesel fuel. Many advantageous features of the diesel engine, such as life span, reliability and efficiency, make the engine the most frequent pow
Hairdressers have an increased risk for developing airway symptoms e.g. asthma and rhinitis. Persulfate salts, which are oxidizing agents present in bleaching powder, are considered to be important causal agents for these symptoms. The underlying mechanisms are unclear and efficient tools for risk assessment and diagnosis are scarce. The general aim of this thesis was to measure proteomic changes,
Melanoma is an aggressive disease that arises from deregulated signaling events in melanocytes. The KIT receptor tyrosine kinase and the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) are two essential components that are required for the normal physiology of melanocyte development and function. Consequently, aberrant activities of these factors are involved in the development of melanoma.
Bone deficiencies, caused by malformations, trauma or adverse effects from medical treatments, are a clinical challenge and often associated with reduced physical function and quality of life. Autologeous bone grafts can be used to reconstruct skeletal defects, but the right size and quality of bone might not always be available and even so, donor-site morbidity might follow. A pre-fabricated or t
