A consistent theme throughout this thesis is quasilinear partial differential equations (PDEs) appearing in one-dimensional models of sedimentation for solid-liquid separation of suspensions. We mainly focus on continuous sedimentation in so-called clarifier-thickeners (CTs), which are found in mineral processing and wastewater treatment. In addition to complications with shocks and non-unique sol

This thesis addresses solving elliptic partial differential equation using integral equation methods, with emphasis on accuracy, speed and stability. Of particular interest are such equations on non-smooth domains, and several different elliptic problems such as electrostatic and elastostatic ones are treated and solved in this setting.

Rare-earth ions doped into a transparent crystal can have optically excited states with coherence times of milliseconds and hyperfine levels with coherence times of hours when cooled down to liquid helium temperatures. This makes them attractive for developing quantum computing hardware. A quantum transistor can be implemented in a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal by utilizing a dipole blockade effe

Angiotensin II (Ang II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) induce strong vasoconstriction via activation of receptors on vascular smooth muscle cells. In this thesis, the contractile Ang II and endothelin receptors were examined in endothelium-denuded human coronary arteries and in bypass grafts (the left internal mammary artery and the saphenous vein), with focus on receptor alterations in cardiovascular di

In this thesis, I have investigated conflicts of interest in the facultatively polygynous European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) with a focus on female reproductive strategies. The extent to which males provided parental care was a key issue in understanding the mating system of the starling. The amount of male parental care affected the quality of offspring. Polygynous males did not invest more in

Attosecond science refers to physical processes that occur on the natural timescale of electron motion in atomic and molecular systems. Attosecond time resolution can be obtained experimentally through a process called high-order harmonic generation where sharp attosecond pulses are formed in the time domain. Attosecond pulse trains contain many attosecond pulses with a constant pulse-to-pulse s

Most organisms on Earth live a life where they are exposed to multiple and variable threats. In order to maximise survival they need to be able to perceive and respond to these threats. Two common threats that crustacean zooplankton are faced with are predation and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). To cope with these threats zooplankton use different strategies such as diel vertical migration and the a

Left atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) has been shown to correlate well with left ventricular (LV) systolic function measured as ejection fraction (EF). AVPD has also been shown to be related to diastolic performance. Other factors related to AVPD include age, heart rate, LV and atrial dimensions, myocardial thickness, bodysurface, and afterload. In this thesis the left AVPD was studied i

The growth of short fatigue cracks deviates from the behaviour of long fatigue cracks even if subjected to the same nominal driving force. The influence from the microstructure is pronounced, while crack closure effects may not be that important as for longer cracks. The objective of this thesis is to study the local conditions for crack growth for two different short crack problems, and to develo

This thesis evaluates alterations in lipid metabolism and Kupffer cell morphology seen during total parenteral nutrition in healthy rats. During infusion of lipid emulsions, cholesterol and phospholipids accumulated in non-high density lipoproteins, while high density lipoproteins were enriched in triglycerides. Triglycerides also accumulated in hepatic tissue, and the activity of hepatic lipase

Despite the availability of antibiotics and modern health care, infectious diseases continue to cause great suffering and costs. Bacterial surface proteins are important for the interaction between host and pathogen. This thesis gives an overview of the importance of bacterial surface proteins in Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes. A novel cont

This thesis describes inter and intramolecular dynamics in porphyrin molecules. To create a basis for understanding the energy and electron transfer processes in photosynthesis, the ultrafast dynamics of monomeric chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and bacteriochlorophyll a were studied with ultrashort laser pulses. The transient absorption spectra of all three molecules were found to have pronounced co

As a cancer grows it will, at a certain stage of disease progression, start spreading in the body. For several types of cancer this spreading will first occur through the lymphatic system and the first place where metastatic cell will be encountered is the first lymph node that drains the area where the tumor is located. This lymph node is defined as the sentinel lymph node (SLN). By analyzing the

This thesis deals with Lennart Hellsing's works, and especially his texts for small children, from 1945 to 2000. In an introductory survey the oral transmission of literature is discussed in relation to orality and literacy. The presupposition is that there are similarities between oral culture and texts for the very young. Hellsing's production is surveyed along with his position as a poet, his i

Short high-frequency electromagnetic pulses, also referred to as wavelets, are considered for use in various short-range impulse based ultra-wideband applications, such as communication, imaging, radar, spectroscopy, and localization. This thesis investigates field-effect and tunneling based semiconductor devices and their operation in millimeter-wave (mm-wave) impulse transceivers. The main resea

Bacterial adhesion to the bladder mucosa is a critical step for the establishment of Escherichia coli bacteriuria. The P-fimbriae, encoded by the pap gene cluster, are considered as virulence factors but the mechanisms have been debated. This study defined the roles for P fimbriation during the early colonization of the human urinary tract. Patients with recurrent UTI were first subjected to deli

Plant phenology exerts major influences on carbon, water, and energy exchanges between atmosphere and ecosystems, provides feedbacks to climate, and affects ecosystem functioning and services. Great efforts have been spent in studying plant phenology over the past decades, but there are still large uncertainties and disputations in phenology estimation, trends, and its climate sensitivities. This

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease with a highly variable prognosis. Since new treatment strategies are emerging, there is a need for prognostic markers in order to help allocate patients to the optimal treatment. When comparison is made to the general population, there is an increased mortality rate in this study, both in the series as a whole and in the subgroups of men and

Introduction: Drug therapy in primary care is a broad field, with two areas previously identified as particularly challenging: treatment of the elderly and prescription of antibiotics against uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). General practitioners’ (GPs’) attitudes and adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines might be influenced by different interventions and need t

The aim of the present doctoral thesis was to examine to what extent personality traits and approaches to learning contribute to academic performance in upper secondary school (high school), after controlling for the well-known fact that general intelligence accounts for a large part of the variance. The general proposition of the thesis is that personality traits are stable dispositons and theref