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Melanin is an epidermal pigment commonly known to give darker skin coloration under sun exposure. It is also present in the hair, eyes, inner ear and brain. The first function of epidermis melanin is believed to be photoprotective against harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, but the recent increase of skin cancer correlated to an increase of sun exposure questions the properties of melanin. Its presenc

The outcomes of 20 patients participating in occupational group therapy at a psychiatric outpatient unit were explored and related to perceptions of the ward atmosphere and the treatment process. The outcome variables - psychiatric symptoms, global mental health, quality of life, and occupational functioning - were measured at admission, at discharge, and 1 year after discharge. The ward atmospher

Many of the drugs that are developed in the pharmaceutical industry have their origin in natural products. Paclitaxel, the active substance of the medicine Taxol, was found in the bark of the Pacific yew tree (Taxus brevifolia). This was discovered in the early 1960's when a screening program was initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the US, with the aim to find new natural products

The three parts of this thesis are different examples of utilization of signal dependent basis functions in the estimation procedure. The first part surveys a number of parametric methods applied to estimation of single ERP (P300). The basis functions of the sERP are the damped sinusoids where the frequency and damping factor are estimated from the signal. The algorithms for white noise disturban

A new method for allylation of aromatic systems has been developed. A number of arylamines were converted via diazotization to the corresponding allylaromatic compounds using tert-butyl nitrite and an excess of allylic bromides with complete regioselectivity. Electron-withdrawing groups, in the aromatic moiety, were necessary to obtain good yields. The convenient experimental procedure allowed the

A series of experiments and developments, related to stable and radioactive isotopes, have been carried out. These studies have focused on measuring the low-lying excitations of spherical and deformed nuclei using electromagnetic (Coulomb) excitation and also on developments in detector technology for upcoming radioactive ion beams facilities. The low-lying excitations in the nuclei 107,109Sn and

The complexity of proteins is reflected in the structure of their fluids. This is seen from strongly inhomogeneous distributions about the single protein. Using molecular simulations of protein models, based on experimental structures, the present work probes the directional forces between proteins. Emphasis is made on the mutual orientation of proteins and the interplay of electrostatic and short

Melatonin is a neurohormone which mediates photoperiodic signals from the pineal organ to the brain. GABA (g-aminobutyric acid) is the major inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system. It has previously been suggested that functional interaction exists between central binding sites for GABA/benzodiazepines (GABAA/bzd receptors) and melatonin in the central nervous system, and that GABA a

The respiratory chain of plants contains both proton-pumping enzymes that conserve energy and non-proton-pumping alternative enzymes that bypass the sites of energy conservation. In addition to the proton-pumping complex I, plant mitochondria contain alternative type II NAD(P)H dehydrogenases, which allow oxidation of NADH and NADPH from the matrix and the cytosol. The seven gene homologues of typ

This dissertation investigates properties of two-dimensional many-body systems. Studies are performed using the Spin-Density Functional Theory with the Local Spin-Density Approximation, and numerical exact diagonalization. The properties studied include symmetry-breaking states in few-electron quantum dots, gaps in confined few-body systems, magnetic properties of cold fermionic atoms in optical l

Moraxella catarrhalis is now an established human pathogen that frequently colonizes the upper respiratory tract causing most importantly otitis media in children. It has also been associated with sinusitis, laryngitis and lower respiratory tract infections in adults with predisposing conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Current research mainly focuses on surface antige

This thesis explores Behavioral Economics in terms of realism, ontology and experiments. In the introductory chapter descriptions of "Behavioral Economics", "realism" and "ontology" are offered. In the following three chapters meta-theoretical analyses are performed, while the fifth and last chapter is a report of an experiment but with a meta-theoretical undertone. In Chapter 2 two recent survey

This thesis, which is a compilation of seven papers, concerns the mechanical testing, numerical analysis and constitutive modelling of wood-adhesive bonds in timber engineering. Applications such as finger-joints, glued-laminated timber and glued-in rods are considered. The experimental studies include the testing of the fracture characteristics of wood-adhesive bonds, including both wood-to-wood

Proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from smokers at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and never smokers is described. COPD is currently the world's fourth leading cause of death and its prevalence is increasing. The leading cause of COPD is smoking and an estimated 600 million people in the world suffer from COPD which makes it the world's most co

The business climate of the energy market has been eventful over the last two decades, particularly with the introduction of the deregulated electricity market and promotion of environmental issues. This has subsequently lead to new analysis criteria, influencing both technology requirements and production costs. To be able to manage all the questions that have arisen from this the knowledge of th

Driving patterns, i.e. the speed and acceleration profiles of vehicles affect exhaust emission and fuel consumption considerably. This project was aimed at investigating urban driving patterns by focusing on the following issues: 1) how to measure driving patterns, 2) measures for the description of driving patterns, 3) identification of characteristics of driving patterns that have significant ef

A light Use Efficiency (LUE) model is developed that allows the mapping of total growing season Gross Primary Production (GPP) for the West African Sahel, using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) together with other data. Image quality may be poor in monthly NDVI maximum value composites as shown by an improved geostatistical noise estimation technique. Quality may be improved by ot

The aim of the dissertation is to study the organized professional process and the spontaneous integrating and unifying process after the discotheque fire in Gothenburg 1998, when 63 young people died. Over a hundred crisis groups and duty centres were opened for the affected people. These groups are composed of representatives of the social services, psychiatry, the churches and voluntary organiz

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) exhibits considerable variation across agrarian societies, whereas they are virtually absent in non-agrarian societies such as hunter-gatherer and horticultural societies. When looking for lifestyle factors which could promote CVD, it therefore seems logical to focus on the agrarian lifestyle and ways in which it departs from a non-agrarian lifestyle