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Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are involved in many biological processes such as signalling, regulation and recognition. One of the main questions regarding IDPs is how sequence, structure and function are related. Phosphorylation, a type of post-translational modification prevalent in intrinsically disordered proteins and regions, is an example of how modifications at the sequence level
This thesis focuses on the modelling and controlling of polymer electrolyte fuelcell (PEFC) systems. A system level dynamic PEFC model has been developedto test the system performance (output voltage, reactants gas partial pressures,and stack temperature) for different operating conditions. The simulation resultsare in good agreement with the experimental data, which indicates that thePEFC model i
We analyze to what extent the contribution of banks to systemic risk depends on their centrality in financial networks. We find that centrality is an important determinant of systemic risk, but not primarily by its direct effect. Its main influence is to make other risk measures, such as probability of default, more important for highly connected banks. Neglecting the indirect effect of centrality
Meteorites have captured our fascination since our early history-they have evoked awe, fear, an irresistible curiosity, and numerous lively debates. Former historians have indicated that many of the ancient cultures and civilizations in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Inuit, and the native Indians in America regarded both the meteorite and the location of their fall as sacred. Thus, they used the meteor
Osteopontin (OPN) is involved in various physiological processes and also implicated in multiple pathological states. It has been suggested that OPN may have a role in type 2 diabetes (T2D) by protecting pancreatic islets and interaction with incretins. However, the regulation and function of OPN in islets, especially in humans, remains largely unexplored. In this study, we performed our investiga
Lower continental plates of collision zones are normally inaccessible and their properties inferred by geophysical surveying. By contrast, the eastern margin of the deeply eroded 1-billion-year-old Sveconorwegian Orogen in Scandinavia exposes an underthrusting lower continental plate that records the metamorphic evolution and behaviour during collisional orogeny. A 200 km wide structurally coheren
Many B-cell neoplasms are associated with autoimmune diseases (AIDs) but most evidence is based on a personal rather than a family history of AIDs. Here we calculated risks for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and multiple myeloma (MM) when family members were diagnosed with any of 44 different AIDs, or, independently, risk for AIDs when family members were diagnosed with a neopla
The parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis is an emerging genetic model for functional analysis of DNA methylation. Here, we characterize genome-wide methylation at a base-pair resolution, and compare these results to gene expression across five developmental stages and to methylation patterns reported in other insects. An accurate assessment of DNA methylation across the genome is accomplished using
This work addresses the manufacturability challenges in traction machine production systems and design. The tradeoffs between performance and manufacturability of a heavy duty traction machine for buses and trucks, are investigated for four different winding designs, with multiple stator combinations, all using the same interior permanent magnet rotor. We present an analysis of electromagnetic, th
We examined the association between plasma 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration and islet autoimmunity (IA) and whether vitamin D gene polymorphisms modify the effect of 25(OH)D on IA risk. We followed 8,676 children at increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes at six sites in the U.S. and Europe. We defined IA as positivity for at least one autoantibody (GADA, IAA, or IA-2A) on two or mor
Rhombomys opimus (R. opimus), a social rodent, is the main reservoir host for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in most parts of the Middle East and central Asia. The difficulties in monitoring rodent population patterns have hindered the effective application of preventive measures of ZCL. This study presents a spatially explicit agent-based simulation model of R. opimus behaviors that is in
The separation of molecules residing in the cell membrane remains a largely unsolved problem in the fields of bioscience and biotechnology. We demonstrate how hydrodynamic forces can be used to both accumulate and separate membrane-bound proteins in their native state. A supported lipid bilayer (SLB) was formed inside a microfluidic channel with the two proteins streptavidin (SA) and cholera toxin
A novel pH and temperature dual-responsive bioconjugate is prepared by grafting thermoresponsive polymer chains from a pH-responsive protein amelogenin via atom transfer radical polymerization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that amelogenin is exploited to prepare a hybrid biomaterial with new stimuli-responsive property. In both basic and acidic solutions the protein-polymer
Diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance have been linked to changes in bile acid (BA) profiles, which in turn are highly dependent on the dietary composition and activity of the gut microbiota. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the type and level of fiber had an effect on cecal BA composition when included in low- and high-fat diets. Groups of rats were fed two barl
