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

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. Despite treatment, tumors invariably recur, and the recurring tumor is resistant to therapies. New approaches are needed for the successful treatment of glioblastoma patients.Tumors are not simply a compilation of molecularly and phenotypically identical neoplastic cells. Instead, the tumor-associated stroma is instrumental in supp

BACKGROUND: Environmental contamination of norovirus (NoV) is believed to be a significant source for further transmission in hospitals.AIM: To investigate the risk of acquiring NoV in a cleaned room previously occupied by a patient with NoV infection. The risk of having a roommate with recent NoV infection was also assessed.METHODS: In a retrospective cohort, comprising 33,788 room stays at five

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can have devastating consequences from both a resource cost and patient healthcare perspective. Relying on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for identifying infected individuals may result in missed cases. Screening for antibodies after an outbreak can help to find missed cases and better illuminate rout

Ever since the international financial crisis of 2007/08, Sweden stands out as a country with a prudent and sustainable national debt policy. Debt rises during recessions and crises only to fall back during times of growth. A low debt level before a major crisis allows Sweden to increase its public debt and support the economy during a crisis without risking a fiscal crisis. The strength of the Sw

Fiscal policy plays an important role in alleviating the costs of the crisis. However, recent experiences suggest that the public finances often are unprepared for a crisis. Deficits and debt levels prior to the crisis are commonly too high, limiting the government’s ability to support the economy through the crisis and the recovery phase. In this paper, I argue that theoretical macroeconomic modeMacroeconomic crises are common as well as economically, socially and politically costly. Fiscal policy plays an important role in alleviating the costs of the crisis. However, recent experiences suggest that the public finances are often unprepared for a crisis. Deficits and debt levels prior to the crisis are commonly too high, limiting the government’s ability to support the economy through the

Keratoconus generally manifests in adolescents, and can progress leading to severely impaired vision. The risk of progression is inversely correlated to age; thus younger patients are at higher risk than older ones. Progressive keratoconus can be halted by corneal crosslinking (CXL). The general indication for CXL is progressive keratoconus, although children are commonly treated with CXL upon dia

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing worldwide, but current treatments have limitations. miRNAs may play a key role in the development of T2D and can be targets for novel therapies. Here, we examined whether T2D is associated with altered expression and DNA methylation of miRNAs using adipose tissue from 14 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for T2D. Four members each of the miR-30

The role of African-Caribbean nannies in European households is a painful chapter in Caribbean history for many reasons. Ann M. Beaudhuy was a nanny in Christiansted, St. Croix in what was then the Danish West Indies and which is now the US Virgin Islands. In 1871 she wrote letters that have survived time, transfer and geographical displacement. They contain a rare, personal account of the life an

Climate change threatens tropical coastal communities and ecosystems. Governments, resource managers, and communities recognize the value of assessing the social and ecological impacts of climate change, but there is little consensus on the most effective framework to support vulnerability and adaptation assessments. The framework presented in this research is based on a gap analysis developed fro

Lung endothelial cell dysfunction plays a central role in septic-induced lung injury. We hypothesized that endothelial cell subsets, capillary endothelial cells (capEC) and post capillary venules (PCV), might play different roles in regulating important pathophysiology in sepsis. In order to reveal global transcriptomic changes in endothelial cell subsets during sepsis, we induced sepsis in C57BL/

Knowledge remains limited on how the structure of microbial community in paddy soils changes in relation to different types of fertilizers with same amount of nutrients. Thus, here, soil samples were collected at 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm depths from a paddy field subjected to four long-term fertilization treatments (no fertilization, mineral fertilization, mineral fertilization combined wi

Microorganisms are important sources of diverse intracellular and extracellular biopolymers havingdifferent functions such as serving as carbon and energy reserves, or as protective layers around the cells in theform of capsules and/or biofilms. They have also found use in foods, medicine and other industrial applications.Research on understanding the synthesis of several biopolymers as well as th

This doctoral thesis explores the effects of carbohydrate(CHO)-restricted diets on symptoms and disease-related variables in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aims were to examine the effects of (I) the moderately-low CHO Okinawan-based Nordic diet on anthropometry and metabolism and microbiota-related, inflammatory, and cognitive parameters in T2DM, and (II)