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To survive on a global market, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) require affordable and competitive industrial automation for high quality flexible manufacturing. This thesis contributes to the development of robot concepts that fit the needs of SMEs. A major part of the thesis deals with the modeling of the three degree-of-freedom (DOF) Gantry-Tau parallel kinematic robot, which has the po
Maternal health services are the least equitable health care services in most low- and middle-income countries. Improving maternal health in Ghana continues to be a major public health challenge. Socio-economic inequalities within the country are greatly reducing the use of maternal health care services despite government policy reforms to improve access to maternal health care services and interv
This thesis addresses several aspects of glaucoma diagnostics from both a clinical and a screening perspective. New instruments for diagnosing glaucoma have been developed over the past years, but little information is available regarding their performance as screening methods and their usefulness in ordinary clinical practice. Purpose of the research underlying this thesis The objectives of the
Microorganisms are everywhere! They can tolerate many diverse extreme environments, such as the human body. Even though many of us might associate the word microorganism with infections and disease, most are actually either harmless or even beneficial for us. Those commensals often fight off more dangerous bacteria and might also directly benefit their host. The human skin harbors several differen
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is associated with metabolic changes, acute inflammatory response and increased gut permeability. In AP, traditional treatment has been initial fasting on purpose to avoid activation of proteolytic enzymes and pancreatic enzyme secretion. However, enteral feeding has been suggested superior to fasting due to a proposed beneficial effect on the gut barrier function. The aim
The purpose was to describe ethical aspects on how do-not-resuscitate (DNR) deci-sions are made, established, and communicated between physicians, nurses, patients and relatives. A random sample of 220 physicians and nurses answered a questionnaire about their attitudes to and experiences of the making and communication of a DNR decision. The re-sponse rate was 73%. Twenty seriously ill patients,
Pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance are the two hallmarks of type 2 diabetes. An early sign of beta-cell dysfunction is impaired nutrient-induced insulin release. Several insulin secretagogues act by increasing the formation of intracellular cAMP. Thus, accurate regulation of cAMP is of vital importance for the ability of the beta-cell to respond properly to these stimuli. The
The coordination and fundamental transformations of organosulfur compounds to polynuclear metal complexes has been studied as models for possible surface species in industrial HDS processes. Reactions between [Os3(CO)11(NCMe)] and various thiols have been studied by UV-Vis, IR and NMR spectroscopy and all experimental findings indicate that the reactions proceed via a two-step consecutive process
According to the three-pore model of peritoneal transport the major exchange pathway between the blood and the peritoneal cavity is represented by “small pores”, permeable to small solutes and water. Osmotically induced fluid flow, as during peritoneal dialysis (PD), is postulated to occur to a great extent through a water-only pathway, whereas proteins are predicted to reach the peritoneal cavity
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an abnormal phospholipid formed exclusively by the action of phospholipase D (PLD) in the presence of ethanol. The degradation of PEth is slow and due to its accumulation in some cells the possibility to use PEth as marker of ethanol intake has been proposed. It has also been suggested that PEth mediates some of the damaging effects of ethanol on cells. This study was
Reactions of trans-dicyanodichloroaurate(III) trans-dibromodicyanoaurate(III), trans-diamminedichlorogold(III), cis-diammine(aqua)chloroplatinum(II), cis-ammineaqua-(cyclohexylamine)chloroplatinum(II), chloro(terpyridine)platinum(II) and chloro-(diethylenetriaminepalldium(II) with dimethyl sulfide, thionucleosides, thionucleotides and thione- and guanine-containing 17-mer oligonucleotides have bee
Pathogen challenges and host immune defenses can have substantial impact on life history patterns of animals. Biotic and abiotic factors may affect immunity in wild animals, influencing e.g., population dynamics and sexual selection. The overall aim of this thesis was to assess costs and benefits of immune system activation on physiology, behavior and offspring phenotype. The conducted research ha
Reductions in ambient pressure liberates gas in various tissues and can result in decompression illness. In this thesis the patophysiological implications of a blood gas interface resulting from decompression was investigated with reference to the influence on biochemical mediators of inflammation. In a series of experiments, animals and human subjects have been exposed to hyperbaric trauma of dif
Popular Abstract in English Psychotropic pharmaceuticals include various groups of chemicals that have been designed to affect neurochemistry in human consumers resulting in changes in cognition, mood, and/or behavior; many target specific receptors and subsequently alter neurotransmitter levels in the central nervous system. The use of pharmaceuticals by consumers results in the release of these Psychotropic pharmaceuticals have been shown to exert a variety of sublethal effects on non-target organisms, even at low concentrations found in the environment (ng/L to µg/L); hence, the aim of my research has been to determine the individual-level effects of psychotropic pharmaceuticals (the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors sertraline and fluoxetine, and the β-blocker propranolol) on beh
