The main question of this thesis is if a practice is right because it is prescribed by an ethical theory, or if an ethical theory is right because it follows from certain practices? I propose the following definitions to illustrate the main alternatives: (1) if a practice is determined by an ethical theory and the ethical theory is not determined by practice, it is possible to speak of a top-down

Conflicts of interest within hierarchic government organizations regarding the importance of fiscal discipline create the need for institutions that curb the bargaining power of units in charge of implementing policy and align their incentives to the interests of the whole organization. We examine this general public sector problem by collecting unique data on budget institutions and conflicts of

The use of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of biofuels will be unavoidable if liquid fossil fuels are to be replaced by renewable and sustainable alternatives. Ethanol accounts for the majority of biofuel use worldwide, and the prospect of its biological production from abundant lignocellulosic feedstocks is attractive. The recalcitrance of these raw materials still renders proposed pro

A high degree of meniscal body extrusion on knee magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to be strongly associated with development of knee osteoarthritis. However, very little is known about meniscal position in the asymptomatic knee and its natural history. Hence our objective was to study meniscal body position and its change over 4 years in asymptomatic adults.

A 'cap and dip' method of adsorbing ruthenium di-2,2'-bipyridy1-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid diisocyanate (N3 dye) on a rutile TiO2 (110) surface was investigated using pyrocatechol as a capping molecule. This method involves cleaning the rutile surface in ultra-high vacuum (UHV), depositing pyrocatechol onto the surface to 'cap' the adsorption sites, removing from vacuum, 'dipping' in an N3 dye solutio

Human autoimmune diseases such as reumatoid arthritis (RA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are believed to develop when self-tolerance mechanisms are failing, with a chronic destructive inflammation as result. To experimentally study autoimmunity, we have used murine models that mimic their human counterparts; experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) – a model for MS, and collagen induced arthr

Macroporous hydrogels (MHs), cryogels, are a new type of biomaterials for tissue engineering that can be produced from any natural or synthetic polymer that forms a gel. Synthetic MHs are rendered bioactive by surface or bulk modifications with extracellular matrix components. In this study, cell response to the architecture of protein ligands, bovine type-I collagen (CG) and human fibrinogen (Fg)

The effect of friction between the dowel and the surrounding timber was studied for single dowel-type joints. The joints tested were divided into two groups of joints, where the surface of the dowels differed. For the first group, the dowels had a smooth surface and for the second group the dowels had a rough surface. A contactfree measurement technique was used in the experimental investigation.

The present study characterizes immune cell populations in mice chronically infected with Salmonella. Mice were characterized as chronically infected based on persistently high titers of Salmonella-reactive immunoglobulins in the serum > 6 months after a single oral dose of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. These mice had a visibly enlarged spleen but not liver, while both organs harbored bacteria

Under anaerobic conditions, Saccharomyces cerevisiae uses NADH-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Gpd1p and Gpd2p) to re-oxidize excess NADH, yielding substantial amounts of glycerol. In a Δgpd1 Δgpd2 double-null mutant, the necessary NAD+ regeneration through glycerol production is no longer possible, and this mutant does not grow under anaerobic conditions. The excess NADH formed can

xogenously provided NGF enhances cognitive performance in impaired rodents and humans and is currently a promising compound for the treatment of dementia. To investigate whether NGF-dependent cognitive improvement may be due in part to increased hippocampal neurogenesis, adult and aged male rats were treated with NGF or vehicle intracerebroventricularly for 6 or 20 days followed by evaluation of c

Objectves To obtain information on the mechanisms of female rat micturition using a model in which pressure was measured in the bladder and distal part of the urethra corresponding to the location of the rhabdosphincter, providing information on the role of the sphincter in opening and closing the urethral lumen. Materials and Methods A micturition reflex was induced in adult anaesthetized (chlora

The ontogenetic development of size heterogeneity and aggression was monitored in commercial culture tanks of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi Valenciennes). Size heterogeneity increased substantially with the introduction of Artemia as a food source at 12 days post-hatch (DPH), and was correlated with the appearance of aiming behaviour, a precursor to more direct aggressive interactions. Chas

Ethanol was produced from SO2-impregnated steam-pretreated willow by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Experiments with SSF were performed in stirred 300-ml vessels and in a 3-1 fermenter. Commercial cellulases were used in combination with either Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Zymomonas mobilis. The amounts of substrate, enzymes, yeast, bacteria, and nutrients were varied. The te

It has been suggested that a single photon can interfere with itself even if the difference between the two paths in the interferometer is larger than the “length” of the photon [Kessel’ and Moiseev, JETP Lett. 58, 81 (1993)]. The interference is regained by detecting the photons using a photon-echo process, where the absorbing atoms will, effectively, act as narrow-band filters. Such an experimen

Current evolutionary models of dispersal set the ends of a continuum where the number of individuals emigrating from a habitat either equals the number of individuals immigrating (balanced dispersal) or where emigrants flow from a source habitat to a corresponding sink. Theories of habitat selection suggest a more sophisticated conditional strategy where individuals disperse from habitats where th

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting destructive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the knee joint, and to compare this method with clinical examination and conventional radiography (CR). Methods: Clinical evaluations of the knee joint, followed by MRI and CR examinations were performed in 30 patients with early RA. The MRI examination included evaluati

To construct the recombinant adenovirus vector containing the cDNA for recombinant mouse cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3B (mPDE3B), the cDNA for mPDE3B was subcloned into pACCMV.pLpA. Subsequently, this recombinant plasmid, pACCMV.mPDE3B, was cotransfected with pJM17 plasmid containing the adenoviral genome into 293 human embryonic kidney cells, and the replication-deficient adenovirus AdCMV