Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and a synchronizer of many physiological processes. Alteration of the melatonin pathway has been reported in circadian disorders, diabetes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, very little is known about the genetic variability of melatonin receptors in humans. Here, we sequenced the melatonin receptor MTNR1A and MTNR1B, genes coding for MT1 and MT2 rece

Popular Abstract in Swedish Avhandlingens syfte är att analysera den akademiska debatten kring positiv särbehandling i USA med speciell tonvikt på de svarta amerikanernas historiska och aktuella förhållanden.Affirmative action is a contested policy in both political and academic debates in the United States. It is a policy that has been in place for over three decades and it is now seen as well entrenched in various settings of society, especially in educational and professional areas. However, in recent years affirmative action has been the target for more negative reactions, and many people are expe

In this paper a first-order version of hybrid logic is presented. The language is obtained by adding nominals, satisfaction operators and the down-arrow binder to classical first-order modal logic (including constants and function symbols). The satisfaction operators are applied to both formulas and terms. Moreover adding the universal modality is discussed. This first-order hybrid language is int

The EU has recently put forward an integrated proposal for “Climate Action – Energy for a Changing World”, which includes concrete measures on how to meet the ‘energy and climate change package’ targets of 2020. The challenge is how these targets can be reached, and how bioenergy can meet the expectations given to it. The EU Biomass Action Plan (BAP) emphasises the need for a coordinated approach

The present vulnerability of regions, communities and activities, to changes in the frequency, intensity and distribution of extreme meteorological conditions presents a problem that may be complicated by climate change. Society has many different ways of responding to catastrophic risks and distributing the financial losses. This paper contrasts different approaches on grounds of efficiency and e

The main purpose of this thesis was to examine various factors influencing starch retrogradation. The reassociation events of starch, which are closely linked to the staling of bakery products, were mainly studied by thermal analysis. Some aspects of starch gelatinization are also included. The gelatinization and retrogradation were described as non-equilibrium processes where the phase transition

There is a crisis discussed in the discipline of Information Systems. Those who perceive such a crisis to exist are by no means agreed, as to its nature and origins. Our inquiry shows that there are a three distinct ‘crises’ being debated. The first of these relates to the substance and boundaries of the discipline itself and if it is even a discipline at all. Another ‘crisis’ relates to higher ed

The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, is a polymorphic insect that occurs in two morphological and physiological distinct phases, solitary and gregarious, depending on population density. The two phases are reversible at any developmental stage. The gregarious phase produces and uses stage-specific pheromones, that keep the swarm together. In my thesis, I investigated the functional morphology

Because of deflections under load, contacts on tooth flanks can occur outside the theoretical plane of action between non-conjugated profiles especially when tooth modifications are not appropriate. The main objective of the present paper is to introduce an original model of the dynamic behavior of spur gears when submitted to these particular meshing conditions. The pinion and the gear of the pai