DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that regulates the gene transcription. Folate is used in cellular synthesis of methyl groups, nucleic acids and amino acids. In complex diseases like cancer and neural tube defects (NTD), various genetic and epigenetic alterations can be found that disrupt the normal cell function. The main goals of this thesis were to analyze whether the genes responsible for the folate transport (FOLR1, PCFT, and RFC1) could be regulated by DNA methylation in placenta, blood leukocytes and colorectal cancer. We also addressed the genome-wide DNA methylation changes in colorectal cancer andcervical cancer.We found that changes in the methylated fraction of the RFC1 gene were dependent on the RFC1 80G>A polymorphism in placental specimens with NTDs and blood leukocytes from subjects with high homocysteine (Paper I). In colorectal cancer, the greatest difference in DNA methylation was observed in the RFC1 gene and was related to a lower protein expression (Paper II).In Paper III and IV we studied the DNA methylated fraction using a high-density array. Paper III was focused on genes in the DNA repair pathway and frequently mutated in colorectal cancer. We found that aberrant methylation in the DNA mismatch repair genes was not a frequent event in colorectal cancer and we identified five candidate biomarker genes in colorectal cancer, among them the GPC6 and DCLRE1C genes. In Paper IV, we found hypomethylation of genes involved in the immune system in cervical cancer specimens compared to healthy cervical scrapes and we identified twenty four candidate genes for further evaluation ofclinical value.In conclusion, the work of this thesis filled a relevant knowledge gap regarding the role of differential methylation of the folate transport genes in NTD and colorectal cancer. This thesis work also provided insights into the functional role of DNA methylation in cancer specific pathways and identified potential novel biomarker genes.

Submitted by Lucelia Lucena (lucelia.lucena@ufpe.br) on 2015-03-09T19:23:33Z No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO LucasTorquato de Melo.pdf: 2719347 bytes, checksum: 8fbd700a7bf5e2bb51b478109dcbd32e (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-09T19:23:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 DISSERTAÇÃO LucasTorquato de Melo.pdf: 2719347 bytes, checksum: 8fbd700a7bf5e2bb51b478109dcbd32e (MD5) license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / A busca por aumento de desempenho de sistemas computacionais é cada vez maior em empresas e pesquisas científicas. Essa necessidade existe por conta do surgimento de aplicações complexas que necessitam de um grande poder computacional para serem executadas eficientemente. A utilização de arquiteturas alternativas como FPGAs nesse contexto têm sido realizada com o intuito de prover excelente desempenho na execução dessas aplicações. Atualmente, sistemas envolvendo múltiplos FPGAs são utilizados em diversas aplicações científicas. A tendência é que em tais sistemas sejam desenvolvidos de forma a permitir escalabilidade de dispositivos, possibilitando que mais FPGAs possam fazer parte da arquitetura e aumentando o desempenho. Para que esses sistemas possam funcionar de forma eficiente, utilizando paralelamente recursos existentes nos FPGAs, uma comunicação eficiente deve existir entre os FPGAs disponíveis na plataforma. Geralmente esse tipo de comunicação, em FPGAs de última geração, se dá por meio de interfaces tipo LVDS (Sinalização Diferencial de Baixa Tensão) e por meio de transceptores e receptores. A sinalização LVDS permite o envio de sinais em alta velocidade através de um par diferencial de fios paralelos. A utilização desse recurso permite que a transmissão de dados entre os dispositivos possa ser realizada de forma mais eficiente, possibilitando uma comunicação mais segura contra interferências eletromagnéticas. Outro fator importante é que o roteamento que interconecta os pinos LVDS na plataforma deve ser desenvolvido com precisão para evitar instabilidades na comunicação. Infelizmente, muitas plataformas disponíveis no mercado não observam tais restrições, limitando a taxa de transferência no barramento. Este trabalho apresenta um canal de comunicação inter-FPGAs baseado em uma interface DDR voltado para esse tipo de plataforma. Esta abordagem promove uma comunicação estável entre esses dispositivos sem a utilização de pinos LVDS. Um módulo de detecção de erro também foi desenvolvido para garantir a integridade das transferências e corrigir possíveis erros no barramento. O canal foi validado em uma plataforma comercial. Os resultados de síntese e desempenho são apresentados nesse trabalho bem como os estudos de caso envolvidos.

Submitted by Alex Sandro R?go (alex@ifpb.edu.br) on 2016-12-06T12:08:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 7- Joalle Jos? Rodrigues Barros - EFEITOS DA INTERFER?NCIA GERADA POR FORNOS DE MICRO-ONDAS NAS REDES SEM FIO IEEE 802.11bgn.pdf: 4184282 bytes, checksum: f681afced9cb0342c6756cfd85fc9174 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alex Sandro R?go (alex@ifpb.edu.br) on 2016-12-06T12:10:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 7- Joalle Jos? Rodrigues Barros - EFEITOS DA INTERFER?NCIA GERADA POR FORNOS DE MICRO-ONDAS NAS REDES SEM FIO IEEE 802.11bgn.pdf: 4184282 bytes, checksum: f681afced9cb0342c6756cfd85fc9174 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-06T12:10:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 7- Joalle Jos? Rodrigues Barros - EFEITOS DA INTERFER?NCIA GERADA POR FORNOS DE MICRO-ONDAS NAS REDES SEM FIO IEEE 802.11bgn.pdf: 4184282 bytes, checksum: f681afced9cb0342c6756cfd85fc9174 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-06 / Fornos de micro-ondas dom?sticos s?o dispositivos de pot?ncia que utilizam a energia das ondas eletromagn?ticas para indu??o de calor. Esses dispositivos, apesar de n?o transmitirem informa??es, radiam sinais na faixa n?o licenciada de 2,4 GHz, agindo como fontes n?o intencionais de interfer?ncia sobre outros dispositivos ISM, e sobre as redes sem fio que utilizam padr?es IEEE 802.11b/g/n e operam nessa mesma faixa. Nesta pesquisa s?o avaliados os efeitos da interfer?ncia gerada pelo forno de microondas dom?stico sobre o desempenho das redes sem fio que utilizam os padr?es IEEE 802.11b/g/n, quando operando em um mesmo ambiente, sob diferentes configura??es. As caracter?sticas do sinal interferente, proveniente das ondas que escapam da cavidade ressonante do forno de micro-ondas, s?o analisadas nos seus aspectos fundamentais, tais como, intensidade, distribui??o na frequ?ncia e varia??o no tempo, e ainda, quanto ?s suas caracter?sticas de propaga??o, a exemplo dos diagramas de radia??o vertical e horizontal e da polariza??o. Taxas de Erro de CRC de uma rede sem fio, operando em um ambiente com e sem a presen?a do sinal interferente, s?o obtidas, considerando, ainda, a utiliza??o dos tr?s padr?es, associados ? varia??o do canal utilizado e ? mudan?a da posi??o relativa dos dispositivos. A partir dos resultados obtidos, ? poss?vel avaliar se a influ?ncia da interfer?ncia gerada pelo forno de micro-ondas sobre as redes sem fio pode ser agravada ou amenizada, de acordo com a configura??o utilizada. Desse modo, o padr?o e o canal utilizados, assim como, a localiza??o dos dispositivos sem fio em rela??o ao forno, podem ser pr?-determinados de modo a minimizar os efeitos da interfer?ncia sobre o desempenho dessas redes.

The main issue of this thesis is making the behaviour model of Bluetooth EDR (enhanced data rate) baseband signal processing. This Bluetooth baseband project is part of the soft defined radio project at electrical engineering department, Linköping University. In this project, both the basic rate and EDR model were built and simulated. The GFSK and π/4 DQPSK digital modulation and demodulation were implemented in C code. The BER was tested to evaluate the demodulation results. Furthermore, the error correction (FEC) and the error checking (HEC,CRC) were also implemented according to the Bluetooth standards. The CRC flag was detected to test the payload demodulation results. Especially, GFSK and π/4 DQPSK specifications have to be combined with each other at sample rate of ADC. Finally, the basic rate and EDR model were simulated to measure the BER and CRC performance. From the simulation results, the receiver filter, synchronization and channel condition were three key points in this Bluetooth EDR system implementation. So we get further understanding about the Bluetooth system specification and DSP implementation methods.

Class of 2017 Abstract / Objectives: To determine the efficacy and toxicity of fluorouracil/leucovorin/oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) versus capecitabine/oxaliplatin (XELOX) in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the adjuvant (aCRC) and metastatic (mCRC) setting in Veterans at the Southern Arizona Veteran Affairs Health Care System (SAVAHCS). Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect efficacy and toxicity data. Subjects were included based on age, treatment setting and regimen in the preset 5-year period, and appropriate diagnosis via International Classification of Diseases-Revision 9 (ICD-9) codes. Efficacy was measured via 1-year disease-free survival (DFS) for aCRC, progression-free survival (PFS) for mCRC, and overall survival (OS) for both settings. Results: A total of 79 subjects were initially enrolled with 51 and 54 all-male subjects included in the efficacy and toxicity analysis, respectively. Mean range of age was 63-72 years old. Subjects were divided into four groups: FOLFOX aCRC (17) and mCRC (19), XELOX aCRC (10) and mCRC (8). No difference was found in 1-year DFS and OS between aCRC groups, and PFS between mCRC groups; a higher incidence of 1-year OS with FOLFOX in the mCRC setting was noted (p = 0.03). No difference was found in toxicity between FOLFOX and XELOX, except a higher incidence of hand-foot syndrome in XELOX (p = 0.0007). Conclusions: Efficacy between FOLFOX and XELOX in aCRC and mCRC is similar, while toxicity is slightly more prevalent in XELOX due to increased hand-foot syndrome incidence. These findings agreed with the results reported by prospective clinical trials.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur lärare upplever att undervisningen bedrivs gällande barnkonventionen samt om undervisningen har förändrats till följd av att barnkonventionen blivit lag. Syftet med studien var också att undersöka hur lärare och elevers kännedom är gällande barnkonventionen. En kombination av datainsamlingsmetoder användes, intervjuer med både lärare och elever samt enkätundersökning bland lärare. Fyra lärare och åtta elever deltog i intervjuerna och 82 lärare deltog i enkätundersökningen. Resultatet av studien visar på att eleverna har kännedom om att barnkonventionen finns men kunskapen gällande innehållet varierar bland eleverna. Lärarnas kännedom om barnkonventionen är god och resultatet visar på att majoriteten av lärarna som deltagit i föreliggande studie upplever att de arbetar med barnkonventionen dagligen i och med skolans värdegrund. Själva undervisningen om barnkonventionen sker i samband med FN-dagen eller barnkonventionens dag. Lärarna som deltagit i studien menar att undervisningen inte förändrats i och med lagstadgande av konventionen. Resultatet av studien visar på att en stor majoritet av de lärare som deltagit i föreliggande studie upplever att de inte erbjudits varken information eller vidareutbildning gällande barnkonventionen under deras verksamma år. En majoritet av de deltagande lärarna menar även på att kunskap om barnkonventionen inte ingick i deras lärarutbildning. / The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers experience that the teaching is conducted regarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child, CRC, and whether it has changed as a result of the CRC becoming law. The purpose of the study was also to investigate how teachers and pupils' knowledge is about the CRC. A mix of methods was used, interviews with both teachers and pupils as well as survey among teachers. Four teachers and eight pupils participated in the interviews and 82 teachers participated in the survey. The study comes to the conclusion that the pupils are aware about of the CRC but the knowledge about the content varies among the pupils. The teachers' knowledge of the CRC is good and the result shows that the majority of teachers who participated in the present study feel that they work with the CRC on a daily basis because of the school's values. The actual teaching of the CRC takes place in conjunction with “FN-dagen” or “barnkonventionens dag”. The teachers who participated in the study do not experience that the teaching has changed as a result of the CRC becoming law. The results of the study show that a vast majority of the teachers who participated in the present study feel that they lacks further education or information regarding the CRC. A majority of the participating teachers have also stated that knowledge of the CRC was not included in their teacher education.

Aim of this work is design and implementation of error detection and correction tool for UDF filesystem for GNU/Linux.

Faltungscodes ist der Viterbi Algorithmus, der aus einem empfangenen, codierten Datenblock die Daten ermittelt, die der Sender mit höchster Wahrscheinlichkeit gesendet hat. Auf dem Viterbi Algorithmus basieren die List Viterbi Algorithmen, die nicht nur die wahrscheinlichste Lösung, sondern eine Liste der n wahrscheinlichsten Lösungen (Pfade) finden. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die aus der Literatur bekannten List Viterbi Algorithmen beschrieben, analysiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Komplexität verglichen. Es wird außerdem eine spezielle Implementation des Tree Trellis Algorithmusvorgeschlagen, durch die eine Komplexitätsreduzierung von quadratischer auf lineare Zeitkomplexität möglich ist. Der zweite Teil der Arbeit betrachtet die Anwendung von Faltungscodes auf die Bildübertragung. Es wird gezeigt, daß die durch die Reduzierung der Zeitkomplexität mögliche Erhöhung der Anzahl der bei der Decodierung betrachteten Pfade die Ergebnisse eines bestehenden Verfahrens zur Bildübertragung signifikant verbessert.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. The early stage of the disease is usually asymptomatic and therefore screening methods for colorectal cancer need to improve. There is a need for early detection of CRC as treatment is less effective in the advanced stage of the disease.  The current standard screening methods are endoscopy and fecal immunochemical blood tests. Endoscopy is a commonly used method to diagnose the patient, but it is costly, time consuming, and rather unpopular for the patients. An alternative could be to develop targeted molecular imaging probes that specifically deliver agents for example magnetic resonance imaging to colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas. This alternative would be non-invasive and able to detect the disease before morphological changes become evident. Biomarkers are used as an objective indicator of an altered biological process. Here, a literature study was conducted to identify protein biomarkers that are overexpressed in early stages of CRC. This study has focused on biomarkers that could be used to target imaging agents to cancerous lesions. Thus, the biomarkers need to be membrane-bound and expressed on the luminal side of the gastrointestinal tract. This will help future research to develop orally administered targeted imaging probes. Furthermore, a smaller literature search was conducted to identify cell and mouse models representing early stages of CRC. This was done to facilitate translational research going from in vitro to in vivo. Ideally the same protein is available in cell lines, mouse models and humans to enable translational research. This work has resulted in the selection of 7 different proteins that are upregulated during early stages of CRC. These proteins are potentially apically located and therefore possible targets for monoclonal antibodies. These findings might lead to a novel way for preventive patient screening and hopefully reduce the mortality for colorectal cancer.

The UN committee on CRC have criticized Sweden on many occasions for differences in relation to implementation of the CRC at municipal level. Studies notes that there’s existing challenges to realize the convention. This thesis studies the implementation process which is also a part of the policy process in two Swedish municipalities where the local government has come to a decision to implement the CRC in governing documents and include the CRC in all decision concerning children and young people up to eighteen years old. The chosen municipalities in the study differ in area, number of population and number of employees. The thesis purpose is to increase the understanding of how the implementation of the CRC in two Swedish municipalities works, and what strategy uses for the implementation of CRC. The purpose is also to identify similarities and differences in the municipalities way to achieve a full implementation according to Löpa linan ut-modell, and to investigate whether the official’s power and capacity for action have an impact on the implementation process. The theoretical framework has been based on theories of implementation process, and the finding have been compiled qualitative text analysis. The study shows how far the municipalities have come with the implementation of CRC, why they have come so far, how much work they have left to do to achieve a full implementation, and finally the studie finds the power of official’s and their capacity for action have an impact of the implementations progress and success in both municipalities.