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<p>Economic inequality is increasing in Canada and throughout the world. In addition to the equity concerns of distributive justice, growing economic inequality negatively impacts poverty, social cohesion, and the stability of the economy. This master’s thesis undertakes a major literature review to explore the trends in economic inequality and the policies that influence it.</p> <p>The current increase in economic inequality has been dominated by an increase in the income and wealth of the 1% to which the Occupy movement has drawn significant attention. Policies to directly counter this rise in both before- and after-tax top incomes are critical to combatting economic inequality. In addition to highlighting policies that target the very rich, this thesis examines intersections between traditional social policy and broader public policy in the field of economic inequality. It also argues for increased consideration of economics in social work research and policy practice. Economic inequality should be a concern to social workers alongside poverty.</p> <p>Policies in four areas are considered: income taxes and transfers, public services, labour market institutions, and capital market interventions. Recommendations are made for the future. Addressing economic inequality through national policy is both possible and advantageous. A comprehensive policy package involving policies from the four areas explored has the potential to reduce economic inequality.</p> / Master of Social Work (MSW)

A building must meet requirements related to energy usage and good indoor environment. The building ́s ventilation system aims to maintain optimal air quality, thermal condition, and efficient energy usage. By being able to control and adjust airflow as needed with a Variable Air Volume (VAV) system, energy usage of the ventilation system can be reduced without sacrificing indoor air quality. The VAV system operates with a variable airflow, so the accuracy of the VAV terminal at low flows is important. The study aims to verify the accuracy of three different methods for measuring airflow: iris damper, hot- wire anemometer, and volume flow hood. Data collection was carried out through measurements in a laboratory environment. The collected data were managed in the Excel spreadsheet program. The three methods were tested on a prototype consisting of a supply airline and an exhaust airline, each equipped with a VAV unit that varied the airflow through a potentiometer, allowing different airflow values to be obtained for the experiment. The results of the iris damper method were chosen as reference for the other methods due to its ability to predict results using manufacturer tables, which provide useful information about airflow values when varying pressure drop and the iris damper loss k-factor. In this way, set points were stablished for all tests. Two experiments were conducted with different set points. In retrospect it is acknowledged that an air flow meter of higher accuracy had been needed to ascertain the results of the study. That said, the attained results indicate the following: In the experiments, measurements were taken for 12 different airflow values, ranging from 200 l/s to 20 l/s. The test results showed that the most inaccurate method was the volume flow hood, with an average error ranging from ±19% to ±49%, followed by the hot wire anemometer, which had a measurement error between ±15% to ±18%. The high inaccuracy of the volume flow hood was due to a lack of instrument recalibration, resulting in highly inaccurate measurements. All methods showed lower uncertainty between 20 l/s and 50 l/s. Finally, it was verified that the iris damper method improved its average reading error by increasing the pressure drop across the damper and reducing its loss k-factor, achieving the lowest error of the entire experiment at ±12%.

In this thesis we present theoretical and numerical results for a feedback control problem defined by a thermal fluid. The problem is motivated by recent interest in designing and controlling energy efficient building systems. In particular, we show that it is possible to locally exponentially stabilize the nonlinear Boussinesq Equations by applying Neumann/Robin type boundary control on a bounded and connected domain. The feedback controller is obtained by solving a Linear Quadratic Regulator problem for the linearized Boussinesq equations. Applying classical results for semilinear equations where the linear term generates an analytic semigroup, we establish that this Riccati-based optimal boundary feedback control provides a local stabilizing controller for the full nonlinear Boussinesq equations. In addition, we present a finite element Galerkin approximation. Finally, we provide numerical results based on standard Taylor-Hood elements to illustrate the theory. / Ph. D.

Abstract This report focuses on the creation of a software to calculate handling forces of bonnet and tailgate. The handling force is the force required by a user to open or close a tailgate. It is a bachelor thesis conducted for Karlstad’s university. The work is conducted at CEVT in Gothenburg, the software will be used to improve workflow in early design phases. The resulting software from this project is easy to use and shows good resemblance to the reference values, which is old calculations done by a manufacturer. Comparing to manufacturer calculation the software shows only small deviations in results. The software is deemed to be an asset in the development work at CEVT. The software is also easy to use and have been tested by employees, whom could operate the software easily without instructions. It is based on regular equilibrium equations and the software structure is logical and easy to follow, to make it simple to maintain and develop the software if the need would arise. The finished software calculates single pivot hinges and four bar mechanism-based hinges equipped with gas springs. It also has the possibility to work with tailgate and bonnet simultaneously to keep one project in one file. The work has focused on, creating the software, user interfaces and kinematics/kinetics of different types of hinges, with support from both literature and reports. This led to a software built in Microsoft Excel, which was chosen due to its standard features for graphical display of data. Building the software in Excel also makes it accessible to all employees who wishes to use it. The conclusion is that the software could in extension lead to higher quality on finished products by allowing more tested configurations and continuous changes during the design process. / Sammanfattning Denna rapport behandlar utveckling av mjukvara för att beräkna hanteringskrafter. Hanteringskrafter är de krafter som krävs av användaren för att operera motorhuv och baklucka. Projektet är genomfört som ett examensarbete på Karlstads universitet. Arbetet utförs hos CEVT i Göteborg, där resultatet av arbetet kommer användas för att förbättra designprocessen i tidiga stadier. Den slutgiltiga mjukvaran är enkel att använda och uppvisar resultat som ligger nära referensvärdena, som är gamla beräkningar gjorda av en tillverkare. Endast mindre avvikelser finns mellan beräkningarna. Mjukvaran bedöms vara en tillgång I designarbetet hos CEVT. Mjukvaran är också enkel att använda och har testats av de anställda som kunde använda mjukvaran utan instruktioner. Den är baserad på vanliga jämnviktsekvationer, medan strukturen i programmet är enkel att följa och förstå, detta för att göra det enkelt att underhålla och utveckla om behovet uppstår. Den slutgiltiga mjukvaran beräknar vanliga gångjärn och gångjärn baserade på fyrledsmekanismer utrustade med gasfjädrar. Mjukvaran ger också möjlighet att jobba med både motorhuv och baklucka samtidigt för att kunna hålla ett projekt inom en fil. Arbetets fokus har legat på att, skapa mjukvaran, användargränssnitt och kinematik/kinetik hos olika typer av gångjärn, med stöd inom både litteratur och rapporter. Detta resulterade i en mjukvara byggd i Microsoft Excel, som valdes på grund av dess funktioner för att grafiskt representera data. Att skapa mjukvaran i Excel innebar också att alla på företaget kan använda mjukvaran. Slutsatsen är att mjukvaran skapar en möjlighet att höja kvalitén på färdiga produkter genom att möjliggöra fler testade konfigurationer och kontinuerliga förändringar under designprocessen.

In the 1780s the medieval weapon of war; the English longbow, enjoyed a renaissance, as historical archery became a fashionable recreation among the English aristocracy. Later, during 1819-1845, longbow archery developed into a mass movement, as it spread downwards in the English class system, into the bourgeoning middle class. During the entire time period of 1780-1845, the “English warbow” was instrumental in producing a specific English (i.e. not British) nationalistic memory culture regarding the medievalmilitary triumphs of the “English bowmen” in battles of old, against French and Scottish forces, as well as reproducing a nationalistic narrative surrounding the English national hero and master-archer Robin Hood. The English longbow, as an object, became a mani- festation of English nationalism. An important fact was that both men and women were included as archers, despite the masculine context of the memory culture surroundingmilitary archery, the celebration of medieval English battlefield victories and the man- liness of the English “bowmen”. How did England come to view the female archer as an ideal for English women, while at the same time publicly upholding a patriarchal doctrine of a feminine “private sphere” womanhood, whereby women should be constrained to the domestic space as housewives, mothers and daughters? How was the English inclusion of females in the nationalistic public sphere of longbow archery made possible, communica- ted and reproduced? In summary, this study is about how longbow archery was manife- sted in the context of the rise of English modern nationalism and how women were inclu- ded – or rather included themselves – as English longbow archers. As the study shows, the answers exists in an inter-relating web of English memory culture regarding warfare and historical archery; gender constructions and female agency; constructions of English national identity and English nationalism within a British context; and class developments in English society. This accounts for how the Amazon Archers of England came to exist from 1780-1845. / På 1780-talet fick det engelska medeltida krigsvapnet; den engelska långbågen, en ovän- tad och plötslig renässans i England, när historiskt bågskytte blev en hobby på modet inom den engelska aristokratin. Efter Napoleonkrigens slut 1815 utvecklades skyttet till enfolklig massrörelse, inom den växande och allt mer inflytelserika engelska medelklassen. Under tidsperioden 1780-1845 blev den engelska långbågen (The English longbow ellerThe English warbow) instrumentell i produktionen av en specifikt engelsk – det vill sägainte brittisk – nationalistisk minneskultur, utifrån de medeltida engelska bågskyttarnassegrar på slagfälten, i krig mot franska och skotska arméer. Parallellt förstärktes de natio- nalistiska narrativen kring den engelske nationalhjälten och långbågeskytten Robin Hood. Den engelska långbågen, som objekt, blev en manifestation av engelsk nationalism. En viktig del av den engelska långbågskytterörelsen var inkluderingen av både kvinnor och män, trots skyttets karaktär av maskulin krigiskhet och militärhistoria, angående medel- tida krigståg, där ”the English bowman” hade triumferat. Faktum är att den kvinnliga bågskytten hyllades som ett ideal för engelska kvinnor, samtidigt som patriarkal brittisk doktrin dikterade att kvinnor borde hålla sig innanför hemmets väggar, i den privata sfä-ren, medan den offentliga sfären (yrkeskarriär, politik, idrott, etc.) borde vara ett exklusivtmanligt utrymme. Kvinnor skulle vara fruar, mödrar eller döttrar – inte krigare. Hur vardessa bägge kvinnoideal möjliga att förena? I denna fråga återfinns denna studies kärna. Hur konstruerades engelsk krigshistorisk nationalism 1780-1845 kring den engelska långbågen? Hur inkluderades kvinnor i denna maskulina nationalism? Hur producerades, kommunicerades och reproducerades kvinnlig agens i en militärhistorisk nationalistiskdiskurs, som i andra europeiska länder (exempelvis Sverige) ansågs självklart exklusivtmanlig? Sammanfattningsvis visar denna studie hur den engelska långbågen blev central för den gryende engelska moderna nationalismen 1780-1845, och hur kvinnor inkluderades – eller snarare inkluderade sig själva – i denna nationalism, som långbågeskyttar. Studien visar att svaren på forskningsfrågorna återfinns i en sammanflätad väv av engelskminneskultur, angående historiska krig och bågskytte; genuskonstruktioner och kvinnlig agens; konstruktioner av engelsk nationell identitet och engelsk nationalism; samt engel- ska samhällsutvecklingar under introduktionen av modernitet och industrialism. Allt detta berättar historien om hur de engelska bågskytte-amazonerna–The Amazon Archers of England–blev en realitet 1780-1845.

Lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é uma doença multisistêmica crônica e autoimune de etiologia desconhecida. O LES é considerado um fator de risco independente para eventos cardiovasculares em qualquer faixa etária. A coexistência de fatores de risco tradicionais e não tradicionais (alto nível plasmático de homocisteína) são as causas para o risco do desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) em portadores de LES. A hiperhomocisteinemia é considerada um fator de risco independente para DCV e cerebrovasculares e tem como causas fatores nutricionais, genéticos e fisiológicos. Proteína C reativa de alta sensibilidade (hs-PCR), fator de necrose tumoral-? (TNF- ?), interferon ?, MCP-1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein- 1) e leptina tem sido descritos como importantes biomarcadores para DCV. Por outro lado, adiponectina e grelina tem sido retratadas como potentes protetores contra o desenvolvimento da aterosclerose. Parâmetros antropométricos aumentados também podem estar associados ao risco de DCV como aumento da espessura da camada íntima da carótida. O processo de inflamação crônica existente no LES está diretamente associado a alterações no perfil lipídico e no metabolismo de lipoproteínas. Análises em larga escala dos perfis de expressão de proteínas estão se tornando uma importante ferramenta na investigação de várias patologias associadas a resposta autoimune. Objetivos: Descrever e comparar medidas antropométricas, ingestão alimentar e proteoma plasmático em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil (LESJ) e controles saudáveis. Comparar metabólitos e antropometria entre dois clusters metabólicos de pacientes com LESJ (Lúpus Melhor Perfil Metabólico - LMPM e Lúpus Pior Perfil Metabólico - LPPM) e um cluster com controles saudáveis (Controle Melhor Perfil Metabólico) e, também, em dois clusters de pacientes com LESJ definidos pela dose diária de corticoide administrada. Métodos: Foram recrutadas 19 adolescentes portadoras de LESJ e 39 controles saudáveis. Foram mensurados índice de massa corporal (IMC), peso, estatura, circunferência da cintura (CC), ingestão alimentar (Recordatório de 24 horas), SLEDAI (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index), SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index), níveis plasmáticos de homocisteína, vitamina B12, 6 folato, TNF-?, hs-PCR, MCP-1, adiponectina, leptina, grelina, perfil lipídico e proteoma plasmático pela técnica Shotgun proteomics com Isobaric Tag for Relative and Absolute Quantitation. Os grupos foram comparados por ANCOVA. k-cluster foi usado para separar LESJ e controles em dois clusters extremos de melhor e pior perfil metabólico de acordo com os níveis plasmáticos de homocisteína, TNF-?, hsPCR e folato para a análise da proteômica. Resultados: Pacientes com LESJ apresentaram maior IMC, CC, homocisteína, triglicérides, TNF-?, hsPCR e menor folato plasmático quando comparados ao grupo controle. Foram encontradas 10 proteínas com expressão significativamente diferente entre os clusters: Cluster Lúpus Melhor Perfil Metabólico (LMPM), Cluster Lúpus Pior Perfil Metabólico (LPPM) e Cluster Controle Melhor Perfil Metabólico (CMPM) (? -2-macroglobulina, ? -1-antitripsina, apoliproteína AI, apoliproteína E, ceruloplasmina, complemento C3, fibrinogênio de cadeia ?, haptoglobina, hemopexina e sorotransferrina). Oito proteínas foram mais expressas no LMPM e menos expressas no LPPM comparados com CMPM. As proteínas menos expressas no LPPM foram negativamente correlacionadas com maior risco para DCV. Conclusão: O presente estudo mostrou que as adolescentes com LESJ apresentaram maior IMC, circunferência da cintura, concentrações séricas de homocisteína, triglicérides, TNF-?, hs-PCR e, menor estatura e concentração de folato sérico quando comparadas com adolescentes saudáveis. Além disso, o cluster LPPM apresentou uma expressão diminuída das proteínas apolipoproteína AI, apolipoproteína E, alfa-2- macroglobulina, alfa-1-antitripsina, ceruloplasmina, complemento C3, hemopexina e sorotransferrina quando comparado aos clusters CMPM e LMPM. Sendo assim, é possível concluir que o presente estudo sinaliza possíveis complicações cardiovasculares futuras em pacientes com LESJ e, sugerem a necessidade de novos estudos, a fim de elucidar a interação do estado nutricional e das proteínas encontradas pela proteômica no contexto de sistemas biológicos em pacientes com LESJ. / Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a, autoimmune, chronic and inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. SLE is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases at any age. Reasons for the increased risk of CVD in SLE include the co-existence of traditional cardiac risk factors and nontraditional risk factors such as high concentrations of homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels is considered an independent risk factor for CVD. Hiperhomocysteine can indicate undernourishment due to a lack of vitamins or genetic alterations. Inflammatory biomarkers have been consistently associated with the presence of CVD in multiple studies from different populations, including SLE, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor - ? (TNF - ?), type I interferon (IFN), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and leptin. On the other hand, some cytokines and hormones are related to atherosclerosis prevention, such as adiponectin and ghrelin. The existing chronic inflammation process in SLE is directly associated with changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Some comprehensive studies have been conducted at multiple biological levels including DNA (or genomics), mRNA (or transcriptomics), protein (or proteomics) and metabolites (or metabolomics). The \'omics\' platforms allow us to re-examine SLE at a greater degree of molecular resolution. Objectives: To describe and compare anthropometric measurements, food intake, metabolites and plasma proteomic analysis in child-hood onset systemic lupus erythematosus (c-SLE) and healthy controls. To compare metabolites and anthropometric parameters between two clusters with c-SLE (lupus cluster with the best - LCBMP and the worst metabolic profile - LCWMP) and one cluster with controls (healthy cluster with the best metabolic profile - HCBMP) and to compare metabolites and anthropometric parameters between two clusters of c-SLE patients defined by daily corticosteroid doses intake. Methods: 19 c-SLE and 39 healthy volunteers were recruited. We evaluated BMI, weight, height, waist circumference, food intake through a 24-hours recalls, SLEDAI (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index), SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index), SLICC, serum levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12, 8 folate, TNF-?, hs-C reactive protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, lipid profile and plasma proteomic by Shotgun proteomics with Isobaric Tag for Relative and Absolute Quantitation. The groups were compared by ANCOVA. k-cluster were used to separate SLE and control groups into two different clusters with the best and the worst metabolic profile according to homocysteine, TNF-?, hsCRP and folate plasma levels for proteomic assessment. Results: SLE patients presented higher BMI, WC, homocysteine, triglycerides, TNF-?, hsCRP levels and lower plasma folate when compared to controls. We found 10 proteins with significantly different expression between healthy cluster with the best metabolic profile (HCBMP) and lupus cluster with the best (LCBMP) and the worst metabolic profile (LCWMP) (alpha-2- macroglobulin; alpha-1-antitripsin, apoliprotein AI, apoliprotein E, ceruloplasmin, complement C3, fibrinogen ? chain, haptoglobin, hemopexin and serum transferrin). Eight proteins were higher expressed in LCBMP and lower expressed in LCWMP compared with HCBMP. Proteins less expressed in LCWMP were negatively correlated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Our results described some previously cardiovascular risk factors in c-SLE patients and possible associations between nutritional status and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Proteomic results showed acute phase proteins and pro-inflammatory proteins more expressed in c-SLE patients compared to controls. These results might allow us to treat c-SLE with personalized diets to avoid cardiovascular complications in future. The small sample size and the cross-sectional design were the limitations of the study, but it is a rare disease in the pediatric field and, despite this fact, the present study was able to characterize two distinct nutritional and metabolic groups with uncommon proteins expressed. These results deserve further investigations to better elucidate the whole of these proteins in the context of systems biology interactions in SLE pediatric patients.

Lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) é uma doença multisistêmica crônica e autoimune de etiologia desconhecida. O LES é considerado um fator de risco independente para eventos cardiovasculares em qualquer faixa etária. A coexistência de fatores de risco tradicionais e não tradicionais (alto nível plasmático de homocisteína) são as causas para o risco do desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) em portadores de LES. A hiperhomocisteinemia é considerada um fator de risco independente para DCV e cerebrovasculares e tem como causas fatores nutricionais, genéticos e fisiológicos. Proteína C reativa de alta sensibilidade (hs-PCR), fator de necrose tumoral-? (TNF- ?), interferon ?, MCP-1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein- 1) e leptina tem sido descritos como importantes biomarcadores para DCV. Por outro lado, adiponectina e grelina tem sido retratadas como potentes protetores contra o desenvolvimento da aterosclerose. Parâmetros antropométricos aumentados também podem estar associados ao risco de DCV como aumento da espessura da camada íntima da carótida. O processo de inflamação crônica existente no LES está diretamente associado a alterações no perfil lipídico e no metabolismo de lipoproteínas. Análises em larga escala dos perfis de expressão de proteínas estão se tornando uma importante ferramenta na investigação de várias patologias associadas a resposta autoimune. Objetivos: Descrever e comparar medidas antropométricas, ingestão alimentar e proteoma plasmático em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil (LESJ) e controles saudáveis. Comparar metabólitos e antropometria entre dois clusters metabólicos de pacientes com LESJ (Lúpus Melhor Perfil Metabólico - LMPM e Lúpus Pior Perfil Metabólico - LPPM) e um cluster com controles saudáveis (Controle Melhor Perfil Metabólico) e, também, em dois clusters de pacientes com LESJ definidos pela dose diária de corticoide administrada. Métodos: Foram recrutadas 19 adolescentes portadoras de LESJ e 39 controles saudáveis. Foram mensurados índice de massa corporal (IMC), peso, estatura, circunferência da cintura (CC), ingestão alimentar (Recordatório de 24 horas), SLEDAI (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index), SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index), níveis plasmáticos de homocisteína, vitamina B12, 6 folato, TNF-?, hs-PCR, MCP-1, adiponectina, leptina, grelina, perfil lipídico e proteoma plasmático pela técnica Shotgun proteomics com Isobaric Tag for Relative and Absolute Quantitation. Os grupos foram comparados por ANCOVA. k-cluster foi usado para separar LESJ e controles em dois clusters extremos de melhor e pior perfil metabólico de acordo com os níveis plasmáticos de homocisteína, TNF-?, hsPCR e folato para a análise da proteômica. Resultados: Pacientes com LESJ apresentaram maior IMC, CC, homocisteína, triglicérides, TNF-?, hsPCR e menor folato plasmático quando comparados ao grupo controle. Foram encontradas 10 proteínas com expressão significativamente diferente entre os clusters: Cluster Lúpus Melhor Perfil Metabólico (LMPM), Cluster Lúpus Pior Perfil Metabólico (LPPM) e Cluster Controle Melhor Perfil Metabólico (CMPM) (? -2-macroglobulina, ? -1-antitripsina, apoliproteína AI, apoliproteína E, ceruloplasmina, complemento C3, fibrinogênio de cadeia ?, haptoglobina, hemopexina e sorotransferrina). Oito proteínas foram mais expressas no LMPM e menos expressas no LPPM comparados com CMPM. As proteínas menos expressas no LPPM foram negativamente correlacionadas com maior risco para DCV. Conclusão: O presente estudo mostrou que as adolescentes com LESJ apresentaram maior IMC, circunferência da cintura, concentrações séricas de homocisteína, triglicérides, TNF-?, hs-PCR e, menor estatura e concentração de folato sérico quando comparadas com adolescentes saudáveis. Além disso, o cluster LPPM apresentou uma expressão diminuída das proteínas apolipoproteína AI, apolipoproteína E, alfa-2- macroglobulina, alfa-1-antitripsina, ceruloplasmina, complemento C3, hemopexina e sorotransferrina quando comparado aos clusters CMPM e LMPM. Sendo assim, é possível concluir que o presente estudo sinaliza possíveis complicações cardiovasculares futuras em pacientes com LESJ e, sugerem a necessidade de novos estudos, a fim de elucidar a interação do estado nutricional e das proteínas encontradas pela proteômica no contexto de sistemas biológicos em pacientes com LESJ. / Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a, autoimmune, chronic and inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. SLE is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases at any age. Reasons for the increased risk of CVD in SLE include the co-existence of traditional cardiac risk factors and nontraditional risk factors such as high concentrations of homocysteine. Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels is considered an independent risk factor for CVD. Hiperhomocysteine can indicate undernourishment due to a lack of vitamins or genetic alterations. Inflammatory biomarkers have been consistently associated with the presence of CVD in multiple studies from different populations, including SLE, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor - ? (TNF - ?), type I interferon (IFN), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and leptin. On the other hand, some cytokines and hormones are related to atherosclerosis prevention, such as adiponectin and ghrelin. The existing chronic inflammation process in SLE is directly associated with changes in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Some comprehensive studies have been conducted at multiple biological levels including DNA (or genomics), mRNA (or transcriptomics), protein (or proteomics) and metabolites (or metabolomics). The \'omics\' platforms allow us to re-examine SLE at a greater degree of molecular resolution. Objectives: To describe and compare anthropometric measurements, food intake, metabolites and plasma proteomic analysis in child-hood onset systemic lupus erythematosus (c-SLE) and healthy controls. To compare metabolites and anthropometric parameters between two clusters with c-SLE (lupus cluster with the best - LCBMP and the worst metabolic profile - LCWMP) and one cluster with controls (healthy cluster with the best metabolic profile - HCBMP) and to compare metabolites and anthropometric parameters between two clusters of c-SLE patients defined by daily corticosteroid doses intake. Methods: 19 c-SLE and 39 healthy volunteers were recruited. We evaluated BMI, weight, height, waist circumference, food intake through a 24-hours recalls, SLEDAI (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index), SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index), SLICC, serum levels of homocysteine, vitamin B12, 8 folate, TNF-?, hs-C reactive protein, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, lipid profile and plasma proteomic by Shotgun proteomics with Isobaric Tag for Relative and Absolute Quantitation. The groups were compared by ANCOVA. k-cluster were used to separate SLE and control groups into two different clusters with the best and the worst metabolic profile according to homocysteine, TNF-?, hsCRP and folate plasma levels for proteomic assessment. Results: SLE patients presented higher BMI, WC, homocysteine, triglycerides, TNF-?, hsCRP levels and lower plasma folate when compared to controls. We found 10 proteins with significantly different expression between healthy cluster with the best metabolic profile (HCBMP) and lupus cluster with the best (LCBMP) and the worst metabolic profile (LCWMP) (alpha-2- macroglobulin; alpha-1-antitripsin, apoliprotein AI, apoliprotein E, ceruloplasmin, complement C3, fibrinogen ? chain, haptoglobin, hemopexin and serum transferrin). Eight proteins were higher expressed in LCBMP and lower expressed in LCWMP compared with HCBMP. Proteins less expressed in LCWMP were negatively correlated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: Our results described some previously cardiovascular risk factors in c-SLE patients and possible associations between nutritional status and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Proteomic results showed acute phase proteins and pro-inflammatory proteins more expressed in c-SLE patients compared to controls. These results might allow us to treat c-SLE with personalized diets to avoid cardiovascular complications in future. The small sample size and the cross-sectional design were the limitations of the study, but it is a rare disease in the pediatric field and, despite this fact, the present study was able to characterize two distinct nutritional and metabolic groups with uncommon proteins expressed. These results deserve further investigations to better elucidate the whole of these proteins in the context of systems biology interactions in SLE pediatric patients.

<p>This thesis has been written within the research project “Tillfälligt Uppbrott”, which concerns youths who have run away or been thrown out of their homes. The project is based on a na-tional poll among more than 3000 high school students. Our purpose has been to study youths who have left home and their own experiences. We have looked at all the question-naires in which the youths stated they had left home and focused on their answers to five open questions. The answers have been categorized in themes and the results have been put up against a certain amount of background variables. The concentration is foremost qualitative but there are also features of quantitive data. In our analysis we have used the new sociology of childhood which is based on social constructionism. In our result we have learned what the youths see as the reasons for the breakups, what they missed, how they provided for them-selves and what happened to them during the time away from home, as well as gotten exam-ples on how the experience affected them, both positively and negatively.</p>

This thesis has been written within the research project “Tillfälligt Uppbrott”, which concerns youths who have run away or been thrown out of their homes. The project is based on a na-tional poll among more than 3000 high school students. Our purpose has been to study youths who have left home and their own experiences. We have looked at all the question-naires in which the youths stated they had left home and focused on their answers to five open questions. The answers have been categorized in themes and the results have been put up against a certain amount of background variables. The concentration is foremost qualitative but there are also features of quantitive data. In our analysis we have used the new sociology of childhood which is based on social constructionism. In our result we have learned what the youths see as the reasons for the breakups, what they missed, how they provided for them-selves and what happened to them during the time away from home, as well as gotten exam-ples on how the experience affected them, both positively and negatively.