Defensins are small cysteine-rich, cationic peptides that play an essential role in the innate immune system of virtually all life forms, from insects and plants to amphibians and mammals. Defensins are mainly an innate immunity element, exhibiting antibacterial activities by disrupting the cell membrane of a wide range of organisms (Cole et al. 2002). Defensins also affect certain adaptive immune responses, including enhancing phagocytosis, promoting neutrophil recruitment, and enhancing the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The aim of this thesis is to make a comprehensive and accurate subfamily classification of the defensin gene family, primarily by using a library of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). In this project the subfamily classification of the defensin gene family is primarily based on a constructed library of HMMs. Results: Sets of known defensins were organized in placed in 84 clusters using the clustering and alignment tool, FlowerPower. The clusters were further classified as mammalian alpha- or beta-defensins, plant defensin, insect defensin and defensin MGD. This classification was based on significant cluster hits against the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database and species distribution. Based on the relative positions of disulfide bonds and constructed Multiple Sequence Alignments (MSAs) some sequences were classified as belonging to the sperm– and theta-defensin subfamilies. Compared to PFAM’s classification of defensins, the subfamily classification presented here is more informative. The library of HMMs has been made public via a web server that was used to automatically score and analyze input sequences against the created database of HMMs. This database and web server are expected to be useful to researchers working on various aspects of defensin action.

<p>Defensins are small cysteine-rich, cationic peptides that play an essential role in the innate immune system of virtually all life forms, from insects and plants to amphibians and mammals. Defensins are mainly an innate immunity element, exhibiting antibacterial activities by disrupting the cell membrane of a wide range of organisms (Cole et al. 2002). Defensins also affect certain adaptive immune responses, including enhancing phagocytosis, promoting neutrophil recruitment, and enhancing the production of proinflammatory cytokines.</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to make a comprehensive and accurate subfamily classification of the defensin gene family, primarily by using a library of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). In this project the subfamily classification of the defensin gene family is primarily based on a constructed library of HMMs. Results: Sets of known defensins were organized in placed in 84 clusters using the clustering and alignment tool, FlowerPower. The clusters were further classified as mammalian alpha- or beta-defensins, plant defensin, insect defensin and defensin MGD. This classification was based on significant cluster hits against the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database and species distribution. Based on the relative positions of disulfide bonds and constructed Multiple Sequence Alignments (MSAs) some sequences were classified as belonging to the sperm– and theta-defensin subfamilies. Compared to PFAM’s classification of defensins, the subfamily classification presented here is more informative. The library of HMMs has been made public via a web server that was used to automatically score and analyze input sequences against the created database of HMMs. This database and web server are expected to be useful to researchers working on various aspects of defensin action.</p>

Cette thèse porte sur le travail dans les Société Coopératives et Participatives (SCOP). A travers l’étude de ce modèle, est proposée une analyse approfondie des inégalités au travail dans les entreprises par le biais de la structure salariale et de la répartition des coûts d’ajustement de l’activité. La thèse est divisée en quatre chapitres. Le premier chapitre compare la distribution des salaires dans les SCOP et dans les entreprises classiques (EC), en estimant des équations de salaires à partir de la base de données DADS. Le deuxième chapitre vient compléter le premier en proposant une analyse détaillée du discours des agents (à l’aide de 53 entretiens réalisés dans 38 SCOP de la région Rhône-Alpes) permettant d’identifier les principes de justice à l’œuvre dans la détermination des structures salariales mises en évidence dans le premier chapitre. Le troisième chapitre propose une analyse économétrique de l’adaptation différenciée des SCOP et des EC aux chocs de demande, par les ajustements de l’emploi, des salaires et des heures travaillées. Le quatrième chapitre explore la possibilité d’une diversité importante parmi les SCOP, notamment dans l’accès au sociétariat, qui pourrait avoir un impact sur les ajustements de l’emploi. La contribution de cette thèse au débat économique peut être résumée en trois points. Premièrement il s’agit de la première grande analyse quantitative comparative des SCOP et EC concernant l’emploi et ses caractéristiques. Deuxièmement l’enquête qualitative sur laquelle nous nous appuyons, réalisée en collaboration avec des collègues de l’Université de Grenoble est également unique puisque c’est la première enquête qualitative de cette ampleur. Son exploitation permet donc une analyse du discours des membres des SCOP qui n’avait pas été réalisé auparavant. Enfin, notre positionnement se veut également original, mobilisant des approches habituellement mises en opposition en les faisant réellement discuter autour d’un objet dont la compréhension s’en trouve enrichie. / This thesis focuses on French Cooperative and Participative firms (SCOP). Through the observation of this model, it offers an extensive analysis of inequality at work within firms, concentrating on wage inequality and sharing of adjustment costs.The thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter compares wage distribution in SCOPs and conventional firms (CFs) by estimating wage equations based on the DADS dataset. The second chapter offers a detailed analysis of 53 workers’ interviews, conducted in 38 SCOPs in the Rhône-Alpes region. The principles of justice at work in the determination of the wage structures described in chapter one are identified. The third chapter is an econometric comparison of adjustments to demand shocks in SCOPs and CFs, involving employment flexibility as well as hour and wage flexibility. The fourth chapter explores the diversity among SCOPs, especially in access to membership and its consequences on employment adjustments.The contribution of this thesis to the debate in economics can be summarised with three points. Firstly it is the first large comparative quantitative analysis of SCOPs and CFs regarding employment and its characteristics. Secondly, the qualitative survey we use, produced with colleagues from Grenoble University, is also unique in terms of size and content. Its exploitation makes the analysis of workers’ rhetoric on equality possible. Finally, our method is original: we adopt approaches that are usually opposed and use them in unison to enrich the understanding of our subject.

<p>Databases nowadays used in all kinds of application areas often differ greatly in a number of properties. These varieties add complexity to the handling of databases, especially when two or more different databases are dependent.</p><p>The approach described here to propagate updates in an application scenario with heterogeneous, dependent databases is the use of a rule-based mediator. The system EruS (ECA rules updating SCOP) applies active database technologies in a bioinformatics scenario. Reactive behaviour based on rules is used for databases holding protein structures.</p><p>The inherent heterogeneities of the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database and the Protein Data Bank (PDB) cause inconsistencies in the SCOP data derived from PDB. This complicates research on protein structures.</p><p>EruS solves this problem by establishing rule-based interaction between the two databases. The system is built on the rule engine ruleCore with Event-Condition-Action rules to process PDB updates. It is complemented with wrappers accessing the databases to generate the events, which are executed as actions. The resulting system processes deletes and modifications of existing PDB entries and updates SCOP flatfiles with the relevant information. This is the first step in the development of EruS, which is to be extended in future work.</p><p>The project improves bioinformatics research by providing easy access to up-to-date information from PDB to SCOP users. The system can also be considered as a model for rule-based mediators in other application areas.</p>

Thesis describes the procedures for evaluating performance parameters of heat pumps COP, SCOP (coefficient of perfomance, seasonal coefficient of perfomance). It is focused on the most common types of heat pumps in european geographical conditions, heat pumps air-water, water-water, brine-water.

Europeiska Unionen, EU, har som mål att år 2020 skall minst 20 % av energianvändningen i medlemsstaterna vara från förnyelsebar energi. En stor del av energianvändningen idag är för uppvärmning av hus och vatten. Samtidigt som allt sker strålar solen energirika strålar mot jordklotet. En metod för uppvärmning är att använda en bergvärmepump. Bergvärmepumpen kräver el till sin kompressor. För en energieffektiv samt god lösning ur ett förnyelsebart energi-perspektiv kan bergvärmepumpen drivas av el som genererats från solceller. Idag redovisas bergvärmepumpars effektivitet med nyckeltalen SCOP och hwh som visar hur effektivt bergvärmepumpen jobbar när den tillgodoser rumsuppvärmningsbehov respektive varmvattenberedning. Årsvärmefaktorn är en kombination av dessa två. SCOP och hwh beräknas idag enligt en 4 stycken standarder som EU framtagit. För att värmepumpsleverantörer ska få sälja bergvärmepumpar inom EU måste de ha beräknat SCOP och hwh enligt dessa standarder. Standarderna utgår från relativt konstanta yttre förutsättningar. Denna studien ska undersöka hur årsvärmefaktorn påverkas då dessa yttre förutsättningar varierar. Faktorerna som kommer undersökas är framledningstemperatur, tappvarmvattensbehov, dimensionerande värmebehov och geografisk placering. Resultatet visar att samtliga av de undersökta faktorerna har mer eller mindre en påverkan på årsvärmefaktorn. I en undersökning på en bergvärmepump var årsvärmefaktorn 4,5 för den systemlösning som standarden går efter. För samma bergvärmepump men med varierade yttre förutsättningar kunde årsvärmefaktorn variera mellan 1,2 till 6,3. Systemlösningen med den årsvärmefaktor 1,2 hade i förhållande till standardens systemlösning högre tappvarmvattensbehov samt var underdimensionerad. Systemlösningen med årsvärmefaktor 6,3 hade i förhållande till standardens systemlösning inget tappvarmvattensbehov, var överdimensionerad, hade lägre framledningstemperatur samt var placerad på en ort med kallare klimat. Resultatet tyder på att tappvarmvattensbehovet har den största påverkan på årsvärmefaktorn. / The European Union, EU, aims to achieve a minimum of 20% renewable energy. A large share of the energy use today is for the heating of houses and water, while at the same time, the sun provides a steady supply of energy-rich sunrays. A method for heating is to use a heat pump, which requires electricity for its compressor. In an energy efficient and sustainable solution, the heat pump could be driven by electricity generated by solar panels. Heat pumps performances are measured by the key value; annual heat factor. The annual heat factor indicates the total efficiency of the heat pump measured over the whole year. Today, the efficiency of heat pumps is indicated by the use of two key values; SCOP and hwh, which respectively shows the efficiency of the heat pump while fulfilling the room heating requirement and the DHW requirement. The annual heating factor is a combination of these key values. SCOP and hwh are calculated according to four standards developed by the EU. In order to be able to sell heat pumps, manufacturers in the EU have to follow these standards for calculating SCOP and hwh.  The standards assume relatively constant external conditions. This study investigates how the annual heating factor is affected when these external conditions are allowed to vary. The factors that will be investigated are the temperature of the flow line temperature, domestic hot water needs, dimensioning heating demand and geographic location. The results present that all of the investigated factors more or less affects the annual heating factor. In one investigation of a ground source heat pump the annual heating factor was 4,5 for the system solution that was based on the standard calculations. For the same heat pump but with external conditions that were allowed to vary the annual heating factor was estimated to vary between 1,2 and 6,3. The system solution with the annual heating factor of 1,2 had in relation to the EU standard system solution a larger domestic water demand and it was undersized. The system solution with an annual heating factor of 6,3 had in relation to the EU standard system solution no domestic water demand, was oversized, had a lower flow line temperature and was placed in a colder climate. The results imply that the domestic water demand has the biggest impact on the annual heating factor.

Databases nowadays used in all kinds of application areas often differ greatly in a number of properties. These varieties add complexity to the handling of databases, especially when two or more different databases are dependent. The approach described here to propagate updates in an application scenario with heterogeneous, dependent databases is the use of a rule-based mediator. The system EruS (ECA rules updating SCOP) applies active database technologies in a bioinformatics scenario. Reactive behaviour based on rules is used for databases holding protein structures. The inherent heterogeneities of the Structural Classification of Proteins (SCOP) database and the Protein Data Bank (PDB) cause inconsistencies in the SCOP data derived from PDB. This complicates research on protein structures. EruS solves this problem by establishing rule-based interaction between the two databases. The system is built on the rule engine ruleCore with Event-Condition-Action rules to process PDB updates. It is complemented with wrappers accessing the databases to generate the events, which are executed as actions. The resulting system processes deletes and modifications of existing PDB entries and updates SCOP flatfiles with the relevant information. This is the first step in the development of EruS, which is to be extended in future work. The project improves bioinformatics research by providing easy access to up-to-date information from PDB to SCOP users. The system can also be considered as a model for rule-based mediators in other application areas.

No description available.

This master’s thesis deals with automation of Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) testing process of heat pumps. The thesis includes explanation of testing procedure according to EN 14 825 and flowcharts of its logic. Next there is description of laboratory test model made in LabView and its functionality verifying.

This diploma thesis deals with the energy efficiency of heat pumps, especially efficiency of air/water system. In the this thesis is simply described the principle of the heat pump and function of each component. It shows the issues of determining the parameters of performance of the heat pump and also describes verification in according to applicable standards. The diploma thesis gives an analysis of determining the energetical efficiency and calculation of coefficient of performance, in other words, the seasonal heating coefficient of performance. Seasonal energy efficiency of selected samples of heat pumps for the heating season is designated for specific climatic conditions.