Autoimmune diseases occur in up to 3-5% of the general population and represent a diverse collection of diseases with regards to clinical manifestations. The unifying factor of autoimmune diseases is tissue and organ damage as a result of an immune response mounted against self-antigens. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is considered a prototype of human systemic autoimmune diseases. The etiology of SLE is as yet largely unknown, but both epidemiological and genetic data suggest an interplay between numerous and varying genetic and environmental factors. There is compelling evidence for a strong genetic component in SLE. The disease has a high λsibs value and familial clustering is apparent. Multiple susceptibility loci have been identified, some of which are syntenic between humans and mice and some of which overlap with other autoimmune diseases.   This thesis is based on analysis of Icelandic multicase SLE families and Swedish SLE patients. Paper I is a study of the association of C4A protein deficiency (C4AQ0) with SLE in the multicase families and shows a significantly increased frequency of C4AQ0 in the families. The genetic basis for C4AQ0 varies and C4AQ0 is found on different MHC haplotypes, pointing to C4AQ0 as an independent risk factor for SLE. Paper II describes the association of low MBL serum levels with SLE in the families and identifies low MBL as risk factor for SLE in families that carry the defect. Low MBL was furthermore found to mediate an additive risk when found in combination with C4AQ0. In paper III cellular expression the PD-1 co-inhibitory receptor on T cells was studied. A polymorphism in the PDCD1 gene, PD-1.3A was previously associated with SLE in the multicase families. The polymorphism is thought to disrupt expression of the gene and may lead to decreased expression of the PD-1 receptor. The study demonstrates lower PD-1 expression in SLE patients and relatives in correlation to the PD-1.3A genotype. Paper IV is a compiled analysis of the SLE families, including PD-1.3A, C4AQ0, low MBL, autoimmune diseases and autoantibody profiles. The study demonstrates clustering of different autoimmune diseases and autoantibodies in families that are heterogenic with regards to the genetic susceptibility factors, PD-1.3A, C4AQ0 and low MBL.

The rheological properties of cement based grouts change with water/cement ratio and time, during the course of hydration. For this reason, it is desirable to be able to measure this change continuously, in-line, with a robust instrument during the entire grouting operation in the field. The rheological properties of commonly used cement grouts were determined using the Ultrasound Velocity Profiling combined with the Pressure Difference (UVP+PD) method. A non-model approach was used that directly provides the properties, and the results were compared with the properties obtained using the Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley rheological models. The results show that it is possible to determine the rheological properties, as well as variations with concentration and time, with this method. The UVP+PD method has been found to be an effective measuring device for velocity profile visualization, volumetric flow determination and the characteristics of the grout pump used. / <p>QS 2013</p>

En el grup de recerca s'havien descobert uns complexos de Pd(0) macrocíclics triolefínics de 15 membres. Es va estudiar la síntesi i capacitat coordinant dels lligands macrocíclics i l'activitat catalítica i reutilització dels seus complexos. Ens vam proposar ancorar aquest tipus de complexos de Pd(0) macrocíclics sobre una superfície sòlida de manera que fóssin fàcilment recuperables. Els polímers inorgànics presenten avantatges: elevades superfícies específiques i elevada estabilitat química i tèrmica. Existeixen diferents maneres de preparar materials híbrids orgànic-inorgànics contenint aquest tipus de lligands macrocíclics: cogelificació amb TEOS (procés sol-gel), o ancoratge a un gel de sílice mesoporós i estructurat (SBA-15). Per poder preparar aquests materials s'han sintetitzat macrocicles que contenen grups trietoxisilil (figura 2). La complexació del Pd(0) es pot fer abans o després de la formació del material. S'ha assajat l'activitat catalítica i reutilització d'aquests materials en reaccions d'acoblament de Suzuki Csp3-Csp2 i Csp2-Csp2 i en reaccions de telomerització d'1,3-butadiè amb fenol.També s'ha preparat un material poliestirènic entrecreuat que conté aquest tipus de complexos de Pd(0) macrocíclics. Aquest sòlid també s'ha assajat com a catalitzador en els mateixos acoblaments de Suzuki que els anteriors materials híbrids i en la reacció de telomerització d'1,3-butadiè amb metanol. / A new type of 15-membered Pd(0) macrocyclic triolefinic complexes had been serendipitously discovered in the research group. The synthesis and coordination ability of these macrocyclic ligands, as well as the catalytic activity and the recycling of their complexes had been studied.The grafting of this kind of Pd(0) macrocyclic complexes to a solid surface would render them easily recoverable by simple filtration. The inorganic polymers have great advantages: high specific surface and high chemical and thermical stability. There are different approaches to prepare hybrid organic-inorganic materials containing these kind of macrocyclic ligands: cogelification with TEOS (sol-gel process), or grafting to a mesoporous and structured silica (SBA-15). In order to prepare these hybrid materials, macrocycles with triethoxysilyl functionalities have been synthesized (figure 2). The complexation of Pd(0) can be done before or after the solid formation. The catalytic activity and recycling of these hybrid materials have been tested in Csp3-Csp2 and Csp2-Csp2 Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and in a telomerization reaction of 1,3-butadiene with phenol.We have also prepared a cross-linked polystyrene containing this type of Pd(0) macrocyclic complexes. This solid was also tested as catalyst in the same cross-coupling Suzuki reactions and in a telomerization reaction of 1,3-butadiene with methanol.

This thesis was done at DaimlerChrysler AG in Stuttgart,Germany. The aim of the thesis is to develop an algorithm for controlling a motor used in a Shift-by-Wire System. The control algorithm is to be implemented in a prototype car for further testing. The Shift-by-Wire System can be described as follows: An electrical actuator is mounted in an automatic gearbox to select gears instead of the gear stick. The actuator is controlled by a microcontroller, which runs a control algorithm. The position of the actuator is measured with a linear position sensor and sent to the controller.

This thesis is the use of commercially available methyl 2-iodobenzoate as the starting material and was prepared into iodine - oxazoline compound 118. Then, we undergo copper-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of compound 118with thiols, and were readily facilitated to afford the corresponding desired products 127¡B136 in good to excellent yields. This method not only modified short- comings of that adding strong base to synthesis of sulfur-oxazoline ligands in past years but also has a good yield performances, the yield is 70 -87%. And we will use this strategy to undergo one pot reaction of carbon-sulfur coupling in future. In the end, we used new sulfur-oxazoline ligands127¡B128 in the Pd-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate. and reaction ee% were high, with the best result of 99% and 93% conversion.

In this study, the structures of two ultrathin Pd nanowires were predicted by the simulated annealing basin-hopping method (SABH) with the tight-binding potential. The thermal stability of the Pd wires and adsorption, dissociation and diffusion behaviors were further examined by the density functional theory (DFT) calculation and DFT molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) simulation. In terms of thermal stability, these two Pd nanowires are still very stable at temperatures as high as 400 K. The configurations and adsorption energy have been calculated for H atom and H2 molecular adsorption on Pd nanowires. The minimum energy pathways and transition states of H2 molecular dissociation and H atom diffusion process on Pd nanowires were studied by the nudged elastic band (NEB) method. For the dissociation of hydrogen molecules, results show the dissociation is almost barrierless so the dissociation is easy to occur at very low temperatures, and their catalytic reactivity is very similar to the Pd bulk material. The thermal stability of the H atom within these Pd nanowires were also investigated by DFT-MD, with results showing that the H atom can only stay within Pd nanowires at temperatures much lower than room temperature (298 K). This phenomenon is very different from that of H atoms within Pd bulk material or other reported nanomaterials, leading to hydrogen embrittlement. Our results reveal that these two ultrathin Pd nanowires not only possess the same excellent catalytic activity for hydrogen molecules as the bulk Pd materials or other Pd nanomaterials do, but also avoid the hydrogen embrittlement occur.

The application of diagnostic thresholds plays an important role in the classification of mental disorders. Despite their importance, many diagnostic thresholds are set arbitrarily, without much empirical support. This paper seeks to introduce and analyze a new empirically based way of setting diagnostic thresholds for a category of mental disorders that has historically had arbitrary thresholds, the personality disorders (PDs). I analyzed data from over 2,000 participants that were part of the Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) database. Results revealed that functional outcome scores, as measured by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores, could be used to identify diagnostic thresholds and that the optimal thresholds varied somewhat by personality disorder (PD) along the spectrum of latent severity. Using the Item response theory (IRT)-based approach, the optimal threshold along the spectrum of latent severity for the different PDs ranged from θ = 1.50 to 2.25. Effect sizes using the IRT-based approach ranged from .34 to 1.55. These findings suggest that linking diagnostic thresholds to functional outcomes and thereby making them less arbitrary is an achievable goal. This study has introduced a new and uncomplicated way to empirically set diagnostic thresholds while also taking into consideration that items within diagnostic sets may function differently. Although purely an initial demonstration meant only to serve as an example, by using this approach, there exists the potential that diagnostic thresholds for all disorders could one day be set on an empirical basis.

No description available.

This dissertation focuses on bridging the pressure and complexity gap between heterogeneous catalysis and surface science by introducing new instrumental tools that can operate under catalytically relevant conditions (i.e. atmospheric pressures and temperatures higher than room temperature). Thus, some of the few detailed examples of the polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRAS) as an in situ vibrational spectroscopic tool for the elevated-pressure investigation of gas/solid interfaces on planar single crystal model catalyst systems were presented in this work. Furthermore, for the first time in the literature, PM-IRAS technique was applied to study complex multi-component model catalyst structures exhibiting three dimensional morphologies such as metal nanoparticles deposited on a metal-oxide thin film. In order to achieve a molecular understanding of the properties of CO+NO catalytic reaction at elevated temperatures and pressures on Pd based catalysts, adsorption trends of each of the reactant molecules were studied separately on Pd (111). The adsorption properties of CO/Pd (111) and NO/Pd (111) systems both under UHV conditions and at elevated pressures were discussed in a comparative manner to highlight the pressure dependent behavioral differences between these two probe molecules by emphasizing the risks of extrapolating UHV trends to elevated pressure regimes. CO+NO reaction mechanism and kinetics was also studied on Pd (111) by in situ PM-IRAS. Factors affecting the conversion and the selectivity of the Pd (111) model catalyst towards CO+NO reaction at elevated pressures were discussed. Formation of isocyanate containing species?? was also observed and the catalytic implications of this observation was elaborated. Finally, design and characterization of a complex model catalyst composed of supported Pd nano-particles was investigated using CO adsorption at elevated pressures. Catalytic activity of the defect sites on the supported Pd nano-particles towards CO dissociation was demonstrated and compared with Pd (111) to elucidate the significance of the surface morphology of the active sites in a catalytic reaction.

The chemisorption and anodic oxidation of hydroquinone (H2Q) and benzoquinone (BQ) at palladium electrode surfaces was studied by a combination of electrochemistry (EC), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), high-resolution electron- energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and electrochemical-scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM) on a smooth polycrystalline and well-defined (single-crystalline) Pd(100) electrode surface. The results point to the following more critical conclusions: (i) Chemisorption of H2Q from dilute (less than or equal to 0.1 mM) aqueous solutions forms surface- coordinated BQ oriented parallel albeit with a slight tilt. (ii) At high concentrations (greater than or equal to 1mM), chemisorption yields an edge-vertical oriented diphenolic species. (iii) The extent of anodic oxidation of the chemisorbed organic strongly depends upon its initial orientation; only the flat-adsorbed species are oxidized completely to carbon dioxide. (iv) The rate of anodic oxidation is likewise dependent upon the initial adsorbate orientation; the rate for vertically-oriented species is more than twice that of flat- adsorbed species. (v) The chemisorbed species are not oxidized (to the same extent) simultaneously; instead, oxidation occurs one molecule at a time. That is, molecules that survive the anodic oxidation and remain on the surface retain their original identities.