The genetic profiles of evidentiary samples found at crime scenes are generated in order to determine the likelihood that a person contributed to DNA to the sample. One of the most challenging aspects of forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis is that samples collected from crime scenes often contain only trace amounts of DNA; these samples are often referred to as low template DNA (LTDNA). Due to the low initial concentration of genetic material in LTDNA samples, substantive environmental insults will likely result in compromised DNA profiles that exhibit lower allele peak heights than expected, or in some cases, complete allele drop-out. The research detailed in this study investigates the impact various sources of compromise have on relative fluorescent unit (RFU) signal obtained from LTDNA samples. The potential for stochastic allele loss during a silica extraction of DNA prior to downstream processing is first considered using a dynamic systems model simulating the probability for allelic loss at each step in the procedure. Next, the impacts of damaging or degrading the DNA on the electropherogram signal are explored. Trends in RFU signal of LTDNA samples subjected to sonication by a sonic dismembrator probe, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, and enzymatic digestion by two different enzymes are assessed, with the aim of creating a reference for typical behaviors in RFU signal data in compromised LTDNA. The distributions of electropherogram profile data from compromised LTDNA are then compared against one another in order to determine if the compromising methods explored in the study act on the samples in similar ways. The RFU signal data from the compromised LTDNA are then evaluated alongside the provided degradation index (DI) value resulting from quantification using the Quantifiler® Trio quantification kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Oyster Point, CA). The DI value acts as an early assessment of the quality of DNA samples and can be used to optimize downstream processing. Its ability to accurately predict behavior in compromised LTDNA samples is assessed through comparison of the DI value to the decrease in RFU signal as the samples are subjected to higher levels of simulated environmental insults.

La plupart des systèmes non linéaires loin de l'équilibre sont sensibles aux fluctuations internes. Dans ce travail, les effets stochastiques dans des modèles génériques de réaction-diffusion sont étudiés à deux échelles différentes. Dans l'approche mésoscopique, l'évolution du système est gouvernée par une équation maîtresse résolue par des simulations de Monte Carlo cinétique. A l'échelle microscopique, des simulations de dynamique des particules sont réalisées. Ces approches stochastiques sont comparées à des équations macroscopiques, déterministes de réaction-diffusion. Dans l'introduction, les différentes échelles, les concepts concernant les systèmes non linéaires et les méthodes numériques utilisées sont présentés. La première partie du chapitre consacré aux résultats est dédiée à l'étude de la perturbation de la distribution des vitesses des particules induite par la réaction pour un système bistable et la propagation d'un front d'onde. Une équation maîtresse incluant cette perturbation est écrite et comparée à des simulations de la dynamique microscopique. La seconde partie concerne la formation de structures dans les systèmes réaction-diffusion dans le contexte de la biologie du développement. Une méthode pour simuler des structures de Turing à l'échelle microscopique est développée à partir de l'algorithme DSMC (direct simulation Monte Carlo). Ensuite, des expériences consistant à perturber la formation de la colonne vertébrale sont expliquées dans le cadre du mécanisme de Turing. Enfin, un modèle de réaction-diffusion associé à un mécanisme différent, connu sous le nom de "Clock and wavefront", est proposé pour rendre compte de la segmentation. / Many nonlinear systems under non-equilibrium conditions are highly sensitive to internal fluctuations. In this dissertation, stochastic effects in some generic reaction-diffusion models are studied using two approaches of different precision. In the mesoscopic approach, evolution of the system is governed by the master equation, which can be solved numerically or used to set up kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. On the microscopic level, particle computer simulations are used. These two stochastic approaches are compared with deterministic, macroscopic reaction-diffusion equations.In the Introduction, key information about the different approaches is presented, together with basics of nonlinear systems and a presentation of numerical algorithms used.The first part of the Results chapter is devoted to studies on reaction-induced perturbation of particle velocity distributions in models of bistability and wave front propagation. A master equation including this perturbation is presented and compared with microscopic simulations.The second part of the Results deals with pattern formation in reaction-diffusion systems in the context of developmental biology. A method for simulating Turing patternsat the microscopic level using the direct simulation Monte Carlo algorithm is developed. Then, experiments consisting of perturbing segmentation of vertebrate embryo’s bodyaxis are explained using the Turing mechanism. Finally, a different possible mechanism of body axis segmentation, the “clock and wavefront” model, is formulated as a reaction-diffusion model.

Bakgrund: Lungcancer och malignt melanom är exempel på två sjukdomar som undersöks med dual-modaliteten positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Vid undersökning med PET/CT erhåller patienten både en stråldos från Flourine-18 (18F) märkt med 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG) och från CT-modaliteten. Det finns strålningsrisker med undersökningen som kan uttrycka sig i form av stokastiska skador som exempelvis cancer. Syftet med studien var att jämföra stråldoserna mellan lungcancergruppen (misstänkt eller verifierad) och malignt melanomgruppen genom att beräkna den totala effektiva stråldosen samt redovisa riskerna med PET/CT-undersökningen. Material och metod: Materialet omfattades av parametrar gällande undersökningen och urvalet bestod av 20 patienter från lungcancergruppen respektive malignt melanomgruppen som hämtades från Nuklearmedicin, Länssjukhuset Ryhov, Jönköping. En retrospektiv metod med kvantitativ ansats användes för genomförandet av studien. Resultat: En signifikant skillnad (p <0,001) mellan sjukdomsgrupperna förekom där lungcancergruppen erhöll 11,95 milliSievert (mSv) och malignt melanomgruppen 6,03 mSv och den procentuella riskökningen av letal cancer var 0,06 % respektive 0,03 %. Slutsatser: Lungcancergruppen erhöll en dubbelt så hög effektiv dos som malignt melanomgruppen. Den effektiva dosen är dock så låg att riskökningen av letal cancer är marginell och nyttan med undersökningen överväger riskerna. / Background: Lung cancer and malignant melanoma are diseases investigated by the dual-modality positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). There are radiation risks with the examination that can appear as stochastic effects such as cancer. The aim of this study was to compare the radiation doses between the lung cancer group (suspected or verified) and the malignant melanoma group by calculating the total effective radiation dose and to declare the risk with the PET/CT examination. Material and method: The material contained parameters regarding the examination and the sample contained 20 patients from the two groups. The method was retrospective with a quantitative approach. Results: There was a significant difference (p <0,001) between these two groups, were the lung cancer group received 11,95 milliSievert (mSv) and the malignant melanoma group 6,03 mSv and the percentage risk for lethal cancer increased by 0,06% and 0,03%, respectively. Conclusions: The lung cancer group received twice as much effective dose than the malignant melanoma group. However, the effective dose is so low that the risk increase of the lethal cancer is marginal, and the benefit of the examination outweighs the risks.