230 research outputs found
Data for: Photosynthetic conversion of CO2 to hyaluronic acid by engineered cyanobacteria
No full textRaw chromatograms and FTIR spectra of polysaccharide preparations from different HA producing strains and WT Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002
Data for: Growth and selection of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 using alternative nitrogen and phosphorus sources
No full textReport from the NTU Phenomics Center on HPLC-MS/MS quantification of melamine, ammeline, ammelide and cyanuric acid in growth medium, at different time points
The Influence of National Culture on Evacuation Response Behaviour and Time: An Agent-Based Approach
No full text“How does culture, in combination with cues, settings and affiliation, influence response-phase behaviour and time and total evacuation time?”. A questionnaire and an agent-based model for a case study of a library evacuation in Czech Republic, Poland, Turkey and the UK have been developed to answer this question. Our questionnaire, conducted among 442 respondents (N = 105 from Czech Republic, N = 106 from Poland, N = 106 from Turkey and N = 125 from the United Kingdom), shows significant differences in the number of performed response tasks per culture - whereby Turkish respondents perform the most response tasks and British the least - and the results were directly implemented in our agent-based model. Simulation results show: (1) these differences - in combination with emergent effects for task choice and agent interactions - directly translate into the average response and evacuation times being highest for Turkey, followed by Poland, Czech Republic, and the UK, (2) cues, setting and affiliation influence response and evacuation time - such as being informed by staff giving a negative correlation and evacuating in groups a positive correlation with response time -, while the magnitude of these effects differ per culture. Our results suggest that faster response times might be related to dimensions of national culture, such as weak uncertainty avoidance and high individualism.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.System Engineerin
Surrogate Modeling of Agent-Based Airport Terminal Operations
No full textThe airport terminals are complex sociotechnical systems, which are difficult to understand and their behavior is hard to predict. Hence, an agent-based model, the Agent-based Airport Terminal Operation Model (AATOM), has been designed to represent and analyze diverse airport terminal processes, actors, their behavior and interactions. The main issue with such models is the large computational requirements for simulating detailed processes, making it computationally inefficient. Furthermore, the dynamics of such models are difficult to understand. Therefore, the goal of this research is to approximate the dynamics of AATOM by a surrogate model, while preserving the important system properties. A methodology is suggested for training and validating a surrogate model, based on the Random Forest algorithm. The trained surrogate model is capable of approximating the AATOM simulation and identifying relative importance of the model variables with respect to the model outputs. Firstly, the results obtained contain an evaluation of the surrogate model accuracy performance, indicating that the surrogate model can achieve an average accuracy of 93% in comparison to the original agent-based simulation model. Nonetheless, one indicator, the number of missed flights, has shown to be more difficult to predict, with an average accuracy of 83%. Secondly, the results show that the airport resource allocation has an important impact on the efficiency of the airport terminal, with the two most important variables being the number of desks at the check-in and the number of lanes at the checkpoint. Last, the developed surrogate model was compared with a second Artificial Neural Network-based surrogate model built for the same agent-based model.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Air Transport & Operation
Förskolan - en arena för social språkmiljö och språkliga processer
No full textTitle: Preschool – a social language environment and an arena for emergent literacy processes. Author: Martina Norling By focusing on preschool, as an arena for emergent literacy and language learning processes, this thesis put the lens on preschool staff´s approaches and strategies in the social language environment in Swedish preschools. Taking its point of departure in real preschool settings, the overall purpose of this thesis is to develop a greater understanding of this social language environment, with particular emphasis on the quality dimensions of strategies, such as the preschool staff´s sensitivity and approaches in the preschool environment. Two didactic issues are of special importance to the thesis: preschool staff´s descriptions of what kind of strategies and approaches they use in the social language environment as well as how preschool staff support children’s language learning processes in literacy-related activities. The thesis consists of four articles aimed at capturing, variations of dimensions of preschool staff strategies as well as approaches that contribute to highlighting essential strategies for supporting children in the social language environment. The theoretical framework in this thesis consists of social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1997) and bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005). The four empirical studies in this thesis have made possible a mixed method design. The data production consists of questionnaires with questions regarding background information of the participants, observation instruments (scoring the quality of the social language environment), focus group interviews, video observations as well as a systematic literature review. In this thesis, three dimensions of preschool staff strategies in social language environment emerged: play strategies, emotional strategies and communicative strategies. The social language environment in Swedish preschool can be described in terms of those three strategy dimensions and continuous interplay processes among children, peers and preschool staff, over time. The quality dimensions of strategies focus, on preschool staff efforts and children’s prerequisites of learning processes, rather than focusing on children’s individual performance. Keywords: Preschool, social constructivism, bioecological theory, preschool staff, emergent literacy, social language environment, language learning processe
Förskolan - en arena för social språkmiljö och språkliga processer
No full textTitle: Preschool – a social language environment and an arena for emergent literacy processes. Author: Martina Norling By focusing on preschool, as an arena for emergent literacy and language learning processes, this thesis put the lens on preschool staff´s approaches and strategies in the social language environment in Swedish preschools. Taking its point of departure in real preschool settings, the overall purpose of this thesis is to develop a greater understanding of this social language environment, with particular emphasis on the quality dimensions of strategies, such as the preschool staff´s sensitivity and approaches in the preschool environment. Two didactic issues are of special importance to the thesis: preschool staff´s descriptions of what kind of strategies and approaches they use in the social language environment as well as how preschool staff support children’s language learning processes in literacy-related activities. The thesis consists of four articles aimed at capturing, variations of dimensions of preschool staff strategies as well as approaches that contribute to highlighting essential strategies for supporting children in the social language environment. The theoretical framework in this thesis consists of social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1997) and bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2005). The four empirical studies in this thesis have made possible a mixed method design. The data production consists of questionnaires with questions regarding background information of the participants, observation instruments (scoring the quality of the social language environment), focus group interviews, video observations as well as a systematic literature review. In this thesis, three dimensions of preschool staff strategies in social language environment emerged: play strategies, emotional strategies and communicative strategies. The social language environment in Swedish preschool can be described in terms of those three strategy dimensions and continuous interplay processes among children, peers and preschool staff, over time. The quality dimensions of strategies focus, on preschool staff efforts and children’s prerequisites of learning processes, rather than focusing on children’s individual performance. Keywords: Preschool, social constructivism, bioecological theory, preschool staff, emergent literacy, social language environment, language learning processe
Molecular mechanisms in disorders of gonadal development
No full textControlling fertility, or rather infertility, is a common problem for couples nowadays where approximately 10% experience infertility. This thesis focuses on the rare conditions leading to infertility in which the gonads have either failed to develop properly, or prematurely lost their function. The overall aim of this thesis was to identify and study candidate genes in gonadal disorders of sex development (DSD) and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) to achieve a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms and to improve available diagnostic tools and genetic counseling for affected patients and family members.The process of sex determination is sensitive to gene dosage, and genes affecting gonadal development are located on sex chromosomes and autosomes. Attempting to identify new candidate regions for testicular development, nine patients with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis were investigated with a customized 1M array-CGH (comparative genomic hybridization) platform with whole-genome coverage and probe enrichment targeting 78 genes involved in DSD. Aberrations affecting SUPT3H and C2ORF80 were identified and characterized in two affected sisters. Sequence analysis of these genes in all patients revealed no additional mutations. PIP5K1B and PRKACG were also identified as candidate genes in another patient. All four genes are expressed in testicular tissues, and one is shown to cause gonadal DSD in mice (Paper I).Based on the report of one patient with 46,XY ovarian DSD due to CBX2 mutations and the corresponding knock out mouse model, we considered CBX2 as a candidate gene for 46,XY/46,XX gonadal DSD and POI. By sequencing and MLPA a cohort of 47 patients with gonadal DSD or POI was investigated for sequence alterations and copy number changes in CBX2. No causative mutation was detected. Our study does therefore not support CBX2 mutations as a common cause of gonadal DSD (Paper II).DNA samples from 26 patients with POI were analyzed by our customized array-CGH platform to identify novel candidate genes in POI. Eleven unique copy number changes were identified in a total of 13 patients. We identified the first mutation affecting the regulatory region of GDF9, a 475bp duplication containing three NOBOX binding elements and a regulatory E-box. In addition, we found the second DNAH6 deletion, corroborating its potential role in causing in POI. Also TSPYL6, SMARCC1, CSPG5, SH3GL3 and ZFR2 were identified as candidate genes in POI (Paper III).PSMC3IP mutations have been described causing autosomal recessive POI in a consanguineous family with several affected members. We are the first to have investigated the PSMC3IP gene in a group of unrelated patients with POI. No mutation was detected and we therefore conclude that PSMC3IP mutations are not a common cause of POI in a Swedish patient cohort (Paper IV).In conclusion, there is accumulating evidence that gonadal DSD and POI are highly genetically heterogeneous. We recommend that the genetic investigation of patients with gonadal DSD should be centralized to a specialized DSD unit. Patients with POI should be handled by subspecialists within reproductive endocrinology and clinical genetic investigation can require genetic counseling. A suggested clinical investigation procedure for POI is presented. Ideally, genetic investigation of patients with gonadal DSD or POI should include investigation for gene dosage aberrations as well sequencing of several candidate genes.List of scientific papersI. Norling A, Hirschberg AL, Iwarsson E, Persson B, Wedell A, Barbaro M. Novel candidate genes for 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis identified by a customized 1 M array-CGH platform. European Journal of Medical Genetics. 2013, 56(12) 661-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmg.2013.09.003 II. Norling A, Hirschberg AL, Iwarsson E, Wedell A, Barbaro M. CBX2 gene analysis in patients with 46,XY and 46,XX gonadal disorders of sex development. Fertility and Sterility. 2013, 1; 99(3):819-826.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.11.016 III. Norling A, Hirschberg AL, Rodriguez-Wallberg K, Iwarsson E, Wedell A, Barbaro M. Identification of a duplication within the GDF9 gene and novel candidate genes for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) by a customized high resolution array-CGH platform. [Submitted]IV. Norling A, Hirschberg AL, Karlsson L, Rodriguez-Wallberg K, Iwarsson E, Wedell A, Barbaro M. No mutations in the PSMC3IP gene identified in a Swedish cohort of women with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). [Accepted] https://doi.org/10.1159/000357605 </p
Mural in Husky Union Building (HUB), University of Washington, approximately 1950
No full textThe mural was painted by Ernest Norling.
Sign in image reads: Activities Center. Mural - Ernest Norling.
Stamped on verso: Photograph by James O. Sneddon, Office of Public Information, University of Washington, Seattle [Info. Services neg. S-764].
Filed in: UW - Husky Union Building (#452)
Alpha-2-macroglobulin loaded microcapsules enhance human leukocyte functions and innate immune response
No full textAbstractSynthetic microstructures can be engineered to deliver bioactive compounds impacting on their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Herein, we applied dextran-based layer-by-layer (LbL) microcapsules to deliver alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2MG), a protein with modulatory properties in inflammation. Extending recent observations made with dextran-microcapsules loaded with α2MG in experimental sepsis, we focused on the physical and chemical characteristics of these microstructures and determined their biology on rodent and human cells. We report an efficient encapsulation of α2MG into microcapsules, which enhanced i) human leukocyte recruitment to inflamed endothelium and ii) human macrophage phagocytosis: in both settings microcapsules were more effective than soluble α2MG or empty microcapsules (devoid of active protein). Translation of these findings revealed that intravenous administration of α2MG-microcapsules (but not empty microcapsules) promoted neutrophil migration into peritoneal exudates and augmented macrophage phagocytic functions, the latter response being associated with alteration of bioactive lipid mediators as assessed by mass spectrometry. The present study indicates that microencapsulation can be an effective strategy to harness the complex biology of α2MG with enhancing outcomes on fundamental processes of the innate immune response paving the way to potential future development in the control of sepsis
A classification of paradigmatic models for agent-based social simulation
No full textGiven the strong interdisciplinary character of Agent-Based Social Simulation (ABSS), and the difficulties related to ambiguous terminological and methodological assumptions, there is an increasing need to make more explicit the modelling paradigm underlying each research paper or project. In this paper we propose a classification of paradigmatic models in ABSS, which characterise different ontological assumptions and pragmatic criteria with respect to their targets. The classification is composed by different classes of models at different levels of abstraction, in a layered architecture that enables switching among levels. Each class is based on different kinds of assumptions, which possibly call for different logics of scientific research. The present proposal is interesting, since the taxonomy was well validated with researchers in the field. It is a good analytical tool to characterise or compare models according to various criteria, such as methodological, philosophical, or simply pragmatic and usability criteria.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio
- …
