Adsorption of CO on a Platinum (111) surface - a study within a four-component relativistic density functional approach

We report on results of a theoretical study of the adsorption process of a single carbon oxide molecule on a Platinum (111) surface. A four-component relativistic density functional method was applied to account for a proper description of the strong relativistic effects. A limited number of atoms in the framework of a cluster approach is used to describe the surface. Different adsorption sites are investigated. We found that CO is preferably adsorbed at the top position.Comment: 23 Pages with 4 figure

Functional loss of IKBE leads to NF-KB deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia

NF-?B is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-?B pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes I?B?, a negative regulator of NF-?B in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced I?B? protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that I?B? loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-?B deregulation during lymphomagenesis. <br/

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induce T-Cell Tolerance and Protect the Preterm Brain after Global Hypoxia-Ischemia

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in preterm infants is a severe disease for which no curative treatment is available. Cerebral inflammation and invasion of activated peripheral immune cells have been shown to play a pivotal role in the etiology of white matter injury, which is the clinical hallmark of HIE in preterm infants. The objective of this study was to assess the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of intravenously delivered mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in an ovine model of HIE. In this translational animal model, global hypoxia-ischemia (HI) was induced in instrumented preterm sheep by transient umbilical cord occlusion, which closely mimics the clinical insult. Intravenous administration of 2 x 106MSC/kg reduced microglial proliferation, diminished loss of oligodendrocytes and reduced demyelination, as determined by histology and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), in the preterm brain after global HI. These anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of MSC were paralleled by reduced electrographic seizure activity in the ischemic preterm brain. Furthermore, we showed that MSC induced persistent peripheral T-cell tolerance in vivo and reduced invasion of T-cells into the preterm brain following global HI. These findings show in a preclinical animal model that intravenously administered MSC reduced cerebral inflammation, protected against white matter injury and established functional improvement in the preterm brain following global HI. Moreover, we provide evidence that induction of T-cell tolerance by MSC might play an important role in the neuroprotective effects of MSC in HIE. This is the first study to describe a marked neuroprotective effect of MSC in a translational animal model of HIE

Leaving the Minors : The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and the 2011 General Election

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has emerged as a successful environmentally focused party with a solid base. The 2011 General Election represented a high-point for the party, distancing it from the other minor parties. This article explores examples of factors affecting the success of Green parties, and examines the strategy of the New Zealand Green Party prior to the 2011 election. The findings indicate that the party has developed stable support through the development of a consistent policy base and pragmatic approach to its role in parliament. This has allowed the Greens to establish a position following the 2011 election as the third party in New Zealand politics

Words have power: Speech recognition in interactive jewelry : a case study with newcome LGBT+ immigrants

This paper addresses a design exploration focusing on interactive jewelry conducted with newcome LGBT+ immigrants in Sweden, leading to a necklace named PoWo that is “powered” by the spoken word through a mobile application that reacts to customizable keywords triggering LED-lights in the necklace. Interactive jewelry is in this paper viewed as a medium with a simultaneous relation to wearer and spectator thus affording use on the themes of symbolism, emotion, body and communication. These themes are demonstrated through specific use scenarios of the necklace relating to the participants of the design exploration e.g. addressing consent, societal issues, meeting situations and expressions of love and sexuality.  The potential of speech based interactive jewelry is investigated in this paper e.g. finding speech recognition in LED-jewelry to act as an amplifier of spoken words, actions and meaning; and as a visible extension of the smartphone and human body. In addition use qualities of visibility, ambiguity, continuity and fluency are discussed in relation to speech based LED-jewelry

Noticing nature : exploring more-than-human-centred design in urban farming

This thesis articulates, theorises and furthers the concept of “more-than-human-centred design” by studying the use and design of technology for noticing nature and caring for nature. The emerging field of more-than-human-centred design focuses on the mutual interdependence between humans and non-humans (e.g. organisms such as animals, plants and microbes, as well as autonomous technologies). It is a step away from seeing other organisms as inferior to humans or valuable only as resources. This implies that design research frameworks and methods need to be remade. How can we design for and with other organisms? What needs to be accommodated in a paradigm that allows for more-than-human-centred design? What are concrete design examples and implications of this kind of thinking? In short, there is a need to investigate what it means to design for more-than-human worlds. This is investigated in the thesis through a series of studies and design experiments, including ethnography (participant observation, interviews, surveys and workshops), design projects (design ideation, development and analysis of prototypes) and design critique of existing artefacts. Most of these studies are conducted within a four-year ethnography of a regenerative urban farming community in Stockholm, Sweden. The thesis draws on posthuman theory. This theory examines the implications of expanding concern and subjectivities beyond the human, and aims to understand the human subject and its relationship to the world in a non-anthropocentric light. Phenomenological analysis is further applied to articulate and understand the human-technology-nature relationship as it is experienced first-person. The thesis contributes an articulation of a more-than-human-centred design programme. Here, two design implications are suggested, “expanding the sensible” and “design for sensory-rich experiences”. Methods for noticing the more-than-human world are suggested, along with principles for designing for and with other organisms, such as finding leverage points in systems and providing a scaffold for naturally occurring processes. The meaning of “design”, “the designer” and “the user” is discussed. Lastly, a manifesto for more-than-human-centred design is proposed

The magazine Maskinentreprenören becomes digital : An opportunity for nom creative thinking in a digitization process

Denna rapport beskriver ett examensarbete som gått ut på att skapa en ny hemsida till den tryckta tidningen Maskinentreprenören. Projektet resulterade i detaljerade skisser för en webbtidning anpassad för desktop, surfplattor och mobiler. Teoretiska ingångar till projektet är begreppen användbarhet, användarupplevelse, designprinciper, teorier om flerkanalspublicering samt normkritisk design. Stor vikt har lagts på en process enligt modellen Design Thinking, där metoder som enkät, intervju, användartest och personas använts för att skapa förståelse för användarna och tjänsten som skall utformas. Dessa metoder har även kopplats till en normkreativ praktik. Syftet med detta har varit att förstå de nuvarande användarna, men även förstå de potentiella användare som tidigare eventuellt uteslutits. This report describes a practical exam work on creating a new website for the printed magazine Maskinentreprenören. The project resulted in detailed sketches for an online magazine designed for desktop, tablet and mobile. Theoretical frame work in the project are the concepts of usability, User Experience, design principles, theories of multi-channel publishing and norm critical design. A Design Thinking process has been applied during the project, where methods such as survey, interview, user test and personas were used to create an understanding of the users and the service to be developed. These methods have also been linked to a ”norm creative” practice. The purpose of this has been to understand the current users, but also understand the potential users that previously might have been excluded

Noticing nature : exploring more-than-human-centred design in urban farming

This thesis articulates, theorises and furthers the concept of “more-than-human-centred design” by studying the use and design of technology for noticing nature and caring for nature. The emerging field of more-than-human-centred design focuses on the mutual interdependence between humans and non-humans (e.g. organisms such as animals, plants and microbes, as well as autonomous technologies). It is a step away from seeing other organisms as inferior to humans or valuable only as resources. This implies that design research frameworks and methods need to be remade. How can we design for and with other organisms? What needs to be accommodated in a paradigm that allows for more-than-human-centred design? What are concrete design examples and implications of this kind of thinking? In short, there is a need to investigate what it means to design for more-than-human worlds. This is investigated in the thesis through a series of studies and design experiments, including ethnography (participant observation, interviews, surveys and workshops), design projects (design ideation, development and analysis of prototypes) and design critique of existing artefacts. Most of these studies are conducted within a four-year ethnography of a regenerative urban farming community in Stockholm, Sweden. The thesis draws on posthuman theory. This theory examines the implications of expanding concern and subjectivities beyond the human, and aims to understand the human subject and its relationship to the world in a non-anthropocentric light. Phenomenological analysis is further applied to articulate and understand the human-technology-nature relationship as it is experienced first-person. The thesis contributes an articulation of a more-than-human-centred design programme. Here, two design implications are suggested, “expanding the sensible” and “design for sensory-rich experiences”. Methods for noticing the more-than-human world are suggested, along with principles for designing for and with other organisms, such as finding leverage points in systems and providing a scaffold for naturally occurring processes. The meaning of “design”, “the designer” and “the user” is discussed. Lastly, a manifesto for more-than-human-centred design is proposed