Whilst the interaction of multiple vascular mechanisms under various stressors is a well-documented topic, how this interaction effects the regional regulation of blood flow is less well known. In order to assess this phenomenon, a series of successive studies were conducted: I. Assessing the regional blood flow and haemodynamic response …
This thesis investigates two distinct but related optimization problems: bilevel and minmax problems, in the context of evolutionary algorithms (EAs). Bilevel optimization involves hierarchical decision-making, where decisions at the upper level are subject to constraints defined by the solutions of an optimization problem at the lower level. These problems are …
The present thesis considers the premise that breath-holding in aquatic sports, primarily swimming, in order to enhance performance, can potentially cause adaptation to tissue hypoxia. To investigate this theory, a series of studies needed to be performed: I. Analysis of variability in individuals’ responses to hypoxia, to evaluate the range …
In the field of biomedical materials, conventional approaches to tissue engineering and wound healing face limitations that encourage the exploration of innovative treatments. This work presents multifaceted exploration of piezoelectric polylactic acid (PLA) films intended for biomedical applications, from the optimization of the conditions for efficient film preparation to the …
We are witnessing major shifts in ecosystems due to intense anthropogenic pressures on the environment in recent decades, including rapid climate change, which is one of the strongest drivers of a global biological response. Raptors, which are at the top of the trophic web, are important indicators of ecosystem health. …
Innate immune system acts as the first line of defence to protect the host against pathogens. The regulation of immune system and inflammatory response is crucial since dysregulated or sustained inflammation leads to pathological conditions, septic shock and tissue damage. Macrophages are innate immune cells that sense pathogens with pattern …
Naturally formed microbial communities are present in the form of cellular aggregates that create a set of diverse biochemical pathways through cross-feeding between the members of the microbial community. One of the most important factors so that some biochemical reactions can occur is the appropriate spatial placement of a particular …
Integrating systems are commonly found in power and paper mills, aerospace control systems, storage tanks, distillation columns, chemical reactors, and petroleum industries. Due to their open-loop instability resulting in an unconstrained output for a constrained input, efficient control of integrating processes is challenging. Control of integrating processes has attracted the …
In this thesis, we look at networking functionality as a set of services which can be composed dynamically. We argue that the dynamic composition of communication services can speed up design and experimentation with new protocol stacks. The reference Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) architecture of communication networks splits network functionality …
The presence of steroid estrogens in the environment has been studied intensively for two decades because of their possible deleterious effects on living organisms at very low (ng/L) concentrations. To determine concentrations of steroid estrogens and the estrogenic potential of environmental samples, sophisticated and sensitive analytical techniques as well as …