Cell culture models play an important role in biomedical research and will continue to do so given the growing opposition to vivisection and the limited predictive value of animal models for... Show moreCell culture models play an important role in biomedical research and will continue to do so given the growing opposition to vivisection and the limited predictive value of animal models for human disease. Moreover, cell culture models can be easily established to mimic physiological or pathological processes, which is difficult to accomplish using in silico models. While non-cellular in vitro models are highly suitable for studying simple biochemical processes, cell culture models recapitulate many of the complex regulatory circuits governing protein activity in vivo and hence allow investigation of diverse physiological processes. Also, cell culture models offer the possibility to address fundamental research questions in a much more simplified, specific and controllable manner than can be achieved using in vivo models. Show less
This ethnography of Protestant Christianity in contemporary Xiamen illustrates the need to comprehend how Christians or members of Christianity-influenced communities understand their own past... Show moreThis ethnography of Protestant Christianity in contemporary Xiamen illustrates the need to comprehend how Christians or members of Christianity-influenced communities understand their own past within the framework of the study of Chinese Christianity. By closely examining how the government, churches, grassroots groups and individuals attempt to make narratives revolve around the Christian past, this research reveals the dynamic and ongoing interactions between different actors. This study departs from the traditional dichotomous approach of state domination versus church resistance. Moreover, it reflects on the over-emphasis on the negotiating ability of the Christian elite and argues that the role of the state in its interaction with Christianity should not be downplayed in the current situation. This research also examines the recent changes in the transnational networks. It points out that, after decades of isolation from the outside world, the Xiamen church is now reencountering the world Christian community; whether or not the Chinese state permits, Chinese Christians frequently interact with and in the future will integrate more actively into the world Christian community. Accordingly, it has revealed the importance of reconsidering the interplay between international Christian agents and local traditions in the study of Christianity in China today. Show less
The main concern of this thesis is the number of the solutions $N_F(m)$ of Decomposable form inequalities $F(x) \leq m$. In 2001, Thunder proved a conjecture of W.M. Schmidt, stating that, under... Show moreThe main concern of this thesis is the number of the solutions $N_F(m)$ of Decomposable form inequalities $F(x) \leq m$. In 2001, Thunder proved a conjecture of W.M. Schmidt, stating that, under suitable finiteness conditions, one has $N_F(m) \ll m^{n/d}$ where the implicit constant depends only on $n$ and $d$. The results in this thesis extend Thunder__s various results on Decomposable form inequalities to the p-adic setting (See Chapters 2, 4 and 5). In Chapter 3, we also show the effectivity of the condition under which the number of solutions of p-adic decomposable form inequalities is finite. Show less
