BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important actors in the innate immune system. One class of AMPs is the human β-defensins (HBDs), a group of small peptides with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. Expression of HBDs is downregulated in different manifestations of allergic disease. In this study, we examine whether allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) affects the nasal leve

In 1994, acrylamide (AA) was classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 2002, AA was discovered at relatively high concentrations in some starchy, plant-based foods cooked at high temperatures. A prospective analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between the dietary intake of AA and ductal adenocarcinoma of the exocrine pancreatic c

To enhance their applicability in a broader range of pervaporation feed streams, poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)-1-propyne] (PTMSP) membranes have been successfully crosslinked, using a 3,3'-diazido-diphenylsulfone crosslinker. Both photochemical and thermal processes were used to activate the bis(azide) and thus initiate the crosslink reaction. The presented photochemical crosslink process, has an insuff

Popular Abstract in Swedish Graviditetsdiabetes (GDM) innebär att förhöjd glukosnivå i blodet (blodsocker) upptäckts hos en kvinna när hon är gravid. GDM behandlas med anpassad kost, fysisk aktivitet, och när det behövs även insulin, vilket tillsammans har visats motverka de ökade riskerna vid graviditet och förlossning för mamma och barn. Glukosnivåerna normaliseras nästan alltid efter förlossninBackground: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with risks during pregnancy, during delivery, and in later life with a substantial risk of subsequent diabetes. The worldwide prevalence of GDM is increasing, but varies with differences in diagnostic methods and population characteristics. Results: Capillary glucose concentrations were found to be higher than venous glucose concentrat

Objective. To estimate the incidence of dystocia among nulliparous women without apparent co-morbidity and to examine maternal and fetal short-term outcomes after dystocia. Design. A multi-center cohort study with prospectively collected data. Setting. Nine obstetric departments with annual birth rates between 850 and 5,400. Population. Low-risk nulliparous women in term spontaneous labor with a s

SLFs Parmeliaceae-workshop i Lund den 19-20 november 2011 lockade 20 deltagare från tre länder. Fokus låg på den nordiska floran, i synnerhet skägglavar, släktet Usnea. Philippe Clerc från Genève var inbjuden för att ge deltagarna en grundlig genomgång hur man skiljer dessa morfologiskt svåra arter.

The thesis work involved the further development of the dual-broadband rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (DB-RCARS) approach to applied flame diagnostics. This included the development of new experimental approaches, of new theoretical rotational CARS models, and of new evaluation routines as well as exploration of the potential of DB-RCARS to provide reliable thermometric measure

Social epistemology studies knowledge and justified belief acquisition through organized group cooperation. To do this, the way such group cooperation is structured has to be modeled. The obvious way of modeling a group structure is with a directed graph; unfortunately, most types of social cooperation directed at epistemological aims are variably implementable, including in their structural expre

Temperature is a fundamental thermodynamic parameter used to describe physical, chemical and biological processes. In combustion as in many other applications, knowledge about temperature plays a substantial role in helping to maintain an efficient and clean environment Being able to measure temperature accurately in combustion and in fire-related applications is important for giving a better unde

Chiral bicyclic diols based on bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane have been synthesized and their catalytic capacity in the asymmetric diethylzinc addition to benzaldehyde compared with those described for previously synthesized 2,6-bicyclo[2.2.2]octane-diols (BODOLs). The influence of the number of coordinating sites and the distance between them were studied. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. A

Like their diurnal relatives, Megalopta genalis use visual information to control flight. Unlike their diurnal relatives, however, they do this at extremely low light intensities. Although Megalopta has developed optical specializations to increase visual sensitivity, theoretical studies suggest that this enhanced sensitivity does not enable them to capture enough light to use visual information t

Archaea are ubiquitous in forest soils, but little is known about the factors regulating their abundance and distribution. Low molecular weight organic compounds represent an important energy source for archaea in marine environments, and it is reasonable to suspect that archaeal abundance is dependent on such compounds in soils as well, represented by, for example, plant and fungal exudates. To t

When Swedish wastewater treatment plants were rebuilt to include enhanced nitrogen removal, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) was far from being a mature technology. During the 2000s, the process has been introduced into sludge liquor treatment worldwide. The step to introduce anammox in the mainstream is decreasing, but lab- and pilot-scale studies on real municipal wastewater are yet lackin

Eunicidan polychaetes formed a significant part of Early Palaeozoic marine invertebrate communities, as shown by the abundance and diversity of scolecodonts (polychaete jaws) in the fossil record. In this study we summarize the early radiation and biodiversity trends and discuss the palaeobiogeography of these fossils. The oldest (latest Cambrian-Early Ordovician) representatives had primitive, us

Patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury often exhibit reduced movement quality during functional tasks in the form of a knee-medial-to-foot position (KMFP). This movement pattern is suggested to be more common in women than in men, but the possible contributing sensorimotor factors for this altered knee position are poorly studied in these patients. The aim of this study was to evalu