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Summary Inherited deficiencies in components of the classical complement pathway are strong disease susceptibility factors for the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and there is a hierarchy among deficiency states, the strongest association being with C1q deficiency. We investigated the relative importance of the different complement pathways regarding clearance of apoptotic cells.

Context: Both leukocyte telomere length and IGF-I are associated with the aging process. A previous in vitro study suggested that IGF-I may modulate telomerase activity in white blood cells, but little is known whether these two systems interact in vivo. Patients and Methods: Leukocyte telomere length was determined using a quantitative PCR assay in 2744 elderly men (mean age 75.5 yr, range 69-81

Context: Long-term data are missing in GH-treated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. GH therapy may result in poorer outcome regarding cardiovascular (CV) and particularly cardiac effects than in patients with hypothalamic-pituitary disease. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate GH therapy on CV risk, cardiac function, physical activity, and quality of life in ALL patients treated wit

IgG antibodies against Clostridium difficile toxins A and B were followed in controls and patients with an initial C. difficile infection (CDI). Of the 50 CDI patients, 38 were cured and 12 developed recurrence. Compared to controls, patients had significantly lower anti-toxin A and B IgGs at inclusion, but the subsequent levels rose slightly regardless of clinical outcome. The results imply that

Bird brooches at Uppåkra have a changing biography, as grave gifts, pendants, and scrap metal. The association between bird brooches and birds of prey, and a male face to female jewellery opens questions of identy of the wearer and the male person in question. Following the bird brooches and the connotations of falconry decode both a social identiy and a lifestyle, expressed in the aestetics of th

We describe an automatic system for pose-estimation from a single image in a city scene. Each building has a model consisting of a number of parallel planes associated with it. The homographies for the best match of the planes to the image is estimated automatically for each of the possible buildings. We show how the estimation of the homographies can be done effectively by reducing the search spa

In situations that require creative thinking, there is no well-known procedure for how to reach the goal, or the solution. Among other things, it is not clear how choices between outcomes are made, or when the search for a solution should terminate. The article focusses on the evaluation of solutions that are generated during the search. The general question concerns the standards according to whi

Popular Abstract in Swedish Komplementsystemet ingår i vårt naturliga immunförsvar och bidrar till det förvärvade immunförsvaret bl. a. genom att aktiveras av specifika antikroppar. Komplementsystemets viktigaste skyddsfunktioner är att försvara oss mot bakteriella infektioner, förhindra uppkomst av autoimmuna sjukdomar genom att eliminera immunkomplex och döende celler samt att fungera som en förThe complement system is critically involved in defence against bacterial infection. C2 deficiency is, apart from mannan-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency, the most common homozygous complement deficiency among Caucasians. The classical pathway of complement activation is not functional in C2 deficiency and the condition is associated with invasive infections caused by the encapsulated bacteria Stre

The Swedish Air Navigation Services Provider (LFV ANS) are undergoing major organizational changes in order to adapt to changing demands on efficiency and technical development in air traffic control. In these change processes the foundations of the safety work can be affected and changes in the existing safety culture can be introduced. In a joint research project – Human Factors in Air Navigatio

This thesis analyses the tax treatment of foreign investment funds in the Netherlands. Investment funds subject to a special tax scheme are entitled to the reimbursement of withholding tax on the dividends they receive. In order to qualify for the special tax scheme, investment funds have to meet two requirements. The analysis in this thesis is twofold. Both the compatibility of the special tax

In a working world faced with technological innovation, rampant viruses, environmental and climate change, and a volatile global political situation, agricultural workers face the continuing dual human rights dilemma of occupational health and safety and access to a healthy environment. More than a third of the world's working population is engaged in agriculture, which plays a vital role in d

For the sense of well-being and human health, a pleasant indoor environment is essential. Today, people spend about 90 % of their time indoors, meaning that they can be significantly affected by the buildings in which they spend most of their time. Older people are bound to spend more time indoors and also as they belong to the most sensitive age group, their indoor environments as elderly homes m

Cholecystokinin (CCK) has recently been shown to activate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in rat pancreatic acini [Duan and Williams, Am. J. Physiol. 267 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 30): G401-G408, 1994]. To evaluate the mechanism of MAP kinase activation, we studied the effects of CCK on MAP kinase kinase (MEK) in rat pancreatic acini. Two forms of MEK were identified by immunoblotting,

Background:Re-ablement is an approach aiming at improve home-care services for older people and to enable and support active engagement in everyday activities. An important responsibility for occupational therapists (OT) is to educate and support home care personnel, by coaching, mentoring and teaching them to work together with the clients to support their management of everyday activities as far