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Growth conditions on acid soils may be hampered by low nutrient availability and phytotoxic Al (aluminium) concentrations. In this thesis I present my studies on adaptation mechanisms of wild plants to acid soils in the close root environment, the rhizosphere. The studies showed that plants have developed several mechanisms that may work simultaneously to face the complex soil chemistry. A first g
BACKGROUND: Cystatin C is a low molecular weight cysteine proteinase inhibitor whose plasma or serum concentrations have been shown to be better correlated with glomerular filtration rate than serum creatinine concentrations. Routine assays for cystatin C are based on use of polyclonal antibodies and immunoturbidimetric and nephelometric designs. This study aimed to develop a double-monoclonal imm
One of the largest sources of uncertainties in modelling of the future global climate is the response of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Studies have shown that it is likely that the extant land sink of carbon will weaken in a warming climate. Should this happen, a larger portion of the annual carbon dioxide emissions will remain in the atmosphere, and further increase global warming, which in turn
The Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container (CARIBIC) project investigates physical and chemical processes in the Earth's atmosphere using a Lufthansa Airbus long-distance passenger aircraft. After the beginning of the explosive eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano on Iceland on 14 April 2010, the first CARIBIC volcano-specific measuremen
We have studied the transferability of atomic charges for proteins, fitted to the quantum mechanical electrostatic potential and extensively averaged over a set of structures sampled by molecular dynamics (MD) and over all residues of the same kind in the protein sequence (xAvESP). Previously, such charges were obtained for one single protein (avidin). In this study, we use five additional protein
Aim To understand the role and significance of the reindeer, Rangifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758), as a specific indicator in terms of late Quaternary biogeography and to determine the effects of global climate change on its range and local extinction dynamics at the end of the Ice Age. Location Late Pleistocene/early Holocene range of reindeer over all of central and western Europe, including south
Objectives: During the last few years, clinical, epidemiological, and pathological evidence has suggested that inherited alpha-1 antitrypsin [AAT] deficiency might play a role in the development of the fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS], probably because of the loss of AAT anti-inflammatory efficacy. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and number of FMS patients, and their AAT phen
Maternal hormones can have substantial phenotypic effects in the progeny of many vertebrates. It has been proposed that mothers adaptively adjust hormone levels experienced by particular young to optimize their reproductive output. In birds, systematic variation in egg hormone levels has been related to different female reproductive strategies. Because in many bird species prospects of the offspri
Recently, several articles have been published dealing with the anabolic effects on bone by statins. Mundy and associates discovered that several statins were able to activate the promotor of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2. Additionally, oral simvastatin and lovastatin increased the cancellous bone volume in rats, presumably an effect of the increase of BMP-2. Other studies have followed, with
Aim: The main aim of the study was to describe the differences between some Northern countries regarding what foods, according to the patients, elicit hypersensitivity symptoms. Methods: At the participating clinics, patients with a history of food hypersensitivity (n = 1139) were asked to fill in a questionnaire in which 86 different foodstuffs were listed. Skin-prick tests (SPT) were performed w
Evolutionary change results from selection acting on genetic variation. For migration to be successful, many different aspects of an animal's physiology and behaviour need to function in a co-coordinated way. Changes in one migratory trait are therefore likely to be accompanied by changes in other migratory and life-history traits. At present, we have some knowledge of the pressures that operate a
BACKGROUND: Use of a catheter-free, radio telemetric, oesophageal pH-monitoring system in paediatric clinical practice allows patients to follow a more normal physiological pattern of activities and causes less discomfort. At our institution, placement of the capsule is done under general anaesthesia, which restricts the child's activity during the first day. The aim of this study was to determine
Aims/hypothesis Among diabetic patients, glucose homeostasis may be affected by abnormal gastrointestinal motility and autonomic neuropathy. This study analysed whether oesophageal dysmotility, delayed gastric emptying or autonomic neuropathy affect glucose homeostasis. Materials and methods Oesophageal manometry and gastric emptying scintigraphy were performed in 20 diabetic patients. Heart-rate
Background: In several studies, patients with alcohol dependence treated with the opioid antagonist naltrexone have shown fewer relapses to heavy drinking than those receiving placebo. An interaction between the naltrexone effect and the type of psychological therapy has been observed. Methods: A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was performed at 10 different investi
A system for detecting protein-protein interaction using a bacterial two-hybrid approach, a heterologous expression system in Escherichia coli strain based on adenylate cyclase enzyme reconstitution, was invented twenty years ago (Karimova, et al., 1998, PNAS, 95:5752). Before inventing this system, yeast two-hybrid technology was used for screening putative interaction between either two proteins
The insurance industry is notoriously conservative and has seen comparably few technological improvements in the last fifty years. A wave of new technology- driven insurance firms, or insurtechs, is changing that. By leveraging new technology and offering more customer-centric and innovative products, these firms have captured shares in many insurance markets. One technology — yet to be broadly a
Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology has experienced phenomenal success in the application of wireless charging of smartphones. With the Qi Specification becoming the dominant standard, wireless charging's convenience goes beyond cable-free charging to facilitate interoperability between chargers and devices from different vendors. For wireless charging to operate correctly, the power tr
Innovation är ett vidkänt koncept som har fått ökad betydelse i dagens organisationer. Uppmärksamhet har framförallt riktats till de initiala faserna av innovationsprocessen, kallade Fuzzy Front End (FFE). Att hantera FFE effektivt har blivit nödvändigt i utvecklingen av nya innovativa produkter, eftersom det kan minska cykeltider och kostnader relaterat till produktutvecklingen. Det är dock svårtInnovation is a widely known concept which has received increased importance in today's organizations. Attention has especially been directed to the initial phases of the innovation process, commonly referred to as the Fuzzy Front End (FFE). Managing the FFE effectively, has become essential in the development of innovative products, since it can reduce cycle times and costs related to product
Under de senaste 10 åren har cirka en miljon människor sökt asyl i Sverige varav hela 163 000 enbart under 2015 när den stora flyktingvågen tog fart i världen. Detta satte stor press på Sveriges hantering av flyktingar och framförallt kommunernas bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Den 1 mars 2016 införde regeringen beslutet att kommunerna är skyldiga att ta emot ett visst antal nyanlända i syfte att ge deDuring the last 10 years approximately one million people have applied for asylum in Sweden and 163 000 only during the big stream of immigrants in 2015. This put a huge pressure on the Swedish management of immigrants and the housing for this group of people. The 1st of March 2016 the Swedish Government introduced a law where the Swedish municipalities are obligated to receive a certain number of
As multistressors have been shown to have significant effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, the following study was made with the purpose of examining how a number of stressors specifically connected to climate change may have varied during the latest 65,5 million years and whether it is possible to predict potential effects on global biodiversity in the future. The analyses focused o
