This thesis concerns alterations in signal transduction in Schwann cells as a response to nerve injury as well as their survival, proliferation and death. Enzymes and transcription factors belonging to the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the stress activated protein kinase (SAPK) pathways were studied. This included the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-termin

Melanoma is an aggressive disease that arises from deregulated signaling events in melanocytes. The KIT receptor tyrosine kinase and the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) are two essential components that are required for the normal physiology of melanocyte development and function. Consequently, aberrant activities of these factors are involved in the development of melanoma.

The aim of this dissertation was to examine whether the temporal distance of moral events affects the moral judgments and decisions people make in response to those events. Drawing upon Construal Level Theory (CLT; Trope & Liberman, 2003) which posits that the distant future is represented at a higher, more abstract level of mental construal than the near future, and that high-level mental con

Electrostatic interactions in bio-molecular systems are important not only in the living cell but also in more technical applications. Using molecular simulation as well as approximate theories the properties of a number of aqueous protein solutions have been studied. This includes interactions with other proteins, protons, charged membranes as well as flexible polyelectrolytes. The focus is on el

Aqueous mixtures of hydrophobically modified polymers (HMP) with amylose have been investigated by rheology and 1H NMR. Amylose can cross-link HMP chains by forming single-helical inclusion complexes with the hydrophobic side chains of the HMP, leading to thermoreversible, elastic, and thixotropic gels at ambient temperatures. The complexation ability, the strength of the association, and the visc

This thesis reports experimental studies performed with two advanced coherent XUV sources with ultrashort pulse duration, high-order harmonic generation and seeded-free electron laser. High-order harmonic generation (HHG) is the generation of overtones of a fundamental laser pulse in a medium, e.g. noble gases. The emitted radiation has a high degree of transverse coherence, and pulse lengths in t

This thesis documents my work in the luminosity and supersymmetry groups of the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The theory of supersymmetry and the concept of luminosity are introduced. The ATLAS experiment is described with special focus on a luminosity monitor called LUCID. A data-driven luminosity calibration method is presented and evaluated using the LUCID detector. This method

Phytoplankton growth and loss rates are governed by several factors and in many cases, when growth control fails, algal blooms are established. Such blooms can be formed by different phytoplankton species and some of them have harmful impacts on marine ecosystems. One of these negative impacts by some bloom-forming phytoplankton is the ability to produce toxic or inhibitory compounds with broad ef

Catecholamines, comprising the neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) are synthesized by specific enzymes (tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine ß-hydroxylase (DBH), phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT)) in the central nervous system. The development and distribution of different catecholaminergic systems have been described in both the brain and retina of th

The aim of this thesis was to study the function of the integrin a10b1. Integrins mediate signals between cells and their environment and regulate several cellular processes such as cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. The a10b1 integrin is expressed mainly by chondrocytes, the only cell type present in cartilage, and facilitates binding of the chondrocytes to the extracellular matri

The aim of this thesis work is to understand and be able to control polypeptide conformation and interactions at interfaces and in solution by changing the solution conditions. For this purpose simple model polypeptides, so-called polyamino acids, have been investigated at the air-liquid interface, as well as in aqueous solutions. The influence of subphase characteristics, spreading solvent and po

The health-promoting effects of fruits and vegetables have been extensively discussed during the past decade since epidemiologic studies have shown relations between increased intake of fruit and vegetables and decreased incidences of several chronic diseases. It has been suggested that antioxidants are a main contributors to the observed effects, for example by acting as scavengers of free radica

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin-film manufacturing process in which the growth surface is exposed to non-overlapping alternating injections of gas-phase chemical precursor species separated by intermediate purge periods to prevent gas-phase reactions. ALD is characterized by sequential self-terminating heterogeneous reactions between highly reactive gas-phase precursor species and surface-

In sexual conflicts and conflicts between parents and offspring, natural selection acts in different directions on the two sides. For example, males may be selected to achieve many mates, but female fitness may be maximised by monogamy. In this thesis I study the evolutionary outcome of these situations mainly by theoretical modelling. I present an empirical investigation of mating interactions in

Airborne particles are everywhere around us, and have always been. Particles generated by human activities has increased drastically since industrialization, and several epidemiological studies have shown that inhaled particles can cause adverse health effects. The concern about health effects have during the last decade shifted towards fine and ultrafine particles, not least due to the emerging f

Aggregation in protein-surfactant systems have been studied with the ambition of reaching a deeper understanding of the balance of the interaction forces involved. A pure system with maximized electrostatic interactions has been used. The approach has been to use a step-wise sample preparation where initially a stoichiometric protein-surfactant salt is precipitated and freeze-dried. Secondly, the

The overall aims of this work were to evaluate a method of assessing postural control, measured by balance in single-limb stance on a force platform, and to study balance in single-limb stance in individuals with non-operated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in comparison with that of uninjured controls. Ninety-nine patients (99) with ACL injury and 141 uninjured subjects were included in