Proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from smokers at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and never smokers is described. COPD is currently the world's fourth leading cause of death and its prevalence is increasing. The leading cause of COPD is smoking and an estimated 600 million people in the world suffer from COPD which makes it the world's most co

The business climate of the energy market has been eventful over the last two decades, particularly with the introduction of the deregulated electricity market and promotion of environmental issues. This has subsequently lead to new analysis criteria, influencing both technology requirements and production costs. To be able to manage all the questions that have arisen from this the knowledge of th

Magnetic relaxation dispersion measurements have been performed on aqueous protein solutions to study the dynamics of waters in the proton transport channel of bacteriorhodopsin and the self-association of the proteins BPTI, lysozyme and beta-lactoglobulin. The measurements have focused on the bulk relaxation rates, R1 and R2, of three water nuclei 1H, 2H and 17O that are coupled to the protein en

The Earth is a highly complex and dynamic system. Life has shaped the entire planet and evolved in response to living conditions. Ecosystems are heavily affected by climate. Rapidly changing conditions imply considerable stress on several species and ecosystems, as well as to the most dominant species on the planet. The main focus of this thesis is to investigate climate and anthropogenic interac

The research focus in this dissertation has been on success in selling as created in the seller and buyer interaction on and between macro-, meso- and micro levels. Success seen as a value has consequences for the exchange process, since it affects the actor's action in the seller and buyer interaction on different levels in companies. The study of value is limited to success in selling as a value

In this thesis, spectroscopic studies of quantum wells (QWs), quantum wires (QWRs) and quantum dots (QDs) in III-V semiconductors are presented. The electronic structure of these low-dimensional structures have been studied by absorption, photocurrent, electroreflectance, photoluminescence (PL), and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopy. The band alignment of GaAs pseudomorphically grow

This thesis describes the possibility of using hydrophobic peptide tags as tools for bioseparation and for the investigation of recombinant proteins. The hydrophobicity of a protein can easily be changed by minor modifications, such as fusions of tyrosine-containing peptides. The fusion tags may also increase both stability and expression of the fusion protein. Furthermore, a protein library with

Food production and consumption are key drivers of environmental pressures and essential factors in the promotion and maintenance of health. Production of food occupies more than 1/3 of global land areas and is estimated to be responsible for some 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we live in a world where nearly one billion people go hungry and even more people suffer from

Two different detection methods for on-line monitoring of substrates and products in ethanol fermentations have been studied. Amperometric biosensors were developed for use as detectors in flow injection or liquid chromatographic (LC) systems. Carbon paste was used as the electrode material and served as the supporting matrix to incorporate the enzymes alcohol oxidase or pyranose oxidase. Hydrogen

The treatise attempts to approach and deal with some of the most fundamental problems facing anyone who wishes to uphold some version of the so-called theory of tropes. Three assumptions serve as a basis for the investigation: (i) tropes (i.e. particular properties) exist, (ii) only tropes exist (that is, tropes are the only basic or fundamental kinds of entities), and (iii) a one-category trope-t

Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a mouse model for rheumatoid arthritis, in which autoimmunity is induced by immunization with type II collagen (CII), a cartilage-specific protein. In the present work, alpha/beta T cells were shown to be required for CIA and for the production of anti-CII IgG antibodies, whereas gamma/delta T cells were neither necessary nor sufficient for development of CIA. A

The novel gastric hormone ghrelin was discovered by virtue of its ability to release growth hormone (GH) via interaction with the so-called GH-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Earlier only synthetic agents were known to bind with the GHS-R, hence, ghrelin is the first identified endogenous ligand. GHS-R occurs in the pituitary and hypothalamus but also in several peripheral tissues, suggesting the i

This thesis describes different aspects of nanotechnology manufacturing with nanoimprint lithography (NIL), a relatively new nanofabrication tool capable of high resolution and high throughput. Surface structure creation with NIL is based on mechanical deformation of the patterning material. This is radically different from the two main established methods, ultra violet lithography (UVL) and elect

The overall aim of this thesis was to increase our knowledge of the relationship between structure and function of human skeletal muscle, and about factors affecting strength. The ankle dorsiflexor muscles (DF) were chosen as a representative model of human skeletal muscle, and because these muscles have important roles in gait and maintenance of balance. Specific aims in this thesis were: i) to d

Melanin is an epidermal pigment commonly known to give darker skin coloration under sun exposure. It is also present in the hair, eyes, inner ear and brain. The first function of epidermis melanin is believed to be photoprotective against harmful ultraviolet (UV) light, but the recent increase of skin cancer correlated to an increase of sun exposure questions the properties of melanin. Its presenc

The outcomes of 20 patients participating in occupational group therapy at a psychiatric outpatient unit were explored and related to perceptions of the ward atmosphere and the treatment process. The outcome variables - psychiatric symptoms, global mental health, quality of life, and occupational functioning - were measured at admission, at discharge, and 1 year after discharge. The ward atmospher

Glibenclamide (Gb) is the most commonly employed sulphonylurea worldwide for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). There has been uncertainty concerning its pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Numerous long-lasting hypoglycemic reactions, which have sometimes been fatal, have been reported and have been difficult to reconsile with an allegedly short elimina

The primary aim of the present study is to reveal the creative awakening of Michalis Ganas, Maria Kirtzaki, Tzeni Mastoraki and Kostas Papageorgiou, four poets of the Greek 1970s Generation. All four poets were born during the decade of the 1940s. The thesis approaches the poets entire authorship from their debut, end of 1960s beginning of 1970s, until the present day, to distinguish a number of c

Exposure to nano-sized and nanostructured aerosol particles with tailored properties are likely to increase in society. Occupational exposure to various kinds of nanostructured aerosol particles such as soot and metal aggregates already exists. To understand the adverse human health effects of these particles, there is a need for systems that can Generate a stable output of aerosol particles, Char

Autoimmune diseases are dependent on both genetic and environmental factors in complex interplay. They arise from a faulty immune response against self-antigens, and causes great suffering in affected individuals. Despite large efforts and hundreds of thousands of research articles published, the disease etiologies remain largely unknown. Knowledge of which genes are involved and how they interact