Search results

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are autoimmune diseases where an inappropriate immune response destroys cartilage. In RP, the ears, larynx, nose and joints are affected, while the most prominent sign of RA is arthritis. For ethical reasons many experiments can not be performed in man, and consequently animal models are needed. To investigate the complexity of the tissu

Connective tissues contain a prominent extracellular matrix that provides mechanical and physical properties. This extracellular matrix contains as a major constituent a network of collagen fibres. These are composed of collagen fibrils, which in turn are assembled from many collagen molecules aligned parallel to each other. Several proteins, e.g. collagens, leucine-rich repeat proteins and thromb

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), resulting from disease (e.g. cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis) or surgery (e.g. pancreectomy or pancreas duct ligation), leads to disorders in the digestive system, such as, maldigestion, malabsorption and finally malnutrition. Pancreatic duct-ligated (PDL) pigs have been used as a suitable large-animal model to study the conditions and treatment of EP

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

In this thesis, two potential endogenous mechanisms for neuronal survival and repair have been investigated in a rat model of stroke, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO): signaling of the GDNF family of neurotrophic factors, and neurogenesis from endogenous progenitor cells. As determined by in situ hybridization for GDNF family ligand and receptor genes, MCAO caused widespread upregulation o

Hyaluronan has been found in the eye in varying amounts and at different sites. It is involved in physiological and pathological processes, though many aspects of its bio-logi-cal functions are still unclear. We have studied the role of iris tissue in hyal-uro-nan production in the anterior segment of the eye, and its changes after trauma. After peripheral iridectomy or argon laser treatment, the

A thorough physical-chemical characterisation of alkylglycosides has been performed. The effects of temperature, salt, concentration and deuterium exchange on the self-aggregation of n-nonyl-b-D-glucoside (b-C9G1) and n-tetradecyl-b-D-maltoside (b-C14G2) have been studied in dilute solutions by static and dynamic light scattering, neutron scattering, rheology, capillary viscometry and tensiometry.

The purpose of this thesis was to increase the understanding of altered movement patterns in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in order to improve ACL rehabilitation, and to develop an observational instrument termed Test for Substitution Patterns (TSP) for standardized, quantifiable scoring of altered movement patterns in legs and trunk. In all, 142 participants, 93 with A

Coordination of policies embracing biomass use has been called for in order to speed up progress towards the European Union renewable energy and climate change goals. Policy coordination and coherence is also required if the many complex and diverse issues constraining sustainable bioenergy development are to be addressed. To contribute to meeting such needs this doctoral thesis provides insights

Abstract Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the only treatment available to reduce neurological sequels for unconscious patients following cardiac arrest (CA). TH requires sedation and muscular relaxation, obscuring the clinical neurological examination for estimation of prognosis, and clinical decision making. Continuous amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) has been used to predict outcome in neonates

The two genetically related human lentiviruses known today, HIV-1 (which is pandemic) and HIV-2 (which mainly is confined to West Africa), are the causative agents of AIDS. Progressive immune dysfunction and AIDS develop in most cases of untreated HIV-1 infection, but only in approximately 25-30% of HIV-2 infected individuals. The V1-V3 region of the HIV-1 env gp120 is important for HIV-1 corecept

Background: A prognostic marker should provide information about course and outcome of disease, e.g. predict time to a given endpoint or rate of progression due to disease in patients or subgroups of patients. Prognostic markers could be targeted to apply during the entire clinical course or just during distinct stages of the disease. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to identify, review and qualif

L-DOPA pharmacotherapy in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with adverse effects occurring after a few years of treatment. Among these, dyskinesia (abnormal involuntary movements) is particularly common and potentially disabling. The causes behind dyskinesia are not completely understood, but intense research has identified a number of neuronal alterations associated with L-DOPA-induced dyski

In this thesis, the main focus has been on the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, one of the most common and lethal childhood tumours. Neuroblastoma has througout the years continued to be a clinical and biological enigma. Our first focus was on one of the most important biological risk factors in neuroblastoma -- amplification of the oncogene MYCN in the tumour cells. Because amplified MYCN typical

Abstract The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured carpal bone. The diagnosis is difficult and untreated the long-term results are poor. Approximately 10% do not unite even if they are treated properly. The aim of this thesis was to study scaphoid fracture epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment. During a four-year period (2004-03-01 to 2008-02-28) all patients attending the Emergency Department a

The incidence of overweight and obesity has reached alarming proportions. Today, overweight, obesity and the metabolic diseases cause more death than starvation. To counteract an increasing body weight gain, regulation of appetite and a controlled food intake is of greatest importance. Simply put, body weight is regulated by the amount of energy ingested, and the amount of energy expended. In toda

The thesis work, aimed at the development of laser-spectroscopic detection schemes, consists of three parts, concerned with the development and application of different techniques. The development of UV filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) for thermometry and fuel/air ratio measurements, using a frequency tripled, single-longitudinal-mode alexandrite laser at ~254 nm together with an isotopically en

This study is about health pedagogy in nursing education. The main purpose is to describe health pedagogy in the context of nursing education and to increase the understanding for the subject. It is the different experiences of how teachers and students understand the concept, and how this can be related to how health pedagogical knowledge is expressed in the documents which govern nurses' educati

Eosinophils, containing tissue toxic granule proteins, are regarded a culprit cell in asthma pathogenesis. Using animal and human experimental models of asthma effects on eosinophilic airway inflammation were investigated in vivo. The current research paradigm regarding spontaneous and steroid-induced clearance of airway tissue eosinophils exclusively involves death through apoptosis followed by p