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Nematode-trapping fungi are soil-living organisms with the unique ability to capture and infect free-living nematodes. The interest in studying these fungi arises from their potential use as biological control agents for plant- and animal-parasitic nematodes. To enter the parasitic stage, nematode-trapping fungi develop different kinds of trapping structures. In order to understand more about the

Using energy at low-quality levels opens up new possibilities for low-energy houses. Low-quality energy can be heat at a temperature that is close to that of its surrounding, and can be used, for example, to pre-heat ventilation air or domestic hot water. Pre-heating the incoming outdoor air reduces the need to heat ventilation and reduces the need for high-quality energy such as electricity or he

In this thesis, I have investigated factors (cues, benefits, and costs) affecting the evolution of an inducible morphological defence in crucian carp (Carassius carassius). Inducible defences are favoured over permanent defences when prey have reliable cues to detect predators, when defences are effective but costly, and when predation pressure is variable and unpredictable, but sometimes s

The primary role of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), an 84 kDa enzyme of 768 amino acids (in the rat protein), is to hydrolyse stored triacylglycerols in adipocytes of white adipose tissue. Catecholamines and insulin regulate lipolysis through cellular signalling. A major target of this regulation is HSL, activated through phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK). Insulin activate

This thesis examines associations between a number of epidemiological or biological markers of cancer risk and oxidative stress, in order to achieve a better understanding of how diet, lifestyle, and genetic factors contribute to the occurrence of oxidative stress. Data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort was used. The MDC study is a population-based cohort study which uses a detailed modi

Proprioceptive ability was estimated in different groups of patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury as well as in different groups of healthy uninjured individuals. In study I, patients with poor outcome of the ACL injury – i.e. persistent symptoms of instability – were compared with patients with few symptoms after ACL injury, as well as with a control group. The results showed that

The main purpose was to investigate children's participation in the decision-making processes in health care. Twenty-four children (0-18 år)admitted to hospital, their parents, and the staff present were observed during totally 135 hours in order to (i) identify the children's needs, (ii) their participation in the decision-making processes, and (iii) their parents' participation. Twenty-six child

Basement membranes are sheet like structures underlying epithelial, endothelial, adipocytes, muscle and peripheral nerve cells. Laminins are an important family of basement membrane proteins implicated in various biological functions through their interactions with cell surface receptors. Laminins are trimers composed of a, b and g chains. Integrins, dystroglycan and other transmembrane glycoprote

The method of microdialysis has been adapted for ocular use. It is a technique for monitoring concentrations of different molecules in a tissue in vivo. It is based on the principle of diffusion through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane is mounted on a soft plastic shaft, connected to an inlet and an outlet tube. The whole device, called microdialysis probe, was implanted into the vitreous bo

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent vasoconstrictor that is implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension, heart failure and atherosclerosis. In this thesis, the efficacy and safety of Ang II receptor blockers (ARB) were evaluated. The vasomotor effects of Ang II in endothelium-denuded human coronary arteries were characterized by in vitro pharmacology and the Ang II receptor mRNA levels were qua

The ability of many pathogenic microorganisms to cause infection is dependent on their ability to evade attack by the complement system of the host. One mechanism by which microorganisms may avoid complement attack is to bind complement inhibitory molecules present in the host. This thesis describes studies of the complement inhibitor C4BP and of inter-actions between C4BP and the human pathogen

Seasonal Affective Disorder with depressive episodes during the autumn/winter seasons (winter depression) is common. Outpatients with winter depression were studied regarding temperament, psychopathology, social characteristics, psychosocial functioning and the neuropeptides corticotropin - releasing hormone (CRH) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), which are known to be involved in stress-regulation. The t

Biotechnological processes offer environmentally friendly and sometimes cost-effective alternatives to traditional chemical and mechanical methods. It is important to take advantages of the opportunities these processes provide to fulfil the demands and expectations of a future environmentally sustainable society. This work exploits the possibilities of applying biotechnological methods to allow r

Hepatitis B virus is a non-cytopathic virus with a small, circular, partially double-stranded DNA of 3.2 kb. It causes acute and chronic inflammatory liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Retesting of stored sera from an outbreak of acute hepatitis in 1969-72 allowed identification of 126 cases of acute hepatitis B. No chronic carriers expressing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) cou

Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that causes antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and is responsible for hospital outbreaks of diarrhoea. In the first study, 173 consecutive isolates of C. difficile collected from 147 patients at Malmö University Hospital during 1995 were typed by AP-PCR to determine whether cross-transmission could explain the increased incidence of Clostridium diffi

Following the transection and repair of major nerve trunks in the forearm, the functional outcome is influenced by mechanisms in the peripheral, as well as in the central nervous system. In the present thesis the interest is focused on assessment of the outcome after nerve repair, central nervous factors influencing the outcome, and sense substitution to compensate for sensory loss. A new model in

During the last decade it has been discovered that around 2% of the soil-living prokaryotes belong to the domain Archaea. In many soils the most abundant archaeal group is the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) that, in addition to ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), preform the first and rate-limiting step in the nitrification process. The knowledge of factors that regulates the archaeal abundance and

The pro-inflammatory mediators leukotrienes have shown to be important players in the pathogenesis of diseases like asthma and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients suffering from IBD have been found to have an increased risk of developing colon cancer. Since leukotrienes have been shown in increased concentrations in stools of IBD patients we hypothesise that LTD4 can play a role in the deve