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The central goal of this study was to compare statements of the minister of migration in power in 1994 with those of the minister of migration in 2006. The statements reflect two peaks of refugee immigration in connection to the war in former Yugoslavia and the present war in Iraq. The study analyses the statements in a critical discourse analysis framework. More specifically the aim was to find o
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
The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine are essential for cell growth and differentiation. The biosynthesis of polyamines are tightly regulated by feedback mechanisms involving two enzymes, namely ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC). This thesis deals with the mechanisms behind the polyamine-mediated feedback control of these enzymes. The poly
This thesis deals with Ca2+ binding to proteins, electrostatic interactions in and between proteins as well as inter- and intramolecular interactions. A computer program was developed to determine Ca2+ binding constants from experimental titration data of proteins. We further studied the effect of deamidation in the Ca2+ binding site of Calbindin D9k on the Ca2+ binding and cooperativity and concl
Females often base their choice of mates on the expression, size or intensity, of male sexual ornaments. Indicator models of sexual selection assume that females assess male genetic quality through the expression of these secondary sexual characters. Several mechanisms that link the expression of sexual ornaments to genetic quality have been suggested. Many models assume that this link is individu
Apoptosis is a defined process for cells to commit suicide through a set of biochemical and morphological cell changes. Activated apoptotic signals converge on the mitochondria, leading to permeabilization of mitochondrial membranes and release of different apoptosis regulatory proteins into the cytosol. With my studies I wanted to investigate the importance of polyamines in the regulation of apop
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
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are widespread, and are, for unclear reasons, more common among females than in males. Several risk factors have been described; constrained and awkward postures, repetitive and/or force demanding motions, and lack of recovery. The exposure to such risk factors was systematically assessed in 116 male and 206 female fish-processing industry workers. Large diff
The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine have been shown to be involved in cell growth and differentiation, and are considered to be crucial components of the living cell. The synthesis of polyamines in the cell is strictly regulated. The first and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of polyamines is catalysed by the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Mammalian ODC has a very fast
Infection with group B streptococcus (GBS), an encapsulated bacterium, is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Capsular polysaccharides and cell surface proteins of GBS are candidate antigens for development of a human GBS vaccine. Proteins have many advantages as vaccine antigens. The majority of the neonatal infections are caused by strains of capsular serotypes Ia, Ib, II, II
The xanthophyll cycle is a mechanism for short term adaptation of plants to varying light intensities. It involves a reversible conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin, via the intermediate antheraxanthin, upon high light intensities. This conversion is catalyzed by violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) and the product after de-epoxidation, zeaxanthin, is involved in non-photochemical quenching of exce
The occurrence of genital human papillomavirus infection was determined in different categories of patients by means of PCR. In high proportion of young women attending an adolescent clinic, the presence of HPV DNA was demonstrated in simultaneously urethral and cervical samples, suggesting that genital HPV infections are often multifocal. Multiple HPV types were demonstrated in about half of the
Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the world, particularly in developing countries and is considered as a major public health problem. Radiation therapy has been an important modality for treatment of cancer for many decades. It can be used as a sole treatment modality or in combination with for example surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or immune therapy. It has been calculated
Emulsions find a variety of applications in for example food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations. In order to obtain emulsions with desired properties it is important to understand how different factors, such as the properties of the emulsifier and the emulsification procedure, impact the final emulsion properties. The studies performed in relation to this thesis have mainly been focused
The development of new, minimally processed food products challenges traditional concepts of food safety. How pathogenic bacteria behave in these new matrices is not known. To fill this knowledge gap and enable the production of food that is safe for the consumer, more information on virulence expression of pathogens in food matrices is required. In this thesis, the impact of environmental factors
Abstract Hydrogen embrittlement is a degradation process of mechanical/tribological properties (toughness, wear etc.) of mating steel surfaces. This is caused by the presence and interaction of hydrogen with applied stresses. Therefore, it is important to quantify the hydrogen content which could be dissolved under applied stresses in steel. Water contamination of lubricants is often considered as
Growth hormone (GH) exerts growth-promoting and metabolic effects in mammals. The metabolic effects of GH in adipose tissue are insulin-antagonistic or insulin-like. Cells that just have been exposed to GH are insensitive to the hormone. This study addresses the question of how GH exerts its insulin-like metabolic effects, using primary rat adipocytes as a model system. It is shown that GH increas
