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The general aim of this thesis was to characterize hematologic malignancies using gene expression profiling in order to obtain an improved classification and to study deregulated transcriptional networks in leukemia. In the first study (Article I), the gene expression profiles of hematologic cell lines were analyzed to investigate whether such cell lines maintain expression profiles that are chara
The homologous blood coagulation factors V (FV) and factor VIII (FVIII) are important at sites of vascular injury for the amplification of the clotting cascade. Activated FV (FVa) serves as a cofactor to the enzyme activated factor X (FXa) in the activation of prothrombin. This complex is called the prothrombinase complex. FVIII functions as a cofactor to the enzyme activated factor IX (FIXa) in t
The thesis deals with models for molybdopterin-dependent enzymes. Several model systems containing molybdenum or tungsten have been prepared and characterised, and their reactivity with oxygen atom acceptors and donors have been investigated. Oxygen atom transfer reactions involving oxomolybdenum bis-dithiolene complexes have been modelled using density functional calculations. The first molybden
A suicide attempt is one of the most powerful predictors of eventual suicide. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the social situation, including social support of suicide attempters. One part of the investigations concerned patients admitted to a psychiatric ward following a suicide attempt. Another part concerned significant others (SOs) of suicide attempters, interviewed directly after th
The aim with this thesis was to investigate effects of vasoactive mediators on mucociliary activity and blood flow in rabbit and human experimental models. Mucociliary activity in vivo and ciliary beat frequency (CBF) in vitro were measured with photoelectric techniques. Blood flow was measured with laser Doppler flowmetry. Substance P (SP) and methacholine increased human nasal blood flow. Pretre
The aim of this dissertation is to use intersectional analysis to investigate how gender is made in drug abuse treatment and to examine how the formation of gender interplays with the formation of sexuality, class and ethnicity. Central questions are: What gender(s) are to be shaped in druge abuse treatment? What happens to a gender perspective with emancipatory ambitions when it is incorporated i
Aggressive lymphoma is a rapidly growing tumour of lymphocyte origin, potentially curable with chemotherapy. In a trial by the Nordic Lymphoma Group, 405 patients with aggressive lymphoma were included, and randomised to receive either the standard chemotherapy regimen, CHOP, or a weekly multidrug regimen, MACOP-B. In this trial, MACOP-B was not superior in terms of response, failure-free or overa
Originally studying the molecular mechanisms for the insulin-like effects of growth hormone (GH), lipogenesis and antilipolysis, in isolated rat adipocytes we found that the GH receptor (GHR) was tyrosine phosphorylated in response to GH in cells that were responsive to these effects. Then, as Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) was described as a GH-stimulated and GHR-associated tyrosine kinase, we found that
Inflammation plays an important role in atherosclerosis. One of the most potent pro-inflammatory cytokines is tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), a cytokine identified to have a pathogenic role in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The major objectives of this investigation was to establish a role for TNF-a in the development of atherosclerosis and neointimal formati
The importance of early detection of brain changes during ageing has been recognised. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a method used for estimation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in clinical work and in research. The aim of thesis was to study CBF in demented and non-demented elderly persons with special reference to blood pressure changes. Elderly women with senile dementia of
The process of speciation is a cornerstone in evolutionary biology. In Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, he described how he imagined that a new species would evolve to fill an empty niche. This focus on ecology shifted with Mayr towards the importance of isolation, and for many decades the geographic modes of speciation were debated. Speciation in sympatry, i.e. without any isolation between the
The varieties of prey phenotypes that have been revealed in nature are vast and many of these phenotypes are the result of the selective force that predators have had on prey traits in the past. Even within species and populations we see variations due to both differences in the selection forces they live under but also due to individual trait variation. In this thesis I investigate both the direc
A new method, where a tendon segment – a tendon autograft – was used as graft material for peripheral nerve reconstruction, was developed. Defects, 10-15 mm long, in rat sciatic nerves were bridged by various modifications of tendons. A piece of an intact tendon and a tendon, that had been teased into a membrane and then rolled to form a loose “collagen roll”, supported axonal regeneration over a
This thesis is based on data from a large glaucoma screening, comprising 32, 918 elderly citizens of Malmö and data from retrospective analysis of glaucoma patients’ charts from the Eye Department of Malmö University Hospital. The definition of glaucoma was based on reproducible visual field defects and/or glaucomatous optic nerve head damage in both groups. In paper I, including screened individ
Since soluble fibre in the form of the cereal beta-glucans found in oats and barley has been shown to have a positive effect on lipid and glucose metabolism, people at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or diabetes might benefit from that a variety of palatable food products containing beta-glucans being available to them. The aim of the papers presented in the thesis was to evaluate the m
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common human infections, and febrile UTI with bacteremia the most severe form. The relation between bacteria and host decides disease severity. The dominating uropathogen is Escherichia coli (E. coli). P fimbriae are the virulence factor of E. coli most clearly associated to severe disease. P fimbriated E. coli predominated in bacteremic febrile UT
For a long time microorganisms were assumed to have unlimited dispersal due to their small size and high cell numbers. Most microbial species can be transported by water currents, in water droplets by wind and attached to other organisms. Environmental conditions alone were supposed to affect the distribution of species and the community composition. Therefore, microorganisms were assumed to consi
Over the last decades the ongoing work in the fields of Lab-on-a-Chip and Micro-Total-Analysis-Systems has led to the discovery of new or improved ways to handle and analyse small volumes of biofluids and complex biosuspensions. The benefits of working on the microscale include: miniaturization of the analysis systems with less need for large sample volumes; temporal and spatial control of suspend
