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The complement system is critically involved in defence against bacterial infection. C2 deficiency is, apart from mannan-binding lectin (MBL) deficiency, the most common homozygous complement deficiency among Caucasians. The classical pathway of complement activation is not functional in C2 deficiency and the condition is associated with invasive infections caused by the encapsulated bacteria Stre
Calcium homeostasis after thyroid surgery was studied during the immediate postoperative period and after one year. One day after hemithyroidectomy ionised calcium decreased whereas basal PTH did not change. EDTA stimulated maximal and total PTH secretion and set-point decreased on postoperative day 1 and normalised on day 7. One year after hemithyroidectomy (n=10) total calcium and 1.25(OH)2D3 de
When a person becomes critically ill, injured and/or undergoes major surgery and requires intensive care, a complex dilemma can arise. The condition of the illness, the specific caring situation and the environment lead to significant changes and effects in the senses and perceptional abilities. Under these conditions some patients can develop symptoms of the Intensive Care Unit syndrome/delirium.
Some aspects on the use of light for tissue characterization and treatment of malignant tumours are discussed within this thesis. The work presented aims at improving optical techniques for tissue characterization, especially to detect malignant and pre-malignant lesions. A knowledge on the interaction between light and tissue is of utmost importance to understand and improve the various technique
The anatomy, function and plasticity of the primary olfactory centre, the antennal lobe (AL), of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria was investigated using a number of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological methods. Anatomical characterisation of the AL in a number of orthopteran species made it possible to deduce a model concerning the evolution of microglomeruli. These neuropil structures, c
Hypoglycaemia is an acute complication to insulin-treatment in type 1 diabetes mellitus, which affects many physiological parameters, deteriorates the cognitive function, and may lead to death. The aim of this thesis was to study nerve function, cognitive function and cerebral blood flow during and after hypoglycaemia in healthy subjects and to study certain aspects of a fall in blood glucose in p
Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder presenting with chorea, dementia and extensive striatal neuronal death. The mechanism through which the widely expressed mutant huntingtin mediates striatal neurotoxicity is unknown. Excitotoxicity, i.e. calcium-dependent cell death induced by activation of NMDA receptors, has been hypothesized to play an important role in HD. Ou
The major part of this thesis deals with the similarities and differences in some biophysical properties of apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and the molecular variant apolipoprotein A-IMilano (apo A-IM), and the influence on lipid binding. A model compound partitioning study has also been performed. Methods that have been utilised are CD spectroscopy, calorimetry both isothermal
Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition is an environmental problem that can affect plants and microorganisms, which are vital for the terrestrial N and carbon (C) cycles. This thesis has investigated the response of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) to increased N deposition. Ectomycorrhizal fungi form mutualistic interactions with the roots of woody plants, including almost all boreal and temperate forests
It is well known that nature offers an abundance of materials and processes that can be adapted in low-tech fashion, to fabricate systems capable of removing pollutants from wastewater. During the last decade, extensive basic and engineering research on such natural treatment systems have led to improvement of the quality of discharged wastewaters. However, the mechanisms of natural treatment and
All clients admitted to ten pilot case management services for individuals with severe mental illness during 1995 and up to 1996-09-30 were invited to participate in the present study. A total of 176 clients were included. The clients were in all services assessed at admission and at an 18 months follow-up with regard to needs of care, psychosocial functioning. Use of health care and social servic
The family with the elderly and the home help workers’ team constitute two organisations, which meet in the care work. In this context the family is extended and often constitute not only members from the nuclear family but also other members of the network of relatives, whom take part in the care of the elderly. The extended family may in some cases include four generations (Finch & Mason, 19
Zabrze is a medium size town of 200 000 inhabitants in the region of Upper Silesia, Poland. The development of the town was originally based on the exploitation of heavy industries. In the past few years Zabrze has, however, moved towards more service and tourism oriented industries. As part of this journey, the city of Zabrze sees the need to improve its existing waste management system. This rep
Dwarf males occur in many unrelated groups of organisms. Among land plants they are unique to mosses. Moss dwarf males originate from male spores that land and germinate on the female where their final size is restricted to a few mm. Fertilization in mosses occur over short distances with swimming spermatozoids. Having the males growing as tiny epiphytes on the females facilitates fertilization, a
Normal urine storage and bladder emptying are controlled by the central (CNS) as well as the peripheral nervous system. Dysfunction of these mechanisms can lead to urinary incontinence. Urinary tract dysfunctions have symptomatically been treated mainly with drugs acting peripherally. However, in the CNS, drug targets for pharmacological intervention may be found. The present study deals with effe
An overview of optical techniques for environmental monitoring is presented. Range-resolved measurements of atmospheric pollutants can be performed using the differential absorption lidar technique. Fluorescence lidar allows assessment of vegetation status and also the conditions of the facades of historical buildings. Diode lasers provide particularly realistic schemes for atmospheric gas analysi
