Filetype
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and protected specimen brush technique has become an established method for etiologic diagnosis in severe forms of pulmonary infections during recent years. In this study, including 62 bronchoscopies in 53 patients, a standardized program, covering all important pulmonary pathogens, has been evaluated in a heterogeneous group of patients. Results
Pre-treatment of sisal pulp prior to its anaerobic digestion was investigated using an activated sludge mixed culture under aerobic conditions in batch bioreactors at 37 degrees C. The progression of aerobic pre-treatment of the residue in relation to the activities of some extracellular hydrolytic enzymes in the slurry was monitored. The highest activity of hydrolytic enzymes was obtained at 9 h
Responses to isotonic quick releases of rabbit urinary bladder strips and rat portal veins activated by AC-stimulation and K+-high medium were studied. The AC stimulation was adjusted to give the same tension as th K+-contractures. Releases were performed at peak of the contractions (which was attained after 1.5-4.5 s AC-stimulation or 2-3 min in K+-high solution). The length response consisted of
Background: Retinoids are vital for embryonic development; both excesses and deficiencies of vitamin A are known to give similar patterns of birth defects. Concentrations of retinol in newborns and in pregnant women have been investigated, but concentrations of the biologically active metabolite all-trans retinoic acid and its isomer 13-cis retinoic acid have not. Objective: We measured serum conc
Background: Relapse of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after liver transplantation (LT) is universal. Tolerance for treatment with pegylated-interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) is suboptimal and withdrawals due to adverse events frequent. We sought to improve tolerance for treatment to improve outcome. Methods: We used concentration-guided RBV dosing to achieve an intended 10 mu mol/L conce
In this study we have investigated whether the carbon isotopic signature differs between different groups and species of marine phytoplankton depending on growth phase, nutrient conditions and salinity. The 15 investigated algal species, representing the Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Dinophyceae and Haptophyceae classes were grown in batch monocultures and analysed
Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effects of fluorouracil (5-Fu) and octreotide (Oct) continuous regional arterial infusion (CRAI,) alone or in combination, was administered in a canine model of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Materials and Methods: The animals were divided into five groups; group A (Sham), group B (SAP), group C (SAP and 5-Fu), group D (SAP and Oct), and group E (SAP and 5-Fu
A cochlear implant (CI) is a device that provides individuals with severe to profound hearing impairment (SPHI) with auditory stimulation, which makes it possible for them to develop skills related to spoken communication. We have little knowledge about how hearing with a CI influences cognitive and communicative development and there is a need for development of methods for assessment. The genera
Concerns are increasing about the loss of biodiversity under land use change and how this will affect the ecosystem services provided by natural and semi-natural communities and consequently how this will threaten human well-being. The thesis examines the impact of present and past land use on different aspects of biodiversity; namely species diversity, traits and functional diversity and on ecos
Many individuals treated for depression suffer relapse or recurrence after treatment. Known risk factors include number of previous depressive episodes and residual symptoms after treatment. Both relapse/recurrence rates and predictors of relapse/recurrence, however, may differ between various settings. To perform a naturalistic evaluation of the sustained effectiveness of treatment for adult clin
Understanding the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees is vital because of reported declines in bee diversity and distribution and the crucial role bees have as pollinators in ecosystems and agriculture. Neonicotinoids are suspected to pose an unacceptable risk to bees, partly because of their systemic uptake in plants, and the European Union has therefore introduced a moratorium on three
Following the development of large-scale use of biomass energy in the EU, international biofuel trade is a plausible scenario and something that is already taking place in Northern Europe. This paper focuses on Swedish biofuel imports, both direct and indirect imports, the latter which derive from the fact that part of the imported pulpwood and timber end up as fuel. The objective is to describe t
We investigated the role of blood components in the adhesion of staphylococci to biological and artificial surfaces under well-defined flow conditions by using the Cone and Plate(let) Analyzer. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-like binding assay with biotinylated bacteria determined the extent of bacterial adhesion to subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM), polystyrene (PS) and adult bovine
Background-Leukocyte concentration in blood is a classical marker of systemic inflammation. Whether high leukocyte counts are associated with incidence of heart failure (HF) is unknown. This population-based study explored whether the leukocyte concentrations were associated with incidence of hospitalizations due to HF. Methods and results-Leukocyte counts were measured in 16 940 men from the gene
The aim was to determine whether outcome of unrelated donor transplantation for severe aplastic anemia has improved in recent years and whether this is due to patient selection or better transplant technology. We analyzed 498 patients transplanted during 1990-2005. By running univariate regression models dichotomizing year of transplantation we defined 1998 as the year of the most significant chan
Optimization of hexyl-beta-glycoside synthesis from lactose in hexanol at low water activity and high temperature was investigated using beta-glycosidases from hyperthermophilic organisms: Sulfolobus solfataricus (LacS) and Pyrococcus furiosus (CelB). The method for water activity adjustment by equilibration with saturated salt solutions was adapted for use at high temperature. The influence of en
The genetic changes underlying the development and progression of male breast cancer are poorly understood. Germline BRCA2 mutations account for a significant part of male breast cancer, but the majority of patients lack a known inherited predisposition. We recently demonstrated that the progression of breast cancer in female carriers of a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation follows specific genetic
The native bee fauna provides an important ecosystem function, but a large proportion of this fauna in Europe is threatened as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation. The solitary bee Andrena hattorfiana is specialised on collecting pollen from the plant-family Dipsacaceae. In northern Europe the major pollen resource is the insect-pollinated herb Knautia arvensis. We quantified the available
