The objectives of the work presented in this thesis have been to develop molecular methods for (i) detection of Clostridium botulinum in food and clinical samples, and (ii) monitoring the expression of the neurotoxin gene, cnt, during different growth phases and under different growth conditions. For the diagnosis of botulism, a real-time PCR-based method including an internal amplification contr

Following myocardial infarction (MI), patients often have unanswered questions about resuming sexual activity. Coronary care nurses can play an important role in counselling. However, this sensitive area is frequently neglected in nursing practice. This article discusses patient and nurse perceptions of such discussions and explores ways to increase nurses' awareness, so that they might offer sexu

Heavy neutron-rich nuclei were populated via relativistic energy fragmentation of a E/A= 1 GeV Pb-208 beam. The nuclei of interest were selected and identified by a fragment separator and then implanted in a passive plastic stopper. Delayed. rays following internal isomeric decays were detected by the RISING array. Experimental information was obtained on a number of nuclei with Z=73-80 (Ta-Hg), p

The valence electronic structure of a series of molecular films containing ruthenium polypyridine complexes has been investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) at high kinetic energy (HIKE) using hard X-ray. The experiment shows the possibility to experimentally probe the metal contribution to the valence spectra in a bulk sensitive mode. Specifically to directly follow the Ru 4d contributio

Artikel om historiedidaktikern Christer Karlegärds gärning som lärarutbildare, historiedidaktiker och miljöhistoriker med utgångspunkt i ett flertal av hans texter.

This study evaluates respiratory symptoms, lung function, and exposure to airborne particles among waste-picking children. We enrolled 103 waste-picking children at a dump in Managua, Nicaragua and 103 children who do not pick waste. Exposure to airborne particles was assessed by area sampling. Health data were obtained from a questionnaire, clinical examination, and spirometry. Exposure effects w

Software systems are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and can be found in devices we use every day from mobile phones to cars. As our reliance on software-based systems increases, our tolerance with software that is ill-fitted to our needs decreases. We expect these devices to function whenever and however we need them to. However, developing these (often) large and complex software systems to mee

Multiple myeloma is a malignancy of plasma cells predominantly located in the bone marrow. A number of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) induce apoptosis in myeloma cells in vitro, and with this study we add BMP-9 to the list. BMP-9 has been found in human serum at concentrations that inhibit cancer cell growth in vitro. We here show that the level of BMP-9 in serum was elevated in myeloma patien

Diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy (PN) is a common and serious complication of diabetes. The prevalence of PN is rising with the global burden of type 2 diabetes. The causal mechanisms of PN are not fully understood, but both vascular and metabolic factors play a role. New methods of investigating PN need to be correlated with standard methods in well-defined, population-based cohorts. Objective

The aim of this study was to compare the vacuum assisted wound closure (VAC) system (negative pressure wound therapy; NPWT) and alginate wound dressings in terms of quality of life (QoL), pain resource use and cost in patients with deep peri-vascular groin infection after vascular surgery.

This article sets out to study the ways in which reactions and adaptations to modernity and societal change among non-elite communities in late nineteenth-century Sweden are visible in contemporary attitudes to social deviants and nonconformists. In Swedish provincial cultures, narratives about local characters in the oral tradition played a significant part in regional identity formation in the n

A new method for detecting jerks in safety critical events, based on the characteristics of the braking caused by the driver in time critical situations, has been developed and evaluated in a small pilot test and also applied on a naturalistic driving study. A portable event data recorder, capable of measuring and recording acceleration profiles for a predetermined time period before and after the

The optimal mating system is rarely the same for males and females-whereas males usually benefit from attracting additional females to the territory, this could incur costs for the resident female. Females should therefore prevent prospecting females from settling on the territory. We studied the male and female behavioral and hormonal responses to simulated female territorial intrusions in free-l

This paper deals with steady-state analysis and design of bioreactors consisting of a number of completely stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) in series. The study is confined to one consumed (substrate) and one consuming constituent (biomass). The specific microbial growth rate is assumed to be described by Monod kinetics. The death of biomass is assumed to be negligible. Two optimal design problems fo

The Baltic Sea has experienced three major intervals of bottom water hypoxia following the intrusion of seawater circa 8 kyr ago. These intervals occurred during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), and during recent decades. Here we show that sequestration of both Fe and Mn in Baltic Sea sediments generally increases with water depth, and we attribute this to shelf-

Background: Treatment at stroke units is superior to treatment at other types of wards. The objective of the present study is to determine the effect size of stroke unit care in subgroups of patients with stroke. This information might be useful in a formal priority setting. Methods: All acute strokes reported to the Swedish Stroke Register from 2001 through 2005 were followed until January 2007.

We used a thin-film thermocouple to detect the thermal effect of surface plasmons excited in Au nanohole array structures. We found that the thermal electromotive force of Au film with periodic nanohole structures is three times greater than that of a bare Au film for 785-nm laser excitation at a given power. This effect is caused by the resonant excitation of localized surface plasmons in the nan