Background: Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is an increasingly common cancer in fair-skinned people. The purpose of this thesis was to study high-risk patients with multiple tumours including a CMM, high-risk families with the unique Swedish germline mutation in CDKN2A(113insArg), as well as study risk factors for CMM in women. Methods: Tumours associated with CMM, in individuals/probands with

Disease related mutations and environmental factors are key determinants of the aggregation mechanism of the amyloid-β peptide implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Here we present an approach to investigate these factors through acquisition of highly reproducible data and global kinetic analysis to determine the mechanistic influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the Aβ aggregation network.

A key component in low energy houses is the heat recovery from the ventilation air. Over recent years, the most frequently used ventilation type is the mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. This kind of ventilation results in high heat recovery but does unfortunately consume a considerable amount of electrical energy. Natural or hybrid ventilation has the potential to consume less electricity

Increased cancer risk has been reported among workers in the rubber manufacturing industry employed before the 1960s. It is unclear whether risk remains increased among workers hired subsequently. The present study focused on risk of cancer mortality for rubber workers first employed since 1975 in 64 factories.

Activins are members of the TGF-β family of ligands that have multiple biological functions in embryonic stem cells as well as in differentiated tissue. Serum levels of activin A were found to be elevated in pathological conditions such as cachexia, osteoporosis and cancer. Signaling by activin A through canonical ALK4-ACVR2 receptor complexes activates the transcription factors SMAD2 and SMAD3. A

In this paper we consider the distribution of the product of a Wishart random matrix and a Gaussian random vector. We derive a stochastic representation for the elements of the product. Using this result, the exact joint density for an arbitrary linear combination of the elements of the product is obtained. Furthermore, the derived stochastic representation allows us to simulate samples of arbitra

This article examines the practice of doctors and nurses to invoke the categories of age, sex, class, ethnicity, and/or lifestyle factors when discussing individual patients and patient groups. In what situations are such references explicitly made, and what does this practice accomplish? The material consists of field notes from a cardiology clinic in Sweden, and a theory of descriptive practice

Background: Cysteine protease cathepsins are important in extracellular matrix protein degradation, cell apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Mice lacking cathepsins are protected from tumor progression in several animal models, suggesting that the regulation of cathepsin activities controls the growth of various malignant tumors. Methods and Results: We tested the role of cathepsins using a mouse model o

We study the association of the cationic protein lysozyme with several almost neutral protein fragments but with highly uneven charge distributions. Using mesoscopic protein models, we show how electrostatic interactions can align or steer protein complexes into specific constellations dictated by the specific charge distributions of the interacting biomolecules. Including van der Waals forces sig

Studies on technological innovation systems (TISs) often set spatial boundaries at the national level and treat supranational levels as a geographically undifferentiated and freely accessible global technological opportunity set. This article criticizes this conceptualization and proposes instead to analyze relevant actors, networks and processes in TIS from a relational perspective on space. It d

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Although the heritability of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been determined, the relevance of family history of AF for the likelihood of recurrent hospitalization for AF is unknown. The aim of this nationwide study was to determine whether family history of AF is a risk factor of recurrent hospitalization for lone AF (LAF), i.e., AF with unknown etiology. The familial risk f

Anthracyclines and taxanes are active cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of early metastatic breast cancer. It is yet unclear whether addition of capecitabine to the combination of these drugs improves the treatment outcome. Patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to first-line chemotherapy with a combination of epirubicin (Farmorubicin(A (R))) and paclitaxel (Taxol(A (R))) alone (ET) o

Objective. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats are more susceptible to stress-evoked ulcerations than Sprague-Dawley (SPD) rats. We have already demonstrated that gastrin cells are more active and ghrelin cells less active in WKY rats than in SPD rats. The purpose of this study was to compare endocrine cell activity and gastric acid output in WKY and SPD rats. Material and methods. Gastric acid output was det

Purpose To assess the clinical effects and safety profile of initial monotherapy with either bisoprolol or enalapril in elderly patients with heart failure (HF). Methods In CIBIS III, 1010 patients with mild to moderate HF and age >= 65 years were randomized to monotherapy with either bisoprolol or enalapril for 6 months. Results Bisoprolol had a similar effect as enalapril on the combined end-poi