Primary systemic vasculitis is associated with a high mortality if left untreated and it is essential to make the diagnosis before permanent organ damage has occurred. In this thesis the diagnostic and prognostic significance of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in systemic vasculitis is investigated. The clinical significance of a capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) bas

We have shown in a previous study that leukotriene D-4 (LTD4) signalling increases cell survival and proliferation in intestinal epithelial cells [ohd, Wikstrom and Sjolander (2000) Gastroenterology 119, 1007-1018]. This is highly interesting since inflammatory conditions of the bowel are associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer. The enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is important

Scatter correction in SPECT is important for improving image quality, boundary detection and the quantification of activity in different regions. This paper presents a comparison of four scatter correction methods, three using more than one energy window and one convolution-subtraction correction method using spatial variant scatter line-spread functions. METHODS: The comparison is based on Monte

Aim: The study investigated clinical and social changes during an 18-month follow-up period in a group (n = 76) of schizophrenic outpatients admitted to a newly implemented outpatient psychosis team. Changes related to level of contact with the psychosis team were also examined as well as aspects of the content of the treatment interventions and work situation from a staff perspective. Methods: St

To increase our knowledge about mating-system evolution, we need to understand the relationship between specific floral traits and mating system. Species of Collinsia (Plantaginaceae) vary extensively in mating system; this variation is associated with variation in floral morphology and development and with the timing of self-pollination. Counterintuitively, large-flowered, more outcrossing specie

In the light of a brief review of the theories of power — in which the definitions of power are asked when, where and how is power executed? — the article defines power as the ability of an individual or a collective actor to cause, effect and prevent action in others and to achieve the desired results. The article then concentrates on a kind of power which is called acculturation. This appears in

Popular Abstract in Swedish There are two major types of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), however a number of subtypes have been defined and classified. Maternally Inherited Diabetes and Deafness (MIDD) and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) are monogenic forms, whereas Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is thought to be a polygenic subtype simiThere are two major types of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), however a number of subtypes have been defined and classified. Maternally Inherited Diabetes and Deafness (MIDD) and Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) are monogenic forms, whereas Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is thought to be a polygenic subtype similar to T1D. Mutations in the

Background. Exercise is an important part of many women's lives. Women are often advised to refrain from physical exercise during pregnancy. The reason given is mainly safety, i.e. fear of maternal hyperthermia, which is known to be related to neural tube defects. However, exercise during pregnancy has not been shown to be related to hyperthermia. Objective. To study temperature and oxygen satura

The main stimulus for insulin secretion is elevated blood glucose levels. In this thesis the aim was to study less well-known systems involved in the complex regulation of glucose-stimulated insulin release, emphasizing the role of the lysosomal/vacuolar system and the associated glycogenolytic acid alpha-glucoside hydrolases, but also the HO-CO and NOS-NO systems. We performed studies both in hea

In this paper we study harmonic morphisms emptyv :U sub CopfP m rarrN 2 from open subsets of complex projective spaces to Riemann surfaces. We construct many new examples of such maps which are not holomorphic with respect to the standard Kähler structure on CopfP m.

This dissertation is a collection of four essays, where the unifying theme is how different exchange rate regimes have affected developing countries’ economic performance in different respects. In particular, we analyse the consequences on developing countries’ exports, but also, to some extent, the effects on their economic growth. Chapter 1 serves as an introductory chapter and provides a backgr

Aim: To describe the epidemiology of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in the Nordic countries, to define clinical subgroups and to investigate factors predicting chronic disease. Methods: A prospective registration was done from 1998 to 2000, including all children with newly diagnosed ITP aged 0-14 y and at least one platelet count

Vezdaea rheocarpa is documented for North America for the first time.

Localized multipole moments up to the fifth moment as well as localized dipole polarizabilities are calculated with the MpProp and the newly developed LoProp methods for a total of 20 molecules, predominantly derived from amino acids. A comparison of electrostatic potentials calculated from the multipole expansion obtained by the two methods with ab initio results shows that both methods reproduce

Previous historical critical research has studied the pre-history of the traditions found in Paul's letters. This study investigates the rhetorical function of these confessions, acclamations and liturgical formulae in Paul's argumentation. The starting point for the investigation is the assumption that the Corinthians have received and believed the traditions, transmitted by Paul, when they were

This doctoral thesis examines the causes and effects of corporate disclosure practices. The thesis consists of four independent but related essays that collectively make up a country study for Sweden. The first essay aims to explain why some firms have a proactive disclosure strategy while others devote less resources and effort to disclosure and investor relations. Information about Swedish firms

Immune defences are undoubtedly of great benefit to the host, reducing the impact of infectious organisms. However, mounting immune responses also entails costs, which may be measured by inducing immune responses against artificial infections. We injected common eider (Somateria mollissima) females with three different non-pathogenic antigens, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), diphtheria toxoid and te