Filtyp
Exposure to vibration is known to cause vasospastic white fingers and/or sensorineural symtoms such as numbness and tingling in fingers and/or musculoskeletal disorders such as reduction in muscle force, fatigue and reduced endurance. Classifications for the vasospastic and sensorineural symptoms are established. The general purpose of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that vibration exposur
The human gut flora is important for our well-being. The gut bacteria are able to degrade and metabolize complex carbohydrates. Examples of such carbohydrates are β-mannans. β-Mannans consist of a backbone of β-1,4-linked mannose units and are present in e.g. the endosperm of legumes such as guar or carob. The composition of the β-mannan varies with the plant source. Carob and guar β-mannans are s
This dissertation presents a study of 26 adolescent anorexia nervosa patients and their families regarding family function and treatment. Family function was studied at the start of treatment and at two-year follow-up. In a Nordic study, 49 families were studied at the start of treatment, and different sub-groups of families were examined. The 26 patients took part in a randomised controlled study
Alcohol induces profound effects on the function of the nerve cells in the nervous system. Alterations in gene expression is an important way by which these effects could be induced and sustained. Activating Protein-1 (AP-1) is a dimeric transcription factor constituted of proteins from the fos and jun immediate-early gene families. AP-1 induces gene expression of genes having a functional AP-1 bi
In the present thesis, we have examined the in vivo properties of in vitro expanded human and rat neural stem-and progenitor cells after transplantation into the neonatal and adult rat brain. The survival and differentiation of the grafted cells were assessed using species-specific antisera, and pre-labelling with the reporter gene green fluorescent protein (GFP). Long-term growth factor-expanded
The balance between our demands of energy and the energy we are consuming is not in equilibrium anymore. Therefore, the search for other energy resources is indispensable. Sustainable energy sources offer the alternative to the fossil fuels. Within many types of sustainable energy sources, solar energy offers more than the total global energy consumption. Solar cells are the smart conversion tools
Thalidomide has a chiral center and the racemate of (+)-(R) and (-)-(S)-thalidomide was introduced as a hypnotic/sedative drug in 1957. In 1961 it was withdrawn due to teratogenicity and neuropathy. There is a growing interest in thalidomide treatment of immunomodulatory diseases. Given this renewed interest the aim of this thesis was to achieve a more rational use of thalidomide. Therefore some c
The outermost layer of skin (i.e., the stratum corneum, SC) is the interface that separates the water-rich inside of the body from the relatively dry external environment. SC forms an effective permeability barrier, which has to be overcome in transdermal drug delivery. Its function as a barrier for molecular diffusion depends on the SC molecular structure and phase behavior. Both structure and ph
We have examined the functional and structural roles of the cytoskeletal protein desmin in cardiac and skeletal muscles using a genetically modified mouse (Des-/-) with the desmin gene ablated. Desmin forms filaments at the Z-disks in the striated muscle sarcomere, have connections to the sarcolemma and most likely align sarcomeres and whole cells. We have shown a decreased contractile function of
Objective: Most preschool children have suffered from at least one episode of acute otitis media (AOM) and/or secretory otitis media (SOM). Some children have frequent AOM episodes and/or prolonged and recurrent episodes of secretory otitis media (SOM). The long-term out-come and sequelae are not fully clarified. Subjects and methods: Out of a birth cohort followed to the age of 3 years, 12 child
A series of primary and metastatic breast carcinomas obtained from female and male patients were cytogenetically analysed. Trisomy 12 was identified as a recurrent and sometimes early event in breast carcinogenesis. Also, multiple polysomies involving chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, and 19 were identified as a possible pathway of progression in a subset of carcinomas. Among the male breast car
Several neurodegenerative diseases are caused by peptides or proteins forming amyloid fibrils such as the Aβ peptide involved in Alzheimer’s disease and the huntingtin exon-1 with a prolonged polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch involved in Huntington’s disease. The ability to form amyloid fibrils is an intrinsic feature in all proteins. The fibrils are built up of monomers to form elongated structures w
The properties of different connective tissues depend on the synthesis and assembly of macromolecular structures composed of collagen and other extracellular matrix components. Mechanisms modulating these events play important roles in the formation of a functional tissue. We have studied the role of collagen-binding extracellular matrix leucine-rich repeat glycoproteins/proteoglycans in the forma
Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is believed to be an important cause of cerebral hypoperfusion, leading to chronic fatigue, blurred vision, unsteadiness, dizziness and sometimes syncope. It may also result in episodes of confusion, falls and fractures. The coupling between OH and organic dementia is not clear. Our findings in a large group of patients with Alzheimer's disease, vascular- and frontotem
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of some tumor suppressor gene products (with emphasis on the retinoblastoma suppressor gene product) in the regulation of differentiation and proliferation in leukemic and normal hematopoietic cells. For this purpose, the expression of the tumor suppressor genes RB, p53 and p16 were artificially altered. Cells used were human leukemic cell lines an
The vascular endothelium is an important regulatory organ in circulatory physiology and plays a central role in the response to acute inflammation and ischemia/reperfusion. Activation and dysfunction of the pulmonary vascular endothelium are closely related to clinical findings of pulmonary dysfunction. The endothelial-derived relaxing factor, nitric oxide (NO), is a gas, which can be administered
Hemicellulose is the second most abundant group of renewable polysaccharides. Mannans can be found as the major hemicellulose in softwood and as storage polysaccharides in a range of plants. In this work, structural and functional characterisations of family 5 and 26 endo-1,4-b-mannanases (b-mannanases) have been performed. These families belong to the large and diverse glycoside hydrolase clan A,
HERA-B is a high-energy physics experiment at HERA. It is a fixed-target experiment with a forward spectrometer to benefit from the strong boost of beauty hadrons. The main goal of HERA-B is to detect and measure the degree of CP violation in exclusive B-decays, with emphasis on the {em golden} decay, $golden$. A computer simulated study on this decay is presented and the accuracy of the measureme
It has been suggested that the cerebellar mossy fibre afferents transmit the conditioned stimulus (CS) information to the cerebellum. Several studies are consistent with this suggestion but alternative explanations have not been excluded. In conditioned ferrets, the forelimb CS was replaced by a direct stimulation of the cerebellar mossy fibre afferents. It was found that true conditioned response
The aim was to explore the inherent meaning of total fat and to examine the associations between relative fat intake and postmenopausal breast cancer. Furthermore, the impacts of the alterations in dietary assessment routines are discussed. This thesis uses data from the Malmö Diet and Cancer study, a prospective cohort study. Information on dietary habits, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors wa
