Filtyp
The two genetically related human lentiviruses known today, HIV-1 (which is pandemic) and HIV-2 (which mainly is confined to West Africa), are the causative agents of AIDS. Progressive immune dysfunction and AIDS develop in most cases of untreated HIV-1 infection, but only in approximately 25-30% of HIV-2 infected individuals. The V1-V3 region of the HIV-1 env gp120 is important for HIV-1 corecept
Background: A prognostic marker should provide information about course and outcome of disease, e.g. predict time to a given endpoint or rate of progression due to disease in patients or subgroups of patients. Prognostic markers could be targeted to apply during the entire clinical course or just during distinct stages of the disease. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to identify, review and qualif
Abstract Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is the only treatment available to reduce neurological sequels for unconscious patients following cardiac arrest (CA). TH requires sedation and muscular relaxation, obscuring the clinical neurological examination for estimation of prognosis, and clinical decision making. Continuous amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) has been used to predict outcome in neonates
Coordination of policies embracing biomass use has been called for in order to speed up progress towards the European Union renewable energy and climate change goals. Policy coordination and coherence is also required if the many complex and diverse issues constraining sustainable bioenergy development are to be addressed. To contribute to meeting such needs this doctoral thesis provides insights
In radioimmunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are used as a targeting agent carrying a toxic payload consisting of radionuclides. This treatment allows the irradiation of small lesions, even on the microscopic level. In the present work, two radionuclides with different properties were used. Lutetium-177 (177Lu) is a beta-particle-emitting radionuclide (t½=6.7 days) and astatine-211 (211At)
Central venous catheters are mainly being used for reliable infusion of fluids and potentially irritant drugs, for haemodialysis, and for assessment of right atrial or central venous pressure (RAP/CVP). Current guidelines state that central venous catheterization should be followed-up by immediate anterior-posterior chest X-ray to confirm appropriate positioning and to detect iatrogenic pneumothor
Cerebral arteries participate actively in the response that follows an episode of cerebral ischemia in man and rat. It has been shown that the vascular endothelin receptor expression is increased in stroke and organ culture. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated the intracellular signalling pathways, leading to the enhanced expression of vascular endothelin receptors. We have revealed that both c
The blood is composed of many different cell types that through tightly regulated mechanisms are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In addition, HSCs are able to undergo self-renewing divisions whereby new HSCs are produced. This is an extremely important feature of HSCs in order to ensure the existence of the HSC pool that is paramount to provide life-long hematopoiesis. Aging is in ge
Glioma is the most common type of primary tumor in the adult central nervous system (CNS). However, the current classification of gliomas is highly subjective and even inaccurate in some cases, which leads to clinical confusion and hinders the development of targeted therapies. EGFR and PDGFRA play crucial roles in glia development and glioma pathogenesis. In this thesis we aim to establish a glia
Abstract: Mammography is currently the established method in breast cancer screening, although the sensitivity is known be affected by overlapping tissue concealing tumours. Breast tomosynthesis takes advantage of multiple exposures at different angles reducing the negative effect of obscuring tissue. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the use of tomosynthesis in breast imaging with a spec
To understand the growth of continental crust, the balance between juvenile mantle derived extraction, infracrustal reworking and crustal recycling, needs to be estimated. Since the beginning of the century, the use of coupled in situ zircon U–Pb, Lu–Hf and O isotope analyses as a tool to address these questions have increased exponentially. Numerous compilations of ever growing datasets have been
Decisions in the treatment of bladder cancer today are based on clinical and pathological risk variables such as tumor stage and tumor grade. The importance of these conventional risk variables is well documented since more than 10 years, and they are used routinely in the clinics. Over the last ten years, cancer research has seen a gradual transition towards personalized medicine, i.e. the exploi
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene. The gene codes for a protein that serve as chloride channel. In cystic fibrosis, this protein is lacking or has a defect function resulting in a thick and sticky mucus of the airways. The altered airway environment promotes mucus and growth of pathogenic bacteria. A common
In her widely quoted and criticised Gender Trouble, Judith Butler elaborates the idea that gender needs to be understood as performative – a certain kind of “doing” within the regulative realm of a hegemonic heterosexuality that is assumed to govern intelligible bodily configurations. Drawing mainly on psychoanalytical and Foucaultian arguments, Butler dwells upon questions concerning power and su
Bone deficiencies, caused by malformations, trauma or adverse effects from medical treatments, are a clinical challenge and often associated with reduced physical function and quality of life. Autologeous bone grafts can be used to reconstruct skeletal defects, but the right size and quality of bone might not always be available and even so, donor-site morbidity might follow. A pre-fabricated or t
Melanoma is an aggressive disease that arises from deregulated signaling events in melanocytes. The KIT receptor tyrosine kinase and the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) are two essential components that are required for the normal physiology of melanocyte development and function. Consequently, aberrant activities of these factors are involved in the development of melanoma.
A thorough physical-chemical characterisation of alkylglycosides has been performed. The effects of temperature, salt, concentration and deuterium exchange on the self-aggregation of n-nonyl-b-D-glucoside (b-C9G1) and n-tetradecyl-b-D-maltoside (b-C14G2) have been studied in dilute solutions by static and dynamic light scattering, neutron scattering, rheology, capillary viscometry and tensiometry.
Thermal radiation is an important physical phenomenon in combustion environments. For the understanding of existing- and the design of new combustion environments computational modelling is a useful tool as it can describe the different transport phenomena. This thesis has focused on studying thermal radiative property models of the participating media, gases and particles. Two specific combustion
The diagnostic value of modern fast pulse sequences and breath-hold technique was evaluated in a prospective study of patients with suspected biliary diseases. The cost-effectiveness of MRI compared to ultrasound was calculated. Characteristics of acute cholecystitis and cholangitis were evaluated, the appearance of bile in MRCP with reference to its chemical and physical properties was studied, a
Aggregation in protein-surfactant systems have been studied with the ambition of reaching a deeper understanding of the balance of the interaction forces involved. A pure system with maximized electrostatic interactions has been used. The approach has been to use a step-wise sample preparation where initially a stoichiometric protein-surfactant salt is precipitated and freeze-dried. Secondly, the
