Sökresultat

The polarization pattern of skylight offers many animals a reference for visual compass orientation. In those cases when this optical compass is identified, the receptors involved are often confined to a small part of an eye built predominantly for other visual tasks. This thesis reports the discovery of a unique compass organ in the spider Drassodes cupreus, where a pair of specialised secondary

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic biota are dependent on several factors both on individual and on system level. Bioaccumulation of POPs in pelagic biota in lakes as well as fish in streams has been shown to be dependent on nutrient regime of the system. In lakes, POP concentrations in pelagic biota decrease with increasing lake trophy. In this thesis POP bioaccumul

Leukocyte recruitment is a rate-limiting step in endotoxemic liver injury. Leukocyte extravasation is a multistep process, supported by multiple combinations of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors. This thesis examined the mechanisms of activation, adhesion and extravascular infiltration of leukocytes in endotoxin-induced liver injury. It was found that leukocyte adhesion in postsinusoidal

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. The disease primarily involves lachrymal and salivary glands, leading to dryness of the eyes and mouth, but a wide spectrum of exocrine and non-exocrine disease manifestations may be seen. A characteristic property of primary SS is the production of autoantibodies directed against intracellular, often DNA/RNA-modi

This thesis aims at investigating computer use at work from a more holistic work content perspective by also studying non-computer work content, in contrast to the previous approach in occupational health research that focused almost solely on computer work content. It was argued here that non-computer work content has also become significant to the overall work situation for computer users. This

Nitric oxide (NO) is important in the control of blood pressure and organ perfusion. In septic shock, NO produced by inducible NO-synthase (NOS) has been claimed to mediate pathological vasodilation and cell injury, while NO produced by constitutive NOS may be protective in counteracting hypoperfusion and organ injury. This thesis comprises studies on the effects of inhaled NO on pulmonary functio

Microvascular permeability is important for exchange of fluids and proteins in health and in disease. Permeability increases in critical illness, such as during sepsis/SIRS and after trauma, and may be affected by drugs. Increased permeability causes oedema and hypovolaemia. Hypovolaemia is treated with fluids, and their efficacy is determined by their intravascular retention, also influenced by t

Migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) are important events in the development of atherosclerosis and restenosis following angioplastic surgery. It is important to gain further knowledge about the mechanisms regulating SMC form and function in order to understand the underlying disease process. In this thesis I have used cultured rat aortic SMC and analysed how these cells respon

The presence of procolipase and enterostatin in the rat gastrointestinal tract has been investigated. Procolipase was identified, using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, in exocrine cells of the pancreas as well as in chief cells of the fundus region of the stomach. Enterostatin is the activation peptide of procolipase and it has been found to act as a satiety signal for fat. Using a

Blood loss in major arthroplasty may be abundant and often necessitates blood transfusions. These may transmit disease and entail an immunological burden to the recipient. After trauma and surgery, the fibrinolytic system reacts with a short period of increased activity, followed by a fibrinolytic shut-down. In this thesis we investigated the impact of the early fibrinolytic activation on blood

The relationship between the HgMn and Am classes of chemically peculiar stars has been investigated primarily by observing abundances of heavy elements, including Pr, Nd, Hg, Tl and Bi. The main objective of the investigation has been to gather observational evidence to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms producing the abundance anomalies of these stars, and to establish the relations

The theology of Isaiah 40-55 has two seemingly contradictory aspects: the tension between the consolatory message of deliverance, and the harsh tone of accusation. In this part of the Book of Isaiah, YHWH's return to his people is demonstrated through the accumulation of declarations about YHWH's ability and his will to deliver the Israelites from the exile. At the same time, the Israelites are ex

Predation imposes a potent evolutionary force on prey, moulding the evolution of traits and diversification of species, and can furthermore have powerful ecological consequences. We know that different species vary in how they cope with their natural enemies, and, consequently, a huge range of anti-predator defences are displayed in nature. Yet there is a growing recognition that, if we zoom into

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a highly sensitive technique to count atoms. The method has a high efficiency, which makes it possible to measure small samples in a relatively short time, usually less than an hour. During the work for this thesis, methods have been developed to detect Al-26 at the Lund AMS facility. This includes the design, installation and testing of a new injector that i

Hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy (HCCAA) is a disorder characterised by multiple strokes in young adults, resulting in paralysis and dementia. The disease is caused by a mutation in the gene coding for the peptidase inhibitor cystatin C. The mutation causes an amino acid substitution Leu68 -> Gln in cystatin C (L68Q cystatin C) which results in deposition of the protein in the blood vessel

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a dementia disorder, clinically characterized by fluctuating cognitive impairment, attention deficits, visual hallucinations, parkinsonism and other neuropsychiatric features. Sensitivity to neuroleptic medication is a common finding. In the present study 24% of 200 autopsied cases, within the Lund longitudinal prospective dementia study fulfilled the clinical di

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine/threonine kinases subgrouped into classical (α, βI, βII, γ), novel (δ, ε, η, θ) and atypical (ζ, ι/λ) isoforms. PKC can be activated by phorbol esters, and prolonged treatment of neuroblastoma cells has been shown to induce neuronal differentiation with neurite outgrowth and increased expression of neuronal genes. Here we show that a classical PKCβ isof

There is a lack of attention toward the diversity in experiences of architecture that are expressed through walking. Through the application of autoethnography and critical perspectives of queer and feminist theory, this dissertation develops a method for investigating experiences of architecture in regard to the activity of walking. In addition, this thesis addresses the influence of form, materi

This thesis concerns relatives of alcoholics. The aims were to investigate relatives’ situation concerning hardship, coping behaviour and psychiatric wellbeing. Two different information techniques (one standardized technique and one individually adjusted technique) were compared in order to reach relatives of alcoholics for information of available support. No significant differences were found i

Many microorganisms have developed mechanisms to protect themselves against attack from the complement system of the host. One possible mechanism for a microorganism to evade complement attack is to bind a human complement regulator, which may allow the microorganism to down-regulate complement activation. This thesis describes studies of such interactions between human C4b-binding protein (C4BP),