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In this thesis, semiconductor nanowires are studied from the point of view of growth and electrical properties. The growth of nanowires is done by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE), an ultra-high vacuum technique allowing a precise control of precursor deposition and low growth rates. In conventional epitaxy, growth is usually two or three- dimensional, depending on growth conditions and material combin

This study investigated the pathogenesis of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). (1) The relative roles of lipopolysaccharide and Shiga-like toxin-2 were studied in a mouse model of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection. Both factors were found to be important for the virulence of the strain and contributed in an additive manner. The mouse model mimicked cert

To examine cardiovascular risk factors, glycaemic control and survival in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated in primary care, patients with T2DM and a randomised age-stratified sample of men and women aged ≥40 years living in the same community were surveyed 1992-1994. ß–Cell function and insulin resistance were estimated using the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). Vital stat

Algorithms based on the variational approach, as used in statistical physics, are developed. For constraint satisfaction problems a novel cost function, based on information-theoretic arguments, is introduced, and an algorithm similar to the mean-field annealing algorithm is proposed. It outperforms the conventional mean-field algorithm, and its performance is comparable to good problem-dedicated

A distinguishing feature of Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is their ability to resist phagocytosis in whole human blood in the absence of type-specific antibodies, a property that is dependent on the expression of the surface associated M proteins. A common characteristic of M proteins is their interaction with a variety of host proteins including the complement regulatory protein factor H (FH) and

This thesis describes patients in acute postoperative pain as well as patients with acute cancer-related pain in palliative care, and their experiences and perceptions of pain management in relation to HRQOL and the multidimensionality of pain. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was chosen. Data were collected using interviews and questionnaires; APS, SF:36 and a new developed q

The aim of the thesis was to examine the expression and function of the extracellular nucleotide P2 receptors in the cardiovascular system. In the cardiovascular system nucleotides are released during shear stress, hypoxia, ischemia, from endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, aggregating platelets, inflammatory cells and erythrocytes. We demonstrate that ATP, ADP, UTP and UDP induce vascular rel

Stroke in young adult rodents triggers neurogenesis in the damaged striatum and intact hippocampus. as stroke happens frequently in aged individuals it is of great importance to know whether aging affects brain recovery mechanisms. Aged and young adult rats were subjected to stroke by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and proliferating cells were labeled by intraperitoneal administ

The BCR/ABL1 fusion gene is associated with chronic myeloid leukemia and a subgroup of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The general aim of this thesis was to increase the understanding of BCR/ABL1-induced leukemogenesis by molecular and functional studies of this fusion gene. In Article I, an experimental U937 cell line model with inducible expression of BCR/ABL1 was established and characterized. Ex

This thesis is based on three original papers with the overall aim to study the mechanisms of induction and function of Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. Regulatory T cells induce down-modulation of costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 on dendritic cells in vitro. In the first study we further show that the extent of down-modulation is functionally significant since regulatory T cell condition

All hematopoietic cells are derived from the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in a continuous and dynamic process, regulated by a network of transcription factors in different combinations and extrinsic signals from growth factors (GFs) and other factors in the microenvironment. In the initial stages of hematopoiesis HSCs differentiate to progenitor cells with gradually more restricted lineage pote

The overall aim of this work was to study the influence of surgery on energy expenditure (EE) during working capacity measurements and during walking. In the first study the aim was to investigate whether two different devices were sensitive enough to reveal differences in energy expenditure during treadmill walking, and if the measurements were reproducible. It was shown that an airflow of 42.5

Civil society is frequently singled out as one of the most important factors in the democratization process, but existing research is often imprecise with regard to civil society’s relation to democratic development. This study analyzes how, and under what circumstances, civil society can contribute to democratic development in newly established democracies. A conceptual framework is outlined that

This thesis presents data from two areas, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, and the Scandinavian Caledonides, Baltica. In addition, a comparative geochronological study is presented. The bedrock of Dronning Maud Land (DML) is dominated by migmatitic gneisses and post-tectonic intrusions. A migmatitic gneiss at Jutulsessen nunataks, Gjelsvikfjella, has a protolith age of 1163 ± 6 Ma and a migmatisati

Modern machinery is expensive and therefore must run at high availability and effectiveness which cannot be achieved without an effective maintenance policy. Condition monitoring, (CM), techniques can be utilised to reduce or arrest the rate of deterioration of a component so increasing operating life. The main result reported in this thesis is that the rolling element bearing’s mean effective li

HAMLET (Human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) is a molecular complex of alpha-lactalbumin and oleic acid, that induces programmed cells death in tumor cells but leaves healthy differentiated cells unaffected. It has a broad anti-tumor activity as more than 40 cell lines from different origin are sensitive. The cell death activity of HAMLET is retained in vivo. HAMLET limits the progr

The main aim of the research is to explore different aspects of organisational resilience in escalating situations, with an investigation of both theoretical and practical implications. From the platform of an explorative approach, this study makes use of naturalistic research in the domain of health care and experimental simulation studies, in order to establish a broad theoretical framework vis-

The last proportion of heredity in breast cancer has proven to be somewhat elusive despite massive attempts to identify the associated factors. Approximately 50 percent of breast cancer caused by familial factors is currently explained. The five-year survival for breast cancer patients is excellent; however, breast cancer is considered a chronic disease, and given enough time, new tumors can devel

The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether a structured and systematic approach on improving pharmacotherapy in the elderly (the LIMM-model) would lead to a more appropriate and accurate drug use in the elderly. The elderly use many drugs and are more prone to suffer from adverse drug reaction. It is therefore important to address the quality of their drug therapy. The first study presente

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)