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

Principles for sensorimotor transformation and plasticity in the spinal cord and functional repair in the root-avulsed spinal cord were studied. A comparative study confirmed that the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) system is composed of reflex modules, with each performing a finely tuned transformation of skin sensory input to activity in one muscle. This suggests that modularity of the NWR s

Abstract One important task for the mental health services is to prevent suicidal behaviour, especially among persons at high risk, e.g. those who have attempted suicide. In two follow-up samples, one and three months after a suicide attempts, both n=97, we found that 32% and 38% of the patients respectively had no treatment and 30% in each sample had suicidal thoughts. In a randomised controlled

T lymohocytes (T cells) and B lymphocytes (B cells) are important effector cells of the adaptive immune system. In response to infections, B cells are activated and produce antibodies against specific antigens. There are two types of T cells, cytotoxic T cells that kill cells infected with bacteria or viruses, and helper T (Th) cells that help B cells produce antibodies by secreting cytokines as w

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

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

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

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,

Previous research has argued that packaging has a great potential to contribute to sustainable development, but how to put this potential into practice is not yet fully explored. The theoretical foundation of the research presented is at the intersection of packaging logistics and sustainable development. This foundation was chosen because it offers established models that are well linked to the h

This thesis investigates novel electrical nanowire characterization tools and devices. Conventional characterization methods, long available to bulk semiconductor samples, have been adapted and transferred to the nanowire geometry. The first part of the thesis describes the development of Hall effect measurements, an entirely new characterization tool for nanowires. It is shown that Hall effect me

The cartilage matrix is made up of a fibrillar meshwork comprising type II collagen and other associated proteins. One main function of this network is to retain the large aggregating proteoglycan, aggrecan, a vital component in the regulation of fluid flux in cartilage. In disease such as osteoarthritis, the breakdown of the collagen network appears to be the final step in destruction of cartilag

Popular Abstract in English Among the large variety of experiments performed in science, a common one is to pass a light beam through a sample, the object to be studied, and to study the outcomes of the light-sample interaction. Many light sources have been used for this purpose, like light bulbs and lasers. A modern light source used nowadays is the so-called storage ring. In the storage rings elSynchrotron radiation sources have greatly contributed to the progress in many fields of science. The development of the storage ring technologies have made possible to obtain very low emittance electron beams, which together with the use of undulators allow to guide a very high photon flux into a very small beam size required by the experiments. Development of sources has been accompanied with eq

Background and Methods: Signal-averaging ECG (SAECG), a bioelectrical processing method, is a further development of the conventional ECG. SAECG can detect voltage potentials in the microvolt range and provide a noise-reduced determination of QRS duration. Extended frequency spectra can be analysed. In adult patients after myocardial infarction it is used to predict the risk for arrhythmias and su

Cells adapt to oxygen shortage, hypoxia, by inducing a transcriptional shift governed mainly by Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF)-1 and HIF-2. In various cancer forms, including neuroblastoma, high expression of HIF-2α correlates with disseminated disease and poor outcome. It has become evident that HIF-1 and HIF-2 are differentially regulated over time and by oxygen levels. HIF-2α is expressed in a

Ett nationellt svenskt forskningsprogram HÖGPRESTERANDE BETONG finansierat av de statliga organisationerna NUTEK och BFR och ett antal företag i byggbranschen genomfördes under åren 1991‐1997. I programmet deltog forskare från de fyra tekniska högskolorna CTH, KTH, LuTH (nuvarande LTU) och LTH. Dessutom deltog forskare från Cement och Betongforskningsinstitutet, CBI, samt forskare från olika finan