Activated protein C resistance (APC resistance) is the most common hereditary condition associated with venous thrombosis. The syndrome known as APC resistance is perfectly linked to a mutation in the gene coding coagulation FV (FV:Q506) mutation changing Arg 506 to Gln in the APC cleavage site. APC-resistance is associated with a hypercoagulable state and life-long increased risk of thrombosis. A

By varying its secondary or tertiary structure a single protein can attain new biological functions. The amyloid forming proteins are the best known examples where a change in conformation leads to the formation of amyloid fibrils that accumulate in tissues and cause disease. a-lactalbumin in contrast, is an example of a protein that acquires a beneficial function when the conformation is altered

The elastic pressure-volume (Pel-V) curve of the respiratory system can be used as a guide for improved ventilator management. It may indicate risks of lung damage associated with collapse or overdistension of lung units. The work described in this thesis was aimed at developing methods for the determination and characterisation of the Pel-V curve under static and dynamic conditions and at a bette

The aim of this thesis was to develop and test the feasibility of a dietary record routine, where nursing staff assess the patient’s food and fluid intake based on standardised portion sizes and household measurements. The energy intake (EI) was studied with a dietary record in 61 geriatric patients. During the 6-month follow-up 11 patients died and an EI below median (1378 kcal) was associated w

My thesis shows that enchytraeids and naidids are sensitive to various forms of environmental stress, which in combination with the wide distribution of both families make them highly suitable for use in risk assessment and soil monitoring. Enchytraeids were subject to chemical stress under both laboratory and field conditions. In laboratory experiments enchytraeids reacted to chemical stress with

The aim of this thesis was to explore some of the important links between waterfowl and the biota in shallow eutrophic lakes in temperate areas. Waterfowl depend on macroinvertebrates as sources of protein and calcium, which are essential for egg production and growth. Macroinvertebrates in turn depend on submerged vegetation for food and shelter. Increased density of vegetation thus leads to incr

Mortality after severe head injury can be considerably reduce with a therapy using physiological principles for brain volume regulation and preserved microcirculation, with the main purpose of restricting the rise in ICP to reasonable levels simultaneously with preservation of adequate blood supply. This study shows that the ?Lund Concept? can reduce mortality in patients with severe traumatic bra

Different methods are proposed to assess the aerobic capacity. A novel scale, rating of perceived capacity (RPC) based on metabolic equivalents (METs) from 1 to 20, is presented. Selected MET values are linked to physical activities. Comparison of the rating with an exercise test in a group of women revealed that a correction based on age more accurately predicted the maximal exercise capacity. An

Dolerite dykes are formed when iron- and magnesium-rich (mafic) mantle-derived magmas ascend through the lithosphere (upper part of the mantle) and crystallize as ‘hydro-fractures’ within the crust. Dykes may exist in great numbers to form dyke swarms (linear or radiating), which can be linked to time periods of continental break-up, or attempted break-up events, associated with voluminous volcani

144 consecutive hip revisions performed with morselized allograft bone and cement were followed up to 5 years after surgery. In 49 hips patient outcome was evaluated with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaire and Charnley hip scores in 47 hips prosthetic fixation was evaluated with radiostereometry (RSA)and in all 144 hips risks and complications were recorded using a prspective protoc

Premature atherosclerosis, cardiovascular risk factors and increased cardiovascular mortality have been shown in patients with hypopituitarism on conventional hormone treatment, but without growth hormone (GH) replacement. The aims of paper I-III were to investigate separately the risks for cerebrovascular and cardiac mortality as well as the incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with hy

The impact of olfactory and auditory cues on the mating behaviour in two species of moths, Agrotis segetum (Noctuidae) and Plodia interpunctella (Pyralidae), was investigated to evaluate their potential use in integrated pest management. The flight behaviour of male A. segetum under natural and pheromone-based mating disruption conditions was monitored by harmonic radar. Individual males were equi

It is of vital importance to understand the systems for iron metabolism and this thesis contributes to this by providing insights into the structure and function of the acquisition and homeostasis of iron. The two proteins that have been primarily investigated are a ferric reductase from Arabidopsis thaliana called FRO2 and a mitochondrial iron chaperone from Saccharomyces cerevisiae called fratax

The partitioning behaviour of different types of molecules in thermoseparating two-phase systems has been studied. A thermoseparating two phase system was formed by heating a water solution, which contained a thermoseparating polymer, above the cloud point temperature. The thermoseparating polymers studied were: random copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide (EOPO-polymers), and ethyl(hyd

During the course of evolution animal complexity and diversity is generated. The last couple of years it has become increasingly clear that morphologically diverse animals share a great deal of their genomic contents, and it must be the expression of regulatory genes in new setting, rather than the generation of new genes, that are fundamental for the generation of diversity. Basal phyla hold a ke

Prosthetic loosening, bone graft resorption and osteonecrosis are examples of problems in orthopedic surgery caused by or augmented by bone resorption. Bone resorption is caused by osteoclasts. Osteoclasts can be inactivated with biphosphonates, a drug in clinical use against osteoporosis and osteolytic tumors. The bone resorption-reducing ability of bisphosphonates was analyzed in rat models. An

The serine proteases cathepsin G, leukocyte elastase, proteinase 3, and the inactive protease homologue azurocidin, stored in the azurophil granules of neutrophils, belong to a hematopoietic serine protease superfamily with members in mature effector cells of bone marrow origin. Promonocytic U-937 cells were used for studying the biosynthesis of cathepsin G and leukocyte elastase by biosynthetic r