Filtyp
Islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP; also named ”amylin”) is a member of the calcitonin superfamily of peptides, displaying the closest structural relationship to the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). It is expressed in islet beta-cells and forms islet amyloid in type 2 diabetic patients. IAPP may restrain release and peripheral actions of insulin. Thus, IAPP has been implicated in
This study explores the interaction between living biological cells and semiconductor nanowires. Biological cells are highly complex and dynamic entities, every one of them with individual characteristics and a high degree of internal and external communication. They respond to and affect their external environment with a huge web of fine-tuned control systems. Traditional biochemical tools for
Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor derived from primordial neural crest cells. The tumor cells exhibit a phenotype similar to that of developing neuroblasts, which indicates that the tumor arises due to perturbed differentiation of the sympathetic nervous system. It is well established that transcription factors control the steps leading to neuronal differentiation, and a number of basic helix-loo
Songbird migrants use stopovers between flight bouts to rest and refuel for the upcoming flights. Behaviours affecting where, when and how long to stay at stopover sites will affect how successful the overall migration will be, which has significant consequences for the overall fitness and mortality of the birds. The main purpose of this work was to investigate stopover behaviours in free-flying m
Human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) is a predominantly prostate produced protein with many similarities to prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Just like for PSA elevated levels of hK2 can be found in men with protate cancer. We created an assay where hK2 in serum could reliably and with negligible cross-reactivity with PSA, be measured down to 0.030 ng/mL. The assay measured free hK2 and hK2 complexe
Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the most important goals in Europe as well as the rest of the world. To reach that goal, the use of energy must be reduced. Thus, the building industry is facing a great challenge. Not only energy efficiency but also sustainability is desirable in the building stock. This thesis presents and suggests methods that can be used to improve prediction and verification o
Popular Abstract in Uncoded languages A modern tartószerkezeti szabványok általában két fő követelményt támasztanak a tartószerkezetekekkel, illetve szerkezeti elemekkel szemben. Az egyik a tönkremenetellel szembeni biztonsághoz, míg a másik a használhatósághoz kapcsolódik. A szerkezeti használhatóság a tartószerkezet azon képessége, hogy tervezett szerepét élettartams során folyamatosan betöltse.In many design situations the acceptable performance of structures is defined by serviceability requirements. To estimate the probability of serviceability failure three main design aspects should be considered: (1) the relevant exposures, (2) the structural response and (3) the performance criteria. This thesis presents background information and new findings on structural serviceability related
This thesis is about two problems in the intersection of communication and control theory. Their common feature is that they involve communication over an additive white noise channel with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) constraint. The first problem concerns the transmission of a real-valued signal from a partially observed Markov source. The distortion criterion is the mean squared error and the
The theme of this thesis is motives for voluntarism - with particular focus on volunteering in social work compared to voluntary work in sports clubs and patient associations. It is based on a combination of different data sources and methodological approaches: surveys, analyses of letters from volunteers and literature studies. Theoretically the thesis is based on two sets of sociological theorie
The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate quality of life in people aged 75 and older with cancer in relation to age, gender, presence and type of complaints, comorbidity, living conditions, perceived economic situation, sense of coherence, receiving help for daily living and social resources. The aim was also to investigate older people’s experiences and the meaning of living with cancer
The aim of this study was to further clarify the pro-fibrinolytic effects, and to explore the possible non-beneficial effects in ischemic organs, during exposure to pulsed ultrasound. This was accomplished by studies of the effects of different intensities of pulsed ultrasound exposure on the fibrinolytic properties of streptokinase and reteplase. Measurements were performed both following pre-exp
Haemophilia A (HA) is caused by defective synthesis of coagulation factor VIII(FVIII), which has serious effects on haemostasis; joints being the most common site of bleeding. The development of FVIII replacements has improved the situation for patients with haemophilia such that chronic arthropathy can be prevented, and life expectancy and the quality of life have increased. However, approximatel
This study examines the omission of the article and of the subject pronoun in the spoken French of Abidjan, economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire. The occurrence of the bare nouns (NSDs for Noms Sans Déterminant) and subject-less tensed verbs (SujNuls for Sujets Nuls) in question is contrary to common use in standard as well as ordinary French. The findings made show that both kinds of omissions are
In childhood onset growth hormone deficiency (GHD) a reduction in cardiac left ventricular mass (LVMi) and impairment of cardiac systolic function, as well as in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) has been shown. In study I, we showed that a low dose of GH treatment for 10 months resulted in increased LVMi and kidney size. No significant improvement in cardiac systolic function or GFR, except for a
The aim of this thesis was to examine the importance of environmental, non-cognitive, and person-based variables for memory performance in old adults. Study I was conducted in cooperation with the Gerontology Research Centre and the Department of Psychology in Lund. The investigation included 69 people with an age-range from 55-94 years and examined if certain personality factors could explain th
Birds are generally capable of accurate orientation. In this thesis I present studies about the external cues and the ecological factors that influences bird orientation. A multitude of environmental cues are used to select and maintain a proper direction. These are visual cues, like the sun and the starry night sky, but other cues like the geomagnetic field, wind and odours also play important ro
Ischemic and traumatic brain damage are major causes of disability and death. While much effort has been spent to develop pharmacological treatments for these conditions, no neuroprotective drugs are in clinical use. Neuronal death following ischemia and trauma occurs in selected cell populations of the brain at various time points after the insult. It is believed that death of neurons are in part
During the past 15 years lung transplantation has been established as a therapeutic option for patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. The results have improved over time and some transplantation centers now show 1-year survival rates above 80%. The number of donors has remained relatively constant during later years but the demand is increasing resulting in longer waiting times and an increasi
Helicobacter pylori may cause gastritis, gastric/duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. During infection, most H. pylori are found in the gastric mucus layer, but some are attached to, or have penetrated, epithelial cells. The aim of this study is to characterize the binding of H. pylori to gastric mucins and to investigate host changes that occur after inoculation. Results: H. pylori binds to mucins
Bone and soft tissue tumors (BSTT) constitute a heterogeneous group of neoplasms of mesenchymal and neuroectodermal origin. Although many BSTT are rare, it has become clear that BSTT are characterized by recurrent acquired chromosomal aberrations, and the general aim of this thesis have been to apply molecular genetic and molecular cytogenetic techniques to further characterize recurrent breakpoin
