Hematopoiesis is initiated by a rare population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the bone marrow (BM). HSCs give rise to red blood cells and white blood cells of myeloid and lymphoid lineages. The red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body, while the myeloid and lymphoid cells are essentially required for immune responses. The HSCs reside in special niches in t

Cholestasis is a frequent clinical syndrome, which is caused by a dysfunction in bile formation of the hepatocyte or from obstruction of the biliary tract. This is associated with inflammation of the liver tissue, resulting in severe liver injury. In this inflammatory process, leukocyte recruitment has emerged as a key feature. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to analyze the detailed mechanis

Kidney disease is a growing problem in the whole world. It is important to find these patients in an early state of the disease because then they can be treated and dialysis treatment can be avoided. To measure the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) an invasive technigue is used. In this thesis an equation to estimate GFR (eGFR) by drawing a blood sample and measure the concentration of cystatin C i

Objective. To investigate whether the serological marker for coeliac disease, tissue transglutaminase autoantibody (tTGAb), is associated with decreased bone mass density (BMD) and increased frequency of fractures in middle-aged women screened for osteoporosis. Material and methods. The study comprised 6480 women (mean age 56 years, range 50-64) who answered a number of questionnaires and who unde

We here present inelastic neutron scattering results on the strongly correlated cubic superconductor UBe13 (T-c = 0.85 K) obtained on a large single crystal by high-resolution cold neutron three-axis spectroscopy. We observed spin dynamics at a unique momentum space position building up below T similar to 50 K and changing significantly on entering the superconducting state. The observed short-ran

OBJECTIVE Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. The aim of the current study was to determine incidence of diabetes during GH replacement therapy (GHRT) and the effect of GHRT on fasting plasma glucose concentrations and HbA(1c) in adult patients with GH deficiency. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-A total of 5,143 GH-deficient patients (male 49.9%; mean age

As part of a program designed to elucidate the excited state properties of key eumelanin building blocks, we report herein a study of 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) in phosphate buffer at pH 3 and pH 7 using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The transient absorption changes following excitation at 266 nm were used to directly monitor relaxation of the excited states. It was found that the

This text deals with a problem concerning processes of the productive power of knowledge. We draw on so called poststructural theories challenging the classical image of thought – as hinged upon a representational logic identifying entities in a rigid sense – when formulating a problem concerning the gap between knowledge and the object of knowledge. More specifically we are looking at this proble

Background: Dental caries is unevenly distributed within populations with a higher burden in low socio-economy groups. Several attempts have been made to allocate resources to those that need them the most; there is a need for convenient approaches to population-based monitoring of caries risk over time. The aim of this study was to develop the geo-map concept, addressing time trends in caries ris

Context Software quality issues are commonly reported when offshoring software development. Value-based software engineering addresses this by ensuring key stakeholders have a common understanding of quality. Objective This work seeks to understand the levels of alignment between key stakeholder groups within a company on the priority given to aspects of software quality developed as part of an

The objective of our study was to determine the prevalence of anti-infectious agent antibodies and autoantibodies in a unique non-Westernized population from Kitava, Papua New Guinea (PNG), compared to Western populations. We matched 120 serum samples from Kitavans with 437 samples from four healthy control groups. Sera were tested for the presence of anti-infectious agent antibodies (treponema, t

Using advanced QM/MM methods, the surprisingly negligible shift of the lowest-lying bright electronic excitation of the deprotonated p-coumaric acid (pCA(-)) within the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is shown to stem from a subtle balance between hypsochromic and bathochromic effects. More specifically, it is found that the change in the excitation energy as a consequence of the disruption of th

Purpose: People with acquired brain injury (ABI) have difficulties using everyday technology (ET) in daily tasks at home and in society. To support them in managing the demands imposed by using ET, knowledge is needed concerning their response actions to the difficulties. The aim of this study was to explore and describe what characterizes response actions to difficulties using ET, their condition

We present a modulated gradient spin-echo method, which uses a train of sinusoidally shaped gradient pulses separated by 180 degrees radio-frequency (RF) pulses. The RF pulses efficiently refocus chemical shifts and de-phasing due to susceptibility differences, resulting in undistorted, high-resolution diffusion weighted spectra. This allows for the simultaneous spectral characterization of the di

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an extruded muesli product based on -glucan-rich oat bran on postprandial glycaemia and insulinaemia. Subject/Design: The study is divided in two series. Blood glucose and serum insulin responses were studied after subjects consuming test meals including a serving of muesli with 3 g (series 1) and 4 g (series 2) of -glucans, respectively. The muesli was a comp

This article concerns the impact of educational reforms on young people in Bolivian society as they transition into adulthood, against the backdrop of globalisation and far-reaching structural changes. Ethnicity and cultural capital are linked in complex ways with social stratification in Bolivia. In a pluricultural society, the language of instruction and curricular content are among the most fun