Filtyp
Life-history theory predicts that the trade-off between parasite defense and other costly traits such as reproduction may be most evident when resources are scarce. The strength of selection that parasites inflict on their host may therefore vary across environmental conditions. Collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) breeding on the Swedish island Öland experience a seasonal decline in their p
The general population is exposed to cadmium from food and smoking. Cadmium is a widely spread toxic pollutant that seems to be associated with cardiovascular diseases, although little is known if it contributes to the occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques and the process whereby plaques become vulnerable and are prone to rupture. We tested the hypotheses that cadmium exposure is associated not on
Chondroadherin, a leucine rich repeat extracellular matrix protein with functions in cell to matrix interactions, binds cells via their α2β1 integrin as well as via cell surface proteoglycans, providing for different sets of signals to the cell. Additionally, the protein acts as an anchor to the matrix by binding tightly to collagens type I and II as well as type VI. We generated mice with inactiv
This paper reviews the evidence for an association between atypical subtrochanteric fractures and long-term bisphosphonate use. Clinical case reports/reviews and case-control studies report this association, but retrospective phase III trial analyses show no increased risk. Bisphosphonate use may be associated with atypical subtrochanteric fractures, but the case is yet unproven. A Working Group o
Background: Covered biliary metal stents have been developed to prevent tumor ingrowth. Previous comparative studies are limited and often include few patients. Objective: To compare differences in stent patency, patient survival, and complication rates between covered and uncovered nitinol stents in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Design: Randomized, multicenter trial conducted betwe
Popular Abstract in English More than 50% of road accident fatality victims in Malaysia are motorcyclists, numbering more than 4,000 fatalities per year. The aim of this thesis was to investigate motorcyclists’ road safety problems in general in Malaysia, and narrow down the focus to the most salient road infrastructure related risk factors. After identifying access points on primary roads as haza
Popular Abstract in Swedish Genom observationer och experiment kan man konstruera modeller för att beskriva otaliga fenomen och aspekter av det universum vi lever i. Den huvudsakliga ingrediensen i en dylik modell är ofta en partiell differentialekvation. Sådana ekvationer kan beskriva så vitt skilda fenomen som t.ex. hur galaxer bildas, hur luftflöden transporteras i atmosfären, hur kemikalier reThis thesis is based on five papers, which all analyse different aspects of splitting schemes when applied to nonlinear parabolic problems. These numerical methods are frequently used when a problem has a natural decomposition into two or more parts, as the computational cost may then be significantly decreased compared to other methods. There are two prominent themes in the thesis; the first co
Effective dopamine (DA) neuron differentiation from neural precursor cells (NPCs) is prerequisite for precursor/stem cell-based therapy of Parkinson's disease (PD). Nurr1, an orphan nuclear receptor, has been reported as a transcription factor that can drive DA neuron differentiation from non-dopaminergic NPCs in vitro. However, Nurr1 alone neither induces full neuronal maturation nor expression o
Background and purpose MRI is the modality of choice when diagnosing spinal stenosis but it also shows that stenosis is prevalent in asymptomatic subjects over 60. The relationship between preoperative health-related quality of life, functional status, leg and back pain, and the objectively measured dural sac area in single and multilevel stenosis is unknown. We assessed this relationship in a pro
In the study reported here we examined the short-term effects (1-3 years) of slash retention (SR) and the long-term effects (13-15 years) of wood-ash application (A) on fine roots and mycorrhizae in a 40-year-old Norway spruce forest in southwest Sweden. Soil cores were used to obtain estimates of the biomass (g m(-2)) of roots in three diameter classes (< 0.5, 0.5-1 and 1-2 mm), root length densi
We extend a newly introduced framework for the simulation of shape memory alloys undergoing martensite-austenite phase-transformations by allowing for the evolution of individual plastic deformations in each phase considered. The goal is to obtain a generalised model which will facilitate the reflection of the characteristic macroscopic behaviour of SMA as well as TRIP steels. Particularly, we sho
Aims alpha(1)-Antitrypsin (AAT) is a serine protease inhibitor which recently has been shown to prevent Type 1 diabetes development, to prolong islet allograft survival and to inhibit pancreatic B-cell apoptosis in vivo. It has also been reported that Type 1 diabetic patients have significantly lower plasma concentrations of AAT, suggesting the potential role of AAT in the pathogenesis of Type 1 d
Background: Distal radius fracture is a common injury and may result in substantial dysfunction and pain. The purpose was to investigate the relationship between distal radius fracture malunion and arm-related disability. Methods: The prospective population-based cohort study included 143 consecutive patients above 18 years with an acute distal radius fracture treated with closed reduction and eit
Long-term colonic inflammation promotes carcinogenesis and histological abnormalities of the liver, and colorectal tumours frequently arise in a background of dysplasia, a precursor of adenomas. Altered colonic microbiota with an increased proportion of bacteria with pro-inflammatory characteristics, have been implicated in neoplastic progression. The composition of the microbiota can be modified
The aim of this study was to investigate healthcare utilization patterns over a six-year period among older people (60+), classified as dependent/independent in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and/or at/not at risk of depression and to identify healthcare utilization predictors. A sample (n=1402) comprising ten age cohorts aged between 60 and 96 years was drawn from the Swedish National study on
Background: Evolutionary biologists are often misled by convergence of morphology and this has been common in the study of bird evolution. However, the use of molecular data sets have their own problems and phylogenies based on short DNA sequences have the potential to mislead us too. The relationships among clades and timing of the evolution of modern birds (Neoaves) has not yet been well resolve
Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital red cell aplasia in which 25% of the patients have a mutation in the ribosomal protein (RP) S19 gene. It is not known how the RPS19 deficiency impairs erythropoiesis and proliferation of hematopoietic progenitors. To elucidate molecular mechanisms in RPS19 deficient DBA, we analyzed the effects of RPS19 deficiency on EPO induced signal transduction, ce
