BACKGROUND: Viral-induced asthma exacerbations, which exhibit both Th1-type neutrophilia and Th2-type inflammation, associate with secretion of Interleukin (IL)-1β. IL-1β induces neutrophilic inflammation. It may also increase Th2-type cytokine expression. We hypothesised that IL-1β is causally involved in both Th1 and Th2 features of asthma exacerbations. This hypothesis is tested in our mouse mo

Cutibacterium (Propionibacterium) acnes, considered a part of the skin microbiota, is one of the most commonly isolated anaerobic bacteria from medical implants in contact with plasma. However, the precise interaction of C. acnes with blood cells and plasma proteins has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we have investigated the molecular interaction of C. acnes with platelets and plasma proteins.

The cleavage fracture probability of ferritic and ferritic/martensitic steels is generally computed using Beremin's model. In this work, a novel approach is developed for Beremin's model to be applicable to crack tip conditions under nonself similar stress field. The modification of Beremin's model corrects the inaccurate integration of local cleavage fracture probabilities of reference volume ele

Människans nyfikenhet och strävan att tänja på gränserna för att stilla vetgirigheten är inget nytt och kanske inte ens mest utmärkande för just vår tid. Dokumenterade källor från 1200-talet kan tjäna som goda exempel som stödjer ett sådant antagande. Mary Shelleys roman från början av 1800-talet, Frankenstein, eller moderne Prometeus, är kanske den än idag mest kända kommentaren till detta gränst

Lunds universitets tre första kanslerer var också poeter och deras poetiska och kulturella insatser presenteras här, liksom deras insatser för de nyligen (1668) grundade universitetet.The three first chancellors of Lund University are presented as poets and as politicians, ruling and supporting the newly (1668) founded university in Lund.

When a human catches a ball, they estimate future target location based on the current trajectory. How animals, small and large, encode such predictive processes at the single neuron level is unknown. Here we describe small target-selective neurons in predatory dragonflies that exhibit localized enhanced sensitivity for targets displaced to new locations just ahead of the prior path, with suppress

Rhombomys opimus (R. opimus), a social rodent, is the main reservoir host for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in most parts of the Middle East and central Asia. The difficulties in monitoring rodent population patterns have hindered the effective application of preventive measures of ZCL. This study presents a spatially explicit agent-based simulation model of R. opimus behaviors that is in

An analytical method is presented, combining novel microcontact imprinting technique and capacitive biosensor technology for the detection of BSA. Glass cover slips were used for preparation of protein stamps. The microcontact-BSA imprinted gold electrodes were prepared in the presence of methacrylic acid (MAA) and poly-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) as the cross-linker by bringing the pr

Interferons are important proteins for the immune system because of their antiviral, anti-proliferating and immunomodulatory activities. Therapeutic value of these proteins against certain types of tumors caused interest and investigations aimed to obtain highly purified interferons. Molecular imprinting is an efficient method for purification with high selectivity, specificity and good reproducib

Traditionally small-scale populations of Capoeta in the Tigris River drainage are identified as Capoeta damascina. The recent finding revealed that some populations of small-scaled C. damascina species group are not identified as any described species. We examined these populations and the results showed that there are pronounced differences between them in morphological and molecular characters.

We investigated galectin-3 binding to 3-benzamido-2-O-sulfo-galactoside and -thiodigalactoside ligands using a combination of site-specific mutagenesis, X-ray crystallography, computational approaches, and binding thermodynamics measurements. The results reveal a conformational variability in a surface-exposed arginine (R144) side chain in response to different aromatic C3-substituents of bound ga

Efter en mycket kort överblick över vad vi vet om dominikanernas predikan i Sverige på medeltiden ges en edition av den latinska texten till en dominikansk predikan om S:t Olof jämte svensk översättning av densamma. I en appendix listas bevarade handskrifter från svenska dominikanska bibliotek.

In the age of miniaturization where the physical systems approach the nanoscale limit andwhere more complex materials are created there is necessity for understanding in terms ofquantum mechanics. The understanding then opens and gives possibilities for manipulationand engineering of such systems and thus practical applications.Quantum mechanics states that the electron cannot be characterized as In this thesis we focus on improvements of the description of the electron-electron correlation effects in nonequilibrium nanosystems. We mainly focus on developments of two nonequilibrium methods, namely the formalism of Nonequilibrium Green’s Function and Time Dependent Density Functional Theory and we explore the possibility to improve existing approximations in these theories. A smaller part o

Parkinson’s disease (PD) becomes more frequent as populations grow older in western countries. Levodopa exists as medication, but is connected with side-effects. In search for an alternative therapy, patients become agents in different ways. The role as participant in clinical trials, not least, is one of these possibilities for lay influence in scientific matters. In this presentation we ask how