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During the last decades, image analysis has become an important tool in various applications. The increase in computer power has led to that more advances algorithms can be developed. In this thesis image analysis has been used in three different applications; quality control of asphalt, cancer detection in histopathological images and traffic surveillance. In the first part of the thesis image a
Hypoxia-dependent angiogenesis is an inherent feature of solid tumors, and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of hypoxic cell-death should provide additional targets for cancer therapy. Here, we show a novel role of the polyamines in endothelial cell (EC) survival during hypoxia. Polyamine depletion by specific inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase was shown to protect ECs from hyp
Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) has been attributed a pro-inflammatory role in atherosclerosis. Cell culture studies have identified stimulation of cytokine expression and chemotaxis by micromolar (muM) concentrations of LPC. In the present study we have investigated if LPC, in similarity with many other lipid mediators, has pro-inflammatory effects also at nanomolar (nM) concentrations. Cultured mo
PURPOSE:: We studied the effects of chronic treatment with the novel selective cannabinoid 2 receptor agonist cannabinor (Procter&Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Cincinnatti, Ohio) on bladder function in conscious rats with partial urethral obstruction and on the functional properties of isolated detrusor muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS:: A total of 24 female Sprague-Dawley® rats with surgically created
A method for calculating energy levels and wavefunctions of bound states associated with deep impurity centres in semiconductors is presented. The impurity system is replaced by a crystal, whose unit cell consists of the impurity surrounded by a large number of host crystal atoms. The impurity bands for this crystal, represented by a real potential, are calculated by expanding in orthogonalised Bl
Let $\scr H(U)$ denote the class of analytic functions in the unit disc $U$ and $g$ be analytic in $U$, normalized by $g(0)=g'(0)-1=0$ and $g(z)\ne0$ for $z\in U\sbs\{0\}$. $H^p$, $0
This article deals with German films after “die Wende”. The films studied are some of the most domestically successful in Germany, films that seldom found their way into the international market. The discussion shows how the narratives differed in films produced in the former East respectively West Germany, and that, among other things, the films often presupposed that the adaption process to a un
The effective self-management of obstructive lung disease is dependent upon the patient achieving good inhaler technique. However, many current inhalers are complicated to use, which may lead to handling difficulties. These difficulties can cause clinically relevant errors, whereby pharmacotherapy fails to achieve adequate lung deposition and therapeutic effect. In this report, the potential of no
It is important to know the contributions of bacteria and fungi to decomposition in connection with both the structure of the food web and the functioning of the ecosystem. However, the extent of the competition between these groups of organisms is largely unknown. The bacterial influence on fungal growth in a soil system was studied by applying three different bacterial inhibitors - bronopol, tyl
Objective. Low molecular mass proteins (LMMP) are putative uraemic toxins, but their elimination is negligible in standard haemodialysis (HD). In this study, we used beta(2)-microglobulin, cystatin C and beta-trace protein, which differ in molecular mass and charge, to characterize the elimination patterns of three different dialysis modalities. Material and methods. Plasma samples were obtained a
In alpine and high-latitude regions, water resource decision making often requires large-scale estimates of snow amounts and melt rates. Such estimates are available through distributed snow models which in some situations can be improved by assimilation of remote sensing observations. However, in regions with frequent cloud cover, complex topography, or large snow amounts satellite observations m
The marriage squeeze in China, whereby the sex ratio imbalance leaves many males without a marriage partner, is not only about numbers, but also about how the institution of marriage is socially, economically, and politically underpinned. This paper uses the concept of ecology of choice in mate selection to demonstrate how different social processes and practices have ramifications on who can marr
Rapid and reliable observations of soil electrical conductivity are essential in order to maintain sustainable irrigated agriculture. Direct measurement of the electrical conductivity of saturated soil paste (ECe), however, is tedious andtime consuming. Therefore, there are needs to find efficient indirect methods to predict the soil salinity from other readily available observations. In this pape
