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Joint diseases are often characterized by inflammatory processes that result in pathological changes in joint tissues, including cartilage degradation and release of components into the synovial fluid. The complement system plays a central role in promoting the inflammation. Because several cartilage proteins are known to interact with complement, causing either activation or inhibition of the sys

Periodontal disease is one of the most common inflammatory infectious diseases worldwide and it is associated with other syndromes, such as cardiovascular disease or rheumatoid arthritis. Recent advances in sequencing allowed for identification of novel periodontopathogens such as Gram-positive Filifactor alocis, but its virulence mechanisms remain largely unknown.We confirmed that F. alocis is a

We experimentally subliminally prime subjects prior to charity donation decisions by showing words that have connotations of pro-social values for a very brief time (17 ms). Our main finding is that, compared to a baseline condition, the pro-social prime increases donations by approximately 10–17 % among subjects with strong pro-social preferences (universalism values). We find a similar effect wh

Inom fysiken används ofta hårda sfärer som modellsystem för att beskriva beteenden och strukturer hos grundläggande byggstenar såsom atomer och molekyler. Dessa sfärer kan ses som en samling biljardbollar och kan därav bara organiseras på ett begränsat antal sätt. Med den ökade förståelsen för många komplexa fysikaliska fenomen och den snabbt växande utvecklingen av nya material behövs modellsysteSoft and deformable ionic microgels such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid), PNIPAM-co-AA, microgels have shown to be a versatile alternative to the already well-established hard sphere model systems. Their tuneable interaction potential makes them well suited as model systems to study the phase behaviour found for particles interacting via a soft isotropic potential. This stems from t

The aim of this study is to understand the mechanisms behind the diffusion of fired bricks in Hellenistic Europe, initiated in the north Aegean in the 4th century BC. To this end, a social diffusion model is used to simulate the available archaeological data pertaining to this process. The starting point in the construction of the model is the assumption that different categories of people contrib

This work is the result of an interest in realizing a study about the difficulties that Swedish students encounter when learning Spanish as a foreign language, levels A2, B1 and B2, when choosing between the tenses the imperfect and the preterit in state verbs and achievement verbs. To obtain material for this study, three different tasks were used. In the first one, the students received a story

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, conflicts in Egypt and Tunisia over the authority to rule and the role of religion in society raised questions about these societies’ capacity for reconciling differences. In retrospect, the conflicts also raise questions about the theoretical tools used to analyse regional developments. In particular, the ‘post-Islamism’ thesis has significantly changed the de

Orphan drugs designed to treat rare diseases are often overpriced per patient. Novel treatments are sometimes even more expensive for patients with ultra-rare diseases, in part due to the limited number of patients. Pharmaceutical companies that develop a patented life-saving drug are in a position to charge a very high price, which, at best, may enable these companies to further develop drugs for

Diversity in lifestyles and socioeconomic status among European populations, and recent socio-political and economic changes in transitional countries, may affect changes in adiposity. We aimed to determine whether change in the prevalence of obesity varies between the socio-politically transitional North-East European (Łódź, Poland; Szeged, Hungary; Tartu, Estonia), and the non-transitional Medit

Bovine α-lactalbumin (BLA) forms cytotoxic complexes with oleic acid (OA) that perturbs tumor cell membranes, but molecular determinants of these membrane-interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we aim to obtain molecular insights into the interaction of BLA/BLA-OA complex with model membranes. We characterized the folding state of BLA-OA complex using tryptophan fluorescence and resolved res

Moisture penetration around windows and doors is a problem with serious consequences for stud walls and is a common problem regardless of facade systems. The problem has received considerable focus in recent times, as buildings using ETICS (External thermal insulation composite systems) on stud walls have been damaged by penetrating water. In the present paper a robust moisture safe prefabricated

Triple-negative (TN) breast cancers (ER â ' PR â ' HER2 â ') are highly metastatic and associated with poor prognosis. Within this subtype, invasive, stroma-rich tumours with infiltration of inflammatory cells are even more aggressive. The effect of myeloid cells on reactive stroma formation in TN breast cancer is largely unknown. Here, we show that primary human monocytes have a survival advantag

Payments are central for society. Historically, it involved two parties exchanging goods and services for money. Today, payments, with increasing frequency, consist of digital representations of money that are transferred through globally intertwined network. Payments involve many parties such as payers, payment services providers, banks, central banks, telecom operators, mobile handset manufactur

Clay brick facades often include bed joint reinforcement, especially over windows and other openings in the façade, which may corrode due to degradation from climatic exposure. Removal of corroded bed joint reinforcement from such facades is an invasive and costly measure. Heavily damaged reinforcement must be removed for either structural, durability or aesthetic reasons. Parts of the bed joint r

This paper presents results from a project dealing with rehabilitation of clay brick facades damaged by reinforcement corrosion. Based on laboratory tests and results from pilot projects, practical recommendations for appropriate removal of bed joint reinforcement and repair of joints are issued for facility owners, contractors and designers.

In the last decade, more than 22 million ha of land have been contracted to large-scale land acquisitions in Africa, leading to increased pressures, competition, and conflicts over freshwater resources. Currently, 3% of contracted land is in production, for which we model site-specific water demands to indicate where freshwater appropriation might pose high socioenvironmental challenges. We use th

Background: Migration from Thailand to Sweden has increased threefold over the last 10 years. Today Thailand is one of the most common countries of origin among immigrants in Sweden. Since the year 2000, new HIV cases are also more prevalent among Thai immigrants compared to other immigrant nationalities in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between knowledge and

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a relatively common cause of morbidity and mortality. It has an annual incidence of around 0.1- 0.3%. It is a multifactorial disease with many known risk factors, both transient and persistent. Among these, several genetic risk factors have been described. The most common genetic risk factor, factor V Leiden mutation in heterozygote form, is found in 5-8% of the Cau