Objective: To study antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor in patients with active, severe extra-articular rheumatoid arthritis (ExRA) compared with controls without ExRA. Methods: 35 consecutive patients with severe ExRA manifestations according to predefined criteria were studied. 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but no ExRA manifestations, individuall

In 1993-1998 the lichen flora of Stora Karlso and Lilla Karlso was surveyed. These two nearby islands are situated outside the west coast of Gotland, Sweden, in the Baltic Sea. In all, 355 species were found, including three lichenicolous fungi. Two species are new to Sweden, viz. Lepraria flavescens and Placynthium lismorense. Both were found on limestone. The number of species according to habit

Multi-Input Multi-Output system has been one of the hot technologies for future wireless communications, since it can increase the capacity (coverage or link quality in other senses) at no cost in frequency spectrum. This doctoral thesis investigates improvements to MIMO decoding algorithms and presents VLSI implementation results. The main contributions consist of four algorithms and three VLSI i

Recently, international study groups have collected mutations for X-linked immunodeficiency diseases. In this issue of Immunology Today five databases are reported, comprising mutations from over 1000 patients, facilitating detailed analysis of genetic, immunological, biochemical and structural parameters.

During the last 5 years the potential for applications of semiconductor nanowires has grown rapidly via the development of methods for catalytically induced nanowire growth using the, so-called vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mode. The VLS method offers a high degree of control of parameters such as position, diameter, length and composition, including the realization of atomically abrupt heterost

Squamarina scopulorum, until now only known from Norway, is reported from one locality in Padjelanta National Park in northern Sweden. It was found growing on a S-facing rock surface in the low alpine zone on the mountain Unna Djidder near Staloluokta.

The objective of this symposium at the First International Congress of Respiratory Biology (ICRB) was to enhance communication between comparative biologists and cancer researchers working on O-2 sensing via the HIF pathway. Representatives from both camps came together on August 13-16, 2006, in Bonn, Germany, to discuss molecular adaptations that occur after cells have been challenged by a reduce

Popular Abstract in Swedish Tre-dimensionell ultraljudsundersökning av livmodertappen (cervix) Syftet med avhandlingen var att utvärdera förändringar i livmodertappen (cervix) med tre-dimensionellt ultraljud och utreda om tre-dimensionellt power Doppler ultraljud kan förutsäga tiden till spontan eller inducerad förlossning hos överburna, gravida kvinnor. Avhandlingen baseras på fem studier: reprThe aim of this thesis was to evaluate cervical physiological changes by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound during pregnancy and to investigate the ability of 3D power Doppler to predict time to spontaneous and induced delivery in prolonged pregnancy. The thesis is based on five studies: reproducibility of cervical measurements by 3D power Doppler ultrasound (study I), reference data representativ

The doubly magic N = Z nucleus Ni-56 has been investigated with two fusion-evaporation reactions; Ca-40(Si-28, 3 alpha)Ni-56 at a beam energy of 122MeV and Si-28(S-32, 2p2n)Ni-56 at 130MeV. To detect gamma-rays in coincidence with evaporated particles the Ge-detector array Gammasphere was used in conjunction with the charged-particle detector system, Microball and a 1 pi neutron detector array. Re

Several studies indicate that the recollection process, as assessed by the Remember-Know paradigm (Tulving, 1985) is enhanced for emotional stimuli as compared with neutral ones. The goal of this study was to assess the influence of emotion on recollection process, applying the Processes Dissociation Procedure (PDP; Jacoby, 1991) on emotional and neutral pictures. A total of 63 participants (aged

1. Results are analysed from 11 experiments in which effects of fish addition and nutrient loading on shallow lakes were studied in mesocosms. The experiments, five in 1998, six in 1999, were carried out in six lakes, distributed from Finland to southern Spain, according to a standard protocol. 2. Effects of the treatments on 29 standard chemical, phytoplankton and zooplankton variables are examin

Out of 369 diabetic patients with an age at onset of diabetes > or = 30 years previously studied, 325 (88%) were included in an ophthalmological follow-up examination 4 years later. In patients treated with oral drugs at baseline, the incidence of any type of retinopathy was 30.8% and of severe retinopathy 5.7%. All patients who developed severe retinopathy received insulin during the follow-up pe

Sweden does not have a legal definition of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There are, however, special tax rules which apply to unquoted companies and close companies. A "close company" is defined in the statutes as a company or an economic association in which a small number of people, directly or indirectly, own shares representing more than 50% of the voting rights. Close companies a

This thesis is devoted to the characterisation in time and frequency, and to spectroscopic application, of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses. High-order harmonic generation or wave mixing processes were used to produce the pulses in the XUV spectral region. Time-frequency characterisation of femtosecond XUV pulses generated as high-order harmonics is important both for applications in XUV spectrosc

Popular Abstract in Swedish Kambrium är en tidsperiod i jordens historia som sträckte sig från 542 till 488 miljoner år sedan. Denna period kan vidare delas in i tre epoker: tidigkambrium, mellankambrium och furongian. I kambriums inledningsskede ägde en intensiv och snabb utveckling av livet rum och det var under denna tid som i stort sett alla kända djurstammar utvecklades. Denna viktiga händelsThis thesis is based on studies of upper middle Cambrian through Furongian strata in Scandinavia with focus on trilobite biostratigraphy, taxonomy, paleoecology, and intercontinental correlation. The material studied derives mainly from Västergötland and Scania, southern Sweden. Three new trilobite species are described: Macropyge (Promacropyge) scandinavica, Elkanaspis kinnekullensis, and Parabol

The HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzyme, and Low Platelet) syndrome requires close monitoring of rapid changes in hemostasis. A bedside viscoelastic test--Sonoclot--was used together with coagulation, liver and hemolysis laboratory analyses in three parturients with the HELLP syndrome up to 10 days postpartum. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of this mul