The human restricted pathogen Moraxella catarrhalis is an important causal agent for exacerbations in chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) in adults. In such patients, increased numbers of granulocytes are present in the airways, which correlate with bacteria-induced exacerbations and severity of the disease. Our study investigated whether the interaction of M. catarrhalis with the human granul

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that osteoblasts are involved in the regulation of haematopoietic stem cells. Whether osteocalcin, which is derived from osteoblasts and is metabolically active, influences blood haemoglobin (Hb) levels is not known.OBJECTIVE: To determine whether plasma osteocalcin is a determinant of Hb in elderly men.METHODS: A total of 993 men (mean age 75.3 ± 3.2 years) parti

This paper proposes a time-frequency (t-f) image enhancement method for suppressing interference terms in the Wigner-Ville distribution. The proposed technique adapts the direction of the smoothing kernel locally at each t-f point, so that the smoothing kernel remains aligned with the ridges of the auto-terms. This local alignment of the smoothing kernel reduces cross-terms without degrading the e

Hemicelluloses dissolved in thermomechanical pulp (TMP) mill process streams can be used to manufacture high-value-added products. The molecular mass of the dissolved hemicelluloses is about 10 kDa. In some applications, it would be beneficial with larger molecules. It was therefore investigated whether it is possible to increase the size of hemicelluloses isolated by microfiltration and ultrafilt

Landscape paintings from the last twocenturies can be used in certain cases as an aid forstudies of changes in land use. Also changes in biodiversitycan be evaluated in comparison with thepresent situation. Similarly, effects of global warmingin older paintings can also probably be evaluated.Examples of paintings from Sweden done by BrunoLiljefors and from the United States done by severalpainters

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience their participation in individual, face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) aimed at alleviating depressive symptoms.METHOD: Semistructured interviews with 12 participants were conducted after CBT and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: Two main themes emerged: CBT as a demanding process and confr

Syftet med denna masteruppsats var att få fördjupad förståelse för svåra samtal som läkare upplever och beskriver dem. Djupintervjuer med öppna frågor genomfördes med 10 yrkesverksamma läkare med erfarenhet av svåra samtal med patienter och närstående och som hade anmält sig för att delta i kursen ”De nödvändiga samtalen”. Materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Totalt identifierades nio temaThe aim of this master dissertation was to gain a deeper understanding of the breaking of bad news through narration of the lived experiences of doctors. In-depth interviews using open questions were conducted with ten professionally active medical doctors who had 1) experience of breaking bad news and 2) applied to participate in a communications course. The data was analyzed using thematic analy

AIM: To prospectively validate two mathematical models for calculating the likelihood of endometrial malignancy in patients with postmenopausal bleeding (PMPB), sonographic endometrial thickness (ET) ≥4.5 mm and no fluid in the uterine cavity.METHODS: This is a prospective observational diagnostic validation study performed in a PMPB clinic in a university hospital. Of 860 consecutive patients, 35

In this work we have fabricated and studied hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite system formed by gold nanoparticles self-assembled in organic semiconductor thin film - copper tetrafluorophthalocyanine (CuPcF4). By means of Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) the evolution of the morphology and electronic structure of the system as a function of nominal gold con

This paper deals with a novel constitutive framework suitable for non-coherent interfaces, such as cracks, undergoing large deformations in a geometrically exact setting. For this type of interface, the displacement field shows a jump across the interface. Within the engineering community, so-called cohesive zone models are frequently applied in order to describe non-coherent interfaces. However,

Development is a continuous process during which individuals gain information about their environment and adjust their phenotype accordingly. In many natural systems, individuals are particularly sensitive to early life experiences, even in the absence of later constraints on plasticity. Recent models have highlighted how the adaptive use of information can explain age-dependent plasticity. These

Inom kärnkraftsindustrin är säkerhet den aspekt som prioriteras högst. Alla kärnkraftverk är designade för att i högsta möjliga mån förhindra läckage av radioaktivetet till omgivningen, både under drift och i händelse av en allvarlig olycka. Med anledning av detta är reaktorinneslutningens vägg en av de viktigaste säkerhetsrelaterade konstruktionerna vid en anläggning, detta då denna konstruktionsSafety is the top priority at a nuclear facility. The nuclear power plants are designed to prevent radioactive leakage to the surroundings, both during normal operation as well as in case of a severe accident. One of the most important structures in a nuclear power plant, with regard to safety, is thus the reactor containment wall. The containment wall is the last main barrier to prevent radioacti