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C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is an acute-phase plasma glycoprotein which regulates the complement system through its affinity for C4b. In addition, C4BP binds to the anticoagulant protein S and to serum amyloid P component (SAP). Protein S is a vitamin K-dependent protein which looses its anticoagulant properties when binding to C4BP. C4BP is composed of two types of subunits, the a-chain and the b-

The ABO blood group system is undoubtedly the most important genetic and phenotypic marker in clinical transfusion medicine. The A and B determinants are immunodominant, terminally located carbohydrate residues of glycoconjugates on erythrocytes and other cell surfaces. The enzymes responsible for assembly of these structures are glycosyltransferases encoded by the ABO genes on chromosome nine. T

The neutrophil granulocyte contains a number of multifunctional proteins stored in different subsets of granules. The azurophil granules, synthesized early during differentiation, harbour leukocyte elastase, cathepsin G, proteinase 3, and azurocidin; the members of the serprocidin family. In order to study the biosynthesis, processing, and intracellular sorting of the proteins, human cDNA encoding

This dissertation contains seven studies exploring novel instrumentation for ion and electron spectroscopy, including their applicability at storage ring light sources. The studies focus on instrumentation to study decay, dynamics and dissociation of photoexcited molecules, and the possibility to host such instruments at MAX~IV. Commissioning of an instrument for negative-ion/positive-ion coincid

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility is a rare inherited muscular disorder, which may cause a lethal increase in metabolism during anaesthesia with certain commonly used anaesthetic. Susceptible individuals are without any signs or symptoms. It is important to identify individuals at risk, since the MH reaction is preventable. Susceptibility to MH is diagnosed with an in vitro contracture te

This thesis focuses on the pedagogue as a social being and how she or he experiences the social life in preschools and schools in Tallsten. In 1996, the child-care and education authorities in Tallsten introduced a new manner of thinking and working based on the communicative pedagogy. The idea of communicative pedagogy was origanlly put forth by the Danish teacher Lars Rokkjaer. One of the goals

Optimal foraging and prey preference in top predators may affect population and community dynamics and structure. Also, optimal foraging and prey preference may shift with prevailing conditions, and therefore create changes in the effect of predation. In this thesis, I examine the effects of intraspecific interactions among northern pike on pike predatory behaviour, prey preference, and subsequent

Over the last decades the ongoing work in the fields of Lab-on-a-Chip and Micro-Total-Analysis-Systems has led to the discovery of new or improved ways to handle and analyse small volumes of biofluids and complex biosuspensions. The benefits of working on the microscale include: miniaturization of the analysis systems with less need for large sample volumes; temporal and spatial control of suspend

Median micturition volume decreased early after partial outlet obstruction, 24 hrs total obstruction and hemidenervation. Degeneration release of transmitter may explain this, assuming that bladder wall distension causes nerve degeneration. Micturition pressure decreased simultaneously in the partially denervated and 24 hrs obstructed groups, probably due to the reduced number of functionally inta

The aim was to study the epidemiology of chronic pain (> 3 months duration) and factors associated to pain prevalence, prognosis, health care and medication in a general population. A cross-sectional mailed survey to a random population sample (n = 1806) was followed by a clinical examination and a prospective study of three selected groups. Pain related diagnoses from primary health care was moni

Almost all northern forest tree species live in symbioses with ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). The trees allocate up to half of the photoassimilated carbon (C) through the roots to EMF. In return EMF deliver nutrients from both inorganic and organic sources in the soil, as well as water. Most of the nutrients trees need are assimilated through EMF, which thus play a potentially important role in reta

Body dimensions of 2,936 newborns with cleft lip/palate (CLP) were compared with 2,031,140 singleton newborns between 1973 to 1992. The risk of cleft development was found to be associated with intra-uterine growth retardation - the more severe the cleft, the stronger the association. As digital photography is being increasingly applied in clinical medicine, we devised a computer software program

Calcium homeostasis involves mainly the interaction of PTH, vitamin D and CT. The stomach may be important for calcium homeostasis. Gastric acid is thought to mobilize calcium from the diet, thereby facilitating the absorption of calcium in the small intestines. In the rat, gastrectomy rapidly reduces the calcium content, the density and the trabecular volume of the bone. The gastrectomy-evoked bo

Brain ischemia is a major cause of death and morbidity in the industrialized countries. It is mainly caused by stroke, but may also be the consequence of successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation in victims of cardiac arrest, known as transient global ischemia. Although extensive effort in the field of brain research using experimental rodent models, no neuroprotective treatments are at present ava

There is little knowledge about the circulatory effects of dopamine in hypothermia. Induced hypothermia has been shown to improve outcome in various settings. Hypothermia is also used for preservation of organs that are harvested for transplantation. We evaluated lungs that were topically cooled for 6 hours in non-heart-beating donor pigs by transplanting them into recipient pigs and observing the

Transportation fuels from renewable resources such as ethanol are one of the alternatives to ensure energy security and decrease the net emission of carbon dioxide. First-generation ethanol production from sugar- and starch-based raw materials (1G) is today well established in many countries, and the focus of research has thus shifted to the development and demonstration of the production of secon

Purified bacterial cell wall components peptidoglycan and teichoic acid were isolated from staphylococcal species S. aureus and/or S. epidermidis and tested for their ability to induce cytokine release from plastic-adherent human monocytes. Both cell wall components dose-dependently induced TNF-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6 release, peptidoglycan being more potent than teichoic acid.