Lentiviral vectors have been used extensively as gene transfer tools for the central nervous system throughout the past decade since they transduce most cell types in the brain, resulting in high-level and long-term transgene expression. This review discusses some of the recent progress in this field, including preclinical gene therapy experiments in disease models, development of regulated vector

Advancing age is frequented by the onset of a variety of hematological conditions characterized by diminished homeostatic control of blood cell production. The fact that upstream hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are obligate mediators of homeostatic control of all blood lineages, has implicated the involvement of these cells in the pathophysiology of these conditions. Indeed, evidence from

The semen coagulum proteins have undergone substantial structural changes during evolution. In primates, these seminal vesicle-secreted proteins are known as semenogelin I (SEMG1) and semenogelin II (SEMG2). Previous studies on the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) showed that ejaculated semen from this New World monkey contains semenogelin, but it remained unclear whether it carries both genes

Stretch of the vascular wall by the intraluminal blood pressure stimulates protein synthesis and contributes to the maintenance of the smooth muscle contractile phenotype. The expression of most smooth muscle specific genes has been shown to be regulated by serum response factor and stimulated by increased actin polymerization. Hence we hypothesized that stretch-induced differentiation is promoted

Background: The present study protocol describes the trial design of a primary care intervention cohort study, which examines whether an extended, multi-professional physical activity referral (PAR) intervention is more effective in enhancing and maintaining self-reported physical activity than physical activity prescription in usual care. The study targets patients with newly diagnosed hypertensi

Background: A Western diet is associated with breast cancer risk. Objective: We investigated the relation of meat, egg, and dairy product consumption with breast cancer risk by using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Design: Between 1992 and 2003, information on diet was collected from 319,826 women. Disease hazard ratios were estimated with multiva

The primary topic of this thesis is a class of tempo-spatial models which are rather flexible in a distributional sense. They prove quite successful in modeling (temporal) dependence structures and go beyond the limitation of Gaussian models, thus allowing for heavy tails and skewness. By generalizing the construction of the above class of models, it is possible to ‘control’ some random geometric

Herbivory is an important part of most ecosystems and affects the ecosystems' carbon balance both directly and indirectly. Little is known about herbivory and its impact on the carbon balance in high arctic mire ecosystems. We hypothesized that trampling and grazing by large herbivores influences the vegetation density and composition and thereby also the carbon balance. In 2010, we established fe

This paper is concerned with the changing role of regional innovation systems and regional policies in supporting the transition of indigenous firms in developing countries from competing on low costs towards becoming knowledge providers in global value chains. Special attention is paid to policies supporting the emergence and development of the regional innovation system in this transition proces

At present, only one exchange of an icodextrin-based solution is recommended to increase peritoneal ultrafiltration (UF) during long-dwell exchanges in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with impaired UF. To review our experience with two icodextrin exchanges per day on net UF and body weight in PD patients with poor UF. Data were analyzed on nine patients with poor UF on chronic PD who were given

Popular Abstract in Swedish Vår hud och våra slemhinnor är ständigt koloniserade med bakterier som lever i fredligt samspel med vår organism. Dessa bakterier tillhör vår normalflora och kan indelas i kommensaler respektive opportunistiska bakterier. Kommensalerna gagnar värden på olika sätt och orsakar inte sjukdom, till skillnad från opportunisterna som under vissa betingelser kan orsaka infektioAbstractBacteria in most environments encase themselves in a hydrated matrix of polysaccharide and protein, forming organized communities called biofilms. In the biofilm bacteria are protected against hostile environments. Biofilms are important clinically because of their persistence despite host defence and their recalcitrance to antimicrobials. This thesis presents three main findings: (i) biof

Aim: Hemoglobin (Hb) becomes toxic when released from the erythrocyte. The acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp) binds avidly to Hb and decreases oxidative damage to Hb itself and to the surrounding proteins and lipids. However, the molecular mechanism underpinning Hp protection is to date unclear. The aim of this study was to use electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, stopped flow opt

This article gives a short presentation of my research on ethical aspects of nutritional genomics and its application for personalised nutrition.

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common T cell mediated skin disease. Small reactive organic molecules called haptens induce ACD. Haptens are not recognized by themselves, but need to bond to endogenous proteins in the skin, and processed further into complete antigens. Antigen specific T cells then recognize the resulting antigen. Although the haptens are well known, the chemical reactions

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disorder with high prevalence, especially in the Nordic countries. Effective maintenance therapy during symptom-free episodes may prolong the time to eczema relapse according to a previously published clinical trial. The present study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a barrier-strengthening moisturizer containing 5% urea, compared with a moisturizer with no a

Abstract For activity quantification based on planar scintillation camera measurements, photon attenuation is an important factor that needs to be corrected for in a patient- and organ-specific manner. One possibility for obtaining attenuation correction maps is to use X-ray CT scout images. Since the intensity of scout images is in relative numbers, their image values need to be multiplied by a f

Empowerment is a concept and a method in social work associated with liberation from oppression. Some paradoxes inherent in the concept and method of empowerment, however, lead to questioning the contradiction between freedom and force that is usually framed by “empowerment”. This dissertation investigates how empowerment is created in a concrete language and an integration project directed toward

We report the discovery of light organs (photophores) adjacent to the dorsal defensive spines of a small deep-sea lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax). Using a visual modeling based on in vivo luminescence recordings we show that this unusual light display would be detectable by the shark's potential predators from several meters away. We also demonstrate that the luminescence from the spine-associate

From the starting point of narrative ethnography, this article explores a specific kind of service user involvement in psychiatry: staff training activities in which patients and former patients are invited to “tell their stories”. A core feature of these stories is that they are based on the narrators’ self-perceived experience, and they all have a highly personal character. I call these stories