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The vascular wall has a remarkable capacity to adapt to mechanical forces exerted by the intraluminal blood pressure and flow. This includes rapid change in contractile tone as well as chronic alteration of vessel structure if the stimulus persists. Stretch of the intact blood vessel wall promotes growth and contractile differentiation. The molecular mechanisms involved are not well defined, but c
Laser sheet imaging, also known as planar laser imaging, is one of the most versatile optical imaging techniques known and is frequently applied in several different domains. It furthermore constitutes the basis for a variety of other 2D methods, in turn allowing visualization of e.g. velocity, particle size, species concentration and temperature. However, when applied on turbid, light scattering
This thesis presents experimental studies of microchannel acoustophoresis, a technique for manipulation of microscopic objects in suspension by means of acoustic radiation forces induced by ultrasonic standing wave fields. By arranging an acoustic resonance across the width of a microchannel, the path of individual cells or microparticles can be deflected orthogonally to the fluid flow. The prop
Type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome are highly prevalent disorders with severe complications such as cardiovascular disease. The aetiology of type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome is not known, but the interaction between genetic factors and environmental triggers is important. The aim this thesis was to identify genetic factors that may increase susceptibility to these disorders by in
Epithelial damage may contribute to the pathology in airway diseases such as asthma and rhinitis. However, the distribution of epithelial shedding in inflammatory airway diseases and, particularly, the ensuing repair processes are largely unknown. In the present studies we have developed novel in vivo techniques to explore epithelial repair mechanisms and associated tissue responses occuring in gu
Eta Carinae is a super-massive, super-luminous star. It is surrounded by a bipolar nebula, the "Homunculus", and several blobs of ejected gas which are the source of a complex emission-line spectrum. This thesis presents results from spectroscopic investigations of the star and its surroundings, performed with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Goddard High Resolution Spectrog
Eta Carinae is one of the most massive and luminous stars in the Galaxy. A huge bipolar nebula and an equatorial disk give the object a characteristic shape. Close to the star there are gas clouds, which emit intriguing emission line spectra. One such region, the strontium filament, is studied in more detail in this thesis, and the identities of 600 emission lines are reported. Some of these requi
Highly glycosylated glycoproteins – mucins – are the major constituents of the mucus layer and glycocalyx that cover mucosal surfaces. Twelve human mucin genes have been identified, and the mucins may be divided into those that are membraneassociated and those that are secreted. Among the latter, the oligomeric mucins are responsible for mucus formation. The various tissues have characteristic muc
The potato is one of our most important food crops, being sold in its natural state or processed into a wide range of products. Starch, by far the most abundant component in the tuber, is greatly affected by heat processing. Therefore it is logical to study starch thermal properties within the tuber tissue, although most previous studies have focused on starch-water model systems. One of the main
The release of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) from endometrial stromal cells decreased after progesterone stimulation, due to upregulation of PA inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and uPA receptor (uPAR). Subsequently, the uPA:PAI-1 complex was internalized and degraded via uPAR. Predecidual cells in the late secretory phase expressed PAI-1 and uPAR, supporting a specific role for predecidual cells in the
Dermatan sulphate is a prominent feature of several different proteoglycans and occurs in almost every tissue of the body. It is an unbranched polymer containing the repeating disaccharide unit of N-acetylgalactosamine and D-glucuronic acid or L-iduronic acid. The polymer can be highly sulphated resulting in an unusual and largely unknown diversity in the chain. The unique step in dermatan sulphat
The incidence of sexual selection in plants is today acknowledged, however, just as in animals, evolution and maintenance of mate choice is gravely underexplored. Moreover, the potential for sexual conflicts to occur in plants has only been assessed empirically to a very limited degree. Using the hermaphroditic annual herb Collinsia heterophylla, I looked deeper into the role of pollen-pollen comp
Eosinophils are multi-functional leukocytes involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Participation in some neoplastic diseases and in the host defense against helminths has also been postulated. They are considered both good and bad, protecting or harming the host. The exact roles of eosinophils and their mechanisms of action are poorl
Exposure to vibration is known to cause vasospastic white fingers and/or sensorineural symtoms such as numbness and tingling in fingers and/or musculoskeletal disorders such as reduction in muscle force, fatigue and reduced endurance. Classifications for the vasospastic and sensorineural symptoms are established. The general purpose of this thesis was to test the hypothesis that vibration exposur
The human gut flora is important for our well-being. The gut bacteria are able to degrade and metabolize complex carbohydrates. Examples of such carbohydrates are β-mannans. β-Mannans consist of a backbone of β-1,4-linked mannose units and are present in e.g. the endosperm of legumes such as guar or carob. The composition of the β-mannan varies with the plant source. Carob and guar β-mannans are s
This dissertation presents a study of 26 adolescent anorexia nervosa patients and their families regarding family function and treatment. Family function was studied at the start of treatment and at two-year follow-up. In a Nordic study, 49 families were studied at the start of treatment, and different sub-groups of families were examined. The 26 patients took part in a randomised controlled study
Alcohol induces profound effects on the function of the nerve cells in the nervous system. Alterations in gene expression is an important way by which these effects could be induced and sustained. Activating Protein-1 (AP-1) is a dimeric transcription factor constituted of proteins from the fos and jun immediate-early gene families. AP-1 induces gene expression of genes having a functional AP-1 bi
In the present thesis, we have examined the in vivo properties of in vitro expanded human and rat neural stem-and progenitor cells after transplantation into the neonatal and adult rat brain. The survival and differentiation of the grafted cells were assessed using species-specific antisera, and pre-labelling with the reporter gene green fluorescent protein (GFP). Long-term growth factor-expanded
Objective: Most preschool children have suffered from at least one episode of acute otitis media (AOM) and/or secretory otitis media (SOM). Some children have frequent AOM episodes and/or prolonged and recurrent episodes of secretory otitis media (SOM). The long-term out-come and sequelae are not fully clarified. Subjects and methods: Out of a birth cohort followed to the age of 3 years, 12 child
A series of primary and metastatic breast carcinomas obtained from female and male patients were cytogenetically analysed. Trisomy 12 was identified as a recurrent and sometimes early event in breast carcinogenesis. Also, multiple polysomies involving chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 7, 12, 16, 18, and 19 were identified as a possible pathway of progression in a subset of carcinomas. Among the male breast car
