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Popular Abstract in Swedish Proteiner har en nyckelroll i praktiskt taget alla biologiska processer. Proteiner har väldigt skilda funktioner, tex. transport och lagring av ämnen, som stödmaterial i vävnad, immunförsvar, samordning av ämnesomsättningen m.m. Ett protein består av mindre beståndsdelar, så kallade aminosyror. Proteiner kan vara olika stora, beroende på hur många aminosyror de innehållThis thesis describes studies of the structure and tissue distribution of alpha-1-microglobulin (a1-m), a member of the lipocalin protein superfamily with immunosuppressive properies. It was shown that a1-m appears in human plasma in five major forms. These were identified as monomeric a1-m and covalent complexes between a1-m and IgA, prothrombin, albumin and a1-m. In addition to blood, both monom

In the search for new pharmaceutically active compounds, it is recognized that Nature produces structurally different compounds in a great variety. By having the compounds or extracts tested in defined systems, new drugs or more often leads (a compound that has an interesting but moderate activity) can be found. When a lead is found, structurally similar compounds with modified functional groups a

Colonization consists of two parts, a dispersal phase followed by establishment and reproduction at a new site. Dispersal behaviour influences survival and the access to resources and mates of individuals and is thus closely linked to an organism's fitness. The dispersal ability of two collembolan species, Protaphorura armata and Folsomia fimentaria, was determined in a laboratory experiment. The

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIB genes show considerable sequence similarity between loci. The MHC class II DQB and DRB genes are known to exhibit a high level of polymorphism, most likely maintained by parasite-mediated selection. Studies of the MHC in wild rodents have focused on DRB, whilst DQB has been given much less attention. Here, we characterised DQB genes in Swedish b

Scabies is an infectious skin disease caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei and has been classified as one of the six most prevalent epidermal parasitic skin diseases infecting populations living in poverty by the World Health Organisation. The role of the complement system, a pivotal component of human innate immunity, as an important defence against invading pathogens has been well documented and

Treatment of met-myoglobin (Fe-III) with H2O2 gives rise to ferryl myoglobin, which is closely related to compound II in peroxidases. Experimental studies have given conflicting results for this species. In particular, crystallographic and extended x-ray absorption fine-structure data have shown either a short (similar to170 pm) or a longer (similar to190 pm) Fe-O bond, indicating either a double

Models based on generalized plant physiological theory represent a promising approach for describing vegetation responses to environmental drivers on large scales but must be tested for their ability to reproduce features of real vegetation. We tested the capability of a generalized vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS) to simulate vegetation structural and compositional dynamics under various disturbance

Surface exposed cysteines were genetically engineered in the structure of recombinant horseradish peroxidase (rHRP). Recombinant forms of HRP with either a His-tag or a Strep-tag at the C-terminus were produced, which additionally had cysteines at positions 57, 189 or 309 (C-terminus) of the polypeptide chain. An E coli expression system was exploited. The effect of these mutations on the direct e

Alkaline sphingomyelinase (alk-SMase) is a new member of the NPP (nucleotide pyrophophatase/phosphodiesterase) family that hydrolyses SM (sphingomyelin) to generate ceramide ill the intestinal tract. The enzyme may protect the intestinal mucosa front inflammation and tumorigenesis. PAF (platelet-activating factor) is a pro-inflammatory phospholipid involved in pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel di

BACKGROUND: S100A7 is a calcium-binding protein with chemotactic and antimicrobial properties. S100A7 protein levels are decreased in nasal lavage fluid from individuals with ongoing allergic rhinitis, suggesting a role for S100A7 in allergic airway inflammation. The aims of this study were to describe genetic variation in S100A7 and search for associations between this variation and allergic rhin

Background— Atrial fibrillation (AF) is heterogeneous at the clinical and molecular levels. Association studies have reported that common single-nucleotide polymorphisms in KCNE1 and SCN5A may predispose to AF. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that specific AF-associated genotypes confer variation on the appearance of AF assessed by analysis of fibrillatory rate of the atria. Methods and R

Background-Atrial fibrillation (AF) is heterogeneous at the clinical and molecular levels. Association studies have reported that common single-nucleotide polymorphisms in KCNE1 and SCN5A may predispose to AF In this study, we tested the hypothesis that specific AF-associated genotypes confer variation on the appearance of AF assessed by analysis of fibrillatory rate of the atria. Methods and Resu

Large-scale studies are essential to assess the emission patterns and spatial distribution of organohalogenated pollutants (OHPs) in the environment. Bird eggs have several advantages compared to other environmental media which have previously been used to map the distribution of OHPs. In this study, large-scale geographical variation in the occurrence of OHPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (P

Genome-wide association scans in type 2 diabetes (T2D) have identified a risk variant, rs13266634 (Arg325Trp), in SLC30A8 on chromosome 8. SLC30A8 encodes a beta-cell specific zinc-ion transporter and rs13266634 has been shown to affect insulin secretion. Recently, autoantibodies for Slc30A8 with high predictive value were demonstrated in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1 D), making this gene a

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive disability. Cost studies have mainly explored the early stages of the disease, whereas late-stage patients are underrepresented. Objective: The aim is to evaluate the resource utilization and costs of PD management in people with late-stage disease. Methods: The Care of Late-Stage Parkinsonism (CLaSP) stu

The processes responsible for methane (CH4) emissions from boreal wetlands are complex; hence, their model representation is complicated by a large number of parameters and parameter uncertainties. The arctic-enabled dynamic global vegetation model LPJ-GUESS (Lund-Potsdam-Jena General Ecosystem Simulator) is one such model that allows quantification and understanding of the natural wetland CH4 flu

Finite resources and increasing rate of consumption have made efficiency a key component in every energy consuming sector. The building industry, as a major contributor, has been the target of various initiatives and regulations aiming to lower its impact with varying degrees of success. Measurement of this impact has not always been easy, especially for buildings not yet built. Therefore, simulat

The goal of this thesis project was to develop an energy surveillance system for the Swedish production industry. The main problem this project sought to solve is that several Swedish industries are currently only able to measure the energy consumption of their entire facilities, as one big black box. They cannot determine the energy consumption of the individual machines within each and every pro

I Sverige råder en allmän medborgerlig skyldighet att inställa sig som vittne i domstol och där avlägga vittnesmål. Denna skyldighet träffar, med några få undantag, den som av ett eller annat skäl anses inneha information av betydelse för målet. Vittnesmålen är av oerhörd betydelse för att våra domstolar ska ges möjlighet att komma till korrekta avgöranden. Problematiskt är dock hur vittnen många In Sweden, there is a general civil obligation to appear in court as witness and to testify. With a few exceptions, this obligation affects anyone who is considered to possess important information to a case. Testimonies such as these form the basis for the courts to make correct rulings. However, there is a problem related to the many witnesses who are afraid to fulfil their obligations and who i