Filtyp
The present study investigated the effects of land-use abandonment on the soil decomposer community of two grazed Mediterranean ecosystems (an annual grassland with scattered holm oaks and a low-density shrubland). To test the influence of grazing abandonment, a set of plots within each site were fenced and kept undisturbed during 4-5 years, during which above-ground plant community structure was
The aim of this thesis was to study onlay bone grafting in the adult rat to improve graft incorporation and perservation of graft size. In 167 adult isogeneic lewis rats, the size maintenance and bone formation at the graft-host interface of uni- and bicortical onlays positioned in various environments and treatments were investigated. The findings were assessed after four, 12 and 20 weeks with ro
Pheromone-based monitoring is a promising new method for assessing the conservation status of many threatened insect species. We examined the versatility and usefulness of pheromone-based monitoring by integrating a pheromone–kairomone trapping system and pitfall trapping system in the monitoring of two saproxylic beetles, the hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and its pred
Factor IX is a vitamin K-dependent procoagulant zymogen of a serine protease. In the presence of Ca2+ the active form of factor IX (factor IXa beta) forms a complex with factor VIIIa on suitable phospholipid surfaces such as aggregated platelets. This macromolecular complex rapidly activates factor X. We have previously provided data that suggest an interaction between the NH2-terminal epidermal g
This contribution is a partial report from a study of the identification accuracy and realism in the confidence judgments of the correctness in the identification reports in two kinds of target-present voice lineup. 24 men and 54 women were asked to identify a voice that they had heard previously in a dialogue context that simulated the planning of a burglary by two males 22 and 27 years old. The
The fate of phosphate in the environment is governed by reactions at particle surfaces. These adsorption and desorption reactions display biphasic kinetics involving an initial rapid reaction followed by a substantially slower one extending over long time periods. In this study we have investigated the molecular mechanisms of desorption kinetics of phosphate from ferrihydrite and goethite nanopart
The extraction of spectral information in the inversion process of time-domain (TD) induced polarization (IP) data is changing the use of the TDIP method. Data interpretation is evolving from a qualitative description of the subsurface, able only to discriminate the presence of contrasts in chargeability parameters, towards a quantitative analysis of the investigated media, which allows for detail
The enzymatic degradation of wood polysaccharides such as cellulose and hemicellulose is an important process in nature. In addition, cellulases and hemicellulases can be used in industrial applications. Fuel ethanol can potentially be produced from wood by enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose followed by yeast fermentation of the formed sugars. In this thesis, fungal glycoside hydrolases, cellulase
Objective: The most widely studied positron emission tomography ligand for in vivo P-amyloid imaging is C-11-Pittsburgh compound B (C-11-PIB). Its availability, however, is limited by the need for an on-site cyclotron. Validation of the F-18-labeled PIB derivative F-18-flutemetamol could significantly enhance access to this novel technology. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with early-stage clinical
The addition of crop residues is a common farming practice to increase the organic carbon content of agricultural soils with particular importance in organically managed crops. Residues can be added either from the crop plant itself or from other plants and the type of litter may differentially affect decomposer populations. Effects of litter addition may cascade up to affect generalist predators
Popular Abstract in Swedish Svensk populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning: Miljögift är mat för bakterier i grundvatten Jag har undersökt bakteriers nedbrytning av organiska miljögifter i grundvatten och intresserat mig för hur den påverkas av gifternas vidhäftning till sand och bakteriernas aktivitet och mångfald. Sådan kunskap kan bidra till att förhindra gifters spridning till t.ex. drickvatten. Many factors can influence the rate of microbial degradation of organic contaminants in aquifers. Some of these factors, e.g. sorption, the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), biomass, redox conditions, cometabolism, microbial community composition, and activity of degrading microorganisms, are addressed in the thesis, with the ambition to gain insights for bioremediation in aquifers, and
Popular Abstract in Swedish Introduktion: Validitet handlar enkelt uttryckt om överensstämmelse med sanningen eller exempelvis om ett instrument mäter det som är avsett. Validitet kan också ses som ett mer komplext begrepp, innefattande aspekter som nytta, relevans, värderingar och sociala konsekvenser. Validitet förutsätter reliabilitet som är ett mått på tillförlitlighet, noggrannhet eller reproAbstract Introduction: Validity is important at different levels in psychiatry. Valid structured instruments are important aids in screening and diagnostics, in both research and clinical practice. An aim of the diagnostic procedure is to yield valid diagnoses. Ultimately, the validity of structured instruments (non-empirical) and clinical diagnoses depends on the validity of the diagnostic class
Popular Abstract in Swedish Neuroblastom är den vanligaste solida tumören, utanför hjärnan, hos små barn och finns nästan inte alls hos vuxna. Varje år insjuknar mellan femton och tjugo barn i Sverige, de flesta före två års ålder. Överlevnaden har ökat de senaste tjugo åren men är fortfarande på låga nivåer för de mer aggressiva formerna. Neuroblastom uppstår i det sympatiska nervsystemet. DärförIn this thesis, the main focus has been on the childhood cancer neuroblastoma, one of the most common and lethal childhood tumours. Neuroblastoma has througout the years continued to be a clinical and biological enigma. Our first focus was on one of the most important biological risk factors in neuroblastoma -- amplification of the oncogene MYCN in the tumour cells. Because amplified MYCN typical
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein 2 (hK2) are secreted by the prostate into seminal plasma and through leakage into blood. This leakage increases rapidly in prostate disease, and PSA is used worldwide as a marker of prostate cancer. PSA is activated in vitro by hK2, and cleaves the semenogelins in semen, which releases motile sperm, and low levels of PSA have been asso
The aim of this thesis was to test a tool for assessing insomnia symptoms in elderly persons and to investigate late-life insomnia in terms of associated factors and evidence of non-pharmacological interventions in healthcare settings. Data were collected by means of a systematic literature search (Study I), questionnaires (Studies II-III), interviews and observations (Study IV). The results from
Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a common colonizer of the human nasopharynx. Despite a low rate of invasive disease, the high prevalence of colonization results in millions of infections and over one million deaths per year, mostly in individuals under the age of 5 and the elderly. Colonizing pneumococci form well-organized biofilm communities in the nasopharyngeal environment, but
Popular Abstract in Swedish See attachment in related materialThe combustion engine is today the dominant technology for transportation of goods and people world-wide. Concerns for global warming, toxic exhaust emissions, as well as cost and availability of fuel have in recent years created incentives for technological evolution of combustion engines. More sophisticated engine instrumentation with additional degrees of freedom has been added to the engine de
The structure of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) made by mild acid hydrolysis from cotton linter, flax fibres and sulphite or kraft cooked wood pulp was studied and compared with the structure of the starting materials. Crystallinities and the length and the width of the cellulose crystallites were determined by wide-angle X-ray scattering and the packing and the cross-sectional shape of the micr
We have measured the uptake capacity of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) from different soil depths by injecting N-15 and caesium (Cs; as an analogue to K) at 5 and 50 cm soil depth and analysing the recovery of these markers in foliage and buds. The study was performed in monocultures of 40-year-old pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.
