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The arterio-venous anastomoses (AVA) play a major role in the blood circulation in the peripheral body parts. In this work, the segmental bioheat model of Salloum et al. [1] is improved to accurately predict skin blood flow rate in the hands and fingers, and the local and overall human thermal responses in transient environments. The improvements in the model include: 1) extending the artery tree
Immunoglobulin A deficiency (IgAD) is the most common primary immunodeficiency in the general population. It is defined as a serum IgA level below or equal to 0.07 g/l with normal IgM and IgG levels in children over the age of 4. However, a few cases of reversal of IgAD at later ages have been observed previously, especially in pediatric patients. This study aimed at investigating the frequency of
There are limited data on human papillomavirus (HPV) type-specific cervical cancer risk among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women. Previous studies have suggested that HPV 16 would be relatively less important as a causative agent among HIV-positive compared with HIV-negative women. This study investigates HPV type-specific cervical cancer risk in a population in which HIV is endemic
The NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) complex is a professional producer of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is mainly expressed in phagocytes. While the activity of the NOX2 complex is essential for immunity against pathogens and protection against autoimmunity, its role in the development of malignant tumors remains unclear. We compared wild type and Ncf1 (m1J) mutated mice, which lack functional NOX2 com
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the peripheral joints that eventually leads to cartilage destruction and bone erosion. The causes of RA remain largely unknown, but considerable evidence suggests a multifactorial aetiology involving both environmental and genetic factors. Large efforts have been directed towards the understanding of the mo
Photoinduced electron injection dynamics from CdSe quantum dots to ZnO nanowires is studied by transient absorption and time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy measurements. Ultrafast electron transfer from the CdSe quantum dots to ZnO is proven to be efficient already on a picoseconds time scale (tau = 3-12 ps). The measured kinetics was found to have a two-component character, whose origin is discu
Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disorder characterized by recurrent life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections. CGD results from defective production of reactive oxygen species by phagocytes caused by mutations in genes encoding the NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) complex subunits. Mice with a spontaneous mutation in Ncf1, which encodes the NCF1 (p47(Phox)) subunit of NOX2, have d
Multiexciton absorption cross sections are important for analysis of a number of experiments, including multiple exciton generation and stimulated emisson. We present a rigorous method to determine these cross sections using transient absorption (TA) measurements. We apply the method to CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and core–shell (CdSe)ZnS QDs. The method involves measuring TA dynamics for various exci
A full update of the internal dosimetry computer program IDAC has been conducted. The new update is based on new and more accurate computational phantoms to calculate effective dose and absorbed dose to organs and tissues. The new ICRP Adult Reference Computational Phantoms has been adopted as well as the latest of the ICRP standardized biokinetic models. The updated computer program includes a us
Alternative macrophage activation is implicated in diverse disease pathologies such as asthma, organ fibrosis, and granulomatous diseases, but the mechanisms underlying macrophage programming are not fully understood. Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding lectin present on macrophages. We show that disruption of the galectin-3 gene in 129sv mice specifically restrains IL-4/IL-13-induced alternative
Popular Abstract in Swedish Det är känt att kvalitén på inomhusluften har en avgörande betydelse för folkhälsan bla avseende astma, eksem samt luftvägsinfektioner. Detta är ett för samhället mycket kostsamt problem. I avhandlingen har studerats vissa luftföroreningar inomhus som kan bli följden av att en byggnad drabbats av fuktskada. När fukt påverkar byggnadsmaterial frigörs och bildas en rad oUnsatisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) may result from polluting emissions that are spread from building materials such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or microbial components or from various kinds of human activity such as smoking. Different methods are available to limit the exposure to unwanted pollutants and improve human wellbeing and health. One goal of this thesis was to determine
Glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) and autoantibodies specific for GAD65 (GADA) are associated with autoimmune diseases including Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) and Type 1 diabetes (T1D). GADA is recognized as a biomarker of value for clinical diagnosis and prognostication in these diseases. Nonetheless, it remains medically interesting to develop sensitive and specific assays to detect GAD65 pre
Permanent exposure to pathogens requires decisions toward tolerance or immunity as a prime task of dendritic cells. The molecular mechanisms preventing uncontrolled immune responses are not completely clear. We investigated the regulatory function of Ncf1, an organizing protein of NADPH oxidase, in the signaling cascade of Toll-like receptors. TLR9-stimulated spleen cells from both Ncf1-deficient
Detection of active tuberculosis (TB) before antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation is important, but optimal diagnostic methods for use in resource-limited settings are lacking. We assessed the prevalence of TB, evaluated the diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB/RIF in comparison with smear microscopy and culture, and the impact of Xpert results on clinical management in HIV-positive adults eligible fo
Since type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients with nephropathy (DN+) are insulin-resistant, we aimed to identify (new) potential molecular sites involved in the alterations of glucose metabolism in these patients. We examined the expression of glycolytic enzymes in cultured fibroblasts from T1DM(DN+) patients as compared to those from T1DM patients without nephropathy (DN-) and from controls. Pyr
The immune system is remarkable in many ways. It exerts immunity to defend us from foreign pathogens, while it is also responsible for maintaining tolerance to avoid autoimmune diseases and allergy. This thesis includes three separate papers concerning both tolerance and immunity. In paper I we report that repeated antigen stimulation results in an increased proportion of Foxp3+ cells in the CD4+
The partial unfolding of human lysozyme underlies its conversion from the soluble state into amyloid fibrils observed in a fatal hereditary form of systemic amyloidosis. To understand the molecular origins of the disease, it is critical to characterize the structural and physicochemical properties of the amyloidogenic states of the protein. Here we provide a high-resolution view of the unfolding p
The classical pathway complement regulator C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is composed of two polypeptides (alpha- and beta-chains), which form three plasma oligomers with different subunit compositions (alpha(7)beta(1), alpha(7)beta(0), and alpha(6)beta(1)). We show in this article that the C4BP alpha(7)beta(0) isoform (hereafter called C4BP[beta(-)] [C4BP lacking the beta-chain]), overexpressed under
The purpose of this work was to evaluate three motion-monitoring systems: Sentinel (TM), Catalyst (TM) (both C-RAD) and Real-time Position Management (RPM (TM)) system (Varian Medical Systems Inc) for respiratory gating in radiotherapy. To measure the systems. latency, an in-house built circuit with a microcontroller operating a piston was used. The trigger pulse was sent from the gating systems t
