Physical activity has been suggested to be one of the determinants of bone turnover and to prevent age-related bone loss. To examine this we measured the serum levels of osteocalcin (bone Gla-protein, BGP), C-terminal procollagen peptide (PICP), serum alkaline phosphatase, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and S-calcium as indices of bone formation in 19 actively performing and 15 ex-lifters. Al

IgE reactivity to the opportunistic yeast Malassezia furfur can be found in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). We have previously cloned and expressed 6 recombinant allergens (rMal f 1. rMal f 5-9) from M. furfur. In the present study, we used ImmunoCAP to investigate whether these rMal f allergens can be useful in the diagnosis of M. furfur-associated AD compared with the M. furfur extract. A

The quality of a product can be defined by its ability to satisfy the needs and expectations of its customers. Achieving quality is especially difficult in market-driven situations since the product is released on an open market with numerous potential customers and users with various wishes. The quality of the software product is to a large extent determined by the quality of the requirements eng

The report contains abstracts of Master Theses (examensarbeten made at the Department of Automatic Control, Lund, during the academic year 82/83. During this year 23 theses were made by 25 students. Most of the theses are written in Swedish with an English abstract.

Hypoxia affects many important processes in tumour progression and is a key feature in the tumour microenvironment that needs to be taken into account when evaluating prognostics and therapeutic options for cancer patients. Hypoxia-regulating proteins, i.e. hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs), and associated gene products have been linked to certain tumour behaviours and might be useful as prognostic

Diagnosis of discordant twins is easily accomplished with modern ultrasound equipment, though diagnosing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTS) at an early stage might be a problem. The possibility of excluding TTS by Doppler ultrasound is demonstrated in a case with early severe growth restriction of one fetus. Characteristic blood velocity changes in a dying fetus are also illustrated. The Dop

Software quality is an important factor of a large and complex software system. Hence, there is a need for measuring and controlling quality. Software quality has, however, many different f actors and involves implicit expectations of the behaviour of the software. This thesis investigates two aspects of improving the software quality, in particular the reliability factor. The first part of this

Thrombospondins (TSPs) are multidomain oligomers that have complex roles in cell interactions and tissue organisation. The five vertebrate TSPs comprise two subgroups, A and B, that are assembled as trimers or pentamers, respectively. An invertebrate TSP was recently discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, but there is no knowledge of the oligomerisation status or properties of this molecule. We de

This thesis analyses educational investments and labour market attachment for refugee immigrants who received a permanent visa to Sweden during 1987-1991. It consists of five self-contained chapters. Chapter 2 presents a brief overview of the historical process behind immigration to Sweden from the post-war period until today, give an orientation on the development of Swedish immigration policy du

The gene encoding calpain-10 (CAPN10) has been identified as a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to study the impact of genetic (heritability and polymorphisms) and nongenetic (insulin, free fatty acids, and age) factors on CAPN10 mRNA expression in skeletal muscle using two different study designs. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and after hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps fro

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration into tissues in host defense and inflammatory diseasecauses increased vascular permeability and edema formation through unknown mechanisms.Here, we report the involvement of a paracrine mechanism in neutrophil-evoked alteration inendothelial barrier function. We show that upon neutrophil adhesion to the endothelial lining,leukocytic 2 integrin signaling tri