Cytokines like interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), released during the inflammatory process, play important roles in the development of airway hyperresponsiveness. The effects of these cytokines are mediated by cell surface receptors, specific for each cytokine. The expression of cytokine receptors is a dynamic process, where receptors can be up- or down-regula

Aim. The aim of this study is to examine associations between caregiver burden, perceived health and sense of coherence in family caregivers to persons with dementia living at home. Background. Most of the studies on family caregivers have focused on burden and morbidity. However, the caregiver's sense of coherence and perceived health have not been studied earlier in relation to caregiver burden.

Within the context of understanding the opening up of the People’s Republic of China and the city of Shanghai, the aim of the study is to explore ‘space’ in Chinese Communist Party rhetoric, Shanghai spatial planning discourse and personal intercultural engagements. By the term ‘space’, the author refers to an understanding of societal production that integrates space as part of the analysis, taki

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Popular Abstract in Swedish Avhandlingen utreder några av konsekvenserna av de institutionella reformer som genomfördes i Sydafrika under 1990-talet, med särskilt fokus på det nya kommunsystemet, enligt vilket varje kommun är skyldig att stimulera lokal ekonomisk utveckling i samarbete med det lokal näringslivet och andra civilsamhälleliga aktörer. Den syftar även till att utveckla den samhällsvetThis thesis focuses on the consequences of the institutional transformations in South Africa during the 1990s with specific reference to the introduction of a mode of local governance based on the direct participation of private and civic actors in policymaking and implementation. The study also aims to contribute to theory. The approach is that public, private and civic associations are best unde

Popular Abstract in English In this thesis I will compare and contrast two willow warbler subspecies, each with different migratory programs that meet in Central Sweden forming a migratory divide and hybrid zone. These migratory programs differ in the direction and distance traveled during migration. The "northern" willow warblers migrate south-southeast through the Balkan Peninsula to winter in eIn this thesis I will compare and contrast the two willow warbler subspecies (Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus and P. t. acredula) with differing migratory phenotypes (or "migratype") in the context of their migratory divide and hybrid zone in central Sweden. Their migratory programs differ in the direction and distance traveled during migration. The "northern" willow warblers migrate south-southe

BACKGROUND: A role for the transient receptor potential (TRP) A1 ion channel in rat lower urinary tract (LUT) sensation and disease has been proposed, but in the human LUT no information on TRPA1 activity is available. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the distribution of TRPA1 in the human urethra and to study the effect of TRPA1 agonists on isolated urethral strip preparations. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PA

Rationale: Vascular calcification is a significant contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We recently reported that cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is pivotal for maintaining the homeostasis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Whether COMP affects the process of vascular calcification is unknown. Objective: We aimed to test whether COMP modulates vascular calcificat