PURPOSE: To elucidate the role of leucine-rich proteoglycans lumican and fibromodulin in the sclera. METHODS: Lumican- and fibromodulin-null heterozygous mice were intercrossed to obtain wild-type (Lum(+/+)Fmod(+/+)), lumican-null (Lum(-/-)Fmod(+/+)), fibromodulin-null (Lum(+/+)Fmod(-/-)), and double-null (Lum(-/-)Fmod(-/-)) littermates. Axial length was measured on enucleated whole eyes, and ocul

A biogeochemical model of vegetation using observed climate data predicts the high northern latitude greening trend over the past two decades observed by satellites and a marked setback in this trend after the Mount Pinatubo, volcano eruption in 1991. The observed trend toward earlier spring budburst and increased maximum leaf area is produced by the model as a consequence of biogeochemical vegeta

OBJECT: Immortalized neural progenitor cells derived from embryonic rat hippocampus (HiB5), were transduced ex vivo with the gene for mouse nerve growth factor (NGF) to secrete NGF (NGF-HiB5) at 2 ng/hr/10(5) cells in culture. METHODS: Fifty-nine male Wistar rats weighing 300 to 370 g each were anesthetized with 60 mg/kg sodium pentobarbital and subjected to lateral fluid-percussion brain injury o

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a group of rare and heterogenous tumors that optimally should be diagnosed and treated within multidisciplinary teams. This thesis has studied various aspects ? pathological, genetical, and clinical ? of STS. In study I, we demonstrated that 20% of the patients in a population-based series of 818 STS developed second primary malignancies. An increased risk of

Lack of human exposure data is frequently reported as a critical gap in risk assessments of environmental pollutants, especially regarding "new" pollutants. The objectives of this study were to assess serum levels of the persistent 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153), hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyl metabolites (OH-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexabromocyclododec

Popular Abstract in Swedish Avhandlingen studerar den svenska jordbruksomvandlingen under 1800-talet. Syftet är dels att analysera böndernas roll i jordbruksomvandlingen, dels att identifiera de egenskaper som de ledande bönderna, de agrara entreprenörerna, hade. Detta görs genom att studera ansökningar om skifte och kreditmarknadens utnyttjande i tre skånska socknar, Brösarp, Saxtorp och V. KarabThis study deals with the agricultural transformation in 19th century Sweden. The aims are: firstly, to analyse the peasants' role as entrepreneurs in the transformation of agriculture, and secondly, to identify the distinctive characteristics of the agrarian entrepreneurs by studying particular aspects of entrepreneurial dealings during the agricultural transformation in Scania between 1800 and 1

This study examined the role of neutrophil leukocytes for the antibacterial defense at mucosal infection sites. Urinary tract infection (UTI) was established by injection into the bladder lumen of Escherichia coli 1177, a fully virulent clinical isolate. Infection of C3H/HeN (lpsn, lpsn) mice recruited neutrophils into the urinary tract, and bacteria were cleared from kidneys and bladders. The neu

A Paleolithic diet has been suggested to be more in concordance with human evolutionary legacy than a cereal based diet. This might explain the lower incidence among hunter-gatherers of diseases of affluence such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to experimentally study the long-term effect of a Paleolithic diet on risk factors for these diseases in

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Modern IC-engines produce more power per displaced volume and operate at higher combustion pressures and temperatures. In addition, engine structure materials such as aluminium and magnesium alloys, which are more sensitive to thermal loads, are more commonly used. These two parameters might lead to problems such as thermal fatigue, knock, high fuel consumption and emissions, performance loss, bor

In this thesis civil religion in the Czech Republic is studied throught the way it is expressed in the speeches of president Václav Havel. Earlier studies on civil religion have shown how civil religiion can be a latent phenomenon that is activated in times of societal change and crisis. In Havel's speeches, this is expressed by the emphasis put on democratic values, such as basic human rights, an

Until recently, the function of the fifth domain of the thermostable modular xylanase Xyn10A from Rhodothermus marinus was unresolved. A putative homologue to this domain was however identified in a mannanase (Man26A) from the same microorganism which raised questions regarding a common function. An extensive search of all accessible data-bases as well as the partially sequenced genomes of R. mari

Production of synthesis gas by catalytic reforming of product gas from biomass gasification can lead to catalyst deactivation by the exposure to ash compounds present in the flue gas. The impact of fly ash from biomass gasification on reforming catalysts was studied at the laboratory scale. The investigated catalyst was Pt/Rh based, and it was exposed to generated K2SO4 aerosol particles and to ae