From Jimmy Carter’s self-identification as a “born again Christian” in the 1976 presidential campaign to George W. Bush’s declaration of “Christ” as his favorite political philosopher “because he changed my heart” in a Republican primary debate of the 2000 campaign, presidential speeches and campaigns are often laced with religious language. Such an observation is nothing new. However, many scholars and political observers do not know what to make of such religious references. Such language is often dismissed as either shameless pandering to religious constituencies or something hopelessly out of place in American politics. This dissertation attempts a deeper analysis of this controversial subject by identifying how presidents use the rhetorical resources of religion by employing religious argument patterns stemming from the Jewish and Christian religious traditions in presidential speeches. Specifically, this dissertation explores how the last five presidents (Jimmy Carter through George W. Bush) have used such religious rhetorical forms in attempts to strike a symbolic chord within the larger American public. The religious rhetorical forms explored herein, if employed judiciously, can serve as political shibboleths—or passwords—which indicate a basic level of identification with the public thanks to the basic elements, such as transformation, atonement, and renewal, which comprise the mythical core of these forms.

Fix a ground field F of characteristic neither 2 nor 3 and consider pairs (A,V) consisting of a degree 3 central simple F-algebra A and a 3-dimensional subspace V of the reduced trace zero elements of A which is totally isotropic for the trace quadratic form. Mapping an element of V to its cube defines a cubic form. This thesis is devoted to the classification of such cubic pairs - i.e. the description of a representative of each isomorphism class of cubic pairs - and the study of the associated cubic forms. First we study some geometrical aspects of ternary cubic forms in general; i.e. we study cubic curves in a projective plane. Apart from the well-known flexes of such a curve, we observe the existence of other special points and lines, which we call Hessian points, harmonic points and harmonic polars, and exhibit their remarkable properties. We consider in particular the special cases of semi-diagonal and semi-trace cubic forms, the latter being a new generalization of the former. Geometrical properties are then used to classify non-singular cubic pairs (A,V) over the separable closure of F, where we may suppose that A is a matrix algebra. Then we compute the automorphism group of such cubic pairs (which, in fact, is either the group of order three or the product of two such groups) and by means of its first Galois cohomology set we deduce a complete classification of non-singular cubic pairs over the ground field itself. By more computational methods we also give a complete classification of singular cubic pairs. As an application we deduce in particular that the cubic form associated to a cubic pair (A,V) with A a division algebra is always semi-trace; and it is semi-diagonal if the ground field contains a primitive cube root of unity. Using a result of D. Haile and J.-P. Tignol we prove moreover that such a cubic form determines the algebra up to (anti-)isomorphism.

Bone Morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) belong to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-£]) superfamily. They regulate cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and bone morphogenesis. Previous evidence suggests that BMP-2, as an antagonist of TGF-£], may play an inhibitory role in tissue fibrogenesis. The aim of this study is to examine the expression profile of BMP-2 in fibrotic livers and to test whether BMP-2 gene delivery could alleviate or reverse the liver fibrogenesis models in mice including bile duct ligation (BDL) or carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) model. The results showed that the AST, ALT, and bilirubin levels in sera and the expression of TGF-£], £\-smooth muscle actin, type I collagen in livers were significantly up-regulated by BDL surgery or CCl4 administration. After BDL, the hepatic BMP-2 mRNA and protein levels in mice decreased at 7 and 14 days after surgery. Similarly, the hepatic BMP-2 mRNA and protein levels in mice decreased at day 14 and 28 after CCl4 administration. BMP-2 gene delivery alleviated the inflammation and the liver injury caused by BDL or CCl4 exposure. These findings strongly suggest that BMP-2 is involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Moreover, BMP-2 supplementation may facilitate a novel strategy for treatment of liver fibrosis.

Inledning: Diabetes är en stor folksjukdom, de som drabbas behöver stöd och kunskap. En individualiserad omvårdnad där patienten är delaktig i egenvården är kopplat till sjuksköterskans stöd samt omgivning. Hur egenvården fungerar beror på uppfattningen om sjukdomens uppkomst. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att belysa patienters upplevelser av att leva med diabetes typ 2 samt betydelsen av stöd för att hantera sin egenvård. Metod: Litteraturstudien byggde på 19 vetenskapliga artiklar som genomgått en granskning, kvalitetsbedömning och analys. Huvudresultat: Resultatet innehåller två huvudkategorier, att leva med diabetes typ 2 och stöd för egenvård. Upplevelserna av att leva med diabetes typ 2 visar på vikten av att planera livet och acceptera sjukdomen. Vårdpersonalen bör visa empati och inse vikten av kontinuitet samt erbjuda tillräckligt med tid. Kunskapsbrister är hinder som gör det svårt att integrera egenvårdsbeteenden, stöd från sjuksköterskan och närstående samt utbildning är viktiga komponenter. Diskussion: Sjuksköterskor bör ha kunskap om allt som påverkar patientens hälsotillstånd. Vid varje möte med vården bör individen träffa samma sjuksköterska, det är viktigt att patienten är en aktiv deltagare och ser egenvårdreglerna som en tillämpning. Problembaserad inlärning är ett sätt att fördjupa kunskaperna.

Syftet med föreliggande litteraturstudie var att beskriva hur vuxna med typ 2 diabetes uppfattar sin livskvalitet. Metoden var en beskrivande litteraturstudie. Tre undergrupper identifierades, sammanlagt granskades 15 artiklar varav samtliga med kvanitativ ansats. Resultatet av föreliggande studie visade att depression var det mest förekommande komplikationen hos typ 2 diabetiker, vilket resulterade i både nedsatt livskvalitet samt även hälsorelaterad livskvalitet. Vidare visade resultatet att patienter som behandlades med insulin, var kraftigt överviktiga, personer med lägre utbildning, personer med sämre metabol kontroll och otillfredsställande HbA1c värde också uppfattade dålig livskvalitet. Kvinnor med typ 2 diabetes har lägre livskvalitet än män. Dessutom utvisade resultatet att kvinnorna uppfattade sig ha sämre sexuell livskvalitet jämfört med männen, även fast männen ofta fick problem med erektil dysfunktion ED, vilket var en vanlig komplikation hos manliga diabetiker. Vidare uppfattades sämre livskvalitet hos patienter som hade högt antal diabetesmediciner likaså de som hade småkärlssjukdomar. Typ 2 diabetiker som fick hjälp med rätt sorts kostråd skattade sin livskvalitet något högre. Goda effekter observerades när livskvaliteten avlästes på resultaten när patienterna fick stöd från ett skötselprogram via datorn som var utformat speciellt till diabetiker.

Övervikt hos patienter med typ 2 diabetes är en riskfaktor för att utveckla komplikationer. Komplikationer kan drabba ögon, njurar, nerver och blodkärl. Sjuksköterskan har en viktig roll i arbetet med att hjälpa överviktiga typ 2 diabetiker att minska sin vikt. Viktminskning hos överviktiga typ 2 diabetiker kan leda till ökat välbefinnande och minska risken för komplikationer. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva omvårdnadsåtgärder för att patienter med övervikt och typ 2 diabetes ska sänka sin vikt. Metoden som användes var en systematisk litteraturstudie, där tio vetenskapliga artiklar har sammanställts i resultatet. Tre huvudkategorier med tillhörande underkategorier identifierades. Dessa huvudkategorier har sin grund i Socialstyrelsens definition av omvårdnadsåtgärder (SOSFS 1993:17). Resultatet visar att sjuksköterskan har en viktig roll i att stödja, informera och även samordna vården för att underlätta en viktminskning hos patienter med övervikt och typ 2 diabetes. Stöd innebär bland annat att hjälpa patienten att finna motivation för att genomföra en viktminskning. Stöd innebär även att underlätta för patienten att lösa problem som dyker upp under viktminskningen. Bedömning, planering och målsättning bör göras individuellt och i samråd med patienten och andra involverade vårdgivare. För att lyckas med en viktminskning bör patienten utbildas i vikten av goda kostvanor och regelbunden motion.

Typ 2 diabetes har genom ökad levnadsstandard vuxit till ett världsomfattande problem. I Sverige har cirka 300 000 personer typ 2 diabetes. Omvårdnaden av denna patientgrupp kommer till stor del bestå av stöd och information. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att beskriva betydelse av stöd och information till patienter med typ 2 diabetes. Ett bra stöd från hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal och närstående är positivt för patienten. För att på bästa sätt tillägna sig information är det viktigt att den anpassas efter den enskilda individen. Utbildning i grupp visar sig vara ett bra alternativ då deltagarna upplever det som positivt att träffa andra i samma situation. Resultatet visar att kunskap och stöd ger bättre självkänsla, välbefinnande, trygghet, minskning av HbA1C och ökar följsamheten för patienten. Då effekterna av information och utbildning tenderar att vara kortsiktiga så bör framtida forskning finna de faktorer som leder till de bästa långsiktiga effekterna.

The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) is over-expressed in 20-30% of breast carcinomas and is a prognostic marker for poor patient outcome. We previously identified the transcription/translation factor Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1) to be a novel substrate of AKT which binds to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and HER-2 promoters once phosphorylated (Wu J et al. 2006). YB-1 is over-expressed in approximately 40% of breast cancers; its expression is strongly correlated with HER-2 and is associated with poor patient survival. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the functional role of YB-1 in HER-2 over-expressing breast cancer, we silenced the expression of this factor in BT474-m1 and MDA-MB-453 cells. The loss of YB-1 inhibited the growth of BT474-m1 and MDA-MB-453 cells in monolayer and/or in soft agar. Consistent with this, we found a decrease in the expression of YB-1 responsive gene egfr and/or her-2 in BT474-m1 and MDA-MB-453 cells, which could begin to explain how growth is promoted by this factor. Furthermore, loss of YB-1 expression induced apoptosis in BT474-m1 cells. Beyond its role in tumor growth, YB-1 is also strongly linked to drug resistance. We therefore addressed whether it could play a part in Herceptin sensitivity. Herceptin is currently being used to treat patients with HER-2 positive breast cancer; however, only 30% of the patients respond to the therapy and many of them develop resistance within the first year of treatment. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the biology of HER-2 over-expressing breast cancer to develop novel therapies that can benefit more patients. First we established that Herceptin inhibited BT474-m1 cell growth in anchorage-independent conditions whereas MDA-MB-453 cells were resistant to this treatment. We subsequently demonstrated that knock-down of YB-1 increased sensitivity of BT474-m1 cells to Herceptin while MDA-MB-453 cells failed to respond to the combination treatment. The mechanism for Herceptin resistance in MDA-MB-453 cells still remains elusive and requires further investigation. Thus far, we conclude that YB-1 is needed for the growth and survival of HER-2 positive BT474-m1 and MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells by inducing members of the HER family.

Slender well drilling is a method that drills smaller holes and is more economical than conventional drilling due to the use of smaller equipment and rigs. Using the different tools for drilling slender wells, such as expandable reamers and expandable liners means that very deep wells can be drilled. If unexpected problems such as lost circulation or over pressured zones are faced, an expandable liner can be set. This type of solution imply very little or non- loss in diameter of the section. Reducing the amount of drill cuttings, steel, mud and cement means that less storage space is needed on the rig. Less storage needs means that a smaller and lower cost rig can be used. Using smaller equipment will also reduce the risk of the operations because the equipment is easier to handle during drilling and lifting operations. Avoiding the largest hole sizes and drilling more holes in the optimum range for ROP will reduce drilling time. There can also be some disadvantages with drilling slender wells. The equipment will be weaker if small holes are drilled, this is due to the small size of the equipment. In addition to this, hole cleaning can be a problem if mostly liners are used in the well and the well thereby have an upper sections with diameter that is significantly larger than the lower sections, since this will cause a large difference in the annular velocity of mud. The main objective with the thesis is to investigate the potential of using slender wells for exploration and production, as well as giving an overview of slender wells and how they are drilled. The work includes well construction, casing design and hydraulic calculations. The slender well designs are then to be compared with the conventional well design by looking at material savings. Pressure data from a high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) field in the North Sea was used. One of the objectives was to design a slender exploration well for 15 000 psi pressure rating. In addition to this a slender exploration well and a slender production well were designed using a water depth of 360 m. Based in the investigation slender well designs are feasible. The slender exploration wells are drilled in 5 sections, using a riser with an ID of 8 5/8” and an 11” wellhead (WH) and BOP. A 20” conductor casing is set, followed by an 11 3/4” surface casing with an 8 5/8” PIL. Then a 7” liner is set, before the well is drilled through the reservoir using a 5 7/8” drill bit. In the slender production well, an extra casing point is added to the well compared to the conventional well design, this allows more complicated wells to be drilled, or to cope with unexpected drilling problems. For drilling the slender exploration well, a riser with an ID of 12 1/2" is used together with an 11” WH and BOP. The surface casing has a diameter of 20”, followed by a 14” surface casing with a 10 3/4” PIL. An 8 5/8” liner is set below the 10 3/4" PIL. To maintain pressure integrity we install an 8 5/8 x 6 5/8” casing in the next section to isolate the liners, before the well is drilled to target depth (TD) where a 4 1/2" liner is set. The volume of drill cuttings from drilling the slender exploration well was reduced by 61,1 % compared to the conventional well. For the slender production well, the reduction was 53,5 %. The volume of steel for casings and liners in the well was reduced by 59,1 % for the exploration well and 20,1 % for the production compared to conventional well design. The mud volume needed in the well was reduced by 53,2 % for the slender exploration well compared to the conventional well, for the slender exploration well, the reduction in mud volume was 45,2 %. Further focus should be on well completion equipment for 15K pressure rating. This include expandable liner hanger, wellhead, BOP etc. A comparison of equipment for 10K versus 15K would have been of interest. Another important aspect is the time and cost saving from drilling slender wells.

The development of a functional vascular system is impinged upon the restructuring of a primitive vasculature into a more complex and mature vessel network via a process known as angiogenesis. Of particular importance to this vascular remodeling process is the function of the Tek/Tie-2 receptor tyrosine kinase. Mouse gene-targeting studies have shown that Tie-2 deficient embryos succumb to embryonic death at embryonic day 9.5 due to insufficient sprouting and remodeling of the primary capillary plexus. Over the years, the functions and the signaling pathways downstream of Tie-2 receptor have been elucidated; however, the repertoire of genes controlled by Tie-2 signaling leading to angiogenesis had not been studied. To identify the underlying genetic mechanisms, transcriptomes from Tie-2 wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) embryonic day 8.5 yolk sac tissues were quantitatively analyzed using a gene expression profiling technique called Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). Tie-2 WT and KO SAGE libraries were constructed, sequenced and compared to identify genes that were differentially expressed. A list of candidate genes was selected for further validation using semi-quantitative PCR that included 4933402E13Rik, a novel transcript encoding a protein product containing the melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) domain. Initial characterization of 4933402E13Rik suggested a murine-specific expression profile restricted to the yolk sac, embryo, placenta, testis, endothelial and embryonic stem cells. The expression of 4933402E13Rik in mouse endothelial cells was found to be regulated by Tie-2 signaling since down-regulation of Tie-2 level via siRNA knockdown resulted in decreased 4933402E13Rik mRNA expression. In contrast, stimulation of Tie-2 in mouse endothelial cells using its ligand, Angiopoietin-1, increased 4933402E13Rik mRNA levels. Additionally, 4933402E13Rik expression was found to be modulated through epigenetics especially by histone deacetylation. Mouse endothelial cells treated with Trichostatin A, a potent inhibitor of histone deacetylase, led to an increase in the expression of 4933402E13Rik. Taken together, the results of this study shed new insight on the repertoire of genes implicated in Tie-2 signaling. The identification of 4933402E13Rik as a novel gene modulated by Tie-2 provides a new avenue of research on Tie-2 signaling that may contribute further to our understanding of vascular development.