Background:Left ventricular function is particularly important to investigate since it has prognostic significance in some heart diseases such as aortic stenosis. One of the relatively new methods to evaluate this is deformation analysis that can produce a measure of global longitudinal strain with speckle-tracking.  Objective:The objective was to examine the possibility of measuring left ventricular longitudinal function in patients with aortic stenosis from ECG-gated computed tomography images with the new software Segment CT and investigate prevalence of its reduction. Additionally, a second objective was to evaluate the feasibility of global longitudinal strain analysis from ECG-gated computed tomography in comparison with echocardiography and ejection fraction in a subset of patients.  Material and methods:This study included 97 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent evaluation before planned treatment with transcatheter aortic valve implantation during 2016-2017 at Uppsala Hospital. Global strain was calculated from ECG-gated computed tomography and echocardiography with dedicated software. Results:Left ventricular function measured by global strain was impaired in all patients while ejection fraction was decreased in 31 %. Mean global longitudinal strain by ECG-gated computed tomography was -6.46±3.51 % and by echocardiography -10.69±4.23 %. The mean difference between the methods was 4.23 %, which was statistically significant (p=0.02) while the correlation was good (r=0.74). Conclusions:The strain analysis of ECG-gated computed tomography images was successful in less than a half of the patients. The results of the two methods showed good correlation but not agreement, further research is thus needed with a higher number of patients.

<p>Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate a new underfill-function in a POCT-instrument from HemoCue AB (Ängelholm, Sweden). The instrument is in use today among diabetes patients for self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG). The new function is supposed to guarantee that measuring only will be performed on a sufficient sample volume to assure that the correct glucose value is received.</p><p>Methods and results: Blood samples (whole blood) from 12 patients were analysed with the instrument. Measuring were performed using different volumes in the cuvette. Full cuvette, 3µL, 2µL, 1µL and a measuring on an empty cuvette. The instrument performed measurements on all volumes added to the cuvette except for the empty cuvette. The less sample volume that was used the lower glucose values were reported by the instrument.</p><p>Conclusions: The new under fill-function did not work satisfactory. If such function would be more reliable it would be beneficial for the patient controlling hers/his bloodglucose provided that the testing procedure is being correctly done. This is very important because the results are often used to treat the patient.</p>

<p>Abstract</p><p>Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus (CCHF) and Lassa virus are giving sources illness to humans. In addition to zoonotic transmission, CCHF and Lassa virus can spread from person to person. After a short incubation period, CCHF and Lassa virus infections are characterized by a sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache and cough just like flu. Even some people are vomiting and have diarrhoea. After a few days of illness hemorrhagic manifestations occur. Treatment options for CCHF and Lassa viruses are limited, and there is no vaccine available for use in humans. The purpose of the present study was to produce recombinant nucleocapsid protein of Lassavirus and CCHF virus including an aminoterminal His-tag by a Semliki Forest Virus Replicon (pSFV 4.2). The recombinant proteins are planned to be used in future development of diagnostic methods.</p>

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate a new underfill-function in a POCT-instrument from HemoCue AB (Ängelholm, Sweden). The instrument is in use today among diabetes patients for self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG). The new function is supposed to guarantee that measuring only will be performed on a sufficient sample volume to assure that the correct glucose value is received. Methods and results: Blood samples (whole blood) from 12 patients were analysed with the instrument. Measuring were performed using different volumes in the cuvette. Full cuvette, 3µL, 2µL, 1µL and a measuring on an empty cuvette. The instrument performed measurements on all volumes added to the cuvette except for the empty cuvette. The less sample volume that was used the lower glucose values were reported by the instrument. Conclusions: The new under fill-function did not work satisfactory. If such function would be more reliable it would be beneficial for the patient controlling hers/his bloodglucose provided that the testing procedure is being correctly done. This is very important because the results are often used to treat the patient.

Abstract Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus (CCHF) and Lassa virus are giving sources illness to humans. In addition to zoonotic transmission, CCHF and Lassa virus can spread from person to person. After a short incubation period, CCHF and Lassa virus infections are characterized by a sudden onset of high fever, chills, headache and cough just like flu. Even some people are vomiting and have diarrhoea. After a few days of illness hemorrhagic manifestations occur. Treatment options for CCHF and Lassa viruses are limited, and there is no vaccine available for use in humans. The purpose of the present study was to produce recombinant nucleocapsid protein of Lassavirus and CCHF virus including an aminoterminal His-tag by a Semliki Forest Virus Replicon (pSFV 4.2). The recombinant proteins are planned to be used in future development of diagnostic methods.

Coeliac disease is a chronic inflammatory disease treated with a gluten-free diet, excluding barley, rye and wheat. Hence, there is a demand for methods able to detect gluten in foods in order to ensure correct labeling of products. According to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, 20ppm gluten is the maximum amount allowed in food labeled gluten-free. PCR can detect DNA from cereals in food. Four real-time PCR-systems, using TaqMan®-probes for detection of barley, oat, rye and wheat were optimized and evaluated. Evaluations were carried out using seeds. Primers were targeted to genes coding for prolamines, seed storage proteins. PCR-systems targeted to barley, oat and wheat were shown to be specific for the cereals corresponding to each system. The system targeted to rye showed cross-reactions with durum wheat and spelt wheat. Detection limits were 50pg, corresponding to &lt;10 haploid genome copies for each cereal. All systems were able to detect 250ppm amounts of DNA, most likely even smaller amounts are detectable. All systems showed an amplification efficiency of ≥95%. Systems for detection of barley, oat and wheat are ready for further evaluation, using food products as samples. The rye system however, needs to be re-designed before further evaluation can take place.

Trombocytopeni behandlas primärt med trombocyttransfusion. Trombocytkoncentraten kan erhållas genom poolning av lättcellskikt framställda ur helblodsenheter från flera blodgivare. Helblodsenheterna kyls vanligen ner på en CompoCool®-platta för att snabbt komma ner till rumstemperatur och kan då prepareras redan efter 2 h. Detta brukar vara logistiskt fördelaktigt och gynnar erytrocyterna som framställs ur samma helblodsenheter. Det går även att låta helblodsenheterna kylas ner i rumstemperatur vilket å andra sidan sägs ge ett högre trombocytutbyte då studier visat att trombocyter är känsliga för kyla. Syftet med examensarbetet var att framställa och jämföra kvaliteten på trombocytkoncentrat där helblodsenheten hade kylts ner på CompoCool®-platta respektive kylts ner i rumstemperatur. Hypotesen var att trombocytutbytet skulle bli högre vid nedkylning av helblodsenheten i rumstemperatur än vid nedkylning på CompoCool®-platta. Framställningen av trombocytkoncentraten gjordes genom poolning av 5 st lättcellskikt och en påse trombocytsuspensionsmedium efterföljt av centrifugering och separation i en automatisk blodkomponents separator. Kvalitén utvärderades med avseende på trombocytkoncentration, leukocytkoncentration, swirling samt bakterieodling. Samtliga resultat för kvalitetskontrollerna låg inom de rekommenderade gränsvärdena. Det beräknade t-testet för trombocytkoncentrationen var högre än det kritiska t-värdet vilket innebar att det var en signifikant skillnad mellan de olika nedkylningsmetoderna. Genom användning av de erhållna resultaten kunde hypotesen bekräftas och slutsatsen dras att trombocytutbytet är signifikant högre då helblodsenheten kyls ner i rumstemperatur jämfört med CompoCool®-platta.

Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after 1 year of regular intercourse without use of contraception. Unexplained infertility is a diagnosis given to couples where the reason to infertility cannot be clarified even after the routine examination. Undefined infertility is a common and growing problem because most people are not aware of the fact that fertility decreases after the age of 35. Hyper- and hypothyroidism has been known to affect the menstrual cycle as well as increased risk of miscarriage. However, the specific effect of thyroid hormones on infertility has not yet been clarified. This study aims to compare the gene expression of two thyroid hormone receptors DIO2 and MOT8 in human endometrium and fallopian tube tissue from two phases of the menstruation cycle, follicular phase and lutheal phase. The methods used were RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry, which showed a statistically significant difference in the expression of DIO2 and MOT8 between fallopian tube tissue and endometrium, but not between follicular and lutheal phase. However, MOT8 seemed to have a tendency to be down-regulated in the follicular phase but the results need to be validated with different endogenous controls and larger study groups.

Honey bee colonies all over Europe and North America have been declining dramatically for over three decades and is continuing to do so which is causing significant threats to economy, agriculture and ecosystems. The main reason behind the declining colonies is an ectoparasitic mite known as Varroa destructor and viruses vectored by the mite. In previous studies, it has been suggested that a unique mite-resistant subpopulation of honey bees (Apis mellifera) in Gotland, Sweden have developed adaptive tolerance to these viruses as they have managed to survive high mite infestation through natural selection without any mite control treatment. This indicates that there might be a correlation between resistance to Varroa destructor and virus tolerance. This project examined if a correlation between virus resistance and/or virus tolerance can be observed in Varroa-resistant honey bees from unique subpopulations in Europe covering Sweden, Norway, France and Netherlands. Results showed that no correlation could be established based on the findings in this project. However, significant differences in winter colony survival numbers between mite-resistant and mite-susceptible honey bees suggest that tolerance mechanisms could be present in these subpopulations. Further studies are required to verify this hypothesis.

No description available.