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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

Förskolebarns tankar om vattnets kretslopp i naturen och i samhället. : skiljer sig pojkars och flickors svar åt? / Younger children thoughts about the water cycle in nature and community :  is there any difference between answers of boys and girls?

Nilsson, Jenny January 2009 (has links)
Abstract The work will give the picture of what four- and five-year-olds know about the water cycle in nature and in the society. Is there any difference depending on whether a boy or a girl is answering? The work will as well try to describe a picture of how a pre-school could plan their work on a sustainable society, science, and increased gender equality. To answer these questions the information has been received from interviews with children and by studying pre-school’s local plan.     Earlier research on the area of water shows that it is important before working with a new topic to find out what knowledge the children already have, so that the process could be as worthwhile as possible. The proceeding work should be based on children’s previous knowledge of the topic.    The research has been done on twelve four- and five-year-old children with the help of individual interviews. The result of the research shows that the children have some knowledge of the words which are important for understanding of the water cycle in nature, but they are not capable of talking about the entirety, as the complete cycle. The water cycle in the society is even more difficult for the children to describe, although there were some children who could explain the function of the water tower. The children do not even show the understanding or knowledge of the words which are included into the concept. The local plan gives a good picture of how the work could be planned in an appropriate way to increase the environmental awareness and equality.    To sum up, this work will show a picture of what children know nowadays about the water cycle. Different answers can be received depending on the location of the pre-school. Identical background can lead to similar answers. If pre-schools have an opportunity to go to the forest often, the children then have the experience from there as well and answer more similar than if the opportunity doesn’t exist. The teacher shall help the children to explore there environment in as simple and interesting way. A well-planned local plan helps the pre-school become as good as possible. The children feel participating if they get attention and praise.  Key-words: The water cycle, Children's thoughts, Gender, Local plan. / Sammanfattning Arbetet ger en bild av vad fyra och femåringar kan om vattnets kretslopp i naturen och i samhället. Är det någon skillnad i svar om det är en pojke eller en flicka som svarat? Det försöker även ge en bild av hur en förskola kan planera för ett hållbart samhälle, naturvetenskap, och ökad jämställdhet. Information för att få svar på dessa frågor har hämtats från barnintervjuer och studie av förskolans lokala verksamhetsplan.                                                                                         Tidigare forskning inom området vatten visar på att det är viktigt att man tar reda på vad barnen har för förkunskaper när ett nytt område startas för att det ska bli så bra som möjligt. Barnens förkunskaper ska vara en grund för det fortsatta arbetet.    Studien har genomförts på tolv stycken barn i fyra- fem års åldern i enskilda intervjuer. Resultaten av undersökningen visar på att barnen har kunskap kring en del ord som är viktiga för att förstå vattnets kretslopp i naturen men de kan inte sätta ihop detta till en helhet, ett slutet kretslopp. Vattnets kretslopp i samhället är än svårare för barnen att kunna förklara även om det fanns barn som kunde redogöra för vattentornets funktion. Barnen har sämre förståelse och kunskap om vilka ord som berör vattnets kretslopp. Verksamhetsplanen ger en god bild av hur man kan planera sin verksamhet på ett bra sätt för ökad miljömedvetenhet och jämställdhet.¨   Sammanfattningsvis ska detta arbete försöka spegla vad barn kan idag om vattnets kretslopp. Svaren kan skilja sig åt beroende på var någonstans förskolan är placerad. Lika förutsättningar kan leda till liknande svar. Om förskolor har möjlighet att gå till skogen ofta har barnen en erfarenhet därifrån och svarar då mer lika än om möjligheten inte finns. Pedagogen ska hjälpa barnen att kunna utforska sin omgivning på ett enkelt och roligt sätt. En bra och genomtänkt verksamhetsplan hjälper arbetet på förskolan att bli så bra som möjligt. Barnen känner sig delaktiga om de får uppmärksamhet och beröm. Nyckelord: Vattnets kretslopp, Barns tankar, Genus, Verksamhetsplan.
42

Kartläggning av pH och COD vid pappersbruken Munskjö Paper AB och SCA Hygiene products AB / Mapping of pH and COD in paper mills of Munksjö Paper AB and SCA Hygiene Products AB

Puskar, Aldijana January 2010 (has links)
Pappersbruken har två pappersmaskiner, PM4 som tillverkar mjukpapper från returfiber och PM13 som tillverkar papper till transformatorer och kablar från oblekt barrsulfatmassa. Överskottsvattnet från PM4, PM13 och returfiberanläggningen samt dagvattnet leds vidare till den externa avloppsreningen. Då någon utav pappersbruken har driftsstop erhålls ojämna utfall främst för pH och COD. Syftet med projektet är att kartlägga pH och COD förändringen i de enskilda delstegen i processerna PM 4, PM 13 samt den externa avloppsreningen. Det genomfördes intensiv provtagning från tolv provtagningspunkter i trettiotvå dagar. Prover analyserades samma dag med avseende på pH, konduktivitet, alkalinitet, COD, suspenderade ämnen och glödrester. Dessutom utfördes fällningsförsök på inkommande processavloppsvatten med styrd dosering av järnsulfat, järnklorid och aluminiumsulfat. Det genomfördes även metodvalidering, kalciumbestämning, samt försök med sammanblandat avloppsvattenprov. Resultat från mätningarna visar att processlinje PM 4 har generellt sätt högre pH-, konduktivitet-, alkalinitet - och COD värden och högre halt glödrester, men lägre halt suspenderade ämnen än PM 13. Det konstaterades att den största förändringen i de två processerna sker strax innan och efter pappersmaskinen. Efter pappersmaskinen, i det vattnet som leds vidare till den externa avloppsreningen, erhålls 70% COD reduktion och en pH ökning på 0,75 pH ekvivalenter för PM 13, respektive 30% COD reduktion och en pH sänkning  på 1,27 pH ekvivalenter för PM 4. Totalt sätt, tyder resultat på att den största pH förändringen sker vid avloppsreningen, med 1,74 pH ekvivalenter. Från fällningsförsöken konstateras det att bästa pH- och lägsta COD- värden erhålls för fällningsmedlen, järnklorid och järnsulfat vid lägsta doseringsmängder, d.v.s. 97 g/m3 respektive 101 g/m3, utan pH justering. Resultat från jämförelse mellan processavloppsvatten och sammanblandat avloppsvatten, där dagvattenpåverkan utesluts tyder på 0,01-0,86 högre pH-värden i dem sammanblandade avloppsvattenprover. Alltså finns det en antydan att dagvatten bidrar till pH sänkning i ingående processavloppsvatten. För att åtgärda problemen borde järnklorid utprövas i lägre doseringsmängder i kombination med minskad svavelsyretillsats. Eventuellt kan järnklorid bytas ut mot järnsulfat. Installera mätinstrument för mätning av pH och COD direkt på det ingående- och utgående vattenflödet i den externa avloppsreningen för att möjliggöra exakt dosering av fällningskemikalierna utifrån dessa värden. Dagvattnet borde avskiljas från avloppsreningen och istället avledas till det kommunala avloppsnätet. / The paper mills have two paper machines, the PM 4, producing tissue from the RCF and the PM 13, producing paper for transformers and cables from the unbleached softwood craft pulp. Excess water from PM4, PM13 and RCF factory, together with the storm water, leads on to the external wastewater treatment. When any of the paper mills has downtime, unequal outcomes are obtained, primarily with respect to pH and COD. The aim of the project is to identify the individual steps in the processes PM 4, PM 13 and wastewater treatment re to the pH and COD changes. Intensive sampling was carried out from twelve sampling points during thirty-two days. These samples were analyzed on the same day re to the pH, conductivity, alkalinity, COD, suspended solids, and inorganic residue. In addition, precipitation tests were carried out on the incoming wastewater with controlled doses of the ferrous sulphate, ferric chloride and aluminium sulphate. In addition methodological validation, calcium determination, and experiments with the mixed wastewater samples were carried out. The results show that the process line PM 4 has generally higher pH, conductivity, alkalinity, COD and concentration inorganic residues, but has a lower content of suspended solids than PM 13. But the biggest difference in the two processes takes place just before and after the paper machine. After the paper machine, the water that goes on to the external wastewater treatment, where a 70% COD reduction and a pH increase of 0,75 pH equivalents for PM 13, and 30% COD reduction and a pH decrease of 1,27 pH equivalents for the PM 4 are obtained. The results suggest that the greatest pH change occurs in wastewater treatment, with 22.06%. From precipitation experiments it was found that the best pH values and lowest COD values where obtained for precipitation chemicals, ferric chloride and ferrous sulphate at the lowest dose levels, i.e. 97 g/m3 and 101 g/m3, without pH adjustment. Results from the correlation between wastewater- and mixed wastewater samples, which excludes impact of storm water, indicates that pH values are 0.01 to 0.86 pH equivalents higher in those mixed wastewater samples. Thus, there is a hint that the storm water contributes to pH reduction of the input wastewater. To address these concerns ferric chloride should be tested at lower dose levels combined with reduced sulphuric acid addition. Eventually ferric chloride may be replaced by the iron sulphate. In addition, there should be measuring devices for pH and COD installed on the process wastewater and outgoing water, in the external wastewater treatment in order to allow for accurate dosing of chemicals precipitate from these values. Storm water should be separated from wastewater treatment and instead be diverted directly to the municipal sewage system.
43

Integration of functional genomics and data mining methodologies in the study of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

Logotheti, Marianthi January 2016 (has links)
Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are two severe psychiatric disorders characterized by a complex genetic basis, coupled to the influence of environmental factors. In this thesis, functional genomic analysis tools were used for the study of the underlying pathophysiology of these disorders, focusing on gene expression and function on a global scale with the application of high-throughput methods. Datasets from public databases regarding transcriptomic data of postmortem brain and skin fibroblast cells of patients with either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were analyzed in order to identify differentially expressed genes. In addition, fibroblast cells of bipolar disorder patients obtained from the Biobank of the Neuropsychiatric Research Laboratory of Örebro University were cultured, RNA was extracted and used for microarray analysis. In order to gain deeper insight into the biological mechanisms related to the studied psychiatric disorders, the differentially expressed gene lists were subjected to pathway and target prioritization analysis, using proprietary tools developed by the group of Metabolic Engineering and Bioinformatics, of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, thus indicating various cellular processes as significantly altered. Many of the molecular processes derived from the analysis of the postmortem brain data of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were also identified in the skin fibroblast cells. Additionally, through the use of machine learning methods, gene expression data from patients with schizophrenia were exploited for the identification of a subset of genes with discriminative ability between schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. Interestingly, a set of genes with high separating efficiency was derived from fibroblast gene expression profiling. This thesis suggests the suitability of skin fibroblasts as a reliable model for the diagnostic evaluation of psychiatric disorders and schizophrenia in particular, through the construction of promising machine-learning based classification models, exploiting gene expression data from peripheral tissues.
44

Regulation of fibroblast activity by keratinocytes, TGF-β and IL-1α : studies in two- and three dimensional in vitro models

Koskela von Sydow, Anita January 2016 (has links)
Dysregulated wound healing is commonly associated with excessive fibrosis. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is characteristically overexpressed in fibrotic diseases and stimulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in dermal fibroblasts. Reepithelialisation and epidermal wound coverage counteract excessive scar formation. We have previously shown that interleukin-1α (IL-1α) derived from keratinocytes conteracts TGF-β-stimulated CTGF-expression. The aim of this thesis was to further explore the effects of keratinocytes and IL-1α on gene and protein expression, as well as pathways, in TGF-β stimulated fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were studied in vitro by conventional two dimensional cell culture models and in a three dimensional keratinocyte-fibroblast organotypic skin culture model. The results showed that IL-1 suppresses basal and TGF-β-induced CTGF mRNA and protein, involving a possible TAK1 mechanism. Keratinocytes regulate the expression of fibroblast genes important for the turnover of the extracellular matrix. Most of the genes analysed (11/13) were regulated by TGF-β and counter regulated by keratinocytes. The overall results support a view that keratinocytes regulate fibroblasts to act catabolically (anti-fibrotic) on the extracellular matrix. Transcriptional microarray and gene set enrichment analysis showed that antagonizing effects of IL-1α on TGF-β were much more prominent than the synergistic effects. The most confident of these pathways was the interferon signaling, which were inhibited by TGF-β and activated by IL-1α. A proteomics study confirmed that IL-1α preferentially conteracts TGF-β effects. Six new fibroblast proteins involved in synthesis/ regulation were identified, being regulated by TGF-β and antagonized by IL-1α. Pathway analysis confirmed counter-regulation of interferon signaling by the two cytokines. These findings have implications for understanding the role of fibroblasts for inflammatory responses and development of fibrosis in the skin.
45

Infrastructure for quality control of handling of reference data in PBPK projects using PK-Sim

Sundelin Tjärnström, Yasmine January 2022 (has links)
PBPK modelling is used in drug development to predict how the drug isaffected by the body. These models are built on physiology and describeprocesses like absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.Simulations of these processes can take place in the software PK-Sim forinstance. In PK-Sim, datasets of clinical observations can be importedfor model validation. When building the models, correct data and correcttype of model has to used to prevent incorrect predictions. These errorscan be discovered by performing quality control, preferably beforeinitiating model development in order to save time. An automatic processof quality control is also a way to save time, as well as to setstandards and provide transparency. At Pharmetheus, where PBPK modellingin PK-Sim is performed, quality control is executed manually. In thisproject, an infrastructure for quality control of data in PBPK projectsin PK-Sim was developed in R. The intention was to use thisinfrastructure before initiating model development and as a complementto manual quality control. The quality control was focused on dataintegrity and data concordance. Controls that are performed includedcorrectness of values and units for the observed data as well asensuring that each data had been assigned to the corresponding model.The developed model achieved to capture all defined errors to a highdegree. However, in many scenarios rounding of values occurred which wasnot always handled as intended. More evaluation also has to be performedbefore this infrastructure can be used in production.
46

Fysisk aktivitetsnivå, smärtintensitet och funktionsnedsättning hos personer med ländryggssmärta : - En enkätstudie / Level of physical activity, pain intensity and disability among people with lower back pain : - A survey study

Gunnesson, Linnea, Zetterlund, Anna January 2018 (has links)
Bakgrund Ländryggssmärta är mycket vanligt förekommande i västvärlden. Det innebär stort lidande för individen och stora kostnader för samhället. Idag behandlas ryggsmärta med information om att vara aktiv och vid behov rådgivning om smärtstillande läkemedel. Mer kunskap behövs gällande fysisk träning som prevention och behandling av akut- och subakut ländryggssmärta. Syfte Syftet med studien var att, för patienter med akut- och subakut ländryggsmärta, beskriva den fysiska aktivitetsnivån samt eventuella skillnader i smärtintensitet och funktionsnedsättning mellan grupper med olika aktivitetsnivåer. Syftet var även att undersöka samband mellan aktivitetsnivå och smärtintensitet respektive aktivitetsnivå och funktionsnedsättning. Metod Studien var en enkätstudie med tvärsnittsdesign. Deltagarna var 15 patienter, 9 kvinnor och 6 män, medelålder 49,2 år, som sökt vård för akuta eller subakuta ländryggsbesvär till 4 olika primärvårdsenheter. Fysisk aktivitetsnivå skattades via Socialstyrelsens indikatorfrågor för fysisk aktivitet, smärtan med numerisk skattningsskala 0-10 (NRS) och Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) besvarades. Data sammanställdes med deskriptiv statistik, skillnader testades med Mann-Whitney U-test och samband analyserades med Spearmans korrelationskoefficient. Resultat Åtta av 15 deltagare uppnådde Världshälsoorganisationens (WHO) rekommendationer för fysisk aktivitet (> 150 minuter i veckan). De som ägnade sig åt fysisk träning minst 90 minuter per vecka hade medianvärde NRS 5,5 och RMDQ 8, för de som tränade mindre var motsvarande värden NRS 7,5 (p=0,153) och RMDQ 11,5 (p=0,175). Ett svagt negativt samband identifierades mellan NRS (r=-0,316,) och nivå av fysisk aktivitet medans sådant samband mellan RMDQ och fysisk aktivitetsnivå var negligerbart (r=-0,158). Slutsats Det var ingen statistiskt signifikant skillnad mellan grupperna som tränade minst 90 minuter per vecka och de som tränade mindre gällande varken smärtintensitet eller funktionsnedsättning. Ett svagt negativt men ej statistiskt signifikant samband kan ses mellan fysisk aktivitetsnivå och smärtintensitet. / Background Lower back pain is very common in the western world. It results in a great suffering for the person and large economic costs for the society. Today lower back pain is treated with information to stay active and medication for pain relief. There is a lack of knowledge with regards to what effect physical training has as prevention and treatment for acute and subacute lower back pain. Aim The aim of this study was to, among patients with acute and subacute non-specific lower back pain, describe their level of physical activity and evaluate differences between groups with different levels of activity. The aim was also to explore the association between pain intensity, disability and level of physical activity. Method The study was conducted as a survey. The participants was 15 patients, 6 men and 9 women with the mean age of 49,2 years old, who had sought care for acute and subacute lower back pain in 6 different primary care clinics. The level of physical activity were estimated using the indicator questions for physical activity by Socialstyrelsen, the pain intensity was measured with the Numeric Rating Scale and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire was answered. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, differences were tested with Mann-Whitney U-test and correlations analyzed with Spearman correlations coefficient. Results Eight out of 15 participants reached the WHO recommendations of physical activity (> 150 min/week). Those who participated in physical training minimum 90 mins/week had a median value of NRS 5,5 and RMDQ 8. For those who trained less the median values were for NRS 7,5 (p=0,153) and RMDQ 11,5 (p=0,175). A week correlation between NRS (r=-0,136) and level of physical activity was noted while such correlation between RMDQ was negligible (r=-0,158). Conclusion There were no statically significant difference between the groups who trained at least 90 minutes per week and those who trained less neither in regards to pain intensity or disability. A weak but not statistically significant correlation was observed between physical activity and pain intensity.
47

Innehållsvalidering av den svenska preliminära San Salvadourskalan : En modifierad Delphistudie / Assessment of the content validity of the Swedish preliminary version of the San Salvadourscale : A modified Delphistudy

Flynner, Kristina, Hagström Backe, Kerstin January 2018 (has links)
Bakgrund: Smärta är mer vanligt förekommande hos vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning jämfört med normalbefolkningen. Vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning är helt beroende av att personer i omgivningen uppmärksammar och kontinuerligt kartlägger deras smärta. Valida och reliabla bedömningsinstrument för smärta på svenska framtagna för vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning saknas. Syfte: Att undersöka innehållsvaliditeten hos den svenska preliminära versionen av San Salvadourskalan för vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning. Metod: I en Delphistudie med två rundor undersöktes innehållsvaliditeten för den svenska preliminära San Salvadourskalan. En enkät skapades och skickades via e-post till tretton experter i kliniskt arbete med vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning, vilka skattade relevansen av frågor i basfrågeformulär, smärtbedömningsskala samt texten tillhörande skalstegen i den. Item content validity index (I-CVI) beräknades för frågorna och Scale content validity index universal agreement (S-CVI UA) samt Scale content validity index average (S-CVI Ave) beräknades för skalan som helhet. Resultat: I-CVI för basfrågor, smärtbedömningsfrågor samt texten tillhörande dess skalsteg låg över 0,78 för flertalet frågor. S-CVI UA låg under 0,80 för alla delar. S-CVI Ave låg lika med eller över 0,90 för alla delar utom för texten i skalstegen i runda två. Slutsats: Utifrån experternas skattningar hade frågorna ett övervägande utmärkt I-CVI. Fortsatta studier av skalans innehållsvaliditet behövs för att kunna bedöma om den svenska preliminära San Salvadourskalan kan anses som valid för att bedöma beteenden som kan bero på smärta hos vuxna personer med flerfunktionsnedsättning. / Background: Pain is more common among adults with severe cognitive and physical impairments than in the overall population. These persons are often nonverbal and therefore dependent upon people in the vicinity to detect and continuously chart the presence of their pain. Validated and reliable pain observation scales for the group is scanty. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the content validity of the Swedish preliminary version of the San Salvadourscale for adults with severe cognitive and physical impairments. Method: A modified Delphi in two rounds examined content validity of the Swedish preliminary version of the San Salvadourscale. A survey was distributed over email in 2 rounds. 13 clinically experienced experts estimated the relevance in the baseline-chart, the pain questionnaire and the different degrees in it. Item content validity Index (I-CVI) was calculated for the questions, Scale content validity index universal agreement (S-CVI UA) and Scale content validity index average (S-CVI Ave) was calculated for the scale. Result: The I-CVI for the questions in the baseline-chart, the pain questionnaire and the text for the different degrees was above 0.78 in most cases. S-CVI UA was below 0.80 in every domain. S-CVI Ave was greater than and or equal to 0.90 in five out of six domains. And below 0.90 for the different degrees in the pain questionnaire in the second round. Conclusion: Based on the experts ratings of the questions I-CVI showed mostly excellent result. Further studies on the content validity of the Swedish preliminary version of the San Salvadourscale is needed to investigate whether the content validity is sufficient to measure behaviors that can indicate pain in adults with severe cognitive and physical impairments.
48

Gaskromatografisk metod för analys av GHB i urin / Gas chromatographic method for GHB analysis in urine

Jansson, Emelie January 2009 (has links)
En metod för detektering och kvantifiering av gamma-hydroxysmörsyra (GHB) i urin med gaskromatografi (GC) är framtagen på Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset. Metoden är relativt unik då den inte kräver upparbetning i form av derivatisering, indunstning eller extraktion. Urinen surgörs med koncentrerad saltsyra och internstandard, gamma-valerolakton, tillsätts. GHB övergår då till laktonformen, gamma-butyrolakton (GBL). Därefter injiceras provet direkt på en GC-FID med en kapillärkolonn för glykoler och alkoholer. Detektion ner till 100 μmol/L är möjligt med en variationskoefficient mellan 6 och 12 %. Provsvar erhålls efter 6,5 minuter. Metoden är dock inte fullständig då en del frågetecken kvarstår. Bland annat bör det undersökas om andra föreningar, som kan förekomma i urin, kan eluera samtidigt som GHB. Om ja så bör vidare analyser genomföras för att separera GHB och den andra föreningen. Metoden kan däremot användas i nuläget som en screeninganalys för att snabbt få ett svar på om GHB finns närvarande eller inte. Verifiering kan sedan ske med GC-MS. / A method for determination and quantification of gamma-hydroxyburyric acid (GHB) in urine samples is developed at Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhus. No time consuming procedures as derivatization and exctration is required, which makes the method fairly unique. Hydrochloric acid and internal standard, gamma-valerolakton, is added to the urine sample before the sample is injected to a gas chromatograph with a flame ionization detector and a column for glycols and alcohols. The hydrochloric acid makes the GHB convert into gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) which is easier to separate in the gas chromatograph. Limit of detection was found to be 100 μmol/L and test result is received after 6,5 minutes. There are still some question marks around the method, for example, there is a possibility that another substance elute at the same time as GHB. More tests are required to determine whether or not it is so. For now the method can be used as a screening analysis to hastily detect GHB presence. Verification can be done with GC-MS.
49

Database for targeted drug screening with Liquid Chromatography - Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, (LC-TOFMS)

Colnerud Nilsson, Emma January 2010 (has links)
Today there are no fully general analytical techniques available for detection and confirmation of known and unknown substances in toxicological screening, further tools are therefore needed. The development of mass spectrometry with time-of-flight (TOF) detection is promising but there are still areas to be further developed and evaluated, both instrumentation and applications. During 2009 The National Board of Forensic Medicine-Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, (RMV) started cooperation with the instrumentation company Waters (Manchester, UK) and the Department of Clinical Pharmacology (KI, Solna) evaluating a new TOF-instrument for toxicological screening. My assignment as a part of this project has been to create a limited and relevant database of drugs and toxics in Excel, including monoisotopic mass, used when screening for pharmaceutical substances and their metabolites most probable to be found in Swedish autopsy material. A limited database has been developed based on information from several sources, it ended up in 875 analytes and metabolites. A limited but complete database is more reliable in practise than a big database, by means of a lower frequency of isobars and more information included (e.g. retention time from liquid chromatography) making analysis faster. Commercial databases are generally theoretical, lacking information about for example retention time that often is an important criterion for identification.
50

Development of novel tools for prevention and diagnosis of Porphyromonas gingivalis infection and periodontitis

Nakka, Sravya Sowdamini January 2016 (has links)
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by exaggerated host immune responses to dysregulated microbiota in dental biofilms leading to degradation of tissues and alveolar bone loss. Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major periodontal pathogen and expresses several potent virulence factors. Among these factors, arginine and lysine gingipains are of special importance, both for the bacterial survival/proliferation and the pathological outcome. The major aim of this thesis was to develop and test novel methods for diagnosis and prevention of P. gingivalis infection and periodontitis. In study I, anti-P. gingivalis antibodies were developed in vitro for immunodetection of bacteria in clinical samples using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based biosensor. Specific binding of the antibodies to P. gingivalis was demonstrated in samples of patients with periodontitis and the results were validated using real-time PCR and DNA-DNA checkerboard analysis. In study II, we elucidated the properties and antimicrobial effects of different lactobacillus species and the two-peptide bacteriocin PLNC8 αβ on P. gingivalis. L. plantarum NC8 and 44048 effectively inhibited P. gingivalis growth and pure PLNC8 αβ induced bacterial lysis by damaging P. gingivalis membrane. In study III, we demonstrated that PLNC8 αβ dose-dependently induces proliferation and release of growth factors in gingival epithelial cells (GECs). Furthermore, PLNC8 αβ decreased P. gingivalis-induced cytotoxic effects in GECs but did not alter the effect of gingipains on cytokine expression. In study IV, we elucidated the effects of anti-P. gingivalis antibodies and PLNC8 αβ in regulating cellular responses during P. gingivalis infection. Both antibodies and PLNC8 αβ modulated P. gingivalis-induced expression of growth factors in GECs, however, their effects were diminished when used in combination. The results of this thesis demonstrate a possible role of anti-P. gingivalis antibodies and PLNC8 αβ in prevention and treatment of P. gingivalis infection and periodontitis with no cytotoxic effects on human cells.

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