No description available.

<p>Detta arbete inriktar sig mot de förhållningssätt inom läsning som finns idag. Det finns två läger inom detta vilka är det syntetiska och det analytiska förhållningssättet, delen gentemot det hela. Syftet med arbetet är att titta närmare på dessa två för att det ska kunna ge oss en ökad kunskap om vad de uttalar och vad de båda står för. Arbetets upplägg är att ge en beskrivande del av vad förhållningssätten står för och sedan använda det till att göra en förenklad argumentationsanalys, enligt en pro et contra-modell som grund, samt att testa argumentens hållbarhet. Slutsatsen som kan dras av detta arbete är att de båda förhållningssätten är mycket olika i sina påståenden om hur läsning ska uppnås och barns vidare utveckling inom detta område. De båda förhållningssättens argument vilar inte på en djupare grund som till exempel den kognitiva neurovetenskapliga forskningen om hur hjärnan faktiskt fungerar vid läsinlärningen. Det är viktigt att förstå vad de båda förhållningssätten innebär och ta till sig dem för att kunna ge barnen/eleverna en bra grund för en god läsutveckling.</p>

No description available.

<p>Cyklosporin A (CsA) är en cyklisk polypeptid med molekylvikten är 1202.6 Da. Substansen har svampursprung (<em>Tolypocladium inflatum Gams)</em> och starka immunhämmande egenskaper. CsA används därför som immunsuppressivt läkemedel för att förhindra avstötning av transplanterade organ och benmärg, samt vid behandling av graft-versus-host-disease (transplantat-mot-värd-sjukdom). CsA har ett snävt terapeutiskt fönster, vilket betyder att skillnaden mellan effektivitet och toxicitet är liten. Biverkningarna av substansen är många och en del av dem allvarliga, såsom nedsatt njurfunktion och ökad risk för utvecklande av diabetes och maligna sjukdomar som exempelvis lymfom. Den inter- och intraindividuella variabiliteten i farmakokinetik och farmakodynamik är dessutom stor. Det är därför ytterst viktigt att följa behandlingen med koncentrationsbestämningar av CsA i helblod.</p><p>Det finns ett flertal olika analysmetoder för CsA tillgängliga, såsom immunoassays, vätskekromatografi (HPLC) och vätskekromatografi-tandem-massspektrometri (LC-MS/MS). Avdelningen för klinisk kemi vid Centralsjukhuset i Karlstad har sedan många år använt en radioimmunoassay, CYCLO-Trac SP^®, från DiaSorin för att bestämma CsA i helblod. Laboratoriets önskan är att ersätta denna metod, vilken använder radioaktiva isotoper, med en snabbare och mer selektiv LC-MS/MS-metod. </p><p>I detta arbete har en LC-MS/MS-metod för analys av cyklosporin A i helblod utvecklats och validerats. Metoden har snabb provupparbetning och kromatografi och använder positiv elektrospray som joniseringsteknik. Två procedurer för proteinfällning utvärderades som provupparbetningsförfarande under metodutvecklingen och två olika internstandarder testades; CsA analogen cyklosporin D och isotopmärkt CsA (d₁₂-CsA). </p><p>Efter den fullständiga valideringen infördes metoden i rutinarbetet 2009-11-01. Resultat från både LC-MS/MS och den radioimmunologiska metoden lämnas ut parallellt under minst fem månader.</p> / <p>Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a cyclic undecapolypeptide of fungal origin (<em>Tolypocladium inflatum Gams</em>). It has a molecular weight of 1202.6 Da and is used as an immunouppressive drug to prevent rejection of transplanted organs and bone marrow, and for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease. CsA exhibits a narrow therapeutic range between efficacy and toxicity. There are many side effects exerted by the drug and some of them are serious, such as renal dysfunction and increased risk of developing diabetes and malignant diseases such as lymphoma. In addition, the inter-individual and intra-individual pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability is large. Constant monitoring of the CsA-concentration is therefore mandatory. </p><p>There are several analytical methods available for the determination of CsA, such as immunoassays, liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The department of Clinical Chemistry at the Central Hospital in Karlstad has for many years used a radioimmunoassay, the CYCLO-Trac SP^® from DiaSorin, for CsA-determinations. The laboratory wants to replace this method, which uses radioactive isotopes, with a faster and more selective LC-MS/MS method. </p><p>In this work a LC-MS/MS method, utilizing positive electrospray, with a fast sample preparation and chromatography for the determination of CsA in whole blood has been developed and validated. Two protein precipitation procedures were evaluated for sample preparation during the method development and two different internal standards were tested; the CsA analog cyclosporine D (CsD) and an isotope labelled CsA (d₁₂-CsA). The LC-MS/MS assay was fully validated and implemented in the routine work at the laboratory on November 1 2009. Results from both the CYCLO-Trac SP^® method and the LC-MS/MS assay will be reported for at least five months.</p>

This thesis focuses on the use of molecularly imprinted polymers as selective sorbents for solid-phase extraction (MISPE). The MISPE methods developed were mainly intended for use with biological samples, such as human urine and blood plasma. These body fluids are complex samples, which often need an effective clean-up step before analysis to reduce the levels of possible interfering substances from the matrix, especially if the analytes are present in trace amounts. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) is a well-established and routinely used method for clean-up and preconcentration of samples from diverse matrices. However, conventional SPE sorbents often lack selectivity, leading to co-extraction of interferences, which negatively affects the following detection method. One of the advantages of MISPE is the built-in selectivity for a target analyte, or class of structurally related analytes, enabling the efficient clean-up that is often required for biological samples. The built-in selectivity of MISPE originates from the preparation of a highly crosslinked copolymer network in the presence of an imprint molecule, i.e. the template. Subsequent removal of this template molecule leads to the creation of defined recognition sites, complementary to the shape and functionality of the template. In this work, molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized for the first time for several types of target analytes, including diphosphate esters (Papers I-III) and a protein adduct (Paper IV) and evaluated as sorbents for solid-phase extraction. A MISPE method for extracting local anaesthetic drugs from human plasma was also evaluated (Paper V). The development of appropriate methods for using the prepared polymers to extract target analytes directly from body fluids, and the elucidation of factors that influence their performance, were major foci of all the work underlying this thesis. These are not straightforward tasks, since the recognition mechanism of the material is often based on polar interactions, which are not favoured in aqueous environments. In such cases, non-selective adsorption of the analyte(s) to the polymer surface often occurs. In order to use the MIP sorbent most effectively it is important to suppress this non-selective adsorption, without disrupting the selective adsorption of the target analyte(s) to the imprints. Generally in these studies, this strong analyte-polymer surface interaction could be repressed, and selective adsorption enhanced, by carefully optimising the conditions for washing the sorbent, in terms of organic solvent volumes, solvent polarity and the addition of an ionic modifier. The sample matrix, mainly urine, was found to strongly decrease the capacity of the MIP. Hence, this effect was further investigated. It was found that the presence of NaCl in the sample negatively affected the recovery and repeatability of the method. Furthermore, these parameters could be improved by adjusting the sample pH. It was important to control the pH of the sample, in order both to achieve selective extraction and to increase the extraction recoveries. The selectivity of MISPE for the extraction of diphosphate esters from human urine was demonstrated by comparing its performance with that of a conventional SPE sorbent, a mixed-mode-anion exchanger (MAX). Due to its efficient clean-up, MISPE generated extracts that yielded less complex ion chromatograms in subsequent LC/ESI-MS analysis than extracts from the MAX cartridge. Due to its efficient clean-up, MISPE generated extracts that yielded less complex ion chromatograms in subsequent LC/ESI-MS analysis than extracts from the MAX cartridge. Signal suppression from the interfering co-eluting compounds was detected when the MAX extracts were analysed, which was not the case for the MISPE extracts. These findings show the importance of efficient and selective sample preparation, even if a selective detector is used. Development of LC/ESI-MS methods was also an extensive component of this work (Papers I-IV). Different chromatographic conditions have been evaluated for the optimal separation and detection of the investigated compounds. Use of ion-pairing agents and suitable HPLC columns (Hypercarb and C18 Aquasil) for the acidic, polar analytes, was found to give better retention and separation than use of conventional reversed-phase columns. To improve the selectivity and detectability further, selected ion monitoring (SIM) and selected reaction monitoring (SRM) acquisition modes were used for quantification of the investigated compounds. In summary, the aim of this work was to contribute to the knowledge of the recognition mechanisms of molecularly imprinted polymers in aqueous matrices, which is important for extending the use of MISPE for several types of bioanalytical applications.

Protein microarray technology has an enormous potential for in vitro diagnostics (IVD)1. Miniaturized and parallelized immunoassays are powerful tools to measure dozens of parameters from minute amounts of sample, whilst only requiring small amounts of reagent. Protein microarrays have become well-established research tools in basic and applied research and the first diagnostic products are already released on the market. However, in order for protein microarrays to become broadly accepted tools in IVD, a number of criteria have to be fulfilled concerning robustness and automation. Robustness and automation are key demands to improve assay performance and reliability of multiplexed assays, and to minimize the time of analysis. These key demands are addressed in this thesis and novel methods and techniques concerning assay automation, array fabrication as well as performance and detection strategies related to protein microarrays are presented and discussed. In the first paper an automated assay format, based on planar protein microarrays is described and evaluated by the detection of several auto-antibodies from human serum and by quantification of matrix metalloproteases present in plasma. Diffusion-rate limited solid phase reactions were enhanced by microagitation, using the surface acoustic wave technology, resulting in a slightly increased signal-to-noise ratio. In the second paper of the thesis, a novel multiplexed immunoassay system was developed by combining a direct immunoassay with a competitive system. This set-up allows quantification of analytes present in widely varying concentrations within a single multiplex assay. In the third paper, a new concept for sample deposition is introduced, addressing contemporary problems of contact or non-contact microarrayers in protein microarray fabrication. In the fourth paper, a magnetic bead-based detection method for protein microarrays is described as a cost-effective alternative approach to the commonly used fluorescence-based confocal scanning systems. The magnetic bead-based detection could easily be performed by using an ordinary flatbed scanner. In addition, applying magnetic force to the magnetic bead-based detection approach enables to run the detection step more rapidly. Finally, in paper five, a microfluidic bead-based immunoassay for multiplexed detection of receptor tyrosine kinases in breast cancer tissue is presented. Since the assay is performed inside a capillary, the amounts of sample and reagent material could be reduced by a factor of 30 or more when compared with the current standard protein microarray assay. / QC 20101112

Detta arbete inriktar sig mot de förhållningssätt inom läsning som finns idag. Det finns två läger inom detta vilka är det syntetiska och det analytiska förhållningssättet, delen gentemot det hela. Syftet med arbetet är att titta närmare på dessa två för att det ska kunna ge oss en ökad kunskap om vad de uttalar och vad de båda står för. Arbetets upplägg är att ge en beskrivande del av vad förhållningssätten står för och sedan använda det till att göra en förenklad argumentationsanalys, enligt en pro et contra-modell som grund, samt att testa argumentens hållbarhet. Slutsatsen som kan dras av detta arbete är att de båda förhållningssätten är mycket olika i sina påståenden om hur läsning ska uppnås och barns vidare utveckling inom detta område. De båda förhållningssättens argument vilar inte på en djupare grund som till exempel den kognitiva neurovetenskapliga forskningen om hur hjärnan faktiskt fungerar vid läsinlärningen. Det är viktigt att förstå vad de båda förhållningssätten innebär och ta till sig dem för att kunna ge barnen/eleverna en bra grund för en god läsutveckling.

No description available.

<p>This thesis presents two new concepts for separation of micro particles using dielectrophoresis, demonstrated by calculated examples, as well as a new method for obtaining dielectric data on living cells. The thesis is based on four papers.</p><p>Paper I describes how the trapping efficiency of micro particles may be significantly increased when superpositioned electric fields are employed in a high conductivity medium. Avoiding low conductivity media is important when working with living cells. Calculations were performed to predict trajectories of Escherichia coli bacteria in the system with superpositioned electric fields, and a model was developed which employed two arrays of interdigitated electrodes in a micro channel.</p><p>Paper II proposes a new concept for separation of micro particles, based on repetitive dielectrophoretic trapping and release in a flow system. Calculations show that the resolution increases as a direct function of the number of trap and release steps, and that a difference in size will have a larger influence on the separation than a difference in dielectrophoretic properties. Polystyrene beads in deionized water were used as a model, and calculations were performed to predict the particle behavior and the separation efficiency. It should be possible to separate particles with a size difference of 0.2 % by performing 200 trap-and-release steps. The enhanced separation power of multi step dielectrophoresis could have significant applications, not only for fractionation of particles with small differences in size, but also for measuring changes in surface conductivity.</p><p>Paper III presents a new calculation method for predicting dielectrophoretic motion of micro particles. The method is based on a soft sphere method often used in molecular dynamics. Results from the calculations are in good agreement with theoretical predictions as well as initial experimental results, showing that the method provides good efficiency and accuracy.</p><p>Paper IV describes a new method for measurements of conductivity of living bacteria. To obtain reliable conductivity values, it is important to handle the cells as gently as possible during the measurement process. A standard conductivity meter was used in combination with cross-flow filtration. In this way, repeated centrifugation and resuspension is avoided which otherwise may cause damage to the bacteria. The conductivity of Bacillus subtilis was determined to be 7000 μS/cm by means of the cross-flow filtration method, and the values differ from earlier published values by almost an order of a magnitude.</p><p>In addition to the work presented in the papers, some experimental dielectrophoresis work in chip-based systems was performed. The behavior of Escherichia coli and polystyrene beads at different voltages and frequencies were studied. Separation of beads with different sizes was achieved on an array of interdigitated electrodes. Using electrodes with a pointed shape, alignment in different directions, pearl-chain formation, rotation, and other dielectrophoretic motion of <i>E. coli</i> were observed.</p>

Cyklosporin A (CsA) är en cyklisk polypeptid med molekylvikten är 1202.6 Da. Substansen har svampursprung (Tolypocladium inflatum Gams) och starka immunhämmande egenskaper. CsA används därför som immunsuppressivt läkemedel för att förhindra avstötning av transplanterade organ och benmärg, samt vid behandling av graft-versus-host-disease (transplantat-mot-värd-sjukdom). CsA har ett snävt terapeutiskt fönster, vilket betyder att skillnaden mellan effektivitet och toxicitet är liten. Biverkningarna av substansen är många och en del av dem allvarliga, såsom nedsatt njurfunktion och ökad risk för utvecklande av diabetes och maligna sjukdomar som exempelvis lymfom. Den inter- och intraindividuella variabiliteten i farmakokinetik och farmakodynamik är dessutom stor. Det är därför ytterst viktigt att följa behandlingen med koncentrationsbestämningar av CsA i helblod. Det finns ett flertal olika analysmetoder för CsA tillgängliga, såsom immunoassays, vätskekromatografi (HPLC) och vätskekromatografi-tandem-massspektrometri (LC-MS/MS). Avdelningen för klinisk kemi vid Centralsjukhuset i Karlstad har sedan många år använt en radioimmunoassay, CYCLO-Trac SP®, från DiaSorin för att bestämma CsA i helblod. Laboratoriets önskan är att ersätta denna metod, vilken använder radioaktiva isotoper, med en snabbare och mer selektiv LC-MS/MS-metod.  I detta arbete har en LC-MS/MS-metod för analys av cyklosporin A i helblod utvecklats och validerats. Metoden har snabb provupparbetning och kromatografi och använder positiv elektrospray som joniseringsteknik. Två procedurer för proteinfällning utvärderades som provupparbetningsförfarande under metodutvecklingen och två olika internstandarder testades; CsA analogen cyklosporin D och isotopmärkt CsA (d12-CsA).  Efter den fullständiga valideringen infördes metoden i rutinarbetet 2009-11-01. Resultat från både LC-MS/MS och den radioimmunologiska metoden lämnas ut parallellt under minst fem månader. / Cyclosporine A (CsA) is a cyclic undecapolypeptide of fungal origin (Tolypocladium inflatum Gams). It has a molecular weight of 1202.6 Da and is used as an immunouppressive drug to prevent rejection of transplanted organs and bone marrow, and for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease. CsA exhibits a narrow therapeutic range between efficacy and toxicity. There are many side effects exerted by the drug and some of them are serious, such as renal dysfunction and increased risk of developing diabetes and malignant diseases such as lymphoma. In addition, the inter-individual and intra-individual pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic variability is large. Constant monitoring of the CsA-concentration is therefore mandatory.  There are several analytical methods available for the determination of CsA, such as immunoassays, liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The department of Clinical Chemistry at the Central Hospital in Karlstad has for many years used a radioimmunoassay, the CYCLO-Trac SP® from DiaSorin, for CsA-determinations. The laboratory wants to replace this method, which uses radioactive isotopes, with a faster and more selective LC-MS/MS method.  In this work a LC-MS/MS method, utilizing positive electrospray, with a fast sample preparation and chromatography for the determination of CsA in whole blood has been developed and validated. Two protein precipitation procedures were evaluated for sample preparation during the method development and two different internal standards were tested; the CsA analog cyclosporine D (CsD) and an isotope labelled CsA (d12-CsA). The LC-MS/MS assay was fully validated and implemented in the routine work at the laboratory on November 1 2009. Results from both the CYCLO-Trac SP® method and the LC-MS/MS assay will be reported for at least five months.