Aspects of Complement Activation in Thrombocytopenic Disorders

The complement system is an essential effector of both innate and acquired immune responses. Due to its destructive potential, tight regulation is required. The contribution of complement has been associated with the pathogeneses in a wide range of diseases. In this thesis, aspects of complement activation were investigated in disorders characterized by thrombocytopenia.In papers I and II, clinical characteristics, complement analyses, and genetic screening for rare variants encoding complement proteins were retrospectively investigated in a cohort suspected to suffer from atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. In paper I, a population (n = 134) was identified whose phenotypes indicated the possibility of a diagnosis of complement-mediated atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. In conclusion, laboratory complement analyses and clinical data were consistent with a possible underdiagnosis at the time of discharge. In paper II, recruited patients (n = 20) were subjected to follow-up investigations. Clinical outcomes and the phenotypical relevance of identified genetic variants were assessed. A diagnostic scheme compliant with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines was presented. In addition to identifying several previously described genetic variants, a novel likely disease-contributing missense variant in the complement factor H gene (c.3450A>G, p.I1150M) was identified. In conclusion, the study illustrated the risk of misdiagnosis and the importance of a comprehensive assessment to reach a diagnosis.In paper III, complement and platelet activation biomarkers were prospectively investigated in thrombocytopenic patients (n = 43) receiving prophylactic platelet transfusions during inpatient care in the hematological department. Neither complement nor platelet activation was shown to correlate with the corrected count increment. In conclusion, complement and platelet activation were not demonstrated contributing to a poor post-transfusion platelet response.In summary, this thesis has contributed to the growing knowledge of diseases potentially affected by complement activation

Fair price setting of gilt hybrids and piglets

Svensk grisproduktion har haft ett par tunga år, men nu ser många grisproducenter på framtiden med tillförsikt. Det är också så att det är Sveriges grisproducenter som ser mest ljust på framtiden av Sveriges bönder och var femte grisproducent funderar på att investera i djurstallar under år 2005. (www.lrf.se) Många besättningar är specialiserade med antingen hybrid-, smågris- eller slaktsvinsproduktion därför är det viktigt att man har en rättvis prissättning av smågrisar och hybrider. Detta arbete syftar till att belysa hur vinsten fördelas mellan leden, hur risken fördelas mellan leden, vad som är en rättvis fördelning (prissättning) och hur man kan göra fördelningen (prissättningen) mer rättvis. För att ta reda på detta har dels kalkyler från Agriwise använts för att spegla lönsamheten och dels har intervjuer gjorts med producenter för att få reda på deras syn på risk och rättvis prissättning. Några av dem som intervjuats har ingått i en fallstudie, för att ytterligare spegla lönsamheten inom respektive led. Avslutningsvis har modell skapats med hjälp av insamlad data, vilket resulterat i tre kalkyler, varje kalkyl är uppdelad i tre produktionsnivåer, dessa tre kalkyler representerar respektive led och utifrån denna modell har slutsatser dragits som ska besvara syftet. Det är inte helt lätt att svara på syftet, men med hjälp av litteraturen, teori och den informationen som har samlats in har en del slutsatser tagits. En slutsats man kan dra är att det enda sättet om man helt vill gardera sig mot att bli förfördelad jämfört med övriga led är att bli internintegrerad med egen rekrytering. Samtidigt måste man för att ha lönsamhet i produktionen tillhöra de 25 procent bästa inom alla led.Swedish pork production has had a couple of difficult years, but now many pig farmers look upon the future with confidence. In fact the Swedish pig farmers are the farmers in Sweden that have the most confidence in a bright future and every 5:th pig farmer is thinking about investing in stables during 2005. Many farmers are specialized in hybrid-, piglet-, or slaughter pig production, which is why it is important to have a fair price setting on piglets and hybrids. This thesis aim for showing how profit and risk are divided between the production lines, what is a fair price setting and how can the price setting become more fair. To find out about this problem calculations from Agriwise have been used to reflect profitability and interviews with producers have been used to find out their view on risk and fair price setting. Some of the ones being interviewed have participated in a case study to further reflect the profitability in each production line. To finish off a model has been created with the help of the collected data, which resulted in three calculations, each calculation is divided in three production levels. Each calculation represents one of the production lines. From the model conclusions can be drawn to answer the aim of this thesis. It is not easy to answer to the aim, but with help of the collected information, some conclusions can be drawn. A conclusion that can be drawn is that the only way to completely protect oneself from receiving an unfair price compared to other production lines is to be internly integrated with ones own recruitment, at the same time one has to belong to the best 25 % in each production line

Lynx gene flow in Fennoscandia

This study assesses the connectivity and gene flow between Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) populations in Finland and Scandinavia for the purpose of providing data for the evaluation of favorable conservation status for the European Union Habitats Directive. Using tissue samples from deceased lynx in Fennoscandia, i.e., Sweden, Norway, and Finland, collected between 2019 and 2022, we genotyped these samples using 91 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A separate data set was used for validation, consisting of 73 samples from Scandinavia collected between 2010 and 2015 that were RAD sequenced and genotyped using 881 SNPs. We assessed genetic structure within all of Fennoscandia, as well as genetic differentiation and recent gene flow between Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway) and Finland. We also estimated individual relatedness to identify first order relatives, or immediate family members, for the purpose of assessing contemporary connectivity. The results suggest distinct genetic differentiation between the Scandinavian and Finnish lynx populations, with migration rates of approximately eight migrants per generation in either direction, which is comparably low but likely sufficient to prevent complete genetic isolation. These findings have significant implications for lynx conservation strategies under the European Habitats Directive. They underscore the importance of maintaining genetic diversity and facilitating connectivity between transboundary populations, highlighting the need for collaborative management approaches between Sweden, Norway, and Finland

Multi-photon events with large missing energy in e+e−e+e− collisions at s=192–209 GeV

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Determination of the LEP beam energy using radiative fermion-pair events

We present a determination of the LEP beam energy using “radiative return” fermion-pair events recorded at centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. We find no evidence of a disagreement between the OPAL data and the LEP Energy Working Group's standard calibration. Including the energy-averaged 11 MeV uncertainty in the standard determination, the beam energy we obtain from the OPAL data is higher than that obtained from the LEP calibration by View the MathML source0±34(stat.)±27(syst.)MeV

Flavour independent search for Higgs bosons decaying into hadronic final states in e^(+)e^(−)e^(+)e^(−) collisions at LEP

A search for the Higgsstrahlung process e^(+)e^(−)→hZ is described, where the neutral Higgs boson h is assumed to decay into hadronic final states. In order to be sensitive to a broad range of models, the search is performed independent of the flavour content of the Higgs boson decay. The analysis is based on e^(+)e^(−) collision data collected by the OPAL detector at energies between 192 and 209 GeV. The search does not reveal any significant excess over the Standard Model background prediction. Results are combined with previous searches at energies around 91 and at 189 GeV. A limit is set on the product of the cross-section and the hadronic branching ratio of the Higgs boson, as a function of the Higgs boson mass. Assuming the hZ coupling predicted by the Standard Model, and a Higgs boson decaying only into hadronic final states, a lower bound of 104 GeV/c2104 GeV/c^(2) is set on the mass at the 95% confidence level

W boson polarisation at LEP2

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269304002576

Inclusive production of charged hadrons in photon–photon collisions

The inclusive production of charged hadrons in the collisions of quasi-real photons (e+e−→e+e−+Xe+e−→e+e−+X) has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The data were taken at e+e−e+e− centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV209 GeV. The differential cross-sections as a function of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the hadrons are compared to theoretical calculations of up to next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong coupling constant αsαs. The data are also compared to a measurement by the L3 Collaboration, in which a large deviation from the NLO predictions is observed

Search for scalar top and scalar bottom quarks at LEP

Searches for a scalar top quark and a scalar bottom quark have been performed using a data sample of 438 pb^(−1) at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = –209 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for a signal was found. The 95% confidence level lower limit on the scalar top quark mass is 97.6 GeV if the mixing angle between the supersymmetric partners of the left- and right-handed states of the top quark is zero. When the scalar top quark decouples from the Z0 boson, the lower limit is 95.7 GeV. These limits were obtained assuming that the scalar top quark decays into a charm quark and the lightest neutralino, and that the mass difference between the scalar top quark and the lightest neutralino is larger than 10 GeV. The complementary decay mode of the scalar top quark decaying into a bottom quark, a charged lepton and a scalar neutrino has also been studied. The lower limit on the scalar top quark mass is 96.0 GeV for this decay mode, if the mass difference between the scalar top quark and the scalar neutrino is greater than 10 GeV and if the mixing angle of the scalar top quark is zero. From a search for the scalar bottom quark, a mass limit of 96.9 GeV was obtained if the mass difference between the scalar bottom quark and the lightest neutralino is larger than 10 GeV