| 1. |
- Abbasian, Saeid, 1961-
(författare)
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Integration på egen hand : En studie av invandrade kvinnoföretagare i Sverige
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The principal aim of this thesis is to discover and analyse the motives that make immigrant women start their own businesses in Sweden and to investigate whether this is a way to achieve integration in working life. The empirical material consists of two types of interviews. One type consisted of interviews with five experts on labour market issues, and the other of interviews with 16 female entrepreneurs of Iranian, Chilean and Turkish origin having their own business in the Greater Stockholm region. Results from the first set of interviews indicate that female immigrants who independently start their enterprise rely mainly on their own resources of power and abilities. They are either women with class resources such as higher educations, previous work experience, language abilities and economic savings, or young women with certificates from high schools or universities. The social environment where they grew up, the gender structure and gender roles in the family before and after immigration and time of residence in Sweden also influence the extent to which women immigrants can act independently. According to the experience of the experts, the motives for starting their business are either different structural reasons, e.g. unemployment, lack of suitable or well-paying jobs, lay-offs etc, or personal reasons such as having a meaningful occupation, to support the family, to earn money of their own, to be independent from men and strive for a better standard of living etc. Results from the second set of interviews indicate that the most important resource these women have used when establishing their businesses is class resources such as education and adequate training, different types of work experiences, human capital and in addition to this economic savings. For many of the women in this sample different structural reasons, like unemployment, lack of good job opportunities, discrimination on work places, merge with personal reasons such as strivings to achieve independence, being one’s own boss, to realize one’s plans and ambitions, when starting their business. Independent entrepreneurship is a good way for immigrant women to be integrated in working life especially if they start within certain branches. These are branches in which the women have appropriate university education or vocational training, previous work experience or which correspond to their personal interests. In addition immigrant women become more integrated if an education received abroad is treated as equivalent to the parallel Swedish education or degree. A further factor promoting integration is if they can fully exploit their capacities when developing their own businesses. These conditions help them to feel much more satisfaction in working life as women identify themselves with their actual profession and feel that they have found the “right place” for themselves in the society.
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| 2. |
- Acharya, Parag, 1972-
(författare)
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Studies on the Non-covalent Interactions (Stereoelectronics, Stacking and Hydrogen Bonding) in the Self-assembly of DNA and RNA
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on ten publications (Papers I-X). The phosphodiester backbone makes DNA or RNA to behave as polyelectrolyte, the pentose sugar gives the flexibility, and the aglycones promote the self-assembly or the ligand-binding process. The hydrogen bonding, stacking, stereoelectronics and hydration are few of the important non-covalent forces dictating the self-assembly of DNA/RNA. The pH-dependent thermodynamics clearly show (Papers I and II) that a change of the electronic character of aglycone modulates the conformation of the sugar moiety by the tunable interplay of stereoelectronic anomeric and gauche effects, which are further transmitted to steer the sugar-phosphate backbone conformation in a cooperative manner. 3'-anthraniloyl adenosine (a mimic of 3'-teminal CCAOH of the aminoacyl-tRNAPhe) binds to EF-Tu*GTP in preference over 2'-anthraniloyl adenosine, thereby showing (Paper III) that the 2’-endo sugar conformation is a more suitable mimic of the transition state geometry than the 3’-endo conformation in discriminating between correctly and incorrectly charged aminoacyl-tRNAPhe by EF-Tu during protein synthesis. The presence of 2'-OH in RNA distinguishes it from DNA both functionally as well as structurally. This work (Paper IV) provides straightforward NMR evidence to show that the 2'-OH is intramolecularly hydrogen bonded with the vicinal 3'-oxygen, and the exposure of the 3'-phosphate of the ribonucleotides to the bulk water determines the availability of the bound water around the vicinal 2'-OH, which then can play various functional role through inter- or intramolecular interactions. The pH-dependent 1H NMR study with nicotinamide derivatives demonstrates (Paper V) that the cascade of intramolecular cation (pyridinium)-π(phenyl)-CH(methyl) interaction in edge-to-face geometry is responsible for perturbing the pKa of the pyridine-nitrogen as well as for the modulation of the aromatic character of the neighboring phenyl moiety, which is also supported by the T1 relaxation studies and ab initio calculations. It has been found (Papers VI-IX) that the variable intramolecular electrostatic interaction between electronically coupled nearest neighbor nucleobases (steered by their respective microenvironments) can modulate their respective pseudoaromatic characters. The net result of this pseudoaromatic cross-modulation is the creation of a unique set of aglycones in an oligo or polynucleotide, whose physico-chemical properties are completely dependent upon the propensity and geometry of the nearest neighbor interactions (extended genetic code). The propagation of the interplay of these electrostatic interactions across the hexameric ssDNA chain is considerably less favoured (effectively up to the fourth nucleobase) compared to that of the isosequential ssRNA (up to the sixth nucleobase). The dissection of the relative strength of basepairing and stacking in a duplex shows that stability of DNA-DNA duplex weakens over the corresponding RNA-RNA duplexes with the increasing content of A-T/U base pairs, while the strength of stacking of A-T rich DNA-DNA duplex increases in comparison with A-U rich sequence in RNA-RNA duplexes (Paper X).
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| 3. |
- Ahlbäck, Lennart
(författare)
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Socialdemokratisk kyrkosyn : en studie i Socialdemokraternas kyrkopolitiska riktlinjer 1979-1996
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The Social Democratic party of Sweden (SAP) was from its starting point in late 19th century oppositional to the Swedish Church and its position in Swedish society. But soon two different views were formed. The first view was to cut all ties between state and church. The second view was to perform a democratic reformation of the Church. The SAP have since long engaged itself in church politics and governing on different levels.This thesis deals with the ecclesiology of the SAP as presented by the party executive in normative outlines for church-politics. The investigation starts with the first published outlines in 1979 and ends with the outlines published in 1996, the year after the decision of the Swedish parliament to make a juridical separation between state and church by jan 1 2000.These political outlines form a framework for the party´s local, regional och central political activities in the Swedish Church. The starting point is the introduction of the party program and the democratization of the structure of Society. The structure of the Church should therefore also be democratized. Those emplyed by the Church are also to support this democratized structure. The goal of this process is to make the Church available and reachable for everyone in Sweden, also in a new cultural situation when people and church no longer can be looked upon as one unity. The Swedish Church has, says the SAP, therefore no right to set up rules for who can and who can not become a member of the Church.
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| 4. |
- Ahmadzadeh, Hashem, 1961-
(författare)
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Nation and Novel : A Study of Persian and Kurdish narrative discourse
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The present work provides a description of the rise of the Persian and Kurdish novel, using as its background specific definitions and theories of the novel and its emergence. Considering the novel as an originally European genre, the study looks at the different prerequisites for its emergence, e.g. modernity, modernisation, nationalism, a publishing industry, institutionalised journalism, translation and socio-political conditions. It examines these prerequisites in the Persian and Kurdish context. Its aim is to investigate the emergence of the novel and its development in the case of a nation-state (the Persian) and in the case of a stateless nation (the Kurdish). Furthermore, through the close reading of five selected Persian novels and five Kurdish novels the author intends to scrutinise their various political, social and cultural characteristics. The study also attempts to investigate the contribution of the novel to nation building and whether there is any affinity between the novel genre’s appearance and the rise of the Iranian and Kurdish nations.The most important conclusion to be drawn from the present study is that while the Persian novel appears in the early 20th century, the Kurdish novel appears in the late decades of the same century. Moreover, the early Persian novels deal with the issue of country and nationalism, whereas the more developed Persian novels later on mostly concern themselves with the individual, social and political problems of the country. However, the failure of Kurdish nationalism in the building of a Kurdish state provides the Kurdish novel with a context for its struggle in the search for a national identity. The Persian novel, as it derives its support from the nation-state, largely enjoys the favourable conditions necessary for its development. The Kurdish novel, however, is deprived of such conditions and instead expresses itself in the diaspora.
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| 5. |
- Alemany Ripoll, Montserrat
(författare)
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MRI Diagnosis of Intracranial Hemorrhage : Experimental and Clinical Studies
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this work was to improve the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage with MRI, using, among others, T2*-w GE sequences. Various sequences were tested in rabbits at two magnetic field strengths. Then, the most effective technique was applied to stroke patients. Experimental studies: The MR detectability of small experimental haematomas in the brain and of blood in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces of 30 rabbits was evaluated. MRI examinations were performed at determined intervals. The last MR images were compared to formalin fixed brain sections and, in 16 rabbits, also to the histological findings. T2*-weighted GE sequences revealed all the intraparenchymal haematomas at 1.5 T, appearing strongly hypointense. Their signal patterns remained unchanged during the follow-up. Blood in the CSF spaces was best detected at 1.5T with T2*-weighted GE sequences during the first 2 days. FLAIR and SE sequences were rather insensitive.Clinical studies: MR examinations were performed at 1.5T, including T1- and T2-w SE, FLAIR and T2*-w GE sequences. In the first clinical study, 66 intraparenchymal hematomas (IPH) of different sizes and ages were examined. T2*-w GE sequence was the most sensitive. On all the sequences, we found a big variety of signal patterns, without a clear relationship to the age of the hematomas. In a second clinical study, MR examinations were performed to 83 patients with acute stroke: 43 presented acute IPH and 40 were used as controls. Old microhemorrhages (OMHs) were found in 60% of the patients with IPH, and in 15% of the controls. Conclusion: T2*-weighted GE sequences are capable of revealing very small intraparenchymal hemorrhages at any stage, and blood in CSF spaces during at least the first 2 days. The age of IPHs cannot reliably be estimated with MRI. We have found a correlation between the presence of OMHs and acute intraparenchymal hematomas.
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| 6. |
- Althini, Susanna
(författare)
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Experimental Studies of BMP Signalling in Neuronal Cells
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The developing nervous system depends largely on extracellular cues to shape its complex network of neurons. Classically, neurotrophins are known to be important mediators in this process. More recently, Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs), belonging to the Transforming Growth Factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily of secreted cytokines, have been shown to exert a wide range of effects, such as cellular growth, differentiation, survival and apoptosis, both in the developing and adult nervous system. They signal via serine/threonine kinase receptor essentially to the Smad pathway, which carries the signal to the nucleus where the transcription of target genes is regulated.This thesis investigates the functions of BMPs in the nervous system, using a set of different models. Firstly, a targeted deletion of GDF10 (BMP3b) in the mouse was established to evaluate the role of this growth/differentiation factor in the hippocampal formation, a brain area known to be involved in memory processing. Other members of the TGFβ superfamily likely compensate for the lack of GDF10, since no detectable alterations in hippocampal function or gene transcription profile have been found. Secondly, a mouse model was set up, with the aim to study impaired BMP-signalling in dopaminergic neurons. The tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) locus was used to drive the expression of dominant negative BMP receptors by means of bicistronic mRNAs. TH is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of catecholamine and the mice described, show a graded decrease of TH-activity resulting in severe to mild dopamine deficiency. The contribution of the dominant negative BMP receptors to the phenotype is however secondary to the apparent TH hypomorphism. The final theme of this thesis is the potentiating effects of BMPs on neurotrophin-induced neurite outgrowth as studied in explanted ganglia from chick embryos and in the rat phaeochromocytoma cell line PC12. A number of pharmacological inhibitors of intracellular signalling kinases were applied to the cultures in order to reveal the contribution of different pathways to the enhanced neurite outgrowth. We made the unexpected finding that inhibition of MEK signalling mimicked the potentiating effects of BMP stimulation in the chick system. The underlying mechanisms for the synergistic effects, however, are still an enigma.
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| 7. |
- Andersson, Annika K., 1974-
(författare)
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Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and Melatonin in Regulation of β-cell Sensitivity to Cytokines
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The mechanisms of β-cell destruction leading to type 1 diabetes are complex and not yet fully understood, but infiltration of the islets of Langerhans by autoreactive immune cells is believed to be important. Activated macrophages and T-cells may then secrete cytokines and free radicals, which could selectively damage the β-cells. Among the cytokines, IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α can induce expression of inducible nitric synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2. Subsequent nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation may impair islet function.In the present study, the ability of melatonin (an antioxidative and immunoregulatory hormone) to protect against β-cell damage induced by streptozotocin (STZ; a diabetogenic and free radical generating substance) or IL-1β exposure was examined. In vitro, melatonin counteracted STZ- but not IL-1β-induced islet suppression, indicating that the protective effect of melatonin is related to interference with free radical generation and DNA damage, rather than NO synthesis. In vivo, non-immune mediated diabetes induced by a single dose of STZ was prevented by melatonin.Furthermore, the effects of proinflammatory cytokines were examined in islets obtained from mice with a targeted deletion of the iNOS gene (iNOS -/- mice) and wild-type controls. The in vitro data obtained show that exposure to IL-1β or (IL-1β + IFN-γ) induce disturbances in the insulin secretory pathway, which were independent of NO or PGE2 production and cell death. Initially after addition, in particular IL-1β seems to be stimulatory for the insulin secretory machinery of iNOS –/- islets, whereas IL-1β acts inhibitory after a prolonged period. Separate experiments suggest that the stimulatory effect of IL-1β involves an increased gene expression of phospholipase D1a/b. In addition, the formation of new insulin molecules appears to be affected, since IL-1β and (IL-1β + IFN-γ) suppressed mRNA expression of both insulin convertase enzymes and insulin itself.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Fredrik, 1972-
(författare)
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Causes and Labor Market Consequences of Producer Heterogeneity
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Essay I studies establishment-level employment changes in the Swedish Manufacturing sector over the 1972-96 period. The results show that modest changes in the aggregated employment record have been the resulting sum of rather large gross flows of jobs and that this constant reshuffling of jobs has important implications for the workforce and is closely related to process of economic growth. Shifts in employment across industries or other observable characteristic of establishments cannot explain the different employment outcomes across establishments. Essay II (with Altin Vejsiu) studies the determinants of plant closures in Swedish Manufacturing. From our theoretical framework we derive and empirically test hypotheses regarding the linkages between the probability of plant failure and industry-specific characteristics; local labor market conditions; and plant-specific sources of heterogeneity, including insider mechanisms in wage determination, plant specific human capital, selection mechanisms and technology vintage effects. Our results suggest that all these factors matter in ways that by and large conform to the a priori hypotheses. Essay III investigates the importance of access to product markets in explaining the spatial wage distribution by estimating the parameters of a spatial labor demand model. The model takes into account the effects of sorting of heterogeneous labor and heterogeneity in transportation costs. The results are consistent with the idea that increasing returns to scale together with transportation costs is an important driving force behind urban agglomeration and sizeable spatial wage differentials.Essay IV (with Harry Holzer and Julia Lane) presents a dynamic analysis of workers who persistently have low earnings over a period of three or more years. Some of these workers manage to escape from this low-earning status over subsequent years, while many do not. We analyze the characteristics of persons and especially of their firms and jobs that enable some to improve their earnings status over time.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Jonas
(författare)
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Complement Activation Triggered by Biomaterial Surfaces : Mechanisms and Regulation
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today there are a vast number of medical devices in temporary or permanent contact with human tissues. Blood-biomaterial contact is known to trigger the complement system and results in generation of fluid phase anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a, and surface-bound C3b and iC3b. All these products together are able to attract and activate leukocytes and trigger release of inflammatory mediators leading to a systemic inflammation indirectly causing hemostatic problems and even organ failure. The aim of this study was to identify how complement is triggered on a biomaterial surface and to find ways to regulate this activation.The finding that complement activation on biomaterials can be divided into initiation and amplification will facilitate regulation of complement activation biomaterial surfaces. This concept is also compatible with the two techniques to regulate complement activation on a surface.
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| 10. |
- Andersson, Jenny, 1974-
(författare)
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Mellan tillväxt och trygghet : Idéer om produktiv socialpolitik i socialdemokratisk socialpolitisk ideologi under efterkrigstiden
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- For Swedish social democracy, social policy has historically been not only a means for individual security, but also a means for economic efficiency and growth in close relationship to economic policy. This doctoral dissertation shows that an important aspect of the ideological change of contemporary Swedish social democracy is the erosion of its growth oriented social policy ideology in the post-war period. Whereas a key element in the post-war ideology and the so-called “Strong society” was the conceptualisation of social policy as a productive investment, the ideology of the “Third way” is construed around ideas of social policy as a cost.The thesis discusses this ideological change as a dynamic relationship between growth and security as key concepts in the social policy ideology of Swedish social democracy. It argues that while growth and security where perceived as harmonious goals in the post-war period, the period from the late 1960’s can be seen as a development where growth and security became antagonistic goals, and the relationship between social policy and growth became increasingly problematic. The thesis focuses on two periods of antagonism (struggle over knowledge): the late 1960’s as a critique of growth and its social effects, conceptualised as social costs, and the early 1980’s as a critique of security and the economic cost of social policy. It is argued that both these periods can be seen as processes of crisis for social democracy, leading to new articulations and ideological change.
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