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The main objective of this work was to construct practical analytical systems for the analysis of environmental and biological samples, using membrane-based techniques for sample pretreatment and chromatography for final analysis. Two types of membrane processes have been applied, with emphasis on automation. The supported liquid membrane (SLM) extraction was carried out in an automated continuou

This thesis is about the residents and employees at three group homes for older people suffering from dementia. The empirical data comprises princi- pally of participant observation and interviews with caregivers. The aim of the dissertation is to describe and understand what happens during daily life at a group home for elderly suffering from dementia. The ambition is to understand the patterns o

The main purpose of this thesis is to study real exceptional Kantor triple systems. In the first paper we first prove the known results in both the real and complex classical cases of K-simple Kantor triple systems. In the real classical case our approach gives somewhat simpler formulas. Special attention is given to all real classical cases of K-simple Kantor triple systems that can be presented

The chaebol conglomerates, which constituted the backbone of the "South Korean miracle", became the instrument for economic growth within a framework laid down by the "developmental state". With a minimum of own capital, but with private owner-control and loan-financing, these chaebols were able to expand. How could this "impossible" configuration survive? The thesis analyses how this could contin

In this dissertation, young men's experiences of being victims of crime are analysed. Several kinds of material are considered in this study, but the primary data consist of informal, tape-recorded interviews with ten young men (17 to 21 year's old) who had been assaulted or mugged. Their accounts of their experiences are analysed using a number of constructionist, interactionist, and narrative pe

We address the problem of the dissipative character of collective motion in finite Fermi systems. We study this problem from the point of view of chaotic features of the fermionic degrees of freedom of the many-body Fermi systems. Our main aim is of two kinds: first, we investigate how quantum chaos sets in in many-body systems and then, we try to relate quantum many-body chaos of the intrinsic fe

In this study an experimental setup for measurements of high impedance objects in ducts, yielding the acoustical Two-Port properties of the object, is applied to earplugs. A frequently used experimental setup for measuring objective acoustical properties of earplugs is that of artificial ears. Great effort is spent on duplicating the human ear. The acoustical properties of the earplug are thought

The emergence of markets for online physician consultations -- direct-to-consumers telemedicine (DCT) -- is transforming healthcare services in many nations. The convenience of DCT lowers the cost of seeking care, thus potentially increasing demand. Yet, it is not known whether patients consuming online care turn to traditional providers as well. This is one of the first studies to causally assess

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonise a wide range of plant species and are especially common in soils with a relatively high pH, where phosphorus availability is a limiting factor for primary production. The aim of this thesis was to study the ecophysiology of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi when exposed to different environments. Development of AM fungi and their host plants were investig

Optimisation in diagnostic radiology requires accurate methods for determination of patient absorbed dose and clinical image quality. Simple methods for evaluation of clinical image quality are at present scarce and this project aims at developing such methods. Two methods are used and further developed; fulfilment of image criteria (IC) and visual grading analysis (VGA). Clinical image quality de

Complex biological and environmental samples require a high degree of selectivity in order to determine components therein. Sensitivity measures, such as analyte pre-concentration are often required for assessing composition quantitatively. Use of membranes and especially non-porous membranes for extraction purposes offers in many cases the desired measure of selectivity and sensitivity for trace

The aim of this thesis was to study outcome and evaluation of rheumatological multidisciplinary team rehabilitation programmes in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA); rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and other spondyloarthritides, and to analyse health care utilization over the last decade in patients with RA. In Study I the outcome of an 18 da

The evolutionary history of the allotetraploid Arabidopsis suecica and its maternal parent Arabidopsis thaliana is analyzed in the thesis in terms of genetic variation in the natural populations of the two species. The earliest phase of the speciation event in which the genomes of A. thaliana and A. suecica are in the process of diverging was investigated using population genetic methods. Evolutio

The thesis addresses different questions, each necessary in the understanding of dynamic fracture initiation and crack propagation in steel. Emphasis lays on dynamic crack propagation experiments performed in the ductile to brittle transition region and possible conclusions, that can be drawn from them. One question regards the physical basis for for viscoplasticity. Dislocation slip by thermal a

Using optical spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and differential scanning Calorimetry (DSC), I have studied two different calcium binding proteins that can form kinetically trapped altered states. Calcium is very important in numerous biological processes such as blood coagulation, signal transduction, muscle contraction and bone formation. Calcium binding to proteins regulates these

There is a strong desire for short wavelength (~1 Å), short pulsewidth (<100 fs), high-brightness, transverse and longitudinally coherent light pulses for use by the synchrotron radiation community. These requirements exceed the limits achievable by existing, so-called, "third-generation" light sources, such as the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), USA, the Europea