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This thesis mainly focuses on methods for improving and evaluating Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs). The aim has been threefold: to develop a framework for the management and evaluation of an SDI, to improve the accessibility of spatial data in an SDI, and to improve the cartography in view services in an SDI. Spatial Data Infrastructure has been identified as an umbrella covering spatial data
Fracture incidence is higher in urban than in rural inhabitants. Background factors such as physical activity and workload may have an influence on the tendency to fall, leading to fractures. We found that elderly women with a recent fracture of the distal radius appear to have impaired balance, an impairment that seems to normalise with time after fracture. The aim of this study was also to get n
Abnormal gastric motor function, a frequent complication among the increasing diabetic population of the world, also includes other patient groups such as those many patients with functional dyspepsia. These facts stress the need for a reliable, safe, cost-effective, and simple technique for measuring gastric emptying. To date the ultrasound technique for measuring gastric emptying has been regard
Prolonged musculoskeletal disorders (PMSD) is an escalating medical, social and cost problem in developed countries. The complexity of PMSDs has emphasised the need of developing effective multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme with a holistic approach. The aim of the thesis was to evaluate the outcome of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme focusing on Body Awareness Therapy and cogn
In this work a number of theoretical models, describing light propagation in matter, have been applied to and developed for the examination of tissue. The aim was to model the light scattering and absorption in tissue in order to improve the understanding of underlying mechanisms of laser-based diagnostics and treatment modalities utilised for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The models studied
Nanowires have the potential to be a very flexible platform for the design of semiconductor devices. In nanowires it is possible to form crystal structures not found in the bulk materials under normal conditions, and to combine different III-V and group IV materials into axial or radial heterostructures. As quite complex structures can be formed, both intentionally and unintentionally, characteriz
Π-conjugated polymers are an important class of materials which can be used in e.g. photoelectric (solar cells) or electroluminescent (displays) devices. These materials are implemented in a number of applications these days since a lot is already known about them. There is, however, still a lot to learn in order to increase the efficiency and reduce the power consumption of devices. There are man
The purpose of the thesis is to further understand key conceptual and operational challenges that international aid donors, and public and private institutions, face while designing and implementing alternative forms of social housing finance which aim to be inclusive for the urban poor. Based on an in-depth study of the work of the Foundation for the Promotion of Local Development (PRODEL) in thr
The study included 44 Scandinavian individuals with the autosomal recessive inherited Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Inclusion criteria were retinal dystrophy plus at least 2 more of the remaining traditional cardinal signs of the syndrome: obesity, polydactyly, hypogenitalism and mental retardation. The study showed that the patients had an early onset of night blindness and a poor visual p
For the development of a Single–Ion Hit Facility (SIHF) for living cells irradiation at the Lund Ion Beam Analysis facility (LIBAF), newly developed pre-cell detectors have been investigated. These detectors can determine the number of ions reaching the sample. Central to the thesis is their fabrication and characterization. Two different detectors ’ Design A and Design B’ were fabricated with thi
In total hip arthroplasty cemented fixation of the acetabular component is a generally successful concept, but the rate of aseptic loosening and consequent revision surgery is still too high. One of the crucial factors for longterm implant survival is the initial fixation and stability. This thesis comprises experimental and clinical studies, including radiostereometry (RSA) with up to 5 years fol
Seven-transmembrane, G-protein coupled receptors play a central role in physiology since they facilitate cell communication in multicellular organisms by recognition of a broad range of ligands. They also represent important drug targets. Unfortunately, for many of these receptors the endogenous ligands, and, hence, their physiological functions, remain to be identified. These receptors are usuall
Today’s requirements of fast, reliable and selective analytical methods with minimal usage of organic solvents have accelerated the development of new, automated extraction techniques. In this thesis recent extraction techniques with emphasis on supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were investigated. Different environmental and industrial applications such a
The purpose of this dissertation was to increase - through an empirical investigation - our understanding of early parenthood in relation to children with Down syndrome. My point of departure has been the parents’ life-worlds, and I have developed an accompanying working method. Ten families with newborn infants with Down syndrome were followed through regular home visits during the first year of
The thesis is a bioelectrochemical study of heme enzymes, mainly peroxidases and cellobiose dehydrogenases (CDH). It covers both fundamental and applied aspects, viz. studies of the direct electron transfer and kinetics of enzymes on electrodes, and the development of amperometric enzyme-based biosensors. The kinetics of the direct and mediated electron transfer of a wide range of peroxidases (bo
Nuclear medicine is based on the radiotracer principle of George de Hevesy and the magic bullet concept by Ehrlich and focuses on the diagnosis, the treatment of diseases and the investigation of normal states within the human body using radiopharmaceuticals. A radiopharmaceutical is an atom or a chemical compound in which one or several atoms are replaced with a radionuclide. Several diagnostic a
This thesis investigates how play may benefit creativity in organizational contexts. Play and playfulness have previously been linked to creativity in children and adults, but empirical organizational research is scarce. A widely accepted definition of creativity is that it involves the production of something that is both novel and appropriate. Play is defined as a behavioral approach that is cha
Plants produce a multitude of different compounds that may have biotic effects. Artemisia annua, produces a compound used as a drug against multi-drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite causing malaria. The compound, artemisinin, is a sesquiterpene and is an essential component for the production of artemisinin drugs against malaria. In a first critical step of the biosynthes
With the aid of modern computer technology the application of visualization and simulation technology has become increasingly important in today’s society. Through computer modelling it is possible to experience, understand and explore environments, systems or objects in two or three dimensions and to see, hear and sometimes tangibly feel them. It may be environments or objects that do not yet exi
The work presented in this thesis is mainly motivated by the need for an optical diagnostic technique which can be used to visualize hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in its gas phase. Due to the lack of bound electronic states, H2O2 cannot be detected using laser-induced fluorescence based on electronic excitation. Absorption in the ultraviolet leads to photodissociation. Thus a technique called photofrag
