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Concentrations of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human kallikrein 2 (hK2) were investigated in blood samples that had been obtained from men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) decades later. The studies were based on a cohort comprising 22,444 men who, in 1974?1986, were early middle aged and represented a non-PCa-screened population. The results clearly demonstrate a very strong c

In adult soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of the extremities and trunk wall, improved prognostic factors are needed to identify patients at high-risk for metastasis. Various factors are included in the many prognostic systems currently in use and the prognostic value of immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of biological markers is unclear. The tissue-preserving, high throughput tissue microarray (TMA) te

The Driving to Learn project explored possible achievements of training people with cognitive disabilities in a joystick-operated powered wheelchair utilizing the grounded theory approach. Theoretical sampling led the concomitant collection and analysis of data. During a period of 12 years, 45 participants with profound cognitive disabilities, aged 12 months to 52 years, were engaged in the projec

This paper argues that there is reason to be skeptical about the idea that the transition to a service economy will bring about dematerialization of production and consequent environmental improvement. This is because the shift to a service economy is an illusion in terms of real production, but is instead generated by the fall in the price of manufacturing goods relative to services, which is in

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate risk factors for bone fragility and fractures in postmenopausal women in a long-term perspective. The study period spanned from the age of 48 to age 82 and is thus unique in its length. The studied sample was homogeneous and consisted of 390 north European women from a population-based cohort. At the start of the study, general health and lifestyle parameters

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease where improperly cleared apoptotic cells and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induce an autoimmune response. Complement is crucial to prevent SLE by tailoring immune responses and opsonizing dead cells but may also induce inflammation and tissue damage once the disease is initiated. Complement C1q binds to apoptotic cells and ensures

The North Atlantic region has experienced significant climate fluctuations during the Holocene. It has been shown that these fluctuations affected the terrestrial environment in Iceland, including its glaciers and ice caps. However, the full Holocene development of Icelandic glaciers, including the large Vatnajökull ice cap and its outlet glaciers, is not fully known. In this thesis, a sediment se

Radiotherapy (RT) after mastectomy has been part of the treatment for early breast cancer since the 1940s. The treatment reduces the risk of loco-regional recurrences, but implies risk of late side effects that can begin decades after RT. Aims of the thesis were: - To analyse the long term effects of postmastectomy radiotherapy and systemic treatment for 1100 stage II breast cancer patients in t

Absorption spectroscopy constitutes a chemical analysis tool which can be applied to various samples and application fields. This thesis focuses on gas absorption spectroscopy with the means of diode lasers - tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, TDLAS. In particular, the absorption of gases inside porous scattering solids and liquids, referred to as GASMAS - gas in scattering media absorpt

Acute pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by a diverse spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from a mild and self-limiting to a severe and systemic disorder. The relationship between inflammation and proteolytic activation in pancreatitis is an elusive issue. The aim of this thesis was to define the influence of platelets and neutrophils as well as their interrelations in re

The overall aim of this thesis was to deepen the understanding of work ability by analyzing how different health professionals experience and perceive work ability and assessments of work ability, and also by analyzing rehabilitation outcomes that are related to work ability. The focus has been on musculoskeletal disorders with associated psychosocial factors. Method. The general approach was indu

Ever since the term ‘gentrification’ was coined by Ruth Glass in 1964 this specific form of socio-economic change has attracted much attention within the social sciences, not least from geographers and sociologists. This has generated a rich discussion on the mechanisms behind the process and, to a lesser extent, a debate on positive and negative outcomes of gentrification. Critical voices have de

Cancer is a genetic disease that arises when a cell acquires unlimited growth potential through a series of mutational events, which target genes essential for normal cell control and maintenance. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in women worldwide, and it is characterized by heterogeneous tumor biology, histological subtypes, variable prognosis and variable responsiveness to

In this thesis, different optical methods utilising visible light for characterization of tissue have been developed and evaluated. The feasibility of many of these methods has been demonstrated in the laboratory or in animal experiments. However, the goal is naturally to develop methods useful in the clinic, and thus the emphasis in this thesis has been put on in vivo examinations. Raman spectro