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The objective was to develop and validate methods for single photon emission computed tomography, SPECT, allowing quantitative physiological and diagnostic studies of lung and heart. A method for correction of variable attenuation in SPECT, based on transmission measurements before administration of an isotope to the subject, was developed and evaluated. A protocol based upon geometrically well de
Time-of-flight (TOF) techniques for energy analysis have been common in electron spectroscopy for many decades. TOF-based electron spectrometers benefit from higher transmission and information rate compared to their main competitor: the hemispherical analyser; the drawback being their lower energy resolution. However, the advent of angle-resolved TOF spectrometers for electron energy analysis cha
Recombinant antibody microarrays have advanced into indispensable tools for large-scale, high-throughput multiplexed serum proteomics. This thesis, based upon five original papers, deals with the development of an in-house designed antibody microarray platform, and its applications for serum profiling of pancreatic disease. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th deadliest cancer, with a 5-year survival rat
Two specific areas of development in echocardiography are assessment of left ventricular (LV) diastolic function and myocardial ischemia. This thesis describes echocardiographic methodology in these two areas. In the first study, two new echocardiographic methods, the early diastolic flow propagation velocity (Vp) and the early diastolic atrioventricular plane downward slope (EDS), were tested as
The overall aim of the work was to examine the influence of cervical biomechanical conditions on movement performance, to study musculoskeletal findings accompanying possible cervicogenic dizziness and to evaluate the influence of cervical proprioception on head orientation. Two devices, measuring cervical range of motion, were compared: Myrin, an inclinometer/compass method and Zebris®, a 3-dime
To optimise fitness is a continuous process which assists species survival in changing environments. Choosing an optimal diet is an essential part of the optimisation process and a key element of optimal foraging theory. The relationship between food choice and fitness optimisation has been tested on three ground beetles and several collembolan species by using food items naturally occurring in th
All patients admitted during a four-year period to a comprehensive, cognitive therapy based inpatient rehabilitation program for long-term mentally ill were invited to participate in the present study. A total of 28 patients were included. The patients were at admission and discharge assessed with regard to quality of life, symptoms, global functioning and target complaints. Every five weeks throu
Urinary incontinence classification is based on symptomatology, presuming that each symptom originates in a separate pathophysiology and demands its unique therapy. Women often present a mixture of symptoms inconsistent with urodynamic diagnosis, especially regarding urgency. Treatment of stress incontinence often relieves urge symptoms indicating a common pathophysiology. Our aims were to investi
The goal of biomarker discovery is to identify disease defining molecules, which could be used to improve early detection and/or to predict survival and response to treatment. This thesis is about the transcription factor SOX11, a protein discovered in the context of mantle cell lymphoma in 2008, which shows great potential to be used as a clinical relevant biomarker. The aim of this thesis is to
ABSTRACT In humans, synthetic vascular grafts heal with a limited ingrowth of endothelium. This fact might be responsible for inferior performance of synthetic grafts compared with native artery.Endothelial cells can be autotransplanted (seeded) into the graft in an effort to improve graft function. The attachment of endothelial cells to different graft materials was investigated in vitro (I). In
The vascular wall is an active, elastic and integrated organ made up of cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) components. It is not a static organ; the components dynamically change and reorganize in response to physiological and pathological stimuli. Vascular injury induces a complex healing process, analogous to generalised wound healing. Subsequent to the inflammatory response, proliferation
In the present thesis, clinicogenetic correlations are investigated in a large population-based series of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia, for which the karyotypes were analyzed at the same center. The karyotypic pattern, i.e. normal karyotype or 1, 2 or ³3 anomalies, does not differ between males and female
Ischemic brain damage is a common cause of death and disability. A global ischemic insult is usually the result of a transient cardiac arrest while occlusion of cerebral blood vessels leads to focal ischemic lesions, commonly termed stroke. During the last decades our knowledge about the metabolic and cellular events leading to cell death following ischemia has expanded mainly due to experimental
Ex-smokers are exposed to a higher breast cancer risk than are never smokers. This conclusion is based on a follow-up of the 10 902 women in the Malmö Preventive Project. The 31% higher incidence in ex-smokers remained statistically significant when other risk factors were taken into account in the analysis. In both smokers and ex-smokers there was an increased incidence of oestrogen receptor nega
In the present thesis, genetic abnormalities in pancreatic cancer were studied, with special emphasis on alterations of components involved in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway. In the first study, fluorescence in situ hybridization and cytogenetic analyses revealed aberrations of chromosome 18 in all 13 pancreatic carcinoma cell lines studied, in particular frequent bre
Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative substances that also can induce sensitization, mainly through skin contact. In a sensitized individual, it can be hard to disclose the contact allergy at patch testing because the anti-inflammatory effect may mask the allergic contact reaction. This is primarily seen when patch testing to potent corticosteroids is performed and the readi
Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication to diabetes mellitus and is still a major cause of impaired vision in the Western world. The aim of the present study was to identify medical risk factors influencing the development and progression of retinopathy in type 1 diabetic patients, and to investigate the effects of laser treatment on visual acuity and glare. Although the development of sigh
