Atomic data are needed in many different areas of science and technology. Examples of users are the astronomical community and the lighting industry. In this work, the purpose of the projects has been to produce reliable atomic data needed to solve specific astrophysical problems. Oscillator strengths, which are needed when analysing stellar absorption spectra as well as spectra of emission line o

This thesis deals with optical spectroscopy and imaging of complex and strongly scattering turbid media. Focus is mainly placed on three topics, being i) diffuse optical spectroscopy of choroidal tumors, ii) gas spectroscopy in scattering materials using the GASMAS (gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy) technique, and iii) luminescence diffuse optical imaging and tomography of tissues.

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

This report presents theories and measurements of the mechanisms af heat transfer in fibrous materials (e.g. insulation of mineral wool type), and measurements of these mechanisms. The present work is part af a larger research program at the Division of Building Technology, Lund Institute of Technology, for investigating the behaviour of fibrous material as thermal insulation. A preliminary versio

It is crucial for social work education to provide opportunities for students to gain a sincere and genuine knowledge of the conditions of life that are common for their forthcoming clients and patients. Social work students and service users with experiences with multiple social and personal problems now meet, as they are participants in an experimental course at the School of Social Work in Lund

Children with severe diseases can be provided nutritional support through a gastrostomy if needed. At the Department of Paediatric Surgery in Lund we have used the Video Assisted Gastrostomy (VAG) procedure since 1994 when establishing gastrostomies. In this thesis, children with different diseases, who all had undergone the VAG procedure, were studied in five different clinical studies. Postopera

The adverse effects of drugs in the eye are not easily detected, and the underlying pathogenesis not fully understood. The effects of four different kinds of drugs have been investigated in the rabbit eye, using electroretinography, ocular examination and histochemical methods. Rifabutin is a broad spectrum antibiotic with known ocular adverse effects (corneal opacities, uveitis and vascular ret

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

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

Vegetable and/or fruit intakes in association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk have been investigated in case-control studies conducted in specific European countries and cohort studies conducted in Asia, with inconclusive results. No multi-centre European cohort has investigated the indicated associations.

Obese subjects have increased number of enlarged fat cells which are reduced in size but not number in post-obesity. We performed DNA methylation profiling in fat cells with the aim of identifying differentially methylated DNA sites (DMS) linked to adipose hyperplasia (many small fat cells) in post-obesity.

Creatinine- and cystatin C-based estimates of renal function are considered to be cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, but the clinical utility in middle-aged subjects without a history of CVD is controversial.

There is little knowledge about the circulatory effects of dopamine in hypothermia. Induced hypothermia has been shown to improve outcome in various settings. Hypothermia is also used for preservation of organs that are harvested for transplantation. We evaluated lungs that were topically cooled for 6 hours in non-heart-beating donor pigs by transplanting them into recipient pigs and observing the

The aim was to study the epidemiology of chronic pain (> 3 months duration) and factors associated to pain prevalence, prognosis, health care and medication in a general population. A cross-sectional mailed survey to a random population sample (n = 1806) was followed by a clinical examination and a prospective study of three selected groups. Pain related diagnoses from primary health care was moni