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This thesis concerns the role of disability and assistive devices in everyday life among persons with, for instance, impairments related to mobility (e.g. wheelchair users) and bodily shape and configuration (e.g. dysmelia). Assistive devices are seen as both includators (assisting participation and emancipation) and excludators (limiting participation, restraining empowerment, and stigmatizing).

A project engaging the five Nordic countries has presented common reference intervals for the most frequently used biochemical and haematological analytes. The results are based on samples from up to 3000 healthy adult reference persons and are statistically calculated to include 95 % of the reference population’s values. Reference samples were analyzed together with commutable control materials t

The overall aim of this thesis was to study how persons experience the influence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) on their sexual health and their experiences of communication about sexual health, in order to improve physiotherapy within the field of rheumatology. Sexual health is an integrated part of life, and persons with Rheumatoid Arthritis, RA, often experience a decreased sexual health, which c

The aim of the work presented in this thesis was to investigate two different types of adverse reactions, persistent itching nodules and contact allergy to aluminium, after immunization with aluminium-containing vaccines and aluminium-containing allergen extracts used for allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT). The first paper describes active parental reporting of adverse events (AEFIs) after a

Background: Identifying children with childhood-onset neurodevelopmental problems (NDPs, defined here as autism spectrum disorders [ASDs], attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [AD/HD], tic disorders [TDs], learning disorders [LDs] and development coordination disorder), using easily administered screening instruments, is a prerequisite for epidemiological research. Such instruments are also cl

The evaporative gas turbine (EvGT), also known as the humid air turbine (HAT) cycle, is a novel advanced gas turbine cycle that has attracted considerable interest for the last decade. This high-efficiency cycle shows the potential to be competitive with Diesel engines or combined cycles in small and intermediate scale plants for power production and/or cogeneration. A 0.6 MW natural gas-fired EvG

Using a multitissue, genome-wide gene expression approach, we recently identified a gene module linked to the extent of human atherosclerosis. This atherosclerosis module was enriched with inherited risk for coronary and carotid artery disease (CAD) and overlapped with genes in the transendothelial migration of leukocyte (TEML) pathway. Among the atherosclerosis module genes, the transcription cof

The effects of alkylresorcinols (ARs) isolated from rye bran on adipocyte lipolysis, hormone-sensitive lipase activity and phosphorylation and on phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrates were studied. Preincubation with ARs for 18 h suppressed catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), a key lipase responsible for

Subendothelial LDL-adhesion and its subsequent oxidation are considered as key events in the development of atherosclerotic lesions. During oxidation of LDL, reactive aldehydes such as malondialdehyde (MDA) are formed, which modify apolipoprotein B100. However, the possibility that these reactive aldehydes could leak out of the LDL-particle and modify surrounding extracellular matrix proteins has

Adipose tissue has an important function in total energy homeostasis and its dysregulation may contribute to life-style related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate genome-wide mRNA expression in adipose tissue in healthy men before and after an exercise intervention to identify genes or pathways that mediate the beneficial

Unlike Knut Wicksell, Eli Heckscher did not believe the time had arrived for “managed money” to replace the gold standard after World War I. The war had shown that only a gold standard could bind the central bank to a time-consistent policy with reasonable price stability. Heckscher likened the problem of reinstating the gold standard to “Belling the cat” in Aesop’s fable. When the international g

Objective To determine the association between concentration of prostate specific antigen (PSA) at age 40-55 and subsequent risk of prostate cancer metastasis and mortality in an unscreened population to evaluate when to start screening for prostate cancer and whether rescreening could be risk stratified. Design Case-control study with 1: 3 matching nested within a highly representative population

The Gq-coupled 5-hydroxytryptamine 2B (5-HT2B) receptor is known to regulate the proliferation of islet beta cells during pregnancy. However, the role of serotonin in the control of insulin release is still controversial. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of the 5-HT2B receptor in the regulation of insulin secretion in mouse and human islets, as well as in clonal INS-1(832/13) c

In this paper we consider a model for international tourism demand. The point of departure of the analysis is a utility function that is both dynamic and stochastic. In the model the stochastic component is interpreted as random changes in preferences for goods and services, while the dynamic component can be seen as either habit formation or as interdependent preferences. The resulting demand fun

Remote laser-induced fluorescence monitoring can complement passive reflectance measurements on vegetation. Vegetation classification and status assessment is normally performed by air- or spaceborne multi-spectral scanners. An increased research activity in the field of vegetation monitoring is motivated by the abundant stressed forests of Europe. We have used a mobile lidar system for remote stu