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This thesis deals with techniques to model risk in financial markets and consists of four separate essays. The thesis begins with an introduction in chapter one, while chapter two to chapter five contains the four essays. The first essay examines the implication of using various risk measures for portfolio selection. Specifically, three risk measures are examined: variance, Value at Risk (VaR) an
The focus of this dissertation is communication between managers and subordinates in a modern organization. The research questions are concerned with ideas, practices and organizational conditions in relation to leadership communication. My starting point for this study was the change in leadership philosophy that was introduced in many organizations at the beginning of the 1980s. This transforma
Gliomas are neoplasms arising in the central nervous system (CNS), and constitute the most common primary brain tumor. They are classified depending on the grade and morphology, from grade I, pilocytic astrocytoma, to grade IV, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Glioblastomas constitute a great challenge in treatment due to their disseminating nature. Classical treatments such as surgery, radiation th
An elevated plasma level of homocysteine has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The objectives of this thesis were to study the influence of renal function on homocysteine levels in patients with coronary artery disease and to explore the association of elevated plasma levels of homocysteine to oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The effects of pla
The concepts participation and empowerment are frequently used in development projects in the third world. The meaning given to the concepts today signal a normative orientation, marking an alternative, people-centred approach to development. When used in development projects, the concepts demand detailed descriptions. They also demand project implementers, often local NGOs (non-government organis
In this thesis, aspects of the use of cryogenically cooled rare-earth-ion-doped crystals in the fields of quantum optics and quantum information processing are addressed. The experiments and theoretical considerations referred to in this thesis are based on the coherent transient interaction between light and the ions in the crystals. A photon echo experiment has been performed where faint optica
Gender equality has been on the development cooperation agenda for more than three decades. Bilateral agencies have developed policies, strategies, methodologies and tools to support achievement of this important goal. Following the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 it is important to take stock of the progress that has been made, and identify the changes needed for movi
Selenium is an essential nutrient and in animals and humans it can either be specifically incorporated into proteins as selenocysteine or randomly as selenomethionine. It can also occur as low-molecular-weight compounds and the form of selenium in foods may also influence food quality. The aims of the present studies were: to study selenium and other trace element compounds in milk and whey; to el
Power Doppler ultrasound (PDU) is a sensitive technique to detect slow blood movement. The aim of the present study was to develop a standardized method for quantification of the PDU signals recorded from a specific region of interest (ROI) within fetal organs. The quantification method - fractional moving blood volume (FMBV) - compensating for factors potentially affecting the final results, e.g.
The subject of this thesis is plasma protein C4b-binding protein (C4BP). C4BP is an important regulator of the classical pathway of the complement system, a cascade-like system comprised of over 35 proteins, which partakes in the defence against micro-organisms and is involved of clearance of immune-complexes and apoptotic cells. C4BP contains two different types of subunits, seven identical alfa-
Poststernotomy mediastinitis is a devastating complication associated with median sternotomy, which occurs mainly after cardiac surgery. The optimal treatment is still controversial. The aim was to develop, describe and evaluate a surgical procedure consisting of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) in combination with delayed primary closure in patients with mediastinitis. A porcine sternotomy wound mo
Carex humilis forms rings of densely aggregated ramets in dry grassland vegetation in Central Europe. In the thesis I conclude that ramet demography is important both for analyzing fitness in clonal plants and for understanding how C. humilis rings are formed. I studied the ramet demography of C. humilis from 1993-1998 at the Hexenberg mountain, 300 m.a.s., 60 km east of Vienna, Austria. In total,
Around 1750 a German chemist discovered it to be possible to extract sugar crystals from beet juice. Since then, breeding and improved agricultural practices have increased the concentration of sucrose per root from around 4% to around 18%. Sugar content is still one of the most important characters in sugar beet breeding, but breeders of today are also faced with many more characters, many of a c
Postoperative pain relief with opioids after major non-cardiac surgery may give rise to adverse effects. The fear of dangerous side effects may therefore limit the optimal use of different treatment modalities in surgical wards. Opioids can be administered alone as an intravenous infusion, or in combination with local anaesthetics as an epidural infusion. Both regimes can be tailored with a patien
Coagulase-negative staphyloccoci (CoNS) are the most frequently isolated micro-organisms from infected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts and temporary ventricular drainage catheters, used in modern neurosurgery. CoNS originate from the skinflora of the patient or the surgeon and gain access to the surface of the implant at the insertion, but the infection can erupt up to a year later or more. Immed
The issue of higher education and its relation to the working life of graduates has been intensely discussed since the beginning of the 1990’s. There have been constant complaints about an alleged mismatch between graduate competence and competence required by potential employers, regardless of field. On the other hand, representatives of higher education have stressed the independent role of univ
The chloroplast-localized small heat shock protein (sHsp) Hsp21 belongs to the family of alpha-crystallin like sHsps which form large oligomeric structures and protect partly unfolded aggregation-prone proteins against aggregation. The main focus for this thesis has been on the highly conserved methionines in Hsp21. These methionine residues are situated on one side of an amphipathic alpha-helix.
Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is an economically important crop, and recognised as an important source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds with health promoting effects. Yet increased incidence of allergy puts a limit to the choice of food for an increasing percentage of the population. As part of this thesis a strawberry allergen termed Fra a 1 was identified, which is related to a major bi
Primary infections and vaccination stimulates the immunesystem to produce memory cells that rapidly respond to reexposure of the same antigen. These memory responses are dependent on an adaptive type of immunity that sustains the reactivity of the immune system by long-lived memory immune cells. From an evolutionary perspective adaptive immunity as such appears to be restricted to jawed vertebrate
The Class Aves (birds) is generally divided into two main groups - the Palaeognathae and the Neognathae. Paleognathous birds are the flightless ratites and the tinamous, while Neognathae include all other extant birds (more than 9,000 species). This opinion has prevailed for more than a century and is primarily based on morphological studies of the avian bony palate. In this study, the relationsh
