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

This dissertation investigates the possibilities and limitations of time-dependent many-body perturbation theory by studying small Hubbard clusters for which the exact solution is available. The first part of the thesis is comprised of a short introduction to the concepts and methodologies used. The second part consists of an review of the main findings of the thesis and a short summary of four

The purpose of this paper is to give a description of the communicativity in a foreign language classroom and also of students’ communicative behaviour. Since the beginning of the 80s communication has been widely discussed as one of the main features in instructed language learning. The focus on form, that traditionally has been dominant in the language classroom, was combined or even replaced by

Glyoxal (CHOCHO), as an indicator of photochemical “hot spots”, was for the first time the subject of a differential absorption lidar (DIAL) campaign. The strongest absorption line of glyoxal in the blue wavelength region – 455.1 nm – was chosen as the experimental absorption wavelength. In order to handle the effects of absorption cross-section variation of the interfering gas – nitrogen dioxide

Oxidative stress can cause damage to DNA, proteins and lipids and is associated with inflammation and various human diseases as cancer, atherosclerosis, and autoimmune diseases. Polyphenol-rich diet, such as fruits and berries, may act as antioxidants and prevent oxidative stress and, thereby, associated diseases. Administration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can affect the microflora in the gastro

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death in industrialized countries. One underlying cause is atherosclerosis, which is a systemic disease characterized by plaques of retained lipids, inflammatory cells, apoptotic cells, calcium and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in the arterial wall. The biologic composition of an atherosclerotic plaque determines whether the plaque is

Introduction: Detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood has an established prognostic significance in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Change in the number of detected CTCs is also an indication of response to therapy. Characterisation of CTCs could provide easily accessible treatment predictive information of present cancer cells within the patient and could reveal i

The aim of the present thesis was to enhance our understanding of social support for physical activity among adolescents. Earlier findings show inconsistent results with regard to the importance of social support. The present thesis includes three empirical studies examining adolescents (16-18 years) during their years in high-school. Study I was a cross-sectional quantitative study that concluded

The Helianthemum oelandicum complex shows considerable morphological variation across its geographic distribution in Europe and western Asia. By combining four primer pairs and four restriction enzymes I identified nine cpDNA haplotypes with distinct geographical distributions. Two haplotypes were most frequent over most of the range; one in western Europe and one in eastern Europe. Moreover, diff

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

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

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

Hospital care is a joint production involving a wide range of services; ranging from medical services to support services to hotel services. This paper, focusing on the cooperation between these services, models the internal organization of public hospitals. The analysis is based on the property rights approach to organization (aka the Grossman-Hart-Moore model) and adopts it to the realities of p

The aim of the paper is to discuss, with a broadly postcolonial sensibility, the complex role that language has come to play in the contemporary process of globalization. It attempts to show that language, besides being a medium of communication, has come to play a crucial role in companies’ conquest of the global market, on the one hand, and in defending a general idea of an imaginary homogenous

There are many market and organisational barriers to the breakthrough of a new industrial field such as bioenergy. For many observers, recent high prices of oil and the significant policy support measures throughout Europe, would appear to have created economic conditions that should be sufficient for the industry to prosper. However, a significant number of policies supposed to expand bioenergy (

It is often a challenge for a child to communicate their pain, and their possibilities to do so should be strengthened in healthcare settings. Digital self-assessment provides a potential solution for person-centered care in pain management and promotes child participation when a child is ill. A child's perception of pain assessment differs when it is assessed using digital or analog formats. As w