Aims: To investigate whether a high level of commonly experienced physical and mental symptoms could predict long spells of sickness absence in Swedish women and, further, to investigate the causal pattern of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors in relation to long spells of sickness absence. Methods: A questionnaire containing items on socioeconomic and psychosocial variables was sent to a rand

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-D is a member of the PDGF/vascular endothelial growth factor family that activates PDGF receptor beta (PDGFR-beta). We show that PDGF-D is highly expressed in the myocardium throughout development and adulthood, as well as by arterial vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs). To obtain further knowledge regarding the in vivo response to PDGF-D, we generated transg

AIMS: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a major regulator of triglyceride clearance. A genetic variant of the LPL gene on chromosome 8p22, Asn291Ser, has previously been associated with dyslipidaemia and an increased frequency of cardiovascular disease as well as familial disorders of lipoprotein metabolism. The aim of this study was to test whether the phenotypic expression of the LPL Asn291Ser variant

The objective of this thesis is to propose a way to introduce social and cultural aspects of environmental degradation to the sustainable development debate. This is done by a reflexive and critical examination of environmental research as it has been applied to different spatial levels (and thus levels of social complexity). The spatial categories discussed are the city, the household and the lan

Supermacroporous dextran gels (SDGs), having pores tens of micrometers in size and highly interconnected, were prepared from dextran macromonomer through radical polymerization at subzero temperatures and compared with dextran gels prepared at ambient temperature. Dextran macromonomer was synthesized via glycidyl methacrylate derivatization of dextran T500 in DMSO medium. The derivatization of dex

Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is a separation process in water and wastewater treatment. The removal function is based on reducing the density of the particle by producing aggregates of the particles and added micro-bubbles of air, thus lifting the aggregates to the water surface, where they can be removed as sludge. One parameter that is believed to be of crucial importance is fluid dynamics. The

Popular Abstract in Swedish I avhandlingen presenteras nya teoretiska och experimentella metoder för att analysera spridning av elektromagnetiska vågor, framförallt med fokus på antenner och trådlös kommunikation. Oavsett det handlar om radio- och TV-sändningar, mobiltelefoni, trådlösa datornätverk, eller radar, så är antenner oumbärliga; de är nämligen länken mellan de elektromagnetiska vågorna oSum rules and physical limitations within electromagnetic theory and antenna theory have received significant attention in the last few years. However, the derivations are often relying on application specific and sometimes unsupported assumptions, and therefore a mathematically rigorous and generally applicable approach seems timely. Such an approach is presented in this thesis, along with exampl

Background: Increasing evidence about the high social and economic costs of poor mental health has contributed to a growing recognition of the need for health promotion interventions in mental health services. In spite of this, little empirical research has been performed investigating patients' attitudes to health promotion interventions. Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate diff

Background: National guidelines recommend that healthy pregnant women take 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day. Most women reduce the level of physical activity during pregnancy but only a few studies of women's experiences of physical activity during pregnancy exist. The aim of the present study was to elucidate experiences and views of leisure time physical activity during pregnancy in

A number of measures have been taken by the society to ensure gender equality in higher education. Nevertheless, women still face great difficulties when pursuing an academic career. Our aim is to increase the understanding of how the society, conceptualised as the organisational field, interacts with organisational factors and personal actions as women try to establish themselves within academia.

The service sector in the USA accounts for 80% of gross domestic product. However, in spite of the pivotal role of the service sector in the US economy and its impact on daily life, the level of productivity in this sector has been much lower than that of the manufacturing area. This situation has been in existence for some time, but in the current context, there are growing external pressures to

The aim of this study was to determine how roots and their ectomycorrhizal symbionts affect the fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O) from nutrient-rich drained organic forest soils. Specifically, the relative impacts of roots and mycorrhizal mycelia on N2O fluxes were investigated using two different trenching treatments, excluding (a) roots or (b) roots and mycorrhizal mycelia, from the soil. N2O fluxes

High-spin states have been studied in Pr-135(59), populated through the Cd-116(Na-23,4n) reaction at 115 MeV, using the Gammasphere gamma-ray spectrometer. The negative-parity yrast band has been significantly extended to spin similar to 45 (h) over bar and excitation energy 21.5 MeV, showing evidence for several rotational alignments. The positive-parity yrast band of Ce-135(58), populated throug

Ur regnskogens skugga berättar om en ovanlig resa. År 1754 gav sig Daniel Rolander iväg på en strapatsrik färd till Sydamerika och Surinams urskogar. Han var Carl von Linnés mest litterärt begåvade lärjunge och hade skickats ut för att insamla växter och djur och beskriva landet. Resultatet av den tvååriga resan blev rika samlingar och en 700-sidig resejournal som målande berättar om växt- och dju

Dorsal agenesis of the pancreas is a rare congenital disorder. We report a case of a 65-year-old man with mild abdominal pain and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed a short pancreas with no pancreatic tissue ventral to the splenic vein. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) visualized the absence of a dorsal duct system and confirmed th

The premise of this article is that climate effects on lakes can be quantified most effectively by the integration of process-oriented limnological studies with paleolimnological research, particularly when both disciplines operate within a common conceptual framework. To this end, the energy (E)-mass (m) flux framework (Em flux) is developed and applied to selected retrospective studies to demons