The covariances in spatial models are estimated by linear smoothing of products of residuals. In the model no parametric assumptions are made about the mean function or the spatial dependence. Both are assumed to be smooth. Smoothing is based on local polynomials, though any linear smoother is possible to use. Expressions for the mean and the covariance of this estimator are developed and a versio

PURPOSE: To follow up children born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) with respect to eye malformations and poor visual acuity. DESIGN: Observational cohort study based on Swedish health registers. METHODS: Congenital eye malformations were studied in 32 091 children born from 1982 through 2007 and severe visual impairment was studied in 24 628 children born from 1985 through 2005 after IVF in Sw

Methylmercury is eliminated from the human body as glutathione (GSH) conjugates. GSH production is mediated by glutamyl-cysteine ligase (GCL) and conjugation by glutathione S-transferases (GST). In this study, the authors tested whether polymorphisms in GCL and GST genes modify methylmercury retention. Erythrocyte mercury concentration (EryHg), plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids (PPUFA), and genot

The aim of this thesis is to study early life risk exposures in relation to adult health and mortality in Sweden during 250 years. A number of causal mechanisms by which exposure to diseases and stressful economic and social conditions early in life may lead to increased morbidity and mortality later in life are discussed (paper I). The early life exposures investigated are the foetal origins (nut

Susceptibility to osteoporotic fracture is influenced by genetic factors that can be dissected by whole-genome linkage analysis in experimental animal crosses. The aim of this study was to characterize quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for biomechanical and two-dimensional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) phenotypes in reciprocal F2 crosses between diabetic GK and normo-glycemic F344 rat strain

Recently BRCA1 has been implicated in the regulation of gene expression from the X chromosome. In this study the influence of BRCA1 on expression of X chromosome genes was investigated. Complementary DNA microarrays were used to compare the expression levels of X chromosome genes in 18 BRCA1-associated ovarian cancers to those of the 13 "BRCA1-like" and 14 "BRCA2-like" sporadic tumors (as defined

Abstract is not available

We present a study of tunable high-order sum and difference frequency mixing in the 7-70 eV range, in xenon, argon and neon. We mix the light from a terawatt, subpicosecond titanium-sapphire laser and that from a tunable optical parametric generator. The radiation generated through mixing processes involves absorption or emission of one or Mo photons from the weak tunable source. The relative stre

Background and purpose There are no reports in the literature on the influence of learning on the pedicle screw insertion. We studied the effect of learning on the rate of screw misplacement in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated with segmental pedicle screw fixation. Method We retrospectively evaluated low-dose spine computed tomography of 116 consecutive patients (aged 16 (12-2

Abstract in Chinese 中文语用标记语"吧"的关联理论分析 Marita Ljungqvist 瑞典隆德大学 摘要 本文以关联理论为依据试图对汉语句末助词”吧”的用法进行全面的解释与分析。 结果表明，”吧” 在陈述句、疑问句与祈使句都具有类似的用法，即表示说话者面向听话者对自己表达的命题(陈述句、疑问句) 或言语行为(祈使句)之承诺。结果还表明”吧”有时同英文的像 yeah 、right 、innit 类似的所谓”tags” 的词语一样 起着鼓励听话者更积极/投入地参加会话的作用。 在这种语境里”吧”的出现表示礼貌而不一定意味着说话者要听话者回应或确认命题的真实价值。 关键词 句未助词、语用学、关联理论This paper aims to present a proposal for a relevance-theoretic description of the use of the particle ba in Mandarin Chinese. The result of the analyses of the data shows that ba is a pragmatic marker with a similar function in declaratives, interrogatives and imperatives, i.e. to indicate hearer-oriented weak commitment towards either the proposition expressed (declaratives, interrogatives) or t

To describe the process of providing healthcare through the transition years to individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) and to present data on living arrangements, education/occupation status, and use of personal assistance in young Swedish adults with CP.

Objective: The minor G allele of FOXO3A rs2802292 has been associated with longevity. We aimed to investigate whether a phenotype related to healthy metabolic aging could be identified in individuals carrying the longevity-associated FOXO3A rs2802292 G allele. Research Design and Methods: rs2802292 was genotyped in a phenotypically well-characterized population of young and elderly twins (n = 190)

The aim of this thesis is to argue for the definition of the German present tense as a non-past tense. Three descriptive levels are distinguished: the semantic, the conceptual and the "level of reality" ( "Wirklichkeitsebene" ). It is assumed that there is no 1:1 correspondence between the semantic and the conceptual level. The former divides time into two temporal spheres: the past and the non-pa