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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
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
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
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
Abstract in Uncoded languages Praegune kaitsejalatsite testimise standard (EN 344) kontrollib soojapidavuslikke omadusi vaid jalatsi ühes punktis mõõtes temperatuuri muutust. Meetod, mis kasutab termilist jala mudelit võimaldab mõõta jalatsi soojaisolatsiooni üheaegselt erinevates piirkondades ning ühtlasi ka jalatsi kui terviku soojaisolatsiooni. Selle uurimuse käigus on soojendatava jala meetodiPresent standard on safety footwear (EN 344) checks the insulation only at one point in the shoes by means of measuring the temperature change. A method that uses thermal foot model allows to measure footwear insulation simultaneously at various locations and for whole footwear as total. In the cause of the present research the method of heated foot model has been developed further. Now it is poss
Proteases and their inhibitors are implicated in the physiology and pathology of the airways. Protease inhibitors include those produced locally, such as secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and those produced mainly by the liver that can reach the airways via passive diffusion, such as alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT). SLPI is a significant component of the anti-neutrophil elastase shield in th
The main theme of this thesis is the use of fluorescence spectroscopy in biomedicine. The work presented in the thesis can be divided into three areas of applications. The first area involves the use of fluorescence to find the location of a deeply situated fluorophore within turbid media. Fluorescence emitted from the fluorophore will be attenuated when propagating through the medium, due to the
Abstract Technology is always designed for an assumed user in an assumed context. In commercial aviation, these design assumptions are clearly spelt out in that both crew and equipment are certificated for a specific operation as stated in the aircraft flight manual. Despite this well defined user context, the designed-for and the real contexts often differ enough so that adaptations of working p
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability for which there is no treatment for functional recovery. Following stroke, striatal neurogenesis is increased, with newly formed neuroblasts migrating towards the damage. This response has so far been considered acute and transient. In this thesis, a model of experimental stroke (2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAO) used to study three a
The main purpose of my thesis is to investigate how the Chicago School in urban sociology, that was active between 1915 and 1935, developed and why it produced so many classical monographs during a period of about ten to fifteen years. To outline the historical reasons for the School to develop I have chosen to view the historical context as a field with different actors. Another related and overa
The aim of the thesis was to study matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP-26) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-4 (TIMP-4) in normal, hyperplastic, and malignant endometrium. Most importantnly, both these molecules may be ivolved in the implantation process. Trophoblast tissue from human as well as mouse embryos produces pro-MMP-9. Active MMP-9 (gelatinase B) is a proteolytic enzyme with a bro
Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) is an effective operations method that successfully decreased the degree of spasticity with long lasting beneficial effects for children with spastic diplegia. Children undergoing SDR are postoperatively in severe pain, a pain related to both the extensive surgical exposure with multilevel laminotomy and the nerve root manipulation. To give an optimal pain relief,
The point of departure of this thesis is the rapidly growing research field known as the New Economic Geography (NEG). It consists of four chapters, one introductory chapter and three self-contained theoretical studies. The chapters may be summarised as follows. The first chapter gives a brief account of the NEG. It explains the soaring interest in the location of economic activity, and it review
This thesis deals with the process of estimating underwater current from the backscattering signal transmitted from an ultrasonic transducer. The narrowband sinusoidal burst signal is Doppler-shifted due to the current, and this information is converted into current. The traditional mathematical model for this Doppler process is based on the assumption that the backscattering time signal is Gaussi
During the 1990s many of the local authorities have been forced to reduce expenditure on the care of the elderly and people with disabilities, and many organisational changes have been carried out. New problems and their solutions are often related to leadership and management. This dissertation deals with three trends in the development of the organisation: The first trend is a market orientation
Outer membrane vesicles (OMV) have the size of nanoparticles and are released from the outer membrane of most Gram-negative bacteria. The OMV reflect the composition of the bacterial outer membrane, including lipids and virulence factors specific for the pathogen, and are involved in pathogenesis and bacterial survival. Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae are Gram-negative bacterial s
One of the major determinants of the final infarct size during an acute coronary occlusion is the size of the myocardium subjected to ischemia. Identification and quantification of this so-called myocardium at risk in the acute phase of ischemia has been difficult in patients with conventional methods, such as myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or electrocardio
Heart failure is a clinical syndrome characterized by an inability of the heart to meet the metabolic demands of the body. Approximately 1-2% of the population in the western society has the diagnosis, and the 5-year mortality rate is comparable with the common cancer diagnoses. The lack of reliable objective measures of heart failure motivates research in this direction. Blood flow is an essentia
Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and premature death, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The aim of this thesis was to investigate cardiovascular parameters and adrenergic function in mild PHPT compared to healthy controls subjects before and after curative parathyroidectomy (PTX). Forty-nine patients with mild PHPT (serum calci
