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Neoliberalism, as a loosely defined set of political beliefs, calls for more individual freedom and autonomy, resulting in increased responsibility for each person to address major societal issues. ‘Individualization’ is the process by which responsibility for addressing major environmental issues such as climate change is placed on individuals. In this thesis I investigate whether individualizati

Abstract The main influences on growing conditions in pastures and hayfields are grazing and mowing, which regulate the species struggle for space and resources. If the management ceases, this will contribute to a change of the vegetation. A succession starts where the plant cover gradually will change according to a specific pattern. After some time a few competitive species, previously disfavou

Variations in molybdenum isotopic composition, spanning the range of similar to 2.3 parts per thousand in the terms of Mo-97/Mo-95 ratio, have been measured in sediment cores from three lakes in northern Sweden and north-western Russia. These variations have been produced by both isotopically variable input of Mo into the lakes due to Mo isotopic heterogeneity of bedrock in the drainage basins and

Background The perception of surgery as expensive and complex might be a barrier to its widespread acceptance in global health efforts. We did a systematic review and analysis of cost-effectiveness studies that assess surgical interventions in low-income and middle-income countries to help quantify the potential value of surgery. Methods We searched Medline for all relevant articles published betw

Background: The aim in the thesis is to study diagnostic issues, clinical features, therapy, and prognosis in selected demyelinative disorders of the nervous system: optic neuritis (ON), primary progressive MS (PPMS), and tumefactive MS (a very rare acute demyelinating disorder). Methods: From an initial cohort of 110 patients with ON collected 19 to 31 years ago, a new follow-up survey was con

BACKGROUND: Primary cervical screening with both human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and cytological examination of cervical cells with a Pap test (cytology) has been evaluated in randomized clinical trials. Because the vast majority of women with positive cytology are also HPV DNA positive, screening strategies that use HPV DNA testing as the primary screening test may be more effective. METHO

This is a thesis project, analysing data from high-resolution imaging observations, specifically speckle imaging, as a follow up study of exoplanet host stars observed with K2, the second operational phase of the space telescope Kepler. The project was accomplished at NASA Ames research center under the guidance of Rachel A. Matson, during an internship in collaboration with the Swedish National S

Low-temperature vacuum spray drying (VSD) is a potential drying approach for probiotic and live biotherapeutic product (LBP) formulations. This thesis investigated VSD for Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 as a model probiotic strain, with the aim of identifying a feasible lab-scale operating window and using data-driven analysis to support process understanding. Sucrose–maltodextrin formulati

Background: To assess the quality of life of people with dementia, measures are required for self-rating by the person with dementia, and for proxy rating by others. The Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD) is available in two versions, QoL-AD-SR (self-rating) and QoL-AD-PR (proxy rating). The aim of our study was to analyse the inter-rater agreement between self- and proxy rating

Because several studies have implicated serotonin as a regulator of bone mass, we here explore its potential association on fracture risk and falls, as on bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle strength, in humans. Serum levels of serotonin were analyzed in 950 men (aged 69 to 81 years), participating in the Gothenburg part of the population-based study MrOS Sweden. Men taking selective serotonin r

Background: Early cartilage changes in knee osteoarthritis (OA) can be assessed by both intravenous (i.v.) and intra-articular (i.a.) delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC). Purpose: To examine the relationship between i.a. dGEMRIC and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of menisci (dGEMRIM), and to investigate if the approach can be used to assess the morphological degeneration of men

Background: Even before the onset of age-related diseases, obesity might be a contributing factor to the cumulative burden of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation throughout the life course. Obesity may therefore contribute to accelerated shortening of telomeres. Consequently, obese persons are more likely to have shorter telomeres, but the association between body mass index (BMI) and leukoc

Meteorological extreme events such as El Niño events are expected to affect tropical forest net primary production (NPP) and woody growth, but there has been no large-scale empirical validation of this expectation. We collected a large high-temporal resolution dataset (for 1-13 years depending upon location) of more than 172 000 stem growth measurements using dendrometer bands from across 14 regio

Background: Multimorbidity has already become common in primary care and will be a challenge in the future. Primary care in Sweden participates to a great extent in the care of patients with two severe, chronic conditions: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure. Both conditions are characterized by high mortality and often coexist. Age, sex, heart failure and other comorbid

The holotype (KUVP 1301) of Styxosaurus snowii—one of the earliest described elasmosaurid plesiosaurians—consists of a well-preserved cranium, mandible and articulated sequence of anterior–mid-series cervical vertebrae found in the lowermost Campanian strata of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member in the Niobrara Formation of Kansas, USA. This particular specimen has proven important for recent phylogenies

Fetal mesencephalic mouse tissue, rich in dopamine neurons, was xenografted as a dissociated cell suspension into the striatum of rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine induced lesions of the mesostriatal pathway. The rats were either assigned to a 10-day, 21-day or 42-day Cyclosporin A (CyA) immunosuppression scheme, or given no immunosuppression. The functional effects of the grafts were followe

Background Sarcopenia and poor physical function are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our aim was to investigate the relationships between muscle mass and measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and between muscle mass and strength and balance, respectively, in patients with CKD stages 3–5. Methods This is a baseline data analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial.