| 1. |
- Högström, Claes, 1979-
(författare)
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Fit in to stand out : An experience perspective on value creation
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In order to grow and survive, a firm must create value with consumers in ways that both fit in with consumer demands and stand out from competitors. Focusing on and understanding consumer and firm assessments of value and creation of value has become a central scope in the contemporary strategic management and marketing literature for understanding and explaining firm survival and success. Consequently, the overall aim of this thesis is to provide a conceptually and empirically grounded understanding of consumers’ and managers’ value assessments and behavior in value creation.This thesis draws on a consumer experience perspective and theories on social construction, organizational identity, self-congruence, and the theory of attractive quality, and combines multiple qualitative and quantitative studies. The findings in this thesis shed light on the interplay between consumers, firms, and contextual structures in value creation. Contextual structural, cultural, and political forces are shown to affect and be affected by the shared and individual cognitions of value creation that firms and consumers use in their assessment and creation value.The results of the study enhance the understanding of how firms can adopt various strategic schemas or organizing logics to optimize different types of use value creation when choosing between opposing and contradictive demands in their value creation. Furthermore, the thesis provides a deeper understanding of the hierarchical nature of consumer judgments of value that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of firm prioritizations and as a foundation for future value-creating strategies.
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| 2. |
- Löfberg, Nina, 1979-
(författare)
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Service Orientation in Manufacturing Firms : Understanding Challenges with Service Business Logic
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globalisation and competition from low-cost countries has pushed manufacturing firms towards offering services to remain competitive. However, increasing the service orientation of a manufacturing firm to find new ways of value (co-)creation has presented several challenges, such as the fact that services do not provide the expected revenues, and resistance from both the sales force and from customers towards services.The aim of this thesis is to understand challenges linked to increasing service orientation in manufacturing firms, by means of goods and service business logics. The thesis emphasises the three dimensions of business logics – value perspective, service business strategy, and service offering – and studies them empirically in service divisions in the pulp and paper industry and in the automotive industry.The findings show that firms with inconsistency between the three dimensions face certain challenges. Most often, the firms have a value perspective of goods business logic, but a service business strategy and a service offering of service business logic. Therefore, the most important and most difficult challenge to overcome in order to increase a manufacturing firm’s service orientation is the employees’ value perspective.Three service manoeuvres were key to overcoming this challenge: changing employees’ mind-sets, starting to value services, and separating products and services. Although separating products and services could be assessed as a service manoeuvre consistent with goods business logic, it facilitated an increased service orientation. The fact that goods business logic manoeuvres led to a higher degree of service orientation, whereas service business logic manoeuvres did not always do so, is discussed as a service orientation paradox.
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| 3. |
- Andersson K, Pernille
(författare)
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Changing the servicescape : The influence of music and self-disclosure on approach-avoidance behavior
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and understand the effect of a servicescape’s ambient and social conditions on consumers’ Approach/Avoidance behavior in a retail context. More specifically, this thesis investigates the effect of music (ambient stimuli) and employees’ self-disclosure (social stimuli) on consumers’ Approach/Avoidance behavior in a retail store. Paper I comprised two experiments. Experiment 1 investigated the influence of the independent variable No music/Music. Likewise, experiment 2 studied the influence of the independent variable No music/Slow-tempo music/Fast-tempo music. The dependent variables in both experiments were pleasure, arousal, and the resulting Approach/Avoidance behavior. Paper II investigated the influence of the independent variable self-disclosure. The dependent variables were Approach/Avoidance behavior, measured by pleasure, arousal, liking, satisfaction, and reciprocity. The conclusions of this thesis are that both ambient and social stimuli in a servicescape affect consumers’ internal responses, which in turn affect their behavior. Depending on the situation (type of purchase), retail (bank, supermarket, or electronic retail store), and stimuli (ambient or social), the internal and behavioral responses are different.
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| 4. |
- Grannäs, Jan, 1967-
(författare)
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Framtidens demokratiska medborgare : Om ungdomar, medborgarskap och demokratifostran i svensk skola
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis attempts to deepen our understanding of the democratic assignment for Swedish schools. The school is a public space that all children and youth are a part of which gives it a prominent opportunity for fostering democratic citizens of the future. The purpose of the study is to increase the knowledge of this assignment, based on the students’ stories of how they experience it. The theoretical framework draws upon a spatial perspective and educational theory inspired by a radical view of democracy. A multiple case study was conducted based on three cases, chosen in order to achieve socioeconomic variation. A mixed method approach has been applied to the study: interviews, observations, documents and quantitative data have been analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. The results show that the democratic assignment of schools is complex and filled with legal, social, ideological, and ethical tensions. For the purpose of creating a school environment that meets the democratic assignment, systematic work and guidelines for school personnel, students, and parents appear to be necessary. The study has clearly shown that the conditions for the democratic assignment may differ markedly between schools and that peer socialization is of great importance for the outcome. The influence and potential of diversity on the democratic assignment of schools is clear. From a curriculum micro perspective, the study has brought attention to how the view of the (non-)competent student is relevant for the democratic assignment, as well as the bases on which this notion of (non-)competence rest. It is suggested that the view of the democratic assignment is extended, from a narrow focus on democratic decision-making processes to a wider focus that also takes into account the ongoing everyday negotiation processes between teachers and students that have impact on what is perceived as political action and democratic arenas.
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| 5. |
- Gustafsson, Åsa, 1975-
(författare)
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Nanomaterials : respiratory and immunological effects following inhalation of engineered nanoparticles
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Nanotechnology is an important and promising field that can lead to improved environment and human health and contribute to a better social and economic development. Materials in nanoscale have unique physiochemical properties which allow for completely new technical applications. Enlarged surface area and properties due to quantum physics are among the properties that distinguish the nanoscale. Nano safety has evolved as a discipline to evaluate the adverse health effects from engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). The prevalence of allergic diseases is increasing in the society. An additional issue is the influence of inherited factors on the health responses to ENMs. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the respiratory, inflammatory, and immunological effects following inhalation of ENMs; both sensitive and genetically susceptible individuals were used. Sensitive individuals refer to individuals with pre-existing respiratory diseases, such as allergic asthma, and genetically susceptible individuals refer to individuals prone to autoimmune and allergic diseases. Methods In vivo models of mice and rats were used. In study I the inflammatory and immune responses following exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were investigated. The effect of when the TiO2 NP exposure occurs during the development of allergic airway inflammation was investigated in study II, with regards to respiratory, inflammatory, and immune responses. In study III, the influence of the genetics on the respiratory, inflammatory, and immune responses, following TiO2 NP exposure to naïve and sensitive rats was evaluated. In study IV, the inflammatory and immune responses of naïve mice and mice with an allergic airway inflammation were studied in lung fluid and lymph nodes draining the airways following inhalation to hematite NPs (α-Fe2O2).Results Exposure to TiO2 NPs induced a long-lasting lymphocytic response in the airways, indicating a persistent immune stimulation. The dose and timing of TiO2 NP exposure affected the airway response in mice with allergic airway disease. When the mice were exposed to particles and an allergen during the same period, a decline in general health was observed. By comparing different inbred rat strains it was demonstrated that genetically determined factors influence the immune and respiratory responses to TiO2 NP exposure in both naïve and sensitive individuals. Exposure to hematite NPs resulted in different cellular responses: naïve mice had increased numbers of cells while mice with allergic airway inflammation had decreased cell numbers in BALF. Analogous cell responses were also observed in the lung draining lymph nodes.Conclusion Altogether, this thesis emphasises the complexity of assessing health risks associated with nanoparticle exposure and the importance of including sensitive populations when evaluating adverse health effects of ENMs.
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| 6. |
- Gustafsson, Barbro, 1954-
(författare)
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Undersökningar av sociovetenskapliga samtal i naturvetenskaplig utbildning
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The thesis examines the potential of students’ group discussions in science education in the context of a communicative perspective on democracy and meaning-making. The group discussions in focus are about socioscientific issues (SSI), i.e. controversial and complex issues with scientific as well as sociological aspects. The philosophical works of John Dewey and Jürgen Habermas serve as the main theoretical underpinnings. Different types of empirical data were used for the qualitative analyses: policy documents, student teachers’ essays, student interviews and recorded group discussions between classmates.Attention is drawn to the twofold educational mission to ensure students’ subject knowledge and democratic growth, where the democracy aspect of this mission is in danger of being given secondary priority in science education. Deliberations about SSI are suggested as a possible way of bridging the gap between the two tasks. An ideal deliberation is characterised by democratic virtues such as sincerity, consideration, a critical review of what is otherwise taken for granted and an aspiration to seek agreement. SSIs facilitate theoretical, ethical and moral reflection and examine argumentation skills in a reflective and considerate way in order to lead to participation and the creation of meaning in mutual communication.Both the possibilities and shortcomings of deliberative-oriented group conversations were highlighted in the interviews with upper secondary school students involved in the socioscientific tasks. This then provided guidance for an extended study of SSI-deliberations among students, also from upper secondary school. An analysis tool, DEQUAL, was constructed in order to be in a position to assess their democratic and deliberative qualities.The overall results showed that students could maintain respectful and engaged conversations in which they jointly created and developed arguments. However, expressions of meaning-making in terms of insights and new-found experiences were scarce. Furthermore, the students seemed too eager to agree. Although the guidelines emphasised the importance of advancing various arguments, other students’ statements were rarely challenged. If SSI-conversations are to approach democratic and deliberative ideals and stimulate meaning-making, the participants must be prepared to exchange contrasting views. According to Habermas’ theory, when deliberating one relates to a subjective world of experiences, a social world of common agreements and an objective world of facts. Since both science and SSI contribute objective, factual dimensions, it is suggested that the deliberative idea might have a particular bearing on science education, since the conversations do not just revolve around personal opinions.It was concluded that the development of deliberative conversation skills requires careful, guided practice. It also became clear that the deliberative guidelines for seeking agreement and the teacher’s non-participation in the talks needed to be reviewed.
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| 7. |
- Knutsson, Erika, 1975-
(författare)
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Bundling for consumers? : Understanding complementarity and its effect on consumers' preferences and satisfaction
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It is a common market practice to offer two products in a package, so called bundling. While much research investigate how companies can use bundling to increase sales and profit, less is known about how bundling can be beneficial for consumers. There are many advantages with bundling for consumers, as bundles often are offered at a reduced price and provide convenience and reduced risk. But there are also major drawbacks, for example reduced freedom of choice and increased risk of over-consumption. In the present study, the general aim is to increase the understanding of how consumers’ perceive bundle value. To achieve this, focus is turned to bundle composition, more specifically the complementarity between bundle products, as a source of value for consumers. By exploring what complementarity is, how it influences consumer preferences for and satisfaction with bundles and how it interacts with bundle discount insights about the overall value of bundles for consumers is gained. In five scenario-based experiments, the influence of different kinds and different degrees of complementarity on consumers’ perceptions of bundle value is studied and compared to evaluations of separate products. The results show that bundles generally are not preferred over separate products and that they only exceptionally provide more satisfaction. However, the results also highlight the influence of bundle composition on consumer evaluations. Generally, bundle complementarity has a positive effect on preferences and satisfaction, especially when combined with a discount. The results also illustrates that complementarity is a multifaceted concept. Many kinds of relations between bundle products are considered complementary and the degree of complementarity may vary within and between different types of complementarity. Based on the results it is suggested that the notion of complementarity is closely related to consumers’ everyday practices and the value bundles provides in use. When consumers understand the value that bundle products provide in use, the perceived complementarity increases and preferences and satisfaction is positively influenced. It is suggested that bundling can be used as a strategic tool by companies to increase value for customers. By considering their customers’ needs and practices companies can compose bundles that are perceived as complementary and offer value-in-use.
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| 8. |
- Lönn, Johanna, 1982-
(författare)
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The role of peridontitis and hepatocyte growth factor in systemic inflammation
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- An essential goal in addressing inflammation is the return of tissue to homeostasis. Persistent infections often cause prolonged response and accumulation of immune cells, inducing imbalance in pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, tissue destruction, and chronic inflammation. In periodontal disease, bacteria of the dental plaque are the primary aetiologic agents. Coronary artery disease (CAD) and chronic renal failure (CRF) are associated with periodontitis and involve systemic inflammation with atherosclerotic and fibrotic processes. The aims of this thesis were to study the effect of the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis and the anti-inflammatory mediator lipoxin A4 (LXA4) on blood cells in vitro, as well as to measure the expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in patients with periodontitis, CAD, and CRF. We found that LXA4 inhibits P. gingivalis–induced leukocyte platelet aggregation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in whole blood, by antagonizing the upregulation of CD11b/CD18 on leukocytes. The serum concentration of HGF was elevated in patients with periodontitis, CAD and CRF, indicating a systemic inflammation. However, the biological activity of HGF was reduced in serum from CRF patients and in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid of patients with periodontitis. This finding correlated with reduced growth of gingival epithelial cells incubated with saliva from patients with periodontitis. Neutrophil proteases reduced the biological activity of HGF in patients with CRF, and HGF expression in patients with periodontitis was associated with higher concentration and numbers of species of periodontal bacteria. In conclusion, these studies suggest that systemic spreading of periodontal bacteria, leukocyte-platelet activation and disturbed HGF-expression are crucial components involved in tissue degradation and progression of chronic inflammation.
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| 9. |
- Shams, Poja, 1980-
(författare)
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What Does it Take to Get your Attention? : The influence of In-Store and Out-of-Store Factors on Visual Attention and Decision Making for Fast-moving Consumer Goods
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Decision making for fast-moving consumer goods involves a choice between numerous similar alternatives. Under such demanding circumstances, a decision is made for one product. The decision is dependent on the interaction between the environment and the mind of the consumer, both of which are filled with information that can influence the outcome. The aim of this dissertation is to explore how the mind and the environment guides attention towards considered and chosen products in consumer decision making at the point-of-purchase.Consumers are equipped with several effort reduction strategies to simplify complex decision making. The selection of strategies can be conscious or automatic and driven by information in the environment or the mind of the decision maker. The selected decision strategy reduces the set of options to one alternative in an iterative process of comparisons that are fast and rely on perceptual cues to quickly exclude irrelevant products. This thesis uses eye-tracking to explore this rapid processing that lacks conscious access or control. The purpose is to explore how product packaging and placement (as in-store factors), and recognition, preferences, and choice task (as out-of-store factors) influence the decision-making process through visual attention.The results of the 10 experiments in the five papers that comprise this thesis shed new light on the role of visual attention in the interaction between the environment and the mind, and its influence on the consumer. It is said that consumers choose with their eyes, which means that unseen is unsold. The results of this thesis show that it is just as important to be comprehended as it is to be seen. In split-second decision making, the ability to recognize and comprehend a product can significantly impact preferences. Comprehension stretches beyond perception as consumers infer value from memory structures that influence attention. Hence, the eye truly sees what the mind is prepared to comprehend.
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| 10. |
- Yngman-Uhlin, Pia, 1964-
(författare)
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Sleep Problems in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis : Prevalence, Effects on Daily Life and Evaluation of Non-Pharmacological Interventions
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sleep problems affect a considerable number (49-86%) of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment. Insomnia i.e. difficulties to initiate and/or maintain sleep or too early wakening, combined with daytime symptoms, seems to be the dominating problem. Despite these facts there is a lack of research in PD-patients, especially studies with objective data on the sleep-wake cycle and evaluation of sleep promoting non-pharmacological interventions.The overall aim of this thesis was to describe sleep problems from different perspectives, and how these problems affect daily life and health in patients treated with PD at home. The aim was also to evaluate an individualised non-pharmacological intervention for improvement of sleep quality outcomes.Four studies were conducted during eight years, starting in 2002. Patients from six hospitals in the south-east of Sweden were invited to participate. In addition, data from a reference group with Coronary Artery Disease and a population group were used for comparisons with PD-patients in one of the studies. Data was collected by self-reported questionnaires, actigraphy registrations and interviews. Sleep was evaluated in a 17-week single-case study with an intervention focusing on sleep hygiene advice.Data from a total of 700 sleep-wake cycles was collected in the patients’ homes. The main findings clearly demonstrated that PD-patients have seriously fragmented sleep compared to the CAD- and population group, and that the PD-patients have a high prevalence of insomnia. The sleep was mainly disturbed by pruritus and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). Daytime impairments and a frequent napping behaviour were detected. The prevalence of fatigue was also reported to be extremely high. The patients described that an ever-present tiredness and poor sleep had consequences in their everyday life both physically, mentally, socially and existentially. The nurse-led intervention demonstrated that individual, non-pharmacological sleep interventions can improve sleep and daytime activities in PD-patients.This thesis elucidates that deteriorated sleep with serious fragmentation leads to a variety of daytime impairments and fatigue. By adopting “renal supportive care” in clinical work a more elaborate assessment and individualised non-pharmacological treatment of sleep problems may improve sleep quality and activity in frail patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis at home.
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| 11. |
- Åsén Nordström, Elisabeth, 1952-
(författare)
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Pedagogisk handledning i tanke och handling - en studie av handledares lärande
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of the thesis is to investigate how a number of pedagogical supervisors develope their supervisory competence. In order to meet this objective the following issues were important: What sort of learning takes place among the supervisors? In what ways have different frameworks and conditions been important for guiding the talks? Can the patterns of conversation be discerned during the sessions and how do these patterns reflect their learning and skills?The thesis presents two studies of educational supervisors and tutor based learning which were carried out with about five years delay. The first study was conducted with twenty newly trained supervisors and a second follow-up study was conducted with ten of the same supervisors. The analysis of the empirical material of study 1 shows, among others, in which direction the talks evolve during mentor sessions and to what extent they change character to deepen and lead the supervisors to develop new perspectives and ways of looking at their role. The analysis of the empirical data in study 2 illuminate how each supervisor’s learning progresses by analyzing interviews, conversations and reflections. This study analyzes the supervisors’ levels of reflection, the traditions reflected in the supervisors’ way to lead session conversations, the conversation patterns that emerge and how the supervisors’ learning and supervisor competence developed.
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| 12. |
- Gustafsson, Ulf, 1976-
(författare)
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Ventricular rotation and the rotation axis : a new concept in cardiac function
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The twisting motion of the left ventricle (LV), with clockwise rotation at the base and counter clockwise rotation at the apex during systole, is a vital part of LV function. Even though LV rotation has been studied for decades, the rotation pattern has not been described in detail. By the introduction of speckle tracking echocardiography measuring rotation has become easy of access. However, the axis around which the LV rotates has never before been assessed. The aims of this thesis were to describe the rotation pattern of the LV in detail (study I), to assess RV apical rotation (study II), develop a method to assess the rotation axis (study III) and finally to study the effect of regional ischemia to the rotation pattern of the LV (study IV). Methods: Healthy humans were examined in study I-III and the final study populations were 40 (60±14 years), 14 (62±11 years) and 39 (57±16 years) subjects, respectively. In study IV six young pigs (32-40kg) were studied. Standard echocardiographic examinations were performed. In study IV the images were recorded before and 4 minutes after occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Rotation was measured in short axis images by using a speckle tracking software. By development of custom software, the rotation axis of the LV was calculated at different levels in every image frame throughout the cardiac cycle. Results: Study I showed significant difference in rotation between basal and apical rotations, as well as significant differences between segments at basal and mid ventricular levels. The rotation pattern of the LV was associated with different phases of the cardiac cycle. Study II found significant difference in rotation between the LV and the RV. RV rotation was heterogeneous and bi-directional, creating a ´tightening belt action´ to reduce it circumference. Study III indicated that the new method could assess the rotation axis of the LV. The motion of the rotation axes in healthy humans displayed a physiological and consistent pattern. Study IV found a significant difference in the rotation pattern, between baseline and after LAD occlusion, by measuring the rotation axes, but not by conventional measurements of rotation. AV-plane displacement and wall motion score (WMS) were also significantly changed after inducing regional ischemia. Conclusion: There are normally large regional differences in LV rotation, which can be associated anatomy, activation pattern and cardiac phases, indicating its importance to LV function. In difference to the LV, the RV did not show any functional rotation. However, its heterogeneous circumferential motion could still be of importance to RV function and may in part be the result of ventricular interaction. The rotation axis of the LV can now be assessed by development of a new method, which gives a unique view of the rotation pattern. The quality measurements and results in healthy humans indicate that it has a potential clinical implication in identifying pathological rotation. This was supported by the experimental study showing that the rotation axis was more sensitive than traditional measurements of rotation and as sensitive as AV-plane displacement and WMS in detecting regional myocardial dysfunction.
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