| 1. |
- Böttiger, Anna, 1977-
(author)
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Genetic variation in the folate receptor-alpha and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genes as determinants of plasma homocysteine concentrations
- 2008
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Elevated total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive disease such as dementia. The B vitamins folate and B12 are the main de terminants of tHcy. tHcy concentration can also be affected by mutations in genes coding for receptors, enzymes and transporters important in the metabolism of Hcy. This thesis focuses on mutations in the genes for folate receptor-alpha and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and the effect they have on tHcy concentrations. Six novel mutations in the gene for folate receptor-alpha were described in Paper I. Taken together they exist in a population with a prevalence of approximately 1% and thus are not unusual. There may be an association of –69dupA and –18C>T to tHcy but for the 25-bp deletion, –856C>T, –921T>C and –1043G>A there is probably no association to tHcy. Mutation screening was continued and four additional mutations, 1314G>A, 1816delC, 1841G>A and 1928C>T, were described in Paper II. The prevalences for the heterozygotes were between 0.5% and 13% in an elderly population. There was no significant difference in prevalence between the elderly subjects and patients with dementia. The 1816(–)-allele and the 1841A-allele were in complete linkage and the haplotype 1816(–)-1841A may possibly have a tHcy raising effect. The 1314G>A and 1928C>T mutations had no association to tHcy. The genotype prevalences and haplotype frequencies of the MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and 1793G>A polymorphisms were determined in a population sample of Swedish children and adolescents (Paper III). The MTHFR 677T-allele was associated with increased tHcy concentrations in both children and adolescents. A small elevating effect of the 1298C-allele and a small lowering effect of the 1793A-allele could be shown. In an epidemiological sample of adults from the Canary Islands, Spain, data for serum folate and vitamin B12 were used for a broader study of the nutrigenetic impact on tHcy (Paper IV). The 677T-allele had a significant tHcy increasing effect in men but not in women. The 1298C-allele had a minor elevating effect on tHcy in men with the 677CT genotype. It was not possible to document any effect of the 1793A-allele on tHcy due to its low prevalence. A slightly superior explanatory power for the genetic impact was obtained using the MTHFR haplotypes in the analysis compared to the MTHFR 677C>T genotype-based approach in both the Swedish children and adolescents and in the Spanish adults. Therefore MTHFR haplotypes should be considered when analysing the impact of the MTHFR 677C>T, 1298A>C and 1793G>A polymorphisms on tHcy. Notwithstanding the large geographical distance between our study populations the haplotype composition is quite similar. The MTHFR 677T-allele is slightly more prevalent in Spain compared to Sweden but it has only an effect on tHcy in the Spanish men. Age, gender and factors linked to the ethnicity of the studied subjects, seem to be able to override the nutrigenetic impact of tHcy-raising genotypes or haplotypes in particular settings, such as in the Spanish women in our study. Gene-nutrient interactions on plasma tHcy levels thus may or may not exist in a certain population. The transferability of nutrigenetic findings may therefore be limited, and must be re-evaluated for each particular setting of age-gender-ethnicity.
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| 2. |
- Nilsson, Louise, 1973-
(author)
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Färger, former, ljus : Svensk reklam och reklampsykologi, 1900-1930
- 2010
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This dissertation examines the rise of an advertisement business in Sweden and the breakthrough of advertising psychology as a field of knowledge. The aim of the investigation is to show first, how the advertising landscape changed in Sweden and, second, how technologies were used in designing the different forms of advertisement that became integrated into media and public environments, during the period 1900-1930. The study raises questions such as: Who were the entrepreneurs behind the outbreak of psychological advertising in Sweden during the early 20th century? How did advertisement become integrated into media and urban landscapes as part of everyday life in Swedish society? How did handbooks in advertising psychology describe the effects of external visual stimuli, such as light, colors and shapes on the viewers’ consciousness and the role of such stimuli in transforming viewers to consumers? The dissertation is written within the interdisciplinary field of visual culture studies. Here the theoretical point of departure combines perspectives from media, film and art studies. Drawing on Crary’s works, the intention of my study is to highlight how such changes resulted in strategies and tools that were used in commercial business and not necessarily in the sciences. The ability to capture human attention and influence her through visual stimuli was also of great interest to trade and industry. Within commercial business the human sense of sight was perceived as an object that could be stimulated for creating consumers. I examine the development of techniques and strategies in commercial business for influencing individuals by external stimuli.
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| 3. |
- Axelsson, Erik
(author)
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Historien i politiken : Historieanvändning i norsk och svensk EU-debatt 1990-1994
- 2006
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- In this dissertation the use of history in public debate in Norway and Sweden in relation to membership in the European Union (EU) 1990–1994 is examined. The purpose is to contribute with new knowledge about the relationship between politics and writing history, as well as describe the role of history in national and other identities. The analysis is both quantitative and qualitative. Historical narratives are re-constructed from the history used by the political figures when they argued for or against EU membership. The narratives relate to the political subjects which were in the limelight in connection with the question of EU, as well as preconceptions about Norwegian, Swedish and European identity. The dissertation shows that history is a multifaceted rhetorical tool in the political debate. In Sweden it was the policy of national security which was debated from a historical perspective. In it the debaters also used several examples from European history. In Norway, history entered the debate in connection with issues relating to sovereignty and democracy. In comparison with the Swedish EU debate, European history was drawn on less in Norway. Historical narratives of identity appearing in the EU debate show structural similarities, but at the same time differ in significant aspects. In a comparison the Norwegian national narrative seems unequivocal and well defined. It is retrospective due to its main component being the development of democracy in 19th century Norway. The Swedish national narrative is very clearly based on a notion of progress and continuous development, both as regards economy and democracy, and it is the history of the 20th century which stands in focus. In Sweden the constructions of the past separated according to party political lines, and the content of the national narrative was very much subject to debate.
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| 4. |
- Block, Tomas, 1976-
(author)
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Acute Occlusion of the Superior Mesenteric Artery : Diagnosis and treatment
- 2010
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Acute occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is a condition associated with high mortality and morbidity. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for acute SMA occlusion. In a prospective study of patients with suspected intestinal ischemia, no biomarker was sufficiently accurate to detect this condition. In a second retrospective study, pancreatic amylase and troponin-I were elevated in a substantial proportion of patients with verified SMA occlusion. In an experimental animal model of acute SMA occlusion, microarray studies of ischemic small bowel wall were used to characterize the mRNA response to ischemia. Thrombospondin, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 and Gap Junction Alpha 1 were consistently up-regulated in all pigs with intestinal ischemia. Genes encoding previously proposed biomarkers for intestinal ischemia were either up-regulated, such as lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase, or down-regulated, such as intestinal fatty acid binding protein and glutathione S-transferase. In a study of the role of computed tomography in the diagnosis of SMA occlusion, it was shown that computed tomography with intravenous contrast was associated with improved survival. A retrospective analysis of all acute SMA revascularizations in Sweden 1999-2006 revealed that D-dimer was elevated in all 35 measured cases. Endovascular surgery was associated with better outcome than open surgery, both in short and in long term. The presence of postoperative short bowel syndrome was a strong independent risk-factor for decreased long-term survival. Conclusions: Data affirm that D-dimer may serve as an exclusion test for acute SMA occlusion, whereas elevated troponin-I and pancreatic amylase are potential diagnostic pitfalls. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the visceral arteries seems to be the best diagnostic method. Endovascular surgery is an option to open surgery in selected cases, and was associated with favourable outcome.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Fredrik
(author)
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Det reglerade undantaget : högerns jordbrukspolitik 1904-2004
- 2004
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Agricultural policy and protectionism were major forces behind the foundation of the Swedish Conservative Party (AVF, later Högerpartiet and now Moderata samlingspartiet). Agriculture was seen as a traditional way of life and as such agriculture was deemed important enough to be protected by tariffs. The party also had a strong agrarian phalange in its ranks. The thesis deals with the agricultural policy of the party and its predecessors during the 20th century. The main focus is to explain how the party has dealt with agricultural policy during the period. Due to the reasons mentioned above agricultural policy became a regulated exception of the party. This meant that the party accepted protectionism and other exceptions when it came to agriculture. Things that would not have been accepted in other areas. The main reason for this agricultural exceptionalism was the power of the farmers within the party structure. This, in combination with the Swedish neutrality and preparedness for war, lay behind this view on agriculture . Through neutrality agriculture became a factor in Swedish defense policy and as such ruled by consensus. For the conservatives agriculture and the farmers were seen as an important group within the electorate. Agriculture was also ideologically important through its traditionalism. In combination with strong groups of farmers within the party and the issue of preparedness led to a party policy where agriculture was something particular and an exception from normal policy. The agricultural policy of the party is studied on the ideological level, the internal party level and on the level of non-socialist party cooperation. The party policy during the century showed a remarkable continuity and the party in general defended agriculture from all threats of deregulation up until 1990 when a broad political decision was taken and agriculture was deregulated. The question of Swedish membership in the European Union is also adressed since it meant that agriculture had to be regulated once more.
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| 6. |
- Hagnelius, Nils-Olof, 1953-
(author)
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Vascular mechanisms in dementia with special reference to folate and fibrinolysis
- 2009
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The aim of this thesis was to study the biomarker homocysteine and other novel potential vascular risk factors for dementia. In an out-patient based study of a cohort of 926 consecutive subjects referred to our Memory Unit during 1996―2000, serum-folate was lower and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) and serum methyl malonate were higher in subjects being prescribed with B12. In the subgroup diagnosed with dementia and with a positive family history of dementia, tHcy was higher than in the subgroup diagnosed as non-demented. It is necessary to supplement subjects with vitamin B12 deficiency with B12, but our results indicate that it is not sufficient with B12 alone because this gives rise to intracellular folate deficiency. We also found indications of a genetic component in dementia because tHcy was higher in the group with a positive family history of dementia. These findings prompted further studies of homocysteine metabolism. The frequency of mutations in the gene for folate receptor-α (FOLR-1), and the fibrinolytic pattern in dementia and non-dementia were studied in the two cohorts DGM (n=300) and AS (n=389). The DGM cohort is a consecutive series of subjects attending our Memory Care Unit for investigation of suspected cognitive problems or dementia between 2003 - 2007. The AS (= active seniors) cohort comprises retired, apparently healthy subjects from central Sweden, actively participating in study circles. A rare haplotype in the FOLR-1, with mutations in two nearby loci, was discovered, possibly associated with lower serum-folate and higher tHcy concentrations and was more frequent in the DGM group. The transport of folate to the CSF was studied in the DGM-cohort. Dementia with a vascular component was associated with a lower CSF to serum folate ratio indicative of reduced transport of folate to the CSF and further to the brain. The vascular endothelial derived fibrinolytic markers tPA, tPA/PAI-1-complex, and vWF were not only higher in vascular dementia (VaD) but also in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) when compared to the AS group. The impaired fibrinolytic activity in both vascular dementia and in AD is a novel finding, signifying a vascular component in the development of dementia. In conclusion we found that both hereditary and nutritional background factors were linked to dementia and furthermore that a dysregulated fibrinolysis was linked to both VaD and AD.
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| 7. |
- Hall, Bo G, 1938-
(author)
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Perspektiv på Patron : Bruksägaren och statsministern Christian Lundeberg (1842–1911)
- 2010
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The dissertation is a biography of the industrialist and statesman Christian Lundeberg, a leading and stongly pronounced conservative actor in Swedish political life during the decades around1900, but nowadays almost forgotten. The purpose is to identify the main forces – convictions as well as external factors – behind his actions. He was very influential within a range of important sectors, i.a. compulsory national service, repeated interventions to keep the iron ore of Norrland under Swedish ownership, establishment of a regular conservative party and the decision on the vote to right (for men) in 1907. His most well-known action was as Swedish Prime Minister and head architect behind the peaceful dissolution in 1905 of the union with Norway.However for a long time biographies have not been regarded as ”real” scientific work within the concerned academic Swedish circles. For this reason the introductory chapter analyses these discussions and concludes that time now is ready for the genre to come in from the cold , enumerating six criteria regarded to be of paramount importance. These are being observed in the consecutive parts of the study.The following chapter studies the concept of paternalism as defined within Swedish professional circles, forming a background to the remaining parts of the dissertation. In their turn these present thorough reviews both of Lundeberg’s activities as a paternalistic foundry proprietor in the local family owned community of Forsbacka and of his contributions on the central political level.The final chapter summarizes the driving forces behind Lundeberg’s activities in stating that he was not an ultraconservative person, a priori opposing all progress. Instead as the years passed he developed a clear readiness for compromise solutions. Three key concepts are said to be central to the understanding of his person: “Fatherland”, ”Responsibility” and “Duty”. Throughout all his life he adhered to many of the paternalistic principles and values he learnt at an early age in Forsbacka. His present anonymity is explained by the fact that he in a retrospective very often is considered as being defeated in a number of political convictions now regarded as important.
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| 8. |
- Hellström, John
(author)
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Den svenska sporthjälten : Kontinuitet och förändring i medieberättelsen om den svenska sporthjälten från 1920-talet till idag
- 2014
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis examines the media construction of five Swedish sports heroes, active from the 1920’s to the beginning of the 2000’s. The analyses are based on the assumption that sports heroes are social products that reflect the dominating ideals and values of a society or culture, and that the media plays an important role in this process. Firstly, the media provide the attention necessary for successful athletes to become publically known and, secondly, they create the stories in which some athletes are represented as heroes while others are represented as villains. The use of narrative theory in this thesis builds on the idea that a story is not merely a way of presenting information, but a way of creating meaning. A person becomes a hero when he or she is described as a hero in a heroic tale. To analyze the media construction of sports heroes is thus to analyze the media stories of them as heroes.In order to examine and compare the construction of sports heroes in the media, articles from daily press and magazines as well as broadcasts in radio and television have been analyzed. The results show that although each of the five heroes were valued and represented according to ideals and values specific of his or her time, there are similarities in the media representation of them that suggest that there is some degree of stability in the narrative of the Swedish sports hero over time. In many ways, the story of the Swedish sports hero is still intact since the 1920’s. However, this story is an ideal story and the process of constructing athletes as heroes has proved to be filled with compromise and contradictions. It can be argued that the media is more concerned with fitting the athletes into an already existing narrative of the Swedish sports hero than with representing them as individuals.Seen in a wider historical context, sports heroes represent an example of how national identity is constructed in the media. National identity is, as many theorists have shown, a dynamic and relational process. What is considered typically Swedish thus changes over time and in different contexts. In this process the social status of sports heroes helps to stabilize as well as legitimize dominating ideas of Swedish national identity.
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| 9. |
- Jonsson, Patrik, 1968-
(author)
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Surface Status Classification, Utilizing Image Sensor Technology and Computer Models
- 2015
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- There is a great need to develop systems that can continuously provide correct information about road surface status depending on the prevailing weather conditions. This will minimize accidents and optimize transportation. In this thesis different methods for the determination of the road surface status have been studied and analyzed, and suggestions of new technology are proposed. Information about the road surface status is obtained traditionally from various sensors mounted directly in the road surface. This information must then be analyzed to create automated warning systems for road users and road maintenance personnel. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how existing technologies can be used to obtain a more accurate description of the current road conditions. Another purpose is also to investigate how existing technologies can be used to obtain a more accurate description of the current road conditions. Furthermore, the aim is to develop non-contact technologies able to determine and classify road conditions over a larger area, since there is no system available today that can identify differences in road surface status in the wheel tracks and between the wheel tracks.Literature studies have been carried out to find the latest state of the art research and technology, and the research work is mainly based on empirical studies. A large part of the research has involved planning and setting up laboratory experiments to test and verify hypotheses that have emerged from the literature studies. Initially a few traditional road-mounted sensors were analyzed regarding their ability to determine the road conditions and the impact on their measured values when the sensors were exposed to contamination agents such as glycol and oil. Furthermore, non-contact methods for determining the status of the road surface have been studied. Images from cameras working in the visible range, together data from the Swedish Transportation Administration road weather stations, have been used to develop computerized road status classification models that can distinguish between a dry, wet, icy and snowy surface. Field observations have also been performed to get the ground truth for developing these models. In order to improve the ability to accurately distinguish between different surface statuses, measurement systems involving sensors working in the Near-Infrared (NIR) range have been utilized. In this thesis a new imaging method for determining road conditions with NIR camera technology is developed and described. This method was tested in a field study performed during the winter 2013-2014 with successful results.The results show that some traditional sensors could be used even with future user-friendly de-icing chemicals. The findings from using visual camera systems and meteorological parameters to determine the road status showed that they provide previously unknown information about road conditions. It was discovered that certain road conditions such as black ice is not always detectable using this technology. Therefore, research was performed that utilized the NIR region where it proved to be possible to detect and distinguish different road conditions, such as black ice. NIR camera technology was introduced in the research since the aim of the thesis was to find a method that provides information on the status of the road over a larger area. The results show that if several images taken in different spectral bands are analyzed with the support of advanced computer models, it is possible to distinguish between a dry, wet, icy and snowy surface. This resulted in the development of a NIR camera system that can distinguish between different surface statuses. Finally, two of these prototype systems for road condition classification were evaluated. These systems were installed at E14 on both sides of the border between Sweden and Norway. The results of these field tests show that this new road status classification, based on NIR imaging spectral analysis, provides new information about the status of the road surface, compared to what can be obtained from existing measurement systems, particularly for detecting differences in and between the wheel tracks.
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| 10. |
- Lindaräng, Ingemar, 1938-
(author)
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Helgonbruk i moderniseringstider : Bruket av Birgitta- och Olavstraditionerna i samband med minnesfiranden i Sverige och Norge 1891–2005
- 2007
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Avhandlingen syftar till att jämföra och förstå variationen av historiebruk i samband med minnesfiranden av heliga Birgitta i Sverige och hellig Olav i Norge med fokus på olika aktörers motiv, resurser, budskap och identitetsskapande processer i en tid av modernisering och sekularisering.Under den katolska medeltiden var helgonfiranden vanliga, men de förbjöds i samband med reformationen. I slutet av 1800-talet, samtidigt med omvandligen av de båda länderna till moderna industri-samhällen, väcktes återigen intresset för dessa helgonfiranden. Det var bland annat liberala rörelser som brukade helgonen för att förankra de förändringsprocesser, som man ville göra, i historien. Heliga Birgitta användes i Sverige av kvinnorörelsen som en medeltida förebild i kampen för ökat inflytande i samhälle. Hellig Olav blev under samma tid i Norge en symbol för nationell självständighet i kampen för upplösning av unionen med Sverige. För den katolska kyrkan, som under 1800-talet åter fick verka i de båda protestantiska länderna, blev bruken av heliga Birgitta och hellig Olav en historisk länk till medeltidens kyrka och för att därigenom legitimera sin verksamhet, medan de lutherska kyrkorna tog avstånd från dessa firanden.I avhandlingen följs utvecklingen av dessa minnesfiranden i relation till samhällsförändringarna. På 1920-talet väcktes även de lutherska kyrkornas och det offentliga samhällets intresse för Birgitta- och Olavjubileer. Genom det ekumeniska genombrottet på 1970-talet och kyrkornas ökade engagemang i sociala och kulturella frågor efter Andra Vatikankonciliet blev jubileerna arenor då den ekumeniska gemenskapen och kulturella öppenheten synliggjordes vilket bidrog till att bredda intresset för dessa firanden. Detta förstärktes i tiden kring sekelskiftet 2000 samtidigt som engagemanget från det offent-liga samhället och kommersiella aktörer ökade.Författaren ser utvecklingen av dessa jubileer som uttryck för olika identitetsprocesser. Hellig Olavs roll som en nationell symbol har varit mycket tydlig medan heliga Birgitta framför allt symboli-serat Sveriges internationella roll. Orter som varit viktiga i helgonberättelserna har brukat helgontradi-tionerna i lokala identitetsprocesser vilket allt mer betonats genom turismens ökade betydelse. Jubile-erna har även öppnat för individuella identitetsprocesser med helgonen som religiösa förebilder. För kvinnorörelser har heliga Birgitta genomgående under åren framförts som en viktig förebild.I avhandlingen diskuteras även hur det ökade intresset för firanden av heliga Birgitta och hellig Olav förhåller sig till teorin om den ökade sekulariseringen i det moderna samhället. Med stöd av religionssociologisk forskning diskuteras detta samband. En religiös pluralism kan öka det religiösa utbudet och därmed även ”konsumtionen” av religion. Många kombinerar även det moderna samhällets rationalitet med irrationella föreställningar och upplevelser.
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