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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) consists of emphysema and bronchial disease. The pulmonary function tests currently used to diagnose COPD have poor sensitivity for early disease. This may delay diagnosis and lead to a poorer prognosis compared to establishing the diagnosis at an earlier stage.The aim of this thesis was to investigate a new nanoparticle-based method, termed Airspace Di

Background: The development and risk potential of hypertension-induced left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy has been well described in epidemiological studies. Regression of LV hypertrophy reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the best treatment strategy is still debated, as well as the appropriate blood pressure target in these patients. Objective: We here review the treatment of

Background: Evidence from observational comparative effectiveness research (CER) is ranked below that from randomized controlled trials in traditional evidence hierarchies. However, asthma observational CER studies represent an important complementary evidence source answering different research questions and are particularly valuable in guiding clinical decision making in real-life patient and pr

Introduction: A Task Force was commissioned jointly by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) and the Respiratory Effectiveness Group (REG) to develop a quality assessment tool for real-life observational research to identify high-quality real-life asthma studies that could be considered within future guideline development. Methods: The resulting REal Life EVidence Assessm

High-fidelity qubit initialization is of significance for efficient error correction in fault tolerant quantum algorithms. Combining two best worlds, speed and robustness, to achieve high-fidelity state preparation and manipulation is challenging in quantum systems, where qubits are closely spaced in frequency. Motivated by the concept of shortcut to adiabaticity, we theoretically propose the shor

This thesis describes charge transport in III-V narrow bandgap semiconductor nanowires. We are particularly interested in quantum transport in InSb, InAs and InP-InAs core-shell nanowires. According to the type of transport mechanism dominating in the devices, this thesis can be divided into four parts.In the first part of this thesis, we investigated the temperature dependent transport properties

In this study, we developed a nanoparticle-based mesoporous composite that consisted of silicate-titanate nanotubes (STNTs) supported in hydrogel chitosan beads (STNTs-Ch beads) and was studied for Cd2+ adsorption. By using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy coupled to an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, we coulddetermine that the hollow STN

We present post-compression of a TW class laser in a planar hollow waveguide. The viability of the compressed pulses for applications in strong-field physics is demonstrated by generating high-order harmonics in a gas jet.

Abstract: We study oscillations in quantum cascade lasers due to traveling electric field domains, which are observed both in simulations and experiments. These oscillations occur in a range of negative differential resistance and we clarify the condition determining whether the boundary between domains of different electric field can become stationary. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: s

In the current chapter two semiconductor materials are being assessed as ecomaterials of choice for key applications in the water business. Ultraviolet lightemitting diodes, UV-LEDs, based on III-Nitride ultraviolet emitters like GaN, InGaN, and AlGaN and semiconductor oxides like TiO 2 , ZnO, or WO 3 can be used as eco-materials for disinfection and pollutant removal in water, respectively. Lo

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Progression to fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an increased risk of liver-related events, overall mortality and possibly metabolic comorbidities. Our aim was to determine if non-invasive fibrosis scoring systems can predict the future risk of diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), liver-related eve

The mechanical, optical, and electrical properties of III-V semiconductor heterostructures are investigated in thisthesis. The semiconductor materials are grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy, yielding wire shaped crystals(nanowires) having a length of ~ 1 μm and diameter of ~ 100 nm. Nanowires are relevant for many applications,such as optical detectors, photovoltaics, light emitting diodes

We experimentally study negative fluctuations of stochastic entropy production in an electronic double dot operating in nonequilibrium steady-state conditions. We record millions of random electron tunneling events at different bias points, thus collecting extensive statistics. We show that for all bias voltages, the experimental average values of the minima of stochastic entropy production lie ab

Birds possess a magnetic sense and rely on the Earth's magnetic field for orientation during migration. However, the geomagnetic field can be altered by solar activity at relative unpredictable intervals. How birds cope with the temporal geomagnetic variations caused by solar storms during migration is still unclear. We addressed this question by reproducing the effect of a solar storm on the geom

Several invertebrate and vertebrate species have been shown to align their body relative to the geomagnetic field. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the adaptive significance of magnetic body alignment outside the context of navigation. However, experimental evidence to investigate alternative hypotheses is still limited. We present a new setup to track the preferential body alignment

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to evaluate percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) for treatment resistant chronic anal fissure.MethodsConsecutive patients with chronic anal fissure were treated with neuromodulation via the posterior tibial nerve between October 2013 and January 2014. Patients had PTNS for 30 min on 10 consecutive days. All patients had failed conventional medical

Nanowires (NWs) have the potential for a wide range of new optoelectronic applications. For example, light-emitting diodes that span over the whole visible spectrum are currently being developed from NWs to overcome the well known green gap problem. However, due to their small size, NW devices exhibit special properties that complicate their analysis, characterization, and further development. In

Background: Being able to discriminate between HIV-1, HIV-2 and HIV-1/2 dual infection is imperative for the appropriate selection of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in regions with high HIV-2 endemicity. Objectives: To evaluate Bio-Rad Geenius HIV-1/2 Confirmatory Assay against INNO-LIA HIV 1/2 Score and ImmunoComb HIV 1/2 BiSpot with an emphasis towards ability to discriminate between HIV-1, HIV-2

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a hereditary disorder. AATD is a known risk factor for the development of emphysema and liver disease. A cohort of severe (PiZZ) and moderate (PiSZ) AAT-deficient newborn infants was identified by the Swedish national neonatal AAT screening in 1972-1974 and has been followed up since birth. Our aim was to study survival in this cohort up to 43-45 years of a

The main objective was to estimate the frequency of early vascular aging (EVA) in a sample of subjects from Latin America, with emphasis in young adults. We included 1416 subjects from 12 countries in Latin America who provided information about lifestyle, cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), and anthropometrics. We measured pulse wave velocity (PWV) as a marker of arterial stiffness, and blood pre