- 1 - Abstract The intent of this thesis is to evaluate the differences in facial morphology of children between 3 and 15 years of age based on 3D facial models and cross-sectional data. Due to improper use of cross-sectional data for studying growth, the next part of the thesis is focused on the comparison of cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches in research. The longitudinal observation of facial developmental changes can be considered as actual growth. The cross-sectional database contains 839 3D facial models (397 boys, 442 girls). Three previously published longitudinal databases were used for comparison. Their age intervals were as follows: 3 to 6 years (12 boys, 14 girls), 6 to 12 years (15 boys, 18 girls), 12 to 15 years (23 boys, 22 girls). Geometric morphometric methods were used to analyse facial models (Coherent Point Drift - Dense Correspondance Analysis, Per Vertex T-Test and Principal Component Analysis). The results were visualized using superimposition colour maps, shell distance significance maps and their interlacing. When annual consecutive age intervals were used for cross-sectional data, we could not observe the fluency of differences in facial morphology between age categories, which we can observe during actual growth. When wider age intervals were used for cross-sectional...

The study investigates the presence of the momentum effect in the Swedish stock market by utilizing both cross-sectional introduced by Jegadeesh and Titman (1993) and time-series momentum introduced by Moskowtozt et al. (2011). The period of analysis is between 1998 to 2022. Additionally, the study compares the performance of these two momentum strategies by creating portfolios with varying lookback and holding periods. However, the primary focus is on the strategy with a 12-month lookback and a 1-month holding period. The results indicate that both momentum strategies generated positive returns over the analyzed period. However, time-series momentum was more effective for longer lookback periods, while cross-sectional momentum was more effective for shorter periods. Nevertheless, none of the findings for either momentum strategy were statistically significant in the Swedish stock market. / Syftet med denna studie är att studera lönsamheten för momentumstrategier på den svenska marknaden för perioden januari 1998 till december 2022, med hjälp av de cross-sectional och time-series momentum som introducerades av Jegadeesh och Titman (1993) och Moskowitz et al. 2011), respektive. Resultaten visar att momentumstrategier har positiv avkastning på den svenska marknaden, men resultaten är inte statistiskt signifikanta. Under den tidsperiod under vilken momentumstrategier testades visade cross-sectional momentum bättre resultat under kortare utvärderingsperioder jämfört med time-series momentum, som presterade bättre under längre utvärderingsperioder. Det är dock värt att notera att även om momentumportföljers positiva avkastning inte är statistiskt signifikanta, kan de fortfarande vara fördelaktiga för avkastningssökande investerare. Dessutom fann studien att den positiva avkastningen inte enbart beror på momentumfaktorn utan kan också bero på portföljens exponering mot Fama French SMB-faktorn.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Sunanda Dissanayake / Construction of by-pass lanes at rural intersections typically has been considered a low-cost safety improvement. Safety analysis utilizes two common approaches to evaluate treatment effectiveness: before-and-after study and cross-sectional study. This research performed paired sample t-test statistical analysis to estimate changes in total of crash frequency, crash rates, EPDO crash frequency, and EPDO crash rates at intersections, three to five years after adding a by-pass lane compared to identical time period before the by-pass lane was added. Crash data between 1990 and 2011 were obtained from Kansas Crash and Analysis Record System (KCARS) maintained by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). In order to perform a cross-sectional study, intersections with by-pass lanes were compared to intersections with no countermeasures; crash data were obtained for more than 1,100 intersections in the state of Kansas. According to before-and-after study, addition of by-pass lanes improves safety at unsignalized rural intersections; crashes and their severities are reduced after adding by-pass lanes. But, these reductions are not statistically significant under 95% confidence level. However, when considering intersection related crashes, a statistically significant reduction in crash rates is happened after adding by-pass lanes at 3-legged intersections. In cross-sectional study, crashes and their severities are lower at 3-legged intersections with the by-pass lanes versus 3-legged intersections without the by-pass lanes. However, these reductions are not statistically significant under 95% confidence level. When considering 300 feet intersection crash box, statistically significant reductions are happened at 4-legged intersection. In contrast, crashes and their severities increased at 4-legged intersections with the by-pass lanes, but these changes are not statistically significant under 95% confidence level. The Crash Modification Factors were calculated to evaluate safety effectiveness of adding by-pass lanes at unsignalized rural intersections. The calculated CMFs less than 1.0, indicate a reduction in crashes after implementation of by-pass lanes. Finally, this study concluded that expected crashes at intersections with by-pass lanes are lower than intersections without by-pass lanes.

Background A well-balanced nutritious diet is important for the pregnant woman and the growing fetus, as well as for their future health. Poor nutrition results from both over-consumption of energy-rich foods which can lead to a higher weight gain than is healthy and under-nutrition of essential nutrients. Food intake is regulated in complex biological systems by many factors, where steroid hormone is one factor involved. The overall aim of this thesis is to describe dietary intake, vitamin D levels, dietary information and dietary changes, and to study the relation between allopregnanolone and weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum. Methods Study I was a qualitative study with focus group interviews with 23 pregnant women. The text was analysed with content analysis. Study II was a quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in early pregnancy (n=209) with a reference group (n=206). Self-reported dietary data from a questionnaire was analysed using descriptive comparative statistics and a cluster analysis model (Partial Least Squares modelling). Study III had a quantitative longitudinal design. Vitamin D concentrations were analysed in 184 women, collected on five occasions during pregnancy and postpartum. Descriptive comparative statistics and a linear mixed model were used. Study IV was a quantitative longitudinal study with 60 women. Concentrations of allopregnanolone were analysed in gestational week 12 and 35. Descriptive and comparative statistics as well as Spearman’s correlation (rho) were used to describe the relationship between weight gain and allopregnanolone concentrations.   Results The focus group interviews showed that women wanted to know more about different foods to reduce any risk for their child but the information about foods was partly up to themselves to find out. They expressedfeelingsof insecurityand guiltif they accidentallyate something“forbidden”. The recommendationswere followedas best as possiblealong withcommon sense todeal with dietchanges. The main themes were “Finding out by oneself”, “Getting professional advice when health problems occur”, “Being uncertain” and “Being responsible with a pinch of salt”. Some differences in the dietary patterns were found among the pregnant women compared to references, with less, vegetables (47 g/day), potatoes/rice/pasta (31 g/day), meat/fish (24 g/day) and intake of alcohol and tobacco/snuff but a higher intake of supplements. Bothpregnant women and referenceshad intakes offolatethrough diet45% (pregnant) and 22% (references) lower than current recommendations(500vs400g/day). Vitamin Dintake was34% lower than the recommendationsof 10mg/day. At least a third of the participants had insufficient plasma levels below 50 nmol/L of vitamin D. Season was a strong factor influencing the longitudinal pattern. Gestational week, season, total energy intake, dietary intake of vitamin D, and multivitamin supplementation over the previous 14 days were factors related to vitamin D levels. A correlation betweenallopregnanoloneconcentrations ingestationalweek 35and weight gainin weeks12–35was seen (p = 0.016). Therewas alsoa correlation betweenthe increase inallopregnanolone(weeks12–35) andweight gain(see above) (p = 0.028).   Conclusions Dietary recommendations were described as contradictory and confusing and the dietary advice felt inadequate. The women faced their diet changes and sought information on their own but would have wished for more extensive advice from the midwife. The intake of vitamins essential for pregnancy was lower than recommended, which is also confirmed by low plasma levels of vitamin D in at least one third of the pregnant women. Vitamin D levels peaked in late pregnancy. Aside from gestational week and season which were related to plasma levels, intake from foods and supplements also affected the levels. Reasons for weight gain are complex and depend on many factors. Allopregnanolone is a factor that was seen to relate to the weight gain of the studied pregnant women. / Bakgrund En välbalanserad näringsrik kost är viktig för den gravida kvinnan och det växande fostret, så även för deras framtida hälsa. En bristfällig kost kan utgöras av både överförbrukning av energirika livsmedel vilket kan leda till högre viktuppgång än vad som är hälsosamt och bristande intag av viktiga näringsämnen. Kostintag regleras av komplexa biologiska system där flera faktorer är inblandade däribland steroidhormonet allopregnanolon. Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att under och efter graviditet beskriva kostintag, vitamin D-nivåer, kostinformation och kostförändringar och att studera allopregnanolons relation till viktökning. Metod Studie I var en kvalitativ studie med fokusgruppsintervjuer med 23 gravida kvinnor. Texten analyserades med innehållsanalys. Studie II var en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie som genomfördes i tidig graviditet (n = 209) och med en grupp icke-gravida kvinnor (kontrollgrupp) (n=206). Självrapporterade kostdata från ett frågeformulär analyserades med beskrivande, jämförande statistik och en klusteranalysmodell (Partial Least Squares modellering). Studie III hade en kvantitativ longitudinell design. Vitamin D-koncentrationer analyserades hos 184 kvinnor, vid fem tillfällen under graviditeten och efter förlossningen. Beskrivande, jämförande statistik och en linjär mixad regressionsmodell användes. Studie IV var en kvantitativ longitudinell studie med 60 kvinnor. Koncentrationerna av allopregnanolon analyserades vid graviditetsvecka 12 och 35. Beskrivande och jämförande statistik samt Spearman’s korrelation användes för att beskriva samband mellan viktökning och koncentrationer av allopregnanolon. Resultat Intervjuerna i studie I visade att kvinnor ville veta mer om olika typer av mat för att minska en eventuell risk för sina barn men kostinformation var delvis upp till dem själva att ta reda på. De VIII uttryckte känslor av osäkerhet och skuld om de råkat äta något ”förbjudet”. Rekommendationerna följdes så väl som möjligt, tillsammans med sunt förnuft för att hantera kostförändringar. Huvudteman var ”Söka information på egen hand”, ”Få professionell rådgivning när problem uppstår”, ”Känna sig osäker” och ”Ta ansvar med en nypa salt”. I studie II kunde man se vissa skillnader i kostmönster bland de gravida kvinnorna jämfört med kontrollgruppen: mindre intag av grönsaker (47 g/dag), potatis/ris/pasta (31 g/dag), kött/fisk (24 g/dag) och alkohol och tobak/snus och ett högre intag av kosttillskott. Både gravida kvinnor och kontrollgruppen hade lägre intag av folsyra via kosten med 45 % (gravida) och 22 % (kontrollgruppen) än de gällande rekommendationer som är (500 resp 400 g/dag). I studie III såg man att inta et av vitamin D var 34 % lägre än rekommendationen på 10 µg/dag. Minst en tredjedel av deltagarna hade otillräckliga plasma nivåer av vitamin D, under 50 nmol/L. Årstid var en stark faktor som påverkar det longitudinella mönstret. Graviditetsvecka, säsong, totala energiintaget, intaget av vitamin D och multivitamintillskott under de senaste 14 dagarna var faktorer som relaterade till Dvitaminnivåer. I studie IV sågs ett samband mellan allopregnanolon-koncentrationer vid graviditetsvecka 35 och viktökning från vecka 12 till 35 (p = 0,016). Det sågs också ett samband mellan ökningen av allopregnanolon (vecka 12–35) och viktökningen (se ovan) (p = 0,028). Slutsatser Kostrekommendationer beskrevs som motsägelsefulla och förvirrande och kostråden de fick uppfattades som otillräckliga. Kvinnorna tog itu med sina kostförändringar och sökte information på egen hand men hade önskat mer omfattande råd från barnmorskan. Intaget av vitaminer viktiga för graviditeten var lägre än rekommendationerna, vilket också bekräftas av låga plasmanivåer av D-vitamin hos cirka en tredjedel av de gravida kvinnorna. D-vitaminnivåerna nådde en topp i slutet av graviditeten. Graviditetsvecka och säsong på året påverkade D vitaminnivåer, så även intag via mat och kosttillskott. Orsakertill viktökning är komplexa och beror på många faktorer. Allopregnanolon är en faktor som sågs relatera till viktökningen hos de undersökta gravida kvinnorna.

This thesis aims to provide an approach to real estate residential modeling and forecasting covering property types’ correlation, time series attributes within a region or a city, and socio-economic attributes of preferred real estate locations. The thesis covers residential estate markets and concentrates on property types, while previous studies that have considered country wide house price indices. There is a gap identified in the literature in the need to study correlations between property types within a region or a city and whether they will provide diversification benefits for real estate investors such as risk reduction per unit of returns. The thesis concentrates on property type seasonality in addition to modeling time series attributes within a region or city instead of real estate index seasonality. This thesis the first to combine modern information systems techniques such as geographic information systems (GIS) with socio-economic factors to help understanding causal relationships that can be used to forecast real estate prices. The results show that it is more achievable to forecast real estate prices within a city than for the real estate market of the entire country. The GIS and socio-economic modeling results show that higher property prices are awarded to real estate with more green spaces, residents with higher disposable incomes, lower council tax bands, fewer tax benefits claimants, and better health services. Previous studies have examined real estate price indices at the macro level (the general, all real estate house price indices). There has not been a study that examines real estate price forecasts by property types within a city. The contribution of this thesis is its focus on time series analysis as well as causal modeling within a city with the objective of providing a better understanding of the dynamics of real estate price changes.

Knowledge about biomechanical properties of veins is of importance for understanding the physiologyof the venous system. Specifically for this thesis there is a motivation based on an idea of how to usebiomechanics of the vein in the development of new non-invasive measurement techniques for assessingthe pressure in the brain. The cross sectional area of veins is known to depend on pressure changes insidethe vessel. There are many ways of provoking these pressure changes, like changing posture or creating apositive airway pressure. The hypothesis is that the positive airway pressure will increase the intrathoracic pressure and in turnincrease the pressure in the internal jugular veins by the same magnitude. The cross sectional area will from a pressure change subsequently change with respect to the biomechanical properties of the vessel walls. A first aim in this study was to determine how the cross sectional area of the internal jugular veins is altered due to changes in airway pressure. A second aim was to develop and evaluate a model where the biomechanical properties of the internal jugular veins is described, based on the relationship between pressure and area of the vein. Ultrasound measurements were performed on one healthy adult man to study the effect on the cross sectional area at different pressure provocations. Measurements on the subject was performed at four different head up tilt angles, causing a pressure decrease in the internal jugular vein. A controlled Valsalva method was performed to give the positive airway pressure giving corresponding pressure increases. With an increased airway pressure the effect on cross sectional area changes was about 23% of the effect dueto hydrostatic pressure changes, at a tilt angle from 0° to 8°. At a tilt angle from 8° to 16° the effect was about 35%. Thus the venous pressure seems to be increased due to an increased airway pressure, but not tothe same magnitude. The theoretical model was developed and subsequently evaluated using existing head down tilt magneticresonance imaging data on nine healthy volunteers. An expression for how radius of the vessel depends on pressure changes was derived and evaluated. This expression included individual biomechanical properties that were estimated on group level for the nine subjects. The resulting equation could beused to give an approximate prediction of the increase in radius to a change in venous pressure. In conclusion, the hypothesis suggesting that a positive airway pressure would give an equally increased venous pressure could not be confirmed, and this knowledge should be considered when trying to assess thepressure in the brain with this technique. The derived biomechanical model was promising for predictionof cross sectional area with respect to a change in venous pressure. / Att ha kännedom om biomekaniska egenskaper hos vener är viktigt för att kunna förstå fysiologin hos vensystemet. I den här rapporten finns det i synnerhet ett intresse av detta baserat på en idé för hur veners biomekanik kan användas för att utveckla en ny icke-invasiv mätteknik för att uppskatta trycket i hjärnan. Det är känt att tvärsnittsnittarean av vener beror på tryckförändringar inne i kärlet. Att provocera fram dessatryckförändringar går att göra på många sätt, till exempel genom en förändrad kroppsposition eller genomatt sätta ett positivt tryck på luftvägarna. Hypotesen är att ett positivt luftvägstryck kommer att höja det intratorakala trycket, vilket i sin turkommer att höja trycket inne i de interna jugularvenerna lika mycket. Tvärsnittsarean kommer därmed att ändras enligt biomekaniska egenkaper hos kärlväggen. Ett första syftet i det här arbetet var att bestämma hur tvärsnittsarean av de internal jugularvenerna varierar enligt förändringar i luftvägstryck. Det andra syftet var att utveckla en modell som beskriver de biomekaniska egenskaperna hos de interna jugularvenerna. Detta baserat på relationen mellan tryck och area hos venen. För att studera effekten på tvärsnittsarea för olika tryckprovokationer, genomfördes ultraljudsmätningar på en frisk och vuxen man. Mätningarna på subjektet genomfördes med överkroppen positionerad i fyra olika positiva vinklar relativt horisontalplanet, vilket leder till ett minskat tryck i jugularvenerna. En kontrollerad Valsalvametod användes för att skapa det positiva luftvägstrycket som då ska ge en motsvarande tryckökning. Vid en tiltvinkel på 8° var effekten på areaförändringarna som en följd av ökat luftvägstryck ca 23% av effekten som en följd av de hydrostatiska tryckförändringarna. Vid en tiltvinkel på 16° var effekten ca 35%. Det verkar som att ventrycket ökar med ökat luftvägstryck, men inte med samma storleksordning som det pålagda trycket. Den teoretiska modellen utvecklades och utvärderades sedemera med hjälp av befintligt MRI-data för nio friska och frivilliga subjekt, där överkropparna var positionerade i nedåt tilt. Modellen bestod av ettuttryck för hur radien av ett kärl beror på tryckförändringar inne i det. Modellen innehåller individspecifika egenskaper men utvärderingen gjordes på gruppnivå för de nio subjekten. Det resulterande uttrycket kunde användas för att ge en approximativ förutsägelse om hur radie förändras till följd av en variation i ventryck. Som slutsats så kunde hypotesen som föreslog att ett positivt luftvägstryck skulle ge en lika stor ökning av ventryck inte bekräftas. Om denna teknik ska användas för att försöka bestämma trycket i hjärna så måste hänsyn tas till dessa resultat. Den utvecklade biomekaniska modellen verkar lovande för att kunna förutsäga tvärsnittsarea utifrån ventrycksförändringar.

The average life expectancy and the proportion of elderly are increasing globally and inSweden, causing challenges for the society. Physical activity has proven to bring a number ofpositive benefits in older people, making the promotion of physical activity an important partof healthy aging attempts. The degree of physical activity in Sweden’s elderly population isgreater than in previous generations, making this group a positive exception from a widerperspective. A cross sectional study was made in order to investigate which motives tophysical activity that was considered most important among people above 60. Collected datawere analyzed with SPSS version 19.0 and the result showed that most of the given motiveswere viewed as important. Avoiding sickness and bad health and motives related toimprovement and maintaining of physical fitness were given the highest values. The degree ofphysical activity among the participants were also collected and a bivariate analyze could thusbe performed to investigate possible relations between physical activity and differentmotives. A statistic significant relation between a high degree of physical activity at gym(more than 2 days a week) and a high valuation of motives related the social aspect, goodfeelings and self-development were then found. / Medellivslängden och andelen äldre ökar i världen och i Sverige vilket kommer innebärastora utmaningar. Fysisk aktivitet har flertalet goda effekter för äldre människor och attfrämja fysiskt aktivitet blir en således en viktig del i arbetet med att åstadkomma etthälsosamt åldrande. Positivt är då att Sveriges äldre befolkning är fysiskt aktiva i högre gradän tidigare generationer. Därför genomfördes en tvärsnittsstudie med syfte att undersökavilka motiv till fysisk aktivitet som ansågs ha störst betydelse för fysiskt aktiva människoröver 60 år. Data analyserades i SPSS version 19.0 och resultatet visade att flertalet av 21angivna motiv hade stor betydelse för de äldres fysiska aktivitet. Att undvika sjukdom ochhälsobesvär samt att bevara/förbättra aspekter av den fysiska formen ansågs dock viktigast.Deltagarna fick också ange i vilken grad de var fysiskt aktiva och således kunde sambandmellan olika motiv och fysisk aktivitet beräknas. Ett fåtal statistiskt signifikanta sambandhittades då det visade sig att personer som värderade den sociala biten, de goda känslornaoch självutveckling högst var fysiskt aktiva på gym i högre grad (över 2 dagar i veckan) än desom gav dessa motiv lägre värden.

It is well established in the financial economics literature that potential gains from international diversification are generated from the imperfect correlation between national stock market returns. This empirical study explores the factors that impede perfect integration among national equity markets by examining emerging markets data. The first major topic of the dissertation is to re-visit the debate on the relative importance of country and industry effects in the cross-sectional variation of stock returns. By applying the standard Heston and Rouwenhorst (1994) dummy variable decomposition method to $U. S. nominal returns from 11 industry sectors of 13 emerging markets from 1984 to 2004, this work confirms that country effects do play a dominant role in determining the cross-sectional variation in stock returns in emerging markets but since late 1990s, the industry effects have become increasingly important. This conclusion is robust even after the removal of three potential biases: inflation rate, exchange rate and interest rate effects, all of which may amplify the country effects. The second topic is to investigate the debate from the perspective of stock risk. Stock risk is modeled and calculated independently from a return model with ARCH type errors. By applying the standard dummy variable decomposition method to stock risks, the empirical evidence is found to support the conclusions drawn on stock return decompositions. Finally, in order to find the fundamental sources of the country and industry factors, pure country and industry effects are then regressed on fundamental characteristics of country and industry. The findings show that the change in the variables representing the exchange rate can explain a substantial amount of the country effect variations, while at the same time, banking and stock markets development also contribute to the variations. The regressions also find evidence that the legal origin of the market does matter to stock returns. Regressions on industry effects are not as promising as the results of the country effects regression. Only the geographical concentration of industries is found to explain a small amount of the industry effects.

The older population in Thailand is growing, and the number of older people who suffer from health problems is increasing as well. The health situation of the older population challenges healthcare providers to care for older people. Healthy aging is key to promoting the health of older people and sustaining their well-being. However, little is known about healthy aging in Thailand, especially in northeastern Thailand, or the Isan region, where the number of older people is increasing. Thus, this thesis aims to understand the factors associated with perceived health and healthy aging and how older people and their relatives in the Isan region conceptualize healthy aging. This thesis also focuses on how community nurses experience the meaning and promotion of healthy aging in this region. This thesis includes four studies. The first is a quantitative cross-sectional study with 453 participants aged 60 years or older. The second and third studies are qualitative with a phenomenographic approach that is based on lifeworld theory. Participants in the second and third studies include 17 older people and 14 relatives who are responsible for caring for older people, respectively. The fourth study is a qualitative study that involves focus group interviews with 36 community nurses who work with older people in the Isan region. The findings of the first study show a variance (24.3%) in perceived health and healthy aging based on residential area, marital status and disability status. The meaning of healthy aging, which was derived from the second, third and fourth studies, was divided into three domains: being interconnected; being able to do something good and feeling strong; and thinking beyond the capacity and functions of body and mind. The promotion of healthy aging was described as “providing health assessments”, “sharing knowledge”, and “having limited resources”. The findings of the first study revealed the key factors that will help healthcare providers promote healthy aging. The findings of the second, third and fourth studies revealed that older people, their children and grandchildren, and community nurses attach different meanings to healthy aging. The finding regarding promotion of healthy aging emphasizes that the person-centredness should be integrated in practice when promoting healthy aging. The results of this thesis will be useful to policymakers, who can apply this enhanced understanding of healthy aging to develop healthcare practices that promote healthy aging.

The analysis of pharmacotherapy by patients suffering with DM in Greece I Author: Georgios Kalaitzidis Tutor: Professor RNDr.Jiri Vlcek,CSc. Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Kralove. Introduction: The diabetes in developed countries concerns 11% of people over 70 years and is the cause of 3% of total deaths in general population. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the Pharmacotherapy of Diabetes mellitus type II in a pharmacy of a small town of Greece, Veria. Methods: It is retrospective cross-sectional study, which was conducted in a pharmacy in a small town of Greece, Veria. The study population consists of 60 patients with known Type II diabetes Melitus. The data collection was performed by a self-reported questionnaire, which was created and developed by the researcher and filled by the respondents. Results: The mean age of the sample was 56.5±17.5 years. Most of them were females (n=40). Most of the patients knew their fasting glucose level (93.3%,n=56).Of the patients who knew their fasting glucose level, 36 (64.3%) patients had high fasting glucose level and 20 (35.7%) had physiological fasting glucose level. From all the patients(n=60), some of them visited their physician every 6 months (n=24), and every 3 months...