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Our everyday appliances ranging from toys to vehicles, as well as the equipment used to manufacture them, contain an increasing number of embedded computers. Embedded systems software often implement functionality that is crucial for the operation of the device, resulting in a variety of timing requirements and resource utilization constraints to be fulfilled. Industrial competition and the ever i
This doctoral dissertation is an analysis of the novel 'The Garden' (1997), by the Russian author Nina Sadur. Drawing on feminist literary criticism, it aims at providing a woman-authored text with the in-depth study the novel’s literary sophistication calls for. The dissertation is divided into two parts: Part One presents a linear reading of the novel in which it is read as ‘aberrant discourse’
Silicon is the next most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and its biogeochemical cycle is linked with that of carbon. Further, silicon is a beneficial nutrient for plants in terrestrial ecosystems and a key nutrient for diatoms in aquatic ecosystems. During the last decade the important role of terrestrial vegetation in controlling Si fluxes downstream aquatic environments, via incorporation
The complex genetics of cancer allows tumors to grow and spread undeterred by the control mechanisms of the cell. The importance of protein-coding genes in tumorigenesis is well established. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerge as key regulator of development and cellular processes such as differentiation, cell growth and cell death; processes closely linked to cancer. The aim of this thesis w
The work presented in this thesis deals with metallacyclic late transition metal complexes, obtained by intramolecular Csp3-H activation, and the application of such compounds in catalysis. The new hemilabile P,O phosphines N-methyl-N-propionyl-2-(diphenylphosphino)benzylamine (DPPAM), o-(diphenylphosphino)benzoic acid ethyl ester (DPPES), o-(diphenylphosphino)benzoic acid methyl ether (DPPET) and
This thesis deals with the development of novel methodologies for the synthesis of hetero- and carbocycles enabled by transition metal catalysis. The second chapter of the thesis describes a gold-catalyzed three-component reaction to form a variety of substituted oxazoles from readily available N-benzylimines, terminal alkynes, and acyl chlorides. Sacrificial benzyl groups are used to merge two o
This doctoral thesis deals with consumers’ attitudes towards serving them-selves with machines rather than being served by personnel. Its aim is to contribute to the theory of perceived service quality by providing a better understanding of customers’ attitudes and preferences when using technology-based self-service. In addition to aspects of service dealt with by traditional service-quality rese
This essay has three main aims. The first one is to give an overview of some hundred years of European intellectual history, bringing out new aspects of the classical thinkers. The analysis of the four philosophers Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, David Hume and Charles de Montesquieu aims at illustrating a general historical process, viz. the emergence of the modern view of man in Europe. After Hobbes,
Knowledge work is often portrayed as hidden or ambiguous: an ambiguous product is sold, ambiguous results are delivered, and work processes are ambiguous. This in turn affects the type of management expected in knowledge-intensive organisations, where emphasis is on managing people rather than work. In this study, the organisation of knowledge work is discussed and problematized through analysis o
The research field of the thesis is clinical adult psychiatry and it focuses on the treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorders. Before the publication of DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in 1994 intellectually high-functioning patients with autism have not been included in diagnostic manuals and received appropriate treatment in adult psychiatry. In recent y
This thesis concentrates on the development, synthesis and evaluation of supramolecular systems, assembled from its components by means of hydrogen bonding, using the self-complementary 2-pyridone motif. The thesis is divided in two parts. 1) Supramolecular catalysis: Substrate selectivity is imposed on a derivative of Jacobsen's catalyst, an Mn(salen) complex with 2-quinolone hydrogen-bonding gr
The aim of this work was to develop, implement and evaluate an independent system with which to calculate the absorbed dose, delivered by high-energy X-ray beams, to the prescription point and the depth of dose maximum. The introduction of such a system in the clinical routine may help ensure high-quality treatment and avoidance of errors which may jeopardise the clinical outcome of the treatment
The ongoing increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations causes an increase in the global mean air temperature. One important moderator of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is the gas exchange between the atmosphere and the biosphere; photosynthesis extracts and respiration releases CO2, resulting in a net exchange. A variety of methods are used to improve our understandi
This study explores the role of transcriptional regulation important in the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, dyskinesia is one of the most difficult complications of the DA-replacement therapy by L-DOPA. The underlying mechanisms are still unknown, but a role of abnormal striatal plasticity has been proposed. The
Simulation of coupled dynamical systems, where the subsystems are bundled with their own internal solver, is important in industry. This is due to that in many cases, with complex systems, this is the only viable option. In this setting, the dynamics of each system is hidden and information between subsystems is exchanged through sampled inputs and outputs, a weakly coupled system. While a new ind
The results presented in this thesis can be divided into four areas of investigation: Investigation of the effect of new volume-crank angle relations on engine emissions, power and efficiency; investigation of nitrogen oxides effect on auto ignition and knock in SI engines; investigation of premixed SI and HCCI engine operation with the alternative fuels hydrogen and reformed methanol gas (RMG); s
Deprived of human rights, more than half of all people with disabilities in developing countries live in extreme poverty. Although considered a prerequisite for equalization of opportunities, about nine out of ten of those who need assistive technologies do not have access to them. Little is known about the socioeconomic benefits of using assistive technology in low-income countries that can infor
Policies based upon Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) aim to reduce the environmental impacts of products across their entire life cycle. The intent is to induce design changes in products and thus reduce impacts at source. This, by provision of incentives to producers through an extension of responsibility. Since the early 1990s, a number of countries have incorporated the concept of EPR int
The aim of this thesis is to analyse the status of new stained glass from 1851-1955. The point of departure is that, despite stained glass having been part of the ?uvre of many well-known artists, it is often not included in the general history of art. One primary methodological approach is to examine the issue of status emerging from notions of the media-specific qualities of stained glass. The
The aim of this dissertation is to explore some of the problems associated with introducing authentic assessment in teacher education. In the first part of the dissertation the question is investigated, through a literature review, whether the use of scoring rubrics can aid in supporting credible assessment of complex performance, and at the same time support student learning of such complex perfo
