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The modification of drugs into pro-drugs is an attractive concept allowing you to tweak the chemical and physical properties of a drug without changing the original structure of the active compound. In principle, any compound possessing a preferred biological activity can be transformed into a pro-drug. Many natural products harbor qualities that are potentially interesting as drugs but difficult
Preparation for radiotherapy is a complex procedure that involves many different technologies and groups of professionals. The rapid development and introduction of new technologies throughout the last decade have made it possible to deliver highly conformal, individually-shaped dose distributions with high accuracy. However, there is widespread concern that current quality assurance practices hav
The studies presented in Papers I to VI illustrate several different aspects of the impact of vascular plants on methane emissions from northern natural wetlands. The subject has been approached on different scales, ranging from the study of microbial substrates in the vicinity of a single plant root, to an attempt to extrapolate some of the results to the entire northern hemisphere north of 50°N.
The studies presented in this thesis concern the optimisation and evaluation of the dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) technique for the assessment of perfusion-related parameters of the brain, such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV) and mean transit time (MTT). Several methodological factors influence these measurements, for example, contra
Synthesis of compounds based on the structurally rigid bicyclo[2.2.2]octane and the dibenzobicyclo[3.3.1]nonane frameworks and also their application as ligands and catalysts in asymmetric synthesis are described. For the synthesis of 1,3-diols based on the bicyclo[2.2.2]octane framework, an improved synthesis of the starting material bicyclo[2.2.2]octan-2,6-dione was developed and performed at 0
The migratory behaviour of birds has received much scientific interest, though many questions still remain unsolved. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty of following the birds as they move between breeding and wintering localities. Populations may mix on migration and the origin of individual birds is difficult to assess. One way to address this problem may be to develop genetic populati
During production of concentrated fruit juices, both physical and chemical losses of aroma compounds occur due to heat treatment such as pasteurisation and evaporation. This leads to an inferior quality of the final product. By recovering the aroma complex from fresh juice and then adding it back to the processed juice, heat treatment can be avoided. Hydrophobic pervaporation is an emerging membr
What are the discursive pre-conditions for planning? In this dissertation the author analyzes and critically assesses the assumptions which underlie our thinking about planning. This is done in an analysis of firstly, how planning is legitimized, and secondly, what consequences these forms of legitimation have for planning theory as well as for planning as a political practice. The author descri
In the business-to-business (B2B) setting much attention has been given to how e-business tools can be used to assist firms in purchasing. Considering the increasing pressure on suppliers to use B2B e-business, this thesis turns its attention to the supplier situation by taking a closer look at how collaborative uses of B2B e-business are of value to suppliers. This book differs from much of the
Molecular recognition and interaction is fundamental for the function of biological systems. The properties of the interacting biomolecules dictate the type of forces involved and the strength and dynamics of the interaction. Many interactions are very strong whereas others exhibit weak affinity. Typically, weak interactions work in concert to trigger a biological response. The advantage with thi
Recent decades have seen an exponential increase in the functionality of electronic circuits, allowing for continuous innovation, which benefits society. This increase in functionality has been facilitated by scaling down the dimensions of the most important electronic component in modern electronics: the Si-based MOSFET. By reducing the size of the device, more transistors per chip area is possib
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disorder of the blood system. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) supply and maintain this system by differentiating via intermediates into lineage-restricted progenitors that strongly proliferate to keep up with the high turn-over of mature blood cells. In AML, the mechanisms controlling differentiation and proliferation of myeloid cells are disturbed leadi
Firms compete with each other to earn the highest profit. A wide range of issues needs to be considered in order to do so – decisions about products, markets, customers and, not to forget, organisation have to be made. Concerning organisation, a business firm can choose to make a particular thing (a good or service) by itself or to buy it from someone else. The decision determines the way in which
Hazardous radioactive sources out of regulatory control are referred to as orphan sources. Focussing on gamma-emitting orphan sources, this thesis describes methods that can be used in mobile gamma-ray spectrometry to perform real-time discrimination between an actual source signal and the signal due to the natural radiation background. Two categories of methods for orphan source detection are pre
The present thesis deals with the activation of CO2 by insertion reactions into palladium-carbon bonds. This has been realised for the complexes {2,6-bis[(di-t-butylphosphino)methyl]benzene}palladium(II)methyl [(PCP)PdMe] and (PCP)PdCH2CHCH2. These complexes have also been used in the catalytic carboxylation of ZnMe2 and Bu3SnCH2CHCH2. Because of trans influence the palladium-methyl bond is severe
The principal purposes of the studies reported in this thesis were to develop new methods to make computerised decision support systems in medicine both more reliable and fully automated. These aims were pursued in the belief that the solution to these problems will lead to an increased clinical use of such systems resulting in benefit to both patient and physician. In the first two studies, meth
This study attempts to answer the question of why Laban the Aramean, a rather harmless character as presented in the biblical text, is generally portrayed in rabbinic literature as a major enemy of Jacob and Israel. It is argued that the portrait of Laban as a villain developed as a result of rabbinic hermeneutics, and that the characteristics which are attributed to him in rabbinic literature wer
The aim of this work was to investigate the dosimetric effects of removing the flattening filter from conventional C-arm medical linear accelerators. In conventional linear accelerators used for radiotherapy, a flattening filter is positioned in the beam line to provide a uniform lateral dose profile at a specified depth in water. However, for some radiotherapy treatments, a uniform lateral dose p
How are access to asylum and other forms of extraterritorial protection regulated in the European Union? Is the EU acquis in these areas in conformity with international law? What tools does international law offer to solve conflicts between them? And, finally, is law capable of bridging the foundational oppositions embedded in migration and asylum issues? This work combines the potential of legal
The current form-giving activity in industrial design is characterized by explorations that depend on the individual capability to mentally manipulate a solution space from which to select and express the intended result. Industrial designers frequently rely on artistic experimentation, aesthetic inspiration, or design briefs. These points of departure often result in satisfactory results, but the
