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A continuing use of fossil fuels will accelerate global warning and result in severe consequences for the environment and thereby also us. Development of alternative, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources is therefore crucial. One approach is to create an artificial photosynthetic system that converts sunshine into fuel (e.g. hydrogen gas) by splitting water molecules. However, i
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
Time trends in prevalence, incidence and mortality was followed in 15000 diabetic patients in 1991?2005. Clinical findings, C-peptide protocols, and islet antibodies were compared in their ability to distinguish type 1 from type 2 diabetes, and factors associated with the prognosis of diabetes were explored. The incidence and the age at onset remained stable but the prevalence of diabetes increas
Mathematical modelling and simulation are important tools when dealing with engineering systems that today are becoming increasingly more complex. Tightly integrated production and process optimization are trends that give rise to heterogeneous systems, which are difficult to handle without expertise in several engineering disciplines. Model libraries provide an excellent way to package engineerin
The aim of this thesis was to define and develop the concept of health promotion in mental health services as well as to develop a questionnaire to measure patients? subjective experiences of health promotion intervention in mental health services. The samples consisted of 12 patients in study I and 12 nurses in study II as well as 135 patients in mental health services in study III and IV. Data w
Drum sound is the sound produced when an object, such as a foot, hits the flooring in the room in which the receiving ear is located. Drum sound has attracted interest in recent years, particularly due to an increased use of thin floating floor constructions, such as veneer or laminate flooring, which can produce loud and sharp walking sound. A prediction model of the subjective response, in a pai
The aim of this thesis is to contribute to our understanding of health care utilisation and its determinants in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This is done by explicitly focusing on health care expenditures and its determinants as well as the choice to seek health care to cure the illness. Firstly, the focus is on a household’s expenditures for health care. The aim of this
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a ceramic type of fuel cell operating at elevated temperatures. By utilising the thermal energy from the SOFC in a heat engine, a hybrid cycle with high performance can be achieved. One promising concept is a pressurised SOFC in combination with a recuperated gas turbine cycle. The fuel cell, being the more efficient power generator of the two, represents the maj
Methods are needed for accurate measurement of acetabular cup migration and wear after hip replacement. The EBRA (Ein Bild Röntgen Analyse) method was recently introduced as a computerized method for radiographic assessment of acetabular cup migration. In this study, various standard methods for measuring migration were evaluated and compared to radiostereometry (RSA), which has proved to be high
The Early Middle Ages, comprising the period ca. 1000-1250, is usually described as a dynamic and eventful time, when many spheres of society underwent radical changes. The aim of this dissertation is to link these processes together in an overall holistic description of medieval society. The intention is thus to provide a "total historical" account of early medieval Denmark by means of a broad in
A number of working children in several regions over the world are mobilising to fight for better working conditions and to gain their rights according to how they interpret the Child Rights Convention (UNCRC) from 1989. Despite the increasing focus on child participation, their approaches and their demands are in many aspects controversial and they are often met with suspicion among diverse actor
The purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing pupils when they individually solve problems in mathematics in grades 4-9 in the compulsory school (ages: 10-16 years). The method that has been used is an analyses of the solutions of 25 problems given to each grade. Some of the problems were the same in all grades and about 100 pupils participated in each grade. Through an examinat
Low temperature has a large impact on the survival and distribution of plants. Interactive effects with high irradiance lead to cold-induced photoinhibition, which may impact on the establishment and growth of tree seedlings. In this thesis, novel approaches are applied for relating the spatial variability in low temperature and irradiance to photosynthetic performance and growth of tree seedlings
The recombinant DNA techniques have made it possible to produce many different proteins for a wide range of applications. The vector encoding for the recombinant protein is often inserted in the bacterium E. coli as it is a well studied and a well-known organism. To achieve a high productivity, it is important to reach a high cell density. This is obtained through fed-batch operation where the nut
The thesis comprises an introductory chapter and four research papers. The introductory chapter provides a brief overview of recent economic growth performance in Africa, places the individual papers into a coherent context, summarizes the main findings, and discusses their relevance for economic policy. The first paper, The Role of Capital Accumulation, Adjustment and Structural Change for Take-
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
