Two unusual trinorsesquiterpenoids, urechitols A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the root extract of Pentalinon andrieuxii, a plant used commonly in Yucatecan traditional medicine to treat leishmaniasis. The structures of I and 2 were identified by interpretation of their spectroscopic data and chemical correlation reactions. The relative stereochemistry of I was confirmed through an X-ray cryst

A synthesis of poinsettifolin A (1), a prenylated flavonol isolated from Dorstenia poinsettifolia, is described. Two routes starting from quercetin were explored, and 1 could be prepared if a prenyl group first was incorporated at C-6 of the protected quercetin followed by a condensation with citral at C-8. The key synthetic steps are a Mitsunobu reaction, an europium (III)-catalysed Claisen rearr

The effect of hydrogen loading on the stability and mobility of vacancy-H complexes in aluminum is determined by applying DFT and the minimum-mode-following method. The binding energy per H-atom within a complex is found to range from -0.36 eV/atom to -0.34 eV/atom for an occupancy of, respectively, a single and eight H-atoms. When eight H-atoms are neighboring the vacancy the total binding energy

The overall aim of this thesis was to elucidate family members’ lived experiences and needs during a child’s cancer trajectory and to describe how the illness and its treatment influence both individuals within the family and the family as a whole. Seventeen families with a child under the age of 13 and newly diagnosed with cancer were followed during the child’s treatment trajectory by means of i

The cysteine proteases are enzymes found in every kingdom of life. Clan CA is the largest of the cysteine protease clans, with members all displaying a Cys/His/Asn(Asp) catalytic triad responsible for hydrolysing the peptide bond within the substrate. To regulate the activity of the proteases, another group of proteins act as natural inhibitors (cysteine protease inhibitors) and bind to the protea

Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) breed throughout the boreal forest of North America, but little is known about their population trends or distribution within this region. Analysis of stable hydrogen isotopes (delta H-2) in feathers can delineate origins of a variety of avian migrants, but raptors are reported to have high infra-feather isotopic variance and mean delta H-2 values higher

The objective of this study was to evaluate total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total phenolic content (TPH), and the identification of anthocyanidin and polyphenolic compounds in 13 colored potatoes collected from the Andean region of Bolivia, and understand how the chemical composition correlated with the botanical classification and molecular characterization of genes, ans (anthocyanidin synthase

The prehistory of the Baltic Sea has for a long time suffered from imprecise dating, due to the large uncertainties associated with bulk radiocarbon dating of Baltic Sea sediments. To constrain the timing of environmental changes in the Baltic Sea it is critical to apply new dating approaches. This study identifies lead pollution isochrones in Baltic Sea sediments, which have previously been recor

This paper presents the prospects of viewing sustainable mobility as a merger of seemingly opposing values and ideas into a coherent and fully emplotted myth. Myth, in this sense, is not a false story meant to amuse or discredit, but rather a story based on naturalised beliefs giving it the supremacy of the obvious. Through the process of emplotment, myths create internal logics that help relieve

Most bees are diurnal, with behaviour that is largely visually mediated, but several groups have made evolutionary shifts to nocturnality, despite having apposition compound eyes unsuited to vision in dim light. We compared the anatomy and optics of the apposition eyes and the ocelli of the nocturnal carpenter bee, Xylocopa tranquebarica, with two sympatric species, the strictly diurnal X. leucoth

How coordination of metal ions modulates protein structures is not only important for elucidating biological function but has also emerged as a key determinant in protein turnover and protein-misfolding diseases. In this study, we show that the coordination of Zn2+ to the ALS-associated enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) is directly controlled by the protein's folding pathway. Zn2+ first cat

This paper proposes two low-complexity two-dimensional channel estimators for MIMO-OFDM systems derived from a joint time–frequency channel estimator. The estimators exploit both time and frequency correlations of the wireless channel via use of Slepian-basis expansions. The computational saving comes from replacing a two-dimensional Slepian-basis expansion with two serially concatenated one-dimen

Effect of 915 MHz electromagnetic fields (EMF) on the blood brain-barrier (BBB) permeability has been studied in Fischer 344 rats of both sexes. Male and female Fischer 344 rats were exposed in a Transverse Electromagnetic Transmission line chamber to microwaves of 915 MHz as continuous wave (CW) and pulse-modulated with different pulse power and at various time intervals. The CW-pulse power varie

The aim of this study was to gain an enhanced understanding of how people with multiple sclerosis experience their occupational adaptation. Ten people with multiple sclerosis were interviewed and the constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. Their occupational adaptation was experienced as a constant struggle and non-linear, and served as the means of achieving either a desired sel

Flavoplaca havaasii, previously known only from its type locality in southern Norway, is reported here from a second locality in Nordland, northern Norway. Xanthocarpia marmorata, reported from three localities in Sweden, is new to Scandinavia and Athallia saxifragarum, previously unknown from Fennoscandia, is reported from both Norway and Finland.