In some cases there are no methods to identify raw material which are included in dietary supplements such as tablets. The identification can be done with TLC. A general method description was developed using the raw material gotukola and appel cider vinegar. This includes processing to achieve higher concentration of the active ingredient if needed; evaluation of solubility agents to dissolve the active substance; evaluation of mobile and stationary phase and visualization of the stationary phase. The report also includes an evaluation of stationary plates. / Examensarbetet är utfört vid Vitamex Production AB (VxP) vilket ingår i Midelfart Sonesson koncernen. På företaget produceras läkemedel, naturläkemedel och naturtillskott som distribueras över stora delar av världen. Produkterna tillverkas av råvaror som kontrolleras och analyseras av laboratoriet på VxP. En av många analysmetoder som tillämpas är tunnskiktskromatografi (TLC). Arbetsuppgiften bestod av att ta fram en metodbeskrivning för TLC, som beskriver hur man kan identifiera ett eller flera ämnen ur en råvara då metod inte är tillgänglig. En annan uppgift var att studera olika TLC-plattor som marknaden har att erbjuda för att se vad som är bäst för VxPs applikationer. Experiment utfördes på råvarorna gotukola och äppelcidervinägerpulver, där ingen analysmetod fanns tillgänglig. Utifrån experimentens resultat sammanställdes en metodbeskrivning vilket visar hur bestämning av upparbetningsmetod, val av mobil och stationär fas samt hur visualisering av plattan kan göras. Av TLC-plattorna som studerades visade sig kiselgel med aluminiumunderlag vara det billigaste alternativet.

Magnetic metal oxide nanoparticles for contrast enhancement in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have proven to be one of the most promising applications in diagnostic science. The nanoparticles can provide better and more accurate diagnosis by their capability to enhance the contrast between different soft tissues. New and better contrast agents need to be developed, to further improve this contrast enhancement. This thesis is focused on biofunctionalization of gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) nanoparticles to obtain specific properties for further functionalization with the long term goal to improve the biocompatibility and the biomolecular recognition. Gd2O3 nanoparticles have been synthesized by a polyol synthesis and characterized with Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Three different capping procedures of Gd2O3 nanoparticles was investigated to obtain improved stability and to present functional groups for further functionalization. Capping molecules used was oleic acid, citric acid and 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTES). The presence of oleic acid and citric acid was examined with Fourier Transform Infrared Transmission (FT-IR) and XPS. The crystalline nature of Gd2O3 when capped with oleic acid and citric acid was also examined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and TEM. The capping layer from APTES was examined using XPS and DLS. Dialysis and filtration has a crucial role in decreasing the risk of aggregation and increasing the possibilities for functionalization of the Gd2O3 nanoparticles. Diafiltration procedure was studied which may lead to better and quicker filtration.

Kalmar lantmän is a large company with a large energy consumption, producing mainly ceral based feed; Nötfor, Piggfor, Pullfor and Fårfor. Kalmar lantmän has been ordered by the environmental authorities to prepare an energy saving plan, to further a continued development towards becoming a more energy efficient enterprise. This is a proposal on how to extract data on the present performance, how to design an energy saving plan and how to save energy. The present energy performance at Kalmar lantmän is compared to a similar enterprise. Recommendations in this thesis are mainly based upon experiences from reports from Energikontor Sydost Energy Agency of southeast Sweden, Energimyndigheten and Miljösamverkan Sverige.

A study of heavy metal discharges from the decontaminated industrial land around Jungnerholmarna, Fliseryd, has been performed. The aim was to find a reason for small stocks of brown trout (Salmo trutta) at the estuary of the river Emån in Kalmarsund. As an indicator of the emissions, juvenile trout was used, which was captured from study areas upstream, by and downstream the presumed source of emissions by Jungnerholmarna. The heavy metals cadmium, nickel, lead, zinc and copper were analyzed in liver of brown trout. The results show elevated levels of cadmium by and downstream Jungnerholmarna. Cadmium levels have, however, decreased from the time when a similar survey was carried out in 2001, and can in the present year of 2009 be classified as normal. Concentrations of the heavy metals nickel and lead have decreased in liver of brown trout since 2001, while no trends can be deduced from the metals zinc and copper. This study suggests that future studies of heavy metals in liver of brown trout should be centered around Grönskogssjön in Emån. / En studie av tungmetallutsläpp från de sanerade industrimarkerna kring Jungnerholmarna i Fliseryd har utförts. Detta för att finna en orsak till låga bestånd av havsöring (Salmo trutta) vid Emåns mynning i Kalmarsund. Som indikator för utsläppen användes juvenil öring, infångad från lokaler uppströms, vid och nedströms den förmodade utsläppskällan vid Jungnerholmarna. Tungmetallerna kadmium, nickel, bly, zink och koppar analyserades i lever från öringen. Resultaten visar förhöjda halter av kadmium vid och nedströms Jungnerholmarna. Kadmiumhalterna i är dock reducerade sedan en liknande undersökning gjordes år 2001 och kan år 2009 klassas som normala. Halter av tungmetallerna nickel och bly har minskat i öringlever sedan år 2001, medan inga trender kan utläsas från metallerna zink och koppar. Vidare föreslås att framtida studier av tungmetaller i öringlever ska koncentreras kring Grönskogssjön i Emån.

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Syftet med det här arbetet är att undersöka vilka drivkrafter det finns för att jobba aktivt med miljöarbete, syftet är också att ta fram viktiga strategier som är viktiga för smarta återvinningssystem. I den här undersökningen är det återvinningsarbetet det framförallt handlar om som miljöarbete. Undersökningen har genomförts i samarbete med företaget Ad Infinitum i Borås (Sverige) som är ett avfallsföretag. Där har jag genomfört intervjuer genom en fallstudie på tre av Ad Infinitums kunder. I rapporten presenteras forskningsfrågorna som använts vid intervjuerna och vilka underfrågor som också ställts. Resultatet blev att det fanns stora skillnader i hur man tänker och jobbar med miljö mellan de stora och det mindre företaget. Rapporten tar upp viktiga drivkrafter som ekonomisk lönsamhet, den tar också upp viktiga strategier för att lyckas med miljöarbetet och ett effektivt återvinningssystem. Rapporten tar också upp olika hinder som de undersökta företagen ansågs fanns för att lyckas med återvinningsarbetet.

Spatial analysis has long been a valuable tool used within the criminal investigative process. This is especially true for serial offence cases where criminologists apply geographic profiling to model offender mobility and crime distribution patterns in order to estimate a criminals likely residence. Yet, traditional analytical methodologies have avoided the utilization of functional distance measures when modeling an offenders journey-to-crime within an anisotropic landscape. By substituting straight-line Euclidean distances with travel path functional distance measures, the predictive utility and technological prerequisites associated with geographically profiling a localized serial offender was assessed using mathematically calibrated distance decay models. Both the travel-path and temporally optimized functional distance measures were calculated based on the impedance attributes stored within a linearly referenced transportation data layer of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Journey-to-crime distance decay algorithms were mathematically calibrated for best fit, based on the distribution of incidents obtained from a calibration sample of thirty-one simulated offenders. Functional distances measured for a series of incident locations attributed to a sample of four simulated serial offenders. Using the calibrated distance decay function measured from the calibration sample, geographic profiles were created for each of the four simulated serial offenders. A probability score was calculated for every point within the study area to indicate the likelihood that it contained the offenders residence. Score surfaces estimating the likely residence of the sample offenders were calculated and compared to the actual, known residences in order to determine predictive value and procedural validity of functional distance metrics. Analyzed results revealed that the functional distance measures can serve as a substitute for traditional Euclidian distances when estimating the likely residence of a localized serial offender.

Daily and monthly output from seven evapotranspiration models (FAO-24 Radiation, FAO-24 Blaney-Criddle, Hargreaves-Samani, Priestly-Taylor, Makkink, and Turc) have been tested against reference evapotranspiration data computed by the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith model to assess the accuracy of each model in estimating grass-reference evapotranspiration in Louisiana. Models were compared at eight stations of the Louisiana Agriclimate Information System using data from December 2002 to November 2003. Comparisons were also made using three composite regions: statewide, inland, and coastal. A pan evaporation to reference evapotranspiration model (FAO-24 Pan Evaporation) was also tested against daily grass reference evapotranspiration from the FAO-56 Penman-Monteith model using data from two pan evaporation sites. Statewide and in the coastal region the Turc model was the most accurate daily model with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.26 mm/day and 0.27 mm/day, respectively. Inland the FAO-24 Blaney-Criddle performed best with a MAE of 0.31 mm/day. On a monthly basis, Turc again performed the best statewide and in the coastal region (MAE 0.17 and 0.27 mm/day respectively). Inland, FAO-24 Blaney-Criddle and Makkink tied for the most accurate model, although this may change with a longer dataset. Pan evaporation at both stations performed poorly with MAE values over 1.0 mm/day. It is possible that the equation for calculating the pan coefficient that is suggested by the FAO in the FAO-56 manual may not be a suitable equation for use in Louisiana. These results will assist agricultural and environmental planners in assessing the available water resources in Louisiana.

Rapid intensity changes of Hurricane Lili in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were studied in three distinct ways: climatology, satellite remote sensing, and surface meteorological and oceanographic measurements. Each research methodology provided insight about Hurricane Lili's intensity behavior. A climatology of rapid and explosive intensifications of hurricanes was developed using minimum central pressure observations for the Atlantic tropical cyclone record. Results showed these events were frequent, especially in the GOM. The majority of intensification events occurred ≤ 24 h before landfall, with a third to one-half ≤ 12 h. Lili emerged anomalous as the only hurricane to weaken at a greater rate (+17 hPa over 6 h or +2.83 hPa h^-1) than its rapid intensification event rate (-13 hPa over 6 h or -2.16 hPa h^-1). GOES-8 satellite water vapor brightness temperature data were investigated using a -24°C vapor front to delineate a dry air mass west of Lili. Drier air was shown to affect Lili during a rapid weakening phase after the two features were less than 250 km mean or 215 km minimum distance apart. These critical distances are offered as a criterion for a relationship between tropical cyclone weakening and dry air advection. During the time periods where Lili was intensifying or maintaining intensity, this vapor front exhibited more complex signatures of definitive breaks, shape changes, and protrusions. During the rapid weakening phase and when the two features were the greatest distance apart, the vapor front resembled a smooth, strong boundary line. The dry air mass was shown to have the greatest effect upon Lili after the rapid intensification phases. SST and heat flux calculations illustrated that oceanic contributions to hurricane intensity were more significant during rapid intensification periods. Ocean heat content directly under the center was more vital as seen in Lili's second rapid intensification phase occurring directly over the GOM Loop Current. Although Tropical Storm Isidore cooled surface water temperatures by around 1°C, pre-Isidore water temperature levels were shown to increase latent heat flux values by > 100 W m^-2 (+ 40%) over observed values during Lili's weakening phase.

Cold front passage impacts on sediment transport on the inner continental shelf near Atchafalaya Bay were studied, combining satellite imagery and in-situ meteorological and oceanographic measurements. An empirical model relating atmospherically corrected MODIS imagery reflectance to surface measurements of suspended sediment concentration was developed and successfully applied to the coastal waters. An equation for predicting total suspended sediment from Nephelometric Turbidity Units was also applied to the water column at 1, 2, and 3 meters from the seabed. Five case study weeks were selected to examine the dynamics of pre-frontal and post-front forcing mechanisms on sediment transport in a fine-grained sediment environment, with the major objective to determine whether changes in surface sediment concentration revealed characteristics of sediment transport in the vertical structure of the water column. Remote-sensing data showed that great spatial variation occurred in the surface mud-plume during pre-frontal, post-front and inter-frontal conditions. Southeasterly winds confined the plume nearer shore and often within the bays during pre-frontal conditions. Post-frontal northwesterly and northerly winds increased plume area by 3 to 4 times, extending past the 10 meter isobath and reversing the dominant transport direction from westward to southeastward. A comparison of the surface sediment concentrations at WAVCIS station CSI-3 (seaward of Marsh Island) to simultaneous maxima elsewhere in the mud-plume revealed that the main plume sediment concentrations were often an order of magnitude greater south of the Atchafalaya River mouth. The presence or absence of the plume over the CSI-3 site was not indicative of the level of sediment flux throughout the water column at CSI-3. High rates of surface and upper water column sediment transport were primarily in response to strong currents from wind-forcing. In contrast, the dynamics of near-bottom transport at CSI-3 showed high rates of sediment flux in the post-front period attributed to high sediment concentrations. Total suspended sediment in the bottom meter sustained peaks which were 2 - 10 times that of the surface and mid-depth concentrations, reaching maxima of 1,100 mg/l due to resuspension and/or the advection of fluid mud from the Chenier Plain coast.