Filetype
The current thesis is aimed to increase our understanding of the generation and differentiation of telencephalic neurons, with emphasis on the role of glial cells in these processes. Using in vitro methods we have studied the role of glial cells in neurogenesis, inheritance of genetic regional specification, and influence on differentiation of neurons. We demonstrate that expanded cell cultures ex
The reduction of sludge volumes for disposal is a topic of high interest for wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) all over the world. Steadily increasing volumes for disposal create an economic, environmental, legislative and technological challenge. Researchers and process developers try to minimise the sludge during its genesis or in the downstream treatment. Due to rising costs and scarcity of fo
The human pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes (group A Streptococcus) expresses several different virulence factors. Of these, the M protein is regarded as one of the most important, because it confers resistance to phagocytosis, allowing the bacterium to multiply in blood. A remarkable property of M proteins is their ability to bind different human plasma proteins, in partic
Plants are exposed to many different stress factors during their lifetime, often more than one factor at a time, which highlights the importance of research regarding interaction among stress factors. Cadmium and ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-315 nm) are two potential stress factors in the environment, which have gained increased interest due to atmospheric pollution. In this work the intera
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder where the midbrain dopaminergic neurons are lost. Presently there is no cure for PD, and the most common treatment is to replace the lost dopamine pharmacologically by administration of the dopamine precursor L-DOPA. This works very well during the initial treatment period, but unfortunately a majority of the patients develop abnormal involu
Macrophages play an essential role in the defense against infection by phagocytosis and by production of inflammatory mediators. Such mediators are TNF? and eicosanoids. Many microbial agents elicit arachidonate release in macrophages that lead to the formation of eicosanoids. This thesis is based on studies performed with the use of microbial constituents which induce arachidonate release or/and
Hindered diffusion occurs in the most different processes, as has been described in this thesis. It is very important to have an understanding of the influence of hindered diffusion on the mass transfer rate, especially when competing rate processes are acting simultaneously. Using mathematical modeling and simulation makes it possible to predict the effects of hindered diffusion. The systems that
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant and also the most common form of brain tumour in humans. The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate morphological and diagnostics features in human GBM that may be of importance for prognosis and treatment. Immunohistochemically stained tissue sections have been microscopically analysed regarding immuno-reactive cells, cell proliferation,
The treatment of flow in the area of traffic safety has a long tradition. The influence flow has on the number of accidents is, however, often considered so obvious that it tends to be trivial. In this thesis I can show that the relation between flow and accidents holds interesting information. In order to compare countermeasures, or conduct other types of traffic safety comparisons where the flo
The research presented in this thesis investigates sea and aviation transport safety culture, with a focus on perceptions and attitudes. A safety culture reflects the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values that individuals share in relation to safety. Safety culture is often identified as being essential to an organization's ability to manage safety-related aspects of its operations. The aims
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of cortical reorganisational changes following experimental deafferentation and peripheral nerve injury and apply the concept of brain plasticity to enhance sensory re-education following peripheral nerve injury and repair in the hand. In the first two papers the effects on hand function of contralateral deafferentation was investigated. Tourn
Stroke in young adult rodents triggers neurogenesis in the damaged striatum and intact hippocampus. as stroke happens frequently in aged individuals it is of great importance to know whether aging affects brain recovery mechanisms. Aged and young adult rats were subjected to stroke by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and proliferating cells were labeled by intraperitoneal administ
Modern machinery is expensive and therefore must run at high availability and effectiveness which cannot be achieved without an effective maintenance policy. Condition monitoring, (CM), techniques can be utilised to reduce or arrest the rate of deterioration of a component so increasing operating life. The main result reported in this thesis is that the rolling element bearing’s mean effective li
This thesis is based on three original papers with the overall aim to study the mechanisms of induction and function of Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. Regulatory T cells induce down-modulation of costimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 on dendritic cells in vitro. In the first study we further show that the extent of down-modulation is functionally significant since regulatory T cell condition
The BCR/ABL1 fusion gene is associated with chronic myeloid leukemia and a subgroup of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The general aim of this thesis was to increase the understanding of BCR/ABL1-induced leukemogenesis by molecular and functional studies of this fusion gene. In Article I, an experimental U937 cell line model with inducible expression of BCR/ABL1 was established and characterized. Ex
This thesis presents numerical simulations of reacting transport phenomena in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Broadly, the presented work is subdivided into macro and microscale simulations. In macroscale simulations, a unit PEM fuel cell with interdigitated flow field configurations is simulated keeping in mind all the essential transport mechanisms, i.e., transport of species, ion
The consequences of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) with respect to detrusor hypertrophy, structural and functional changes, and obstruction-induced detrusor overactivity were investigated in vivo and in vitro utilizing various animal models. Possible pathophysiological pathways and therapeutic approaches were tested by drug treatment and the use of knockout models. Furthermore the role of estrog
The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the central control of water balance and micturition has not yet been established. In the present thesis, where female rats were used, neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) distribution was studied in structures of the central nervous system known to be associated with the above mentioned control. Moreover, the concert action of a NOS inhibitor and oxytocin (OT), intrathecal
This thesis deals with proteins containing peptide tags for improved partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems. Qualitatively the peptide-tagged protein partitioning could be predicted from peptide data, i.e. partitioning trends found for peptides were also found for the peptide-tagged proteins. However, full effect of the tag as expected from peptide partitioning was not found in the tagged prote
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) consisting of various oxygen-based free radicals as well as other reactive non-radical species produced in O2-related metabolism or through other processes are involved in the oxidation of such vital biomolecules as DNA, proteins and lipids. The types of oxidation represented here are known to cause many different diseases and disorders in human beings, such as cancer
