Filtyp
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
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) pose serious threats to our global environment. These compounds have high chemical and biological stability and they are also very lipophilic. These characteristics not only render POPs the ability to spread widely and pollute remote areas, they also make them prone to accumulate in adipose tissues of living organisms. Consequently, it is important to monitor P
The immune response is designed to protect the body from harmful microbial invasions. However, when the immune system attacks itself instead, an autoimmune reaction starts that damage our own cells, tissues and organs. Despite decades of research concerning the etiology of autoimmune diseases the molecular mechanisms of these disorders are poorly understood as they are complex and influenced by bo
The purpose of this study was to investigate the suggestions that macrophages, and the systems generating nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), i.e. nitric oxide synthases (NOS) and heme oxygenases (HO), could be important for peripheral nerve regeneration. Immunocytochemistry was used to visualise invading and resident macrophages, inducible NOS (iNOS), two isoforms of HO (HO-1 and HO-2),
Leukotrienes belong to a family of biologically active conjugated trienes that are formed from arachidonic acid via the 5-lipoxygenase pathway and are important mediators of inflammatory reactions. The CysLT1 receptor that specifically serves as receptor for leukotriene D4 (LTD4) has been identified as a G-protein coupled receptor. Cell-cell and cell-matrix complexes of epithelial cells are inter
Changes in vascular permeability can immensely change plasma volume and affect the degree of oedema in the body. In diseases with an increased vascular permeability, adequate fluid therapy is of considerable importance to prevent hypovolaemia. Mechanisms behind differences in effectiveness of various plasma volume expanders to restore a low plasma volume and a compromised microcirculation are stil
Replacing fossil fuels by biofuels such as ethanol is considered a promising alternative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigate climate change. Biofuels produced from lignocellulosic biomass, so-called second generation biofuels, result in decreased GHG emissions and limit competition with food and animal feed production. Interest in producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass ha
Population dynamics in space and time are manifested as changes in the distribution and abundance of organisms. To couple such patterns to the underlying processes is a central question in ecology and also key to successful management. In this thesis, I use theoretical models as well as time series data to analyze population dynamics in environments that are variable in space or time. An example o
In this thesis I have investigated the effects of pesticide exposure on the ecosystem level using various types of experimental ecosystems, i.e. microcosms. The direct effect of exposure to cyperemthrin, a pyretroid insecticide, was a rapid decrease of crustancean zooplankton in enclosures in a lake. In the exposed enclosures the biomass of algae, heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates and bacter
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
Biofuels are currently produced from agricultural crops, and an increasing use of crops for this application is expected in the EU in the years to come. The dominating crops cultivated in the EU for biofuel production today have a relatively large environmental impact. The European Energy Agency has identified several lignocellulosic crops, including industrial hemp, as more sustainable potential
The aim of the thesis was to examine different aspects of the role of intersubjectivity in metacognitive development and in social understanding. More specifically, it investigates how different theoretical frameworks, such as mentalization theory, the theory of primary intersubjectivity, and interaction theory describe the developmental role of intersubjectivity. The suggestions these theories ma
A distinguishing feature of Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) is their ability to resist phagocytosis in whole human blood in the absence of type-specific antibodies, a property that is dependent on the expression of the surface associated M proteins. A common characteristic of M proteins is their interaction with a variety of host proteins including the complement regulatory protein factor H (FH) and
