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Epilepsy is a syndrome characterized by recurring attacks of sudden, excessive and synchronous discharge in populations of cerebral neurons. Kindling is an animal model for complex partial epilepsy, and is particularly useful for studies on the development of the abnormal excitability underlying the generation and spread of epileptic seizures. Here we have used the kindling model to investigate me
A comparison of essential oils from leaves of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn. obtained by hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction is presented. Selected major components of the oils showed a predominance of higher molecular weight components in the SC-CO2 extracts than in those obtained by HD. Physico chemical properties such as molecular weight, vapour pressure
During tumor progression a strong immunosuppression is developed and is believed to be the major reason why immunotherapy fails. This suppression is induced in response to factors produced from tumor cells, but can also be induced after immunotherapy. NO has been shown to play a major role in this suppression both in patients with gliomas and colon carcinomas. The aim of this thesis is to clarify
To measure the importance of early neurodevelopmental disturbance for schizophrenia, early trauma and dysmorphogenesis (i.e. obstetric complications (OCs), minor physical anomalies (MPAs), head circumference (HC) and dermatoglyphic characteristics) were studied in relationship to adult neurodysfunction (i.e. neurological abnormality (NA), neurocognitive dysfunction (NCGD), tardive dyskinesia (TD)
The fundamental question in this work concerns the ideal relation between asceticism and society in a 5th c. writing (C.E.), the Philotheos Historia (PH), written in elaborate Greek by the learned bishop of Cyrrhus, Theodoret. This collection of saints’ stories tells about the lives of a number of ascetics who lived in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire, many of them close to Antioch. As these n
The biosynthesis of chlorophylls is an important process in nature. The green pigments play a fundamental role in absorbing and transferring solar energy to the photosynthetic apparatus. This thesis elucidates the role and function of the enzyme magnesium chelatase, which catalyses the insertion of magnesium (II) into protoporphyrin IX and is the first committed enzyme of the chlorophyll biosynthe
Microorganisms in forest ecosystems normally recycle nitrogen (N), such that gaseous losses and leaching are limited. Mobilization of organic N, including microbial N, and immobilization of inorganic N, especially NH4+, are the quantitatively most important N transformation processes. Various factors influence their rates, e.g. the amount of carbon and nitrogen, temperature, moisture, and the micr
Despite considerable research efforts, the incidence and mechanisms of diffuse cognitive impairment after coronary artery bypass surgery are not fully understood. The aim of the dissertation was to describe cognitive changes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and the predictors and consequences thereof. Neuropsychological tests, interviews and questionnaires were used to assess objectiv
Background: Restenosis is the most frequently occurring adverse event after percutaneous intravascular treatment of atherosclerotic lesions, which limits long-term patency of the intervention. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if minimizing vascular injury during treatment by insertion of self-expanding stents or modifying the reparative mechanisms by local drug delivery can reduce r
Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT), a circulating single-chain glycoprotein is the most abundant serine proteinase inhibitor in human plasma. AAT is an acute phase protein, its levels increase rapidly to concentrations exceeding 50mM in response to inflammation, infection and malignant diseases. Since AAT is a powerful inhibitor of neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3, it is generally assumed that its physi
This thesis deals with two topics in wireless communications: interference between frequency-hopping (FH) networks, and multiuser diversity. The work on FH treats a system where FH is used to provide simultaneous access to the channel for multiple uncoordinated wireless networks. This is achieved by performing frequency hops on a packet-by-packet basis, and letting the sequence of hopping frequen
The phase behaviour and gelation of the anionic polysaccharide kappa-carrageenan (KC) in different salt solutions was studied. The specific site binding of certain anions and certain cations to the KC helix was used as a means of controlling the interactions. In the presence of a binding anion (I-) the charge density of the helix increases and the aggregation of helices, and thereby the gelation,
Tissue remodeling is observed in several physiological conditions such as embryogenesis, senescence, wound healing and pregnancy, as well as in several pathological conditions such as fibrosis and tumorgenesis. Fibroblasts play a key role in this tissue remodeling due to their capability of altering the turnover of the extracellular matrix. During the remodeling process, the fibroblasts are believ
Movement and dispersal are important determinants of the spatial distribution and persistence of animal populations in a heterogeneous environment. I studied the small-scale movement pattern of a soil-living insect, Protaphorura armata (Collembola) by using a video-equipment. I added chemical cues, food and conspecifics to their environment and evaluated the effects of external cues on the movemen
Adopting a phenomenological, sensemaking-based approach, this dissertation reviews and critiques a variety of theories proposed as explanations of corporate “greening” and the evolution of corporate environmental management (CEM), and then presents and analyzes an organization study to explore in greater depth how sensemaking can be used for research in this context. As its object, the ethnograph
The legislative limits for NOX emissions in the exhaust gas from heavy-duty diesel engines will be decreased in the European Union from today 3.5 g/kWh (Euro IV) to 2.0 g/kWh in 2008 (Euro V). In the USA and Japan a similar trend can be seen. Accordingly, the development of an exhaust aftertreatment system for heavy-duty trucks seems unavoidable. In this work, an 11 l diesel engine rig has been bu
The intention of this work was to establish alternative purification methods to obtain highly purified caveolae from various tissues. In order to isolate caveolae, sufficiently pure plasma membranes are needed. A method is presented for the isolation of plasma membranes from lung tissue using a combination of conventional polyethylene glycol/dextran two-phase partitioning and affinity partitioning
