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Eicosanoids are known to be involved in many different aspects of eukaryotic physiology and pathology. Notably, over the past 10 years much attention has been given to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) due to its involvement in colorectal cancer. Less is known about the other major branch of arachidonic acid metabolism, namely the lipoxygenases (LO). The cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) are a family of met
Structure- property relationships and thickening mechanism in aqueous solution of two hydrophobically modified polymers (HM-P) with different architecture have been investigated. The two polymers, hydrophobically modified ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (HM-EHEC) and hydrophobically modified polyethylene glycol (HM-PEG), are commonly used as associative thickeners in the paint industry. The strength
Calreticulin (CRT) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-located protein involved in quality control of newly synthesized proteins as well as in calcium homeostasis of the cell. Most of what is known about CRT arises from studies of mammalian systems. However, using a Arabidopsis thaliana CRT gene expressed in mouse fibroblasts deficient of endogenous CRT, the wild type phenotype could be rescued with
The polyamines, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, are essential for all forms of life. The polyamine biosynthetic pathway has been shown to be a potential target for drugs against various trypanosomal parasitic diseases. The two main enzymes in the biosynthesis of polyamines are ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC). ODC catalyzes the first step of pol
In this thesis, in situ doping during growth of III-V semiconductor nanowires, primarily for photovoltaic applications, is investigated. The nanowires were grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE), with gold seed particles. After growth the nanowires were characterized using various techniques, including photoluminescence, transmission electron microscopy and electrical measurements of co
An essential part of the development of new radiopharmaceuticals for use in diagnostic nuclear medicine is the determination of its biokinetic properties. The uptake and turn-over of the radiopharmaceutical in the source organs is of great interest since this could determine whether the radiopharmaceutical would be suitable for clinical use or not. It is also important that the biokinetics and dos
Higher education (HE) is and has been a growing concern for various stakeholders for a considerable time. Sometimes contradictory attempts to reform HE have increased the pressure on academic teachers and contributed to an experience of demand overload. This research conceptualises HE organisations so that dynamics related to change and stability become understandable. A socio-cultural perspective
Sepsis and subsequent multiple organ failure remain the major cause of mortality in intensive care units. Leukocyte-mediated tissue damage is a key feature in septic lung injury. Accumulating data suggest that platelets play a role in inflammation and tissue injury. However, the role of platelets in sepsis-induced leukocyte recruitment and lung edema formation in abdominal sepsis is not demonstrat
The problem which the present study discusses is modernity. The study interprets modernity’s cultural and anthropological dispositions as historical appearances. Consequently, it is situated at the intersection of cultural sociology and historical anthropology. The aim is to generate insight and understanding rather than a coherent theory. The key element consists of combination and variation of c
This thesis deals with the problem of interpreting test scores. The intention has been to explore and elucidate the effects of trait anxiety on test scores that have been obtained in applied research settings. Paper I showed that different relationships between personality traits and cognitive functioning emerged in a group of men with solvent induced chronic toxic encephalopathy (TE; N=57) compa
This thesis focuses on the magnetotransport properties of highly Mn-doped crystalline GaAs nanowires. The GaAs nanowires were first grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy from gold seed particles, and subsequently implanted with Mn ions under varying conditions, e.g., ion fluence and acceleration voltage. The implantation process was carefully analyzed and optimized within the research project
Nanowires constitute one of the fundamental building blocks in assembled nanodevices. Due to the high surface to volume ratio, the fraction of surface atoms is not negligible for nanosized elements. Because of the reduced coordination of surface atoms, the physical properties deviate from those of the bulk, which influences the overall physical properties of nanostructures. Consequently, this prov
This thesis is a theoretical investigation of the effects of spin-orbit (SO) interactions in ferromagnetic metal nano-particles. Part I of the thesis is devoted to an elementary introduction of the research field, including recent experimental advances which partly motivated the work presented here. At the core of the thesis lie four original papers, collected in Part II, which are presented and s
The immune system has several strategies to combat infections. The present study investigates various aspects of the interaction between Gram negative bacteria, particularly Salmonella, and antigen presenting cells (APC). Salmonella is an intracellular bacterium infecting mice and man. Salmonella typhimurium infection in mice is a frequently used model for studying systemic Salmonella infection. O
Automotive seating has been under continous development since it was described for the first time in 1885. At that time one could read about a “padded leather bench seat sitting on springs mounted directly to the frame of a horse-less carriage”. With the development of flexible polyurethane foam in 1950-1960 the seats were considerably improved and the traditional springs were eventually replaced
We have studied protein motions with nanosecond time-resolved crystallography. The release of carbon monoxide from its complex with myoglobin (MbCO) was triggered by nanosecond laser pulses. X-ray data were collected with time delays ranging from 4 ns to 1.9 ms using the Laue method, at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble. For the first time point, X-ray pulses of 150 ps durati
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
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
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
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
