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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
Pharmaceutical tablets and pellets are often covered with a coating. There is a need for methods that enable monitoring of the growth of such films during processing. Such analyses can be performed using process analytical chemical methods based on near infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectrometry. It provides with analyses that take only ca. 8 seconds in total analysis time, including physical
The kidneys play a pivotal role in the adaptive physiology of the pregnant woman, presenting some changes at term similar to the changes found in preeclampsia – a state of increased risk of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of these investigations was to explore possible similarities in blood pressure regulation, renal function and structure in normal term and preeclamptic pregna
This thesis emanates from considerations about the inter-regional variation of the sales of antidepressive drugs, and how general practitioners may contribute to that variation. The thesis comprises two data collections utilized for five separate studies. The first data set emerges from interviews with seventeen general practitioners and is used for papers I and II. The first paper reports on gene
The influence of added colloidal particles on the phase behaviour of a polymer solution was investigated. Binary, quasi-binary and mixed polymer solutions were used in the study, where at least one of the polymers had an affinity for the surfaces of the colloidal particles. Experimentally, silica and polystyrene latex particles were used as colloidal particles. Theoretical calculations have been p
HAMLET (Human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) is a molecular complex of alpha-lactalbumin and oleic acid, that induces programmed cells death in tumor cells but leaves healthy differentiated cells unaffected. It has a broad anti-tumor activity as more than 40 cell lines from different origin are sensitive. The cell death activity of HAMLET is retained in vivo. HAMLET limits the progr
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
