| 1. |
- Lidman, Johan, 1988-
(författare)
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Metals take flight : Transport and effects across ecosystems
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Metal contamination can have severe toxic effects in the ecosystems, resulting in loss of biodiversity, reduced abundance of organisms, and loss of ecosystem services. Traditionally, aquatic ecosystems have been regarded as a sink of metal contamination. However, lakes could also act as a source, as metals can be transported by emerging aquatic insects from the aquatic to the terrestrial ecosystem. The consequence of this transport for terrestrial organisms has previously gained little focus. In this thesis, I study metal contamination transport and toxic effects on metal exposed aquatic invertebrates and the terrestrial insectivorous bird, pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), in aquatic and terrestrial environments contaminated by metals from a closed lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mine. Studied lakes adjacent to the mine all displayed elevated metal concentrations from the start of the mining operation, but with different temporal and spatial patterns with lakes used as part of the mining activity even more affected. Factors affecting metal toxicity, such as organic matter concentration in lakes, varied during the mining and post-mining period, indicating fluctuating toxicity despite similar metal concentrations. The contamination level and toxicity risk are still high 15 years after closure of the mine, but ecosystems are starting to recover. Despite high metal concentrations in lake water and sediment, no effect on invertebrate abundance or composition of aquatic invertebrates was observed. However, when focusing on metamorphosis, proportionally fewer insects emerged from more contaminated lakes. In contrast, in lab mesocosm was no effect on metamorphosis observed of non-biting midges (Chironomus riparus), although larval survival decreased, and emergence was delayed at higher metal concentrations in sediments. Emerging adult insects transported a significant amount of metals to terrestrial ecosystems, observed both in the lab and in the field. Emerging aquatic insect and ants were major dietary metal exposure routes for pied flycatcher’s nestlings. Thus, aquatic-derived metals can influence terrestrial consumers, especially in riparian zones of contaminated lakes where availability of aquatic insects is high. Increasing accumulation of Pb has been observed to reduce hemoglobin (Hb) levels in birds. Despite elevated Pb concentrations in nestling blood in contaminated environments, nestling Hb levels, used also as indicator of nestling health, was more affected by availability of different prey than Pb levels in the blood, where availability of aquatic insects and aerial terrestrial insect had positive impact on nestling health. Overall, this thesis show that metal contamination of aquatic ecosystems also influences terrestrial organisms by decreasing their food availability and increasing metal exposure via diets. Thus, potential effects on terrestrial systems should to larger extent be included when studying aquatic contaminants. Further, indirect effects and metal bioavailability could alter the toxic effects on metal-exposed organism and should be included to accurately estimate direct toxic effects.
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| 2. |
- Bekkin, Renat, 1978-
(författare)
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People of reliable loyalty… : Muftiates and the State in Modern Russia
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This dissertation presents a full-fledged portrait of the muftiate (spiritual administration of Muslims) in modern Russia. Designed initially for the purpose of controlling religious activity, over time the institution of the muftiate was appropriated by Muslims and became a key factor in preserving national identity for different ethnic groups of Tatars. In modern Russia numerous muftiates play the controversial role of administrative bodies responsible for the enforcement of some aspects of domestic and foreign policy on behalf of the state.Bekkin’s research focuses on muftiates in the European part of Russia, examining both their historical development and their functioning in the modern context. The analysis draws on academic literature, written and oral texts produced by the ministers of the Islamic religion, and archival sources, as well as numerous interviews with current and former muftis and other Islamic bureaucrats. Following Douglass North’s theory of institutions, the author distinguishes between the muftiate as an institution and the muftiate as a religious organization. In the first case the muftiate encompasses a set of rules (restrictions) that are both formal (reflected in the laws, charters of spiritual administrations of Muslims) and informal (not reflected in the legislation). Individual Islamic religious organizations (muftiates in a narrow sense) function according to these rules. By analyzing both the formal and informal precepts which regulate the status and the activity of spiritual administrations of Muslims in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, and continue to do so in modern Russia, the author makes an attempt to explain the viability of the institution of the muftiate.Basing himself in the theory of the economics of religion, the author treats Russian muftiates as firms competing in the Islamic segment of the religious market. He applies economic principles in analyzing how the muftiates interact with each other, with other religious organizations in Russia, and with the Russian state. The author provides his own classification of muftiates in Russia, depending on the role they play in the religious market.
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| 3. |
- Berglund, Magnus M.
(författare)
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Cloning and structure-activity relationship studies of neuropeptide Y family receptors belonging to the Y1 subfamily
- 1999
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Neuropeptide Y (NPY), peptide YY (PYY), and the pancreatic polypeptide (PP) belong to afamily of structurally related 36-amino-acid peptides. NPY acts as a neurotransmitter both inthe central and the peripheral nervous system and influences many functions includingfeeding, reproduction, and blood pressure while PYY and PP mainly act as hormones in thegut.NPY, PYY, and PP bind to a family of G-protein coupled receptors. This thesis describesthe cloning of five NPY-family receptors, three of which are new subtypes, using degenerateprimers and homology screenings. The rapidly evolving PP-preferring receptor Y4 fromhuman (h) and guinea pig (gp) were found to be more closely related to each other than eitherwas to the rat receptor. The gpY1 receptor is highly conserved with 91-92% identity to Y1from other orders of mammals. Two highly homologous zebrafish (z) receptors, zYb and zYc(75% identical), were cloned. These receptors form together with mammalian Y1, Y4, and y6and a third zebrafish receptor, zYa, a subfamily of receptors with 50% identity betweensubtypes.Structure-activity relationships of the gpY1, zYa, zYb, and zYc as well as rY4, rY4, andgpY4 receptors were investigated using peptide analogues with deletions or replacements ofvarious parts of the NPY molecule. The gpY1 receptor has previously been reported to displaydeviant pharmacological properties. However, the binding properties of the cloned gpY1expressed in CHO cells conforms to other cloned mammalian Y1 receptors. Receptors zYband zYc display properties similar to Y1 with a gradual loss of affinity with progressive N-terminal truncation of the NPY molecule. In contrast, NPY and truncated analogues likeNPY13-36 as well as loop-deleted peptides like [Ahx5-24]NPY bind to the zYa receptor withsimilar affinity as NPY. Despite the Y1-like binding profile and amino acid sequences of zYband zYc, neither of these bound the Y1-selective antagonists BIBP3226 and SR120819A.The different ligand-binding profiles of Y1-subfamily receptors together with the highdegree of sequence homology between the subtypes will be very useful in future modeling ofthese receptors. This will promote the development of new drugs, agonists and antagonists,directed against primarily the Y1 receptor but may also have relevance for drugs directedagainst the Y2 and Y5 receptors.
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| 4. |
- Berglund, Maria M., 1977-
(författare)
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Värv och verk : Förnyelse och tradition i Nordisk kvinnolitteraturhistoria från tillkomst till tryckt bok
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nordisk kvinnolitteraturhistoria [The History of Nordic Women’s Literature; henceforth NKLH] is a history of literature published in five volumes 1993–1998. It was written with the overtly stated intention to change literary history on feminist grounds. The primary aim of this doctoral thesis is to map out and analyze the ways in which NKLH shows renewal and tradition compared to the histories of literature that it was a critique of. What conventions and criteria in the genre of literary history has the group of researchers strived to challenge, and what have they overlooked or neglected? How was the ambition of renewal in NKLH received on publication? What underlying factors in the project’s design and execution can account for the final product? The thesis explores these questions in three main chapters: one that analyses the processes of writing NKLH by means of an archival study, one that analyses the reception of the volumes in newspapers and journals, and one that analyses aspects of renewal and tradition in the four chronological volumes.The most significant ways in which NKLH shows renewal compared to previous histories of literature are in its reinterpretations of canonized authors and in its broad inclusion of different types of texts in the first two volumes. The Nordic approach is another area of renewal. The inter-Nordic perspectives in the volumes tend, however, toward a Danish-Swedish dominance. In some aspects NKLH also shows tradition, most notably in its strong developmental narrative and in its selection of literary genres in the latter two volumes. That NKLH shows both renewal and tradition is a result partly of what the researchers involved wanted to convey, partly of long-lived traditions and expectations within the genre of literary history, and partly of material factors such as organization, funding, geographical outspread and the parallel production of national histories of women’s literature in two of the Nordic countries.
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| 5. |
- Kochumalayil Jose, Joby
(författare)
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Xyloglucan-based polymers and nanocomposites – modification, properties and barrier film applications
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biopolymers from renewable resources are of interest for packaging applications as an alternative to conventional petroleum-based polymers. One of the major application areas for biopolymers is food packaging, where a candidate polymer should meet critical requirements such as mechanical and oxygen barrier performance, also in humid conditions. Starch has long been used in certain packaging applications, either in plasticized state or blended with other polymers. However, native starch has high sensitivity to water and low mechanical and barrier performance. Recently, wood-derived hemicelluloses have been extensively studied as oxygen barrier films, but suffer from low film-forming ability and mechanical performance. In the present study, xyloglucan (XG) from tamarind seed waste is explored as an alternative high-performance biopolymer in packaging applications. The obstacles of polysaccharides in terms of moisture sensitivity and processability are addressed in this thesis.In Paper I, film properties of XG were studied. XG has a cellulose backbone, but unlike cellulose, it is mostly soluble in water forming highly robust films. Moisture sorption isotherms, tensile tests and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis were performed. Enzymatic modification (partial removal of galactose in side chains of XG) was performed to study the effect of galactose on solubility and filmforming characteristics. XG films showed lower moisture sorption than starch. Stiffness and tensile strength were very high of the order of 4 GPa and 70 MPa respectively, with considerable ductility and toughness. The thermomechanical performance was very high with a softening temperature near 260 ºC.In Paper II, several plasticizers were studied in order to facilitate thermal processing of XG films: sorbitol, urea, glycerol and polyethylene oxide. Films of different compositions were prepared and studied for thermomechanical and tensile properties. Highly favorable characteristics were found with XG/sorbitol system. A large drop in glass transition temperature (Tg) of XG of the order of 100 ºC with 20 - 30 wt% sorbitol was observed with an attractive combination of increased toughness.In Paper III, XG was chemically modified and the structure-property relationship of modified XG studied. XG modification was performed using an approach involving periodate oxidation followed by reduction. The oxidation is highly regioselective, where the side chains of XG are mostly affected with the cellulose backbone well-preserved as noticed from MALDI-TOF-MS and carbohydrate analysis. Films were cast from water and characterized by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, dynamic water vapor sorption, oxygen transmission analysis and tensile tests. Property changes were interpreted from structural changes. The regioselective modification results in new types of cellulose derivatives without the need for harmful solvents.In Paper IV, moisture durability of XG was addressed by dispersing montmorillonite (MTM) platelets in water suspension. Oriented bionanocomposite coatings with strong in-plane orientation of clay platelets were prepared. A continuous water-based processing approach was adopted in view of easy scaling up. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by FE-SEM, TEM, and XRD. XG adsorption on MTM was measured by quartz crystal microbalance analysis. Mechanical and gas barrier properties were measured, also at high relative humidity. The reinforcement in mechanical properties and effects on barrier properties were remarkable, also in humid conditions.In Paper V, cross-linked XG/MTM composite was prepared with high clay content (ca. 45 vol%) by an industrially scalable “paper-making” method. Instead of using cross-linking molecules, cross-linking sites were created on the XG chain by selective oxidation of side chains. The in-plane orientation of MTM platelets were studied using XRD and FE-SEM. The mechanical properties and barrier performance were evaluated for the resulting 'nacre-mimetic' nanocomposites. The elastic modulus of cross-linked nanocomposites is as high as 30 GPa, one of the stiffest bionanocomposites reported.
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| 6. |
- Reese Willén, Anne, 1983-
(författare)
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I huvudstaden, musiklivets härd : Den strukturella omvandlingen av Stockholms offentliga konstmusikliv ca 1840-1890
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis studies the structural transformation of public musical life in Stockholm during the period 1840–1890, with focus primarily on the classical musical sphere. The study is based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of a number of different sources such as newspapers, music magazines, offprints, and other archival material. Using Jürgen Habermas’s theory of structural transformation of the public sphere as a starting point, the thesis aims to elucidate the processes within the structural transformation of Stockholm’s public musical life. In particular, this study examines processes of institutionalisation and professionalisation within four main areas of public musical life: the music press market, concert life, performers, and audiences. The actions of individuals and institutions are also studied in order to highlight the priorities and proclivities underlying the identified changes to public musical life.The period in question saw the transition of concert life from representational culture to the bourgeois public sphere, as well as the gradual division between ‘classical’ and ‘popular’ musical spheres. The study shows that public musical life emerged and expanded within the bourgeois public sphere. Therefore, the ideas and demands of the bourgeoisie were crucial to structural transformation of Stockholm’s public musical life. The old Royal institutions still constituted the core of the public musical life but were adapted to the new bourgeois society. The process of institutionalisation within the musical life was characterized by organisational functions, but also by social institutionalisation of practices within the four main areas mentioned above. The bourgeois ideas of musical Bildung played a significant role in the processes of institutionalisation and professionalization, as it illuminates the priorities and proclivities underlying this process. Several aspects of this development are related to influences from early nineteenth-century musical idealism.The structural transformation of public musical life in Stockholm during the period 1840–1890 laid the foundation for the further developments in the 20th century, and its impact is in some respects evident still today.
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