Micro-X-ray fluorescence image analysis of otoliths to distinguish between wild-born and stocked river-spawning whitefish captured in the Baltic Sea

Strontium concentrations are low in fresh waters compared to seawaters. Therefore, wild-born river-spawning and stocked freshwater-reared whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L. display regions with low concentrations of strontium in the centre of their otoliths. Strontium in otoliths from wild-born river-spawning whitefish ascending the River Tornionjoki, river-spawning whitefish stocked as one-summer-old fingerlings caught ascending the River Kemijoki, and sea-spawning whitefish caught near the angstrom land Islands was mapped using mu-XRF. The strontium-depleted regions in the centre of the whitefish otoliths, measured using ImageJ, had mean sizes of 0.18 +/- 0.2 mm(2) (River Tornionjoki) and 2.3 +/- 0.3 mm(2) (River Kemijoki), whereas the otoliths from whitefish caught at sea lacked a strontium-depleted region altogether. Measurement of the area of the strontium-depleted region in whitefish otoliths provides a convenient method with which to differentiate between whitefish of different provenance and to determine the origins of whitefish in mixed catches

Spontaneous curvature of ganglioside GM1 -Effect of cross-linking

a b s t r a c t The membrane-curvature dependent lateral distribution of outer leaflet ganglioside GM1 (GM1) and the influence of GM1 cross-linking induced by fluorophore-tagged cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) plus anti-CTB was analysed in cell membranes by fluorescence microscopy. Data are presented indicating that cross-linked GM1-ligand patches accumulated at the tips of human erythrocyte echinocytic spiculae induced by Ca 2+ /ionophore A23187. However, when lipid fixative osmium tetroxide was added prior to the ligand no accumulation in spiculae occurred. GM1-staining remained here distributed over the spheroid cell body and in spiculae. Similarly, osmium tetroxide completely prohibited CTB plus anti-CTBinduced GM1 patching in representatives for flat membrane, i.e. discoid erythrocytes and K562 cells. Our results demonstrate that GM1 per se shows low membrane curvature dependent distribution and therefore holds flexible spontaneous curvature. In contrast, the cross-linked GM1-ligand complex has a strong preference for highly outward curved membrane and possesses overall positive spontaneous curvature. Osmium tetroxide efficiently immobilises GM1

Autocrine Endocannabinoid Signaling through CB 1 Receptors Potentiates OX 1 Orexin Receptor Signaling s

ABSTRACT It has been proposed that OX 1 orexin receptors and CB 1 cannabinoid receptors can form heteromeric complexes, which affect the trafficking of OX 1 receptors and potentiate OX 1 receptor signaling to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). We have recently shown that OX 1 receptor activity releases high levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), suggesting an alternative route for OX 1 -CB 1 receptor interaction in signaling, for instance, in retrograde synaptic transmission. In the current study, we set out to investigate this possibility utilizing recombinant Chinese hamster ovary K1 cells. 2-AG released from OX 1 receptor-expressing cells acted as a potent paracrine messenger stimulating ERK activity in neighboring CB 1 receptor-expressing cells. When OX 1 and CB 1 receptors were expressed in the same cells, OX 1 stimulation-induced ERK phosphorylation and activity were strongly potentiated. The potentiation but not the OX 1 response as such was fully abolished by specific inhibition of CB 1 receptors or the enzyme responsible for 2-AG generation, diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL). Although the results do not exclude the previously proposed OX 1 -CB 1 heteromerization, they nevertheless unequivocally identify DAGL-dependent 2-AG generation as the pivotal determinant of the OX 1 -CB 1 synergism and thus suggest a functional rather than a molecular interaction of OX 1 and CB 1 receptors

Proteesipolvinivelen valinta : valinnan vaikutus asiakkaan fyysiseen toimintakykyyn

Opinnäytetyömme on tapaustutkimus, jossa on yksi asiakas. Tavoitteena on tutkia, kuinka proteesipolvinivelen valinta vaikuttaa asiakkaan fyysiseen toimintakykyyn ja tarkoituksena on selvittää, mikä valituista polvinivelistä soveltuu hänelle parhaiten. Fyysistä toimintakykyä arvioitiin testeillä, jotka mittasivat asiakkaan ketteryyttä, nopeutta, energiankulutusta ja kävelyn symmetriaa. Opinnäytetyön yhteistyökumppaneina toimivat Suomen proteesipalvelu Oy ja Össur. Opinnäytetyössä on käyty läpi fyysistä toimintakykyä, kävelyä, reisiproteesikävelyä, protetisointia, amputointia ja proteesipolvinivelien toimintaperiaatteita. Tutkimusasetelman määrittämiseksi tutustuimme proteesinkäyttäjille tehtyihin tutkimuksiin ja erilaisiin kävelytesteihin. Näiden pohjalta luotiin teoreettinen viitekehys tutkimuksen suorittamiseksi. Valitsimme asiakkaallemme kolme polviniveltä, joista jokainen vastasi hänen aktiivisuusta-soaan. Asiakas suoritti jokaisella polvinivelellä kolmen viikon mittaisen testijakson. Testijakson päätteeksi järjestettiin testipäivä, jonka aikana fyysistä toimintakykyä ja sen muutoksia arviointiin kävelytestien avulla. Testijaksojen päätyttyä asiakkaalle annettiin arviointilomake, jolla hän arvioi omaa suoriutumistaan arjessa, proteesipolviniveliä ja testijaksoja.This thesis is a case study with one patient. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the choice of a prosthetic knee joint effects the patient’s physical ability to function and also to determine which of the chosen prosthetic knee joints is the most suitable option for our pa-tient. A set of walking tests was used to assess the patient’s physical ability to function. Tests measured agility, walking speed, energy consumption and symmetry. The thesis was carried out in cooperation with Finnish Orthopedic Service Ltd. and Össur Ltd. Finnish Orthopedic Service Ltd. provided us patient and Össur Ltd. prosthetic components. The thesis covers main aspects of physical ability to function, gait, transfemoral amputee gait, prosthetics, amputation and function of commonly used prosthetic knee joints. For this thesis we went through different studies concerning amputee gait and walking test used among prosthetic users to create the research frame and theoretical framework for the study. We chose three prosthetic knee joints for our patient according to his activity level. The patient conducted a test period with each prosthetic knee joint. The duration of each test period was three weeks, in total nine weeks. A test day was arranged for the patient at the end of every test period. During the test day we conducted walking tests with our patient. After nine weeks a questionnaire was given to the patient to assess his own performance on daily basis with different prosthetic knee joints

Harald Bjorvand/Fredrik Otto Lindeman:Våre arveord. Etymologisk ordbok

Seit nunmehr zwei Jahrzehnten ist Våre arveord von Harald Bjorvand und Otto Lindeman eine der ersten Adressen für alle, die sich mit nordischer Etymologie befassen. Charakteristisch für Våre arveord. Etymologisk ordbok ist, dass die beiden Autoren nicht nur die germanischen Sprachen im Blick haben, sondern auch zurück in die gemeinsame Geschichte der indoeuropäischen (nicht-anatolischen) Sprachen greifen.

Interjektionen in Comics – eine schwedische Fallstudie

Die besprochene Fallstudie zeigt, dass Interjektionen, Onomatopoetika und Inflektive trotz ihres unterschiedlichen Bezugs zum Bühlerschen Zeichenmodell erstaunlich viele Gemeinsamkeiten aufweisen. Überdies ist deutlich geworden, dass sie in Comics sowohl eine innige Verbindung mit der rein bildlichen Darstellung eingehen als auch den Rezipienten in eine vielschichtige Semiose einbeziehen können. Kompetentes Lesen von Comics bewegt sich gerade wegen der sprachlichen Komprimierung im Rahmen eines elaborierten, aber nicht immer eindeutigen Codes