During the industrialization period in Sweden, the lake Vättern has been exposed to many different types of trials, in some cases it has caused damage to the lake. Emissions of various substances have affected the aquatic life directly and in the long term also man. The anthropogenic disturbances to which Vättern has been exposed have left an impression on many different levels that still matter today. Understanding what quantity and sources contribute to the amount of supplementation and the amount of loss becomes important in order to better care for Vättern. The aim of the project is to try to describe the loss of the element phosphorus and the environmental toxins: dioxins and dl-PCBs through specific fishing for signal crayfish, char and whitefish in Vättern. A historical basis for fish catches in Vättern has been used together with a compilation of sample data on phosphorus content, dioxin concentration and dl-PCB concentration in the organisms. By combining catch data with the data on substance levels in the organisms, an image is obtained of the annual extraction of these substances via fishing. The results of the project can be used against future catch data from Vättern in order to obtain a continued overview of loss of phosphorus, dioxins and dl-PCBs from the lake through fishing. However, the results only show that the loss of phosphorus through fishing has an extremely small impact on the total amount in the lake. It is not possible to say whether the result over the total loss of dioxins fished and dl-PCBs is of great or little importance to the total amount in the lake due to lack of data. Finally, a discussion regarding a proposal for a future choice of method that can be implemented to enable a broader basis for future projects.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the world. PD is caused by degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical therapy used in PD to alleviate motor dysfunction by application of high-frequency stimulation through implanted electrodes. STN is an important target of DBS electrodes in PD treatment. However, a series of side effects have been reported upon STN-DBS treatment, and the reliability of the method could be clinically improved. To achieve this, anatomical and functional studies in mice can contribute important knowledge. There are different models to explain the internal STN organization, each of which has experimental evidence. Previous work has shown that the Vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) and Paired-box homeodomain transcription factor 2 (Pitx2) genes are needed for normal development and function of the STN in mice. These genes are expressed throughout the STN and their use as markers for STN neurons has enabled functional studies. To progress, more knowledge of the internal organization of the STN would be useful. Here, three antibodies representing three potential STN markers were tested using immunohistochemistry. PCR analysis was used to genotype Pitx2-Cre transgenic mice that are currently used for functional and behavioral STN studies.

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A large proportion of the population is over 65 years of age and this will continue to rise inthe years to come. According to the World health organization and the US National instituteof aging, as a person ages an increasing loss of appetite leads to problems of getting thenecessary nutrition. To be able to maintain health with age, we need an improvedunderstanding of how food preferences are affected by age. The hypothesis for this project isthat food preferences are influenced by age and reflected by weight. Thus, the aim of thestudy was to map food preferences and quality of diet for people with a Swedish diet betweenthe ages of 18-65. The participants completed an electronic questionnaire with a hedonic scalefor 87 different foods and activities. The results indicate that in Sweden, age had a positiveeffect on taste preferences, towards healthier food within the age range studied. It also showedthat participants with a higher body mass index (BMI) generally had a greater preference forproducts high in sugar and fat than those with a lower BMI. This study fills an importantknowledge gap and provides insight into how the quality of individuals' diet changes withage.

No description available.

Accelerometer biologgers är ett verktyg för att identifiera beteenden hos djur. För att kunna använda accelerometern effektivt är det viktigt att träna en maskin–inlärning algoritm för att kunna identifiera olika beteenden utifrån accelerations data. Denna studie testar om accelerometer går att effektivt använda på gäddan (Esox lucious) för att kunna identifiera de olika beteendena för att senare kunna användas på en stor skalig studie. Fem gäddor användes i studien och varje gädda hade en accelerometer i sin kroppshålighet. Gäddorna var filmade i en pool och data användes för att träna en maskin-inlärnings algoritm för att identifiera åtta beteenden, simmar, simmar tillsammans med andra gäddor, hantering av byte, inaktivitet, skrämd/flyr, lyckad attack, misslyckad attack och attack mot en annan gädda. Studien visar att det går att se skillnad mellan beteendena till en viss gräns. Inaktivitet, simmar och de olika attackerna kunde skiljas åt. Det gick inte att se skillnad mellan simmar och simmar tillsammans samt se skillnad mellan de olika attackerna. Flykt kan blandas ihop med simmar och attackerna. För att se skillnad mellan lyckad och misslyckad attack kan hantering av byte användas för att identifiera lyckad attack, dock funkar bara då bytet inte sväljs helt. Programmet behöver mer träning för att inte missta flykt och de olika attackerna med hantering av byte. Studien visar att accelerometer kan användas på en större skala, huvudsakligen för att se skillnad mellan inaktivitet, attacker och simmar. / Acceleration biologgers are tools to measure activity in animals and to identify behavioural modes. To use this technology efficiently it is important to train a machine learning algorithm to identify behavioural modes from acceleration data. This study test this technology on the Northern pike (Esox luscious) to determine if it is possible to measure pike behaviour in larger field’s studies. To do this five Northern pike was caught and implanted with accelerometers. The pikes were filmed in a pool with the accelerometer in their body cavity and the data was used to train a machine learning algorithm to identify eight behaviours, swimming, swimming together with other pikes, attacking other pikes, fleeing/scared, successful attack, unsuccessful attack, prey handling and inactivity (sleeping, waiting etc.). Inactive, swimming and the three attacks can be differentiated. Swimming and swimming together could not as well for the three different attacks. To differentiate successful attack and unsuccessful attack prey handling can help to identify successful attack. This only works if the prey was not swallowed directly. The results are promising as it indicates that with practice the program can be used at a larger scale field study to identify inactivity, swimming and attacks.

Cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled cell growth that destroys the healthy tissue of the body. It is one of the deadliest diseases in the world that alters many cellular mechanisms and features. In this report, a list of 22 upregulated oncogenes is studied to identify the novel oncogene. The need to determine the novel oncogene is to develop the anti-cancer agent. To determine the novel oncogene, gene enrichment analysis (GEA) was performed. It is a method to identify classes of genes that are over-represented in the large set of genes to determine the phenotypes of the organisms. DAVID and PANTHER are the methods used to carry on this study as it has Gene Ontology (GO) embedded in it. The GEA uses fishers exact test to determine the enriched gene by the standard p-value of 0.05. To further study the oncogene Network Enrichment Analysis was performed with EVINET. We found that microtubule was significantly enriched in NEA. The genes significantly enriched for GO microtubule were studied. The significantly enriched microtubule in NEA might then be used as a target for anti-cancer agent and used to develop the drug in the future.

Stress has been always associated with a deviating than normal feeding behavior. Both over-eating and under-eating accompanied by altered food choice towards palatable food have been reported in response to stress. The neuronal pathways that link stress with eating are still unclear. Locus Coeruleus (LC) is the main endogenous norepinephrine (NE) secreting nucleus. It lies in the center of the stress response mediating arousal state. LC-NE nucleus with its widespread innervations throughout the brain can modulate brain mechanisms linked with motivation towards food. In this study, the aim was to study the activity of NE neurons in the LC in relation to stress and food intake. The hypothesis was that NE neurons are activated by mild stressors and that this activity drives food intake. Because the association between LC activity and food intake is observational by nature, it is not expected to demonstrate a causal link but to show findings consistent with this hypothesis. Another aim was to standardize the photometry measurements and an analysis paradigm. In response to a stressor, animals showed freezing behavior, with photometry recordings displaying a significant reduction in Ca+2 signals right after the distressing stimulus. When a stressor preceded food intake, LC-NE activity significantly decreased right after the first meal the effect that did not last to the second meal with no difference between chow and palatable food. These results highlight the involvement of LC-NE in modulating feeding behavior by integrating environmental cues and internal needs. Future investigations of distinct, projection-defined, LC-NE sub-populations may reveal more specific food and stress interactions.

Symbiosis between tree species and ectomycorrhizal fungi is a fundamental relationship that promotes the overall health of boreal and temperate forests. Nutrient exchange between the two organisms is mutualistic in nature however establishment of this relationship is still not fully understood. Many molecules including phytohormones, sugars, and amino acids have been shown to be involved in this symbiotic process from establishment to prolonged interactions. Fungal auxin is known to be a key phytohormone in this interaction and it has been proposed that its production in ectomycorrhizal fungi is to aid in the fungi’s ability to establish symbiosis. Other molecules, however, have been proposed to work in conjunction with auxin to initiate these organismal interactions, questioning the role of fungal auxin as a master regulator. In this study, the effect of sugar and tryptophan feeding on growth and ectomycorrhiza formation was assessed. Free-living cultures of model ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor and lines altered (either overexpressing or RNAi-silenced) for expression of the auxin biosynthesis enzymes Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Ald1 and Ald2 were utilized. A selection of these lines were grown in contact with common symbiotic tree species partner Populus. Fungal biomass, expression of auxin biosynthesis and transport-related genes, auxin production and the presence of ectomycorrhiza under different sugar and tryptophan concentrations was assessed. Eight out of 21 tested genetically modified L. bicolor lines secreted significantly different levels of indole-3-acetic acid as compared to the wild type when grown in standard glucose conditions and supplemented with tryptophan. Biomass production of wild type L. bicolor and transgenic lines was positively correlated to sugar concentrations in the medium, regardless of supplementation with tryptophan or genotype. Expression analysis for four of five auxin-related genes showed reduced expression for auxin-biosynthesis genes Ald1, Ald2 , and Ald3 and the putative auxin transport gene, ABCB5, in a selected line that was RNAi-silenced for Ald2. In addition, expression of Ald1, 2, 3 and ABCB5 in the WT fungus appeared to be up-regulated in low-sugar conditions as compared to standard sugar conditions supplemented with tryptophan. Bringing together these results allows for proposition of a first model to conclude how low glucose and tryptophan work together as signals to impact auxin pathways in the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor to modulate fungal growth and affect its symbiotic potential.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the temperatures on Earth will increase by up to 5°C during this century, and in particular during winter at northern latitudes. Temperature influences ectotherms, like fish, in many different ways. The eggs of salmon, for example, develop during the winter, and previous work has shown that juvenile salmon grow faster if they experience warm incubation temperatures as eggs as compared to juvenile salmon that experience cold incubation temperatures. A possible explanation could be that metabolic rates could be reduced for salmon that experience warm incubation temperatures as eggs. The goal of this project was to examine whether this is correct. To do so, salmon eggs were subjected to three different temperature regimes: a control treatment with natural temperature conditions, a treatment with elevated temperature, and a mixed temperature treatment, where eggs were incubated in elevated temperature until the beginning of January, and thereafter exposed to natural conditions. Ventilation rate was measured, since previous studies have shown that ventilation rate is a proxy for metabolism. Also fish activity and body size were measured. The results showed no significant effect of incubation temperature on ventilation rate, nor did activity or body size affect ventilation rate. The results regarding fish activity and body size are uncertain in this case. Therefore, further studies are appropriate. Studies, like this one, on physiological traits and how they are influenced by climate change, are crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. / Enligt FN:s klimatpanel (IPCC) kommer temperaturerna på jorden att stiga med upp till ca 5°C under detta sekel, i synnerhet på vintern och på nordliga breddgrader. Temperatur påverkar ektotermer, exempelvis fiskar, på många olika sätt. Laxen har, till exempel, ägg som utvecklas under vintern och tidigare studier har visat att juvenila laxar växer fortare efter att ha utsatts för varmare temperaturer under inkubationsperioden. En möjlig förklaring är att högre inkubationstemperatur skulle kunna leda till reducerad metabolism. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om detta stämmer. För att göra det utsattes laxägg för tre olika temperaturförhållanden: en kontrollbehandling med naturliga temperaturförhållanden, en behandling med höjd temperatur och en blandbehandling, där ägg inkuberades i högre temperatur fram till början av januari, för att därefter utsättas för naturliga förhållanden. Gälslagsfrekvens mättes, eftersom att tidigare studier har visat att gälslagsfrekvens är en indikator för metabolism. Även fiskens aktivitet och storlek mättes. Resultaten visade ingen signifikant effekt av inkubationstemperatur på gälslagsfrekvens. Varken aktivitet eller storlek påverkade gälslagsfrekvens. Resultaten vad gäller aktivitet och storlek är dock osäkra. Därför är vidare studier lämpliga. Studier, liksom denna, av fysiologiska egenskaper och hur de kan påverkas av klimatförändringar är nödvändiga för naturvårdsarbetet.