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Vid en rent praktisk tillämpning av cirkulär ekonomi krävs det att man har kunskaper kring hur man får ett uttjänt material att bli till en ny produkt. Detta kan innefatta lagstiftning, men det finns även ett behov att se till att det inte kan orsaka negativa konsekvenser för hälsa eller miljö. Swerock önskar kunna producera ett cirkulärt ballastmaterial av överskottsmaterial från olika projekt vilket leder till frågan hur man kan miljöbedöma detta. Genom en litteraturstudie har en kunskapssammanställning genomförts för att besvara frågeställningen om vilken eller vilka testmetoder Swerock kan använda sig av för att testa material med syfte att kunna användas i vägbyggen så att materialet inte kommer att utgöra en fara för människa och miljö. Litteraturstudien i detta examensarbete behandlar bland annat lagstiftning, rapporter, studier och myndighetsdokument för att bygga en grund till förslag på miljöbedömningsförfarande som slutligen sammanställts. En jämförelse har även gjorts mellan tillhandahållna testresultat av laktestade prover från Swerock mot sammanställda haltgränser från litteraturen. Detta för att illustrera dagsläget och få en uppfattning om halter och ämnen som olika aktörer gränssatt och på vilka vis. Studien har visat att laktester är vanligt förekommande som ett sätt att bedöma miljöpåverkan hos olika typer av material och också ett tillvägagångssätt bland End of Waste-kriterier. Ekotoxikologiska test har inte befunnits vara så vanligt tillämpade men har framhållits av studier som ett lämpligt komplement till laktester. Ur litteraturstudien framkom det svenska systemet BASTA som ett sätt att farobedöma byggmaterial, där det är grundat på CLP:s faroangivelser för hälso- och miljöfarlighet. Dessa tre delar har sammanställts i det förslag på miljöbedömning som presenteras i resultatdelen. En slutsats som kan göras är att arbetet med frågeställningen om produktifiering av cirkulära material är i sin linda och att det finns möjligheter till fortsatta studier på ämnet. / In a purely practical application of circular economics it is necessary to have knowledge of how to convert a used material into a new product. This may include legislation, but there is also a need to ensure that it cannot cause negative health or environmental consequences. Swerock strives to be able to produce circular aggregate material of surplus material from various projects, which leads to the question of how this can be environmentally assessed. Through a literature study, a compilation of knowledge was made to answer the question about which test methods Swerock can use to test materials for use in road constructions to ensure that danger to humans and the environment is avoided. The literature study in this thesis covers, inter alia, legislation, reports, studies and government documents to build a basis for a proposal for an environmental assessment procedure. A comparison was also made between the provided test results of leaching test samples from Swerock and compiled content limits from the literature. This was to illustrate the current situation and get an idea of the levels and substances that different actors have set limits for and in what ways. The study has shown that leaching tests are common for assessing the environmental impact of different types of materials and also as an approach among the End of Waste criteria. Ecotoxicological tests have not been found to be as commonly applied but have been highlighted by studies as a suitable complement to leaching tests. From the literature study, the Swedish system BASTA emerged as a way of assessing hazard in building materials, where it is based on CLP's hazard statements for health and environmental hazards. These three parts have been compiled in the environmental assessment proposal presented in the results section. One conclusion that can be made is that the work on the question of the production of circular aggregate materials is in its infancy and that there are opportunities for further studies on the subject.

Superaggregates are clusters formed by diverse aggregation mechanisms at different scales. They can be found in fluidized nanoparticles and soot formation. An aggregate, with a single aggregation mechanism, can be described by the fractal dimension, df , which is the measure of the distribution and configuration of primary particles into the aggregates. Similarly, a su-peraggregate can be analyzed by the different fractal dimensions that are found at each scale. In a fractal structure aggregate, a self-similarity can be identified at different scales and it has a power law relation between the mass and aggregate size, which can be related to properties like density or light scattering. The fractal dimension, df , can be influenced by aggregation mechanism, particles concentration, temperature, residence time, among other variables. More-over, this parameter can help on the estimation of aggregates’ properties which can help on the design of new processes, analyze health issues and characterize new materials.A multi-dimensional soot aggregate was simulated with the following approach. The first aggregation stage was modeled with a Diffusion Limited cluster-cluster aggregation (DLCA) mechanism, where primary clusters with a fractal dimension, df1, close to 1.44 were obtained. Then, the second aggregation stage was specified by Ballistic Aggregation (BA) mechanism, where the primary clusters generated in the first stage were used to form a superaggregate. All the models were validated with reported data on different experiments and computer models. Using the Ballistic Aggregation (BA) model with primary particles as the building blocks, the fractal dimension, df2, was close to 2.0, which is the expected value reported by literature. However, a decrease on this parameter is appreciated using primary clusters, from a DLCA model, as the building blocks because there is a less compact distribution of primary particles in the superaggregate’s structure.On the second aggregation stage, the fractal dimension, df2, increases when the superaggre-gate size increases, showing an asymptotic behavior to 2.0, which will be developed at higher scales. Partial reorganization was implemented in the Ballistic Aggregation (BA) mechanism where two contact points between primary clusters were achieved for stabilization purposes. This implementation showed a faster increase on the fractal dimension, df2, than without par-tial reorganization. This behavior is the result of a more packed distribution of primary clusters in a short range scales, but it does not affect the scaling behavior of multi-dimensional fractal structures. Moreover, the same results were obtained with different scenarios where the building block sizes were in the range from 200 to 300 and 700 to 800 primary particles.The obtained results demonstrate the importance of fractal dimension, df , for aggregate characterization. This parameter is powerful, universal and accurate since the identification of the different aggregation stages in the superaggregate can increase the accuracy of the estimation of properties, which is crucial in physics and process modeling.

Under det här kandidatexamensarbetet har protein-nanofibers påverkan på material undersökts genom att jämföra fibrillerade filmer med ofibrillerade. Sojaproteinisolat fibrillerades under förhållandena pH 2 och 85 ◦C under minst ett dygn och de syntetiserade nanofibrerna analyserades med Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescens och atomkraftsmikroskopi (AFM). Spektra från analysmetoden ThT fluorescens indikerade på förekomsten av β-flak och analyserna med AFM visade på att fibrerna hade en morfologi som är karakteristisk för protein-nanofibrer. Resultaten antyder att de parametrar som påverkar morfologin hos fibrerna är fibrilleringstid och typ av protein. De gjutna filmerna från fibrillära respektive ofibrillära proteiner var sammanhängande bortsett från vissa sprickor. Värdena på E-modulen från AFM visade att det fibrillerade materialet var mer heterogent än det ofibrillerade. Filmer med sammanhängande yta erhölls vid tillsats av det mjukgörande additivet glycerol. Slutligen, material av både fibrillär och ofibrillär form kan framställas, däremot krävs vidare forskning för att optimera materialens egenskaper. / During this bachelor thesis project, the impact of protein nanofibers on materials has been analysed by comparing films made from fibrillar and non-fibrillar protein. Fibrillation of soy protein isolate was performed during at least 24 hours at pH 2 and a temperature of 85 ◦C. Analysis of the nanofibers was made with Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The spectra from ThT Fluorescens indicated the presence of β-sheets and AFM confirmed that the fibrils had a morphology that is characteristic of protein nanofibers. The results indicated that heating time and protein type were the parameters which had the largest impact on the morphology of the fibrils. The synthesised films from both fibrillar and non-fibrillar protein were coherent with exception of some cracks. The elastic modulus from AFM indicated that the fibrillar film was more heterogeneous compared to the non-fibrillar film. To attain coherent films, the plasticising agent glycerol was added. To summarise, both fibrillar as well as non-fibrillar materials were successfully synthesised, however, further research is necessary to optimise the properties of the material.

This paper reports a numerical approach for modelling the thermal behavior and heat accumulation/liberation of sustainable cementitious composites made with Recycled Brick Aggregates (RBAs) employed as carriers for Phase-Change Materials (PCMs). In the framework of the further development of the fixed grid modelling method, classically employed for solving the well-known Stefan problem, an enthalpy-based approach and an apparent calorific capacity method have been proposed and validated. More specifically, the results of an experimental program, following an advanced incorporation and immobilization technique, developed at the Institut für Werkstoffe im Bauwesen for investigating the thermal responses of various combinations of PCM-RBAs, have been considered as the benchmark to calibrate/validate the numerical results. Promising numerical results have been obtained, and temperature simulations showed good agreement with the experimental data of the analyzed mixtures.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide affecting 1 - 2 % of the population older than 65. Patients develop characteristic motoric dysfunctions alongside early-onset non-motor symptoms including sleeping disorders, anxiety or depression and late-stage cognitive deficits such as dementia. To date, dopamine-replacement therapies are the gold standard for treating PD patients, improving motoric disorders by compensating for the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, however no curative therapies to prevent disease progression are yet available. The pathomechanism underlying PD is complex, and the interplay of factors causing the disease is not entirely understood. The formation of α-synuclein protein aggregates, being one of the hallmarks associated with PD, is regarded as a major contributor to neuronal death and the spreading of PD pathology throughout different brain regions as the disease progresses. In the past, deficits in cellular protein clearance machinery have been affiliated with the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in PD. In particular, impairements in the macroautophagy-lysosomal pathway (here referred to as autophagy), which is involved in the degradation of large cytosolic components, were found to promote α-synuclein aggregation. In contrast, autophagic stimulation has been shown to benefit α-synuclein degradation and rescue PD phenotypes in cell and rodent models. In this study, I examined the role of FYCO1 in modulating neuronal autophagic processes for α-synuclein aggregate clearance in hiPSC-derived neurons. FYCO1 is an interaction partner of the central autophagic regulator RAB7 but was mostly unnoticed since it was not found detrimental to cellular homeostasis under basal conditions. Still, previous work of our group has identified FYCO1 to rescue PD phenotypes in model systems such as HEK cells and Drosophila, due to improved α-synuclein clearance following FYCO1 overexpression. Mechanistically, FYCO1 is involved in autophagosome-lysosome fusion events by binding to autophagic vesicles, which is required for autophagosome maturation and final degradation. In addition, FYCO1 affiliates autophagic vesicles with the cellular transport machinery via kinesin motor proteins. While fusion promotion can be assigned to an enhancing effect on autophagic clearance, FYCO1-induced anterograde transport promotion is opposite to the retrograde trafficking route of autophagic vesicles for maturation, which is of special importance in neuronal axons. Here, I illuminated FYCO1 effects on both axonal vesicle transport processes and somal vesicle pools to evaluate its ability to promote autophagy-related degradation in neurons. To this end, I established a lentiviral transduction-based model in hiPSC-derived neurons to express FYCO1 in the presence of either a fluorescently labelled marker for autophagic vesicles (LC3-TFL) or in the presence of α-synuclein. In neuronal axons, FYCO1 overexpression impaired retrograde autophagic transport resulting in less movement, implying an inhibitory effect on axonal autophagy. In contrast, FYCO1 enhanced autophagic processes in neuronal somata by upregulating LC3 levels, promoting the collection of α-synuclein in autophagic vesicle clusters and increasing the colocalisation of autophagosomes with lysosomal markers, pointing to the advance in autophagosome maturation. I could not fully resolve, whether α-synuclein degradation was promoted by this induction, as α-synuclein clearance was not indicated yet in the time course of three weeks. Still, studying mutant forms of FYCO1 revealed deficits in autophagosome maturation, which were not represented with wild-type FYCO1. In particular, the autophagosome-interaction domain was essential for autophagosome-lysosome fusion and additionally seemed to be relevant for autophagosomes entering axonal transport, while mutations in the kinesin binding domain caused autophagosome acidification impairments. The most pronounced effect of FYCO1 overexpression in neurons was the modulation of lysosomal vesicles. Besides increasing lysosomal localisation to autophagic vesicles, FYCO1 promoted retrograde trafficking of axonal lysosomal vesicles, by a so far unresolved mechanism. As increasing transport of lysosomes toward the neuronal soma can be connected to the upregulation of autophagy, I hypothesise FYCO1 to be a mediator in autophagy induction signalling. Nevertheless, such an effect needs to be verified in future studies. Conclusively, with this work, I contributed to the understanding of FYCO1’s role in enhancing neuronal autophagic processes but further studies in more advanced PD models are required to evaluate whether this could contribute to an increased clearance of α-synuclein aggregates.

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Immunhistochemische Vergleichsanalyse von Primärzellaggregaten und Ursprungsgeweben unterschiedlicher Dignität zur Charakterisierung der in-vitro Anpassung Zielsetzung: Dreidimensionale Zellkulturen stellen eine Weiterentwicklung der einschichtigen Zellkultur dar, die den in-vitro Bedingungen im Organismus näherkommt. Darüber hinaus ermöglichen organoide Kulturen, die neben der vorherrschenden Tumorzelle auch Bindegewebszellen und Immunzellen enthalten, eine Analyse der Interaktion dieser Zellen bei wichtigen Aspekten der Krebserkrankung wie Metastasierung, Angiogenese oder der Tumorimmunologie. Materialien und Methoden: Operationsresektate von Schilddrüsengeweben, -adenomen und -karzinomen, Ovarialkarzinomen und Sarkomen wurden in Einzelzellsuspensionen überführt. Nach Inkubation im Schüttler wurden innerhalb von 24-48 Stunden Primärzellaggregate gezüchtet, von denen Kryostatschnitte angefertigt wurden. Mit der APAAP-Methode wurden Epithelzell-, Leukozyten-, Makrophagen- und Endothelzellmarker sowie E-Cadherin, die a2-, a4-, a5- und av Integrinkette, IGF-I und EGF Rezeptoren, cerbB2 sowie Cathepsin D immunhistochemisch untersucht. Die Färbungen der Aggregate und der Herkunftsgewebe wurden statistisch mit dem Mann-Whitney Test verglichen. Ergebnisse: Primäraggregate konnten zu 90-100% aus Operationsresektaten kultiviert werden. Epithelzellen, Leukozyten, Makrophagen und Endothelzellen waren im Primäraggregaten und den Herkunftsgeweben ungefähr gleichmäßig vorhanden. Dies gilt auch für E-Cadherin, a4-Integrin, IGF-I und EGF Rezeptoren, cerbB2 und Cathepsin D. Die a2-, a5- und av Integrinkette trat nur in den Primäraggregaten von Schilddrüsengeweben und -adenomen nicht aber in deren Herkunftsgeweben auf, was auf eine de-novo Exprimierung schließen läßt. Schlußfolgerung: Mit der verwendeten Methode ist es relativ einfach möglich, organoide Primäraggregate zu züchten, die ein geeignetes Forschungsobjekt für verschiedene Aspekte der Tumorpathologie darstellen. Die gefundenen Unterschiede der Integrinexpression zeigen eine Anpassung and die in-vitro Kultivierung und sind möglicherweise eine Reaktion zur Vermeidung der matrix-abhängigen Apoptose. / Immunohistochemical Analysis of primary cell aggregates and their origin tissue of different pathology to evaluate adaptation to in-vitro environment Objective: Three-dimensional cell cultures reflect more closely the in-vitro environment then monolayer cultures. Furthermore, organoid cultures, which contain beside the dominant tumor cell also mesenchymal cells and leucocytes are used to study the interaction of these cells in several aspects of the tumor pathology, such as metastasis, angiogenesis and tumor immunology. Materials and Methods: Specimens obtained from thyroid tissue, thyroid adenomas and carcinomas, ovarian cancer and sarcomas were dissolved to single cell suspensions. After incubation under stirring, primary cell aggregates were cultured within 24-48 hours. Cryostat sections were made and stained with markers of epithelial cells, leucocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells as well as E-cadherin, a2-, a4-, a5- und av Integrin chain, IGF-I und EGF receptor, cerbB2 and Cathepsin D using the APAAP method. The immunhistochemical results of the aggregates and their origin tissue were statistically compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Primary cell aggregates could be obtained from up to 90-100% of all probes. Epithelial cells, leucocytes, macrophages and endothelial cells were found equally in aggregates and their origin tissue. Also E-Cadherin, a4-Integrin, IGF-I und EGF receptors, cerbB2 und Cathepsin D were found equally. The a2-, a5- und av integrin chain was expressed in aggregates of thyroid tissue and adenomas, but not in their origin tissue suggesting a de-novo expression. Conclusion: Primary cell aggregates were easily obtained with the used method and could be used as a model in the study of tumor pathology. The different expressions of integrins show an adaptation to the in-vitro environment and could be a reaction to avoid matrix-related apoptosis.

In dieser Arbeit wurden spektroskopische und strukturelle Untersuchungen an chiralen und achiralen supramolekularen Nanoarchitekturen von J-Aggregaten achiraler Cyaninfarbstoffe durchgeführt. Als Modellsysteme wurden Tetrachlorobenzimidacarbocyanin- Farbstoffe mit unterschiedlichen 1,1´-Dialkyl- und 3,3´-Bis-acidoalkyl-Gruppen verwendet. Zur Charakterisierung der Nanostrukturen wurden statische spektroskopische Methoden - UV/Vis-Spektroskopie, Circulardichroismus (CD)- und Fluoreszenzspektroskopie -, Röntgenkristallstrukturanalyse,sowie kryogene Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie (Cryo-TEM) verwendet. Die delikate Balance der Wechselwirkungskräfte, wie z. B. hydrophobe Wechselwirkung, Dispersionswechselwirkung, sowie Wasserstoffbrücken, führt bei der J-Aggregation von strukturell ähnlichen achiralen Chromophoren zu "chiralen" Superhelices und achiralen nanoskopischen Bändern. Durch Kombination der hydrophoben und hydrophilen Eigenschaften von Tensiden mit den unikalen Eigenschaften von J-Aggregaten entstehen Nanoröhren und Vesikel. Diese Nanostrukturen sind daher vielversprechende Kandidaten für künstliche Lichtsammel- und Antennensysteme. / In this work spectroscopic and structural investigations were performed on chiral and achiral supramolecular nanoarchitectures of J-aggregates of achiral cyanine dyes. Tetrachlorobenzimidacarbocyanine dyes with different 1,1´-Dialkyl- and 3,3´-Bis-acidoalkyl- substituents were used as model systems. To characterize these nanoarchitectures static spectroscopic methods - UV/vis-spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD)- and fluorescence-spectroscopy -, x-ray crystal structure analysis, as well as cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) were used. The delicate balance of intermolecular forces, like hydrophobic interaction, dispersion forces, as well as hydrogen bonds, leads by J-aggregation of structural similar achiral chromophores to "chiral" superhelices and achiral nanoscopic ribbons. By combination of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of surfactants with the unique properties of J-aggregates nanotubules and vesicles are built. These nanostructures are hopeful candidates for artificial antenna and light harvesting systems.