This study investigates the seasonal change and the influence of freshwater input on distributions of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in the Gaoping Canyon. The study also aims to understand the variability of TEP and its controlling mechanism. In addition, the distributions and controlling factors of TEP are compared between the Gaoping coastal zone and the northern South China Sea (NSCS). During the study, concentrations of TEP decreased with depth and seaward distance in the Gaoping Canyon. The concentration was generally the highest around the canyon head, resulted obviously from the influence of nutrient inputs during both wet and dry seasons. Except for the canyon head, the highest water-column inventory of TEP occurred in the period between winter and spring at Station B2 (1719 mg Xeq. m-2). The ratio of TEP-C/POC in the euphotic layer was about 27% in August 2005, 29% in January 2006, 36% in March 2006, and 28% (Gaoping Canyon) and 35% (Fangliao Canyon) in January 2007. The correlation was poor between TEP and POC/PN, due to the significant influence of terrestrial POC inputs. Positive correlations were significant between TEP and Chl. a, arisen largely from the feature of subsurface maximum, suggesting that the distribution of TEP in the euphotic layer of Gaoping Canyon was mainly controlled by phytoplankton productivity. The ratio of TEP in particulate and dissolved organic matter increased with the increase of Chl. a concentration, implying that the high productivity may enhance the transformation of DOC into TEP and POC. Because there was no subsurface chlorophyll maximum occurring in the station during diurnal observations, negative correlations were significant between TEP, salinity and density, but the correlations were positive between TEP and Chl. a. Concentrations of TEP also decreased with depth in the NSCS and Bashi Channel. The water-column inventory of TEP in the different water mass showed a decreasing trend from the SCS Water (1225 mg Xeq. m-2) to the Kurshio Water (758 mg Xeq. m-2). The ratio of TEP-C/POC in the euphotic layer ranged from 22.4% in Station F, 20.3% in Station M1, 21.5% in Station S4 to 20% in Station S5. TEP correlated well with Chl. a, indicating that TEP were also mainly controlled by phytoplankton productivity in the euphotic layer of SCS and Bashi Channel. The ratio of POC/PN increased with the increase of TEP, showing that the fate of TEP played an important role on carbon cycle in the upper ocean. Bacterial productivity increased with TEP concentrations, implying that TEP may be an important carbon source for bacteria in the studied area.

We analyzed chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentrations in shallow, turbid Utah Lake using Landsat data from 1984 to 2021. Utah Lake is ~40 km by 21 km, has a surface area of ~390 km2, an average depth of ~3 m, and loses ~50% of inflow to evaporation. This limits spatial mixing, allowing us to evaluate impacts to smaller lake regions. We evaluated long-term trends at the pixel level and for areas related to boundary conditions. We created 17 study areas based on differences in shoreline development and nutrient inflows. We expected impacted areas to exhibit increasing chl-a trends, as population growth and development in the Utah Lake watershed have been significant. We used the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test to evaluate trends. The majority of the lake exhibited decreasing trends, with a few pixels in Provo and Goshen Bays exhibiting slight increasing or no trends. We estimated trend magnitudes using Sen's slope and fitted linear regression models. Trend magnitudes in all pixels (and regions), both decreasing and increasing, were small; with the largest decreasing and increasing trends being about -0.05 and -0.005 µg/L/year, and about 0.1 and 0.005 µg/L/year for the Sen's slope and linear regression slope, respectively. Over the ~40 year-period, this would result in average decreases of 2 to 0.2 µg/L or increases of 4 and 0.2 µg/L. All the areas exhibited decreasing trends, but the monthly trends in some areas exhibited no trends rather than decreasing trends. Monthly trends for some areas showed some indications that algal blooms are occurring earlier, though evidence is inconclusive. We found essentially no change in algal concentrations in Utah Lake at either the pixel level or for the analysis regions since the 1980's, despite significant population expansion, increased nutrient inflows, and land-use changes. This result matches prior research and supports the hypothesis that algal growth in Utah Lake is not limited by direct nutrient inflows but limited by other factors.

The Laurentian Great Lakes are the largest system of freshwater on earth containing 22% of the world’s supply. Although part of a single system, each lake shows substantial variation regarding physical, chemical and biological parameters. The main goals of this thesis were to characterize the nutrient status of natural phytoplankton communities while comparing several commonly used measurements of nutrient status and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence measurements. The study sites include the western basin (WB), west-central basin (WCB), and central basin (CB) of Lake Erie, the Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario, and Colpoys Bay in Lake Huron. Independent measures of nutrient status were assessed by measurements of nitrogen (N) debt, phosphorus (P) debt, particulate C:N:P ratios, and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a was measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry and fast repetition rate (FRR) fluorometry in parallel with the independent measures. In 2005, the phytoplankton communities in Lake Erie were generally N deficient in May, P deficient in June, and neither N nor P deficient in September. The maximum dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) measured by PAM or FRRF was lower in May and June, and maximal in September, while the functional absorption cross section of photosystem II (σPSII) was maximal in May and June, and minimal in September. Relationships between the variable fluorescence indicators and independent measures of nutrient status showed strong associations with N or P deficient sites having low Fv/Fm and high σPSII. In 2006, the electron transport rate (ETR) and the initial slope (α) derived from the PAM fluorescence rapid light-response curves (RLC) were compared to independent measures and Fv/Fm measurements in Lake Erie. Relationships between ETR, α, independent measures of nutrient status, and Fv/Fm measurements revealed strong associations with nutrient status. Confirming previous reports, N deficiency was highest in the WB during isothermal conditions while P deficiency was highest in the CB during summer stratification. The fluorescence parameters generally decreased as the severity of N and P deficiency increased. N and P enrichment assays also revealed increased values of Fv/Fm, ETR, and α from N and P deficient samples over twenty-four hours. Additionally, spatial variability of P status was evaluated during summer stratification. Colpoys Bay, the most oligotrophic site, had the strongest P deficiency, and evidence for existence of P deficiency was weakest in the Bay of Quinte, the most eutrophic site. Nutrient enrichment assays revealed that all fluorescence parameters showed a positive response to P additions in oligotrophic sites, with no response in eutrophic sites. Community structure was also associated with nutrient status and Chl a fluorescence at all locations. In P deficient sites, nano-flagellates such as chrysophytes and cryptophytes were prevalent; cyanobacteria were dominant at sites that displayed N deficiency.

The Laurentian Great Lakes are the largest system of freshwater on earth containing 22% of the world’s supply. Although part of a single system, each lake shows substantial variation regarding physical, chemical and biological parameters. The main goals of this thesis were to characterize the nutrient status of natural phytoplankton communities while comparing several commonly used measurements of nutrient status and Chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence measurements. The study sites include the western basin (WB), west-central basin (WCB), and central basin (CB) of Lake Erie, the Bay of Quinte in Lake Ontario, and Colpoys Bay in Lake Huron. Independent measures of nutrient status were assessed by measurements of nitrogen (N) debt, phosphorus (P) debt, particulate C:N:P ratios, and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA). Variable fluorescence of chlorophyll a was measured by pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry and fast repetition rate (FRR) fluorometry in parallel with the independent measures. In 2005, the phytoplankton communities in Lake Erie were generally N deficient in May, P deficient in June, and neither N nor P deficient in September. The maximum dark adapted quantum yield (Fv/Fm) measured by PAM or FRRF was lower in May and June, and maximal in September, while the functional absorption cross section of photosystem II (σPSII) was maximal in May and June, and minimal in September. Relationships between the variable fluorescence indicators and independent measures of nutrient status showed strong associations with N or P deficient sites having low Fv/Fm and high σPSII. In 2006, the electron transport rate (ETR) and the initial slope (α) derived from the PAM fluorescence rapid light-response curves (RLC) were compared to independent measures and Fv/Fm measurements in Lake Erie. Relationships between ETR, α, independent measures of nutrient status, and Fv/Fm measurements revealed strong associations with nutrient status. Confirming previous reports, N deficiency was highest in the WB during isothermal conditions while P deficiency was highest in the CB during summer stratification. The fluorescence parameters generally decreased as the severity of N and P deficiency increased. N and P enrichment assays also revealed increased values of Fv/Fm, ETR, and α from N and P deficient samples over twenty-four hours. Additionally, spatial variability of P status was evaluated during summer stratification. Colpoys Bay, the most oligotrophic site, had the strongest P deficiency, and evidence for existence of P deficiency was weakest in the Bay of Quinte, the most eutrophic site. Nutrient enrichment assays revealed that all fluorescence parameters showed a positive response to P additions in oligotrophic sites, with no response in eutrophic sites. Community structure was also associated with nutrient status and Chl a fluorescence at all locations. In P deficient sites, nano-flagellates such as chrysophytes and cryptophytes were prevalent; cyanobacteria were dominant at sites that displayed N deficiency.

No / It is known that cells within the inflammatory background in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) provide signals essential for the continual survival of the neoplastic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells. However, the mechanisms underlying the recruitment of this inflammatory infiltrate into the involved lymph nodes are less well understood. In this study, we show in vitro that HRS cells secrete lymphotoxin-α (LTα) which acts on endothelial cells to upregulate the expression of adhesion molecules that are important for T cell recruitment. LTα also enhances the expression of hyaluronan which preferentially contributes to the recruitment of CD4+ CD45RA+ naïve T cells under in vitro defined flow conditions. Enhanced expression of LTα in HRS cells and tissue stroma; and hyaluronan on endothelial cells are readily detected in involved lymph nodes from cHL patients. Our study also shows that although NF-κB and AP-1 are involved, the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway is the dominant regulator of LTα production in HRS cells. Using pharmacological inhibitors, our data suggest that activity of COX1, but not of COX2, directly regulates the expression of nuclear c-Fos in HRS cells. Our findings suggest that HRS cell-derived LTα is an important mediator that contributes to T cell recruitment into lesional lymph nodes in cHL.

Over the last decades, the effects of climate change have become increasingly evident across natural environments. Apart from other areas, climate change poses a serious threat on water quality. More specifically, it is expected that the effects of global warming around the world will severely limit our ability to control the spread and occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the future. A HAB episode is characterised by rapid proliferation of algal biomass which can cause major implications on the environment, the ecosystems, on human health, the economy, and societies overall. One way of detecting the presence of algae is to determine the chlorophyll-a concentration levels in water. This project proposes an embedded system for early algae detection in water samples by means of chl-a fluorometry. The system makes use of a constructed sensor to detect chl-a fluorescence emission. Two versions of the sensor were designed and implemented, both of which were calibrated and then tested. Afterwards, the results were presented, and the system’s performance was evaluated and discussed. Lastly, it was concluded that the performance of the system was adequate for detecting a 50 μg/L limit of chl-a concentration, however, careful testing of the site is required for field applications in samples of natural water. / ­Under de senaste decennierna har effekterna av klimatförändringar blivit allt tydligare i naturliga miljöer. Förutom andra områden utgör klimatförändringarna ett allvarligt hot mot vattenkvaliteten.  I synnerhet förväntas effekterna av global uppvärmning över hela världen begränsa vår förmåga att kontrollera spridningen och förekomsten av skadliga algblomningar (HAB) i framtiden. En HAB-episod kännetecknas av snabb spridning av algbiomassa som kan orsaka stora konsekvenser för miljön, ekosystemen, människors hälsa, ekonomin och samhället i stort. Ett sätt att upptäcka förekomsten av alger är att bestämma klorofyll-a-koncentrationsnivåerna i vatten.  Detta projekt föreslår ett inbyggt system för tidig algedetektering i vattenprover med hjälp av chl-a fluorometri. Systemet använder en konstruerad sensor för att detektera chl-a-fluorescensemission. Två versioner av sensorn designades och implementerades, båda kalibrerades och testades sedan. Därefter presenterades resultaten och systemets prestanda utvärderades och diskuterades.  Slutligen drogs slutsatsen att systemets prestanda var tillräcklig för att detektera 50 μg/L-gräns för chl-a-koncentration, men noggrann testning av platsen krävs för fältapplikationer i prover av naturligt vatten.

Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) has an annual incidence of 2.4 cases per 100 000 population in the UK, and is one of the most common malignancies diagnosed in young adults aged 15 to 34. The majority of younger patients have a good long-term outcome with between 80 and 90% disease-specific survival but cHL also affects older adults in whom the prognosis is significantly poorer. The role of tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) in cHL has gained much interest, with several studies reporting an association between high numbers of CD68-positive TAM and poor prognosis. There is also a question over the prognostic significance of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection which is implicated in up to 50% of cHL cases in developed countries. Published data suggests that EBV positivity in elderly patients may be associated with a poorer outcome, whereas in younger adults may be of prognostic benefit. Differences related to age are of interest particularly as an age-related decline in immunity has been linked with the development of certain subtypes of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in older patients. In a retrospective study, two separate cohorts of patients with cHL were examined with the aim of identifying: • Differences in the cellular composition of the tumour microenvironment in cHL which has arisen in young and elderly adult patients; • Differences in the cellular composition of the tumour microenvironment in cHL associated with or without EBV infection; • Factors within the tumour microenvironment which may influence prognosis and may be targeted for novel treatments. One group consisted of patients aged between 15 and 34 years at diagnosis and the other, of those aged 60 or over at presentation. Tissue obtained at the time of diagnosis was examined with regard to a number of factors related to the malignant cells and the surrounding microenvironment, including the number and phenotype of macrophages, the number of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and the number of malignant Hodgkin Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells and non-malignant ‘background’ cells undergoing apoptosis. Comparisons were made between the two age groups, also taking into account the EBV-status of tumours, cHL subtype and gender. Results confirmed the current understanding that EBV-positive cHL is more common in older patients and has a strong, but not exclusive, association with the MCHL subtype. In addition, a strong link between young males and EBV-positive disease was shown. Macrophages were found to vary between the two age groups, in number and phenotype and there were clear differences associated with the presence or absence of EBV infection. While no definite link with outcome and macrophages was identified it was apparent that the implications of macrophages in the tumour microenvironment may differ between the two age groups. The number of apoptotic cells correlated closely with the number of macrophages and in the young the number of HRS cells was associated with prognosis. Investigation of the tumour microenvironment is complex and caution is needed in interpreting studies which do not differentiate between patients according to age, as tumour characteristics may have variable implications in different age groups. In this thesis a number of clinicopathological differences were identified between the two age groups. These point to the need for further larger studies to delineate how such age-related differences may or may not be associated with immune function and how this information could be translated into treatments to improve outcomes.

Title: Migration of Czech ice hockey players to North America. Objectives: The main objective of this diploma thesis is to evaluate the current development of migration of Czech ice hockey players to North American highest competition - NHL since 1990. The sub-objective of this thesis is to investigate migration factors, then to describe historical developments within migration and to compare with other ice hockey powers. Further analysing the influence of Czech ice hockey players on the performance of teams in North American competitions, as well as introducing leagues themselves. Methods: This thesis used qualitative research which abnormally consists of a questionnaire survey and precedes quantitative research, which includes deskresearch, a method which is also referred to as secondary data analysis, data are mainly drawn from the outputs of mass media and virtual data for this work. Next method of comparison and correlation analysis. Hereinafter the comparation method and correlation analysis are used. Results: This study reveals the importance of focusing on the experiences of the migrants themselves as well as on the factors related to migration. They exist not only in professional field, but also in personal life. All this affects the overall adaptation process. The most motivating factor...

In this study, annual variations in biochemical composition of seston and zooplankton community were investigated to characterize the nutritional environment of zooplankton in the Mersin Bay, NE Mediterranean Sea. For this goal, seawater and zooplankton samples were collected at monthly intervals from two stations / one representing coastal and other representing open waters characteristics from November 2004 to January 2006. Seawater samples were collected with Niskin bottles from the sea surface. Zooplankton samples were collected both in the horizontal and vertical plane by towing a Nansen net (70 cm mouth diameter with 112 &micro / m mesh). Surface seston chl-a, lipid, protein and carbohydrate concentrations were measured by fractionating seawater into three different size groups, 0.7-2.7, 2.7-18 and &gt / 18 &micro / m representing pico, nano and micro particulates in the seston. Zooplankton biomass and abundance were determined at four size fractions: 112-200, 200-500, 500-1000 and &gt / 1000 &micro / m / dry and organic weights were measured by gravimetric method and major taxonomic groups of zooplankton was identified under stereo-microscope. The nearshore station was always more productive than the offshore station in terms of chl-a, particulate organic matter (POM: protein+lipid+carbohydrate), zooplankton abundance and biomass. Chl-a maxima occured in spring and autumn at both stations. Very low chl-a concentrations at the offshore station (0.02-0.35 &micro / g L-1) confirmed oligotrophic character of the Northeastern Mediterranean. The highest chl-a concentration (2.4 &micro / g L-1) was observed in March 2005 at the nearshore station due to the input of Lamas River nearby. POM varied from 42.1 &micro / g L-1 (in January 2006) to 1082 &micro / g L-1 (in March 2005) and 53.7 &micro / g L-1 (in January 2006) to 246 &micro / g L-1 (in May 2005) at the nearshore and offshore stations, respectively. The oligotrophy of this system was indicated by the extremely low particulate lipid, protein and carbohydrate concentrations (1-3 times lower than in more productive systems). The most evident characteristic of this oligotrophic environment was the dominance of pico-POM throughout the study period, accounting for 31&ndash / 65 % of the total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and chl-a. The prt:cho ratio was generally lower than 1 (low in organic nitrogen). Carbohydrate was the dominant biochemical component at both stations. Zooplankton varied during the sampling period, and they showed two peak abundances, in spring and autumn, with small increase in summer. The higher biomasses of zooplankton were observed in summer and autumn in the entire water column, but in spring and autumn periods in the surface water. Zooplankton data showed that 200-500 and 112-200 &micro / m size fractions were dominant in abundance at both stations. However, 200-500 &micro / m size fraction was dominant in zooplankton biomass at nearshore, whereas &gt / 1000 &micro / m size fraction was at offshore station. Copepods were the most abundant zooplankton group and dominated the distribution of total zooplankton, followed by crustace nauplii, appendicularia, cladocera and pteropoda.

The annual phytoplankton bloom is an important marine event. Its annual variability can be easily recognized by ocean-color satellite sensors through the increase in surface Chlorophyll-a concentration, a key indicator to quantitatively characterize all phytoplankton groups. However, a common problem is that the satellites used to gather the data are obstructed by clouds and other artifacts. This means that time series data from satellites can suffer from spatial data loss. There are a number of algorithms that are able to reconstruct the missing parts of these images to varying degrees of accuracy, with Data INterpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions (DINEOF) being the most popular. However, DINEOF has a high computational cost, taking both significant time and memory to generate reconstructions. We propose a machine learning approach to reconstruction of Chlorophyll-a data using a Variational Autoencoder (VAE). Our method is 3-5x times faster (50-200x if the method has already been run once in the area). Our method uses less memory and increasing the size of the data being reconstructed causes computational cost to grow at a significantly better rate than DINEOF. We show that our method's accuracy is within a margin of error but slightly less accurate than DINEOF, as found by our own experiments and similar experiments from other studies. Lastly, we discuss other potential benefits of our method that could be investigated in future work, including generating data under certain conditions or anomaly detection. / Graduate