The health effects of sea buckthorn berries and oil

Sea buckthorn (Hippophaë) berries are ingredients of the Chinese traditional medicine. In addition to China, they are nowadays cultivated for food in several European countries, Russia, Canada, the USA, and Japan. Sea buckthorn berries are a rich source of flavonoids, mainly flavonol glycosides and proanthocyanidins. Depending on the genetic background, growth conditions, and ripeness of the berries, vitamin C concentrations up to over 1 g/100 ml juice, have been reported. Sea buckthorn berries contain inositols and methyl inositols, components of messenger molecules in humans. Sea buckthorn seed oil is rich in essential aplha-linolenic and linoleic acids, whereas the most abundant fatty acids in the berry oil are palmitoleic, palmitic and oleic acids. Other potentially beneficial lipophilic compounds of sea buckthorn seeds and berries include carotenoids, phytosterols, tocopherols and tocotrienols. The effects of sea buckthorn fractions on inflammation, platelet aggregation, oxidation injuries, the liver, skin and mucosa, among others, have been reported. The aim of the thesis work was to investigate the health effects of sea buckthorn berries and oil in humans. The physiological effects of sea buckthorn berries, berry components, and oil have mostly been studied in vitro and in animal models, leaving a demand for more clinical trials. In the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial of this thesis healthy adults consumed 28 g/day of sea buckthorn berries for three months. The main objective was to investigate the effects on the common cold. In addition, effects on other infections, inflammation and circulating lipid markers associated with cardiovascular disease risk were studied. In the second randomized, placebocontrolled trial participants reporting dry eye symptoms consumed 2 g/day of sea buckthorn oil from the seeds and berries for three months. The effects on symptoms and clinical signs of dry eye were monitored. In addition, the effects on circulating markers of inflammation and liver functions were analyzed. Sea buckthorn berries did not affect the common cold or other infections in healthy adults. However, a decrease in serum C-reactive protein was detected, indicating effects on inflammation. Fasting concentrations of serum flavonols, typical to sea buckthorn berry, increased without affecting the circulating total, HDL, LDL cholesterol, or triacylglycerol concentrations. Tear film hyperosmolarity and activation of inflammation at the ocular surface are among the core mechanisms of dry eye. Combined sea buckthorn berry and seed oil attenuated the rise in tear film osmolarity taking place during the cold season. It also positively affected some of the dry eye symptoms. Based on the tear film fatty acid analysis, the effects were not mediated through direct incorporation of sea buckthorn oil fatty acids to tear film lipids. It is likely that the fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols of sea buckthorn oil affected the inflammation of the ocular surface, lacrimal and/or meibomian glands. The effects on the differentiation of meibomian gland cells are also possible. Sea buckthorn oil did not affect the serum concentrations of inflammation markers or liver enzymes investigated. In conclusion, this thesis work suggests positive effects of sea buckthorn berries and oil on inflammation and dry eye, respectively, in humans.

Changes in the thermal growing season in Nordic countries during the past century and prospects for the future

Selostus: Termisen kasvukauden muutokset Pohjoismaissa viimeisen vuosisadan aikana ja tulevaisuudessa

Cold hardiness research on agricultural and horticultural crops in Finland

Selostus: Pelto- ja puutarhakasvien kylmänkestävyystutkimus Suomessa

Can protoplast production from in vitro cultured shoots of Tanacetum vary during the season?

Selostus: Vaikuttaako vuodenaika Tanacetum-lajien in vitro kasvuun ja eristettävien protoplastien määrään?

Fatigue Analysis of Welded Cruciform Joints with Cold Laps

Työssä on tutkittu vetojännityskuormituksen alaisena olevien hitsattujen kuormaa kantamattomien X-liitosten hitsin paikallisen geometrian variaation vaikutusta väsymislujuuteen. Muuttujina olivat reunan pyöristyssäde, kylmäjuoksun suuruus ja kylkikulma. Geometristen muuttujien parametrinen riippuvuussuhde on analysoitu usealla elementtimallilla. Väsymistarkastelu on suoritettu käyttämällä lineaaris-elastista murtumismekaniikkaa (LEFM) tasovenymätilassa ja materiaalina terästä. Särönkasvun suunnan ennustamisessaon käytetty maksimipääjännityskriteeriä sekä jännitysintensiteettikertoimet on määritetty J-integraalilla. Särön ydintymisvaihetta ei ole otettu huomioon. Rakenteen on oletettu olevan hitsatussa tilassa ja jännitysheilahdus on kokonaan tehollinen. Särön kasvunopeuden ennustamiseen on käytetty Paris'n lakia. Väsymislujuustulokset on esitetty karakteristisina väsymisluokkina (FAT) ja sovitettu parametriseksi yhtälöksi. Lopuksi väsymisanalyysin ennustamia tuloksia on verrattu saatavilla oleviin väsytystestituloksiin.

Calculation of the critical crack size for cold form rectangular hollow section tube (CRHS) under bending load at -40º C temperature

To predict the capacity of the structure or the point which is followed by instability, calculation of the critical crack size is important. Structures usually contain several cracks but not necessarily all of these cracks lead to failure or reach the critical size. So, defining the harmful cracks or the crack size which is the most leading one to failure provides criteria for structure’s capacity at elevated temperature. The scope of this thesis was to calculate fracture parameters like stress intensity factor, the J integral and plastic and ultimate capacity of the structure to estimate critical crack size for this specific structure. Several three dimensional (3D) simulations using finite element method by Ansys program and boundary element method by Frank 3D program were carried out to calculate fracture parameters and results with the aid of laboratory tests (loaddisplacement curve, the J resistance curve and yield or ultimate stress) leaded to extract critical size of the crack. Two types of the fracture which is usually affected by temperature, Elastic and Elasti-Plastic fractures were simulated by performing several linear elastic and nonlinear elastic analyses. Geometry details of the weldment; flank angle and toe radius were also studied independently to estimate the location of crack initiation and simulate stress field in early stages of crack extension in structure. In this work also overview of the structure’s capacity in room temperature (20 ºC) was studied. Comparison of the results in different temperature (20 ºC and -40 ºC) provides a threshold of the structure’s behavior within the defined range.

Wind turbine operation in cold climate

The goal of the master‘s thesis is to determine and estimate ice accretion influence on the wind turbine blade performance. The thesis describes the technique of ice accretion calculation on the wind turbine blade and determination characteristics of the turbine with ice accreted. The methodology of the classic Blade Element Moment Theory was used. Iced blade experimental data was investigated in order to calculate blade with ice characteristics. The obtained results shows that iced blade power coefficient is lower than clean blade one. The heating system implementation shows that in the particular site in the Lapland region it is efficient.

Exiles and Constituents: Baltic Refugees and American Cold War Politics, 1948- 1960

This dissertation explores the complicated relations between Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian postwar refugees and American foreign policymakers between 1948 and 1960. There were seemingly shared interests between the parties during the first decade of the Cold War. Generally, Eastern European refugees refused to recognize Soviet hegemony in their homelands, and American policy towards the Soviet bloc during the Truman and Eisenhower administrations sought to undermine the Kremlin’s standing in the region. More specifically, Baltic refugees and State Department officials sought to preserve the 1940 non-recognition policy towards the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States. I propose that despite the seemingly natural convergence of interests, the American experiment of constructing a State-Private network revolving around fostering relations with exile groups was fraught with difficulties. These difficulties ultimately undermined any ability that the United States might have had to liberate the Baltic States from the Soviet Union. As this dissertation demonstrates, Baltic exiles were primarily concerned with preserving a high level of political continuity to the interwar republics under the assumption that they would be able to regain their positions in liberated, democratic societies. American policymakers, however, were primarily concerned with maintaining the non-recognition policy, the framework in which all policy considerations were analyzed. I argue that these two motivating factors created unnecessary tensions in American policy towards the Baltic republics in the spheres of psychological warfare as well as exile unity in the United States and Europe. Despite these shortcomings, I argue that out of the exiles’ failings was born a generation of Baltic constituents that blurred the political legitimacy line between exiles who sought to return home and ethnic Americans who were loyal to the United States. These Baltic constituents played an important role in garnering the support of the United States Congress, starting in the 1950s, but became increasingly influential after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, despite the seemingly less important role Eastern Europe played in the Cold War. The actions of the Baltic constituents not only prevented the Baltic question from being forever lost in the memory hole of history, but actually created enough political pressure on the State Department that it was impossible to alter the long-standing policy of not recognizing the Soviet annexation of the Baltic States.

Spin-Dynamics in Cold Gases of 87Rb and Atomic Hydrogen. The spins they are a-changin’

In this thesis the dynamics of cold gaseous atoms is studied. Two different atomic species and two different experimental techniques have been used. In the first part of the thesis experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb-87 are presented. In these experiments the methods of laser cooling and magnetic trapping of atoms were utilized. An atom chip was used as the experimental technique for implementation of magnetic trapping. The atom chip is a small integrated instrument allowing accurate and detailed manipulation of the atoms. The experiments with Rb-87 probed the behaviour of a falling beam of atoms outcoupled from the Bose-Einstein condensate by electromagnetic field induced spin flips. In the experiments a correspondence between the phases of the outcoupling radio frequency field and the falling beam of atoms was found. In the second part of the thesis experiments of spin dynamics in cold atomic hydrogen gas are discussed. The experiments with atomic hydrogen are conducted in a cryostat using a dilution refrigerator as the cooling method. These experiments concentrated on explaining and quantifying modulations in the electron spin resonance spectra of doubly polarized atomic hydrogen. The modifications to the previous experimental setup are described and the observation of electron spin waves is presented. The observed spin wave modes were caused by the identical spin rotation effect. These modes have a strong dependence on the spatial profile of the polarizing magnetic field. We also demonstrated confinement of these modes in regions of strong magnetic field and manipulated their spatial distribution by changing the position of the field maximum.