The object of this thesis is the foundation of ethics. The question is whether there exists a universal core to ethics consisting of a fundamental ethical principle across cultures. This principle could for example be the so-called Golden Rule, which goes as follows: ?You should do to others what you want them to do to you?. The Golden Rule is to be found in many of the world?s religions and is also reflected in secular society.

Vectors based on lentivirus backbones have revolutionized our ability to transfer genesinto many cell types. Lentiviral vectors integrate into the chromatin of target cells and do not transfer any viral genes causing vector replication. Both of these features arecommonly used in gene therapy and have been used clinically in individuals sufferingfrom cancer, infections and genetic diseases. It has been discovered that T-cells can be genetically modified to be used as effective weapons against cancer: therefore virus mustbe produced to deliver the gene of interest into the T-cells. In this project, lentiviralvectors have been produced to transfer the gene coding for a chimeric antigen receptor(CAR) which is directed to CD19 on B-cells.

Alternative splicing is a process that partly rejects the common definition of a gene ? that one gene codes for one specific protein. By variable combination of coding regions (exons) and exclusion of non-coding regions (introns), formation of several different mRNA-transcripts, and consequently several different proteins, can derive from the same gene. Alternative splicing is an important condition for the development of complex life forms, but it is also a highly sensitive process and inaccurate splicing is the cause of approximately 15 % of mutations that cause genetic diseases. This article presents four genes, BRCA1, BRCA2, ER? and ER?, and inaccurate splicing of these genes increases the risk of developing cancer, particularly breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

The research in the field of biotechnology is rapidly developing all over the world. Modern biotechnology offers unique opportunities, simultaneously as it gives rise to a number of ethical issues. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), PGD/HLA (Human Leucocyte Antigen) and germline gene therapy (GLGT) are controversial techniques. PGD gives a possibility to identify a genetic disease prior to the embryo?s implantation in the uterus.

The WT1 gene is a complex gene originally known to suppress cancer in kidneys. Studies of WT1 knockout mice have confirmed the important role of WT1 in the pathogenesis of Wilms? tumour, a tumour which counts for 95% of all childhood renal tumours. In that case the WT1 gene acts as a tumour suppressor gene. Subsequent research has shown that the WT1 gene in many other cases acts as an oncogene, e g in leukemia or lung cancer (even though these cancer forms can emerge as a result of many other aetiological factors).

Stroke is caused by a bleeding or infarct in the brain and is one of the most common diseases in Sweden today. The purpose of the study was to evaluate if Ronnie Gardiner?s Rhythm Therapy (RGR-therapy) has any effect, regarding motor control and the subjective experienced health related quality of life, on people who have been affected by stroke. The examination group consisted of eight people. The intervention consisted of RGR-therapy once a week during a period of nine weeks.

Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in veterinary medicine today, and the incidence is higher than ever due to the fact that our companion animals live longer then they did ten to twenty years ago. Cancer is also one of the most common causes of mortality in older companion animals. This literature review will be about two of the currently most common form of cancer treatment of companion animals in Swedish animal hospitals, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. There will also be a section of general nursing care for cancer patients. The section of chemotherapy will describe the indications for choosing chemotherapy, the way to administrate chemotherapeutic drugs, describe specific chemotherapeutic drugs, potential side effects of chemotherapy, and how to handle and store chemotherapeutic drugs safely. The section of radiation therapy will describe the current devices for delivering radiation therapy, describe the indications for choosing radiation therapy and describe potential side effects that radiation therapy may cause.

The RECK gene is a relatively new discovered gene with important implications for cancer research. The research has been primarily concentrated on the human gene with the ultimate aim to identify the invasive characteristics. Up regulated RECK is linked to significantly prolonged survival rates in patients with severe forms of malignancies. RECK is normally expressed in all cells of the body and has an important role in the balance between destructive and constructive features of the extracellular matrix. The RECK protein is a membrane-bound glycoprotein that inhibit matrix metalloproteinases which has the function of breaking down the ECM. There is a significant correlation between RECK gene expression and the formation of new vessels, presumably via the mediation of VEGF which is an important and powerful inducer of angiogenesis.

The increased frequency of reported Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is of great concern to small animal healthcare due to limited options of antimicrobial therapy. The aim of this literature study is to investigate 1) characteristics and classification of S. pseudintermedius, 2) resistance mechanisms and emergence of MRSP, 3) risk factors for selection of MRSP, and 4) clonal distribution around the world. S. pseudintermedius is a skin and mucosal commensal in healthy dogs and cats, but can cause infections, including pyoderma. Beta-lactam antibiotics inhibit bacterial growth by binding to the penicillin binding protein (PBP), a vital enzyme in the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall.

BACKGROUND: A telephone nurse is a nurse that during most of its working time is engaged in healthcare advice via the telephone. The advent of the telephone healthcare advice has probably meant that individuals, who initially wouldn?t have sought help, if they needed to meet healthcare providers face to face, now actually have the confidence to turn to healthcare. For telephone healthcare advice is professional care to identify, assess and advise on individuals? reactions to actual or potential health problems.

At two nursing homes for people with dementia a qualitative study was performed. The purpose was to investigate the therapy dog?s meaning to people with dementia from their perspective. Two women and five men with dementia were interviewed, everyone being somewhere between 60 and 87 years of age. All but one had previously owned a dog at some point in their lives.

Ethical competence is an important precondition when people are to respond to moral problem situations as efficiently as possible. In these situations it is not easy to make choices and decisions, especially when many stakeholders are involved with various opinions and interests.The purpose of this thesis was to generate a web-based support tool to train and promote ethical competence of the users of this tool.We first created a theoretical basis by studying the major theories of ethics in general and ethical competence in particular. The importance of ethical competence and its main subject, namely, the autonomy in the theoretical part described and specified. In addition has the practical ethical reflection over morality preferred and characterized to the classical ethical passivity over morality. We have also preferred and characterized the autonomous thinking to the heteronomous one.Based on the theoretical base a prototype tool to support the training of ethical competence was designed and developed.

Background: Studies showed differences in attitudes towards patients with mental illness in nurses who worked in somatic care compared to nurses who worked in psychiatric care. The nurses in somatic care stated more negative attitudes to mental illness in relation to the nurses in psychiatric care. Studies also showed that work experience affected attitudes towards mental illness. Nurses who often came in contact with people with mental illness had less negative attitudes and prejudices against mental illness. Aim: The aim was to examine the experiences from nurses in somatic care, caring for patients who also have a psychiatric diagnosis.

The aim of this study was to analyze the assessment of the primary school, from the teacher?s perspective. There has been an ongoing discussion regarding assessment and about the purposes of assessment for a long time. But there is a paucity of research on what teachers believe about. This study examined primary teachers? beliefs on major purposes of assessment.Assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting information about students? learning.

The aim of this study was to analyze the assessment of the primary school, from the teacher?s perspective. There has been an ongoing discussion regarding assessment and about the purposes of assessment for a long time. But there is a paucity of research on what teachers believe about. This study examined primary teachers? beliefs on major purposes of assessment.Assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting information about students? learning.