Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic respiratory disease with an estimated incidence of 3-6 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in Sweden. There is no cure for the disease, which inevitably leads to death. A similar disease has been found among terrier dogs, with an especially high prevalence in the West Highland White Terrier (WHWT). Dogs with pulmonary fibrosis become lethargic with exercise intolerance, and in some cases they develop cough and respiratory distress. This thesis gives a brief review of the field of pulmonary fibrosis and presents a method for analyzing surfactant proteins in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the dog.

Background Calprotectin is a protein expressed in the cytoplasm inside the neutrophile granulocytes. During inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the neutrophile granulocytes are involved in a complex interaction at the inflammatory area where they die and release their content into the intestinal lumen. Therefore, calprotectin in stool is a suitable marker for diagnosis and measurement of the disease-activity in patients with IBD. The most commonly used method to detect calprotectin in stool is ELISA, but the process of manual preparation of stool samples is time-consuming.Aim The objective of the study was to evaluate an extraction method that could replace manual preparation of fecal samples and to compare different methods for measuring Calprotectin in stool using two ELISA-methods from two manufacturers and one rapidtest.Methods For extraction of calprotectin from stool samples we used sample collector tubes from Epitope Diagnostics and fecal preparation kits from Roche. Two different ELISA-kits for measuring calprotectin concentration in stool were compared.

The complexity of the mast cell is becoming more prominent. From being the cell recognized just to contribute to allergic inflammation it is now also associated with wound healing, protection against tumor growth and in recognition and defense against a wide range of pathogens. The location of the mast cell in the barrier between the external and internal environment of the body enables the cell to quickly respond to invading bacteria, virus and parasites. Diarrhea due to Escherichia coli infection, listeriosis, toxoplasmosis, Newcastle disease and bovine respiratory syncytial virus are examples of mast cell activating diseases that can affect animals in, as well as outside, the agricultural sector. Additionally, ticks and tick-borne diseases are of concern.

Amyotrofisk Lateral Skleros, ALS, är en neurologisk sjukdom vilken leder till att samtliga kroppens muskler förtvinas och dör. Då sjukdomen saknar bot blir all behandling symptomatisk och individuellt anpassad för varje enskild persons behov. I denna systematiska litteraturstudie har det sökts efter olika sätt att stötta denna patientgrupp då syftet att belysa hur vi som personal kan hjälpa och stötta personer med ALS relaterad dysfagi och andningsproblem till en så bra tillvaro som möjligt skulle belysas.Författarna har funnit att omvårdnaden sällan sätts i fokus. Det är istället de lösningar som tar bort symtomet som fått fokus i flertalet av de artiklar som granskats. Att hjälpa dessa personer till trygga och oberoende människor som kan fortsätta att leva istället för som många av artiklarna visade då det gjordes insatser som ledde till att personerna blev mer bundna till sina anhöriga och sina vårdare..

Purpose: To evaluate how a treatment period on four weeks in a warm climate influences physical function, condition and the patient's experience of the climate effect of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Method: 10 persons with a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis went through four weeks of treatment on Centro Forestal Sueco, Marbella. The treatment consisted of both physical and theoretic lessons given of a rehabilitation team. All patients were examinated measured for physical function and condition before treatment, after two weeks and at the end of the treatment. To measure physical function, Timed-Stands Test, Timed Get Up and Go, The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index, Index of muscle function and functionestimitation of shoulder/arm were used.

In this study, the sea trout (Salmo trutta) spawning migration was studied in the river Själsöån, Gotland, to assess the main external factors determining upstream migration and seasonal changes in fish parameters. Additionally population trends were studied by examination of old data. The most important external factors for upstream migration were the air pressure, air temperature and wind direction. No significant difference was found between when males and females migrated upstream. Larger females in better condition started migration earlier than the smaller females in poorer condition.

The objectives of this experimental study were to investigate if a strategic method to supply loose housed sows with large quantities of straw 2 days before expected farrowing and if the sow?s body condition had any effect on the occurrence of shoulder lesions 5 weeks after farrowing. Data came from a study conducted on four commercial piglet-producing farms in southwest Sweden between March and December 2009. At each farm one batch of sows was followed during two consecutive lactations. The sows were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups and the sows that remained in the batch during the second lactation switched treatment group.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare equations used to calculate BMR to values of BMR obtained from measurements in order to determine the most suitable equation to be used on children and adolescents with CF.Design: The participants where children and adolescents with CF. Data was collected from the division of Clinical Nutrition at Uppsala Akademiska Sjukhus. Age, weight, height, BMI, BMR, FFM and FM was recorded from 27 measurements. BMR from the participants collected from the indirect respiratory calorimetry was compared to the results obtained from five equations used to obtain a calculated value of BMR.Results: Tverskayas equation was best correlated with the measured BMR for the whole group. The equation underestimated BMR for the participants with a measured BMR over 1400 kcal/24h and overestimated BMR for participants with a measured BMR under 1400 kcal/24h.

SUMMARYThis work consists of a review of the medical records of 142 horses that visited the Equine dermatology clinic, at the University Animal Hospital, UDS, at Ultuna, Uppsala, Sweden, between January 2007 and June 2010. The study answers certain main questions like clinical signs responsible for the visit, the most common diagnoses, their diagnostic procedures, treatment modalities and finally, the outcome of treatment.Among 50 diagnoses, four were predominant followed by additional 46 diagnoses, each presenting by few or, in many cases, only one horse. The most common dermatological problem diagnosed was Equine Sarcoid representing 18,3 % of the cases (26/142), which probably reflects the initiation of a Sarcoid treatment-trial in 2007, that resulted in an accumulation of sarcoid horses in the clinic .The second most common diagnosis was Atopy 12 % (17/142) followed by Allergy with skin affection 9,2 % (13/142) and Acute superficial pyodermia 4,9 % (7/142). If the horses were divided into diagnostic groups, the majority (34,5 %) belonged to HA5 group, (Immunological skin diseases), followed by group HA4, (Infectious and inflammatory conditions of the skin) (22,5 %) and HA6, (Neoplasia) (21,8 %). Traumatic skin injuries represented only 2,1 % of the cases, compared to 80 % of horses in the Agria insurance statistics for veterinary care.The most common clinical sign and reasons for veterinary consultation was pruritus (35,9 %), suspected sarcoids (17,6 %), alopecia (12,7 %), nodules (12 %), seborrea, scaling and crusts (9,2 %) and excoriations (5,6 %), respectively, followed by a scattered number of more uncommon symtoms.The diagnostic methods most frequently applied were cytology and biopsy, used in 41,5 % and 36,6 % of the cases, respectively.

Among researchers it has been established since decades that humans and animals have an internal biological clock that controls certain physiological mechanisms. One example regarding humans is the impairment of lung function during the night, causing the phenomenon ?nocturnal asthma? among asthmatics. Only a few studies concerning respiratory circadian rhythm in horses have been done previously and they showed a daily variation in horses with a chronic or an acute respiratory disease. The technique used in those studies was the conventional technique, which is invasive and less sensitive than the technique used in this study.

Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) is a common cause of respiratory disease among young cattle. The virus causes severe losses; the herd mortality rate can sometimes be as high as 20 %. In this study the avidity (i.e the antigen binding force) of BRSV specific antibodies was measured to see if there was a difference between antibodies produced during an acute phase of infection and antibodies produced by earlier infected animals. A commercially available ELISA-testkit against BRSV-specific antibodies was used and an incubation step with 6M urea was added. The effect of the urea is that it breaks the weak bonds between antibodies and antigen while the stronger bonds remain intact. Four different groups of animals were included in this study; seven calves that were naturally infected, three acutely infected calves with known time of infection, five cows that were seropositive during several years and four experimentally infected calves that had been a part of a vaccine trial. The results of this study showed that antibodies produced during the acute phase of an infection had a low avidity and that the avidity increased with time after infection.

Pseudopregnancy is a condition that is estimated to affect 40 % of all female dogs. Common symptoms are decreased activity level, weight gain, mammary enlargement, milk production, nesting behavior, anorexia and maternal behavior. The symptoms are displayed during metoestrus. Prolactin is one of the causes behind pseudopregnancy, but the full process is not yet known. Due to the fact that the condition affects that many bitches and often is recurrent, it is relevant to examine how the condition affects the bitch?s behavior and performance.

AbstractThis report describes our ten week long thesis work which is the last task in our education in mechanical engineering at Linköpings University. The project has been performed at Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB?s service department. The company which is located in Finspång produces, sells and provides service for steam and gas turbines around the world.The purpose of this project is to help Siemens develop their maintenance programs for two of the auxiliary systems which are a part of the complete steam turbine system. These are lube and control oil systems.The project is restricted to two of Siemens maintenance products, No Stop Check (NSC) and the annual Safety Inspection (SI).

In the paper three women with vulvar vestibulitis (long-term pain condition during sexual intercourse) were interviewed to find which conceptions the women experience exist about vestibulitis and how the women they self feel about the condition. Furthermore it was examined if and how the construction of vulvar vestibulitis affects the identity of the women. The method used was half-structured interviews with interview guide. Foucault's discourse analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Several constructions of vestibulitis were revealed from the interviews.

The knowledge of value-enhancing factors in condominiums is very important for real estate agents when valuing condominiums, but it is also of interest to the owner for an upcoming renovation and sale. Previous research has sorted out the most fundamental factors affecting value of condominiums such as location size, age and condition.The purpose of this paper is by consumer?s actual preferences regarding various attributes identify the most value-adding factors in condominiums. Thereby we want to add and nuance previous research.This has been done through a quantitative method in which possible buyers have ranked how various attributes affect their willingness to pay. The results were analyzed and the median of the various attributes have been recognized.The result shows in accordance with previous research that the location is the primary value-adding factor.