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.

Today there are various methods to use when euthanizing horses. Earlier the use of free or captive bullet was the most common method, but in recent decades this has changed and chemical euthanasia is now considered the most common method. The chemical euthanasia has in Sweden been dominated by the use of barbiturates. Somulose® entered the market in the beginning of the 90?s as an alternative to previous chemical euthanasia.

Proliferative enteropathy is a group of disease conditions in pigs where the disease may vary from subclinical to critical with bloody loose feces. The etiological agent is the obligate intracellular bacteria Lawsonia intracellularis. L. intracellularis infects enterocytes from jejunum to colon. The bacteria is taken into cells and start to replicate and cause a massive proliferation of immature enterocytes.

Bakgrund: Ryggsmärta är ett vanligt förekommande problem i dagens samhälle. Den lumbala segmentella instabiliteten anses vara en signifikant orsak till kroniska ländryggssmärtor. Instabilitet innebär ofta hypermobilitet i någon rörelseriktning, men inte nödvändigtvis i alla plan. I kombination med dysfunktion och den onormala belastning själva leden och dess omgivande strukturer utsätts för, orsakar instabiliteten ofta smärta på grund av störd proprioception. Det är väl känt att svaghet och nedsatt muskulär kontroll i den djupa ryggmuskulaturen är vanligt hos patienter med ländryggssmärta.

The dairy cow?s ability to resume estrus after calving and to conceive is affected by their metabolic status after calving. For high yielding cows there is a high risk that the feed intake will not be sufficient to cope with the increased energy demands after calving, and the cow will end up in a state of negative energy balance. Energy balance can be measured in various ways, for example by body condition score or by plasma concentration of several metabolic hormones and metabolites. After calving, endocrine pathways stimulate tissue mobilization; insulin signaling is blocked, the concentration of insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) and leptin decreases, and the concentration of growth hormone (GH) increases.

This report is the result of a project in the course Independent Projekt in Molecular Biotechnology at Uppsala University during the spring of 2014. The foremost purpose of the course is to give students the opportunity to carry through exstensive work in a project environment. This project was formed based on a comission from the biotechnology company SweTree Technologies, and the goal has been to compose a summary of the different techniques and methods that exist in the field of mass propagation of trees through the method of somatic embryogenesis.The project group has obtained information about the area mainly throgh reading patents, trying to find key components and bottlenecks in other companies? somatic embryogenesis technologies. This paper is divided into different sections, containing the patents of the automation of different steps in the process.

Involuntary childlessness is a big problem around the world. One way to solve the problem is to receive oocytes or semen from a donor. In Sweden, semen donation has been regulated by law since 1985 and oocyte donation since 2003. The aim of this study was to investigate what motivations women and men in Sweden have to donate gametes, if they feel any ambivalence to donate, and to compare if there is any difference in motivation and ambivalence between women and men. Motivation was measured with eight statements based on previous results and clinical experience.

Endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDCs) are found in many everyday products and can cause adverse effects on human health. Small children are particularly sensitive to EDCs and they are also exposed to them in a greater extent than adults. Despite this, EDCs are only banned in a few toys and childcare products. There are many sources of exposure and if no steps are taken to reduce the incidence of EDCs we may face an increasing number of people diagnosed with obesity, diabetes type 2 or various types of cancer.The Swedish Government has set a number of environmental objectives, one of which is calleda non-toxic environment. The Swedish Chemicals Agency was instructed to produce and conduct a national action plan to achieve this goal.

Gene technology has become more and more attractive in plant breeding during the last twenty years. This is probably because it can readily improve the existing commercial cultivars that have only one or a few drawbacks by modifying one or a few genes without changing the main genetic constitution. In this regard, gene technology is more effective than conventional breeding.The aim of this project was to analyze the fruit quality of the non-transgenic apple scion ?Jonagold? grafted on non-transgenic and rolB-transgenic apple rootstocks. The rootstocks used were M9-rolB1, M9-rolB2, M26-rolB and non-transgenic controls M9 and M26.

Itraconazole is a third generation azol, a fungicide which acts by inhibiting ergerosterol synthesis in the fungal cell membrane, and thereby disturbing fungal regeneration. It has proven to be less toxic, to have a broader spectrum of activity and to be more potent than its predecessor ketoconazole. Itraconazole is only available in therapheutics approved for human use. Pharmacokinetic studies has been performed in humans, dogs, cats and laboratory animals. Although itraconazole has been used tentatively with good effect against fungal infections in horses, no pharmacokinetic studies have yet been done.

Endometrios,  en  sjukdom  med  symtom  som  smärtor  eller  blödningar  i  samband  med menstruation, börjar ofta i tonåren men diagnostiseras inte förrän flera år senare. Kvinnorna med denna diagnos beskriver ofta att de inte  fått förståelse för sina problem under tonåren. Sjukdomen kan innebära stora besvär  för den drabbade och följder på det fysiska, psykiska och sociala planet kan ses. Syftet var att studera hur unga kvinnor med endometriossymtom upplevde  skolsköterskans  stöd  under  högstadie-  och  gymnasietiden,  för  att  kunna  påverka deras livskvalitet. Via Svenska endometriosföreningens ungdomssektion i Sverige gjordes en kvantitativ   undersökning   med   kvalitativt   inslag.   Ett   frågeformulär   skickades   ut   till föreningens  59  medlemmar,  24  kvinnor  svarade.  Resultatet  visade  att  några  få  kvinnor  var nöjda med den hjälp de fått under skoltiden men de flesta kvinnorna uttryckte att de saknade kunskap,  stöd  och  förståelse  från  skolsköterskan  vilket  ibland  gav  ett  icke  tillfredsställande bemötande.

This study had two different aims. The main aim was to investigate the dynamics and impact of African swine fever (ASF) on a farm in Uganda during a recent outbreak through a case study. The second aim was to estimate the presence of two important differential diagnoses of ASF: Classical swine fever (CSF) and Porcine Reproduction and Respiratory syndrome (PRRS).The field and laboratory based case study of the farm level dynamics of ASF virus during a recent outbreak (October-December 2010) on a farm in the district of Mityana, Uganda, was conducted, using interviews, ELISA and RT-PCR. The financial impact on the farm was also estimated. The impact of the outbreak was profound.

Public concern about the release of toxic compounds from wood-based products drives legislation towards enforcing industries to find and use more sustainable solutions for wood treatment. Plant oils are good alternatives to treat wood, minimizing or even neutralizing the impact on the environment. Wood modification with epoxidised linseed oil (ELO) and acetic acid as catalyst has proven a suitable method to impregnate and protect wood. However, the mixture presents a serious inconvenience because of the quick polymerization of the ingredients that limits its practical application. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate an alternative method using a two-step process which bypassed the problem above.

The environmental work in Sweden has developed a lot over the past fifty years. Today, most companies have some kind of environmental work. Environmental activities are regulated by the Environmental Code, which applies in parallel with other laws. This report is an environmental review for Bräcke Diakoni. The report aims to find out how much environmental impact Bräcke Diakoni has.

Klimatförändringarna med en ökande nederbörd som följd och ökningen av hårdgjorda ytor leder till att de dagvattensystem som finns i stadsmiljöer ibland inte räcker till för att hantera den intensivaste nederbörden. Det dagvatten som bildas innehåller mycket föroreningar och om det inte tas om hand kan det leda till att dessa går ut i recipient med förorenade sjöar och vattendrag som följd. EU:s ramdirektiv för vatten som kom år 2000 och de miljökvalitetsnormer som därigenom har uppkommit bidrar till att det har blivit mer fokus på att värna om de sjöar och vattendrag som finns. En av lösningarna för att hantera dagvatten kan vara att använda ekosystemtjänster för att både fördröja, absorbera och rena vattnet. Det går bland annat att nyttja träd, svackdiken, gröna tak och våtmarksanläggningar. Studien syftar till att undersöka om ekosystemtjänster aktivt används för att lösa problem med vattenkvalitet och om de används för att implementera vattendirektivet.