Each Ig V-region has its own upstream promoter and the promoter of a mature Ig gene is thereby selected during the V(D)J recombination process. Upon comparison, it is evident that only one transcription factor binding site, the octamer, is preserved within all promoters. The octamer motif and the binding Oct-proteins are crucial for Ig promoter function, but not sufficient for a high level of tran

Mucosal inflammation and airway hyperreactivity are regulated by hundreds of different mediators. The recent discovery of gaseous mediators, produced and active within the airways, opens new possibilities for identification of therapeutic targets and ways to monitor airway inflammation. This thesis is focused on two such mediators, nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) along with their role i

Hematopoiesis is a highly complex process by which a range of specialized blood cells are generated from a small pool of multipotent stem cells in the bone marrow. The survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells are tightly regulated by both soluble and membrane-bound cytokines produced within the bone marrow microenvironment. Kit Ligand (KL) and Flt3 Ligand (FL) are t

INTRODUCTION: Hip and knee osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Currently, the course of deterioration in pain and physical functioning in individuals with osteoarthritis is difficult to predict. Factors such as socioeconomic status and comorbidity contribute to progression of osteoarthritis, but clear associations have not been established. There is a need for early identifi

Integrins are a family of cell surface receptors known to bind matrix proteins and to mediate signals such as mechanical signals between the cell and the surrounding matrix. We have studied integrins that are expressed by chondrocytes, with specific focus on the integrins that interact with the cartilage matrix protein collagen type II. It was found that chondrocytes isolated from articular cartil

The spread of lifestyle-related diseases has become epidemic throughout the world. Impaired glucose metabolism and high levels of plasma cholesterol are risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease respectively. Soluble dietary fibers from plants, algae and mushrooms have been shown to positively regulate both glucose- and cholesterol metabolism indicating their v

Intracerebral neuronal transplantation have been shown to ameliorate symptoms of brain dysfunction in both animals models and Parkinson's disease, although problems still remain. The newly introduced technique of ex vivo gene transfer could serve as an alternative approach, possible avoiding some of the draw-backs of the embryonal tissue used in neuronal grafting. We have investigated the feasibli

Transplantation of embryonic dopaminergic neurones can ameliorate symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, but a major obstacle for clinical transplantations to overcome is the low survival (typically 5-10%) of implanted nigral neurones. If cell death in nigral grafts can be prevented, less embryonic tissue would be needed per transplantation session and hence more patients could receive intracerebral gra

The foraging ability of an organism is essential since it affects various traits, e.g. growth, reproduction effort, social status and, ultimately, fitness. Foraging is often associated with food intake but includes more aspects such as searching for and assessing food patches and evaluating the patch as good or bad compared to the rest of the environment. On top of that, a forager also has to surv

Mucins are essential components of the mucosal barrier. The complexity of the airway mucosal barrier is reflected in the lack of specific treatments to block mucin hypersecretion associated with several respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and cystic fibrosis. Currently, researchers in the mucin field are confronted with a growing number of mucin genes. In order to understand th

Replacing fossil fuels with biofuels is one way of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus decreasing our impact on the global climate. For this to be a viable option, several production routes are needed, as no single option can fully replace fossil fuels. One way of making biofuels more competitive with fossil fuels is by reducing the production cost. As most of the p

The pancreas is a central organ in the digestion of food as well as in glucose metabolism. Its two major functions are exocrine and endocrine secretion. These are meticulously regulated processes that depend on hormonal response to gastrointestinal contents and blood glucose levels through feedback mechanisms, but also to the status of pancreas in health and diseases. The present thesis aimed at f

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms such as dyspepsia, diarrhoea, and nausea are often seen in alcoholics. The causes are not clear. The stomach and upper small intestine are exposed to high alcohol concentrations. Yet, the majority of alcohol abusers do not exhibit macroscopic abnormalities at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, although histological and electron microscopic (SEM) changes have be

This study evaluated transcapillary fluid exchange in the cat brain and in a cat skeletal muscle enclosed in a plethysmograph. A method for determination of capillary permeability (capillary filtration coefficient and reflection coefficient) and effects of transcapillary hydrostatic pressure changes were studied We found that capillary fluid permeability in a tissue can be determined by the capill

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (Mhc) genes are crucial for the recognition of self and non-self peptides by the immune defence system. They are extremely variable in most studied vertebrate species. I have studied the extent and the importance of Mhc variation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), mainly from the Baltic Sea. Levels of Mhc heterozygosity in hatchery populations of salmon were bet

This dissertation covers studies of excited state processes in two types of solar energy materials: alternating polyfluorene polymers and their blends with fullerenes in the active layer of plastic solar cells, and bis-tridentate RuII-polypyridyl complexes to be used as sensitizer in systems for artificial photosynthesis. The polymer:fullerene blends were studied by transient absorption and time-

The source region of the Yellow River contributes about 35% of the total water yield in the Yellow River basin playing an important role for meeting the downstream water resources requirements. The declining water availability caused by climate change in the source region of the Yellow River is expected to have severe repercussions for the 110 million basin inhabitants in terms of water resources

The earlier abnormalities coupled with disease can be discovered in the body, the larger is the chance to survive the disease. Molecular imaging is a growing research field which aims to detect these abnormalities at a molecular level, when the chance of survival is still high. The main idea of molecular imaging is to use target specific contrast agents that accumulate at the diseased region at a

The electroactive polymer materials considered in this work react to electric stimuli by producing deformations. In some cases, the electrically induced deformations are moderate, while in other cases they can be very large and the specimen is stretched to more than twice its original length. The latter response is seen in so called dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). The possibility of very lar

Different approaches and sub-models for the modelling of emulsification in a high-pressure homogenizer are reviewed and compared in terms of both practical aspects and how well they describe what is currently known on the emulsification process in general and on high-pressure homogenization in particular. Special effort is devoted to comparing the model developments presented in the appended paper