Linomide is a potent immunomodulator that has been shown to inhibit autoimmunity in several animal models of autoimmune disease. We have approached the cellular and molecular mechanism of Linomide by investigating its effect on thymocyte development and its capacity to modulate the expression of activation markers on antigen presenting cells (APCs). We found that Linomide treatment of mice resulte

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b) is a well-characterised growth regulatory factor, which acts on most cell types. This thesis has focused on the regulatory roles of TGF-b on normal lymphocytes. One interesting finding is that TGF-b acts both costimulatory and inhibitory on T-lymphocytes. The costimulatory effect depends on the presence of monocytes and is mediated by these cells. Furthermor

In this work, cloud and fog droplet formation was studied in three joint field experiments. The instrument, the droplet aerosol analyser (DAA), has also been further developed and verified as part of this work. The DAA is an instrument especially developed for studies of cloud and fog droplet formation and growth. It measures the ambient size of individual droplets and interstitial particles in a

Intestinal I/R is considered to be an important initiating event in several pathophysiological conditions such as trauma, bleeding, sepsis and pancreatitis, frequently leading to concomitant both single and potentially multiple organ dysfunction. The purpose of this thesis was to study mechanims underlying the development of multiple organ dysfunction, with special focus on intercellular proinflam

Long-term studies of birds play an important role in the understanding of quantitative traits in natural populations. The relative ease by which individual birds can be monitored and caught in the wild enable us collect detailed information from individuals throughout their life time, sometimes from several generations in a population. In this thesis I describe the utilization of a great reed warb

There is a persisting controversy concerning the definition, etiology and pathogenesis of Barrett's esophagus. The dramatic and parallel increase in the incidence of esophageal and junctional adenocarcinoma over the past decades justifies an evaluation of the pathophysiology of premalignant metaplastic changes of the esophagus and the gastroesophageal junction. Patients were evaluated with upper G

The aims of this thesis were to investigate factors of significance for the development of acute confusional state (ACS), the confusional episodes, the lived experiences of having been confused in elderly patients admitted for emergency or elective surgery in orthopaedic care. A further aim was to investigate the nurses’ view of the ACS and the encounter with patients who developed ACS. A case stu

Popular Abstract in English In an organism the DNA contains the entire biological information that is needed to be able to exist and function. Those segments, also known as DNA sequences are a genetic code, which is further packaged into units called genes. The entity of all genes is called genome. Today we know, that only a small proportion of genes encode for proteins, which are responsible for More than 90% of DNA does not code for proteins and for a long time these sequences were referred to as “junk DNA” due to their unknown purpose. With the advent of new technologies it is now known, that the non-coding part of the genome is of great importance for regulating gene expression and is therefore indispensable. Transposable elements comprise about 50% of the genome and co-exist as symbio

Triglycerides in the adipocyte are hydrolysed by means of three consecutive reactions through the combined action of two lipases: hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and monoglyceride lipase (MGL). HSL catalyses the first and rate-limiting step, i.e. the hydrolysis of triglycerides to diglycerides, and the subsequent hydrolysis of diglycerides and monoglycerides. However, MGL is needed to assure comple

Background Today's modern, industrialized society is based on globalization, specialization and mass-production. It is a society dependent upon highly integrated, continuously ongoing supply chain flows. Disruptions in those flows may cause devastating negative consequences, both for the individual company, for the supply chain, and for the society at large. Purpose and objectives The purpose o

Research has indicated that there is a growing tendency for young, well-educated people to hold different values toward work and management of work than previous generations. Thus managerial difficulties can arise when these different generations collaborate at work. In order to survive organisations and companies need a managerial leadership that knows how the younger workers view leadership, how

A main purpose of this thesis was to develop a model of leadership style named Generative Learning Management (GLM), thought to influence goal-oriented interpersonal creativity in organizations, and to test this model. Creativity is a complex consisting of both novelty and usefulness and it is a general mental ability that is determined by the interplay between different regions in a normally func

The aim of this thesis was to assess quality of life in patients with varying degrees of lower limb ischaemia before and after revascularisation, to assess quality of life in relation to the degree of ischaemia and the respondents’ sense of coherence (SOC) and in comparison with a healthy control group, and to compare two different quality of life instruments regarding their usefulness as outcome

Electrocochleography (ECoG) is an objective method to evaluate cochlear electrophysiology. The recordings are considered to reflect the mechano-electric processes of the cochlea, and can indicate the presence of suspected endolymphatic hydrops. The aim of the present thesis was to investigate the value of transtympanic (TT) ECoG in the clinical diagnosis and management of Menière´s disease. The tr

ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis (AASV) is a group of inflammatory disorders, characterized by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels and frequently granuloma formation. Patients with AASV make autoantibodies, so called ANCA, against proteins present in the granules of neutrophils and monocytes, mainly proteinase 3 (PR3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Clinically, disease progression is characte

Modules are independently folding protein domains defined on the gene level. The epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) modules are involved in protein-protein interactions and are found in numerous membrane proteins and extracellular proteins, including many proteins of the blood coagulation system. A subset of the EGF modules binds one Ca2+ with an affinity that is often influenced by the neighbouri

The thesis deals with plasticity in terms of neurotransmitter expression and survival of neurons in the adult enteric nervous system (ENS). Several motility disorders have been suggested to originate in developmental defects, neurodegeneration, or insufficient innervation by the ENS. Normal distribution of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), found in close relationship to enteric neurons, is al

Microvascular surgery enables free tissue flaps to cover tissue defects, e.g. after trauma and malignancies. Although major improvements in techniques have been made, problems with poor tissue circulation and thrombus formation still exist. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of hemodilution on tissue blood flow and thrombus formation in an animal model. In isovolemic hemodilutio

The best mode of delivery for fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and umbilical artery (UA) blood flow changes is not well elucidated. Uterine artery, fetal UA, middle cerebral artery (MCA), and venous blood flow changes during uterine contractions during an oxytocin challenge test (OCT) have not been observed systemically. AIMS: To evaluate outcome in IUGR with UA blood flow chang

Autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADA), protein tyrosine-phosphatase-like protein (IAÐ2A), and/or pancreatic islet cells (ICA) are autoimmune markers usually present at diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is therefore in general believed to be caused by an immune-mediated beta cell destruction. In children this destruction is fast, whereas in adult patients Type 1 diab