Förekomst av Anaplasma spp. hos ett urval av den svenska getpopulationen

Anaplasmos orsakat av olika underarter inom bakteriesläktet Anaplasma spp. är en vanligt förekommande vektorburen sjukdom bland olika idisslare utomlands. Symptom som kan ses är bl.a. hög feber, anorexi och plötslig minskning av mjölkproduktion. Bland våra svenska idisslare är det en sjukdom som främst ses hos nötkreatur och får, samt hos vilda djur så som rådjur och älg. I vilken utsträckning det drabbar våra svenska getter är dock i dagsläget okänt. Syftet med denna pilotstudie var att undersöka och kartlägga förekomsten av Anaplasma spp. hos ett urval av den svenska getpopulationen. Under hösten 2020 samlades blod- och mjölkprov in från fem mjölkproducerande getbesätt-ningar runt om i Sverige, samt enbart blodprov från en besättning. Blodproverna analyserades för tidigare och/eller pågående infektion av Anaplasma spp med hjälp av cELISA och PCR. Prover från ett tidigare examensarbete 2019 samt prover insamlade till ett kontrollprogram vid SVA 2018 och 2020 analyserades även med cELISA. Denna metod användes även för att analysera mjölkproverna för att undersöka om individmjölk skulle kunna vara ett alternativ för framtida provtagning. Vidare skickades en deskriptiv enkät ut till besättningarna med frågor kring fästingprofylax, betesrutiner samt om deras djur någon gång diagnosticerats med Anaplasma spp. En liknande allmän enkät skickades även ut via sociala medier och Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt (SVA) för att få information från fler besättningar. De besättningar som besöktes under hösten besvarade inte den allmänna enkäten. Analyserna med cELISA från hösten 2020 gav en seroprevalens på 23,7 %, vilken är jämförbar med seroprevalensen från 2019 som låg på 20 %. Analyserna med cELISA på proverna från SVA 2018 och 2020 gav en seroprevalens på 36,8 respektive 71,4 %, men dessa är dock svåra att jämföra då antalet analyserade individer skiljer mycket åt mellan åren. Vidare genomfördes även analys av ett urval av proverna från hösten 2020 med PCR för A. phagocytophilum och A. ovis vilka gav en prevalens på 2,5 respektive 0 %. Enkätstudierna visade att ingen av de besvarande besättningarna hade haft något diagnosticerat fall av anaplasmos på deras getter, samt att fästingprofylax sällan användes. Hos tre av besättningarna vardera i både den deskriptiva (60 %) och allmänna enkäten (30 %) var dock fästingar förekommande. Resultatet från studien visar på att Anaplasma spp. förekommer i den svenska getpopulationen. En mer omfattande studie där urvalet av individer är större krävs dock för en mer detaljerad kartläggning av utbredningen och dess påverkan på våra getbesättningar.Anaplasmosis is caused by different bacterial subspecies within the genus Anaplasma spp. and is a commonly documented tick-borne disease in different ruminant species abroad. Clinical signs are for example high fever, anorexia and sudden decrease in milk production. In Sweden, Anaplasma spp. are occasionally seen among our domestic and wild ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, roe deer and moose. However, the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in our goat population is yet to be studied. The purpose of this study was to examine and survey the presence of these bacterias in a selection of the Swedish goat population. During the fall of 2020, blood and milk samples were collected from five milk-producing goat herds, and only blood samples from one herd. Blood samples were analyzed using cELISA and PCR to determine previous and/or ongoing infection of Anaplasma spp. Samples from a previous MSc project in 2019 and samples which were sent to National Veterinary Institute (SVA) as part of a control program were also analyzed with cELISA. Analysis using cELISA was also applied on the milk samples to examine whether milk from individuals could be an alternative for future analysis and surveillance. In addition, a descriptive questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain further information regarding prophylactic treatment against ticks, routines regarding pasture and previous disease history with Anaplasma spp. A similar general questionnaire was carried out through social media and the SVA webpage to gain more information from additional goat farms. The farms which answered the descriptive survey did not answer the general one. The results from the cELISA analysis of the samples from the fall of 2020 showed a seroprevalence of 23.7%, which is similar to the seroprevalence of 20% from 2019. The analysis of the 2018 and 2020 samples from SVA showed a seroprevalence of 36.8 and 71.4%, respectively. These are however difficult to compare since the number of animals differs significantly between the years. Furthermore, a PCR analysis was conducted using a selection of the samples from the fall of 2020 to analyze the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum and A. ovis. The prevalence was 2.5 and 0%, respectively. The results of the questionnaire surveys showed that none of the herds had been diagnosed with anaplasmosis. Ticks were found in three of the farms who answered the descriptive (60%) and general (30%) questionnaire, respectively. According to the farms that answered the surveys, prophylactic treatment against ticks was seldom used. This study shows that Anaplasma spp. do occur among the Swedish goat population. However, a more comprehensive study where the number of studied animals is higher is desirable to get a more detailed mapping of the prevalence and its impact on our goat herds

Diabetes mellitus hos hund

Definitionen av diabetes mellitus hos både hund och människa är antingen insulinbrist eller att kroppens vävnader utvecklat en insulinresistens, och kännetecknas av hyperglykemi. Hos hund är det en vanligt förekommande endokrin sjukdom med flertalet bakomliggande orsaker. De klassiska symptomen är polyuri, polydipsi och viktnedgång trots ökad aptit. Vid misstanke om diabetes är det viktigt att påbörja behandling med insulin genast eftersom obehandlad diabetes kan ge allvarliga följder, då den förhöjda glukoskoncentrationen i blodet kan leda till ketoacidos och i värsta fall döden. Behandling med diabetes sker traditionellt alltid med insulin av passande sort. Insulinet ges genom injektioner två gånger dagligen i samband med måltid med målet att så gott som möjligt likna den endogena produktionen av insulin. För att behandlingen ska vara optimal bör en noggrann generell undersökning av hunden göras initialt, och eventuella parallella sjukdomar kan därmed upptäckas och behandlas. Det kan göra att mindre exogent insulin krävs samt ge en ökad förutsättning för bästa möjliga utformande av en behandlingsregim som minskar risken för att hypo- eller hyperglykemi uppstår. Detta studentarbete tar upp ett antal faktorer som enligt ett flertal studier ökar risken för insjuknande, exempelvis hög ålder, vissa raser, övervikt och särskilda sjukdomar som t. ex. hyperadrenocorticism och pankreatit. De två första riskfaktorerna, d.v.s. ålder och ras, är svårpåverkade medan exempelvis övervikt är något som djurägaren kan påverka genom välbalanserad diet och motion. Djurägarens roll är generellt mycket viktig, vilket diskuteras i studentarbetet, då denne måste administrera insulinet till hunden två gånger dagligen samt vara uppmärksam på eventuella tecken på komplikationer, exempelvis hypoglykemi. Utöver det måste motionen som hunden får vara konsekvent och inte variera för mycket från dag till dag. Dieten ska vara väl anpassad efter den individuella hunden och på så sätt öka förutsättningen för bättre glykemisk kontroll, det vill säga förhindra att glukoskoncentrationen i blodet fluktuerar för mycket. Sammantaget finns det ett stort antal studier om de riskfaktorer som är associerade med diabetes men inte lika många kring hur djurvälfärden och självklart även hur djurägaren indirekt påverkas av sjukdomen. Dessa aspekter är av intresse då de kan bidra till att vidareutveckla behandlingsmetoder för att öka livskvaliteten för hunden och dess ägare.The definition of diabetes mellitus in both dogs and humans is either insulin deficiency or that the body's tissues has developed an insulin resistance, and is characterized by hyperglycaemia. In dogs, it is a common endocrine disease with several underlying causes. The classic symptoms are polyuria, polydipsia and weight loss despite increased hunger. If diabetes is suspected it is important to begin treatment with insulin immediately, since diabetes left untreated can cause serious consequences as the elevated blood glucose concentration can lead to ketoacidosis and, in the worst-case scenario, death. Treatment with diabetes is traditionally always done with insulin that suits the individual. The insulin is administered by injections twice a day in connection with a meal with the goal to as close as possible mimic the endogenous production of insulin. In order for the treatment to be optimal, a thorough general examination of the dog should be done initially, and any parallel diseases can thus be detected and treated. This may lead to a smaller dosage when administrating exogenous insulin and also provide a better possibility for optimal design of a treatment regimen that reduces the risk of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia. This student project addresses a number of factors that, according to the majority of studies, increase the risk of illness, for example high age, certain breeds, obesity and specific diseases such as hyperadrenocorticism and pancreatitis. The first two factors, i.e. high age and certain breeds, are difficult to influence, while for example obesity is something that the pet owner can influence through a well-balanced diet and exercise. The role of pet owners is very important, as discussed in the report, as they must administer the insulin to the dog twice a day and also pay attention to any signs of complications, such as hypoglycaemia. In addition to this, exercise must be consistent and not vary too much from day to day. The diet should be adapted to the individual dog and provide a fundamental basis for increased glycemic control, that is, to prevent the blood glucose concentration from fluctuating too much. Overall, there are several studies on the risk factors associated with diabetes but not that many of how the animal’s welfare is and, of course, how animal owners are indirectly affected by the disease. Such aspects are of interest as they can provide a good basis for further developing different treatment methods to increase the quality of life for the dog and its owners

Går det att generera ett hjälpmedel för att dimensionera vägtrummor?

Every year the Swedish infrastructure is afflicted with more or less severe damages caused by water. The damages are often caused by flooding due to underdimensioned culverts. The fact that an operational infrastructure is needed to maintain a financial and ecological profitable forestry shows the benefit of a less frequency of underdimensioned culverts. The purpose of the study was to investigate in which proportion the inventoried culverts and road bridges are underdimensioned. Hopefully the study can be used as a new tool for the dimensioning of water passages to decrease the frequency of underdimensioned culverts. The study covers 5 940 culverts and 160 road bridges in five drainage areas located in Gävleborgs County, Sweden. Thanks to the unique inventory of culverts and road bridges made by Skogsstyrelsen, the study has been possible to perform. The inventory recorded high-resolution coordinates of the culverts and some geometrical information, such as diameter and length. That data combined with the new digital elevation and runoff-information from SMHI has been used to perform the calculations. Two different water flows has been used, called monthly average run-off and high-flow. The result showed that barely five percent of all the culverts are underdimensioned by the monthly average run-off and just over five percent by high-flow. The fact that the water flow increases several times during high-flow does not show a remarkable impact on the frequency of underdimensioned culverts. Even though, the underdimensioned culverts could cause extensive damage on the infrastructure and to the living organisms which is living in the water.Varje år drabbas Sveriges infrastruktur av mer eller mindre omfattande skador orsakade av vattenflöden. Skadorna orsakas inte allt för sällan av översvämningar till följd av underdimensionerade vägtrummor. En fungerande infrastruktur är ett krav för ett ekonomiskt och ekologiskt lönsamt skogsbruk, varför en minskad frekvens av underdimensionerade vägtrummor bör medföra ett lönsammare skogsbruk. Syftet bakom studien har varit att undersöka i vilken omfattning de inventerade vägtrummorna och broarna i Gävleborgs län är underdimensionerade. Studien omfattar totalt 5 940 stycken vägtrummor och 160 stycken broar i avrinningsområdena för Gnarpsån, Nianån, Lötån, Skärjån samt Hamrångeån. En förhoppning är att studien kan användas som ett nytt hjälpmedel för att dimensionera vattenpassagerna och minska den underdimensionerade andelen. Det är möjligt att göra tack vare den nya höjdmodellen. Studien har varit möjlig tack vare Skogsstyrelsens unika inventering av vägtrummor och broar. Inventeringen medför högupplöst data över deras geografiska position samt geometrisk information, såsom diameter och längd. Förutom Skogsstyrelsens inventerade material har den nya höjdmodellen och avrinningsdata från SMHI använts för att möjliggöra beräkningarna. Den nya höjdmodellen har möjliggjort beräkningar för hur mycket vatten som rinner till varje vägtrumma och bro, vilket tidigare inte varit möjligt att simulera. Två olika vattenflöden har studerats, månadsvis medelavrinning och högflöde. Den månadsvisa medelavrinningen har utgjorts av medelavrinningen för varje av årets 12 månader, baserat på SMHI:s data mellan åren 1999 och 2013. Högflödet utgörs av ett 50-årsflöde, baserat på SMHI:s data mellan åren 1981 och 2010. Resultatet visade att strax under 5 procent av alla vägtrummor är underdimensionerade vid månadsvis medelavrinning och drygt 5 procent vid högflöde. Trots att vattenflödet ökar flera hundratals procent mellan månadsvis medelavrinning och högflöde är skillnaden mellan flödena endast några promille för andelen vägtrummor som är underdimensionerade. Dock utgör de underdimensionerade vägtrummorna ett problem då de kan orsaka omfattande skador på infrastrukturen vilket i sin tur kan skada habitat för levande organismer, då markparticklar förflyttas med vattnet. Broarna har en mindre betydande roll i studien, då de endast utgör ca 2,6 procent av samplet. Vid flödesberäkningarna för broarna har ingen vattennivå kunnat beräknas, varför tre fiktiva vattennivåer har antagits. Därför är den delen av studien mindre säker. Resultatet visade att nästan hälften av alla 160 broar skulle påverkas av ett ökat flöde med 1,25 meter. Nämnda vattennivåhöjning representerar ett högflöde

Phase-Changing Glauber Salt Solution for Medical Applications in the 28-32 °C Interval

(1) Background: The field of medicine requires simple cooling materials. However, there is little knowledge documented about phase change materials (PCM) covering the range of 28 to 40 degrees Celsius, as needed for medical use. Induced mild hypothermia, started within 6 h after birth, is an emerging therapy for reducing death and severe disabilities in asphyxiated infants. Currently, this hypothermia is accomplished with equipment that needs a power source and a liquid supply. Neonatal cooling is more frequent in low-resource settings, where ~1 million deaths are caused by birth-asphyxia. (2) Methods: A simple and safe cooling method suitable for medical application is needed for the 28 to 37.5 °C window. (3) Results: Using empirical experiments in which the ingredients in Glauber salt were changed, we studied the effects of temperature on material in the indicated temperature range. The examination, in a controlled manner, of different mixtures of NaCl, Na2SO4 and water resulted in a better understanding of how the different mixtures act and how to compose salt solutions that can satisfy clinical cooling specifications. (4) Conclusions: Our Glauber salt solution is a clinically suited PCM in the temperature interval needed for the cooling of infants suffering from asphyxia

Auditory Processing of the Brain Is Enhanced by Parental Singing for Preterm Infants

As the human auditory system is highly malleable in infancy, perinatal risk factors, such as preterm birth, may affect auditory development. In comparison to healthy full-term infants, preterm infants show abnormal auditory brain responses at term age, which may have long-term detrimental outcomes. To achieve an optimal neonatal care environment for preterm-born infants, many early interventions have been developed. Musical interventions developed for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have shown beneficial effects on vital functions and weight gain of preterm infants and might also influence basic auditory processing and thereby enhance outcomes. In the present study, we tested the effect of parental singing during kangaroo care on auditory processing of standardized audio stimuli. Preterm infants (born between 24 and 32 weeks of gestation) were randomized to singing intervention (n = 13) or control (n = 8) groups. The auditory processing was tested using two audio paradigms assessed with magnetoencephalography (MEG) at term corresponding age. To verify that the paradigms elicit responses in MEG, we studied 12 healthy full-term infants. In the singing intervention group, parents were instructed by a music therapist twice a week for 4 weeks to sing or hum during kangaroo care in an infant-directed way. The control group received standard kangaroo care. The results show that the infants in the singing intervention group show larger neural responses than those in the control group when controlling for the total amount of singing during kangaroo care. Our findings suggest that incorporating singing into kangaroo care may be beneficial for preterm infants, but the effect may not be due to exposure to singing but instead positive parenting, improved parental self-esteem and improved caregiver sensitivity.Peer reviewe

Clinical implications of diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI) on neonatal MRI in school age children born extremely preterm

Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain carried out during the neonatal period shows that 55–80% of extremely preterm infants display white matter diffuse excessive high signal intensity (DEHSI). Our aim was to study differences in developmental outcome at the age of 6.5 years in children born extremely preterm with and without DEHSI.Study Design: This was a prospective cohort study of 83 children who were born in Stockholm, Sweden, between 2004 and 2007, born at gestational age of < 27 weeks + 0 days and who underwent an MRI scan of their brain at term equivalent age. The outcome measures at 6.5 years included testing 66 children with the modified Touwen neurology examination, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition, Beery Visual-motor Integration test—Sixth Edition, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Group-wise comparisons were done between children with and without DEHSI using Student t-test, Mann Whitney U test, Chi square test and regression analysis.Results: DEHSI was detected in 39 (59%) of the 66 children who were assessed at 6.5 years. The presence of DEHSI was not associated with mild neurological dysfunction, scores on M-ABC assessment, cognition, visual-motor integration, or behavior at 6.5 years.Conclusion: The presence of qualitatively defined DEHSI on neonatal MRI did not prove to be a useful predictor of long-term impairment in children born extremely preterm

Developmental motor problems and health-related quality of life in 5-year-old children born extremely preterm: A European cohort study

Aim To measure the association between cerebral palsy (CP) and non-CP-related movement difficulties and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 5-year-old children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks gestational age). Method We included 5-year-old children from a multi-country, population-based cohort of children born extremely preterm in 2011 to 2012 in 11 European countries (n = 1021). Children without CP were classified using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition as having significant movement difficulties (<= 5th centile of standardized norms) or being at risk of movement difficulties (6th-15th centile). Parents reported on a clinical CP diagnosis and HRQoL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Associations were assessed using linear and quantile regressions. Results Compared to children without movement difficulties, children at risk of movement difficulties, with significant movement difficulties, and CP had lower adjusted HRQoL total scores (beta [95% confidence interval] = -5.0 [-7.7 to -2.3], -9.1 [-12.0 to -6.1], and - 26.1 [-31.0 to -21.2]). Quantile regression analyses showed similar decreases in HRQoL for all children with CP, whereas for children with non-CP-related movement difficulties, reductions in HRQoL were more pronounced at lower centiles. Interpretation CP and non-CP-related movement difficulties were associated with lower HRQoL, even for children with less severe difficulties. Heterogeneous associations for non-CP-related movement difficulties raise questions for research about mitigating and protective factors.Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Grant/Award Number: SFRH/BPD/117597/2016; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Grant/Award Number: No 633724 and No 733280; Seventh Framework Programme, Grant/Award Number: No 25988

Developmental motor problems and health-related quality of life in 5-year-old children born extremely preterm:A European cohort study

Aim: To measure the association between cerebral palsy (CP) and non-CP-related movement difficulties and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among 5-year-old children born extremely preterm (&lt;28 weeks gestational age). Method: We included 5-year-old children from a multi-country, population-based cohort of children born extremely preterm in 2011 to 2012 in 11 European countries (n = 1021). Children without CP were classified using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition as having significant movement difficulties (≤5th centile of standardized norms) or being at risk of movement difficulties (6th–15th centile). Parents reported on a clinical CP diagnosis and HRQoL using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Associations were assessed using linear and quantile regressions. Results: Compared to children without movement difficulties, children at risk of movement difficulties, with significant movement difficulties, and CP had lower adjusted HRQoL total scores (β [95% confidence interval] = −5.0 [−7.7 to −2.3], −9.1 [−12.0 to −6.1], and − 26.1 [−31.0 to −21.2]). Quantile regression analyses showed similar decreases in HRQoL for all children with CP, whereas for children with non-CP-related movement difficulties, reductions in HRQoL were more pronounced at lower centiles. Interpretation: CP and non-CP-related movement difficulties were associated with lower HRQoL, even for children with less severe difficulties. Heterogeneous associations for non-CP-related movement difficulties raise questions for research about mitigating and protective factors.</p

Linkage between fitness of yeast cells and adenylate kinase catalysis

Enzymes have evolved with highly specific values of their catalytic parameters kcat and KM. This poses fundamental biological questions about the selection pressures responsible for evolutionary tuning of these parameters. Here we are address these questions for the enzyme adenylate kinase (Adk) in eukaryotic yeast cells. A plasmid shuffling system was developed to allow quantification of relative fitness (calculated from growth rates) of yeast in response to perturbations of Adk activity introduced through mutations. Biophysical characterization verified that all variants studied were properly folded and that the mutations did not cause any substantial differences to thermal stability. We found that cytosolic Adk is essential for yeast viability in our strain background and that viability could not be restored with a catalytically dead, although properly folded Adk variant. There exist a massive overcapacity of Adk catalytic activity and only 12% of the wild type kcat is required for optimal growth at the stress condition 20°C. In summary, the approach developed here has provided new insights into the evolutionary tuning of kcat for Adk in a eukaryotic organism. The developed methodology may also become useful for uncovering new aspects of active site dynamics and also in enzyme design since a large library of enzyme variants can be screened rapidly by identifying viable colonies