Towards ecosystem-based fisheries management in Norway – Practical tools for keeping track of relevant issues and prioritising management efforts

publishedVersio

Semi-automatic tumor segmentation of rectal cancer based on functional magnetic resonance imaging

publishedVersio

Facilitation of Employability for Maternity and Parental Leavers in Europe: A Scoping Review

This report presents the findings of an European project concerning facilitation of employability for parental leavers in European countries. The conclusions and recommendations in this report build on comparisons of relevant European policy documents, country nates from five European countries (France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovakia) and a search in relevant databases. Taken together, these data form an approximate scoping review - to map a wide range of literature. Both the concepts of maternal and parental leave are used in the present report. Research related to leave in connection with young children use the term maternity leave until the last decades where more frequent parental leave is used. We are aware that a distinction between parental and maternity leave does not apply in same countries. A main finding is that parental leave and employability is a complex and context sensitive area. This relates to the fact that parental leave must be seen in connection with both individual, organisational, cultural, historical and political (legislative) issues on both national and European level. In this study, the focus has been mainly descriptive on the political (legislative) level, while a more interpretative analysis is made on how to develop tools and educational programs concerning development of employability skills relevant for parental leavers and employers. Analysis of the situation regarding parental leavers' employment in the partner countries shows that maternal employment in France, Slovakia and Hungary is rather low. Although, in Hungary there are networks which provide special counselling for women and support them when it comes to their (re)integration into the labour market. In Western Europe, such as the Netherlands and Norway, the situation is more favourable, employers are more flexible and part-time job is a frequent option offered. However, the up-to-date level of skills of parental leavers coming back to work may be a challenge in these countries too. The duration and generosity of paid parental leave seems to affect when (after what time) parents return to work. The period of leave cannot be too short, nor too long. The optimal length of the leave varies greatly depending on national conditions and cultural frameworks. In any case, it should not be so long that the parental leavers become uninteresting for the labour market and lose working competence (Kalb, 2018; Whitehouse, Romaniuk, Lucas & Nicholson, 2013).This project has been funded with support from the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Commission

Healthy cats tolerate long-term daily feeding of Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol (CBD)-containing products are widely commercially available for companion animals, mirroring popularity in human use. Although data on the safety and efficacy of long-term oral supplementation are increasing in dogs, evidence remains lacking in cats. The purpose of these studies was to address gaps in the knowledge around the long-term suitability and tolerance of a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-free CBD distillate in clinically healthy cats. The studies were randomized, blinded, and placebo-controlled. The first study supplemented cats with either a placebo oil (n = 10) or with 4 mg/kg body weight (BW) CBD in placebo oil (n = 9) daily, with a meal, for 4 weeks. The concentration of CBD in plasma was measured over 4 h at d0 (first dose) and again at d14 (after 2 weeks of daily dosing). The second study supplemented cats daily with either placebo oil (n = 10) or 4 mg/kg BW CBD in placebo oil (n = 10) for a period of 26 weeks. A comprehensive suite of physiological health measures was performed throughout the study at baseline (week 0) and after 4, 10, 18, and 26 weeks of feeding, followed by a 4-week washout sample (week 30). Postprandial plasma CBD time course data, at both d0 and d14, showed a peak plasma CBD concentration at 2 h after the dose. This peak was 251 (95% CI: 108.7, 393.4) and 431 (95% CI, 288.7, 573.4) ng/mL CBD at d0 and d14, respectively, and the area under the curve concentration was higher by 91.5 (95% CI, 33.1, 149.9) ng-h/mL after 2 weeks of supplementation (p = 0.002). While in the first study the CBD group displayed increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT; 68.7 (95% CI, 43.23, 109.2) U/L) at week 4 compared to the placebo control group [1.44-fold increase (95% CI, 0.813, 2.54)], statistical equivalence (at 2-fold limits) was found for ALT across the duration of the second, long-term study. All other biochemistry and hematology data showed no clinically significant differences between supplement groups. Data presented here suggest that a THC-free, CBD distillate fed at a dose of 4 mg/kg BW was absorbed into plasma and well tolerated by healthy cats when supplemented over a period of 26 weeks

The association between infant salivary cortisol and parental presence in the neonatal intensive care unit during and after COVID-19 visitation restrictions: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Parent-infant interaction in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) promotes health and reduces infant stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, NICUs restricted parent-infant interaction to reduce viral transmission. This study examined the potential relationship between pandemic visitation restrictions, parental presence and infant stress as measured by salivary cortisol. Methods: A two-NICU cross-sectional study of infants with gestational age (GA) 23–41 weeks, both during (n = 34) and after (n = 38) visitation restrictions. We analysed parental presence with and without visitation restrictions. The relationship between infant salivary cortisol and self-reported parental NICU presence in hours per day was analysed using Pearson's r. A linear regression analysis included potential confounders, including GA and proxies for infant morbidity. The unstandardised B coefficient described the expected change in logtransformed salivary cortisol per unit change in each predictor variable. Results: Included infants had a mean (standard deviation) GA of 31(5) weeks. Both maternal and paternal NICU presence was lower with versus without visitation restrictions (both p ≤0.05). Log-transformed infant salivary cortisol correlated negatively with hours of parental presence (r = − 0.40, p = .01). In the linear regression, GA (B = -0.03, p = .02) and central venous lines (B = 0.23, p = .04) contributed to the variance in salivary cortisol in addition to parental presence (B = -0.04 p = .04). Conclusion: COVID-19–related visitation restrictions reduced NICU parent-infant interaction and may have increased infant stress. Low GA and central venous lines were associated with higher salivary cortisol. The interaction between immaturity, morbidity and parental presence was not within the scope of this study and merits further investigation

Lakselusinfestasjon på vill laksefisk langs Norskekysten i 2020 Sluttrapport til Mattilsynet

Source at https://www.hi.no/Overvåkingsprogrammet for lakselus på vill laksefisk (NALO) er i 2020 gjennomført på oppdrag fra Mattilsynet (MT) og Nærings- og Fiskeridepartementet (NFD). En hydrodynamisk spredningsmodell som beregner tetthet av infektive lakseluskopepoditter i vannmassene ble som tidligere år kjørt ukentlig for hele Norskekysten. Innsatsen på overvåking av utvandrende postsmolt laks er holdt på samme nivå som i 2019. På sjøørret er innsatsen i overvåkingen i 2020 differensiert mellom tradisjonell tilstandsbekreftelse og utvidet overvåking i seks fokusområder langs kysten. Som en konsekvens av dette er det undersøkt færre stasjoner i 2020 enn tidligere år, mens overvåkingen i fokusområdene er intensivert. Vaktbur ble i 2020 kun benyttet i Hardangerfjordsystemet. I tillegg ble det forsøkt å benytte spesialbyggede ruser til fangst av utvandrende laks ved to lokaliteter. Det ble gjort undersøkelser med en eller flere av ovennevnte metoder i samtlige 13 produksjonsområder langs kysten. Feltarbeidet i NALO startet 27. april i Sør-Norge og ble avsluttet 26 juli i Øst-Finnmark. Resultatene er presentert med kart, tabeller og figurer for hvert av de 13 produksjonsområdene fra sør til nord. I tillegg er mer detaljerte resultater oppgitt i tabeller i et eget appendiks til rapporten. Den etablerte grensen for begynnende negativ fysiologisk effekt fra lakselus er på 0,1 lus per gram kroppsvekt, og er illustrert i de fleste figurene. I oppsummeringen er det gjort en helhetlig vurdering av lusesituasjonene på vill laksefisk langs hele kysten både i 2020 og i et litt lengre perspektiv. Vurdering av risiko for vill laksefisk er ikke gjort i denne rapporten. Begrepene lite, moderat og mye benyttes for å illustrere forskjeller i tid og rom og er derfor ikke definert kvantitativt. Resultatene er vist for hvert av de 13 produksjonsområdene, mens oppsummeringen er mer generell. I tillegg blir det gitt en kort presentasjon om utvikling av effektindikator for lakselus på sjøørret og en statusoppdatering på datainnsamling i forbindelse med evaluering av nasjonale laksefjorder.The surveillance program for salmon lice on wild salmonids (NALO) was carried out in 2020 on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (MT) and the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (NFD). As in previous years, a hydrodynamic dispersal model that calculates the density of infectious salmon lice in the water was run weekly for the entire Norwegian coast. Efforts to monitor migrating post-smolt salmon have been kept at the same level as in 2019. For sea trout, surveillance efforts have been differentiated between traditional situation confirmation and an extended surveillance in six focus areas along the coast in 2020. As a result, fewer stations were sampled in 2020 than in previous years, while monitoring in the focus areas has been intensified. In 2020, sentinel cages were only used in the Hardangerfjord system. In addition, attempts were made to use specially built fyke nets to catch migrating salmon at two localities. Investigations were carried out using one or more of the above methods in all 13 production areas along the coast. The fieldwork in NALO started on 27 April in southern Norway and ended on 26 July in eastern Finnmark. Results are presented with maps, tables and figures for each of the 13 production areas from south to north. In addition, more detailed results are given in tables in a separate appendix. The established threshold for the set off for negative physiological effect from salmon lice is 0.1 lice per gram of body weight and this is illustrated in most figures. In the summary, a comprehensive assessment has been made of the lice situations on wild salmonids along the entire coast both in 2020 and in a slightly longer perspective. An assessment of the risk of wild salmonids has not been made in this report. The terms small, moderate and high are used to illustrate differences in time and space and are therefore not defined quantitatively. The results are shown for each of the 13 production areas, while the summary is more general. In addition, a short presentation is given on the development of an effect indicator for salmon lice on sea trout and a status update on data collection in connection with the evaluation of national salmon fjords

Gastrokine-1, an anti-amyloidogenic protein secreted by the stomach, regulates diet-induced obesity

Obesity and its sequelae have a major impact on human health. The stomach contributes to obesity in ways that extend beyond its role in digestion, including through effects on the microbiome. Gastrokine-1 (GKN1) is an anti-amyloidogenic protein abundantly and specifically secreted into the stomach lumen. We examined whether GKN1 plays a role in the development of obesity and regulation of the gut microbiome. Gkn1−/− mice were resistant to diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis (high fat diet (HFD) fat mass (g) = 10.4 ± 3.0 (WT) versus 2.9 ± 2.3 (Gkn1−/−) p < 0.005; HFD liver mass (g) = 1.3 ± 0.11 (WT) versus 1.1 ± 0.07 (Gkn1−/−) p < 0.05). Gkn1−/− mice also exhibited increased expression of the lipid-regulating hormone ANGPTL4 in the small bowel. The microbiome of Gkn1−/− mice exhibited reduced populations of microbes implicated in obesity, namely Firmicutes of the class Erysipelotrichia. Altered metabolism consistent with use of fat as an energy source was evident in Gkn1−/− mice during the sleep period. GKN1 may contribute to the effects of the stomach on the microbiome and obesity. Inhibition of GKN1 may be a means to prevent obesity

Dissecting the shared genetic basis of migraine and mental disorders using novel statistical tools

Migraine is three times more prevalent in people with bipolar disorder or depression. The relationship between schizophrenia and migraine is less certain although glutamatergic and serotonergic neurotransmission are implicated in both. A shared genetic basis to migraine and mental disorders has been suggested but previous studies have reported weak or non-significant genetic correlations and five shared risk loci. Using the largest samples to date and novel statistical tools, we aimed to determine the extent to which migraine’s polygenic architecture overlaps with bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia beyond genetic correlation, and to identify shared genetic loci. Summary statistics from genome-wide association studies were acquired from large-scale consortia for migraine (n cases = 59 674; n controls = 316 078), bipolar disorder (n cases = 20 352; n controls = 31 358), depression (n cases = 170 756; n controls = 328 443) and schizophrenia (n cases = 40 675, n controls = 64 643). We applied the bivariate causal mixture model to estimate the number of disorder-influencing variants shared between migraine and each mental disorder, and the conditional/conjunctional false discovery rate method to identify shared loci. Loci were functionally characterized to provide biological insights. Univariate MiXeR analysis revealed that migraine was substantially less polygenic (2.8 K disorder-influencing variants) compared to mental disorders (8100–12 300 disorder-influencing variants). Bivariate analysis estimated that 800 (SD = 300), 2100 (SD = 100) and 2300 (SD = 300) variants were shared between bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia, respectively. There was also extensive overlap with intelligence (1800, SD = 300) and educational attainment (2100, SD = 300) but not height (1000, SD = 100). We next identified 14 loci jointly associated with migraine and depression and 36 loci jointly associated with migraine and schizophrenia, with evidence of consistent genetic effects in independent samples. No loci were associated with migraine and bipolar disorder. Functional annotation mapped 37 and 298 genes to migraine and each of depression and schizophrenia, respectively, including several novel putative migraine genes such as L3MBTL2, CACNB2 and SLC9B1. Gene-set analysis identified several putative gene sets enriched with mapped genes including transmembrane transport in migraine and schizophrenia. Most migraine-influencing variants were predicted to influence depression and schizophrenia, although a minority of mental disorder-influencing variants were shared with migraine due to the difference in polygenicity. Similar overlap with other brain-related phenotypes suggests this represents a pool of ‘pleiotropic’ variants that influence vulnerability to diverse brain-related disorders and traits. We also identified specific loci shared between migraine and each of depression and schizophrenia, implicating shared molecular mechanisms and highlighting candidate migraine genes for experimental validation