Herd-level risk factors associated with cow mortality in Swedish dairy herds

An increase in on-farm mortality (euthanasia and death) in dairy herds has been reported in several countries in the last decade. This does not only imply possible problems with animal welfare, but it also causes economic losses to the farmer. The objective of this study was to evaluate time trends in on-farm dairy cow mortality in Sweden and identify potential herd-level risk factors. Data was retrieved on all Swedish dairy herds enrolled in the milk recording scheme between 2002 and 2010. Herds with a herd size of 40 dead or euthanized cows per 100 cow-years were excluded. Two different models were used: 1 multiple year analysis which included 6,898 herds during the period 2002 to 2010 and 1 single year analysis including 4,252 herds for the year 2010, where other variables that were not present during the entire multiple year study were analyzed. The outcome variable was the number of euthanized and dead cows per year and season. A negative binomial regression model, adjusted for clustering within herd, was applied to both models. Fixed effects in the multiple year analysis were breed, calving interval, herd size, milk yield, region, season, pasture period, and year. Fixed effects in the single year analysis were breed, calving interval, conventional vs. organic farming, herd size, housing system, milk yield, region, and season. The multiple year analysis demonstrated that MR gradually increased from 5.1 to 6.6 events per 100 cow-years during the study period. Swedish MR are consequently on par with, or even greater than, MR among dairy herds in other comparable countries. Higher mortality was associated with larger herd size, longer calving intervals, and herds that had Swedish Holstein as the predominant breed. Lower mortality was observed in herds with a higher herd average milk yield, during the fall and winter, and in organically managed herds. There were regional differences in mortality. An interaction between herd size and season was found in both models. Also, an interaction between housing system and milk yield was found in the single year analysis. This first assessment of on-farm mortality in Swedish dairy herds confirmed that the MR has increased over the last few years. The study also identified some herd-level risk factors

Alby stadspark

Stadsdelen Alby i Botkyrka kommun utanför Stockholm byggdes i början av 1970-talet som en del av det så kallade miljonprogrammet. I Alby bor i dag människor av olika nationaliteter, med skilda ekonomiska förutsättningar och med skiftande krav på sin utemiljö. Arbetet är uppdelat i tre delar där den första delens avsnitt är ett försök att ge fördjupade kunskaper inför analysarbetet och programskisserna som utgör del två och tre. I avsnittet "Stadsplanering och grönstruktur" ges en sammanfattning av hur stadsplanering och grönstruktur samspelat under olika tidsperioder från sekelskiftet och framåt. Grannskapsplaneringens fysiska utformning och grönstrukturens uppgift att skilja stadsdelar och bostadsområden från varandra beskrivs. Den tidiga stadsparksrörelsens sociala ambition att genom parker skapa platser där människor med olika klasstillhörighet kunde mötas tas också upp. Avsnittet "Att planera för gemenskap" diskuteras två olika synsätt på gemenskap; primärgruppstanken respektive närvaro i samma rumsliga system. Dessa två synsätt avspeglar sig också i två olika stadsplanemönster, nät- respektive trädstrukturer. I avsnittet hävdas att trädstrukturer, som är det dominerade stadsplanemönstret i Alby, kan vara problematisk då det är avskiljande. I det avslutande avsnittet är det själva utformningen av grönområden och grönstruktur som sätts i fokus och hur dess kan öka sina integrerande och sammanbindande egenskaper. I analysdelen beskrivs och analyseras Albys stadsplanemönster och grönstruktur med stöd utifrån de tidigare genomgånga teoretiska utgångspunkterna. Detta för att kunna identifiera åtskiljande strukturer. Som resultat av analysen föreslås en placering av en stadspark som kan tänkas bättre sammanfoga Albys olika bostadsområden. Avslutningsvis redovisas ett programförslag på parken. I detta presenteras tillvägagångssätt för att kunna förnya och utveckla platsens olika karaktärer och funktioner och genom detta öka grönstrukturens integrerande egenskaper ur ett socialt perspektiv. Till detta skapas ett väl fungerade och sammanbindande gångsystem

Obegripliga genus : en analys av Indiens tre lagförslag för säkrandet av transpersoners rättigheter

Genom att erkänna ett tredje juridiskt genus påbörjade den storslagna NALSA-domen en rättslig utveckling som ämnar att främja transpersoners position i Indien. Utvecklingens senaste framsteg togs i form av tre lagförslag avsedda för att säkra transpersoners rättigheter. Huruvida lagförslagen kan medverka till positiv förändring för Indiens transbefolkning beror till stor del på hur de är formulerade. Den här studien syftar till att analysera hur Indiens parlament avser att formulera lagstiftning som behandlar transpersoners marginaliserade position i samhället. Studien har för avsikt att besvara hur parlamentets problemframställning av transpersoners rättigheter förstås i de tre lagförslagen. Carol Lee Bacchis ”Vad är problemet?”-metod används för att åskådliggöra hur lagförslagen framställer problemet till hands, medan Judith Butlers queerteori står till grund för studiens perspektiv. Lagförslagens problemframställningar fokuserar på transpersonernas ”olikhet” som normbrytare, istället för att synliggöra de bakomliggande heteronormativa maktrelationerna. Transpersoners normbrytande genusidentitet framställs som att kräva tolerans från den normativa majoriteten, som får avgöra i vilken utsträckning de avvikande identiteterna ska tolereras. Åtgärderna som lagförslagen försöker att åstadkomma förstås därför mer som förmåner, inte rättigheter. Det har som konsekvens att framställa transpersoner som undantag till normen, som obegripliga genus inom den heterosexuella matrisen. Det hade varit en positiv omställning om fokus lades på heteronormen som själva problemet för transpersoners marginalisering. Istället för att försöka hitta ett alternativ för transpersoner inom det rådande ramverket, hade ökad synlighet av genus som något konstruerat varit passande.The ground-breaking NALSA judgement became the starting point of the latest legal developments towards securing transgender rights in India by recognizing a third gender. The most resent progress came in the shape of three draft bills concerning the protection of the rights of transgender persons. Whether or not the draft bills could contribute to positive change for India’s transgender community depends on how they have been formulated. This thesis intends to analyse how India’s parliament aims to frame legislation that concerns transgender persons marginalised position in society. The thesis attempts to answer the question of how the parliament’s problem representation of transgender persons’ rights can be interpreted in the three draft bills. Carol Lee Bacchi’s “What’s the problem?” approach is used to illustrate how the problem is interpreted within the draft bills, and Judith Butler’s queer theory lays the groundwork for the perspective within the thesis. The draft bills’ problem representations focus on transgender persons as non-conforming, instead of highlighting underlying heteronormative power relations. Transgender persons’ non-conforming gender identities are understood as requiring tolerance from the normative majority, that have the privilege to decide to what extent non-conforming identities should be tolerated. The measures suggested in the draft bills are therefore understood as benefits, rather than rights. Consequently, transgender persons are represented as exceptions to the norm, becoming unintelligible genders within the heterosexual matrix. Instead of trying to find an alternative for transgender persons within the existing frame, increased scrutiny of gender as a constructed category would have been appropriate

The RPN12a proteasome subunit is essential for the multiple hormonal homeostasis controlling the progression of leaf senescence

The 26S proteasome is a conserved multi-subunit machinery in eukaryotes. It selectively degrades ubiquitinated proteins, which in turn provides an efficient molecular mechanism to regulate numerous cellular functions and developmental processes. Here, we studied a new loss-of-function allele of RPN12a, a plant ortholog of the yeast and human structural component of the 19S proteasome RPN12. Combining a set of biochemical and molecular approaches, we confirmed that a rpn12a knock-out had exacerbated 20S and impaired 26S activities. The altered proteasomal activity led to a pleiotropic phenotype affecting both the vegetative growth and reproductive phase of the plant, including a striking repression of leaf senescence associate cell-death. Further investigation demonstrated that RPN12a is involved in the regulation of several conjugates associated with the auxin, cytokinin, ethylene and jasmonic acid homeostasis. Such enhanced aptitude of plant cells for survival in rpn12a contrasts with reports on animals, where 26S proteasome mutants generally show an accelerated cell death phenotype.A loss-of-function mutation in the RPN12a proteasome subunit in Arabidopsis thaliana shows that this protein is essential for hormonal homeostasis, thereby modulating plant's development and the progression of leaf senescence

Better long-term survival in young and middle-aged women than in men after a first myocardial infarction between 1985 and 2006. an analysis of 8630 patients in the Northern Sweden MONICA Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is conflicting and only scant evidence on the effect of gender on long-term survival after a myocardial infarction (MI). Our aim was to analyse sex-specific survival of patients for up to 23 years after a first MI in northern Sweden and to describe time trends.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Northern Sweden MONICA Myocardial Infarction Registry was linked to The Swedish National Cause of Death Registry for a total of 8630 patients, 25 to 64 years of age, 6762 men and 1868 women, with a first MI during 1985-2006. Also deaths before admission to hospital were included. Follow-up ended on August 30, 2008.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median follow-up was 7.1 years, maximum 23 years and the study included 70 072 patient-years. During the follow-up 45.3% of the men and 43.7% of the women had died. Median survival for men was 187 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 179-194) and for women 200 months (95% CI 186-214). The hazard ratio (HR) for all cause mortality after adjustment for age group was 1.092 (1.010-1.18, <it>P </it>= 0.025) for females compared to males, <it>i.e</it>. 9 percent higher survival in women. After excluding subjects who died before reaching hospital HR declined to 1.017 (95%CI 0.93-1.11, <it>P </it>= 0.7). For any duration of follow-up a higher proportion of women were alive, irrespective of age group. The 5-year survivals were 75.3% and 77.5%, in younger (<57 years) men and women and were 65.5% and 66.3% in older (57-64 years) men and women, respectively. For each of four successive cohorts survival improved. Survival time was longer for women than for men in all age groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Age-adjusted survival was higher among women than men after a first MI and has improved markedly and equally in both men and women over a 23-year period. This difference was due to lower risk for women to die before reaching hospital.</p

Bond between Reinforcement and Self-Compacting Steel-Fibre-Reinforced Concrete

In this study, pull-out tests of specimens with short embedment length and varying fibre content were carried out. The results showed no effect from the fibres on the bond-slip behaviour before peak load when normalized with respect to the compressive strength. After peak, the fibre reinforcement provided extra confinement, changing the failure mode from splitting to pull-out failure. The test results were used to calibrate a frictional bond model in non-linear finite element analyses. The model proved to yield results in good agreement with the experimental results regarding failure modes, load-slip relation and splitting strains on the surfaces of the pull-out specimens. The tests and analyses in combination confirmed that the fibre reinforcement neither disturbed nor improved the bond properties at the interface layer between reinforcement steel and concrete; i.e. the fibres only provided confinement to the surrounding structure

Mice Chronically Fed High-Fat Diet Have Increased Mortality and Disturbed Immune Response in Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a potentially deadly disease that often is caused by gram-positive bacteria, in particular Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). As there are few effective therapies for sepsis, increased basic knowledge about factors predisposing is needed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The purpose of this study was to study the effect of Western diet on mortality induced by intravenous S. aureus inoculation and the immune functions before and after bacterial inoculation. Here we show that C57Bl/6 mice on high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, like genetically obese Ob/Ob mice on low-fat diet (LFD), have increased mortality during S. aureus-induced sepsis compared with LFD-fed C57Bl/6 controls. Bacterial load in the kidneys 5-7 days after inoculation was increased 10-fold in HFD-fed compared with LFD-fed mice. At that time, HFD-fed mice had increased serum levels and fat mRNA expression of the immune suppressing cytokines interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) and IL-10 compared with LFD-fed mice. In addition, HFD-fed mice had increased serum levels of the pro-inflammatory IL-1beta. Also, HFD-fed mice with and without infection had increased levels of macrophages in fat. The proportion and function of phagocytosing granulocytes, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by peritoneal lavage cells were decreased in HFD-fed compared with LFD-fed mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that chronic HFD disturb several innate immune functions in mice, and impairs the ability to clear S. aureus and survive sepsis

NLRP3 inflammasome expression and activation in human atherosclerosis

Background: The NLR family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is an interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐18 cytokine processing complex that is activated in inflammatory conditions. The role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction is not fully understood. Methods and Results: Atherosclerotic plaques were analyzed for transcripts of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and for IL‐1β release. The Swedish First‐ever myocardial Infarction study in Ac‐county (FIA) cohort consisting of DNA from 555 myocardial infarction patients and 1016 healthy individuals was used to determine the frequency of 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the downstream regulatory region of NLRP3. Expression of NLRP3, Apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a CARD (ASC), caspase‐1 (CASP1), IL1B, and IL18 mRNA was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques compared to normal arteries. The expression of NLRP3 mRNA was significantly higher in plaques of symptomatic patients when compared to asymptomatic ones. CD68‐positive macrophages were observed in the same areas of atherosclerotic lesions as NLRP3 and ASC expression. Occasionally, expression of NLRP3 and ASC was also present in smooth muscle cells. Cholesterol crystals and ATP induced IL‐1β release from lipopolysaccharide‐primed human atherosclerotic lesion plaques. The minor alleles of the variants rs4266924, rs6672995, and rs10733113 were associated with NLRP3 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells but not with the risk of myocardial infarction. Conclusions: Our results indicate a possible role of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its genetic variants in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Modification and re-validation of the ethyl acetate-based multi-residue method for pesticides in produce

The ethyl acetate-based multi-residue method for determination of pesticide residues in produce has been modified for gas chromatographic (GC) analysis by implementation of dispersive solid-phase extraction (using primary–secondary amine and graphitized carbon black) and large-volume (20 μL) injection. The same extract, before clean-up and after a change of solvent, was also analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS–MS). All aspects related to sample preparation were re-assessed with regard to ease and speed of the analysis. The principle of the extraction procedure (solvent, salt) was not changed, to avoid the possibility invalidating data acquired over past decades. The modifications were made with techniques currently commonly applied in routine laboratories, GC–MS and LC–MS–MS, in mind. The modified method enables processing (from homogenization until final extracts for both GC and LC) of 30 samples per eight hours per person. Limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.01 mg kg−1 were achieved with both GC–MS (full-scan acquisition, 10 mg matrix equivalent injected) and LC–MS–MS (2 mg injected) for most of the pesticides. Validation data for 341 pesticides and degradation products are presented. A compilation of analytical quality-control data for pesticides routinely analyzed by GC–MS (135 compounds) and LC–MS–MS (136 compounds) in over 100 different matrices, obtained over a period of 15 months, are also presented and discussed. At the 0.05 mg kg−1 level acceptable recoveries were obtained for 93% (GC–MS) and 92% (LC–MS–MS) of pesticide–matrix combinations

The Adult Human Brain Harbors Multipotent Perivascular Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Blood vessels and adjacent cells form perivascular stem cell niches in adult tissues. In this perivascular niche, a stem cell with mesenchymal characteristics was recently identified in some adult somatic tissues. These cells are pericytes that line the microvasculature, express mesenchymal markers and differentiate into mesodermal lineages but might even have the capacity to generate tissue-specific cell types. Here, we isolated, purified and characterized a previously unrecognized progenitor population from two different regions in the adult human brain, the ventricular wall and the neocortex. We show that these cells co-express markers for mesenchymal stem cells and pericytes in vivo and in vitro, but do not express glial, neuronal progenitor, hematopoietic, endothelial or microglial markers in their native state. Furthermore, we demonstrate at a clonal level that these progenitors have true multilineage potential towards both, the mesodermal and neuroectodermal phenotype. They can be epigenetically induced in vitro into adipocytes, chondroblasts and osteoblasts but also into glial cells and immature neurons. This progenitor population exhibits long-term proliferation, karyotype stability and retention of phenotype and multipotency following extensive propagation. Thus, we provide evidence that the vascular niche in the adult human brain harbors a novel progenitor with multilineage capacity that appears to represent mesenchymal stem cells and is different from any previously described human neural stem cell. Future studies will elucidate whether these cells may play a role for disease or may represent a reservoir that can be exploited in efforts to repair the diseased human brain