Neonatal porcine diarrhoea

Diarrhoea in newborn piglets is an old but still relevant problem in pig production globally. During the last decades, reports from a number of countries describe problems with neonatal porcine diarrhoea (NPD) despite the use of previously effective preventive measures. The aim of this thesis was to investigate and characterise the problem with NPD in Swedish piglet-producing herds. The magnitude of the problem was estimated by a questionnaire study distributed to 170 randomly selected herds. A response rate of 58% was achieved. The total herd-level prevalence of NPD, including herds with sporadic cases, was 79.6%, indicating that NPD is a substantial problem. Ten herds affected by NPD were selected for in-depth studies on the potential causes of the diarrhoea. From each herd, five diarrhoeic and two healthy control piglets were selected. The piglets were blood-sampled for analysis of serum ɣ-globulin, and thereafter euthanized and necropsied. The intestines were sampled for histopathology, virology, and bacteriology. There was no difference in serum ɣ-globulin concentration between diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic piglets and pathological lesions in the intestines were generally mild. Porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia (E.) coli was only found in two piglets. Further, extended virulence gene profiling did not suggest involvement of other diarrhoeagenic pathotypes of E. coli. Clostridium (C.) perfringens type C was not detected, and neither C. perfringens type A nor C. difficile could be related to the diarrhoea. Furthermore, no protozoa such as Cystoisospora suis were observed in the intestinal mucosa. By viral metagenomics analyses of intestinal samples, the only previously well-established porcine enteropathogen found was rotavirus that was present in two herds. Otherwise, the data did not suggest involvement of previously known viruses. The only consistent finding associated with diarrhoea was small intestinal colonisation by Enterococcus (E.) hirae. Enteroadherent E. hirae was detected in 60% of the diarrhoeic piglets from six of the herds and was associated with small intestinal mucosal lesions in more than 50% of the cases (10/18). Thus, our results show that diarrhoea in newborn piglets may have other causes than the well-established pathogens previously associated with NPD and a potential involvement of E. hirae is suggested

Stakeholder influence, school organization and education quality: How education quality is understood and pursued in Swedish schools

Since the late 1980s the Swedish educational system has been transformed through a number of market-based reforms. The purpose of the reforms was to increase efficiency and quality in Swedish schools by introducing private producers and reducing state regulation. Conversely, since the implementation of the reforms the between schools quality variation has increased which is argued to be associated with the characteristics of the different private organizations. The aim of this study is therefore to analyze organizational differences by examine stakeholder influence over the schools’ quality strategies. In an embedded case study the different schools are divided into four organizational categories based on the ownership structure and compared with a public and private strategy. By conducting interviews the organizations’ strategies were analyzed through the concepts of veto player, accountability, organizational goals and constraints which aim at identifying who can make decisions regarding the organizational understanding and pursuit of quality, who can influence these decisions and how quality is perceived. The results of the analysis suggest that stakeholders matter for the organizational quality pursuit both as veto players and as constraints through their ability to influence organizational decisions

A comparison of workload between showjumpers and dressagehorses through the application Equilab.

A comparison of workload between showjumpers and dressagehorses through the application Equilab. Horse owners and riders put a lot of time and effort how to train and feed the horse so it can perform as well as they want it to. How to feed the horse is easy to calculate and there are instructions for this that many use today. The problem is to estimate how to train the horse and how hard the horse is training. Studies have come to conclusions that how the horse is trained is the key to a long termed sustainable horse and that training is basically about strengthening the horse body to minimize the risk of injuries. The company Equilab has developed an application to track every ride. The application uses a GPS to track where you are riding, how fast, the distance, which gait, for how long and space to take notes after the training. In this study this application has been used to analyze and evaluate the workload of schoolhorses in both showjumping and dressage at the National Equestrian Centre Strömsholm. The questions are how does the everyday training and workload for showjumpers differ compared to dressage horses and how useful the Equilab application is to evaluate the workload of horses? It was 13 horses participating in the study and all of them were schoolhorses. Five of them were showjumpers and eight of them were dressagehorses. The rider of the horse wrote a note after every ride what type of training, the distance, time for every gait and the horses power consumption. The study went on for about four weeks. The feeding rations of the horses were registered, and the individual amount of daily energy intake was calculated. The result showed that showjumpers had significantly higher workload than dressagehorses. The result also showed that the feed energy intake for each horse were very similar to their needs. The conclusion was that there is a difference in the everyday work for showjumpers and dressagehorses. The difference was that the showjumpers gets a more varied schedule with a variation in types of work and a higher workload than the dressagehorses. The application Equilab was useful for forming an idea of how the horse is trained. However, a development of GPS receivers as well as the applications measurement of energy consumption is required to get a greater picture of the training.Ryttare och hästmänniskor i stort är duktiga på att räkna foderstater och lägga upp en träningsplanering för att hästen ska kunna må och prestera så bra som möjligt. Att räkna foderstater är lätt att lära sig och det finns anvisningar för detta som många använder idag. Det är dock svårare att lägga upp en träningsplanering för sin häst, dessutom är det svårt att veta exakt hur arbetsamma de olika ridpassen faktiskt är för hästen. För att ta reda på detta har applikationen Equilab tagits fram. Med hjälp av Equilab går det med en GPS-mottagare att bland annat mäta tid, distans, gångartsfördelning och energiförbrukning hos både häst och ryttare under ridpasset. Studien innefattade 13 hästar i disciplinerna hoppning och dressyr som alla gick som skolhästar på Hippologprogrammet på Ridskolan Strömsholm. Med hjälp av applikationen har dessa hästars träningsschema följts och utvärderats med syfte att jämföra den vardagliga ridträningen och arbetsmängden mellan de olika disciplinerna. I studien har det även tittats närmare på utfodringen av hästarna och hur stort arbetstillägget var jämfört med hur behovet faktiskt såg ut. Med hjälp av resultatet har även användbarheten av applikationen kunnat utvärderas för att komma fram till att användbarheten är hög för att ta reda på tid, gångartsfördelning och distans vid uteridning. Användbarheten är däremot lägre vid mätning av energiförbrukning och distans vid inomhusridning. Resultatet visade att skillnaden för hopp- och dressyrhästar var ytterst liten. Den enda egentliga skillnaden som faktiskt fanns var i arbetsmängden, där hopphästarna låg lite högre än dressyrhästarna. Det gick även att se en skillnad i hur variationen av ridpassen såg ut där hopphästarna hade fler olika typarbeten på sina scheman än dressyrhästarna. Hästarnas foderstater var väl uträknade och stämde bra överens med hur mycket arbetstillägg hästarna behövde. Studien skulle kunna ligga till grund för framtida studier om träningsupplägg och arbetsbelastning för ridhästar inom hoppning och dressyr. För att göra resultatet mer tillförlitligt behövs det även användas andra hjälpmedel så som pulsmätare och laktatprov

Targetting Risk Lovers? Taxation of Private Pension Savings, Risk Preferences, and Gender

Many countries need to stimulate savings, and especially voluntary pension planning, to meet the demands of an ageing population. This is especially true for the female population as women are expected to live longer while simultaneously having accumulated lower pension wealth. Sweden has been a front-runner in introducing tax-deferred designated pension accounts to stimulate private pension saving, along with self-directed individual public pension accounts. However, a particular feature of these tax-deferred designated pension accounts was that savings were taxed through a presumptive return. In this Article, we show that with heterogeneous risk preferences, this tax policy makes designated pensions unattractive for risk-averse individuals. Using data on self-directed choices and designated pension savings, we empirically confirm our result. In particular, we show that as women are on average more risk averse compared to men, this tax policy had negative effects for women. This Article thus sheds light on the importance of accounting for risk preferences in policymaking addressed towards stimulating adequate pension planning. The Article additionally sheds light on the overall negative consequences of a presumptive tax design such as, e.g., the Dutch “Box-III” tax system

Mellan effektivitet och deltagande - En utvärderingsanalys av NGO:ers påverkansmöjligheter över svenskt utvecklingsbistånd

This study aims to evaluate whether the process of the Swedish development cooperation is democratic or not, by measuring if the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are able to participate and influence the decision-making process. The background of the study is an interview with the Swedish minister of development cooperation where she emphasized the significance of a more focused and results-based Swedish development which led to an intense debate about whether the value of efficiency was more prioritized than the democratic normative value. Primarily, the Swedish democratic model and its values are presented, followed by a brief presentation and comparison of the Swedish development cooperation. This leads to the creation of a democratic ideal based on participatory and deliberative democratic values where the possibility of NGOs to influence is measured through three principles: participation, influence and their experienced inclusion. The results are based on semi structured interviews with key figures representing three levels in Swedish development cooperation. The levels represented are decision-makers, implementers and the doers which carry out the development program. My conclusion is that the lack of continuity, transparency and structure prevents the process from fulfilling the principles of the democratic ideal

Understanding the Evolution of Shell Shape in Snails

The shape of snail shells is a complex and important factor contributing to their fitness, and needs to be adapted to different selection pressures in different environments. However, the link between form and function, and the evolutionary processes that create the wide diversity seen in the shell shape of gastropods, is still not fully understood. In order to connect the environmental adaptations of snail shells to phenotypic plasticity and genetics it is crucial to have quantification methods which relate to biologically relevant components. I therefore developed a high-throughput snail shell quantification method building on the classic ideas of Raup, which is able to describe the variability in shape and growth within two ecotypes of the intertidal snail species Littorina saxatilis. This method was also used to gain new insights into the genetic architecture involved in different aspects of shell shape in L. saxatilis, including detecting and describing allometric growth. As the quantification method directly describes how to construct computer generated shell models, I investigated whether and how shape affects the hydrodynamic properties of the shells. I performed flume experiments with both real shells and 3D printed shell models in water flow as well as computational fluid dynamics simulations. The results from the fluid dynamics analysis gave some new insight into how shape affects the optimal orientation against a steady current, but also suggests that foot size has a larger influence on attachment ability, and that the hydrodynamic efficiency of the shell is likely secondary to having a shape which can accommodate a large enough foot. In conclusion, a better quantification of shape and growth can lead to an improved understanding of how and why snail shells have the shape that they do, and how the shape relates to evolutionary processes such as local adaptation and speciation

Inflammatory cytokines induced by Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV) in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) subsets

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is the causative agent of a complex of disease syndromes in cattle with high economical and welfare impacts. BVDV occurs as two biotypes; cytopathic (BVDVcp) and noncytopathic (BVDVncp) determined by differential effects on cultured cells and can also be divided into two genotypes (BVDV1 and BVDV2) on the basis of genomic diversity. The interaction between BVDV and the host’s immune system is regarded a key aspect in the sequel of BVDV infection. Infection with BVDV normally causes an acute transient infection, with mild to subclinical signs, but occasionally results in severe and even fatal disease. More importantly, BVDVncp virus can cause persistent infections, evading both the adaptive immunity as well as important mechanisms of the innate immunity. In the present study, attempts were made to compare the effect of a BVDVncp infection on bovine monocyte-derived dendritic (mDCs) cells on their ability to produce IFNα/β, IL-10 and IL-12. To potentially assess strain-variabilities, two different type 1 BVDVncp strains were used, one associated with mild acute disease and the other one with severe acute disease. This study confirms previously published data demonstrating that mDCs are susceptible to BVDVncp infection which implicates the potential of BVDVncp to affect the functions of this important antigen presenting cell. Unfortunately no conclusive data was obtained from quantitative polymerase chain reaction for mRNA expression levels of IL-10 and IL-12. Production of IFNα/β was measured in supernatants from stimulated mDCs and consistent with existing data no notable levels of IFNα/β could be detected. To further investigate how BVDVncp interact with the IFNα/β response in mDCs, protein levels of the transcription factors interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) were investigated by Western blotting. Here, the strain causing a more severe disease form seemed to be able to interfere with IRF3 protein levels differentially compared to the strain inducing a mild disease form. Thus, the data indicate that BVDVncp may interact in more than one way with the IFNα/β pathway, potentially by inhibiting IRF3 activity, and that these differences could be strain-specific and potentially linked to disease severity

Samhandling for å skape gode relasjoner i lys av anerkjennelse og posisjonering.

Denne oppgaven gir svar på hvordan man som ansatt i barnevernet kan skape god relasjon til barn/ungdom i barnevernet med vektlegging av anerkjennelse og posisjonering som utøvende faktor. Oppgaven ønskes å besvares fordi man som ansatt i barnevernet skaper nye relasjon hele tiden, og det er derfor svært viktig at samhandlingen som skaper disse relasjonene gjøres på en måte som er gunstig for alle parter involvert. Oppgaven er løst ved å anvende litteraturstudie som metode.This thesis provides answers to how an employee in the child welfare service can create a good relationship with children in the child welfare service with an emphasis on recognition and positioning as an executive factor. The thesis is to be answered because as an employee of the child welfare service, you create new relationships all the time, and it is therefore very important that the interaction that creates these relationships is done in a way that is beneficial to all parties involved. The thesis is solved by using literature review as method

Hur hund som stöd kan främja välbefinnande och aktivitet i vardagen

Bakgrund Relationen mellan människa och djur har debatterats och forskats om under lång tid liksom vilka effekter djur kan ha på människans välmående. Hundar har med goda resultat använts inom vårdrelaterade miljöer och används fortfarande av många människor som stöd i vardagliga aktiviteter. Arbetsterapeutisk teori belyser samverkan mellan person, aktivitet och miljö samt menar att upplevd mening och värde i aktivitet främjar hälsan. Syfte Att kartlägga hur hund som stöd kan främja välbefinnande och aktivitet i vardagen. Metod Icke- systematisk litteraturstudie av 12 artiklar med kvalitativ, kvantitativ samt mixad metod. Manifest innehållsanalys av utvalda artiklar för att identifiera kategorier och teman. Resultat Tre teman identifierades gällande hur hund som stöd påverkar personer i aktivitet och främjar aktiviteter i vardagen; 1) förbättrad interaktion och kommunikation; 2) motivation till fysisk aktivitet och inlärning; samt 3) påverkan på personliga inre resurser som ökad självständighet och förbättrat självförtroende. Slutsats Resultaten tyder på att användning av hund som stöd kan främja arbetsterapeutiska interventioner men det behövs mer forskning där även arbetsterapeutiska bedömningsinstrument används för att mäta effekterna

Riskfaktorer för anestesirelaterad gastroesofageal reflux, med fokus på brakycefala hundar

Gastroesofageal reflux (GER) innebär att maginnehåll rör sig passivt från magsäcken och upp i foderstrupen, vilket kan ske i både vaket och sövt tillstånd. En regurgitation är en gastroesofageal reflux som rör sig vidare upp i munhåla och noshåla. Under allmän anestesi kan därmed en regurgitation vara synlig för narkospersonalen, till skillnad från en reflux som upptäcks enbart med hjälp av en pH-prob i foderstrupen. På grund av magsyrans låga pH kan gastroesofageala refluxer och regurgitationer leda till frätskador på omgivande vävnad och i allvarliga fall resultera i pulmonell aspiration och eventuellt asfyxi. Syftet med det här studentarbetet var att med hjälp av vetenskaplig litteratur undersöka om brakycefala hundar drabbas av GER och regurgitation i högre frekvens under allmän anestesi jämfört med andra hundtyper, samt undersöka övriga riskfaktorer för GER och jämföra detta med svenska anestesörers uppfattningar. Brakycefala hundrasers anatomi och fysiologi skiljer sig från mesocefala och dolikocefala hundraser. Brakycefala hundar kan vara predisponerade för gastroesofageala refluxer. Orsaken till detta är ett högt negativt tryck i thorax som kompensation för att andningen sker mot ett statiskt negativt tryck. En predisposition har setts hos människor med kronisk övre luftvägsobstruktion varpå det kan antas att hundar med liknande obstruktion, inklusive brakycefalt syndrom, kan ha liknande problematik. Litteraturstudien kunde inte påvisa något tydligt samband mellan brakycefalt syndrom och GER under allmän anestesi, dock har för få studier gjorts i ämnet för att dra några slutgiltiga slutsatser. Däremot fanns ett påtagligt sam-band mellan GER och brakycefalt syndrom hos hundar i vaket tillstånd. Andra riskfaktorer som rapporterades ha samband med GER under anestesi var: hundras, vikt, läkemedel, ålder, längd av fasta och typ av ingrepp. En enkätstudie utfördes på 14 svenska djursjukhus, där totalt 39 anestesörer svarade på enkäten som bestod av åtta frågor. Frågorna inkluderade personalens upplevelse av frekvensen av reflux och regurgitation hos hundar under allmän anestesi och om personalen upplever att det finns predisponerande orsaker till reflux hos vissa hundtyper. Enkätstudien visade att uppfattningen på svenska djursjukhus skiljer sig från vad som finns rapporterat i den vetenskapliga litteraturen om sambandet mellan brakycefalt syndrom och GER. Enkätsvaren visade på en tydlig uppfattning att hundar som lider av brakycefalt syndrom oftare drabbas av GER under allmän anestesi. Det fanns även en övergripande uppfattning hos respondenterna att diverse abdominala tillstånd kunde predisponera för reflux, vilket stämde överens med resultatet av litteraturstudien. Hos respondenterna fanns uppfattningen att val av läkemedel under anestesi i viss grad påverkar frekvensen av GER, vilket överensstämmer med resultatet av litteraturstudien.Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) occurs when gastric content moves passively from the stomach to the esophagus which can happen in both an awake and anesthetized patient. A regurgitation is a gastroesophageal reflux which moves further into the oral and nasal cavities. During general anaesthesia a regurgitation is therefore visible to the anesthetists as opposed to a reflux that is detected only by means of a pH-probe placed in the esophagus. Due to the low pH in gastric acid gastroesophageal refluxes and regurgitations can lead to corrosive damage to the surrounding tissue and in severe cases result in pulmonary aspiration which may lead to asphyxia. The aim of this bachelor thesis was to investigate if brachycephalic dogs have a higher tendency of developing GER and regurgitation during general anesthesia in comparison to other types of dogs, by the use of scientific liter-ature and studies, as well as studying other risk factors and compare them with the perception of Swedish anesthetists. The anatomy and physiology of brachycephalic dog breeds differs from mesocephalic and doliciocephalic breeds. Brachycephalic dogs may therefore be predisposed to gastroesophageal reflux, due to a high negative thoracic pressure as a compensation for breathing against a static negative pressure. A predisposition has been observed in people with chronic upper airway obstruction whereupon a connection may be drawn that dogs with a similiar affliction, including brachycephalic syndrome may have similar problems. The literature review conducted established that there was no clear link between brachycephalic syndrome and GER during general anesthesia. How-ever, few studies have been made with the aim to establish this. Also, there was a substantial link between GER and brachycephalic syndrome in con-scious dogs. Other risk factors associated with GER during general anesthesia were; breed, weight, type of drugs, age, fasting time and type of procedure. A web-based survey was conducted at 14 Swedish animal hospitals with a total of 39 anesthetists responding to the questionnaire consisting of eight questions. The questions regarded the perception of the frequency of reflux and regurgitation in dogs during general anaesthesia and if they experienced that some types of dogs are predisposed to reflux. The questionnaire study showed that the perception in Swedish animal hospitals differs from what the scientific literature says about the relationship between brachycephalic syndrome and GER. The answers given showed a clear perception amongst the reciptiants that dogs suffering from brachyce-phalic syndrome more often suffer from GER during general anesthesia. There was an overall perception of the respondents that various abdominal conditions could predispose for reflux, which was also consistent with the result of the literature study. Amongst the respondents there was an opinion that the choice of drugs during anesthesia to a certain extent affects the fre-quency of GER which also complies with the result of the literature stud