Predicting dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Swedish boreal streams from map information

When sampling watercourses for environmental assessment it is not feasible to sample all the headwaters or at least not a large fraction of them. This because of the great number of headwaters and their variability in both flow and water chemistry. So if map data could help to predict the water chemistry found on specific headwaters this would be a great asset for environmental assessment of streams. This study addresses the possibility of predicting the dissolved organic carbon (DOC)concentrations of headwaters during low flow conditions in boreal catchment networks from map information (land-use, soil and vegetation data). DOC was chosen as the test variable to model in this study because of its importance for aquatic ecosystems and strong couplings to other chemistry data (implicit in this is that if DOC is predicted well other chemistry could also be predicted well). Statistical models relating water chemistry to map information were derived from DOC measurements on different catchments in the boreal zone of Sweden using multivariate techniques. The sizes of the studied catchments ranged between 0.01-346 km2. Up to 62% of the spatial variation in DOC-concentrations could be explained by the information on any single map and a combination of soil and land-use map variables explained up to 90% of the variation in DOC. As other studies have found, the coverage of peat showed a positive correlation with DOC. The scale of the map material used in modelling did not seam to matter, with the 1:100 000 land-use map working as well as the 1:20 000 scale map, if not better. Little success was however found in making predictive models of DOC, but the likelihood of a model being close to acceptable was greater for transfers in time (predicting concentrations during a different year on the sites used for calibration) than in space (predicting concentrations on a nearby catchment.) Relationships between map information and DOC from downstream sites could not model data upstream on the same catchment. The difficulty in predicting low flow DOC from map variables is a complication when trying to develop tools for the environmental assessment of headwaters.Vid provtagning av vattendrag för bedömning av deras miljömässiga tillstånd är det inte genomförbart att ta prover vid varje enskilt källflöde eller ens vid ett större antal av dem. Trots att den största sträckan av ett vattendrag utgörs av källflöden och att den största variabiliteten i både vattenflöde och vattenkemi hittas i källflödena. Därför vore det till stor fördel om kartinformation kunde användas till att förutsäga vattenkemin i vattendrag, främst källflödena, under granskningen av deras miljömässiga tillstånd. Föreliggande examensarbetete har utvärderat möjligheten att utifrån kartinformation(markanvändning, jord och vegetationsdata) förutsäga halter av löst organiskt kol (DOC, engelskterm: dissolved organic carbon) i bäckar inom den boreala delen av Sverige. Att DOC valdes som variabel är på grund av dess stora betydelse för de akvatiska ekosystemen och dess starka kopplingar till annan vattenkemi (underförstått i detta är att om det är möjligt att förutsäga DOC så borde det vara möjligt för andra kemiska parametrar). Statistiska modeller som relaterar DOCkoncentrationer med kartmaterial från olika avrinningsområden i den boreala zonen i Sverige gjordes med multivariata metoder. Storleken på de studerade delavrinningsområdena var mellan 0,01 och 346 km2. Upp till 62 % av den rumsliga variationen av DOC-koncentrationer kunde förklaras med information från en enskild karta och en kombination av kartmaterial kunde förklara upp till 90 % av variationen av DOC. Andelen torvmark inom ett område var positivt korrelerat till koncentrationen av DOC, vilket är i linje med tidigare forskning. Den blå kartan (skala 1:100 000) gav något bättre resultat än den gula kartan i skala 1:20 000. Dock var inte någon av förutsägelserna av erforderlig precision. Emellertid fungerade modellerna bättre vid överföring i tid (förutsäga DOC under ett annat år men på samma område som modellen var byggd på) än för rumslig överföring (förutsäga DOC-koncentrationer på ett närliggande område). Modeller baserade på stora bäckar kunde inte förutsäga källflödenas DOC-koncentrationer, och vice versa. Svårigheten i att förutsäga DOC utifrån kartmaterial är en komplikation i arbetet med att utveckla verktyg för bedömningen av miljötillståndet i vattendrag och framförallt i källflödena

Utbildning i djurvälfärd i samband med slakt och annan avlivning

The EU council regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing states that, with some exceptions, anyone who is involved in the killing of animals for the production of food, wool, skin, fur or other products must have a certificate of competence from January 1, 2013. A pilot study has been conducted as part of efforts to develop a training concept of animal welfare that meets the requirements of the EU Regulation. The pilot study includes a global analysis (UK, Spain, Chile, Brazil and Denmark), in which it was found that there are major differences between the level of education between the different countries and the educational concepts are different. Countries were similar in that they emphasized the relationship between animal handling, animal welfare and meat quality, and all the countries are planning to adapt the competence level to the EU regulation. An analysis of current Swedish educational conditions shows that the education varies widely between and within different sectors and that none of the sectors seem to meet the competence levels of the EU Regulation. In the preliminary study we identified several target groups for whom the certificate of competence is not mandatory, but who require training in animal welfare at the time of killing. These groups should be included in the education concept at an early stage. A broad approach to the education concept may result in a general improvement of animal welfare. An overview of the proposed e‐based training modules is presented. The modules should be supplemented by physical meetings, practical sessions and a risk assessment analysis based on animal welfare indicators. The differences in education between slaughter staff and animal welfare officers are defined, where the latter is given a more detailed and extensive training to ensure that the provisions of the EU Regulation are followed

Instagranimal: Animal Welfare and Animal Ethics Challenges of Animal-Based Tourism

Simple SummaryAnimals of countless species, wild as well as tame, can now entertain tourists on their holidays. The popularity, however, of animal-based tourism comes with significant risks for the welfare of these animals. Many animals are kept in small confinements, are broken down to interact obediently with tourists, or are made to perform, entertain, transport or even give their lives for human leisure. In this paper, the challenges of animal-based tourism are presented from the perspectives of interdisciplinary researchers. The challenges are discussed based on a two-day symposium with workshop sessions. We bring attention to the problem of cultural relativism and the difficulty of imposing universal standards of animal welfare. We conclude that reforms and individual travel decisions as a result of biosecurity concerns will impact animal welfare. In addition to this, we observe that technology has a dual role to play in enhancing edutainment but also potentially inviting new challenges. In the end, we declare some possibilities for compassionate animal based tourism.By animal-based tourism, a host of activities offering passive viewing or active interaction with wild, semi-wild or captive animals is included. The multibillion dollar industry is on the rise globally today, offering modes of engagement with animals that trade on increasingly embodied close encounters with non-human animals. As new modes of animal-based tourism proliferate, such as sloth selfies, visiting cat cafes, swimming with sharks and agri-tourism petting zoos, animal welfare standards risk deteriorating. In the following paper, we collate concerns over animal welfare into a discussion on the challenges facing animal-based tourism. Our synthesis is the first to consider the full spectrum of such animal-based tourism: across agri-, hunting, zoo and safari tourism, to name a few, and crossing consumptive and non-consumptive boundaries. A literature review is first provided. Findings are then presented thematically following workshops at an international interdisciplinary symposium of leading tourism, animal welfare, ethics and leisure sciences scholars together with practitioners of the industry. It discusses macrolevel drivers to animal-based tourism as an industry, the problem of cultural relativism and the role of technology in enhancing or promoting the experience. We indicate ways forward toward implementing a compassionate animal-based tourism

The 3Rs in Animal Welfare Bodies at Swedish Universities - Knowledge, Attitudes, Implementation

The implementation of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) is emphasized in EU Directive 2010/63.16 task of the animal welfare bodies (AWB) is to strengthen animal welfare and develop the 3Rs at research animal facilities. In 2016, we surveyed the knowledge on, attitudes towards and implementation of the 3Rs within AWBs at eight major Swedish universities. Based on responses of 34 closed-ended questions from 44 of 90 AWB members, the overall attitude towards the 3Rs was positive. AWB members did not believe that the 3Rs slow down innovation or result in increased costs, and refinement was considered beneficial for research quality. AWB members were particularly positive towards refinement questions in the survey. A majority of the AWB members predicted that alternative methods will never replace animal use. Researchers as a group represented in the AWBs were significantly less positive towards the 3Rs compared to the group of veterinarians. The tasks of the AWBs, e.g., giving advice on the 3Rs and following up on animal use in projects, were often not carried out in the AWB or not known by the respondents. Our results indicate a need for more practical and regulatory guidance and support to the AWBs. To reach the goal of the EU Directive to phase out animal use in research and education, we suggest that technical expertise in replacement techniques is included in the AWBs. We emphasize the need to strengthen the awareness of the 3Rs among researchers at Swedish universities

Metagenomic characterisation of the gastrointestinal virome of neonatal pigs

Microorganisms that colonise the gastrointestinal tract are responsible for a large portion of the genetic diversity of the body. These microorganisms are of bacterial, archaeal and viral origin. The living space of these microorganisms, the microbiome, holds numerous interactions both between each other and the host. The viral part of the microbiome, the virome, consists of a multitude of virus species. These viruses infect and modulate cells from all three domains of life. Even though viruses have been acknowledged for their abilities to induce disease in its host, knowledge about the total diversity of viruses within the virome, and the role it plays in health and disease, is so far scarce. It is thought that the virome co-evolved with the host and that its establishment in mammals occurs early in life. The virome can be studied by the use of viral metagenomics, the study of all viral genetic material within a sample. Viral metagenomics was used in this thesis to generate datasets for comparative metagenomics. These datasets were then used for disease investigation and to compare similarities in the viromes of two mammalian species, pigs and humans. This thesis establishes a methodological framework for studying the virome in mammals, by use of viral metagenomics. A methodology for amplifying the metagenome prior to sequencing was assessed and a software for bioinformatics analysis of viral metagenomes was developed. With the methodologies developed herein, the eukaryotic virome of neonatal piglets suffering from diarrhoea was investigated. Several known enteric viruses were detected using viral metagenomics on healthy and diarrhoeic neonatal piglets. However, no virus was present exclusively within sick or healthy piglets and no virologial cause could be established for the neonatal diarrhoea. Comparative viral metagenomics was also used to establish if similarities existed between neonates of porcine and human origin, as well as between adults and neonates. Similarities were detected between adults of both species, who seems to be sharing a considerable part of their virome. There was also a notable difference between neonatal viromes and adult viromes, further supporting established theories about diversification over time of the virome

Near-infrared photoluminescence from molecular crystals containing tellurium

We report the observation of near-infrared photoluminescence from Te4(Ga2Cl7)2 and Te4(Al2Cl7)2 molecular crystals containing Te42+ polycations. The experimental and theoretical results clearly revealed that Te42+ polycation is one smart near-infrared emitter with characteristic emission peaks at 1252 and 1258 nm for Te4(Ga2Cl7)2 and Te4(Al2Cl7)2 crystals, respectively, resulting from the intrinsic electronic transitions of Te42+. Furthermore, it was also found that the emissions strongly depend on the excitation wavelengths for both Te4(Ga2Cl7)2 and Te4(Al2Cl7)2 samples, most possibly owing to the co-existence of other Te-related optically active centers. This research not only enriches the species of luminescent charged p-block element polyhedra and deepens the understanding of Te-related photophysical behaviors, but also may stimulate efforts for designing novel material systems using such active centers. It is also greatly expected that these sub-nanometer optically active species could exist in other systems such as glasses, polymers, and bulk optical crystals, and the stabilization of these centers in widely used hosts will pave the way for their practical applications

Identification of Transmission Routes of Campylobacter and On-Farm Measures to Reduce Campylobacter in Chicken

An in-depth analysis was performed on Swedish broiler producers that had delivered chickens with Campylobacter to slaughter over several years, in order to identify possible transmission routes and formulate effective measures to prevent chickens being colonized with Campylobacter. Between 2017 and 2019, 626 samples were collected at farm level and Campylobacter was isolated from 133 (21.2%). All C. jejuni and C. coli isolated from these samples were whole-genome sequenced, together with isolates from the corresponding cecum samples at slaughter (n = 256). Core genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) analysis, using schemes consisting of 1140 and 529 genes for C. jejuni and C. coli, respectively, revealed that nearby cattle, contaminated drinking water, water ponds, transport crates, and parent flocks were potential reservoirs of Campylobacter. A novel feature compared with previous studies is that measures were implemented and tested during the work. These contributed to a nationwide decrease in Campylobacter-positive flocks from 15.4% in 2016 to 4.6% in 2019, which is the lowest ever rate in Sweden. To conclude, there are different sources and routes of Campylobacter transmission to chickens from different broiler producers, and individual measures must be taken by each producer to prevent Campylobacter colonization of chickens