Energy status related to production and reproduction in dairy cows

Decreased fertility in dairy cows is widespread and economically undesirable. Current management strategies to prevent decreased fertility are exploiting the close relationship between negative energy balance in transition cows and subsequent decreased fertility. However, there is a continuous need for more information regarding the effects of different strategies on fertility. This thesis evaluated the effect of supplemental feeding with glycerol or propylene glycol, the usefulness of measuring metabolic indicators in blood samples to predict decreased fertility and investigated potential risk factors. In two field studies, the metabolic status, milk yield and fertility of cows in 17 herds, fed either a glycerol or propylene glycol supplement or no supplement (control) 0-21 days after calving, were evaluated. A separate study evaluated the accuracy of metabolic indicators when used to predict decreased fertility. The results were based on a single blood sample taken in early lactation and different test cut-off values were applied. Finally, potential risk factors for decreased fertility related to housing, feeding and the cow herself, were evaluated in approximately 750 Swedish herds. Cows fed glycerol produced significantly 1 kg more milk during the first 90 days in milk and cows fed propylene glycol tended to produce more milk without a subsequent decrease in metabolic status or fertility. The test performance of the metabolic indicators was in general low and was influenced by cow parity, cow breed and the prevalence of decreased fertility in the population studied. Cows experiencing a change in system (e.g. in housing or milking system or from conventional to organic production) had lower fertility than cows not experiencing such a change. In addition, cows with severe claw lesions and cows displaying a rise in somatic cell counts had a lower probability of pregnancy at first insemination. In conclusion, supplemental feeding with glycerol or propylene glycol, as a general strategy in a herd, does not seem to influence fertility or energy status and could increase milk yield. Measures to prevent a decrease in fertility could be more effective if applied to cows in physiological imbalance, rather than all cows in a herd. However, the use of metabolic indicators in a single blood sample may not be optimal for detecting cows at risk. The identified risk factors for decreased fertility could be used when devising preventive strategies

Förekomst av rådjur och dovhjort i förhållande till varandra

Competition in ecosystems can occur in different ways and it is especially important to understand the competition due to well-functioning game management in order to predict what will happen to the competitive situation if something change in the ecosystem. Competition between herbivores can limit certain ecosystem services or lead to a reduction in the biodiversity. This essay studied how the fallow deer population corelates with the density of the roe deer population, which is done through analysis of shooting statistics and data from wildlife accidents. Further analysis was made between firing statistics and wildlife accident data to estimate how the population trends develops over time. The result in this essay showed no significant value that there is a competition between fallow deer and roe deer. The result in this essay suggest that the roe deer population do not reduce when the fallow population increase. Additionally, result from this study is that wildlife collision data and shooting statistics can be used to see trends in the development of wildlife populations over time. Previous studies have shown competition between deer and fallow deer. One reason why we have not obtained values for the competition between fallow deer and roe deer could be explained by the fact that fallow deer are often very local and the roe deer’s distribution area is much larger.Konkurrens i ekosystemen kan uppstå på olika sätt. För en väl fungerande viltförvaltning är det viktigt att kunna förutspå hur konkurrenssituationen ändras vid olika förändringar i ekosystemet. Konkurrens mellan växtätare kan begränsa vissa ekosystemtjänster alternativt leda till en minskning i den biologiska mångfalden. I denna uppsats studerades hur dovhjortsstammen korrelerar med rådjursstammens täthet, vilket görs genom analys av avskjutningsstatistik och data från viltolyckor. En ytterligare analys gjordes mellan avskjutningsstatistik och viltolycksdata för skattning av stammarnas populationsutveckling. Resultatet visade att populationen av rådjur (Capreolus capreolus) inte minskade när populationen av dovhjort (Dama dama) ökade, dessutom visade resultatet att viltolycksdata och avskjutningsstatistik kan användas för att se trender i viltstammars utveckling över tid. Tidigare studier har påvisat konkurrens mellan rådjur och dovhjort, varför vi inte erhållit ett signifikant resultat tros bero på studiens stora areal och på grund av att dovhjortar i regel ofta är väldigt lokala, medan rådjurens utbredningsområde är större

Effekter av en skogsskötsel som gynnar marklav på svagare marker

Inom renskötselområdet som motsvarar 50% av Sveriges areal har andelen lavmark av lavtyp minskat med 71 procent de senaste 60 åren. Minskningens takt ser ut att avta men lavmark fortsätter ändå att minska. Den främsta anledning till att mängden marklav minskat tros bero på det moderna industriskogsbrukets framfart. Detta sätt att bruka skogen på har ökat virkesförrådet i de svenska skogarna med tätare skogar som följd. Vilket har minskat mängden lavrika marker inom renskötselområdet då laven trivs i ljusare och glesare skogar. Under vintertid är marklaven och hänglaven renens viktigaste födointag och en ytterligare minskning av lavrika marker påverkar renskötseln negativt. Skogsnäringen ska enligt lag visa hänsyn till viktiga marker för renskötseln och genom en anpassad skötsel som gynnar lav kan många konflikter undvikas.Syftet med denna studie var att med skogliga planeringsverktyget Heureka PlanVis analysera hur ett skogsbruk som anpassas för att gynna marklav påverkar ekonomin, virkesproduktionen samt kolbindningen. Detta i jämförelse med dagens skogsbruk som har hög virkesproduktion och ekonomisk avkastning som mål. Data för studien utgörs av 3028 provytor från Riksskogstaxeringen med egenskaper som uppfyller utvalda kriterier för att marklaven ska kunna finnas. I resultatet av analysen visas en variation av nuvärde mellan de alternativen där de lavanpassade alternativen gav ett högre nuvärde än dagens skogsbruk på lägre ståndortsindex medan det motsatta gällde på T16 – T18. Vid en jämförelse av omloppstid och slutavverkningsålder var skillnaderna relativt små mellan de olika alternativen. Det fanns däremot en större skillnad i volym vid slutavverkningsålder samt kolbindning under 100 år där dagens skogsbruk uppnår högre värden. Tittar man på andel timmer för de olika alternativen erhöll det lavanpassade alternativen högre timmerandelar.In the reindeer herding area, which corresponds to 50% of Sweden's territory, the proportion of lichen-rich land has decreased by 71% in the last 60 years. The rate of decrease appears to be slowing down, but lichen-rich areas continue to decline. The primary reason for the decline in the amount of ground lichen is believed to be the advancement of modern industrial forestry. This method of forest management has increased the timber stock in Swedish forests, resulting in denser forests that have reduced the amount of lichen-rich areas within the reindeer herding area, as lichen thrives in brighter and sparser forests. During winter, ground lichen and arboreal lichen are the reindeer's main source of food, and further reduction in lichen-rich areas negatively affects reindeer husbandry. According to the law, the forest industry is required to consider important areas for reindeer husbandry and, through adapted management that benefits lichen, many conflicts can be avoided. The purpose of this study was to use the forestry planning tool Heureka PlanVis to analyze how forestry adapted to promote ground lichen affects the economy, timber production, and carbon sequestration, in comparison to today's forestry, which aims for high timber production and economic returns. The study's data consists of 3028 sample plots from the National Forest Inventory with characteristics that meet selected criteria for the presence of ground lichen. The results of the analysis show a variation in present value between the alternatives, where the lichen-adapted alternatives had a higher present value than today's forestry on lower site index, while the opposite was true for T16 – T18. When comparing rotation period and final felling age, the differences were relatively small between the different alternatives. However, there was a greater difference in volume at the final felling age and carbon sequestration over 100 years, where today's forestry achieves higher values. Looking at the proportion of timber for the different alternatives, the lichen-adapted alternatives obtained higher proportions of timber

Veterinary herd health management-Experiences and perceptions among Swedish dairy cattle veterinarians

Cattle veterinarians have long been encouraged to take on a role as proactive health consultants. How-ever, the process so far has been slow in Sweden and elsewhere, and only a rather small proportion of cattle work conducted by veterinarians involves vet-erinary herd health management (VHHM). The aims of this exploratory study were to explore Swedish cattle veterinarians' interpretation of VHHM services and to understand the factors that might affect the extent to which cattle veterinarians perform VHHM. Six focus group discussions with cattle veterinarians complemented with 5 individual telephone interviews with clinic managers were conducted in 2020. In total, 33 cattle veterinarians participated, all employed by the largest employer of Swedish cattle veterinarians: Distriktsveterinarerna (Swedish Board of Agriculture). Participants were chosen from 6 geographical regions with the aim to present variations in gender, age, coun-try of education, proportion of dairy cattle work at the clinic, experience in the veterinary profession, and ex-perience in work with dairy herds and in VHHM. The focus group discussions and interviews were recorded and these recordings were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Participants interpreted VHHM as work associated with the process of advising and included both ad hoc advising and more strategic forms of ser-vices. Prebooked visits per se were not seen as VHHM. We identified 4 different themes among the factors af-fecting the extent of VHHM services: (1) farmer trust and demand; (2) veterinary competence; (3) time avail-able for VHHM; and (4) the individual veterinarian's commitment and motivation. To gain farmers' trust and to create a demand for VHHM services, the results of VHHM work and the veterinarian's competence were deemed central by the participants. The veterinarians' skills in communication and relation building were considered especially important. Some farmers were perceived as having little interest in, or lacking deeper knowledge about, VHHM services. The promotion of VHHM services was mentioned as an important fac-tor to increase farmer demand. Participants described VHHM as work demanding high skills and continuous capacity development. Veterinarians' personal commit-ment and motivation were also described as important for the extent to which VHHM services were performed. This was in turn affected by the psychosocial work environment (e.g., workload, interest and recognition from farmers and managers, and acceptance, priority, and support by colleagues and managers). Clinic man-agers had a central role in the extent to which VHHM services are offered by an individual veterinarian due to their responsibility for staff scheduling, which highly affects the conditions for capacity development, inter-collegiate networking, and cooperation. Lack of time was a major barrier for VHHM. On-call duty time and subsequent compensatory leave affected the total time available, and participants described time conflicts between VHHM and emergency services; moreover, it was perceived as challenging to find sufficient time for capacity development in several different species for veterinarians working in mixed practice. The slow de-velopment toward more proactive approaches for cattle veterinarians can be explained by the numerous dif-ferent factors that together constrain the veterinarian to the traditional role of diagnosing and treating sick animals

Spridning av mjöldryga genom renkavle

Mjöldryga (Claviceps purpurea Tul.) är en svampsjukdom som leder till stora skador på framför allt råg och vete. Den är vanligt förekommande i Europa och befaras öka i framtiden. Renkavle (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.) betraktas som en av de bidragande faktorerna bakom mjöldrygans spridning. Det är ett utav de mest betydelsefulla gräsogräsen i Europa och befaras öka kraftigt i Sverige framöver. Detta kandidatarbete syftar till att studera hur renkavle påverkar förekomsten av mjöldryga i fält. Arbetet består av en genomgång av litteratur samt intervju med erfarna personer inom området. Både gräs och gräsogräs kan bidra till överföringen av mjöldryga till gröda. Större mjöldrygaangrepp har observerats närmare gräskanter medan de tenderar att avta mot mitten av fältet. Förändrade odlingslandskap med större arealer bestående av gräsytor som tillåts blomma samt en alltmer utbredd användning av reducerad jordbearbetning gynnar mjöldryga. Överföringen av smitta sker framför allt genom sekundär spridning genom honungsdagg med sporer som förflyttas via insekter, regnstänk eller direktkontakt. Renkavle anses som en faktor i spridningen av C. purpurea genom att tidig blomning passar mjöldrygans livscykel och ger senare infektion av spannmålsgrödan. En alltmer utbredd herbicidresistens har dessutom konstaterats i bestånd av renkavle vilket ytterligare riskerar att försvåra möjligheten till att minimera problematiken med mjöldryga. De viktigaste faktorerna som påverkar risken för att smittas är blommornas vävnadsmotstånd samt öppenhet. Väderleken är också av stor betydelse eftersom den bland annat påverkar hur utdragen blomningen blir. En stor skillnad råder i risken för att drabbas av mjöldrygaangrepp mellan olika sädesslag, men även mellan sorter av samma spannmål. En omfattande skillnad i förekomsten av mjöldryga har kvantifierats hos olika vetesorter, det är däremot inget som tas hänsyn till i växtförädlingen eller rådgivning. För tillfället sker endast förädling på ökad tålighet mot mjöldryga bland rågsorter. I framtiden är det dock tänkbart att även ta större hänsyn till de sortskillnader som vete uppvisar. Tidigare studier som genomförts har inte behandlat svenska sorter vilket hade varit värdefullt, särskilt i drabbade områden.Ergot (Claviceps purpurea Tul.) is a fungal disease that causes major damage to rye and wheat. It is common in Europe and is expected to increase in the future. Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.) is considered one of the contributing factors behind the spread of ergot. It is one of the most important grass weeds in Europe and is expected to increase strongly in Sweden in the future. This bachelor thesis aims to study how black-grass affects the occurrence of ergot in the field. This was done through a review of literature and interviews with experienced people in the field. Both cultivated grasses and weed grasses can contribute to the transfer of ergot to cereal crops. Larger levels of ergot infestation have been observed closer to grass edges while the level of attack tends to decrease towards the center of the field. Changes in the agricultural landscapes with larger areas consisting of grass that are allowed to flower, as well as the increasingly widespread use of reduced tillage, strongly favor black-grass. The transmission of inoculum occurs primarily through secondary spread by spores containing honeydew that is transferred via insects, rain splash or direct contact. Black-grass is considered one of the most difficult weeds because its early flowering favours the life cycle of the ergot and its subsequent infection of cereal crop. An increasingly widespread herbicide resistance has also been shown in black-grass populations, which further risks making it more difficult to minimize the problem with ergot. The most important factors affecting the infection risk are the tissue resistance and openness of the flowers. The weather conditions are also of great importance because, among other things, they affect how long the flowering will be. There is a big difference in the risk of being affected by ergot between different types of grain and between varieties of the same grain. A large difference in the occurrence of ergot in different wheat cultivars has been quantified, but this is not taken into account in plant breeding or advisory services. At the moment, only breeding for increased resistance to ergot is taking place in rye. In the future, however, it would be advisable to also take greater account of the varietal differences that wheat exhibits. Previous studies on ergot have not dealt with Swedish varieties, which would have been valuable, especially in affected areas

Cardiac arrest through a nurses’ perspective: a systematic review

Background: Cardiac arrest is an acute situation where the right measures must be taken rapidly in order for patient survival. The Swedish Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Council’s goal with early defibrillation is clear where timing is crucial for patient survival. There are no clear guidelines in regards to the nurse’ role during cardiac arrest. In recent years studies that define the various functions that nurses have at cardiac arrest situations have been published. Aim: To examine the nurses’ role during advanced cardiac life support and how it affects patients’ survival. Method: A systematic literature review with a systematic approach which includes both quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. In total 13 scientific original articles were included, which had been quality audited before being categorized based on an integrated analysis. Results: Education and Leadership was presented as two central categories when it came to the nurses’ role. Adequate education and knowledge are required in order to perform quality CPR but also to receive debriefing. Debriefing was seen as a protective factor against Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Leadership together with clear communication leads to good teamwork which facilitates good CRP and can also increase patient outcome. The nurses were considered to be just as good a leader as the doctors. The results showed that by allowing the nurse in the leadership role the quality of the intervention increased. Conclusion: When cardiac arrest occurs the nurse is an important and underutilized resource. Having the nurse in the leadership role during cardiac arrest leads to better teamwork, higher quality of chest compressions, reduced time to defibrillation and thus increased survival for patients.Bakgrund: Hjärtstopp är en akut situation där det snabbt gäller att sätta in rätt insatser för att patienten ska överleva. Svenska hjärt-lungräddningsrådets (HLR-rådets) mål med tidig defibrillering är tydligt och tid är en avgörande tidsfaktor för patientens överlevnad. I nuläget finns det inga entydiga riktlinjer för sjuksköterskans roll under ett hjärtstopp. Under senaste åren har studier som omtalar vilka funktioner en sjuksköterska kan ha relaterat till hjärtstopp publicerats. Syfte: Att undersöka sjuksköterskans roll under avancerad hjärt-lungräddning och faktorer som påverkar patient överlevnad. Metod: En systematisk litteraturöversikt med systematisk ansats som inkluderade artiklar, både kvantitativa, kvalitativa och mixed method. Totalt inkluderades 13 vetenskapliga originalartiklar som kvalitetsgranskades och kategoriserades utifrån en integrerad analys. Resultat: Utbildning och ledarskap presenterades som två centrala kategorier när det kom till sjuksköterskans roll. Adekvat utbildning och kunskap krävs för att utföra kvalitativ HLR men även debriefing. Debriefing sågs även som en skyddande faktor för posttraumatiskt stressyndrom (PTSD). Ledarskap tillsammans med tydlig kommunikation leder till bra teamarbete som underlättar för utförandet av HLR och kan öka chanser för patientens överlevnad. Sjuksköterskan ansågs vara lika bra i ledarrollen som läkare och resultat visade på att genom att ha sjuksköterskan i ledarrollen ökade kvaliteten på insatsen. Slutsats: När hjärtstopp uppstår är sjuksköterskan en viktig och outnyttjad resurs. Sjuksköterskan i ledarrollen vid hjärtstopp leder till bättre teamarbete, högkvalitativa bröstkompressioner, kortade tid till defibrillering och därmed en ökad överlevnad för patienten

Direct soil moisture controls of future global soil carbon changes: An important source of uncertainty

The nature of the climate–carbon cycle feedback depends critically on the response of soil carbon to climate, including changes in moisture. However, soil moisture–carbon feedback responses have not been investigated thoroughly. Uncertainty in the response of soil carbon to soil moisture changes could arise from uncertainty in the relationship between soil moisture and heterotrophic respiration. We used twelve soil moisture–respiration functions (SMRFs) with a soil carbon model (RothC) and data from a coupled climate–carbon cycle general circulation model to investigate the impact of direct heterotrophic respiration dependence on soil moisture on the climate carbon cycle feedback. Global changes in soil moisture acted to oppose temperature‐driven decreases in soil carbon and hence tended to increase soil carbon storage. We found considerable uncertainty in soil carbon changes due to the response of soil respiration to soil moisture. The use of different SMRFs resulted in both large losses and small gains in future global soil carbon stocks, whether considering all climate forcings or only moisture changes. Regionally, the greatest range in soil carbon changes across SMRFs was found where the largest soil carbon changes occurred. Further research is needed to constrain the soil moisture–respiration relationship and thus reduce uncertainty in climate–carbon cycle feedbacks. There may also be considerable uncertainty in the regional responses of soil carbon to soil moisture changes since climate model predictions of regional soil moisture changes are less coherent than temperature changes

Developing application and detection methods for Listeria monocytogenes and fish extract on open surfaces in order to optimize cleaning protocols

© 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Surfaces in the food industry are often fouled with bacteria and organic materials. A range of fouling and testing methods using two Listeria monocytogenes strains (Scott A and N53-1) and organic material (0.4 g/ml fish extract) were designed to determine the efficacy of two different cleaning methods (spray and wipe) in 1% sodium hypochlorite. The optimum method for applying the cells and organic material to substrata occurred when the cells and organic material were mixed together, dried onto the surface and stained. As the number of cleaning and re-foulings increased, cells were removed from the surfaces but the organic material remained. The pattern of organic material retention was different on the surfaces with the different cleaning protocols, but neither method was better at removing the retained organic material. More cells were removed from the surfaces by the spray than the spray with wipe clean. There was no difference in cell number retention for either of the L. monocytogenes strains. These findings are valid for a 'dirty material' as classified in BS EN1276. To determine cleaning method efficacy, the application of cells and organic material to a surface is important, as is the detection methods used

Organic matter turnover in forest and arable land

Decomposition is crucial in the circulation of global C as well as that of other elements like heavy metals. The aims of this work were to investigate and model how temperature (-4, 0.3, 5, 15, 25 and fluctuating -4/5°C) and moisture (four levels between wilting point and 100% WHC) influence the decomposition rate in a heavy clay soil incubated in the laboratory. Concentrations of Cd, Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb in spruce needles incubated in litter-bags for 6-8 years in five spruce stands were also measured and their effects on decomposition rates discussed. Decomposition rate increased significantly with increasing temperature and moisture. The decomposition rate was twice as high in the topsoil as in the subsoil samples. Temperature fluctuations did not increase decomposition rate compared with samples at constant +5°C. A two-component first-order model was superior to a single-component model to describe decomposition. Quadratic temperature and moisture response functions were used. The calculated minimum temperature (Tmin) for decomposition was -0.83°C and Q10 increased from 2.2 at 25°C to 12.7 at 0.3°C. When analysing decomposition data compiled from the literature, the two-component model was again more accurate than the single-component. The goodness of fit did not differ between the temperature response models tested, but was affected by the reference temperature. Between 5 and 35°C, a Q10-value of 2 was found to be adequate. Concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb increased, while concentrations of Mn generally decreased during spruce needle decomposition. Concentrations considered toxic to micro-organisms were not observed. Total amounts of Cd, Zn, and Mn decreased by at least 15, 24 and 43% while total amounts of Cu and Pb increased by over 40 and 230% respectively, before they became more constant or started to decrease. A PCA indicated that dynamics of total amounts were more similar between adjacent sites than between more distant sites. The studies indicate that there is a need for more research, especially at low temperatures where decomposition rate is low. The paucity of high-precision measurements of decomposition below 5°C makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the temperature responses below this temperature. Concerning heavy metals, after about 8 years of decomposition in the field, between 20 and 40% of the litter still remained. We therefore lack a complete picture of heavy metal dynamics during the latter parts of the decomposition period

Soil C balances in Swedish agricultural soils 1990-2004, with preliminary projections

Swedish agricultural land comprises about 3 Mha and its topsoil contains about 270 Mt C (0-25 cm depth). Based on daily climate data, annual yield data and a soil database, we calculate the topsoil C dynamics for Swedish agricultural land 1990-2004, using a soil C balance model, ICBM. Losses from high C (organic) soils are calculated from subsidence, which in turn is calculated from soil properties, cropping system and weather conditions. We also present scenarios and projections into the future. Mineral soils are close to balance in all of the eight agricultural regions investigated. Average soil C mass roughly increases from South to North, since the lower yields and thus C inputs in Northern regions are more than balanced by the higher decomposition rates due to warmer climate in the South. The higher proportion of grass leys in the North also contributes to higher C mass. High C soils (>7% C, corresponding to 12% soil organic matter content) lose 2-6 t C ha-1 yr-1, depending on weather and cropping system, and total annual loss from Swedish agricultural high-C soils is about 1 Mt yr-1. This loss is discussed in the context of plant production and remedial actions. Projections into the future, assuming that a temperature increase leading to increased decomposition rates also will lead to higher yields, indicate a potential to at least maintain soil C mass in Swedish agricultural mineral soils. Growing crops with residues more resistant towards decomposition would be an efficient way to increase soil C mass