Housing, management and health in Swedish dairy calves

This thesis discusses the results of an observational study conducted in dairy herds in the south-western Sweden and a questionnaire survey of dairy herds done throughout Sweden. In the observational study the health of 3 081 heifer calves in 122 dairy herds was monitored from birth until 90 days of age. Disease incidence was recorded by farmers and by project veterinarians. The calves’ heart girth was measured at birth and at weaning. The average growth of the calves was 600 g per day. We investigated the effects of calf-level, herd-related and dam-related factors on growth and the incidence risk of infectious diseases. The total morbidity found was 23%; enteritis and respiratory disease were the most common diagnoses. The placing of calf pens along an outer wall, ingestion of first colostrum by suckling, receiving colostrum from a younger cow, being of Swedish Red and White breed (SRB) and birth during the summer were significantly associated with an increased risk for enteritis. A low ammonia concentration, draught, bovine viral diarrhoea virus infection in the herd, a poor capacity of the farmer to keep accurate records, being a cross-breed, housing in large group pens, and birth during the winter season, during the night, in a cubicle, a group calving pen or at pasture, as well as unsupervised calving, and factors related to the health of the dam were significantly associated with an increased risk of respiratory morbidity. Receiving colostrum from a young cow, absence of draught, being housed in a calf pen placed along an outer wall and being born during the night were found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of other infectious diseases. Growth was negatively affected by being of SRB breed, housing in large group pens, disease, difficult calving, first parity of the dam and retained placenta. The questionnaire was sent to 1 500 dairy farmers in Sweden and asked for routines from birth to first calving for replacement heifers. It identifies several areas in which advisory input is urgently needed, such as the colostrum routines, the heating of whole milk and the housing of calves and heifers

Antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in waters associated with a hospital in Ujjain, India

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Concerns have been raised about the public health implications of the presence of antibiotic residues in the aquatic environment and their effect on the development of bacterial resistance. While there is information on antibiotic residue levels in hospital effluent from some other countries, information on antibiotic residue levels in effluent from Indian hospitals is not available. Also, concurrent studies on antibiotic prescription quantity in a hospital and antibiotic residue levels and resistant bacteria in the effluent of the same hospital are few. Therefore, we quantified antibiotic residues in waters associated with a hospital in India and assessed their association, if any, with quantities of antibiotic prescribed in the hospital and the susceptibility of <it>Escherichia coli </it>found in the hospital effluent.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This cross-sectional study was conducted in a teaching hospital outside the city of Ujjain in India. Seven antibiotics - amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, amikacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and levofloxacin - were selected. Prescribed quantities were obtained from hospital records. The samples of the hospital associated water were analysed for the above mentioned antibiotics using well developed and validated liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry technique after selectively isolating the analytes from the matrix using solid phase extraction. <it>Escherichia coli </it>isolates from these waters were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, by standard Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method using Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute breakpoints.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ciprofloxacin was the highest prescribed antibiotic in the hospital and its residue levels in the hospital wastewater were also the highest. In samples of the municipal water supply and the groundwater, no antibiotics were detected. There was a positive correlation between the quantity of antibiotics prescribed in the hospital and antibiotic residue levels in the hospital wastewater. Wastewater samples collected in the afternoon contained both a higher number and higher levels of antibiotics compared to samples collected in the morning hours. No amikacin was found in the wastewater, but <it>E.coli </it>isolates from all wastewater samples were resistant to amikacin. Although ciprofloxacin was the most prevalent antibiotic detected in the wastewater, <it>E.coli </it>was not resistant to it.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Antibiotics are entering the aquatic environment of countries like India through hospital effluent. In-depth studies are needed to establish the correlation, if any, between the quantities of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals and the levels of antibiotic residues found in hospital effluent. Further, the effect of this on the development of bacterial resistance in the environment and its subsequent public health impact need thorough assessment.</p

Who Supports Us? : An In Depth Study of Physical Activity and Diet in Mentally Retarded

Syfte och frågställningar Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hälsa med fokus på kostvanor, fysisk aktivitet och Body Mass Index (BMI) hos personer med utvecklingsstörning i en gruppbostad. Vidare syftar studien till att beskriva hur personalen arbetar med nämnda faktorer. Syftet har lett fram till följande frågeställningar: 1. Hur förhåller det sig för två personer i gruppbostaden med följande faktorer: energiförbrukning, energiintag, energibalans och kost enligt Svenska näringsrekommendationer? 2. Hur förhåller det sig för samtliga i gruppbostaden med följande faktorer: BMI, kost, fysisk aktivitet samt fysisk aktivitet i enlighet med uppsatta kriterier för vardaglig- och planerad fysisk aktivitet? 3. Hur arbetar gruppbostaden med stimulering av fysisk aktivitet och hälsofrämjande kostvanor? Metod Studien har genomförts på totalt fyra personer med utvecklingsstörning, varav två personer har observerats djupt och två personer övergripande. I observationen ingick kvantitativa mätmetoder, vilka innefattade studier av energiintag, energiförbrukning, energibalans och BMI samt kvalitativa observationer där kost och fysisk aktivitet studerades. I observationerna ingick informella samtal. Utöver observationerna har intervjuer med enhetschef, en fast anställd och en vikarie ägt rum. Resultat De djupa observationerna visade en låg energiförbrukning och en positiv energibalans. I studien framkom det att det råder brist på fysisk aktivitet. Orsakerna till detta var dels att det inte förekom någon planerad fysisk aktivitet, dels att personerna inte deltog i dagliga göromål i hemmet. Vidare åt personerna inte enligt SNRs rekommendationer. I intervjuerna framkom det att det inte förekommer något aktivt arbete rörande fysisk aktivitet och kost. Slutsats Gruppbostaden behöver tydliga riktlinjer för arbete med fysisk aktivitet och kost. Vidare är det nödvändigt att samtal förs mellan personal och enhetschef avseende ovan nämnda faktorer.Aim The aim of this study has been to investigate health with focus on eating habits, physical activity and Body Mass Index (BMI) in mentally retarded living in a community based setting, and to find out how the staff works with these things. Following questions specify the aim: 1. What is the position as regards energy consumption, energy intake, energy balance and diet according to Swedish recommendations of nutrition (SNR), for two persons in the community based setting? 2. What is the position as regards BMI, diet, physical activity and physical activity according to criteria for daily and planned physical activity, for all persons in the community based setting? 3. How does the community based setting work with physical activity and healthy eating habits? Method Totally four persons with mental retardation were included in the study, of whom two persons were observed in an in depth study and two persons in an overarching study. The observation comprised quantitative methods, which included studies of energy intake, energy consumption, energy balance and BMI. Qualitative methods were used when diet and physical activity were studied through observations. Also, there were informal interviews included in the observations. Except the observations, interviews were carried on with the principal, an employee and a deputy. Results The in depth observations showed a low energy consumption and a positive energy balance. Also, a lack of physical activity appeared during the observations. There were no planned physical activity and the persons didn’t take part of the daily activities in their home. Further, the persons’ eating habits were not in line with the recommendations of SNR. During the interviews, it was said that there are no presence of work regarding physical activity and diet. Conclusion This community based setting needs guidelines for how the work with physical activity and diet should be carried through. Another important conclusion is that the lack of guidelines need to be a subject of conversation between the principal and the staff.Bilaga 1, 2, 4, 8, 11 och 12 saknas i pdf-filen, men finns i det tryckta arbetet

Inducibility of chemical defences by two chewing insect herbivores in pine trees is specific to targeted plant tissue, particular herbivore and defensive trait

There is increasing evidence that plants can react to biotic aggressions with highly specific responses. However, few studies have attempted to jointly investigate whether the induction of plant defences is specific to a targeted plant tissue, plant species, herbivore identity, and defensive trait. Here we studied those factors contributing to the specificity of induced defensive responses in two economically impor- tant pine species against two chewing insect pest herbivores. Juvenile trees of Pinus pinaster andP. radiata were exposed to herbivory by two major pest threats, the large pine weevil Hylobius abietis (a bark-fee- der) and the pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa (a folivore). We quantified in two tissues (stem and needles) the constitutive (control plants) and herbivore-induced concentrations of total polyphenolics, volatile and non-volatile resin, as well as the profile of mono- and sesquiterpenes. Stem chewing by the pine weevil increased concentrations of non-volatile resin, volatile monoterpenes, and (marginally) polyphenolics in stem tissues. Weevil feeding also increased the concentration of non-vol- atile resin and decreased polyphenolics in the needle tissues. Folivory by the caterpillar had no major effects on needle defensive chemistry, but a strong increase in the concentration of polyphenolics in the stem. Interestingly, we found similar patterns for all these above-reported effects in both pine spe- cies. These results offer convincing evidence that induced defences are highly specific and may vary depending on the targeted plant tissue, the insect herbivore causing the damage and the considered defensive compound.Peer reviewe

Effects of methyl jasmonate on the concentration of volatile terpenes in tissues of Maritime pine and Monterey pine and its relation to pine weevil feeding

QC 20181009</p

Variation in Methyl Jasmonate-Induced Defense Among Norway Spruce Clones and Trade-Offs in Resistance Against a Fungal and an Insect Pest

An essential component of plant defense is the change that occurs from a constitutive to an induced state following damage or infection. Exogenous application of the plant hormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has shown great potential to be used as a defense inducer prior to pest exposure, and could be used as a plant protection measure. Here, we examined (1) the importance of MeJA-mediated induction for Norway spruce (Picea abies) resistance against damage by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis, which poses a threat to seedling survival, and infection by the spruce bark beetle-associated blue-stain fungus Endoconidiophora polonica, (2) genotypic variation in MeJA-induced defense (terpene chemistry), and (3) correlations among resistance to each pest. In a semi-field experiment, we exposed rooted-cuttings from nine different Norway spruce clones to insect damage and fungal infection separately. Plants were treated with 0, 25, or 50 mM MeJA, and planted in blocks where only pine weevils were released, or in a separate block in which plants were fungus-inoculated or not (control group). As measures of resistance, stem area debarked and fungal lesion lengths were assessed, and as a measure of defensive capacity, terpene chemistry was examined. We found that MeJA treatment increased resistance to H. abietis and E. polonica, but effects varied with clone. Norway spruce clones that exhibited high constitutive resistance did not show large changes in area debarked or lesion length when MeJA-treated, and vice versa. Moreover, insect damage negatively correlated with fungal infection. Clones receiving little pine weevil damage experienced larger lesion lengths, and vice versa, both in the constitutive and induced states. Changes in absolute terpene concentrations occurred with MeJA treatment (but not on proportional terpene concentrations), however, variation in chemistry was mostly explained by differences between clones. We conclude that MeJA can enhance protection against H. abietis and E. polonica, but the extent of protection will depend on the importance of constitutive and induced resistance for the Norway spruce clone in question. Trade-offs among resistances do not necessarily hinder the use of MeJA, as clones that are constitutively more resistant to either pest, should show greater MeJA-induced resistance against the other.

Resin acids as inducible chemical defences of pine seedlings against chewing insects.

Inducibility of defences in response to biotic stimuli is considered an important trait in plant resistance. In conifers, previous research has mostly focused on the inducibility of the volatile fraction of the oleoresin (mono- and sesquiterpenes), leaving the inducibility of the non-volatile resin acids largely unexplored, particularly in response to real herbivory. Here we investigated the differences in the inducibility of resin acids in two pine species, one native from Europe (Pinus pinaster Ait.) and another from North America (Pinus radiata D. Don), in response to wounding by two European insects: a bark chewer, the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.), and a defoliator, the pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff.). We quantified the constitutive (control) and induced concentrations of resin acids in the stem and needles of both pine species by gas chromatography techniques. Both pine species strongly increased the concentration of resin acids in the stem after pine weevil feeding, although the response was greater in P. pinaster than in P. radiata. However, systemic defensive responses in the needles were negligible in both pine species after pine weevil feeding in the stem. On the other hand, P. radiata locally reduced the resin acid concentration in the needles after pine caterpillar feeding, whereas in P. pinaster resin acid concentration was apparently unaffected. Nevertheless, systemic induction of resin acids was only observed in the stem of P. pinaster in response to pine caterpillar feeding. In summary, pine induced responses were found highly compartmentalized, and specific to herbivore identity. Particularly, plant defence suppression mechanisms by the pine caterpillar, and ontogenetic factors might be potentially affecting the induced response of resin acids in both pine species

Perceptions of Healthcare-Associated Infection and Antibiotic Resistance among Physicians Treating Syrian Patients with War-Related Injuries

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) constitute a major contributor to morbidity and mortality worldwide, with a greater burden on low- and middle-income countries. War-related injuries generally lead to large tissue defects, with a high risk of infection. The aim of this study was to explore how physicians in a middle-income country in an emergency setting perceive HAI and antibiotic resistance (ABR). Ten physicians at a Jordanian hospital supported by M&#233;decins Sans Fronti&#232;res were interviewed face-to-face. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by qualitative content analysis with an inductive and deductive approach. The participants acknowledged risk factors of HAI and ABR development, such as patient behavior, high numbers of injured patients, limited space, and non-compliance with hygiene protocols, but did not express a sense of urgency or any course of action. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics were reported as main contributors to ABR development, but participants expressed no direct interrelationship between ABR and HAI. We conclude that due to high patient load and limited resources, physicians do not see HAI as a problem they can prioritize. The knowledge gained by this study could provide insights for the allocation of resources and development of hygiene and wound treatment protocols in resource-limited settings