| 1. |
- Vågsholm, Ivar, et al.
(author)
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Antimicrobial sensitivity-A natural resource to be protected by a Pigouvian tax?
- 2010
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In: Preventive Veterinary Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5877 .- 1873-1716. ; 96:1-2, s. 41535-41535
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since their discovery more than 70 years ago antibiotic drugs have been efficient tools for treating bacterial infections, and their use has reduced the number of fatalities and the suffering from bacterial diseases. However, the use of antibiotics may lead to resistance to the same or other antibiotics. The risk of resistance appears to be larger in veterinary medicine, since antibiotics have been given as feed-additives in animal production, the amounts given are larger, and the risk of selecting the wrong antibiotic is higher due to lack of diagnostic facilities. Historically, as resistance developed, new classes of antibiotics were developed, but today however, the flow of new substances has slowed. The resistance that arises from antibiotic use is a negative externality or a cost that is not included in the price of antibiotics since it affects the public good of antibiotic sensitivity. The negative externality implies that antibiotic consumption becomes too high. Antibiotic use can be restricted by e.g., prohibiting the use in animal feeding stuffs, prescription only use, or banning the use for animals or by using economic incentives, but restrictions on antibiotic use could have negative effects on the development of new antimicrobials since restrictions might reduce the profitability of such efforts to the pharmaceutical industry. It is therefore of interest to see what economic theory can contribute towards a solution. The objective of this study is to examine if a Pigouvian tax is an option for balancing the externalities and incentives for veterinary drug use. However, as a practical solution, it is suggested to use the costs of developing new antibiotics for determining the tax. The magnitude the tax based on European Union numbers ranges between 29 and 287(sic) per kilogram active substance or between 9 and 86% of the average price of commonly used antibiotics depending on the foreseen period in years (1-10 years) between the development of a new antibiotic drug. Hence, the sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics should be managed as a finite natural resource. A tax based on the expected costs of development new antibiotic substances may offer a practical option for balancing the incentives and externalities of antibiotic use and development. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Barrios Latorre, Sergio Alejandro, et al.
(author)
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Exploring the benefits of intermediate crops : Is it possible to offset soil organic carbon losses caused by crop residue removal?
- 2024
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In: Agricultural Systems. - 0308-521X .- 1873-2267. ; 215
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- CONTEXT: Agriculture plays a central role as a feedstock provider for the bioeconomy. However, utilization competing with food production and associated land use change have previously been a matter of debate. Nonetheless, strengthening the productivity of agroecosystems through sustainable intensification can prevent the depletion of natural resources, enhance food security, and facilitate adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the effects of combining crop residue removal for use as biomass feedstock with the establishment of intermediate crops to compensate for organic carbon depletion in arable land in Sweden. METHODS: The analysis relied on Swedish national agricultural statistics at the highest available spatial resolution (yield survey district). Crop residue calculations factored in crop:residue ratios, and harvestable and recoverable potentials. A model was devised to estimate land availability for cultivating intermediate crops based on generalized crop rotation sequences, and a spatial interpolation was employed to determine oilseed radish yields as a model intermediate crop. Estimates of long-term soil carbon inputs hinged on biomass carbon content and humification coefficients dependent on soil clay content. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The total annual residual biomass availability in the country stands at approximately 2139 kt per year. The potential harvestable biomass production from intermediate crops was estimated at 383 kt per year. However, spatial differences were evident in total biomass production and effects on soil organic carbon inputs. For the majority of districts, the inclusion of intermediate crops could offset the negative effect of a complete removal of crop residues on soil organic carbon inputs. In other cases, establishing intermediate crops could not compensate for these negative effects, but some differences were observed when comparing the harvesting and the incorporation of the intermediate crops' biomass. Spatial disparities originated from variations in soil texture, intermediate crop yield, and rotation sequences. SIGNIFICANCE: This research is an attempt to address the challenge of maintaining and increasing the soil carbon stocks under the context of a growing biomass demand in a developing biobased economy. It highlights the divergent effects of combining crop residue removal with the inclusion of intermediate crops under distinct agroecological conditions in the Northern European context. By giving estimates on biomass availability and effects on soil organic carbon inputs, we provide information that can support decision making for bioeconomy planning and sustainable resource utilization. This also has long-term implications for preservation of soil fertility, agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation.
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| 3. |
- Englund, Oskar, et al.
(author)
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Beneficial land use change: Strategic expansion of new biomass plantations can reduce environmental impacts from EU agriculture
- 2020
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In: Global Environmental Change. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-3780 .- 1872-9495. ; 60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Society faces the double challenge of increasing biomass production to meet the future demands for food, materials and bioenergy, while addressing negative impacts of current (and future) land use. In the discourse, land use change (LUC) has often been considered as negative, referring to impacts of deforestation and expansion of biomass plantations. However, strategic establishment of suitable perennial production systems in agricultural landscapes can mitigate environmental impacts of current crop production, while providing biomass for the bioeconomy. Here, we explore the potential for such “beneficial LUC” in EU28. First, we map and quantify the degree of accumulated soil organic carbon losses, soil loss by wind and water erosion, nitrogen emissions to water, and recurring floods, in ∼81.000 individual landscapes in EU28. We then estimate the effectiveness in mitigating these impacts through establishment of perennial plants, in each landscape. The results indicate that there is a substantial potential for effective impact mitigation. Depending on criteria selection, 10–46% of the land used for annual crop production in EU28 is located in landscapes that could be considered priority areas for beneficial LUC. These areas are scattered all over Europe, but there are notable “hot-spots” where priority areas are concentrated, e.g., large parts of Denmark, western UK, The Po valley in Italy, and the Danube basin. While some policy developments support beneficial LUC, implementation could benefit from attempts to realize synergies between different Sustainable Development Goals, e.g., “Zero hunger”, “Clean water and sanitation”, “Affordable and Clean Energy”, “Climate Action”, and “Life on Land”.
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| 4. |
- Ebitu, Larmbert, et al.
(author)
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Citizen science for sustainable agriculture : A systematic literature review
- 2021
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In: Land use policy. - : Elsevier. - 0264-8377 .- 1873-5754. ; 103
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Farmers as volunteers in research could potentially provide a rich resource for exploring sustainable agricultural research questions. To discern emerging patterns in citizen science-based studies on topics with relevance for sustainable agriculture and reveal salient challenges and opportunities for conducting such studies, we conducted a literature review of 27 articles from the period 2004–2019 of 250 publications screened from Google Scholar. These articles were thematically grouped under the topics: Soil health, climate adaptation, pest/pathogen monitoring, invasive species, inputs and outputs and pollination. Participants’ characteristics, motivations, study design and project outcomes in the reviewed articles were summarized and discussed. Both observational and experimental studies were represented in the articles, while emerging trends point towards field experimentation and ‘Large-N′ trials by lay farmers. Crowdsourcing lends itself to projects where the main role of the public is local visual observations and reporting, such as in pest/pathogen monitoring. Challenges included methodological issues such as validation procedures, but above all motivation, recruitment, and retention of volunteers. Despite the importance of participatory approaches for deeper citizen involvement for sustainability transitions and for the quality of knowledge outcomes, the role of citizens was overall restricted to data collection. Several of the methodologies proposed would be difficult to implement in low-income countries, and relatively few studies pertained to agricultural concerns of the global South. To lend value to farmers' time, we recommend projects relevant to livelihoods, health issues or local farming problems, accompanied by well-structured data feedback protocols, routing study results back to farmers.
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| 5. |
- Happe, Anne-Kathrin, et al.
(author)
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Predatory arthropods in apple orchards across Europe : Responses to agricultural management, adjacent habitat, landscape composition and country
- 2019
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In: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8809 .- 1873-2305. ; 273, s. 141-150
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Local agri-environmental schemes, including hedgerows, flowering strips, organic management, and a landscape rich in semi-natural habitat patches, are assumed to enhance the presence of beneficial arthropods and their contribution to biological control in fruit crops. We studied the influence of local factors (orchard management and adjacent habitats) and of landscape composition on the abundance and community composition of predatory arthropods in apple orchards in three European countries. To elucidate how local and landscape factors influence natural enemy effectiveness in apple production systems, we calculated community energy use as a proxy for the communities' predation potential based on biomass and metabolic rates of predatory arthropods. Predator communities were assessed by standardised beating samples taken from apple trees in 86 orchards in Germany, Spain and Sweden. Orchard management included integrated production (IP; i.e. the reduced and targeted application of synthetic agrochemicals), and organic management practices in all three countries. Predator communities differed between management types and countries. Several groups, including beetles (Coleoptera), predatory bugs (Heteroptera), flies (Diptera) and spiders (Araneae) benefited from organic management depending on country. Woody habitat and IP supported harvestmen (Opiliones). In both IP and organic orchards we detected aversive influences of a high-quality surrounding landscape on some predator groups: for example, high covers of woody habitat reduced earwig abundances in German orchards but enhanced their abundance in Sweden, and high natural plant species richness tended to reduce predatory bug abundance in Sweden and IP orchards in Spain. We conclude that predatory arthropod communities and influences of local and landscape factors are strongly shaped by orchard management, and that the influence of management differs between countries. Our results indicate that organic management improves the living conditions for effective predator communities.
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| 8. |
- Nilsson, Kajsa, et al.
(author)
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Characterisation of non-coagulating milk and effects of milk composition and physical properties on rennet-induced coagulation in Swedish Red Dairy Cattle
- 2019
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In: International Dairy Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0958-6946 .- 1879-0143. ; 95, s. 50-57
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Non-coagulating milk is a serious problem in the cheese industry, since it decreases cheese yield, resulting in decreased economic output. This study evaluated rennet-induced coagulation properties and composition of milk from individual Swedish Red Dairy Cattle. Milk samples from 679 individual cows were rheologically evaluated, of which 18.1% of the cows produced non-coagulating milk and 18.9% produced poor-coagulating milk. This resulted in 37% of the milk samples being non-optimal in cheese production, which is an alarmingly high figure. A comparison between non-coagulating and coagulating milk showed a significantly lower calcium content and less free Ca 2+ in non-coagulating milk. The results provide more information about non- and poor-coagulating milk and will be further used to understand the genetic background of non-coagulating milk and breed against this undesired milk property.
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| 9. |
- Skiöldebrand, Eva, et al.
(author)
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Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein neoepitope in the synovial fluid of horses with acute lameness: A new biomarker for the early stages of osteoarthritis
- 2017
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In: Equine Veterinary Journal. - : Wiley. - 0425-1644 .- 2042-3306. ; 49:5, s. 662-667
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundClinical tools to diagnose the early changes of osteoarthritis (OA) that occur in the articular cartilage are lacking. ObjectivesWe sought to identify and quantify a novel cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) neoepitope in the synovial fluid from the joints of healthy horses and those with different stages of OA. Study designIn vitro quantitative proteomics and assay development with application in synovial fluids samples obtained from biobanks of well-characterised horses. MethodsArticular cartilage explants were incubated with or without interleukin-1 for 25 days. Media were analysed via quantitative proteomics. Synovial fluid was obtained from either normal joints (n = 15) or joints causing lameness (n = 17) or with structural OA lesions (n = 7) and analysed for concentrations of the COMP neoepitope using a custom-developed inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Explants were immunostained with polyclonal antibodies against COMP and the COMP neoepitopes. ResultsSemitryptic COMP peptides were identified and quantified in cell culture media from cartilage explants. A rabbit polyclonal antibody was raised against the neoepitope of the N-terminal portion of one COMP fragment (sequence SGPTHEGVC). An inhibition ELISA was developed to quantify the COMP neoepitope in synovial fluid. The mean concentration of the COMP neoepitope significantly increased in the synovial fluid from the joints responsible for acute lameness compared with normal joints and the joints of chronically lame horses and in joints with chronic structural OA. Immunolabelling for the COMP neoepitope revealed a pericellular staining in the interleukin-1-stimulated explants. Main limitationsThe ELISA is based on polyclonal antisera rather than a monoclonal antibody. ConclusionsThe increase in the COMP neoepitope in the synovial fluid from horses with acute lameness suggests that this neoepitope has the potential to be a unique candidate biomarker for the early molecular changes in articular cartilage associated with OA.
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| 10. |
- Hulting, Greta, et al.
(author)
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Two novel IgG endopeptidases of Streptococcus equi
- 2009
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In: FEMS Microbiology Letters. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1574-6968 .- 0378-1097. ; 298:1, s. 44-50
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes strangles, a highly contagious and serious disease in the upper respiratory tract of horses. Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus, another subspecies of this genus, is regarded as an opportunistic commensal in horses. The present study describes the characterization of two novel immunoglobulin G (IgG) endopeptidases of these subspecies, IdeE2 and IdeZ2. Both enzymes display sequence similarities with two previously characterized IgG endopeptidases, IdeE of S. equi ssp. equi and IdeZ of S. equi ssp. zooepidemicus. IdeE2 and IdeZ2 display high substrate-specificity in comparison with IdeE and IdeZ, as they both completely cleave horse IgG, while the activity against IgG from mouse, rabbit, cat, cow, sheep and goat is low or absent. The potential use of IdeE and IdeE2 as vaccine components was studied in a mouse infection model. In this vaccination and challenge study, both enzymes induced protection against S. equi ssp. equi infection.
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