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| 2. |
- Bergström, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 Infections during Differentiation of Human Cortical Neurons
- 2021
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Ingår i: Viruses-Basel. - : MDPI AG. - 1999-4915. ; 13:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and 2 (HSV-2) can infect the central nervous system (CNS) with dire consequences; in children and adults, HSV-1 may cause focal encephalitis, while HSV-2 causes meningitis. In neonates, both viruses can cause severe, disseminated CNS infections with high mortality rates. Here, we differentiated human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) towards cortical neurons for infection with clinical CNS strains of HSV-1 or HSV-2. Progenies from both viruses were produced at equal quantities in iPSCs, neuroprogenitors and cortical neurons. HSV-1 and HSV-2 decreased viability of neuroprogenitors by 36.0% and 57.6% (p < 0.0001), respectively, 48 h post-infection, while cortical neurons were resilient to infection by both viruses. However, in these functional neurons, both HSV-1 and HSV-2 decreased gene expression of two markers of synaptic activity, CAMK2B and ARC, and affected synaptic activity negatively in multielectrode array experiments. However, unaltered secretion levels of the neurodegeneration markers tau and NfL suggested intact axonal integrity. Viral replication of both viruses was found after six days, coinciding with 6-fold and 22-fold increase in gene expression of cellular RNA polymerase II by HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. Our results suggest a resilience of human cortical neurons relative to the replication of HSV-1 and HSV-2.
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| 3. |
- Christiernsson, Anna
(författare)
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Rättens förhållande till komplexa och dynamiska ekosystem : En studie om rättsliga förutsättningar för adaptiv och ekosystembaserad reglering och planering för bevarandet av biologisk mångfald vid jakt
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biological diversity, i.e., the variety of genes, species and ecosystems, is fundamental to all life on Earth. The conservation of biodiversity is consequently recognized both in national and international law as one of the prerequisites for achieving a sustainable development. However, the decrease in biodiversity is continuing, at all levels. One hypothesis for the failures is the lack of consistency between ecological and legal criteria, in particular regarding the incorporation of legal criteria relating to the complex and dynamic characteristics of ecosystems. A first purpose of this thesis is therefore to analyze whether the legislation on hunting and management of wildlife populations is developed with enough respect to ecological criteria necessary for achieving the goal of conserving biodiversity, at all levels. This also includes an assessment of legal preconditions for adaptive management as a means of handling ecosystem dynamics and limited ecosystem knowledge. Both national and EC legislation on hunting and management of wildlife populations have been included in the analysis. The result of the analysis shows that there are considerable differences between legal and ecological criteria, especially on the ecosystem-level, both in Swedish law and EU-law. However, the deficits are even more profound in Swedish law. The legislation is mainly concerned with the use of single wildlife species and there are few legal obligations to preserve or to consider interspecies relations, ecosystem functions or other ecosystemic characteristics. However, even on the species-level there are few legal requirements to guarantee that sustainable ecological limits are not infringed due to hunting decisions. The analysis also shows that there are few substantial legal requirements for ensuring adaptive management. There is therefore a risk that the necessary adjustments to eliminate environmental goal deficits will not be achieved. The analysis furthermore shows that the Environmental Code, with its general rules of consideration and the goal to preserve biodiversity, in principle, has an important function in forcing decision-making towards an increased ecosystem approach. However, as the Code lacks efficient instruments for control and enforcement related to hunting specifically, the Code has no essential impact on decisions on hunting in practice. A second purpose of the thesis is to discuss new legal approaches to wildlife management. To achieve this purpose a study of environmental legislation on the management of natural resources in New Zeeland, with emphasis on planning systems, has been conducted. From the result of the study, several implications for the development of Swedish law can be drawn. It is for example concluded that an increased integration between the regulation on hunting and wildlife management and the Environmental Code, can be an efficient way of achieving holistic and ecosystemic decision-making. Such integration is suggested either through including environmental hunting rules under the Environmental Code or through developing a new legal framework for the regulation, planning and management of wildlife, with functions to secure horizontal integration with the Code and other relevant sectoral laws (such as the Forest Act). Another conclusion is that a top-down-approach in the legislation is necessary, given that the goal of biodiversity is to be achieved. A lack of a top-down approach in the legal system will increase the risk that overriding complex and dynamic ecosystem goals are neglected at the lower administrative levels due to conflicts with other interests. However, it is also promoted that the legislation at the central level should be conducted as a framework legislation, leaving responsibility to regional or local levels to determine the specifics, in particular where ecological preconditions differ between areas or when detailed rules cannot be expected to hold for a long time. Given the non-linearity, unpredictable changes, uncertainty and lack of ecosystem knowledge, especially on the ecosystem level, too detailed regulation may in fact even counteract the achievement of the biodiversity goal. However, when a legislation is of framework character, it is important that it also include guiding principles, clear legal definitions and legal standards to steer the decision-making at lower levels. Such guiding rules must also be complemented with requirements of regulations and decision-making at lower levels to be consistent with higher levels. When possible and necessary, legal limits to ensure that the use of wildlife resources and biodiversity are maintained within ecological sustainable limits, should be included. A legal planning system is here promoted for achieving complex and dynamic goals in relation to wildlife regulation and management. Such a planning system must be ecosystemic and include functions for adaptive management. If so, it can be a legal approach for vertical integration and full implementation of legal requirements which are in consistency with the framework goals. Such a planning system should also be developed with the purpose to implement EU-requirements. In general a more clear and precise implementation of EU-law is motivated, not only from a legal perspective, but from a goal fulfillment perspective as well, considering that legal criteria on the EU-level in some aspects are more consistent with ecological criteria. The overall purpose of this thesis is thus to contribute to the discussion on new legal approaches for wildlife management that will achieve international, EU- and national goals on the preservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.
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| 6. |
- Edvardsson Björnberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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12. What are the prospects for using the ‘opt-out mechanism’ of Directive (EU) 2015/412 based on ethical or religious grounds?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Sustainable governance and management of food systems. - The Netherlands : Wageningen Academic Publishers. - 9789086868926 - 9789086863419 ; , s. 95-100
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2015, Directive (EU) 2015/412 was introduced into the European Union GMO regulatory framework. Article 26b(3) of the directive, now incorporated into Directive 2001/18/EC, gives the EU member states a possibility to restrict the cultivation of already authorized GMOs within their territories under certain conditions. The measures must be in conformity with Union law, reasoned, proportional and non-discriminatory, and they must be based on so-called ‘compelling grounds’. The amendment directive spells out a number of such grounds, including environmental or agricultural policy objectives and socioeconomic impacts. However, the list of compelling grounds is non-exhaustive, which opens up for other possible grounds for territorial restrictions, such as religious or ethical grounds. In this paper, we explore how a possible case for territorial restriction based on ethical or religious grounds could be constructed. We comment briefly on the prospects of getting such as case accepted by the CJEU, bearing in mind the Court’s ruling in case C-165/08 (Commission v Poland).
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| 7. |
- Edvardsson Björnberg, Karin, Docent, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Consistent risk regulation? Differences in the European regulation of food crops
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Risk Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1366-9877 .- 1466-4461. ; 22:12, s. 1561-1570
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the EU legal system, there is a large difference between the procedures and requirements for the introduction of crops that are classified as genetically modified (GM) and crops not so classified. In order to investigate whether this regulatory divide is compatible with real risks two cases of GM crops and two cases of non-GM crops are scrutinized. It is concluded that the regulatory divide cannot be justified from the viewpoint of risk assessment, since the GM/non-GM dichotomy is not an accurate indicator of either health risk or environmental risk. Much better such indicators are available and should form the basis of a legislation aimed at preventing the introduction of crops that are harmful for human health or the environment. If the legislator has other reasons to regulate GM crops differently than conventional crops, then those reasons should be stated in the legislation and determine the types of measures that it prescribes.
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| 9. |
- Forsberg, Maria, 1974-
(författare)
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Skogen som livsmiljö : En rättsvetenskaplig studie om skyddet för biologisk mångfald
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Globally, species are being eradicated at an accelerated rate, up to 1000 times faster than the rate of natural species loss. This is primarily due to the reduction and degradation of species habitats. As biodiversity decreases, ecosystems risk losing significant ecological processes and functions, such as natural water purification. As a response to this pressing environmental problem, the international community has set a goal of halting the loss of biological diversity by 2020. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the current legal protection for biological diversity in forests and demonstrate how the goal of halting the loss of biodiversity can be implemented through law. In order to identify where legal measures might fall short of their goal or protecting biodiversity, the point of departure for this study has been to identify certain ecological structures of forest ecosystems that can be said to be of major importance for the conservation of biological diversity. The chosen structures represent not only levels on a spatial scale, but also reflect the need for separate regulatory techniques, if protection of biological diversity is to be formulated appropriately.One important legal issue addressed in this dissertation is how the legal protection of these ecological structures can be strengthened in relation to property rights. Furthermore, management of natural resources must address the complexity and uncertainties of ecosystems. How the legal system can meet such uncertainties, while ensuring legal certainty, is one of the topics addressed in this thesis.Adaptive management has been said to be a necessary tool for handling the complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems in the absence of complete knowledge or understanding of their functioning. Such management is also essential to handle the conflict of preserving biological diversity while meeting increasing demands on forest resources. By introducing legal requirements for adaptive environmental planning, I believe, the sustainable use of forest resources can more likely be ensured.
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