| 1. |
- Brunberg, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Feather pecking behavior in laying hens : Hypothalamic gene expression in birds performing and receiving pecks
- 2011
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Ingår i: Poultry Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0032-5791 .- 1525-3171. ; 90:6, s. 1145-1152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feather pecking (FP) is a welfare and economic problem in the egg production sector. Beak trimming, the current method used to reduce FP, is also criticized. The present study used gene expression to explore the biological mechanisms underlying this behavior, which could lead to a greater understanding of the cause and a tool to mitigate the problem. White Leghorn hens performing and receiving FP, as well as neutral control birds, were identified on a commercial farm. Hypothalamic RNA from 11 peckers, 10 victims, and 10 controls was hybridized onto GeneChip Chicken Genome Arrays (Affymetrix Inc., Santa Clara, CA) to compare gene expression profiles in the different groups. Eleven transcripts corresponding to 10 genes differed significantly between the 3 groups (adjusted P < 0.05). Eight of these transcripts differed in the peckers compared with the controls, 1 was upregulated in the victims compared with the controls, and 6 differed significantly in the peckers compared with the victims. Additionally, 5 transcripts showed a trend (adjusted P < 0.1) to differ in the pecker-victim comparison. Some of the products of the differently expressed genes are involved in disorders, such as intestinal inflammation and insulin resistance, which fit well with the previously proposed hypothesis that FP is an abnormal foraging behavior. Other findings may also support the proposal that FP is linked to immune mechanisms and may serve as an animal model for obsessive compulsive disorder in humans. In conclusion, this study provides a gene list that may be useful in further research on the mechanisms behind FP.
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| 2. |
- Hellström, Anders R., et al.
(författare)
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Sex-linked barring in chickens is controlled by the CDKN2A/B tumour suppressor locus
- 2010
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Ingår i: Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research. - : Blackwell Publishing Group. - 1755-1471 .- 1755-148X. ; 23:4, s. 521-530
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sex-linked barring, a common plumage colour found in chickens, is characterized by black and white barred feathers. Previous studies have indicated that the white bands are caused by an absence of melanocytes in the feather follicle during the growth of this region. Here we show that Sex-linked barring is controlled by the CDKN2A/B locus, which encodes the INK4b and ARF transcripts. We identified two non-coding mutations in CDKN2A that showed near complete association with the phenotype. Also identified were two missense mutations at highly conserved sites, V9D and R10C, and every bird tested with a confirmed Sex-linked barring phenotype carried one of these missense mutations. Further work is required to determine if one of these or a combined effect of two or more CDKN2A mutations is causing Sex-linked barring. This novel finding provides the first evidence that the tumour suppressor locus CDKN2A/B can affect pigmentation phenotypes and sheds new light on the functional significance of this gene.
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| 3. |
- Nordmark, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Additive effects of the major risk alleles of IRF5 and STAT4 in primary Sjögren's syndrome
- 2009
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Ingår i: Genes and Immunity. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1466-4879 .- 1476-5470. ; 10:1, s. 68-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) shares many features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we investigated the association of the three major polymorphisms in IRF5 and STAT4 found to be associated with SLE, in patients from Sweden and Norway with primary SS. These polymorphisms are a 5-bp CGGGG indel in the promoter of IRF5, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10488631 downstream of IRF5 and the STAT4 SNP rs7582694, which tags the major risk haplotype of STAT4. We observed strong signals for association between all three polymorphisms and primary SS, with odds ratios (ORs) >1.4 and P-values <0.01. We also found a strong additive effect of the three risk alleles of IRF5 and STAT4 with an overall significance between the number of risk alleles and primary SS of P=2.5 × 10−9. The OR for primary SS increased in an additive manner, with an average increase in OR of 1.78. For carriers of two risk alleles, the OR for primary SS is 1.43, whereas carriers of five risk alleles have an OR of 6.78. IRF5 and STAT4 are components of the type I IFN system, and our findings emphasize the importance of this system in the etiopathogenesis of primary SS.
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| 4. |
- Wright, Dominic, et al.
(författare)
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Copy number variation in intron 1 of SOX5 causes the Pea-comb phenotype in chickens
- 2009
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Ingår i: PLoS Genetics. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1553-7390 .- 1553-7404. ; 5:6, s. e1000512-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pea-comb is a dominant mutation in chickens that drastically reduces the size of the comb and wattles. It is an adaptive trait in cold climates as it reduces heat loss and makes the chicken less susceptible to frost lesions. Here we report that Pea-comb is caused by a massive amplification of a duplicated sequence located near evolutionary conserved non-coding sequences in intron 1 of the gene encoding the SOX5 transcription factor. This must be the causative mutation since all other polymorphisms associated with the Pea-comb allele were excluded by genetic analysis. SOX5 controls cell fate and differentiation and is essential for skeletal development, chondrocyte differentiation, and extracellular matrix production. Immunostaining in early embryos demonstrated that Pea-comb is associated with ectopic expression of SOX5 in mesenchymal cells located just beneath the surface ectoderm where the comb and wattles will subsequently develop. The results imply that the duplication expansion interferes with the regulation of SOX5 expression during the differentiation of cells crucial for the development of comb and wattles. The study provides novel insight into the nature of mutations that contribute to phenotypic evolution and is the first description of a spontaneous and fully viable mutation in this developmentally important gene.
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| 5. |
- Wright, Dominic, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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The genetic architecture of domestication in the chicken: effects of pleiotropy and linkage
- 2010
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Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - Oxford : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 19, s. 5140-5156
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The extent of pleiotropy and epistasis in quantitative traits remains equivocal. In the caseof pleiotropy, multiple quantitative trait loci are often taken to be pleiotropic if theirconfidence intervals overlap, without formal statistical tests being used to ascertain ifthese overlapping loci are statistically significantly pleiotropic. Additionally, the degreeto which the genetic correlations between phenotypic traits are reflected in thesepleiotropic quantitative trait loci is often variable, especially in the case of antagonisticpleiotropy. Similarly, the extent of epistasis in various morphological, behavioural andlife-history traits is also debated, with a general problem being the sample sizes requiredto detect such effects. Domestication involves a large number of trade-offs, which arereflected in numerous behavioural, morphological and life-history traits which haveevolved as a consequence of adaptation to selective pressures exerted by humans andcaptivity. The comparison between wild and domestic animals allows the geneticanalysis of the traits that differ between these population types, as well as being ageneral model of evolution. Using a large F2 intercross between wild and domesticatedchickens, in combination with a dense SNP and microsatellite marker map, bothpleiotropy and epistasis were analysed. The majority of traits were found to segregate in11 tight ‘blocks’ and reflected the trade-offs associated with domestication. These blockswere shown to have a pleiotropic ‘core’ surrounded by more loosely linked loci. Incontrast, epistatic interactions were almost entirely absent, with only six pairs identifiedover all traits analysed. These results give insights both into the extent of such blocks inevolution and the development of domestication itself.
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| 6. |
- Bishop, Kevin, et al.
(författare)
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Nature as the "Natural" Goal for Water Management : A Conversation
- 2009
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Ingår i: Ambio. - : Springer Netherlands. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; Volume 38:Issue 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The goals for water-quality and ecosystem integrity are often defined relative to "natural" reference conditions in many water-management systems, including the European Union Water Framework Directive. This paper examines the difficulties created for water management by using "natural" as the goal. These difficulties are articulated from different perspectives in an informal (fictional) conversation that takes place after a workshop on reference conditions in water-resources management. The difficulties include defining the natural state and modeling how a system might be progressed toward the natural, as well as the feasibility and desirability of restoring a natural state. The paper also considers the appropriateness for developing countries to adopt the use of natural as the goal for water management. We conclude that failure to critically examine the complexities of having "natural" as the goal will compromise the ability to manage the issues that arise in real basins by not making the ambiguities associated with this "natural" goal explicit. This is unfortunate both for the western world that has embraced this model of "natural as the goal" and for the developing world in so far as they are encouraged to adopt this model.
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| 7. |
- Brunberg, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Brain gene expression differences are associated with abnormal tail biting behavior in pigs
- 2013
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Ingår i: Genes, Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 1601-1848 .- 1601-183X. ; 12:2, s. 275-281
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge about gene expression in animals involved in abnormal behaviors can contribute to the understanding of underlying biological mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the motivational background to tail biting, an abnormal injurious behavior and severe welfare problem in pig production. Affymetrix microarrays were used to investigate gene expression differences in the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex of pigs performing tail biting, pigs receiving bites to the tail and neutral pigs who were not involved in the behavior. In the hypothalamus, 32 transcripts were differentially expressed (P<0.05) when tail biters were compared with neutral pigs, 130 when comparing receiver pigs with neutrals, and two when tail biters were compared with receivers. In the prefrontal cortex, seven transcripts were differently expressed in tail biters when compared with neutrals, seven in receivers vs. neutrals and none in the tail biters vs. receivers. In total, 19 genes showed a different expression pattern in neutral pigs when compared with both performers and receivers. This implies that the functions of these may provide knowledge about why the neutral pigs are not involved in tail biting behavior as performers or receivers. Among these 19 transcripts were genes associated with production traits in pigs (PDK4), sociality in humans and mice (GTF2I) and novelty seeking in humans (EGF). These are in line with hypotheses linking tail biting with reduced back fat thickness and explorative behavior.
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| 8. |
- Eriksson, D, et al.
(författare)
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Extended exome sequencing identifies BACH2 as a novel major risk locus for Addison's disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 286:6, s. 595-608
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Autoimmune disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands are targeted by destructive autoimmunity. Despite being the most common cause of primary adrenal failure, little is known about its aetiology.METHODS: To understand the genetic background of Addison's disease, we utilized the extensively characterized patients of the Swedish Addison Registry. We developed an extended exome capture array comprising a selected set of 1853 genes and their potential regulatory elements, for the purpose of sequencing 479 patients with Addison's disease and 1394 controls.RESULTS: We identified BACH2 (rs62408233-A, OR = 2.01 (1.71-2.37), P = 1.66 × 10(-15) , MAF 0.46/0.29 in cases/controls) as a novel gene associated with Addison's disease development. We also confirmed the previously known associations with the HLA complex.CONCLUSION: Whilst BACH2 has been previously reported to associate with organ-specific autoimmune diseases co-inherited with Addison's disease, we have identified BACH2 as a major risk locus in Addison's disease, independent of concomitant autoimmune diseases. Our results may enable future research towards preventive disease treatment.
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| 9. |
- Svensson, Catarina, et al.
(författare)
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Veterinary herd health management : Experience among farmers and farm managers in Swedish dairy production
- 2018
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Ingår i: Preventive Veterinary Medicine. - : Elsevier. - 0167-5877 .- 1873-1716. ; 155, s. 45-52
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A preventive herd health approach will most likely reduce incidences of clinical and subclinical disease. Swedish veterinary organizations offer specific veterinary herd health management (HHM) programs, but these services are not used to a large extent. The aim of this study was to investigate dairy farmers' experience of HHM and the conditions for collaboration with veterinarians in HHM. Six focus group discussions were conducted in March 2015 in West Sweden. In total, 33 dairy farmers participated. The recordings were transcribed and coded using thematic analysis, and the transcripts were reviewed to identify potential factors indicating barriers for farmers to engage a veterinarian in HHM. The participants reported HHM to be important, but they had difficulty defining the actions included in the concept. They described a wide range of their work duties as preventive. The farmers' list of potential contributions by the veterinarians in HHM was strikingly short compared to the considerable number of preventive measures they performed themselves. Four main obstacles for farmers and farm managers to engage a veterinarian in HHM on their farm were identified in the analysis: "costs", "veterinary knowledge, skills, and organization", "farmer attitudes", and "veterinarian-farmer relationships". Costs were proposed as the main reason against engaging a veterinarian in HHM and included a high veterinary bill, low cost-benefit of veterinary services, and high costs to implement advice. Poor veterinary competence in HHM and poor knowledge about effective measures, practical farming, and farm economics were other important obstacles. Veterinarians were perceived to insufficiently describe their services and their benefits, and several participants felt they had never been offered veterinary HHM. Although veterinary HHM may be initiated by the farmer, the participants expected the veterinarian to have special responsibility for the initiation. A firm trust between farmer, staff, and veterinarian was considered crucial for veterinary HHM, but such trust takes a long time to build and can easily be disrupted by, for example, a veterinarian's poor communication skills or lack of time. Our findings suggest that Swedish dairy farmers and herd managers find disease prevention important and that they perform a wide range of tasks to prevent disease in their animals. However, they do not see what role the veterinarian can play, and veterinarians were mainly associated with treating unhealthy cows. In order to increase the use of veterinary HHM programs the services and potential benefits of such programs need to be communicated more proactively.
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| 10. |
- Malmborg, Katja, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Knowledge co-production in the Helge å catchment : a comparative analysis
- 2022
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Ingår i: Ecosystems and People. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2639-5908 .- 2639-5916. ; 18:1, s. 565-582
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Addressing sustainability challenges in landscape management requires processes for co-producing usable knowledge together with those who will use that knowledge. Participatory futures methods are powerful tools for attaining such knowledge. The applications of such methods are diverse and understanding the intricacies of the knowledge co-production process is important to further develop these research practices. To improve participatory futures methods and contribute to systematic and critical reflections on methodology, we present a comparative analysis of four research projects that applied participatory futures methods in the same study area. Conducted between 2011 and 2020, these projects aimed to co-produce knowledge about the future provision of ecosystem services in the Helge a catchment area in southern Sweden. For structuring the post-hoc, self-reflexive analysis, we developed a framework dividing the knowledge co-production process into three dimensions: settings, synthesis and diffusion. We based the analysis on documentation from the projects, a two-step questionnaire to each research team, a workshop with co-authors and interviews with key participants. The comparison highlights steps in project decision-making, explicit and implicit assumptions in our respective approaches and how these assumptions informed process design in the projects. Our detailed description of the four knowledge co-production processes points to the importance of flexibility in research design, but also the necessity for researchers and other participants to adapt as the process unfolds.
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