| 1. |
- Nilsson, R. Henrik, 1976, et al.
(author)
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Mycobiome diversity: high-throughput sequencing and identification of fungi.
- 2019
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In: Nature reviews. Microbiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1740-1534 .- 1740-1526. ; 17, s. 95-109
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fungi are major ecological players in both terrestrial and aquatic environments by cycling organic matter and channelling nutrients across trophic levels. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) studies of fungal communities are redrawing the map of the fungal kingdom by hinting at its enormous - and largely uncharted - taxonomic and functional diversity. However, HTS approaches come with a range of pitfalls and potential biases, cautioning against unwary application and interpretation of HTS technologies and results. In this Review, we provide an overview and practical recommendations for aspects of HTS studies ranging from sampling and laboratory practices to data processing and analysis. We also discuss upcoming trends and techniques in the field and summarize recent and noteworthy results from HTS studies targeting fungal communities and guilds. Our Review highlights the need for reproducibility and public data availability in the study of fungal communities. If the associated challenges and conceptual barriers are overcome, HTS offers immense possibilities in mycology and elsewhere.
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| 2. |
- Lindsjö, Johan, et al.
(author)
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The Dividing Line Between Wildlife Research and Management-Implications for Animal Welfare
- 2019
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In: Frontiers in Veterinary Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2297-1769. ; 6
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wild animals are used for research and management purposes in Sweden and throughout the world. Animals are often subjected to similar procedures and risks of compromised welfare from capture, anesthesia, handling, sampling, marking, and sometimes selective removal. The interpretation of the protection of animals used for scientific purposes in Sweden is based on the EU Directive 2010/63/EU. The purpose of animal use, irrespective if the animal is suffering or not, decides the classification as a research animal, according to Swedish legislation. In Sweden, like in several other European countries, the legislation differs between research and management. Whereas, animal research is generally well-defined and covered in the legislation, wildlife management is not. The protection of wild animals differs depending on the procedure they are subjected to, and how they are classified. In contrast to wildlife management activities, research projects have to implement the 3Rs and must undergo ethical reviews and official animal welfare controls. It is often difficult to define the dividing line between the two categories, e.g., when marking for identification purposes. This gray area creates uncertainty and problems beyond animal welfare, e.g., in Sweden, information that has been collected during management without ethical approval should not be published. The legislation therefore needs to be harmonized. To ensure consistent ethical and welfare assessments for wild animals at the hands of humans, and for the benefit of science and management, we suggest that both research and management procedures are assessed by one single Animal Ethics Committee with expertise in the 3Rs, animal welfare, wildlife population health and One Health. We emphasize the need for increased and improved official animal welfare control, facilitated by compatible legislation and a similar ethical authorization process for all wild animal procedures.
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| 3. |
- Thulin, Carl-Gustaf, et al.
(author)
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Opportunities and challenges with growing wildlife populations and zoonotic diseases in Sweden
- 2015
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In: European Journal of Wildlife Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1612-4642 .- 1439-0574. ; 61, s. 649-656
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In many parts of Europe and North America, populations of large mammals and birds have recovered during recent decades. In Sweden, this has resulted in more wildlife than was historically recorded. This positive development provides a number of opportunities for ecosystem services and for biodiversity. More wildlife also means more interactions with humans, as many birds and mammals may interfere with human interests in the landscape, such as natural resource use. Thus, more wildlife may shift the baseline for societal perception of wildlife. Wildlife species may host pathogens with potential for infecting humans and domestic animals. With increasing knowledge about zoonotic diseases and their dynamics, more scientific, media, and public attention is given to zoonotic processes. We are concerned with how the public image of the wild animals is affected, because many of the recent zoonotic outbreaks connect animal groups to diseases such as avian and swine influenza, lyme disease, and tick-borne encephalitis. The societal focus on zoonotic diseases may increase the fear of the wild and will separate the public further from the outdoors in general and wildlife in particular. Ultimately, we risk a juxtaposition of the overall acceptance of biological diversity and a shifting societal perception of wildlife that could be harmful for life on earth. We therefore suggest multidisciplinary research on societal awareness of zoonotic diseases and its implications for public acceptance for wildlife and biological diversity.
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| 4. |
- Magnusson, Ulf, et al.
(author)
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Endocrine Disruptors in Domestic Animal Reproduction: A Clinical Issue?
- 2015
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In: Reproduction in Domestic Animals. - : Wiley. - 0936-6768 .- 1439-0531. ; 50, s. 15-19
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The objective of this review was to discuss whether endocrine disruption is a clinical concern in domestic animal reproduction. To that end, we firstly summarize the phenomenon of endocrine disruption, giving examples of the agents of concern and their effects on the mammalian reproductive system. Then there is a brief overview of the literature on endocrine disruptors and domestic animal reproduction. Finally, the clinical implications of endocrine disruptors on the reproductive system of farm animals as well as in dogs and cats arc discussed. It is concluded that the evidence for clinical cases of endocrine disruption by chemical pollutants is weak, whereas I or phytooestrogens, it is well established. However, there is concern that particular dogs and cats may be exposed to man-made endocrine disruptors.
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| 5. |
- Fischer, Klara, et al.
(author)
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Where is the Participation in Participatory Epidemiology? How Engagement with Social Science could lead to Improved Understanding and Control of Peste des Petits Ruminants.
- 2016
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In: British Journal of Virology. - : ResearchersLinks Ltd. - 2055-6128. ; 3, s. 105-114
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Peste des Petits ruminants (PPR) is a potentially lethal, highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats. Domestic sheep and goats are important species for the livelihoods of poor people in many developing countries. Within societies where PPR is now spreading, poverty is widespread and the disease is expected to have significant negative impacts on livelihoods. In resource-constrained marginalised societies, it is often difficult to collect disease data in conventional ways. Participatory epidemiology (PE) has been suggested as a particularly suitable research method to study epidemiology and social impacts of diseases in these contexts. However, for PE to achieve its full potential, stronger efforts to achieve true participation and to incorporate lessons about participation and power from the social sciences may be required. This review shows that social science engagement in PE to date is virtually non-existent, but that increased efforts to draw lessons from the social sciences and to increase the degree of participation in PE could increase its potential as an important tool in disease impact assessment and control. Particular attention is paid here to the potential role of PE in future research on the epidemiology and control of PPR.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- McIlwraith, C. Wayne, et al.
(author)
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Biomarkers for equine joint injury and osteoarthritis
- 2018
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In: Journal of Orthopaedic Research. - : Wiley. - 0736-0266 .- 1554-527X. ; 36:3, s. 823-831
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report the results of a symposium aimed at identifying validated biomarkers that can be used to complement clinical observations for diagnosis and prognosis of joint injury leading to equine osteoarthritis (OA). Biomarkers might also predict pre-fracture change that could lead to catastrophic bone failure in equine athletes. The workshop was attended by leading scientists in the fields of equine and human musculoskeletal biomarkers to enable cross-disciplinary exchange and improve knowledge in both. Detailed proceedings with strategic planning was written, added to, edited and referenced to develop this manuscript. The most recent information from work in equine and human osteoarthritic biomarkers was accumulated, including the use of personalized healthcare to stratify OA phenotypes, transcriptome analysis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscal injuries in the human knee. The spectrum of “wet” biomarker assays that are antibody based that have achieved usefulness in both humans and horses, imaging biomarkers and the role they can play in equine and human OA was discussed. Prediction of musculoskeletal injury in the horse remains a challenge, and the potential usefulness of spectroscopy, metabolomics, proteomics, and development of biobanks to classify biomarkers in different stages of equine and human OA were reviewed. The participants concluded that new information and studies in equine musculoskeletal biomarkers have potential translational value for humans and vice versa. OA is equally important in humans and horses, and the welfare issues associated with catastrophic musculoskeletal injury in horses add further emphasis to the need for good validated biomarkers in the horse.
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| 8. |
- Ekman, Stina
(author)
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An Update on the Pathogenesis of Osteochondrosis
- 2015
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In: Veterinary Pathology. - : SAGE Publications. - 0300-9858 .- 1544-2217. ; 52, s. 785-802
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osteochondrosis is defined as a focal disturbance in endochondral ossification. The cartilage superficial to an osteochondrosis lesion can fracture, giving rise to fragments in joints known as osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). In pigs and horses, it has been confirmed that the disturbance in ossification is the result of failure of the blood supply to epiphyseal growth cartilage and associated ischemic chondronecrosis. The earliest lesion following vascular failure is an area of ischemic chondronecrosis at an intermediate depth of the growth cartilage (osteochondrosis latens) that is detectable ex vivo, indirectly using contrast-enhanced micro-and conventional computed tomography (CT) or directly using adiabatic T1 rho magnetic resonance imaging. More chronic lesions of ischemic chondronecrosis within the ossification front (osteochondrosis manifesta) are detectable by the same techniques and have also been followed longitudinally in pigs using plain CT. The results confirm that lesions sometimes undergo spontaneous resolution, and in combination, CT and histology observations indicate that this occurs by filling of radiolucent defects with bone from separate centers of endochondral ossification that form superficial to lesions and by phagocytosis and intramembranous ossification of granulation tissue that forms deep to lesions. Research is currently aimed at discovering the cause of the vascular failure in osteochondrosis, and studies of spontaneous lesions suggest that failure is associated with the process of incorporating blood vessels into the advancing ossification front during growth. Experimental studies also show that bacteremia can lead to vascular occlusion. Future challenges are to differentiate between causes of vascular failure and to discover the nature of the heritable predisposition for osteochondrosis.
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| 9. |
- Hartmann, Elke, et al.
(author)
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Dominance and Leadership: Useful Concepts in Human-Horse Interactions?
- 2017
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In: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0737-0806 .- 1542-7412. ; 52, s. 1-9
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Dominance hierarchies in horses primarily influence priority access to limited resources of any kind, resulting in predictable contest outcomes that potentially minimize aggressive encounters and associated risk of injury. Levels of aggression in group-kept horses under domestic conditions have been reported to be higher than in their feral counterparts but can often be attributed to suboptimal management. Horse owners often express concerns about the risk of injuries occurring in group-kept horses, but these concerns have not been substantiated by empirical investigations. What has not yet been sufficiently addressed are human safety aspects related to approaching and handling group-kept horses. Given horse's natural tendency to synchronize activity to promote group cohesion, questions remain about how group dynamics influence human-horse interactions. Group dynamics influence a variety of management scenarios, ranging from taking a horse out of its social group to the prospect of humans mimicking the horse's social system by taking a putative leadership role and seeking after an alpha position in the dominance hierarchy to achieve compliance. Yet, there is considerable debate about whether the roles horses attain in their social group are of any relevance in their reactions to humans. This article reviews the empirical data on social dynamics in horses, focusing on dominance and leadership theories and the merits of incorporating those concepts into the human-horse context. This will provide a constructive framework for informed debate and valuable guidance for owners managing group-kept horses and for optimizing human-horse interactions. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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| 10. |
- Lindahl, Johanna
(author)
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The consequences of human actions on risks for infectious diseases: a review
- 2015
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In: Infection Ecology & Epidemiology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2000-8686. ; 5
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The human population is growing, requiring more space for food production, and needing more animals to feed it. Emerging infectious diseases are increasing, causing losses in both human and animal lives, as well as large costs to society. Many factors are contributing to disease emergence, including climate change, globalization and urbanization, and most of these factors are to some extent caused by humans. Pathogens may be more or less prone to emergence in themselves, and rapidly mutating viruses are more common among the emerging pathogens. The climate-sensitive vector-borne diseases are likely to be emerging due to climate changes and environmental changes, such as increased irrigation. This review lists the factors within pathogens that make them prone to emergence, and the modes of transmission that are affected. The anthropogenic changes contributing to disease emergence are described, as well as how they directly and indirectly cause either increased numbers of susceptible or exposed individuals, or cause increased infectivity. Many actions may have multiple direct or indirect effects, and it may be difficult to assess what the consequences may be. In addition, most anthropogenic drivers are related to desired activities, such as logging, irrigation, trade, and travelling, which the society is requiring. It is important to research more about the indirect and direct effects of the different actions to understand both the benefits and the risks.
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