| 1. |
- Axelsson Linkowski, Weronika, et al.
(författare)
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Shifting Strategies between Generations in Sami Reindeer Husbandry : the Challenges of Maintaining Traditions while Adapting to a Changing Context
- 2020
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Ingår i: Human Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0300-7839 .- 1572-9915. ; 48, s. 481-490
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many traditional pastoralist systems are greatly impacted by cumulative encroachments of other land users and by climate change. Understanding land degradation and the adaptive capacity of people who are dependent on the rangelands is an urgent priority for many areas in the world. In this research we explore how changing environmental conditions affect herding strategies on winter pastures and the role of indigenous and local traditional knowledge (ILK) in Sami reindeer husbandry. Our results indicate that traditional Sami reindeer herding strategies are still practiced, but that rapidly changing environmental circumstances are forcing herders into uncharted territories where these traditional strategies and the transmission of knowledge between generations may be of limited use. For example, rotational grazing is no longer possible as all pastures are being used, and changes in climate result in unpredictable weather patterns unknown to earlier generations.
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| 2. |
- Dahlström, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Remnant habitats for grassland species in an abandoned Swedish agricultural landscape
- 2010
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Ingår i: Applied Vegetation Science. - 1402-2001 .- 1654-109X. ; 13:3, s. 305-314
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Questions: Which factors influence the persistence of vascular grassland plants in long-abandoned (at least 50 yr) arable fields and meadows? What might be the implications of current levels of species richness on abandoned arable fields and meadows for future restoration? Location: Forested highlands of Kilsbergen, south central Sweden. Methods: The abundance of all vascular plant species was investigated in three habitat types: former arable fields, hay meadows and outlands (pastures) at 27 farms, abandoned for either approximately 50 yr or 90 yr. Time since abandonment, tree cover, soil depth, degree of soil podsol development, size of the infield area and two measures of connectivity were used as predictors for species richness and species composition. Results: Former outland had denser tree cover, fewer species and fewer grassland species than former arable fields and hay meadows, irrespective of time since abandonment. Former hay meadows and arable fields with a longer time since abandonment were less rich in species, more wooded and had greater podsolization than meadows and fields abandoned at a later stage. Species richness was higher in hay meadows and arable fields at farms with larger infield area and deeper soils compared with farms with smaller infield area and shallower soils. The greatest richness of species and most open habitat were former arable fields at larger farms abandoned 50 yr before the study. Former arable fields had the highest number of grassland species. Conclusion: After 50 yr of abandonment, former arable fields were the most important remnant habitats for grassland species and may be a more promising target for restoration than formerly managed grasslands.
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| 3. |
- Kardell, Örjan, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Wolves in the early nineteenth-century county of Jönköping, Sweden
- 2013
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Ingår i: Environment and History. - Isle of Harris : White Horse Press. - 0967-3407 .- 1752-7023. ; 19:3, s. 339-370
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Sweden there has been a vigorous debate concerning management of the wolf (Canis lupus) ever since 1983, when the species was naturally re-established in the country by long-distance dispersal. The contradictory interests are due to a commitment by Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, to protect the wolf, while at the same time wolves arouse fear and hatred among many members of the public because they attack hunting dogs and kill game and livestock. The wolf is expected to increase in numbers and spread over most of Sweden. We argue that modern wolf management would benefit from a historical perspective and our study draws on data from a time when wolves, livestock and people depending on their herds were far more numerous than today. We also discuss aspects of available wolf food supply and territorial size in the early nineteenth century county of Jönköping, Sweden. This is possible by combining hitherto undetected source material on wolves, with a high geographical resolution, with the insights of modern wildlife research. Our main conclusions are that historic wolf territories were in all probability larger than current territories. This was due to a scarcity of large prey, especially during the winter months when livestock were stabled. Past herding practices seem, to a very large extent, to have kept predation on livestock at nearly negligible levels compared to total livestock numbers. This is a significant finding that should be of interest to those concerned with present day wolf management. We also discuss the potential for the future re-establishment of wolves in the studied area.
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| 4. |
- Thalén, Niklas, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Systems biology greatly improve activity of secreted therapeutic sulfatase in CHO bioprocess
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rare diseases are, despite their name, collectively common and millions of people are affected daily of conditions where treatment often is unavailable. Sulfatases are a large family of activating enzymes related to several of these diseases. Heritable genetic variations in sulfatases may lead to impaired activity and a reduced macromolecular breakdown within the lysosome, with several severe and lethal conditions as a consequence. While therapeutic options are scarce, treatment for some sulfatase deficiencies by recombinant enzyme replacement are available. However, such recombinant production of sulfatases suffers greatly from low product activity and yield, further limiting accessibility for patient groups. Here, we have addressed this problem by defining key-proteins necessary for active sulfatase secretion by comparison of CHO clones with different levels of production of active sulfatase. Quantitative transcriptomic analysis highlighted 14 key genes associated with sulfatase production, and experimental validation by co-expression improved the sulfatase enzyme activity by up to 150-fold. Furthermore, a correlation between product mRNA levels and sulfatase activity were observed and expression with lower activity promoters showed an increased in sulfatase activity. The workflow devised is general and we propose it to be useful for resolving bottlenecks in cellular machineries for improvement of cell factories for other biologics as well.
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| 5. |
- Westin, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Management of influenza–updated Swedish guidelines for antiviral treatment
- 2023
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Ingår i: Infectious Diseases. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 2374-4235 .- 2374-4243. ; 55:10, s. 725-737
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Influenza causes seasonal epidemics of respiratory infection in all parts of the world. Manifestations of influenza range from mild upper to severe lower respiratory tract infection. Medical risk groups are defined by factors predisposing for development of severe disease and are recommended annual vaccination as a protective measure. The previous Swedish treatment guidelines for influenza were issued in 2011, and a review of current evidence was deemed relevant. An important reason to revisit the guidelines is the recent approval of a novel drug for influenza treatment, baloxavir. Updated Swedish evidence-based guidelines created by a group of experts from various research areas, for the management of influenza are presented here. The work has been made in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Sweden and the Swedish Reference Group for AntiViral therapy (RAV). The updated guidelines include guidelines for diagnostics, treatment and prophylaxis in special groups, including management of pregnant women and children with influenza. A new section about infection control has been added. Pharmacological treatment is covered in detail with regards to indication and dosage. Additionally, drug resistance and environmental aspects are discussed.
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| 6. |
- Axelsson Linkowski, Weronika, et al.
(författare)
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Wolf and Bear Depredation on Livestock in Northern Sweden 1827-2014 : Combining History, Ecology and Interviews
- 2017
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Ingår i: Land. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-445X. ; 6:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the twenty-first century, large carnivores have increased in human dominated landscapes after being extinct or nearly extinct. This has resulted in increasing numbers of livestock killed by large carnivores. The intent of this paper is to give a land use-historical perspective on the recent livestock-carnivore conflict in boreal Sweden. More specifically we address: (1) depredation risks (livestock killed by carnivores) and (2) local knowledge of how to protect livestock from predation and whether it survived among pastoralists until the present. This study provides numeric information on carnivores, livestock and depredation, combined with oral information from summer farmers about livestock protection. We compare recent (since 1998) and historical (late nineteenth century) depredation rates in two Swedish counties. In Dalarna recent depredation rates are higher than historical rates while the opposite pattern is seen in Jamtland. Recent depredation rates in Dalarna are twice the recent rates in Jamtland, in contrast to the historical situation. Recent and historical depredation rates are of the same order. Summer farmers traditionally graze their livestock in forested areas where carnivores reside. Interviews show that traditional knowledge of how to protect livestock from carnivores was lost during the twentieth century, but recently new knowledge has developed leading to changes in summer farming practices. The carnivore-livestock situation today differs from the historical situation, not so much in levels of depredation, but mainly regarding the possibilities of farmers to face challenges associated with increasing carnivore populations.
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| 7. |
- Benavides, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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The GenTree Leaf Collection : Inter- and intraspecific leaf variation in seven forest tree species in Europe
- 2021
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Ingår i: Global Ecology and Biogeography. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1466-822X .- 1466-8238. ; 30:3, s. 590-597
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Motivation Trait variation within species can reveal plastic and/or genetic responses to environmental gradients, and may indicate where local adaptation has occurred. Here, we present a dataset of rangewide variation in leaf traits from seven of the most ecologically and economically important tree species in Europe. Sample collection and trait assessment are embedded in the GenTree project (EU-Horizon 2020), which aims at characterizing the genetic and phenotypic variability of forest tree species to optimize the management and sustainable use of forest genetic resources. Our dataset captures substantial intra- and interspecific leaf phenotypic variability, and provides valuable information for studying the relationship between ecosystem functioning and trait variability of individuals, and the response and resilience of species to environmental changes. Main types of variable contained We chose morphological and chemical characters linked to trade-offs between acquisition and conservation of resources and water use, namely specific leaf area, leaf size, carbon and nitrogen content and their ratio, and the isotopic signature of stable isotope C-13 and N-15 in leaves. Spatial location and grain We surveyed between 18 and 22 populations per species, 141 in total, across Europe. Time period Leaf sampling took place between 2016 and 2017. Major taxa and level of measurement We sampled at least 25 individuals in each population, 3,569 trees in total, and measured traits in 35,755 leaves from seven European tree species, i.e. the conifers Picea abies, Pinus pinaster and Pinus sylvestris, and the broadleaves Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Populus nigra and Quercus petraea. Software format The data files are in ASCII text, tab delimited, not compressed.
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| 8. |
- Björklund, Peyman, et al.
(författare)
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The internally truncated LRP5 receptor presents a therapeutic target in breast cancer
- 2009
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Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 4:1, s. e4243-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a common malignant disease, which may be caused by a number of genes deregulated by genomic or epigenomic events. Deregulated WNT/beta-catenin signaling with accumulation of beta-catenin is common in breast tumors, but mutations in WNT signaling pathway components have been rare. An aberrantly spliced internally truncated LRP5 receptor (LRP5Delta666-809, LRP5Delta) was shown recently to be resistant to DKK1 inhibition, and was required for beta-catenin accumulation in hyperparathyroid tumors and parathyroid tumor growth. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we show, by reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analysis, that LRP5Delta is frequently expressed in breast tumors of different cancer stage (58-100%), including carcinoma in situ and metastatic carcinoma. LRP5Delta was required in MCF7 breast cancer cells for the non-phosphorylated active beta-catenin level, transcription activity of beta-catenin, cell growth in vitro, and breast tumor growth in a xenograft SCID mouse model. WNT3 ligand, but not WNT1 and WNT3A augmented the endogenous beta-catenin activity of MCF7 cells in a DKK1-insensitive manner. Furthermore, an anti-LRP5 antibody attenuated beta-catenin activity, inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis in LRP5Delta-positive MCF7 and T-47D breast cancer cells, but not in control cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that the LRP5Delta receptor is strongly implicated in mammary gland tumorigenesis and that its aberrant expression present an early event during disease progression. LRP5 antibody therapy may have a significant role in the treatment of breast cancer.
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| 9. |
- Brabec, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Separating Glioma Hyperintensities From White Matter by Diffusion-Weighted Imaging With Spherical Tensor Encoding
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Neuroscience. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1662-4548 .- 1662-453X. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tumor-related hyperintensities in high b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) are radiologically important in the workup of gliomas. However, the white matter may also appear as hyperintense, which may conflate interpretation.Purpose: To investigate whether DWI with spherical b-tensor encoding (STE) can be used to suppress white matter and enhance the conspicuity of glioma hyperintensities unrelated to white matter.Materials and Methods: Twenty-five patients with a glioma tumor and at least one pathology-related hyperintensity on DWI underwent conventional MRI at 3 T. The DWI was performed both with linear and spherical tensor encoding (LTE-DWI and STE-DWI). The LTE-DWI here refers to the DWI obtained with conventional diffusion encoding and averaged across diffusion-encoding directions. Retrospectively, the differences in contrast between LTE-DWI and STE-DWI, obtained at a b-value of 2,000 s/mm2, were evaluated by comparing hyperintensities and contralateral normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) both visually and quantitatively in terms of the signal intensity ratio (SIR) and contrast-to-noise ratio efficiency (CNReff).Results: The spherical tensor encoding DWI was more effective than LTE-DWI at suppressing signals from white matter and improved conspicuity of pathology-related hyperintensities. The median SIR improved in all cases and on average by 28%. The median (interquartile range) SIR was 1.9 (1.6 - 2.1) for STE and 1.4 (1.3 - 1.7) for LTE, with a significant difference of 0.4 (0.3 -0.5) (p < 10-4, paired U-test). In 40% of the patients, the SIR was above 2 for STE-DWI, but with LTE-DWI, the SIR was below 2 for all patients. The CNReff of STE-DWI was significantly higher than of LTE-DWI: 2.5 (2 - 3.5) vs. 2.3 (1.7 - 3.1), with a significant difference of 0.4 (-0.1 -0.6) (p < 10-3, paired U-test). The STE improved CNReff in 70% of the cases. We illustrate the benefits of STE-DWI in three patients, where STE-DWI may facilitate an improved radiological description of tumor-related hyperintensity, including one case that could have been missed out if only LTE-DWI was inspected.Conclusion: The contrast mechanism of high b-value STE-DWI results in a stronger suppression of white matter than conventional LTE-DWI, and may, therefore, be more sensitive and specific for assessment of glioma tumors and DWI-hyperintensities.
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