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Hormone treatment of anovulatory anestrus in dairy cows : a systematic review
Get PDFI denne litteraturstudien ønsket vi å undersøke hvilken effekt ulike hormonelle behandlingsregimer ved behandling av anovulatorisk anøstrus (AA) har på drektighetsresultatet hos melkekyr. Det ble utført et litteratursøk på tre ulike databaser: Web of Science, Pubmed og Scopus. Resultatet fra søket inkluderte totalt 539 artikler. Gjennom fjerning av duplikater og ekskludering av artikler basert på tittel, abstrakt og fulltekst ble søket snevret inn til ni artikler. Disse dannet grunnlaget for litteraturstudien. Alle inkluderte publikasjoner beskriver eksperimentelle kliniske studier som undersøker hormonbehandling av melkekyr i AA.
De ulike studiene undersøker et bredt spekter av hormonbehandlinger, og det varierer om behandlingsregimene utøver en signifikant effekt på drektighetsprosent. Én studie viser at addering av ekstra gonadotropiner til en progesteronmodifisert Ovsynch gir økt drektighetsprosent, mens en annen studie viser at humant koriongonadotropin (hCG) gir bedre drektighetsresultat enn gonadotropinfrigjørende hormon (GnRH). Én studie viser at presynkronisering med prostaglandin F2 alfa (PGF2α) gir høyere drektighetsprosent enn ingen presynkronisering. En annen studie viser at behandling med et progesteronholdig øreimplantat gir økt drektighetsresultat sammenliknet med ingen behandling. En del av studiene viser ingen signifikant forskjell i drektighetsresultat mellom ulike intervensjoner.VE
Managing engagement among public, private and civil society actors participating in NewTools: a research partnership on food profiling
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Play behaviour of dairy calves in different housing systems
Get PDFPlay may be considered a context-specific positive animal welfare indicator. The aim of this study was to describe play in 3 different housing systems. The study included 4 batches with 3 treatment groups of 6 calves. Calves were raised either following minimal Norwegian standards (Minimal, 2.4m2 individual pens, 7L milk/d), with peer contact (Peer, 23.1m2, ad libitum milk 4x1h/d), or with cow-calf contact (Cow-Contact; 133.5m2 free-stall pen, whole-day contact with their dams, milk from suckling).
It was predicted that calves raised with peers, or their dams would perform higher frequencies and durations of play elements, with greater behavioural diversity, than calves raised alone. From 12-h focal animal video recordings (07:00-19:00 h), the total frequencies of running, jumping, bucking, kicking, head tossing, and head butting, and durations of running and head butting performed by 2 randomly selected 3-week-old calves/group (N = 8 calves/treatment) were scored using Behavioural Research Interactive Software (BORIS). The total duration of locomotor play and all play was calculated in addition to the Shannon Diversity Index for play behaviour diversity. Data were analysed in RStudio using generalised linear mixed models with pairwise comparisons. To further investigate treatment differences in the diversity and organisation of the different play behaviours, visualisations were performed using network analysis, transition matrices and a Principal Component Analysis.
Peer and Cow-Contact calves performed more frequent and longer durations of running than Minimal calves. Jumping was most frequent in Minimal calves, followed by Peer, and least in Cow-Contact calves. Bucking and kicking were rare and showed no treatment differences. Peer calves had the highest frequency of head tossing and the longest duration of locomotor play. The frequency and duration of head butting was also highest in the Peer calves. Total play duration was greatest in Peer calves, intermediate in Cow-Contact, and lowest in Minimal. As predicted, play diversity was higher in Peer and Cow-Contact calves than in Minimal calves.
The results show that play elements varied in different ways in the three housing systems, likely influenced by differences in space for rapid locomotion, milk availability, and social opportunities. Play may have been difficult for the Minimal calves to perform due to environmental and social constraints. While Peer and Cow-Contact calves differed in some play elements, they both showed high play diversity, though their performance of other positive welfare measures may have differed
Samhandlingsarenaer som verktøy i transformasjonsområder - En casestudie av Hovinbyen Sirkulære Oslo
Get PDFFleksible og tverrsektorielle samarbeidsformer er nøkkelen til å sikre helhetlig transformasjon i moderne byutvikling. I en tid preget av klimaendringer, befolkningsvekst og begrensede arealer for utvidelse, utfordres byutviklingen av stadig mer komplekse forhold. Transformasjon og fortetting har etablert seg som sentrale strategier for å sikre bærekraftig arealbruk. Samtidig innebærer overgangen til en prosjektbasert byutvikling at eksisterende plan- og styringsmodeller utfordres. Private aktører initierer og utvikler prosjekter, mens offentlige myndigheter fastsetter overordnede rammer og reguleringer som styrer byutviklingen. Samspillet mellom aktørene er avgjørende for å sikre helhetlig utvikling. Dette understreker behovet for fleksible og tverrsektorielle samarbeidsformer, særlig i komplekse transformasjonsområder.
Studien tar utgangspunkt i Hovinbyen, som representerer Norges største byutviklingsprosjekt og er utpekt som et av tre innovasjonsdistrikt i Oslo. Området er preget av høy kompleksitet, fragmenterte eiendomsforhold og et mangfold av aktører. Denne studien undersøker hvordan samhandlingsarenaer fungerer som verktøy i utviklingen av transformasjonsområder.
Hovinbyen Sirkulære Oslo (HSO) er en hybrid samhandlingsarena som opererer i skjæringspunktet mellom offentlig og privat sektor. Med Hovinbyen Sirkulære Oslo som case, undersøkes arenaens evne til å fremme tverrsektorielt samarbeid mellom ulike aktører. Gjennom kvalitative metoder, i form av intervju og dokumentanalyse, har vi analysert hvilken rolle, funksjon og gjennomføringskraft HSO har i møte med Oslo kommune som en formell institusjon. Med utgangspunkt i det teoretiske rammeverket har vi utarbeidet synteser som legger grunnlaget for å tolke, analysere og sammenligne empiriske funn.
Funnene viser at HSO fungerer som et bindeledd mellom offentlig og privat sektor. Gjennom relasjonsbygging, kunnskapsutveksling og innovative løsninger bidrar arenaen til økt samhandling mellom aktører i Hovinbyen. Studiens funn viser imidlertid at HSO møter barrierer knyttet til institusjonelle og relasjonelle forhold. Med institusjonelle forhold siktes det til Oslo kommunens styringsmodell og deres interne organisering, samt Hovinbyen sin politiske forankring. De relasjonelle forholdene omfatter asymmetriske makt- og tillitsforhold mellom HSO og Oslo kommune. Studien peker på at barrierene svekker HSO sin gjennomføringskraft.Flexible and cross-sectoral collaboration is essential for achieving comprehensive transformation in modern urban development. As cities face increasing challenges due to climate change, population growth and limited space, transformation and densification have become key strategies for sustainable land use. At the same time, the move toward project- based development challenges traditional planning and governance models. Private actors initiate and develop projects, while public authorities provide overarching frameworks and regulations. Their interaction is crucial for integrated development, highlighting the need for adaptable and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Hovinbyen is used as the empirical case for this study, representing the largest urban development project in Norway and one of three innovation districts in Oslo. The area is characterized by high complexity, fragmented land ownership and a broad diversity of actors. The study explores how collaborative arenas serve as tools in transformation areas.
Hovinbyen Sirkulære Oslo (HSO) is a hybrid collaborative arena operating at the intersection of the public and private sectors. This study examines HSO’s ability to facilitate cross- sectoral collaboration among stakeholders. Using qualitative methods including interviews and document analysis, we analyze HSO’s role in relation to formal governance structures. Based on the theoretical framework, we have developed syntheses that form the foundation for understanding, analyzing, and comparing empirical findings.
Our findings show that HSO functions as a link between public and private sectors. Through relationship-building, knowledge exchange and innovative solutions, the arena contributes to enhanced collaboration among actors in Hovinbyen. However, the findings also indicate that HSO faces barriers related to institutional and relational conditions. The institutional conditions refer to Oslo’s governance model, internal organizational structure and the political integration of Hovinbyen. The r elational conditions involve power and trust imbalances between public and private actors involved in HSO. The study indicates that these barriers limit HSO's capacity for effective and successful implementation
Why We Don’t Change: A Behavioral Explanation of Urban Climate Adaptation Failure
Get PDFDespite extensive awareness and solutions, urban adaptation activities in the midst of the climate crisis frequently fail at achieving systemic change and resilience. This thesis contends that such failures stem from predictable patterns of human behavior, and not merely institutional or technical factors. Urban planning systems tasked with climate adaptation often routinely tend to (re)produce risk, reward, and uncertainty—giving psychological comfort and legitimacy precedence over structural transformation. The research addresses a pivotal void between urban planning/governance as a governance instrument and behavioral/decision-making science as an intermediary for interpretation. It posits that planning failures—primarily greenwashing—can be explained through a four-layered theoretical framework that draws amongst on neurology (biology), cognition, ideology, institutional design—and the correlation between these disciplines. The thesis utilizes a comparative multi-case study that is a qualitative, theory-driven literature analysis of secondary sources, supplemented by a simplified IAD framework of Forest City, Malaysia; Masdar City, UAE; and Vancouver, Canada. The findings of the case study highlight how biological, psychological and sociocultural mechanisms mold polices. Namely, the cases present a status quo characterized by symbolic action, short-term thinking & temporal discounting, inflexibility of dominant paradigms/ideology, bi-nary human–nature mindset, planning slanted towards elite interests. Such patterns highlight the papers fundamental assertion of how institutions frequently replicate the cognitive and ideological defaults of their constituents. The evidence signals that failure in climate adaptation is structurally embedded and not arbitrary: i.e., what is safe from an ideological standpoint, cognitively efficient, and biologically familiar is typically (re)produced by institutions and so projected into culture. The thesis concludes that rectifying such failures requires an approach that transcends policy change. It urges institutions to be cognizant of innate behavioral limitations, incorporate behavioral literacy, and a readiness to question the presumptions behind the planning processes. The epilogue provides a personal, firsthand assessment of these predicaments and the depth of introspection needed for such changes to materialize
Utvikling av værtilpasset kjøpsstrategi i Trøndelag
Get PDFSkogbruket preges i økende grad av uforutsigbare værforhold og klimaendringer, noe som utfordrer eksisterende skogbrukspraksis for avvirkning og planlegging. Denne masteroppgaven undersøker hvordan man kan utvikle en væravhengig kjøpsstrategi for skogbruket i Trøndelag, med hovedmål å redusere kostnader knyttet til skogsdrift og samtidig ikke redusere leveransepresisjonen. Ved å kombinere næringsaktører sine erfaringer ble det definert 4 bæreevneklasser som beskriver avvirkningstidspunkt for regionale værtyper. Klassene baseres på jordart og dybde til vann der begge datakilder er offentlig.
Studien inndeles i 3 hoveddeler: 1. Kartlegge kriterier for væravhengig tilgjengelighet. 2. Analyser for sesongvariasjon av historisk avvirkning. 3. Effekten av kjøpsstrategi for produksjonsvolum og kostnader. Simuleringene viser at kjøpsstrategien kan gi både redusert eller økt variasjon i månedlig produksjon. Simuleringene viser også at summert flytteavstand økte (597 til 753 km), men gjennomsnittlig kostnad per kubikkmeter var marginalt endret. Merkostnader for væravhenging terrengtransport sank med økende planleggingshorisont (fra 8-20 til 3-5 kr/m³). Merkostnad for sporpussing sank også med økende planleggingshorisont (fra 8-22 til 4-5 kr/m³)
Bæreevneklassifisering burde utvikles og kvalitetssikres videre for praktisk bruk. Oppgaven konkluderer med at væravhengig kjøpsstrategi kan bidra til lønnsommere skogsdrift, og anbefaler videre implementering og forskning på lignende strategier i og utenfor Trøndelag.Forestry is increasingly affected by unpredictable weather conditions and climate change, which challenge existing practices for harvesting and planning. This master’s thesis investigates how a weather-adapted purchasing strategy can be developed for the forestry sector in Trøndelag, with the main goal of reducing operational costs without reducing delivery precision relocation expenses. By combining insights from industry actors, four bearing capacity classes were defined to describe suitable harvesting periods for regional weather types. These classes are based on soil type and groundwater depth, using publicly available data sources.
The study is divided into three main parts: 1. Mapping criteria for weather-dependent accessibility. 2. Analyzing seasonal variation in historical harvesting. 3. Assessing the effects of a purchasing strategy on production volume and costs. The simulations show that the purchasing strategy can result in either reduced or increased variation in monthly production. While the total relocation distance increased (from 597 to 753 km), the average cost per cubic meter changed only marginally. Additional costs for weather variable terraintransport decreased with a longer planning horizon (from 8-20 to 3-5 NOK/m³), and wheel track repair costs also declined (from 8-22 to 4-5 NOK/m³)
Bearing capacity classification should be further developed and quality assured for practical use. The thesis concludes that a weather-adapted purchasing strategy can contribute to more profitable forestry operations and recommends further implementation and research on similar strategies both within and beyond Trøndelag
Bioassays with salmon lice copepodids in microtiter plates
Get PDFThe excessive use of antiparasitic agents over the years has led to increasing resistance towards several medicinal products in salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis), an ectoparasite of significant concern in salmon aquaculture.
Bioassays are a commonly used experimental method to measure the effects of antiparasitic agents on salmon lice. Typically, this involves filling 1 L glass bottles with seawater and the desired concentrations of the substance, followed by the addition of mobile life stages of the salmon lice. Over the years, various adaptations to measure the desired have been developed, including single-dose assays and time-to-effect assays. However, all of these assays require adult or preadult salmon lice, which can be challenging and labor-intensive to collect. This study aimed to develop a novel bioassay method to assess the effects of chemical compounds on the copepodite life stage, and to compare this with an existing bioassay protocol for pre-adult and adult salmon lice.
The novel bioassay protocol was established using microtiter plates, and nine pyrethroids and the macrocyclic lactone emamectin benzoate were tested. For deltamethrin and emamectin benzoate, the bioassay results for copepodites were compared to bioassay results for the preadult life stage in a lab reared strain fully sensitive to all tested substances and a lab reared resistant strain. We observed a difference in sensitivity between copepodites and preadults for deltamethrin and emamectin benzoate, both for resistant and sensitive lice.
The copepodite bioassays proved to be faster, more resource-efficient, requiring less water and very low amounts of the compounds, making them an effective tool for screening new compounds and evaluating substance tolerance in lab facilities. Small modifications needed for implementation in the field is also discussed and can make the use of bioassays as a method for evaluation of tolerance more efficient.VET-FORS
Autoantistoffer ved ervervet polynevropati hos hest : innsikt fra studier av primære Schwann-cellekulturer
Get PDFAcquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP) is the most prevalent polyneuropathy in horses in the Nordic countries. Clinically, the disease is characterized by pelvic limb knuckling without signs of systemic illness. Histopathological changes in peripheral nerve tissue include inflammatory demyelinating features as well as conspicuous Schwann cell inclusions. Autoantibodies recognizing nerve components can be detected in patients with immune-mediated neuropathies and are implicated in disease development. The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether horses with AEP exhibit elevated levels of autoantibodies against gangliosides and to assess their ability to bind Schwann cells. Another objective was to establish a Schwann cell culture model, as cultured equine Schwann cells could serve as a valuable tool for studying the pathogenicity of autoantibodies and other potential triggers of demyelination and Schwannopathy in AEP. Horses were tested for IgG and IgM antibodies against ganglioside GM1, GM2, GD1a, GD1b and GQ1b, as well as myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). At AEP-affected farms, both clinical cases and asymptomatic herd mates tested positive for IgM antibodies, with many horses displaying reactivity to multiple antigens. A longitudinal study revealed that antibody levels could be detected before clinical
disease developed and after recovery. Immunolabeling studies of peripheral nerves demonstrated ganglioside GM1 localization in compact myelin, in non-compact regions of Schwann cell membranes, as well as in other structures within the endoneurium. Furthermore, IgM antibodies from AEP serum colocalized with GM1 in the myelin sheath. In a Schwann cell culture model derived from a nonneurological horse, IgM antibodies from AEP sera bound to Schwann cells, particularly localizing to their processes. Findings indicate that autoimmune mechanisms contribute to AEP, as evidenced by
the presence of anti-ganglioside and anti-MAG antibodies in the sera of affected horses. Furthermore, IgM antibodies in AEP sera recognize Schwann cells, potentially contributing to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory demyelinating features observed in histological samples.Ervervet polynevropati hos hest (AEP) er den mest utbredte polynevropatien hos hester i Norden. Klinisk kjennetegnes sykdommen ved overkoding i bakbeina uten tegn på systemisk sykdom. Histopatologiske forandringer i perifert nervevev inkluderer inflammatorisk demyelinisering, samt tydelige inklusjoner i Schwannceller. Hos pasienter med immunmedierte nevropatier kan det påvises autoantistoffer rettet mot nervekomponenter, og de er foreslått å spille en rolle i sykdomsutviklingen. Målet med denne avhandlingen var å undersøke om hester med AEP har forhøyede nivåer av autoantistoffer mot gangliosider, samt vurdere deres evne til å binde seg til Schwann celler. Et annet mål var å etablere en Schwann-cellekultur, ettersom dyrkede Schwann-celler fra hest kan være et verdifullt verktøy for å studere autoantistoffenes rolle i sykdomsutviklingen, samt andre mulige utløsende faktorer for demyelinisering og schwannopati ved AEP
Reduced slaughter weight and increased mortality in moose calves in Southern Norway : focusing on Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Get PDFReduserte slaktevekter og økt dødelighet hos elgkalver er en aktuell og bekymringsverdig problemstilling. I flere fylker i Sør-Norge har det vært en vedvarende negativ utvikling over flere tiår. I denne oppgaven drøftes aktuelle hypoteser som kan forklare denne trenden, og det presenteres funn fra undersøkelser av kalver og deres organer. Kadavrene ble obdusert, og miltprøver ble analysert for forekomst av Anaplasma phagocytophilum ved hjelp av PCR. Våre resultater viser at en stor andel av de undersøkte kalvene var infisert med A. phagocytophilum, og mange av disse hadde lav kroppsvekt sett i lys av årstid og forventet utvikling. Det kan ikke utelukkes at infeksjon med A. phagocytophilum bidrar til både den økte dødeligheten og de reduserte slaktevektene hos elgkalver i Sør-Norge. Samtidig kan det heller ikke utelukkes at årsaksbildet er multifaktorielt.VE
Advancing Cancer Immunotherapy: Optimizing TCR-Modified T Cells and Improving Long-Term Persistence of T Cells in Patients
Get PDFIntroduction
T cell therapy is a promising approach to a safe and effective treatment of advanced cancer and is characterized by delivering modified T cells into cancer patients to clear tumor cells. The modified T cells express tumor specific T cell receptors (TCR) or chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) which recognize and kill tumor cells expressing specific antigens. Although promising, challenges include antigen specificity (on target, off tumor) and variation in the long-term persistence of T cells injected in patients. However, an early memory subset called stem cell-like memory T cell (TSCM) enhances the long-term survival of the T cells in the body. Moreover, the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is an example of a universal tumor antigen expressed in over 90% of the most common cancers. Vaccine-based immunotherapies against the hTERT peptide have previously shown immune responses in patients, and hTERT specific TCRs derived from CD4 T cells of two cancer patients have been isolated.
Aims and methods
In this thesis, the function of the two hTERT-specific TCRs were evaluated and compared by optimizing the membrane expression in T cells prior to assessing their proliferation, cytotoxicity, degranulation, cytokine release, and minimal epitope recognition. Moreover, several drugs were tested in T cell cultures to define optimal growth conditions for TSCM, their phenotype was assessed on spectral flow cytometer.
Results
We demonstrated that transduced primary T cells expressing either of the two TCRs exhibit in vitro efficacy against cancer cells presenting the hTERT peptide on a common HLA class II allele. Both TCRs proved high sensitivity and affinity against the peptide in addition to recognition in a partially co-receptor independent manner. These results showed great potential for testing in vivo experiments before clinical testing. In addition, this thesis presents an optimized transfection protocol for the expression of TCRs, and a drug that increases the proportion of TSCM.
Conclusion
Herein, we present two TCRs efficiently targeting the tumor antigen hTERT that can be used as therapies with a broad population coverage, together with a promising protocol to potentially prevent relapse in cancer patients having received T cell therapy