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Jenny Höglund,1 Carina Boström,2 Josefin Sundh3 1Department of Physiotherapy, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden; 2Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, SwedenCorrespondence: Jenny Höglund, Department of Physiotherapy, Örebro University Hospital, Örebro, 70185, Sweden, Tel +46196021000, Email jenny.hoglund@regionorebrolan.seBackground: Physical inactivity is strongly associated with worse prognosis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and assessment of physical function is very important. The six minute walking test (6MWT) is an established test known to predict mortality in COPD, and 30 seconds chair stand test (30sCST) is a potential alternative test. The study aimed to investigate and compare the associations of 6MWT and 30sCSTs with mortality.Methods: Data on patient demographics, established mortality predictors and results from 6MWT and 30sCST were collected from 2016 to 2019 from 97 consecutively included patients with COPD. In August 2021, mortality data were retrieved from patient records. Correlation analysis of 6MWT and 30sCST was performed. The predictive abilities of 6MWT and 30sCST, respectively, were analyzed using Kaplan Meyer-curves and Cox regression with adjustment for sex, age, body mass index below 22 and comorbid cardiovascular disease.Results: A positive correlation between 6MWT and 30sCST was shown (r = 0.61, p < 0.0001). Independent associations with mortality were found for 6MWD 250– 349 (HR (95% CI) 3.19 (1.12 to 9.10), p = 0.030) and 6MWD < 250 (4.27 (1.69 to10.8), p = 0.002) compared with 6MWD ≥ 350 meters, and for 30sCST < 4 (3.31 (1.03 to 10.6), p = 0.045) compared with 30sCST≥ 11 risings. When both 6MWT and 30sCST were included in the multivariable model, 6MWD 250– 349 (3.09 (1.02 to 9.37), p = 0.046) and 6MWD < 250 (3.57 (1.26 to 10.1), p = 0.016) compared with 6MWD ≥ 350 meters predicted mortality.Conclusion: 30sCST and 6MWT correlates moderately and are independently associated with mortality in patients with COPD. Although 6MWT is the best predictor of mortality, 30sCST may be used as an alternative to identify patients at risk.Keywords: COPD, 6 minutes walking test, chair stand test, sit-to-stand test, mortality, predictor

Microbiomes play an important role in determining the ecology and behaviour of their hosts. However, questions remain pertaining to how host genetics shape microbiomes, and how microbiome composition influences host fitness. We explored the effects of geography, evolutionary history and host genetics on the skin microbiome diversity and structure in a widespread amphibian. More specifically, we examined the association between bacterial diversity and composition and the major histocompatibility complex class II exon 2 diversity in 12 moor frog (Rana arvalis) populations belonging to two geographical clusters that show signatures of past and ongoing differential selection. We found that while bacterial alpha diversity did not differ between the two clusters, MHC alleles/supertypes and genetic diversity varied considerably depending on geography and evolutionary history. Bacterial alpha diversity was positively correlated with expected MHC heterozygosity and negatively with MHC nucleotide diversity. Furthermore, bacterial community composition showed significant variation between the two geographical clusters and between specific MHC alleles/supertypes. Our findings emphasize the importance of historical demographic events on hologenomic variation and provide new insights into how immunogenetic host variability and microbial diversity may jointly influence host fitness with consequences for disease susceptibility and population persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three experiments were carried out to examine the acute phase response, as measured by the acute phase proteins (APP) haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA) and fibrinogen, in calves infected with lungworm, Dictyocaulus vivparus. In addition, eosinophil counts were analysed. Three different dose models were used in 3 separate experiments: I) 250 D. viviparus infective third stage larvae (L3) once daily for 2 consecutive days, II) 100 D. viviparus L3 once daily for 5 consecutive days, and III) 2000 L3 once. All 3 dose regimes induced elevated levels of haptoglobin, SAA and fibrinogen, although there was considerable variation both between and within experiments. A significant increase was observed in all 3 APP at one or several time points in experiment I and III, whereas in experiment II, the only significant elevation was observed for fibrinogen at one occasion. The eosinophil numbers were significantly elevated in all 3 experiments. The results show that lungworm infection can induce an acute phase response, which can be monitored by the selected APP. Elevated APP levels in combination with high numbers of eosinophils in an animal with respiratory disease may be used as an indicator of lung worm infection, and help the clinician to decide on treatment. However, high numbers of eosinophils and low levels of APP do not exclude a diagnosis of lungworm. Thus, lungworm infection may not be detected if measurements of APP are used to assess calf health in herds or individual animals.

An experiment was performed during the grazing seasons of 1998, 1999 and 2000 to study the influence of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin and the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans on cattle dung disintegration. The faeces originated from groups of animals that were part of a separate grazing experiment where different control strategies for nematode parasite infections were investigated. Each group consisted of 10 first-season grazing cattle that were either untreated, treated with the ivermectin sustained-release bolus, or fed chlamydospores of D. flagrans. Faeces were collected monthly on 4 occasions and out of pooled faeces from each group, 4 artificial 1 kg dung pats were prepared and deposited on nylon mesh on an enclosed pasture and protected from birds. The position of the new set of pats was repeated throughout the 3 years of the study. Each year, the dung pats were weighed 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after deposition and immediately afterwards replaced to their initial positions. Results showed that there was no difference in faecal pat disintegration between groups. However, the time-lag between deposition and complete disintegration of the faeces varied significantly between deposition occasions. Dung pats disappeared within 2 weeks (visual observation) when subjected to heavy rainfall early after deposition, whereas an extended dry period coincided with faeces still remaining 12 months after deposition.

Preparations derived from plants were the original therapeutic interventions used by man to control diseases (including parasites), both within humans and livestock. Development of herbal products depended upon local botanical flora with the result that different remedies tended to develop in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, in some instances, the same or related plants were used over wide geographic regions, which also was the result of communication and/or the importation of plant material of high repute. Thus, the Nordic countries have an ancient, rich and diverse history of plant derived anthelmintic medications for human and animal use. Although some of the more commonly used herbal de-wormers were derived from imported plants, or their products, many are from endemic plants or those that thrive in the Scandinavian environment. With the advent of the modern chemotherapeutic era, and the discovery, development and marketing of a seemingly unlimited variety of highly efficacious, safe synthetic chemicals with very wide spectra of activities, herbal remedies virtually disappeared from the consciousness – at least in the Western world. This attitude is now rapidly changing. There is a widespread resurgence in natural product medication, driven by major threats posed by multi-resistant pest, or disease, organisms and the diminishing public perceptions that synthetic chemicals are the panacea to health and disease control. This review attempts to provide a comprehensive account of the depth of historical Nordic information available on herbal de-wormers, with emphasis on livestock and to provide some insights on potentially rewarding areas of "re-discovery" and scientific evaluation in this field.

The first record of Anguillicola crassus in Sweden was made in 1987. Nine years later, the swimbladder parasite was well established not only in thermal discharge areas but in other brackish waters along the coasts as well as in some freshwater lakes. In comparison with certain localities affected by thermal discharges, the infection rate has been much slower in two inland eel stocks and in one coastal stock monitored in this study. There are strong indications that the parasite was introduced into several freshwater lakes as a consequence of active stocking measures using yellow eels caught at the Swedish west coast.