*4.1. Occurrence of Reading Skills in a Norwegian Age Cohort of Children with Down Syndrome*

According to the parental measure, the majority of the children were able to recognize some words at T1. None of the children could decode words on the standardized reading measure at this time point. The fact that children could mainly recognize names or a very limited set of words and were not able to decode words on a standardized decoding test might reflect that these children utilized a logographic strategy rather than having reached a phonological decoding level at this point in time. However, the occurrence of decoding increased over the years. By 2nd grade, 11.6% of the children with Down syndrome achieved measurable levels of decoding skills on the standardized measure, and this proportion increased to 18.6% of the sample by 3rd grade. This result may appear to be a low occurrence of reading skills compared to that of age-spread samples of individuals with Down syndrome from previous research (e.g., [22–24]). However, the apparent discrepancy in results may be associated with the following three factors. (1) The first is the methodological aspect of the present study. The inclusion of an entire national age cohort allowed for a relatively large sample (the largest possible *n* for this age group at a national level within the time frame of the current study period) and meant that all the children were the same age. As a result, no children entered the study with decoding skills on the standardized decoding measure; they all started to receive instruction in reading at the start of the study and received this instruction for a similar length of time in the study period. Apart from the requirement of being six years of age, having Norwegian as the first language and having no comorbidity of ASD, there were no selections made in the recruitment procedure, for example, no requirement of verbal skills in the children, no specifications regarding the area of the country, and no consideration of whether the children accessed specific support services. (2) The second is related to the Norwegian educational system. For example, the strong role of play in kindergarten in Norway [66] made it likely that systematic instruction in reading would not have been introduced to our

study participants before they started school at six years of age. Due to the developmental profile of children with Down syndrome it usually takes longer to learn new skills compared to typically developing children (cf. [53]). It is therefore likely that the occurrence will gradually increase with age and length of training. This reasoning is also supported by our data since the occurrence of reading skills increased over the years. Similarly, previous longitudinal research on children with Down syndrome supports this reasoning; Laws and Gunn [24] found a large increase in the occurrence of reading skills from age 11 (33% of their participants) to age 16 (53% of their participants), which corresponds to an average increase of 4% per year. Assuming that the occurrence of reading continues at the same pace for each year children receive instruction in reading, our results after two years of school education can be considered relatively consistent with those of studies such as Laws and Gunn [24]. (3) The third is the available educational resources adapted for Norwegian students with Down syndrome. Norwegian is an infrequently used language with relatively few available materials and seminars for parents and teachers working specifically with children with Down syndrome, while previous studies on occurrence have usually been conducted in English-speaking countries (e.g., [22–24]), where Sue Buckley and her team made available reading materials for this group of children from a very early age along with seminars for their parents and teachers (Down Syndrome Education International https://www.down-syndrome.org/ (accessed on 18 April 2021)). Since the occurrence of decoding also varies greatly across previous research, the results of the present study complement earlier findings, applying data from school starters in a non-English-speaking country and using different inclusion criteria, measures and methodological approaches.


*Edited by Jerzy K Kulski*

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has surpassed the traditional Sanger sequencing method to become the main choice for large-scale, genome-wide sequencing studies with ultra-high-throughput production and a huge reduction in costs. The NGS technologies have had enormous impact on the studies of structural and functional genomics in all the life sciences. In this book, Next Generation Sequencing Advances, Applications and Challenges, the sixteen chapters written by experts cover various aspects of NGS including genomics, transcriptomics and methylomics, the sequencing platforms, and the bioinformatics challenges in processing and analysing huge amounts of sequencing data. Following an overview of the evolution of NGS in the brave new world of omics, the book examines the advances and challenges of NGS applications in basic and applied research on microorganisms, agricultural plants and humans. This book is of value to all who are interested in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics across all fields of the life sciences.

Photo by micro\_photo / iStock

Next Generation Sequencing - Advances, Applications and Challenges

Next Generation Sequencing

Advances, Applications and Challenges

*Edited by Jerzy K Kulski*


CS4OD: Reproducible Research For Everyone

## **A One Health Approach to Prevent Future Pandemics: Joining Forces to Reduce the Health Risks in the Wildlife Trade**

#### **Kim Gruetzmacher1,2, Kathrin Norda1, Hannah Emde1, Johannes Keil1 , Ulrike Buehler1, and Constanze Riedle1**

1Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Global Program 'Support to the International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade'

2Museum für Naturkunde Berlin; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research (MfN)

Consensus exists that the COVID-19 pandemic is of zoonotic origin. Most human infectious diseases have a demonstrated origin in non-human animals, and of all emerging human infectious diseases, it is some 75%, the majority of which originated in wildlife, while ecological disruption and unsustainable consumption are the main drivers of pandemic risk. An estimated investment of only 2% over ten years of the current economic losses due to the pandemic would have not only reduced the risk of disease emergence with pandemic potential, but the ancillary benefits to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation would have also contributed to planetary health. To address one of the major drivers of disease emergence, the German Government launched the International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade as an international, interdisciplinary, and inclusive multi-stakeholder platform for knowledge exchange uniting various disciplines along the One Health spectrum. With the participation of national, international, political, and civil society organizations, including Indigenous communities, and research institutions, the Alliance will pool and utilize interdisciplinary information and know-how to work on the Alliance goals: Risk reduction by translating science into policy and contributing to effective interventions, specifically in areas of high biodiversity and stress on land use. The Alliance aims to reduce the risks of zoonotic spillovers by enhancing international and national awareness, policies, and action by narrowing the gap between science and implementation while respecting cultural identity, Indigenous rights, traditional knowledge and practices, and contributing to the conservation of biological diversity. Excerpts of the exchange among the Alliance's membership (currently ~90 member organizations, from small NGOs to intergovernmental organizations and governments) are made publicly available via open access expert talks, events, and publications. With its multi-solving approach, the Alliance offers a communication venue and matchmaking to integrate expertise and evidence to improve awareness and regulation, supporting pilots and disseminating lessons learned among the community and with policymakers. It will catalyze joint action of stakeholders from the fields of biological sciences, ecology, biomedicine, human and animal health, as well as development cooperation and social sciences.

Kim Gruetzmacher1,2, Kathrin Norda1, Hannah Emde1, Johannes Keil1, Ulrike Buehler1, and Constanze Riedle1

1 in Wildlife Trade'Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Global Program 'Support to the International Alliance against Health Risks

2 Museum für Naturkunde Berlin; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research (MfN)

#### Introduction

### Methodology

• It catalyzes the joint action of stakeholders from various fields, including but not limited to biological, biomedical and health sciences, ecology, human and veterinary medicine, as well as development cooperation, psychology, and social sciences, in addition to diverse forms of knowledge.

#### Activities

Members of the International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade may—in accordance with organizational mandates and supported by the knowledge and networks gained through the Alliance—do a range of things in support of the above-mentioned goals, e.g.:

e.g., by supporting communities at risk, and fill in knowledge gaps on suspected and/or understudied risk factors;

#### Projects

*Some of our members as of March 2022.*

### Results and Discussion

#### Conclusions

#### Acknowledgements

This poster was possible because of the joint work and co-creation process of the Alliance's Incubation Group, consisting of 20 member organizations. See link below for more information.

#### References

#### Mission

The International Alliance against Health Risks in Wildlife Trade is an open, inclusive and collaborative space where stakeholders join forces to better understand and reduce the threat of pathogen spillover from wildlife trade and markets, providing and communicating evidence, and supporting interventions, thereby reducing the risk of future outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics while concurrently improving health, equity, and well-being for all species through a One Health approach.