Farmer's attitudes affect piglet production parameters

Our results show that farmers' attitudes count: treating the animals humanely, investing in a favourable environment, and having a positive attitude towards new information and scientific research is associated with an above-average productivity on piglet farms. These attitudes, when implemented and concretized in practice, also benefit the animals through a higher standard of welfare

Canopy uptake dominates nighttime carbonyl sulfide fluxes in a boreal forest

Nighttime vegetative uptake of carbonyl sulfide (COS) can exist due to the incomplete closure of stomata and the light independence of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which complicates the use of COS as a tracer for gross primary productivity (GPP). In this study we derived nighttime COS fluxes in a boreal forest (the SMEAR II station in Hyytiälä, Finland; 61°51′ N, 24°17′ E; 181 m a.s.l.) from June to November 2015 using two different methods: eddy-covariance (EC) measurements (FCOS-EC) and the radon-tracer method (FCOS-Rn). The total nighttime COS fluxes averaged over the whole measurement period were −6.8 ± 2.2 and −7.9 ± 3.8 pmol m−2 s−1 for FCOS-Rn and FCOS-EC, respectively, which is 33–38 % of the average daytime fluxes and 21 % of the total daily COS uptake. The correlation of 222Rn (of which the source is the soil) with COS (average R2  =  0.58) was lower than with CO2 (0.70), suggesting that the main sink of COS is not located at the ground. These observations are supported by soil chamber measurements that show that soil contributes to only 34–40 % of the total nighttime COS uptake. We found a decrease in COS uptake with decreasing nighttime stomatal conductance and increasing vapor-pressure deficit and air temperature, driven by stomatal closure in response to a warm and dry period in August. We also discuss the effect that canopy layer mixing can have on the radon-tracer method and the sensitivity of (FCOS-EC) to atmospheric turbulence. Our results suggest that the nighttime uptake of COS is mainly driven by the tree foliage and is significant in a boreal forest, such that it needs to be taken into account when using COS as a tracer for GPP

Small spatial variability in methane emission measured from a wet patterned boreal bog

We measured methane fluxes of a patterned bog situated in Siikaneva in southern Finland from six different plant community types in three growing seasons (2012-2014) using the static chamber method with chamber exposure of 35 min. A mixed-effects model was applied to quantify the effect of the controlling factors on the methane flux. The plant community types differed from each other in their water level, species composition, total leaf area (LAI(TOT)) and leaf area of aerenchymatous plant species (LAI(AER)). Methane emissions ranged from -309 to 1254 mg m(-2) d(-1). Although methane fluxes increased with increasing peat temperature, LAI(TOT) and LAI(AER), they had no correlation with water table or with plant community type. The only exception was higher fluxes from hummocks and high lawns than from high hummocks and bare peat surfaces in 2013 and from bare peat surfaces than from high hummocks in 2014. Chamber fluxes upscaled to ecosystem level for the peak season were of the same magnitude as the fluxes measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique. In 2012 and in August 2014 there was a good agreement between the two methods; in 2013 and in July 2014, the chamber fluxes were higher than the EC fluxes. Net fluxes to soil, indicating higher methane oxidation than production, were detected every year and in all community types. Our results underline the importance of both LAI(AER) and LAI(TOT) in controlling methane fluxes and indicate the need for automatized chambers to reliably capture localized events to support the more robust EC method.Peer reviewe

Fine-resolution mapping of microforms of a boreal bog using aerial images and waveform-recording LiDAR

Boreal bogs are important stores and sinks of atmospheric carbon whose surfaces are characterised by vegetation microforms. Efficient methods for monitoring their vegetation are needed because changes in vegetation composition lead to alteration in their function such as carbon gas exchange with the atmosphere. We investigated how airborne image and waveform-recording LiDAR data can be used for 3D mapping of microforms in an open bog which is a mosaic of pools, hummocks with a few stunted pines, hollows, intermediate surfaces and mud-bottom hollows. The proposed method operates on the bog surface, which is reconstructed using LiDAR. The vegetation was classified at 20 cm resolution. We hypothesised that LiDAR data describe surface topography, moisture and the presence and depth of field-layer vegetation and surface roughness; while multiple images capture the colours and texture of the vegetation, which are influenced by directional reflectance effects. We conclude that geometric LiDAR features are efficient predictors of microforms. LiDAR intensity and echo width were specific to moisture and surface roughness, respectively. Directional reflectance constituted 4-34 % of the variance in images and its form was linked to the presence of the field layer. Microform-specific directional reflectance patterns were deemed to be of marginal value in enhancing the classification, and RGB image features were inferior to LiDAR variables. Sensor fusion is an attractive option for fine-scale mapping of these habitats. We discuss the task and propose options for improving the methodology.Peer reviewe

Kuntoutuksen vaikuttavuus kehitysvammaisten toimintakykyyn ja työllistymiseen sekä sitä estävät ja edistävät tekijät. Järjestelmällinen kirjallisuuskatsaus

67 s.Kehitysvammaisten osallistuminen työelämään on tärkeä yhteiskunnallinen tavoite eri maissa. Työelämään osallistuminen voi parantaa kehitysvammaisten toimintakykyä, vahvistaa omaa merkityksen tunnetta sekä lisätä elämänlaatua ja osallisuutta. Järjestelmällisen kirjallisuuskatsauksen tavoitteena oli koota tietoa kuntoutuksen vaikuttavuudesta kehitysvammaisten toimintakykyyn ja työllistymiseen sekä saada tietoa työllistymistä estävistä ja edistävistä tekijöistä. Kirjallisuushaut tehtiin seuraavista tietokannoista: CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Eric, Medic, Medline, OTseeker, PEDro, PsycInfo, PubMed, Socindex ja Web of Science. Lisäksi haku tehtiin Google Scholarista ja BASEsta (Bielefield Academic Search Engine). Katsaukseen hyväksyttiin englanninkieliset vertaisarvioidut alkuperäistutkimukset, jotka oli julkaistu välillä tammikuu 1990–syyskuu 2016. Mukaan otettiin määrälliset, laadulliset ja monimenetelmäiset tutkimukset sekä tapaustutkimukset, joissa kohderyhmänä olivat työikäiset (16–68 v) kehitysvammaiset. Interventiona tutkimuksissa piti olla jokin kuntoutustoimenpide (lääkinnällinen, ammatillinen, sosiaalinen, kasvatuksellinen tai yhteisöpohjainen). Katsaukseen mukaan hyväksytyissä tutkimuksissa ensisijainen tulosmuuttuja oli työllistyminen avoimille työmarkkinoille joko tavalliseen tai tuettuun työsuhteeseen, tai työssä suoriutuminen. Toissijainen tulosmuuttuja oli henkilön toimintakyky. Näytön aste arvioitiin GRADE-luokituksella (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). Kirjallisuushauissa löytyi 2 142 tutkimusta, joista mukaanottokriteerit täyttyivät 33 tutkimuksessa. Niistä kahdeksan oli määrällistä tutkimusta (satunnaistettu vertailututkimus, ei-satunnaistettu vertailututkimus, kuusi kohorttitutkimusta), viisi laadullista tutkimusta, yksi monimenetelmäinen tutkimus ja 19 tapaustutkimusta. Pääosa tutkimuksista oli korkealaatuisia, mutta koska suurimmassa osassa ei ollut satunnaistettua vertailuryhmää, näytön aste jää niukaksi. Katsauksen perusteella näyttöä on siitä, että toisen asteen koulutuksen ja siihen sisältyvien palvelujen ja työharjoittelun avulla 22–76 % kehitysvammaisista opiskelijoista työllistyi avoimille työmarkkinoille. Näyttöä on myös siitä, että 21–60 % kehitysvammaisista työllistyi tuetun työn avulla avoimille työmarkkinoille. Tulosten perusteella työkeskuksissa työskentely ei lisännyt kehitysvammaisten työllistymistä avoimille työmarkkinoille. Työllistymistä edistäviä tekijöitä olivat henkilön oma aktiivisuus ja perheen tuki, työvalmennus, työnantajan ja työyhteisön tuki ja työn arvostaminen sekä työympäristön kehittäminen. Kehitysvammaisen yrittäjyyttä mahdollisti oma tukihenkilö. Kehitysvammaisten työllistymisen esteinä oli koulussa koettu syrjintä, huonot kokemukset luokkaopetuksesta, vaikeus päästä työharjoitteluun ja puutteellinen työkokemus. Lisäksi työllistymistä esti se, että palveluntuottajat pyrkivät sovittamaan henkilöitä olemassa oleviin palveluihin vastoin asiakkaiden omia tarpeita. Tapaustutkimusten perusteella erilaisilla teknologisilla tai digitaalisilla ratkaisuilla voitiin tukea kehitysvammaisten työssä suoriutumista ja itsenäisyyttä. Tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää kehitysvammaisten työllistymisen edistämisessä. Tämä edellyttää työelämän monimuotoisuuden lisääntymistä sekä muutoksia lainsäädännössä, palvelujärjestelmässä, kuntoutuksessa ja ammattilaisten osaamisessa

Commentary on cloud modelling and the mass accommodation coefficient of water

International audienceThe mass accommodation coefficient of water is a quantity for which different experimental techniques have yielded conflicting values in the range 0.04-1. From the viewpoint of cloud modelling, this is an unfortunate situation, since the value of the mass accommodation coefficient affects the model results, e.g. the number concentration of activated cloud droplets. In this commentary we note that in cloud modelling, the primary quantity of interest is the droplet growth rate rather than the mass accommodation coefficient, and that experimental investigations of droplet growth rates provide more direct verification of cloud models than do measurements of the mass accommodation coefficient. Furthermore, we argue that the droplet growth rates calculated in cloud model studies are consistent with experimental results obtained so far only if a mass accommodation coefficient of unity is applied

Delineation of dew formation zones in Iran using long-term model simulations and cluster analysis

Dew is a non-conventional source of water that has been gaining interest over the last two decades, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, we performed a long-term (1979-2018) energy balance model simulation to estimate dew formation potential in Iran aiming to identify dew formation zones and to investigate the impacts of long-term variation in meteorological parameters on dew formation. The annual average of dew occurrence in Iran was similar to 102 d, with the lowest number of dewy days in summer (similar to 7 d) and the highest in winter (similar to 45 d). The average daily dew yield was in the range of 0.03-0.14 Lm(-2) and the maximum was in the range of 0.29-0.52 Lm(-2). Six dew formation zones were identified based on cluster analysis of the time series of the simulated dew yield. The distribution of dew formation zones in Iran was closely aligned with topography and sources of moisture. Therefore, the coastal zones in the north and south of Iran (i.e., Caspian Sea and Oman Sea), showed the highest dew formation potential, with 53 and 34 Lm(-2) yr(-2), whereas the dry interior regions (i.e., central Iran and the Lut Desert), with the average of 12-18 Lm(-2) yr(-2), had the lowest potential for dew formation. Dew yield estimation is very sensitive to the choice of the heat transfer coefficient. The uncertainty analysis of the heat transfer coefficient using eight different parameterizations revealed that the parameterization used in this study the Richards (2004) formulation - gives estimates that are similar to the average of all methods and are neither much lower nor much higher than the majority of other parameterizations and the largest differences occur for the very low values of daily dew yield. Trend analysis results revealed a significant (p < 0:05) negative trend in the yearly dew yield in most parts of Iran during the last 4 decades (1979-2018). Such a negative trend in dew formation is likely due to an increase in air temperature and a decrease in relative humidity and cloudiness over the 40 years.Peer reviewe

How consistent are the transcriptome changes associated with cold acclimation in two species of the Drosophila virilis group?

This work was financially support by a Marie Curie Initial Training Network grant, “Understanding the evolutionary origin of biological diversity” (ITN-2008–213780 SPECIATION), grants from the Academy of Finland to A.H. (project 132619) and M.K. (projects 268214 and 272927), a grant from NERC, UK to M.G.R. (grant NE/J020818/1), and NERC, UK PhD studentship to D.J.P. (NE/I528634/1).For many organisms the ability to cold acclimate with the onset of seasonal cold has major implications for their fitness. In insects, where this ability is widespread, the physiological changes associated with increased cold tolerance have been well studied. Despite this, little work has been done to trace changes in gene expression during cold acclimation that lead to an increase in cold tolerance. We used an RNA-Seq approach to investigate this in two species of the Drosophila virilis group. We found that the majority of genes that are differentially expressed during cold acclimation differ between the two species. Despite this, the biological processes associated with the differentially expressed genes were broadly similar in the two species. These included: metabolism, cell membrane composition, and circadian rhythms, which are largely consistent with previous work on cold acclimation/cold tolerance. In addition, we also found evidence of the involvement of the rhodopsin pathway in cold acclimation, a pathway that has been recently linked to thermotaxis. Interestingly, we found no evidence of differential expression of stress genes implying that long-term cold acclimation and short-term stress response may have a different physiological basis.PostprintPeer reviewe

Assessing a New Clue to How Much Carbon Plants Take Up

Current climate models disagree on how much carbon dioxide land ecosystems take up for photosynthesis. Tracking the stronger carbonyl sulfide signal could help

An Attempt to Utilize a Regional Dew Formation Model in Kenya

Model evaluation against experimental data is an important step towards accurate model predictions and simulations. Here, we evaluated an energy-balance model to predict dew formation occurrence and estimate its amount for East-African arid-climate conditions against 13 months of experimental dew harvesting data in Maktau, Kenya. The model was capable of predicting the dew formation occurrence effectively. However, it overestimated the harvestable dew amount by about a ratio of 1.7. As such, a factor of 0.6 was applied for a long-term period (1979–2018) to investigate the spatial and temporal variation of the dew formation in Kenya. The annual average of dew occurrence in Kenya was ~130 days with dew yield > 0.1 L/m2/day. The dew formation showed a seasonal cycle with the maximum yield in winter and minimum in summer. Three major dew formation zones were identified after cluster analysis: arid and semi-arid regions; mountain regions; and coastal regions. The average daily and yearly maximum dew yield were 0.05 and 18; 0.9 and 25; and 0.15 and 40 L/m2/day; respectively. A precise prediction of dew occurrence and dew yield is very challenging due to inherent limitations in numerical models and meteorological input parameters