Productivity and Cutting Costs of Thinning Harvesters

High harvesting costs are the main problems in first thinnings. Machines with lower operating costs could be one potential solution for cost-efficient first thinnings. The research investigated the productivity of the four most widely used small harvesters, i.e. thinning harvesters, and their cutting costs. Data were also collected on the productivity relationships between working methods and the differences between operators. In the time studies involving thinning harvesters, the Nokka Profi and Timberjack 770 represented the larger, more expensive machines, while the Sampo-Rosenlew 1046X and Valtra Forest 120 represented the more compact, less expensive thinning harvesters. The productivity per operating hour (E15 including delay times shorter than 15 minutes) of the thinning harvesters was found to be 5.6-10.3 m3/ E15 (stem size 50-100 dm3) in first thinnings and 9.1-12.7 m3/ E15 (100-150 m3) in second thinnings. The productivity figures of the individual machines were similar. The differences were mainly attributable to the operators. The time study showed that the differences between operators using the same machines were as great as 40%. The cutting costs for the thinning harvesters were 7.5-14.2 US$/m3 (50-100 dm3) in first thinnings when using the Nokka/Timberjack machine group. The corresponding costs for the Sampo/Valtra machine group were 5.7 and 10.5 US$/m3. It would appear that thinning harvesters can be operated at the same productivity level of medium-sized harvesters in thinnings and, consequently, they can be run at cutting costs lower than those of medium-sized harvesters

Influenssa terveyskeskuksen vuodeosastolla - parempi rokotuskattavuus suojaisi epidemialta

Ikääntyneiden ja sairaalapotilaiden influenssaoireita voi olla vaikea tunnistaa. Kuvaamamme laitosepidemian havaitseminen viivästyi epätyypillisen taudinkuvan vuoksi. Ennen epidemiaa rokotuskattavuus oli huono, vain 60 % potilaista ja 2 % henkilökunnasta oli rokotettu. Vuodeosaston pitkäaikaispotilaat oli rokotettu ennen influenssakauden alkua, mutta osa akuuttihoidossa olevista ei ollut saanut rokotusta. Influenssarokote estää joka toisen ikääntyneen sairastumisen jälkitauteineen ja vähentää influenssasta johtuvia sairaalahoitoja ja kuolleisuutta. Terveydenhuollon henkilökunnan rokottaminen vähentää potilaiden kuolleisuutta pitkäaikaislaitoksissa sekä työntekijöiden influenssaan sairastuvuutta ja sairauslomia. Henkilökunnan hyvä rokotuskattavuus edellyttää työnantajan antamaa maksutonta influenssarokotusta. Rokotuksen saannin tulisi olla helppoa. Rokotusmyöntyvyyttä voidaan lisätä antamalla riittävästi tietoa ja korostamalla potilaiden suojaamista influenssatartunnalta

Specific Viruses Detected in Nigerian Children in Association with Acute Respiratory Disease

Occurrence of different viruses in acute respiratory tract infections of Nigerian children was examined. Respiratory swabs were collected from 246 children referred to hospital clinics because of acute respiratory symptoms from February through May 2009. Validated real-time RT-PCR techniques revealed nucleic acids of at least one virus group in 189 specimens (77%). Human rhinoviruses and parainfluenza viruses were present each in one third of the children. Adenoviruses, enteroviruses, human metapneumovirus, human bocavirus, and influenza C virus were also relatively common. Possibly due to their seasonal occurrence, influenza A and B virus, and respiratory syncytial virus were detected rarely. We conclude that all major groups of respiratory tract viruses are causing illness in Nigerian children

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Fails To Activate Cytokine-Mediated Innate Immune Responses in Cultured Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells

Activation of host innate immune responses was studied in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SCV)-infected human A549 lung epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs). In all cell types, SCV-specific subgenomic mRNAs were seen, whereas no expression of SCV proteins was found. No induction of cytokine genes (alpha interferon [IFN-α], IFN-β, interleukin-28A/B [IL-28A/B], IL-29, tumor necrosis factor alpha, CCL5, or CXCL10) or IFN-α/β-induced MxA gene was seen in SCV-infected A549 cells, macrophages, or DCs. SCV also failed to induce DC maturation (CD86 expression) or enhance major histocompatibility complex class II expression. Our data strongly suggest that SCV fails to activate host cell cytokine gene expression in human macrophages and DCs