Genotyp-miljösamspel för juverhälsa hos mjölkkor

Genotype by environment interaction for somatic cell count and mastitis in the first lactation of the Swedish Holstein breed was studied, using a reaction norm model and multiple trait analysis. Data from the Swedish milk-recording scheme containing more than 200 000 cows having their first calving from 1995-01-01 and onwards was used. Somatic cell count was defined as the average value of the monthly milk sampling results until 150 days after calving expressed in 10 000 cells per millilitre and transformed to a logarithmic scale to the base 10 (LSCC). Mastitis was defined as an all-or-none trait observed from 10 days before calving to 150 days after calving. Environments were defined as: herd-year averages of 305-day protein yield, somatic cell count, and mastitis, all measured in first lactation; and herd size, expressed as the number of cows with first calving per year. Furthermore, overall herd size expressed as the average of 1995-2000 herd-year sizes was used. The multiple trait analysis was done with two models using the highest and lowest quartiles of the environments herd-year protein yield, herd-year somatic cell count, herd-year mastitis, herd size as well as overall herd size. The genetic correlation for LSCC and mastitis between low and high environments indicated GxE for LSCC in somatic cell count environment. Variances of the slope and the level of the reaction norm were analyzed by regressing phenotypic values of somatic cell count and masti-tis on herd-year environments of protein yield, somatic cell count, mastitis and on the envi-ronment overall herd size. Significant genetic variation in slope was also detected for LSCC in somatic cell count environments and the correlation between predicted offspring perform-ance in low and high somatic cell count environments showed GxE and indicated re-ranking of sires. The heritability of somatic cell count and mastitis estimated as functions of the envi-ronments tended to be lowest in average environments and increased with the distance from the average. Neither the multiple trait analysis nor the reaction norm model provided us with complete results when using the environmental scale mastitis. This is probably due to that the mastitis frequency is close to zero in low mastitis environments, resulting in a lack of pheno-typic variation

ALTERNATIVE FUTURES OF RURAL AREAS IN THE EU: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SCENARIO STUDIES

What does rural Europe look like in 2030? Is agriculture still the main land user? In recent years, studies such as ESPON, Eururalis, SCENAR2020, SENSOR, SEAMLESS and PRELUDE have tried to address these questions. These studies resulted in a number of alternative futures of rural areas in the EU. In this paper a comparative analysis of these scenario studies is made in order to explore differences and similarities in the scenarios and alternative futures of rural areas in the EU. For this purpose, we designed a scheme for assessing the properties of the various scenarios and a scheme for a systematic description of the rural futures according to the scenarios. It appears that most scenario studies use a baseline scenario and a set of alternative scenarios with different degrees of policy regulation. Agriculture will continue to be a main land user in 2030, although some land abandonment will take place.Rural Europe, scenario studies, alternative futures, land-use, territorial disparities, Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Performance Indicators in Agricultural Financial Markets. Factor Markets Working Document No. 43, May 2013

This study attempts to develop performance indicators for the financial markets based on the findings in an earlier Factor Markets Working Paper (No. 33, “Agricultural credit market institutions: A comparison of selected European countries”) and on FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) data. Two indicators were developed. One measured the long-term economic sustainability of agricultural firms since the financial characteristics of the firms were perceived as important factors when rejecting a loan applicant. If the indicator works, it should show that a low value in this indicator is related to the performance in the financial markets. The second indicator was the loan-to-value (LTV), or debt-to-asset ratio, the reasoning behind this indicator is that low values can point to credit constraints, and in WP 33 we saw that the interviewed experts expected LTVs to be much higher than what is actually the case. We find that the first indicator can’t be used to measure the performance of the financial institutions, since we can’t show any relationship between the indicator and activities in the financial markets. However, the indicator is valuable for its measurement of the long-term financial sustainability of the agricultural sector, or of the firms. The loan-to-value indicator does imply that most countries would have room to increase the credit

Urban agriculture in central Helsinki : How much food could the rooftops of Pasila supply?

Suomen ruokaturva on tällä hetkellä hyvä, mutta myös Suomen on varauduttava luonnon tai ihmisen aiheuttamiin kriiseihin ja ilmastonmuutokseen, sekä tuontiresursseihin liittyviin riskeihin. Tämä maisterintutkielma tarkastelee kaupunkiviljelyn potentiaalia osana kaupunkien ruokajärjestelmää. Helsingin Seudun Ympäristöpalvelujen (HSY) keräämä kattoja koskeva data, satotilastot ja Suomalaiset ravitsemussuositukset 2014 toimivat pohjana tapaustutkimukselle, jossa lasketaan ruokaomavaraisuusprosentteja, ravintotekijöitä ja varjostusta lähellä Helsingin keskustaa sijaitsevalle Pasilan alueelle. Kun laskelmissa käytetään avoviljelyä sekä koko potentiaalisten viherkattojen alaa, Pasila voisi tuottaa perunalla energiaa 4,51 %:lle väestöstä tai herneellä proteiinia 3,87 %:lle väestöstä. Jos puolet pinta-alasta käytetään perunan ja puolet herneen viljelyyn, omavaraisuusprosentit laskevat, mutta tuotetun energian ja proteiinin suhde on tasaisempi. Lisäämällä viljelyyn lehtikaali, voidaan kasvattaa tuotettujen vitamiininen ja kivennäisaineiden määrää. Yhdessä, 500 g kutakin em. kasvia täyttää saantisuosituksen kahdestatoista Suomalaisten ravitsemussuositusten listaamasta yhdeksästätoista vitamiinista ja kivennäisaineesta. Peruna yksin ei täytä näistä yhtään ja peruna yhdessä herneen kanssa seitsemän. Käytettävissä olevan pinta-alan lisäksi omavaraisuusprosenttiin vaikuttavat ainakin viljelymenetelmä (esim. avoviljely, vesiviljely tai kasvihuone), viljelykasvin satoisuus, ruokavalinnat ja ruokahukka. Helsingissä varjostuksesta saattaa kärsiä jopa puolet kattopinta-alasta, mikä on huomioitava kasvien valinnassa sekä arkkitehtuurissa, esimerkiksi sijoittamalla korkeimmat rakennukset alueen pohjoisreunalle. Vaikka Pasilan kattoviljelyn ruokaomavaraisuusprosentti on alhainen, yksittäisten ruoka-aineiden osalta tilanne on toinen. Pasila voisi tuottaa yli oman tarpeensa perunoita tai herneitä, tai lehtikaalissa mitattuna 46 % kuluttamistaan tuoreista vihanneksista. Kysymykseen siitä, voisiko kaupunkiviljelyllä edistää Helsingin ruokaturvaa tai lisätä ruokajärjestelmän joustavuutta, on kuitenkin vaikea vastata ilman, että kaupunkiviljelyn tavoitteita on määritelty. Olisikin tärkeää miettiä, onko kaupunkiviljelyn tavoite maksimoida tuotetun energian ja ravintoaineiden määrä, tarjota vaihtoehtoisia ruoan lähteitä, luoda uusia mahdollisuuksia viljelijöille jatkaa ammatissaan, edistää alueen taloudellista hyvinvointia, vai tukea ruokajärjestelmää jollakin muulla epäsuoralla tavalla. Oikeilla toimintatavoilla ja sääntelyllä kaupunkiviljely voisi edistää Maatalouden ilmasto-ohjelman tavoitteista ainakin hiilen sitomista maaperään, ruokahävikin vähentämistä ja ruokavalion muuttamista kasvispainotteisempaan suuntaan. Kaupunkiviljely voisi myös osaltaan tukea EU:n yhteisen maatalouspolitiikan tavoitteita, kuten ympäristönsuojelua, työpaikkojen luomista ja säilyttämistä, sekä kasvattaa yhteisöjen elinvoimaisuutta monimuotoistamalla elinkeinoelämää.The Finnish food security is currently good, but Finland must respond to threats linked to natural or man-made disasters, climate change and reliance on imported resources. This master’s thesis examines the potential of urban agriculture (UA) as part of the urban food system. Rooftop data, crop yield statistics and the Finnish Nutrition Recommendations 2014 are used to build a case study in which self-sufficiency percentages, nutritional factors and shading are calculated for the Pasila area in central Helsinki. Calculations based on the total potential green rooftop area and open rooftop farming in Pasila show that 4,51 % of the resident population’s energy needs could be supplied with the potato, or 3,87 % of their protein needs with the green pea. Allocating half of the area to the potato and half to the green pea decreases the self-sufficiency percentages, but results in a more even ratio between energy and protein. Adding kale increases the number of essential vitamins and minerals which can be supplied: 500 g of each of the three plants covers the daily recommended intake for 12 of the 19 vitamins and minerals listed in the Finnish Nutrition Recommendations 2014, compared to zero for the potato only and seven for the combination of the potato and the green pea. In addition to the available area, at least farming methods (e.g. open field, aquaponics and greenhouses), crop yield potential, food choices and food wastage influence the food self-sufficiency potential. In central Helsinki shading may affect as much as half of the rooftop area, which needs to be considered in the choice of plants and architecture; strategies such as placing the tallest building on the northern edge of the area may be beneficial. Though the total self-sufficiency based on open rooftop farming is low, Pasila could be a net producer of potatoes or peas, or grow 46 % of its fresh vegetables measured in weight (kale). Whether UA can contribute to local food security, or food system resilience, may therefore depend on how its objectives are defined: maximum energy and nutrient content, alternative food sources, new opportunities for farmers, wealth retention, or some other indirect mechanism. With the right policies, UA could advance the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Climate Program by increasing carbon sequestration, reducing food waste and promoting a more plants-based diet. It may also serve the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including a healthier environment, preserving and creating jobs, protecting local financial interests and contributing to a sound development of our area

Agricultural Credit Market Institutions: A Comparison of Selected European Countries. Factor Markets Working Paper No. 33, January 2013

This paper describes and compares the institutional framework of the agricultural credit markets in selected European countries. The institutions can be both formal (rules, regulations, authorities and actors) and informal (norms, values and relations). They also interact and in situations where the formal institutions are weak, the informal ones increase in importance. The study is based on a questionnaire sent to agricultural financial experts in selected countries. The case studies show that credit regulations are typically general, with no specific regulations for the agricultural credit market. On the other hand, several countries support agricultural credit in various forms, implying that the governments do not perceive the general credit market to function in the case of agricultural firms. In a risk assessment, the most frequent reasons for rejecting a loan application are all linked to economic performance and the situation of the farmer. Personal characteristics, such as educational level or lack of experience, were generally perceived as less influential. Another interesting point when it comes to risk assessment is that in some countries the importance of asset-based lending compared with cash flow-based lending seems to differ when concerning a first-time applicant and when there is an application to extend a loan. To get an idea of the availability of credit, the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio was calculated, and it showed remarkably low values for Poland and Slovakia. For all the countries, the calculated value was lower than what the financial experts would have expected. This might imply credit rationing in agriculture in some of the countries studied. The financial experts all judged the possibility of an agricultural firm obtaining a loan as higher than that for other small rural firms, implying that the latter are also credit-rationed

Sickness Absence Due to Otoaudiological Diagnoses and Risk of Disability Pension: A Nationwide Swedish Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Hearing difficulties are a large public health problem. Knowledge is scarce regarding risk of disability pension among people who have been sickness absent due to these difficulties. Methods: A cohort including all 4,687,756 individuals living in Sweden in 2005, aged 20–64, and not on disability or old-age pension, was followed through 2009. Incidence rate ratios (RR) of disability pension with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. Results: In multivariable models, individuals who had a sick-leave spell due to otoaudiological diagnoses in 2005 had a 1.52fold (95 % CI: 1.43–1.62) increased risk of being granted a disability pension compared to individuals on sick leave due to other diagnoses. Hearing and tinnitus sick-leave diagnoses were associated with risk of disability pension: RR 3.38, 95 % CI: 3.04–3.75, and 3.30, 95 % CI: 2.95–3.68, respectively. No association was observed between sick leave due to vertigo diagnoses and disability pension whereas otological diagnoses and no sick leave were inversely associated with risk of disability pension compared to non-otoaudiological sick-leave diagnoses. Sick leave due to otoaudiological diagnoses was positively associated with risk of disability pension due to otoaudiological diagnoses and sick leave due to a tinnitus diagnosis was also associated with risk of disability pension due to mental diagnoses. The risk of disability pension among individuals with hearing or tinnitus sick-leave diagnoses was highest in the age group 35–44. Moreover, men had a slightl

Systemic galectin-3 in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis: The impact of exacerbations

Purpose: The carbohydrate-binding protein Galectin-3 is increased in several inflammatory diseases and has recently been forwarded as a systemic biomarker in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this longitudinal study, we characterized the level of systemic Galectin-3 using blood from smokers with a history of COPD and chronic bronchitis (COPD-CB), during stable clinical conditions and exacerbations. Patients and Methods: The study population comprised 56 long-term smokers with COPD-CB, 10 long-term smokers without lung disease (LTS) and 10 clinically healthy never-smokers (HNS). Blood samples were analyzed for levels of Galectin-3, leukocyte populations and C-reactive protein (CRP). In addition, sputum samples from the COPD-CB group were analyzed for bacterial growth. Results: When comparing stable clinical conditions and exacerbations in the COPD-CB group, we found that the level of Galectin-3, just like that of CRP, leukocytes and neutrophils, respectively, was increased during exacerbations. However, this exacerbation-associated increase of Galectin-3 was modest. During stable clinical conditions of COPD-CB, the level of Galectin-3 was not elevated in comparison with HNS or LTS. Nor did this level of Galectin-3 distinguish patients that remained in a clinically stable condition throughout the study to those that developed an exacerbation. In addition, neither during stable clinical conditions nor during exacerbations, did the presence of bacterial growth in sputum alter Galectin-3 levels. In contrast to Galectin-3, the level of CRP, leukocytes and neutrophils, respectively, were increased during clinical stable conditions in the COPD-CB group compared with the other groups and were further enhanced during exacerbations. Conclusion: Systemic Galectin-3 is increased in a reproducible but modest manner during exacerbations in smokers with COPD-CB. During stable clinical conditions, the level of systemic Galectin-3 does not distinguish patients that remain clinically stable from those that develop exacerbations. This makes it less likely that systemic Galectin-3 may become a clinically useful biomarker in the current setting

Clinically Diagnosed Insomnia and Risk of All-Cause and Diagnosis-Specific Disability Pension: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background. Insomnia and disability pension are major health problems, but few population-based studies have examined the association between insomnia and risk of disability pension. Methods. We conducted a prospective nationwide cohort study based on Swedish population-based registers including all 5,028,922 individuals living in Sweden on December 31, 2004December 31, /2005, aged 17-64 years, and not on disability or old age pension. Those having at least one admission/specialist visit with a diagnosis of disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (insomnias) (ICD-10: G47.0) during 2000/2001-2005 were compared to those with no such inpatient/outpatient care. All-cause and diagnosis-specific incident disability pension were followed from 2006 to 2010. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox regression. Results. In models adjusted for prior sickness absence, sociodemographic factors, and inpatient/specialized outpatient care, associations between insomnia and increased risks of all-cause disability pension (IRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.09-1.67) and disability pension due to mental diagnoses (IRR 1.86, 95% CI 1.38-2.50) were observed. After further adjustment for insomnia medications these associations disappeared. No associations between insomnia and risk of disability pension due to cancer, circulatory, or musculoskeletal diagnoses were observed. Conclusion. Insomnia seems to be positively associated with all-cause disability pension and disability pension due to mental diagnoses

Single breath N2-test and exhaled nitric oxide in men

SummaryThe N2 slope is an index of inhomogeneous distribution of ventilation and has been suggested to be suited for early testing of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in smokers. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between the fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) and the N2 slope in a random population of smoking and non-smoking men. Altogether 57 subjects were included in the study, 24 never-smokers, seven ex-smokers and 26 current smokers. Subjects were examined twice, in 1995 when they regarded themselves as healthy, and in a follow-up in 2001. Spirometry, N2 slope and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were performed in 1995 while the follow-up examination included also measurement of FENO.The FENO value was significantly lower and the N2 slope higher in current smokers. In smokers but not in never- or ex-smokers FENO was correlated to the difference in N2 slope between 1995 and 2001 (rs=0.49, P=0.01). We analysed the data by multiple linear regression adjusted for smoking, mild respiratory symptoms and inhaled steroids. There were significant associations between FENO and the N2 slope both in 1995 and in 2001. The strongest association was found to exist with the change in N2 slope during these years.Sixteen of the subjects could be classified as having COPD, six with mild and ten with moderate COPD. There was a trend for an increase in N2 slope with increased severity of COPD; among subjects with no COPD the N2 slope in 2001 was 2.3% N2/L, and those with mild and moderate COPD had 2.5% N2/L and 3.9% N2/L, respectively (P=0.0004). No such trend was seen for FENO (17.8, 15.5 and 20.3 parts per billion (ppb), respectively, P=0.8).The results show that FENO is associated with the N2 slope, indicating that FENO reflects inflammatory changes in the peripheral airways of both non-smoking and smoking subjects