Forest management and public perceptions -visual versus verbal information.

Forest and landscape management measures have impacts on the amenity value of forests. People may have certain attitudes towards management, in particular near urban areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts on scenic beauty and recreational value of five different management practices: small clear cutting, thinning, removal of undergrowth, natural state, and traditionally managed cultural landscape. In order to compare visual perceptions with preconceptions, two evaluation methods, visual presentation (pictures produced by image-capture technology) and verbal questions were used. Scenic beauty and recreational value were assessed from slides in which management measures were presented by the pairwise comparison technique. The results indicate that scenic beauty and recreational preferences differ considerably from each other. In the study areas, small clear cuttings had the most positive effect on scenic beauty and natural state had most positive effect on recreational value. Furthermore, preconceptions concerning different silvicultural measures did not consistently correspond to perceptions based on the assessment of visual images. This fact supports the use of visual presentation methods in future preference studies as well as in participatory forest planning projects.</p

Rattijuopumuksen rangaistuskäytäntö sekä rattijuopumuksen, törkeän rattijuopumuksen ja törkeän liikenneturvallisuuden vaarantamisen ajokieltokäytäntö

Ajokieltojen määrääminen siirtyy 1.6. 2019 alkaen kokonaan poliisille ja samalla perustunnusmerkistön mukaiset rattijuopumukset siirtyvät käsiteltäväksi sakkomenettelyssä. Uudistuksesta seuraa, että poliisi ja syyttäjä ryhtyvät käyttämään tuomio- ja toimivaltaa, joka on aikaisemmin kuulunut yleisille tuomioistuimille. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on toteuttaa rattijuopumusten ja ajokieltojen oikeuskäytäntöä koskeva tutkimus, jota voidaan hyödyntää uudistuksen täytäntöönpanossa eli poliisin ajokielto-ohjeiden ja sakkokäsikirjan päivittämisessä. Tutkimusaineisto perustuu oikeushallinnon tietojärjestelmiin kirjattuihin rikosasioiden käräjä- ja hovioikeuksien ratkaisuihin, joiden ratkaisupäivämäärä ajoittuu vuodelle 2017. Perusmuotoisten rattijuopumusten rangaistuskäytäntöä kuvataan lähinnä suhteessa tuomitulla havaitun veren tai hengitysilman alkoholipitoisuuteen, aikaisempiin rattijuopumustuomioihin, eräisiin olosuhdetekijöihin ja tuomioistuimen maantieteelliseen sijaintiin nähden. Pääasiassa samoja tekijöitä huomioidaan myös tarkasteltaessa ajokieltojen pituuksia rattijuopumuksissa, törkeissä rattijuopumuksissa ja törkeissä liikenneturvallisuuden vaarantamisissa. Lisäksi tarkastellaan ehdollisen ajokiellon määräämisen perusteita

No Association Between Ljungan Virus Seropositivity and the Beta-cell Damaging Process in the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study Cohort

Background: Ljungan virus (LV) has not confirmed to associate with any human disease, but a possible connection with type 1 diabetes has been suggested. LV is a rodent-borne picornavirus that induces a diabetes-like condition in rodents. Approximately 30% of adults and 60% of children are seropositive in Finland. The Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention study enabled the use of very well characterized sample panels from children seroconverted to positivity for multiple islet autoantibodies during their prospective observation from birth; in addition, samples from age, sex, human leukocyte antigen (HLA), and residence area matched control children. Methods: We analyzed LV IgG seroprevalence in 102 case children (65 had also developed type 1 diabetes), in addition to nondiabetic control children. LV and human parechovirus (HPeV) immunofluorescence assays were used to analyze LV and HPeV-specific IgG from 102 plasma samples taken at the time of islet autoantibody appearance and from 204 samples from the matched control children. Results: Altogether 46.1% of the case and 50.7% of the control children were positive for LV IgG (odds ratio 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-1.36; P = 0.416) and 67.6% versus 79.8% were positive for HPeV IgG, respectively (odds ratio 0.49, 0.27-0.9, P = 0.023). Conclusions: Thus, no risk associations between LV or HPeV-specific IgG and islet autoimmunity were observed. However, a trend for significantly higher prevalence of HPeV antibodies in control children (P = 0.023) suggests a possible protective association of this virus with islet autoimmunity.Peer reviewe

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English summaryPeer reviewe

Comparative analysis of COVID-19 vaccine responses and third booster dose-induced neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Omicron variants

Vaccination shows efficacy in protecting from COVID-19, but regime and dosing optimization is still ongoing. Here the authors show that BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or their combination with ChAdOx1 induces similar antibody responses, and those receiving three doses of BNT162b2 induce neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant. Two COVID-19 mRNA (of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273) and two adenovirus vector vaccines (ChAdOx1 and Janssen) are licensed in Europe, but optimization of regime and dosing is still ongoing. Here we show in health care workers (n = 328) that two doses of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or a combination of ChAdOx1 adenovirus vector and mRNA vaccines administrated with a long 12-week dose interval induce equally high levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against D614 and Delta variant. By contrast, two doses of BNT162b2 with a short 3-week interval induce 2-3-fold lower titers of neutralizing antibodies than those from the 12-week interval, yet a third BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 booster dose increases the antibody levels 4-fold compared to the levels after the second dose, as well as induces neutralizing antibody against Omicron BA.1 variant. Our data thus indicates that a third COVID-19 mRNA vaccine may induce cross-protective neutralizing antibodies against multiple variants.Peer reviewe

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine induced antibody responses against three SARS-CoV-2 variants

As SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating for over a year, dozens of vaccine candidates are under development or in clinical use. The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces spike protein-specific neutralizing antibodies associated with protective immunity. The emergence of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants has raised concerns of reduced vaccine efficacy and increased re-infection rates. Here we show, that after the second dose, the sera of BNT162b2-vaccinated health care workers (n=180) effectively neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 variant with the D614G substitution and the B.1.1.7 variant, whereas the neutralization of the B.1.351 variant is five-fold reduced. Despite the reduction, 92% of the seronegative vaccinees have a neutralization titre of >20 for the B.1.351 variant indicating some protection. The vaccinees' neutralization titres exceeded those of recovered non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our work provides evidence that the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine induces cross-neutralization of at least some of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants contain mutations in the spike protein that may affect vaccine efficacy. Here, Jalkanen et al. show, using sera from 180 BNT162b2-vaccinated health care workers, that neutralization of SARS-CoV2 variant B.1.1.7 is not affected, while neutralization of B.1.351 variant is five-fold reduced.Peer reviewe

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine induced antibody responses against three SARS-CoV-2 variants

As SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating for over a year, dozens of vaccine candidates are under development or in clinical use. The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces spike protein-specific neutralizing antibodies associated with protective immunity. The emergence of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants has raised concerns of reduced vaccine efficacy and increased re-infection rates. Here we show, that after the second dose, the sera of BNT162b2-vaccinated health care workers (n = 180) effectively neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 variant with the D614G substitution and the B.1.1.7 variant, whereas the neutralization of the B.1.351 variant is five-fold reduced. Despite the reduction, 92% of the seronegative vaccinees have a neutralization titre of >20 for the B.1.351 variant indicating some protection. The vaccinees’ neutralization titres exceeded those of recovered non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our work provides evidence that the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine induces cross-neutralization of at least some of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants

COVID-19 mRNA vaccine induced antibody responses against three SARS-CoV-2 variants

As SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating for over a year, dozens of vaccine candidates are under development or in clinical use. The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces spike protein-specific neutralizing antibodies associated with protective immunity. The emergence of the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants has raised concerns of reduced vaccine efficacy and increased re-infection rates. Here we show, that after the second dose, the sera of BNT162b2-vaccinated health care workers (n=180) effectively neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 variant with the D614G substitution and the B.1.1.7 variant, whereas the neutralization of the B.1.351 variant is five-fold reduced. Despite the reduction, 92% of the seronegative vaccinees have a neutralization titre of >20 for the B.1.351 variant indicating some protection. The vaccinees' neutralization titres exceeded those of recovered non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Our work provides evidence that the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine induces cross-neutralization of at least some of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants contain mutations in the spike protein that may affect vaccine efficacy. Here, Jalkanen et al. show, using sera from 180 BNT162b2-vaccinated health care workers, that neutralization of SARS-CoV2 variant B.1.1.7 is not affected, while neutralization of B.1.351 variant is five-fold reduced.</p