Time budget and lying synchronisation of cows in conventional and automatic milking system departments

We compared the time budget and synchronised lying behaviour of cows in a conventional and in an automatic milking systems, both situating inside the same barn

Postoperative cognitive change after cardiac surgery predicts long-term cognitive outcome

Objectives Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common consequence of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, domain-specific associations between postoperative changes and long-term performance are poorly known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether domain-specific cognitive changes after cardiac surgery predict long-term cognitive outcome. Materials and Methods We assessed 100 patients (86 men, mean age 60) before coronary artery bypass grafting, with re-examinations after one week, three months, and a mean of 6.7 years. The extensive neuropsychological test battery was organized into seven functional cognitive domains. Cognitive decline and improvement were defined with the reliable change index derived from 17 matching healthy controls. Analyses were adjusted for baseline cognitive performance, age, gender, education and cardiovascular risks factors. Results On group level, one week after surgery 71% patients showed cognitive decline and 9% improvement in any functional domain, as compared to preoperative results. Three months postsurgery, decline was observed in 47% and improvement in 25% of patients. Executive functioning was the most sensitive domain to both decline and improvement. Postoperative dysfunction predicted long-term cognitive deterioration six years after operation, particularly in the domain of executive functioning. Conclusions POCD after coronary artery bypass grafting is an essential risk factor for long-term deterioration and an indication for neuropsychological follow-up. Assessment of change in executive functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting may help to identify patients at risk for unfavorable long-term outcome.Peer reviewe

Hevosten Nurmirehut –hanke. Nurmikasvilajin ja korjuuajan vaikutus sulavuuteen hevosilla

Tutkimuksessa käytettiin viikon välein korjattuja säilörehuja, joiden sulavuus määritettiin sonnankokonaiskeruumenetelmällä hevosilla ja pässeillä. Hevosilla sulavuus määritettiin myös merkkiaineilla,joita olivat sulamaton kuitu (iNDF) ja kromioksidi (Cr2O3). Lisäksi rehujen orgaanisen aineen sulavuusmääritettiin in vitro -sellulaasimenetelmällä laboratoriossa. Tarkoituksena oli verrata eri menetelmiensopivuutta hevosten nurmirehujen sulavuuden määritykseen sekä selvittää, millä tarkkuudella hevosilletarkoitettujen rehujen sulavuus voidaan määrittää pässeillä. Kasvilajivertailussa olevista rehuista saatiintarpeellista tietoa myös nautakarjan ruokintaan.Hevosten nurmirehut –hankkeessa tutkittiin kuuden eri säilörehun sulavuutta. Koerehut tehtiinpuhtaan ruokonadan ja timotei-nurminataseoksen ensimmäisestä sadosta alkukesällä 2006 Jokioisilla.Rehut korjattiin molemmista kasvilajeista kolmessa eri kehitysvaiheessa. Koerehujen niittopäivät olivat19.6., 26.6. ja 3.7. Rehut säilöttiin pyöröpaaleihin. Säilöntäaineena oli AIV 2 Plus. Rehujen sulavuusmääritettiin keväällä 2007 Maa- ja elintarviketalouden tutkimuskeskuksen (MTT) Hevostaloudentutkimusyksikössä Ypäjällä. Koemallina oli 6 x 4 epätäydellisen latinalaisen neliön koe kuudellatammalla. Säilörehuja annettiin ylläpitotarpeen mukaisesti 60 g KA/kgW0.75. Määrä vastasi rehun kuiva-ainepitoisuudestaja hevosen koosta riippuen 12 - 22 kiloa tuoretta rehua eläintä kohden päivässä.Ruokonatasäilörehun keskimääräiset kuiva-ainepitoisuudet olivat 357 – 498 g/kg ja vastaavasti timotei-nurminatasäilörehun421 – 550 g/kg. Rehujen käymislaatu oli hyvä. Ruokonatasäilörehussaraakavalkuaispitoisuudet olivat matalammat ja kuitupitoisuudet (raakakuitu ja NDF) korkeammat kuinsamalla kasvuasteella korjatussa timotei-nurminatasäilörehussa. Myös ruokonadan D-arvot olivat timotei-nurminadanD-arvoja pienemmät.Lukuunottamatta ruokonadan vanhimman kasvuasteen korsiintuneita osia, säilörehut maittoivathevosille hyvin. Vaikka ruokinta keruukaudella oli ylläpitotasolla, osa hevosista jätti rehua. Timotei-nurminatasäilörehutolivat paremmin sulavia kuin vastaavalla kasvuasteella korjatut ruokonatasäilörehut.Ruokonadan orgaanisen aineen sulavuus nuoremmasta kasvuasteesta vanhimpaan oli 612, 518 ja 467 g/kgKA ja timotei-nurminadan vastaavasti 672, 566 ja 516 g/kg KA. Rehulajien väliset erot raakavalkuaisensulavuudessa olivat pieniä juhannuksen jälkeen ja heinäkuun alussa korjatuissa rehuissa. Timoteinurminadankuitu suli noin 20 % paremmin kuin ruokonatasäilörehun kuitu. In vitro -sellulaasimenetelmäyliarvioi orgaanisen aineen sulavuuden ruokonadan osalta 31 %:lla ja timotei-nurminadan osalta 23 %:lla.In vitro -menetelmä yliarvioi sulavuutta enemmän vanhemmilla kasvuasteilla. Myös pässeillä määritettysulavuus oli selvästi korkeampi kuin hevosilla määritetty

Early B-cell Factor1 (Ebf1) promotes early osteoblast differentiation but suppresses osteoblast function

Early B cell factor 1 (Ebf1) is a transcription factor that regulates B cell, neuronal cell and adipocyte differentiation. We and others have shown that Ebf1 is expressed in osteoblasts and that global deletion of Ebf1 results in increased bone formation in vivo. However, as Ebf1 is expressed in multiple tissues and cell types, it has remained unclear, which of the phenotypic changes in bone are derived from bone cells. The aim of this study was to determine the cell-autonomous and differentiation stage-specific roles of Ebf1 in osteoblasts.In vitro, haploinsufficient Ebf1+/− calvarial cells showed impaired osteoblastic differentiation indicated by lower alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and reduced mRNA expression of osteoblastic genes, while overexpression of Ebf1 in wild type mouse calvarial cells led to enhanced osteoblast differentiation with increased expression of Osterix (Osx). We identified a putative Ebf1 binding site in the Osterix promoter by ChIP assay in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and showed that Ebf1 was able to activate Osx-luc reporter construct that included this Ebf1 binding site, suggesting that Ebf1 indeed regulates osteoblast differentiation by inducing Osterix expression.To reconcile our previous data and that of others with our novel findings, we hypothesized that Ebf1 could have a dual role in osteoblast differentiation promoting early but inhibiting late stages of differentiation and osteoblast function. To test this hypothesis in vivo, we generated conditional Ebf1 knockout mice, in which Ebf1 deletion was targeted to early or late osteoblasts by crossing Ebf1fl/fl mice with Osx- or Osteocalcin (hOC)-Cre mouse lines, respectively. Deletion of Ebf1 in early Ebf1Osx−/− osteoblasts resulted in significantly increased bone volume and trabecular number at 12 weeks by μCT analysis, while Ebf1hOC−/− mice did not have a bone phenotype.To conclude, our data demonstrate that Ebf1 promotes early osteoblast differentiation by regulating Osterix expression. However, Ebf1 inhibits bone accrual in the Osterix expressing osteoblasts in vivo but it is redundant in the maintenance of mature osteoblast function.</p

Postoperative cognitive change after cardiac surgery predicts long-term cognitive outcome

Objectives: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common consequence of coronary artery bypass grafting. However, domain-specific associations between postoperative changes and long-term performance are poorly known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether domain-specific cognitive changes after cardiac surgery predict long-term cognitive outcome. Materials and Methods: We assessed 100 patients (86 men, mean age 60) before coronary artery bypass grafting, with re-examinations after one week, three months, and a mean of 6.7 years. The extensive neuropsychological test battery was organized into seven functional cognitive domains. Cognitive decline and improvement were defined with the reliable change index derived from 17 matching healthy controls. Analyses were adjusted for baseline cognitive performance, age, gender, education and cardiovascular risks factors. Results: On group level, one week after surgery 71% patients showed cognitive decline and 9% improvement in any functional domain, as compared to preoperative results. Three months postsurgery, decline was observed in 47% and improvement in 25% of patients. Executive functioning was the most sensitive domain to both decline and improvement. Postoperative dysfunction predicted long-term cognitive deterioration six years after operation, particularly in the domain of executive functioning. Conclusions: POCD after coronary artery bypass grafting is an essential risk factor for long-term deterioration and an indication for neuropsychological follow-up. Assessment of change in executive functioning after coronary artery bypass grafting may help to identify patients at risk for unfavorable long-term outcome.</div

Katsaus tekoälyyn : tekoäly ja sen sovellutukset

Postgraduate seminar series with a title artificial intelligence and logic held at the Department of Military Technology of the National Defence University in 2020 and 2021. This book is a collection of some of talks that were presented in the seminar. The papers address ethics in autonomous military technology, algorithmic thinking, application of fuzzy logic in the Armed Forces, logic and skill, use of artificial intelligence technologies in information and psychological warfare, cyber security risks of artificial intelligence applications and algorithms, information acquisition strategies and artificial intelligence to support learning. This set of papers tries to give some insight to current issues of the artificial intelligence and logic. Seminars at the Department of Military Technology have a tradition to make publication based on the presentations, but only as an internal publication of the Finnish Defence Forces and in such a way has not hindered publication of the papers e.g. in international conferences. Publication of these papers in peer reviewed conferences has indeed been always the goal of the seminar, since it teaches writing conference level papers. We still hope that an internal publication in the department series is useful to the Finnish Defence Forces by offering an easy access to these papers

Carbon dioxide use and removal : Prospects and policies

This report presents an overview of the current status of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR), in terms of and main technologies, markets and policies, especially from the perspective of Finland. CDR refers to technologies and practices, which can remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in a manner intended to be permanent. CCUS refers to permanent storage of captured CO2 or to the utilisation of captured CO2 as a feedstock for different products which also form short- or long-term storage over their life cycle. The products can range from fuels (short lifetime) to performance polymers (long lifetime) and to mineral products (often permanent storage). The market assessment included also quantitative and qualitative estimates for future development in size and growing CCUS and CDR solutions. Finland’s export potential in the technologies and products was also investigated. The policy environment of the technologies was assessed in terms of greenhouse gas accounting and reporting rules under the UNFCC and EU legal frameworks. Moreover, an international benchmarking of national policies was carried out to survey good practices in peer jurisdictions. Taking note of the assessed main technology options, the policy overview was used to identify policy development needs and to provide recommendations accordingly.This publication is part of the implementation of the Government Plan for Analysis, Assessment and Research. (tietokayttoon.fi) The content is the responsibility of the producers of the information and does not necessarily represent the view of the Government

Valimon energiatase

Sinkkitehtaan valimossa sulatetaan vuodessa satoja miljoonia kiloja sinkkiä. Sinkin sulattaminen ja valaminen vaativat paljon energiaa. Määrittämällä energiavirrat valimon sisällä, voidaan löytää potentiaalisia kehitys- ja säästökohteita. Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli määrittää valimon energiatase ja antaa kuva valimon lävitse kulkevista ja valimon sisäisistä energiavirroista, sekä saada kuvaa siitä mistä energian häviöitä syntyy eniten. Opinnäytetyön teoriaosuudessa käydään läpi energian esiintymismuodot, sekä valimoon liittyviä fysiikan ja termodynamiikan perusasioita. Opinnäytetyön tiedonhankinta on toteutettu pääasiassa haastatteluin ja yrityksen itse tuottamaa materiaalia käyttäen. Työssä tutustuttiin myös pääpiirteittäin koko tehtaan toimintaan antaakseen lukijalle yleisen kuvan valimon raaka-aineen eli sinkin valmistamisest

Ehdollistuminen hermostollisista mekanismeista ja endogeenisen GDNF:n roolista amfetamiinilla ehdollistetussa paikkahakuisuudessa

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