Individual identification of Black-throated Divers (Gavia arctica)

The potential to identify individual Black-throated Divers (Gavia arctica) on the basis of breeding plumage features was explored using 278 photos, including two paired birds followed during the years 2007-2015 at a specific breeding location. Observations were focused on: 1) white lines on the sides of neck, 2) mantle having rows of sharply contrasting white squares, and 3) small white spots on lesser andmedian coverts. In photos, the number ofwhite lines on the sides of neck varied from four to seven (mean = 5.0, n = 278), and the second line from the head was the highest in 92.1% of the photos. The number of " white square" rows on the mantle varied from 11 to 14 and the small white spots on coverts from 27 to 67. Identification of individual Black-throated Divers was potentially easiest if the plumage had some special patterns (19.4% of birds, n = 278). Plumage remained the same in the followed pair between years, as was also shown by the discriminant analysis, since the followed pair was correctly classified by sex but not by sides showing that sides are similar. To estimate whether it is possible to separate these two birds from other birds, a second discriminant analysis was accomplished. Thus, 125 other birds were added to analysis as a third group together with the followed pair (female andmale, nine years and n = 18 per sex). The linear discriminant analysis yielded a classification rate of 70.8% in original analysis and 69.6% based on the leave-one-out analysis (n = 161). These analyses were based on the relative height of the neck lines, their average relative height and standard deviation. When the number ofwhite spotswere added to this discriminant analysis, a correct classification rate of 77.4% in original analysis and 75.7% in the leave-one-out analysis was obtained (n = 115). These following nesting pairs during their breeding seasons in different years. Presumed female andmaleBlack-throatedDiver could be distinguished based on the shape of the forehead.Peer reviewe

Changes in the metabolic profile of human male postmortem frontal cortex and cerebrospinal fluid samples associated with heavy alcohol use

Heavy alcohol use is one of the top causes of disease and death in the world. The brain is a key organ affected by heavy alcohol use. Here, our aim was to measure changes caused by heavy alcohol use in the human brain metabolic profile. We analyzed human postmortem frontal cortex and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from males with a history of heavy alcohol use (n = 74) and controls (n = 74) of the Tampere Sudden Death Series cohort. We used a nontargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry-based metabolomics method. We observed differences between the study groups in the metabolite levels of both frontal cortex and CSF samples, for example, in amino acids and derivatives, and acylcarnitines. There were more significant alterations in the metabolites of frontal cortex than in CSF. In the frontal cortex, significant alterations were seen in the levels of neurotransmitters (e.g., decreased levels of GABA and acetylcholine), acylcarnitines (e.g., increased levels of acylcarnitine 4:0), and in some metabolites associated with alcohol metabolizing enzymes (e.g., increased levels of 2-piperidone). Some of these changes were also significant in the CSF samples (e.g., elevated 2-piperidone levels). Overall, these results show the metabolites associated with neurotransmitters, energy metabolism and alcohol metabolism, were altered in human postmortem frontal cortex and CSF samples of persons with a history of heavy alcohol use

Energia- ja ilmastostrategian vaikutusarviot: Yhteenvetoraportti

Kestävä energia- ja ilmastopolitiikka ja uusiutuvien rooli Suomessa (KEIJU) – tutkimushankkeessa on tarkasteltu laaja-alaisesti kansallisen energia- ja ilmastopolitiikan kokonaisuutta. Tässä raportissa on esitetty marraskuussa 2016 julkaistun Energia- ja ilmastostrategian vaikutusarvioiden tulokset. Keskeinen johtopäätös on, että esitetyillä linjauksilla Suomi voi saavuttaa sekä EU:n asettaman taakanjakosektorin päästövähennystavoitteen että kansalliset tavoitteet liittyen uusiutuvan energian lisäämiseen,fossiilisten polttoaineiden käytön vähentämiseen ja energian hankinnan omavaraisuuteen. Suurin osakasvihuonekaasupäästöjen vähennystarpeesta taakanjakosektorilla toteutuisi liikenteessä, mutta päästötvähenevät myös rakennusten erillislämmityksessä, maataloudessa, työkoneissa, F-kaasuissa ja jätehuollossa. Energia- ja ilmastostrategian tavoitteiden toteuttaminen vaikuttaa taloudelliseen ohjaukseen ja kansantalouteen. Vaikutusarvioissa kansantuote supistuisi 2030 noin 0,6 prosenttiyksikköä verrattuna perusuraan. Työllisyys pienenisi noin 0,15 prosenttiyksikköä perusuraan verrattuna, mutta kasvaisi kuitenkin yli kolme prosenttia vuoteen 2015 verrattuna Uusiutuvista energialähteistä eniten kasvaa puuperäisen bioenergian käyttö. Suomen metsien hakkuumahdollisuudet riittävät sekä metsä- ja energiateollisuuden arvioidun raaka-ainetarpeen tyydyttämiseen. Metsät ovat jatkossakin nettohiilinielu, mutta jos kotimaisen runkopuun hakkuut kasvavat arvioiden mukaisesti noin 80 miljoonaan kuutiometriin vuodessa, ennakoidaan hiilinielun pienenevän vuosina 2021-2030 noin puoleen nykyisestä. Strategia vaikuttaa ilmastonmuutokseen, luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja vesistöihin, ilmansaasteisiin sekä ihmisten terveyteen ja elinoloihin. Linjausten käytännön toteutuksen yksityiskohdat ovat olennaisia. Ne määräävät mm. kuinka voimakkaasti puunkäytön lisäys vaikuttaa luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja mitä hyvinvointivaikutuksia kohdistuu eri väestönryhmiin

Contribution of astrocytes to familial risk and clinical manifestation of schizophrenia

Previous studies have implicated several brain cell types in schizophrenia (SCZ), but the genetic impact of astrocytes is unknown. Considering their high complexity in humans, astrocytes are likely key determinants of neurodevelopmental diseases, such as SCZ. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes differentiated from five monozygotic twin pairs discordant for SCZ and five healthy subjects were studied for alterations related to high genetic risk and clinical manifestation of SCZ in astrocyte transcriptomics, neuron-astrocyte co-cultures, and in humanized mice. We found gene expression and signaling pathway alterations related to synaptic dysfunction, inflammation, and extracellular matrix components in SCZ astrocytes, and demyelination in SCZ astrocyte transplanted mice. While Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified SCZ disease and synaptic transmission pathway changes in SCZ astrocytes, the most consistent findings were related to collagen and cell adhesion associated pathways. Neuronal responses to glutamate and GABA differed between astrocytes from control persons, affected twins, and their unaffected co-twins and were normalized by clozapine treatment. SCZ astrocyte cell transplantation to the mouse forebrain caused gene expression changes in synaptic dysfunction and inflammation pathways of mouse brain cells and resulted in behavioral changes in cognitive and olfactory functions. Differentially expressed transcriptomes and signaling pathways related to synaptic functions, inflammation, and especially collagen and glycoprotein 6 pathways indicate abnormal extracellular matrix composition in the brain as one of the key characteristics in the etiology of SCZ.Peer reviewe

Energia- ja ilmastostrategian vaikutusarviot: Yhteenvetoraportti

Kestävä energia- ja ilmastopolitiikka ja uusiutuvien rooli Suomessa (KEIJU) – tutkimushankkeessa on tarkasteltu laaja-alaisesti kansallisen energia- ja ilmastopolitiikan kokonaisuutta. Tässä raportissa on esitetty marraskuussa 2016 julkaistun Energia- ja ilmastostrategian vaikutusarvioiden tulokset. Keskeinen johtopäätös on, että esitetyillä linjauksilla Suomi voi saavuttaa sekä EU:n asettaman taakanjakosektorin päästövähennystavoitteen että kansalliset tavoitteet liittyen uusiutuvan energian lisäämiseen,fossiilisten polttoaineiden käytön vähentämiseen ja energian hankinnan omavaraisuuteen. Suurin osakasvihuonekaasupäästöjen vähennystarpeesta taakanjakosektorilla toteutuisi liikenteessä, mutta päästötvähenevät myös rakennusten erillislämmityksessä, maataloudessa, työkoneissa, F-kaasuissa ja jätehuollossa. Energia- ja ilmastostrategian tavoitteiden toteuttaminen vaikuttaa taloudelliseen ohjaukseen ja kansantalouteen. Vaikutusarvioissa kansantuote supistuisi 2030 noin 0,6 prosenttiyksikköä verrattuna perusuraan. Työllisyys pienenisi noin 0,15 prosenttiyksikköä perusuraan verrattuna, mutta kasvaisi kuitenkin yli kolme prosenttia vuoteen 2015 verrattuna Uusiutuvista energialähteistä eniten kasvaa puuperäisen bioenergian käyttö. Suomen metsien hakkuumahdollisuudet riittävät sekä metsä- ja energiateollisuuden arvioidun raaka-ainetarpeen tyydyttämiseen. Metsät ovat jatkossakin nettohiilinielu, mutta jos kotimaisen runkopuun hakkuut kasvavat arvioiden mukaisesti noin 80 miljoonaan kuutiometriin vuodessa, ennakoidaan hiilinielun pienenevän vuosina 2021-2030 noin puoleen nykyisestä. Strategia vaikuttaa ilmastonmuutokseen, luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja vesistöihin, ilmansaasteisiin sekä ihmisten terveyteen ja elinoloihin. Linjausten käytännön toteutuksen yksityiskohdat ovat olennaisia. Ne määräävät mm. kuinka voimakkaasti puunkäytön lisäys vaikuttaa luonnon monimuotoisuuteen ja mitä hyvinvointivaikutuksia kohdistuu eri väestönryhmiin. Abstract The research project ’Sustainable Energy and Climate Policy and the Role of Renewables in Finland (KEIJU)’ evaluated and assessed the Finnish energy and climate policy framework from a broad perspective. This report presents a summary of the impact assessments of the National Energy and Climate Strategy of November 2016. The conclusion is that the proposed actions and measures allows Finland to reach the targets of the EU Effort Sharing Decision and national targets to increase renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel consumption, and to increase self-sufficiency of energy consumption. The largest share of additional emission reductions would be achieved in the transport sector followed by reduction of emissions from oil heating of buildings, work machinery, waste management, F-gases and agriculture. The realization of the targets of the energy and climate strategy affects economic steering and the national economy. According to the impact assessments the gross domestic product would be 0.6 percentage units lower than the baseline in 2030. The employment would grow over 3 percent by 2030 compared to 2015, but would remain 0.15 percentage points lower than in the baseline. Forest biomass is the largest growing renewable energy source from 2015 to 2030. Existing felling potential in the Finnish forests will be large enough to supply the estimated needs of both forest- and energy industries. Finnish forests will remain a carbon sink, but the carbon sink will be reduce to half of the current levels if the logging increases to an estimated 80 million cubic meters by 2030. The strategy will affect climate change, nature’s biodiversity and water basins, air pollution, health and living conditions. The details of the practical implementation are essential. They will influence how the increased wood harvesting affects biodiversity and what welfare impacts different population groups will experience

EPHB2 germline variants in patients with colorectal cancer or hyperplastic polyposis

BACKGROUND: Ephrin receptor B2 (EPHB2) has recently been proposed as a novel tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer (CRC). Inactivation of the gene has been shown to correlate with progression of colorectal tumorigenesis, and somatic mutations have been reported in both colorectal and prostate tumors. METHODS: Here we have analyzed the EPHB2 gene for germline alterations in 101 individuals either with 1) CRC and a personal or family history of prostate cancer (PC), or 2) intestinal hyperplastic polyposis (HPP), a condition associated with malignant degeneration such as serrated adenoma and CRC. RESULTS: Four previously unknown missense alterations were observed, which may be associated with the disease phenotype. Two of the changes, I361V and R568W, were identified in Finnish CRC patients, but not in over 300 Finnish familial CRC or PC patients or more than 200 population-matched healthy controls. The third change, D861N, was observed in a UK HPP patient, but not in additional 40 UK HPP patients or in 200 UK healthy controls. The fourth change R80H, originally identified in a Finnish CRC patient, was also found in 1/106 familial CRC patients and in 9/281 healthy controls and is likely to be a neutral polymorphism. CONCLUSION: We detected novel germline EPHB2 alterations in patients with colorectal tumors. The results suggest a limited role for these EPHB2 variants in colon tumor predisposition. Further studies including functional analyses are needed to confirm this

The Glanville fritillary genome retains ancient karyotype and reveals selective chromosomal fusions in Lepidoptera

201