Profiling water vapor mixing ratios in Finland by means of a Raman lidar, a satellite and a model

We present tropospheric water vapor profiles measured with a Raman lidar during three field campaigns held in Finland. Co-located radio soundings are available throughout the period for the calibration of the lidar signals. We investigate the possibility of calibrating the lidar water vapor profiles in the absence of co-existing on-site soundings using water vapor profiles from the combined Advanced InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) satellite product; the Aire Limitée Adaptation dynamique Développement INternational and High Resolution Limited Area Model (ALADIN/HIRLAM) numerical weather prediction (NWP) system, and the nearest radio sounding station located 100 km away from the lidar site (only for the permanent location of the lidar). The uncertainties of the calibration factor derived from the soundings, the satellite and the model data are < 2.8, 7.4 and 3.9 %, respectively. We also include water vapor mixing ratio intercomparisons between the radio soundings and the various instruments/model for the period of the campaigns. A good agreement is observed for all comparisons with relative errors that do not exceed 50 % up to 8 km altitude in most cases. A 4-year seasonal analysis of vertical water vapor is also presented for the Kuopio site in Finland. During winter months, the air in Kuopio is dry (1.15±0.40 †kg-1); during summer it is wet (5.54±1.02 †kg-1); and at other times, the air is in an intermediate state. These are averaged values over the lowest 2 km in the atmosphere. Above that height a quick decrease in water vapor mixing ratios is observed, except during summer months where favorable atmospheric conditions enable higher mixing ratio values at higher altitudes. Lastly, the seasonal change in disagreement between the lidar and the model has been studied. The analysis showed that, on average, the model underestimates water vapor mixing ratios at high altitudes during spring and summer

Short-term survival of cementless Oxford unicondylar knee arthroplasty based on the Finnish Arthroplasty Register

Background: Cementless unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) was introduced to secure longterm fixation and reduce the risk of revision. Experience with cementless UKA fixation is limited. Methods: The short-term survival (up to five years) of cementless Oxford UKA was assessed using data from the Finish Arthroplasty Register and was compared with that of cemented Oxford 3 UKA and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Datawere obtained, from the Finnish Arthroplasty Register, on 1076 cementless Oxford UKAs and 2279 cemented Oxford 3 UKAs performed for primary osteoarthritis in 2005-2015. The Kaplan-Meier method, with revision for any reason as the endpoint, was used to assess the survival of these two UKA groups, and the results were compared with that of 65,563 cemented TKAs treated for primary osteoarthritis over the same period. The risk of revision of both Oxford prostheses was compared using Cox regression model, with adjustment for age and sex, with the cemented TKA group as reference. Results: The three-year survival was 93.7% for the cementless Oxford, 922% for the cemented Oxford 3, and 97.3% for the cemented TKA. The corresponding figures at five years were 92.3%, 88.9%, and 96.6%, respectively. The revision rate for both the cementless Oxford and the cemented Oxford 3 was significantly increased when compared with the cemented TKA (P <0.001). Conclusions: The survival of the cementless Oxford method was higher than that of the cemented Oxford 3 in the short term. The overall survival of Oxford UKA was poor in comparison with contemporary TKAs. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Ympäristönsuojelulain toimivuus- ja vaikuttavuusarviointi

Hankkeessa toteutettiin ympäristönsuojelulain (527/2014) toimivuus- ja vaikuttavuusarvioin-ti, jossa selvitettiin kyselyillä ja haastatteluilla eri tahojen näkemyksiä lain uudistuksista. Selvityksen perusteella myönteisinä asioina on koettu muun muassa lupahakemusten laatua ja tiedonkulkua parantaneet ennakkotapaamiset, turvetuotannon sijoituspaikan luonnonar-vojen parempi huomioiminen lupaharkinnassa, valvonnan perustellumpi kohdistuminen ja yhdenmukaistuminen riskiperusteisuuden ja maksullisuuden myötä sekä mahdollisuus maa-aines- ja ympäristöluvan yhteiskäsittelyyn. Myös lupamääräysten tarkistamismenettelystä luopuminen on otettu pääasiassa myönteisesti vastaan erityisesti kunnissa ja toiminnanhar-joittajien keskuudessa. Menettelyt ovat uudistusten myötä osin nopeutuneet. Selvityksestä käy ilmi, että ympäristönsuojelun tason ylläpitäminen nähdään erittäin tärkeänä menettelyitä kehitettäessä. Sama koskee myös osallistumis- ja vaikuttamis-mahdollisuuksia sekä niihin liittyvää haitankärsijöiden asemaa. Nämä näkökohdat tulee huomioida entistäkin selkeämmin jatkossa ympäristönsuojelulain¬säädäntöä kehitettäessä. Muita kehitettäviä asioita ovat muun muassa lupamääräysten tarkistamis¬menettelyn palauttaminen tarkemmin määriteltävissä tapauksissa, jälkivalvonta¬menettelyiden tukeminen palvelemaan paremmin haitankärsijöitä sekä valvontamaksujen tarkistaminen.Tämä julkaisu on toteutettu osana valtioneuvoston selvitys- ja tutkimussuunnitelman toimeenpanoa.(tietokayttoon.fi) Julkaisun sisällöstä vastaavat tiedon tuottajat, eikä tekstisisältö välttämättä edusta valtioneuvoston näkemystä

Lidar depolarization ratio of atmospheric pollen at multiple wavelengths

Lidar observations during the pollen season 2019 at the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EAR-LINET) station in Kuopio, Finland, were analyzed in order to optically characterize atmospheric pollen. Pollen concentration and type information were obtained by a Hirst-type volumetric air sampler. Previous studies showed the detectability of non-spherical pollen using depolarization ratio measurements. We present lidar depolarization ratio measurements at three wavelengths of atmospheric pollen in ambient conditions. In addition to the depolarization ratio detected with the multiwavelength Raman polarization lidar Polly(XT) at 355 and 532 nm, depolarization measurements of a co-located Halo Doppler lidar at 1565 nm were utilized. During a 4 d period of high birch (Betula) and spruce (Picea abies) pollen concentrations, unusually high depolarization ratios were observed within the boundary layer. Detected layers were investigated regarding the share of spruce pollen to the total pollen number concentration. Daily mean linear particle depolarization ratios of the pollen layers on the day with the highest spruce pollen share are 0.10 +/- 0.02, 0.38 +/- 0.23 and 0.29 +/- 0.10 at 355, 532 and 1565 nm, respectively, whereas on days with lower spruce pollen share, depolarization ratios are lower with less wavelength dependence. This spectral dependence of the depolarization ratios could be indicative of big, non-spherical spruce pollen. The depolarization ratio of pollen particles was investigated by applying a newly developed method and assuming a backscatter-related Angstrom exponent of zero. Depolarization ratios of 0.44 and 0.16 at 532 and 355 nm for the birch and spruce pollen mixture were determined

Threatened habitat types in Finland 2018: the Baltic Sea. Red List of habitats. Part 2: Descriptions of habitat types

This report is a partial translation of the final report in Finnish on threatened habitat types (Threatened habitat types in Finland 2018, Part II: Descriptions of habitat types, The Finnish Environment 5/2018) that presents a total of 420 habitat types. This report includes all the evaluated habitat types of the Baltic Sea, as well as six new marine habitat types, which were described but not yet evaluated (NE). Also included are habitat types regarded as of least concern (LC) and those with deficient data (DD). For each habitat type a description, distribution map, photo, and the reasoning behind the assessment result are presented. The descriptions of the habitat types include their characteristics, geographical variation, connectivity to other habitat types, occurrence in Finland, reasons for being threatened and future threats, trend in the state of the habitat type, correspondence of the habitats type with habitat types covered by statutory protection, and whether the habitat type is one for which Finland has an international responsibility. Part I of the final report (in Finnish Suomen luontotyyppien uhanalaisuus 2018, SY 5/2018 and in English Threatened Habitat Types in Finland 2018, FE 2/2019) presents the assessment method for threatened habitat types, results and reasoning of the assessment, and proposals for measures prepared by the experts groups. In the whole country 186 habitats types were assessed as threatened (48% of the number of habitats types). The share of threatened habitat types is much larger in southern Finland (59%) than in northern Finland (32%). The assessment was conducted by broadly-based expert groups in 2016–2018. This was the second assessment of threatened habitat types in Finland. This assessment was conducted using the international IUCN Red List of Ecosystems method. Because of the new assessment method, the results of the first and second assessment of threatened habitat types are not directly comparable with each other. The conclusion that can be made, however, is that the decline and degradation of habitats has not diminished