Ahmakannan kehitys ja ahmakanta Suomessa 2020

Vuoden 2020 helmikuussa ahmoja oli 385–390 yksilöä, joista eleli poronhoitoalueella 135–140 ahmaa ja poronhoitoalueen ulkopuolella todennäköisimmin 249 yksilöä. Suomen ahmakannan yksilömäärä on kasvanut 1990-luvun alkupuoleen verrattuna noin kymmenkertaiseksi. Kanta on runsastunut keskimäärin noin 10 % vuodessa. Ykslömäärän kasvu on ollut viimeksi kuluneiden kymmenen vuoden aikana aiempaa voimakkaampaa. Arvio ahmakannasta ja sen kehityksestä pohjautuu riistakolmiolaskentoihin ja kolmen pohjoisimman kunnan (Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki) osalta Metsähallituksen koordinoimiin ja yhdessä paliskuntien kanssa suorittamiin aluelaskentoihin vuosina 2019–2020. Näin meneteltiin, koska kolmen pohjoisimman kunnan ahmat keskittyvät tunturialueella, missä on riistakolmioita erittäin vähän. Ahman ylitysjälkien määrä on asteittain kasvanut viime vuosina myös poronhoitoalueen riistakolmiolla, mutta Tunturi-Lapin aluelaskennoissa ahmoja todettiin selvästi vähemmän kuin vuosina 2013–2014.202

Ahmakanta Suomessa 2022

Vuoden 2022 helmikuussa ahmoja oli arviolta 390–410 yksilöä, joista liikkui poronhoitoalueella 160–180 ahmaa ja poronhoitoalueen ulkopuolella todennäköisimmin noin 230 yksilöä. Suomen ahmakannan yksilömäärä on kasvanut 1990-luvun alkuun verrattuna noin kymmenkertaiseksi. Riistakolmioilla laji runsastui vuosijaksolla 1990–2022 keskimäärin 8,9 % vuodessa. Vuoden 2022 kanta-arvio on hieman suurempi kuin vuoden 2021 arvio (390-400 ahmaa.) Yksilömäärän kasvu on ollut viimeksi kuluneiden kymmenen vuoden aikana aiempaa voimakkaampaa. Arvio ahmakannasta ja sen kehityksestä pohjautuu riistakolmiolaskentoihin ja kolmen pohjoisimman kunnan (Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki) osalta Metsähallituksen koordinoimiin ja yhdessä paliskuntien kanssa suorittamiin aluelaskentoihin vuosina 2020–2022. Näin meneteltiin, koska kolmen pohjoisimman kunnan ahmat keskittyvät tunturialueella, missä on riistakolmioita vähän. Ahman ylitysjälkien määrä on asteittain kasvanut viime vuosina myös poronhoitoalueen riistakolmiolla, mutta Tunturi-Lapin aluelaskennoissa todettujen ahmojen kokonaismäärässä ei ole ollut viime vuosina merkittäviä muutoksia. Ahmojen määrä oli siellä selvästi nykyistä suurempi vuosina 2013–2014

Ahmakanta Suomessa 2023

Vuoden 2023 helmikuussa ahmojen lukumäärä Suomessa oli 447 (95 % todennäköisyysväli 390–504). Arvio pohjautuu riistakolmiolaskentoihin ja kolmen pohjoisimman kunnan (Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki) osalta Metsähallituksen koordinoimiin ja yhdessä paliskuntien kanssa suorittamiin aluelaskentoihin vuosina 2020–2023. Arvion pohjana on ahmojen todennäköisin yksilömäärä riistakolmioilla (407 yks., 95 %:n todennäköisyysväli 355–472 ahmaa) ja arvioon pohjoisimpien kuntien ahmakannasta (40 yks. 95 %:n todennäköisyysväli 35–45). Poronhoitoalueen riistakolmioilla liikkui 95 %:n todennäköisyydellä 114–193 ahmaa, todennäköisimmän yksilömäärän ollessa 146. Suomen ahmakannan yksilömäärä on kasvanut 1990-luvun alkuun verrattuna noin kymmenkertaiseksi. Riistakolmioilla laji runsastui vuosijaksolla 1990–2023 keskimäärin 9,0 % vuodessa. Vuoden 2023 kanta-arvio on 10 % suurempi kuin vuoden 2022 arvio (400 ahmaa). Yksilömäärän kasvu on ollut viimeksi kuluneiden kymmenen vuoden aikana aiempaa voimakkaampaa. Ahman ylitysjälkien määrä on asteittain kasvanut viime vuosina myös poronhoitoalueen riistakolmiolla, mutta Tunturi-Lapin aluelaskennoissa todettujen ahmojen kokonaismäärässä ei ole ollut viime vuosina merkittäviä muutoksia. Ahmojen määrä oli siellä nykyistä suurempi vuosina 2013–2014

Status and conservation goals for the critically endangered Arctic fox in Scandinavia. Is the mission completed?

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Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for severe COVID-19

Background Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), diabetes, older age and male gender, which are all risk factors for severe COVID-19. We aimed to study if OSA is an independent risk factor for COVID-19 infection or for severe COVID-19. Methods OSA diagnosis and COVID-19 infection were extracted from the hospital discharge, causes of death and infectious diseases registries in individuals who participated in the FinnGen study (n=260 405). Severe COVID-19 was defined as COVID-19 requiring hospitalisation. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to examine association. Comorbidities for either COVID-19 or OSA were selected as covariates. We performed a meta-analysis with previous studies. Results We identified 445 individuals with COVID-19, and 38 (8.5%) of them with OSA of whom 19 out of 91 (20.9%) were hospitalised. OSA associated with COVID-19 hospitalisation independent from age, sex, BMI and comorbidities (p-unadjusted=5.13x10(-5), OR-adjusted=2.93 (95% CI 1.02 to 8.39), p-adjusted=0.045). OSA was not associated with the risk of contracting COVID-19 (p=0.25). A meta-analysis of OSA and severe COVID-19 showed association across 15 835 COVID-19 positive controls, and n=1294 patients with OSA with severe COVID-19 (OR=2.37 (95% 1.14 to 4.95), p=0.021). Conclusion Risk for contracting COVID-19 was the same for patients with OSA and those without OSA. In contrast, among COVID-19 positive patients, OSA was associated with higher risk for hospitalisation. Our findings are in line with earlier works and suggest OSA as an independent risk factor for severe COVID-19.Peer reviewe

Monitoring of the Pasvik-Inari-Pechenga brown bear population in 2007 and 2011 using hair-trapping

The trans-border brown bear population of Pasvik-Inari-Pechenga (Norway-Finland-Russia) has been monitored using genetic analyses of feces collection since 2005. In addition in 2007, hair traps were systematically placed out in the area to collect hairs for genetic analysis, to more precisely determine the minimum numbers of bears. In 2011, we repeated this hair trap study, using the exact same methodology as in 2007, to make a direct comparison of the results from the two years. Brown bear DNA was detected in 68 of 88 hair samples (77%) obtained from hair traps in 2011 and for 56 of these samples, a complete DNA profile could be determined. We identified 20 different bears in 2011, 12 females and 8 males. Only one bear was found in more than one country (Norway and Russia). We detected 11 bears in Norway, 7 bears in Finland and 3 bears in Russia in 2011. Four of these 20 bears were previously unknown, all four from Finland. A comparison of the results from 2007 and 2011 showed that we detected fewer bears in hair traps in 2011 (20 bears) than in 2007 (24 bears), but this modest difference may be coincidental. However, we observed a large drop in the yield of hair samples in the traps in 2011 compared to 2007 (88 versus 196 samples). This observation may be suggestive of some reduced activity of bears within the study area in 2011. In addition, only five (21%) of the bears caught in hair traps in 2007 were recaptured in 2011, which indicates a substantial turnover of individuals and may indicate that more frequent hair trapping monitoring would be beneficial to reliably track changes in the population. Additional samples (mainly scats) collected opportunistically in the field within the Russian and Finnish parts of the study area in 2011 detected four male bears in the Finnish part that had not been detected by hair traps. No additional samples from Norway were included to this study and any comparisons between the hair-trapping and opportunistic sampling at this point remains difficult. However, the results indicate that both methods combined are currently the most feasible methods to monitor brown bear numbers in an area.publishedVersio

The association between appendicitis severity and patient age with appendiceal neoplasm histology-a population-based study

Purpose Recent studies have reported alarming appendiceal tumor rates associated with complicated acute appendicitis, especially in patients presenting with a periappendicular abscess. However, the data on histology of appendiceal tumors among acute appendicitis patients is limited, especially in patient cohorts differentiating between uncomplicated and complicated acute appendicitis. We have previously reported the association of increased appendiceal tumor prevalence with complicated acute appendicitis in this population-based study. The objective of this secondary analysis was to evaluate the association of both appendicitis severity and patient age with appendiceal tumor histology. Methods This nationwide population-based registry study (The Finnish Cancer Registry) was conducted from 2007 to 2013. All appendiceal tumors (n = 840) and available medical reports (n = 504) of these patients at eight study hospitals were previously evaluated, identifying altogether 250 patients with both acute appendicitis and appendiceal tumor. Results The severity of acute appendicitis was significantly associated with more malignant tumor histology. The risk of adenocarcinoma or pseudomyxoma was significantly higher among patients with periappendicular abscess (OR 15.05, CI 95% 6.98-32.49, p < 0.001) and patients presenting with perforated acute appendicitis (OR 4.09, CI 95% 1.69-9.90, p = 0.0018) compared to patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Similarly, patient age over 40 years was significantly associated with the risk of adenocarcinoma and pseudomyxoma (OR 26.46, Cl 95% 7.95-88.09, p < 0.001). Patient sex was not associated with a more malignant appendiceal tumor histology (p = 0.67). Conclusion More malignant appendiceal tumor histology of adenocarcinoma or pseudomyxoma was significantly associated with patient age over 40 years and complicated acute appendicitis, especially periappendicular abscess.Peer reviewe

Changes in body composition by age and obesity status in preschool-aged children: the STEPS study

Background/Objectives: Obesity in early childhood is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, but studies of body composition at preschool ages are sparse. Therefore, we examined differences in body composition by sex and obesity status in Finnish preschool-aged children and within-individual changes in body composition in normal and overweight children.Subject/Methods: Body composition was measured using segmental multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (BIA) in 476 children and in 781 children at age 3 and 5 years, respectively. Of those, 308 had repeated BIA measurements at both ages. BMI-SDS was used for classification of normal weight and overweight children.Results: Sex difference in the amount of lean mass (LM) was already seen at 3 years of age (boys 11.7 kg, girls 11.3 kg; p p p p Conclusions: BIA-assessed body composition differs by sex and obesity status already at age of 3 years. For children who are or become overweight at very young age, the patterns for the changes in LM and FM by age are different than for normal weight children.</div

Genetic risk factors have a substantial impact on healthy life years

The impact of genetic variation on overall disease burden has not been comprehensively evaluated. We introduce an approach to estimate the effect of genetic risk factors on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; 'lost healthy life years'). We use genetic information from 735,748 individuals and consider 80 diseases. Rare variants had the highest effect on DALYs at the individual level. Among common variants, rs3798220 (LPA) had the strongest individual-level effect, with 1.18 DALYs from carrying 1 versus 0 copies. Being in the top 10% versus the bottom 90% of a polygenic score for multisite chronic pain had an effect of 3.63 DALYs. Some common variants had a population-level effect comparable to modifiable risk factors such as high sodium intake and low physical activity. Attributable DALYs vary between males and females for some genetic exposures. Genetic risk factors can explain a sizable number of healthy life years lost both at the individual and population level.Peer reviewe