Assessing impacts of alternative agricultural land use scenarios on nitrogen leaching with the INCA-N model

The Integrated Nutrients Model for Catchments - Nitrogen (INCA-N) model was applied in Savijoki, a small (15,4 km2) agricultural catchment, in order to analyse possibilities to achieve the targeted 50 % reduction in agricultural nitrogen loading. The model was applied for the years 1995-1999, representing the first period of the Finnish Agri-Environmental Programme, a widely adapted policy measure for controlling environmental impacts of agriculture in Finland

Frizzled-8 integrates Wnt-11 and transforming growth factor-β signaling in prostate cancer

Wnt-11 promotes cancer cell migration and invasion independently of β-catenin but the receptors involved remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence that FZD8 is a major Wnt-11 receptor in prostate cancer that integrates Wnt-11 and TGF-β signals to promote EMT. FZD8 mRNA is upregulated in multiple prostate cancer datasets and in metastatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of patient samples reveals increased levels of FZD8 in cancer, correlating with Wnt-11. FZD8 co-localizes and co-immunoprecipitates with Wnt-11 and potentiates Wnt-11 activation of ATF2-dependent transcription. FZD8 silencing reduces prostate cancer cell migration, invasion, three-dimensional (3D) organotypic cell growth, expression of EMT-related genes, and TGF-β/Smad-dependent signaling. Mechanistically, FZD8 forms a TGF-β-regulated complex with TGF-β receptors that is mediated by the extracellular domains of FZD8 and TGFBR1. Targeting FZD8 may therefore inhibit aberrant activation of both Wnt and TGF-β signals in prostate cancer

Heart versus Head: Differential Bodily Feedback Causally Alters Economic Decision-making

Metaphorically, altruistic acts, such as monetary donations, are said to be driven by the heart, whereas sound financial investments are guided by reason, embodied by the head. In a unique experiment, we tested the effects of these bodily metaphors using biofeedback and an incentivized economic decision-making paradigm. Participants played a repeated investment game with a simulated partner, alternating between tactical investor and altruistic investee. When making decisions, participants received counterbalanced visual feedback from their own or a simulated partner’s heart or head, as well as no feedback. As investor, participants transferred a greater proportion of their endowments when exposed to visual feedback from their own head than to feedback from their own heart or no feedback at all. These effects were not observed when the source of the feedback was the simulated partner. As investee, heart feedback predicted greater altruistic returns than head or no feedback, but this effect did not differ based on source (own vs partner). Consistent with a dual-process framework, we suggest that people may be encouraged to invest more or be more altruistic when receiving bodily feedback from conceptually diametric sources

Urban aerosol number size distributions

International audienceAerosol number size distributions have been measured since 5 May 1997 in Helsinki, Finland. The presented aerosol data represents size distributions within the particle diameter size range 8-400nm during the period from May 1997 to March 2003. The daily, monthly and annual patterns of the aerosol particle number concentrations were investigated. The temporal variation of the particle number concentration showed close correlations with traffic activities. The highest total number concentrations were observed during workdays; especially on Fridays, and the lowest concentrations occurred during weekends; especially Sundays. Seasonally, the highest total number concentrations were observed during winter and spring and lower concentrations were observed during June and July. More than 80% of the number size distributions had three modes: nucleation mode (30nm), Aitken mode (20-100nm) and accumulation mode (90nm). Less than 20% of the number size distributions had either two modes or consisted of more than three modes. Two different measurement sites were used; in the first (Siltavuori, 5.5.1997-5.3.2001), the arithmetic means of the particle number concentrations were 7000cm, 6500cm, and 1000cm respectively for nucleation, Aitken, and accumulation modes. In the second site (Kumpula, 6.3.2001-28.2.2003) they were 5500cm, 4000cm, and 1000cm. The total number concentration in nucleation and Aitken modes were usually significantly higher during workdays than during weekends. The temporal variations in the accumulation mode were less pronounced. The lower concentrations at Kumpula were mainly due to building construction and also the slight overall decreasing trend during these years. During the site changing a period of simultaneous measurements over two weeks were performed showing nice correlation at both sites

Excitation energy-dependent nature of Raman scattering spectrum in GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structures

The excitation energy-dependent nature of Raman scattering spectrum, vibration, electronic or both, has been studied using different excitation sources on as-grown and annealed n- and p-type modulation-doped Ga(1 − x)In(x)N(y)As(1 − y)/GaAs quantum well structures. The samples were grown by molecular beam technique with different N concentrations (y = 0%, 0.9%, 1.2%, 1.7%) at the same In concentration of 32%. Micro-Raman measurements have been carried out using 532 and 758 nm lines of diode lasers, and the 1064 nm line of the Nd-YAG laser has been used for Fourier transform-Raman scattering measurements. Raman scattering measurements with different excitation sources have revealed that the excitation energy is the decisive mechanism on the nature of the Raman scattering spectrum. When the excitation energy is close to the electronic band gap energy of any constituent semiconductor materials in the sample, electronic transition dominates the spectrum, leading to a very broad peak. In the condition that the excitation energy is much higher than the band gap energy, only vibrational modes contribute to the Raman scattering spectrum of the samples. Line shapes of the Raman scattering spectrum with the 785 and 1064 nm lines of lasers have been observed to be very broad peaks, whose absolute peak energy values are in good agreement with the ones obtained from photoluminescence measurements. On the other hand, Raman scattering spectrum with the 532 nm line has exhibited only vibrational modes. As a complementary tool of Raman scattering measurements with the excitation source of 532 nm, which shows weak vibrational transitions, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy has been also carried out. The results exhibited that the nature of the Raman scattering spectrum is strongly excitation energy-dependent, and with suitable excitation energy, electronic and/or vibrational transitions can be investigated

Relationship between SDB and short-term outcome in Finnish ischemic stroke patients

Objectives Presence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) affects negatively recovery from stroke. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationships between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and outcome measures in Finnish stroke unit cohort: mRS, need of rehabilitation and hospitalization time. Material and Methods An observational longitudinal study consisted of 95 patients referred to the Stroke Unit of Satakunta Hospital District over a period of November 2013 to March 2016. Patients were tested for SDB within 72 hr from the hospital admission because of ischemic stroke or TIA. The patients underwent polysomnography with NOX T3 wireless recorder. Results There are 37% (n = 35) non-OSA patients, 20% (n = 19) of patients have mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and 39% (n = 37) have moderate/severe OSA and 4% (n = 4) have CSA. Patients with OSA have higher proportion of disability scores of mRS 3-5 (38%) compared to non-OSA (11%) and mild OSA (5%) patients on registration day (mRS0), and the same trend is seen at hospital discharge 35% versus 9% and 5%. (p = .009). Proportion of patients with OSA who needed rehabilitation is 65% (n = 19) versus non-OSA patients 17.5% (n = 4) and mild OSA patients 17.5% (n = 4;p = .039). We observed longer duration of hospitalization (5-15 days) in 29% of OSA patients compared to mild OSA patients 47% and OSA patients 54%. (p = .045). Conclusion Ischemic stroke patients with OSA have higher disability, higher need of rehabilitation, and longer hospitalization length. Prescreening tools for recognizing these stroke patients in acute phase could be valuable. That could result in earlier initiation of treatment and might prevent worse recovery from stroke

Norovirus genotypes in endemic acute gastroenteritis of infants and children in Finland between 1994 and 2007

Noroviruses are, after rotaviruses, the second most common causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in young children. We studied norovirus genotypes in faecal specimens collected from Finnish children followed-up prospectively in rotavirus vaccine trials. Almost 5000 faecal specimens collected from cases of acute gastroenteritis were examined using reverse transcriptase–PCR. A total of 1172 cases (25% of all acute gastroenteritis) were associated with noroviruses. Of these, 96% were genogroup GII. GII.4 was the most common genotype (46%) throughout the study period but the proportion of this genotype varied in different norovirus epidemic seasons. Additional norovirus genotypes detected were: GII.7 (15%), GII.3 (14%), GII.1 (9%), GII.b (7%), GII.2 (3%), and GI.3 (2%). GII.4 dominated during the following years: 1998–1999 (75%), 2002–2003 (88%) and 2006–2007 (98%) while recombinant genotype GII.b was dominant between 2003 and 2004 (83%). In conclusion, genotypes GII.4 and GIIb have emerged as predominant norovirus genotypes in endemic gastroenteritis affecting young infants and children in Finland

Formation and destabilization of Ga interstitials in GaAsN: Experiment and theory

Using first-principles total energy calculations we have found complex defects induced by N incorporation in GaAsN. The formation energy of the Ga interstitial atom is very significantly decreased due to local effects within the defect complex. The stability of the Ga interstitials is further increased at surfaces. The present results suggest that the energetically favorable Ga interstitial atoms are much more abundant in GaAsN than the previously considered N defects, which have relatively large formation energies. Our synchrotron radiation core-level photoemission measurements support the computational results. The formation of harmful Ga interstitials should be reduced by incorporating large group IV B atoms in GaAsN

Theory and practice in Finnish teacher education : a rhetorical analysis of changing values from the 1960s to the present day

Our aim in this article is to examine the relationship between theory and practice in Finnish teacher education from the 1960s to the present. We identify four different periods to represent this relationship based on our analysis of national committee and evaluation reports. Theory and practice gradually converged, culminating in a research-based agenda that reflects the current situation. This relationship between theory and practice also reflects the ideal teacher of different times and what a teacher's working orientation should be. We use rhetorical analysis and the concept of a 'philosophical pair' introduced by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca to interpret this development.Peer reviewe