Developing ecostacking techniques for pollen beetle management in oilseed rape

In this review, we examine how the principles of ecostacking could be used to manage the pollen beetle Brassicogethes aeneus in oilseed crucifer crops. We further describe hindrances preventing progress of keeping the pest under full biological control across Europe, and for other similar pest management situations. Ecological processes at different levels need to be considered and understood. The beneficial functions, which the various ecosystem service providers offer, need to be combined and exploited in an additive or synergistic manner, i.e., ecostacked. Levels to consider include landscape and off-crop habitats (e.g., field margins) and their effects on pest management in the rapeseed crop; and possibilities to generate the key ecosystem services within the crop itself; for example, by vegetation management (e.g., undersowing, variety mixtures, companion and trap crops), soil management (biotic and abiotic; fostering and steering soil microbial communities to benefit biocontrol), and crop management, including crop protection treatments and their impacts on ecosystem service provision. All these processes affect the populations of the pollen beetle. Abundant information exists about most of the key processes important in this context. Utilizing this knowledge and stacking the various beneficial ecosystem service functions into a comprehensive management strategy for the pollen beetle, has not been attempted nor described. After illustrating the potential of ecostacking in solving crop protection problems, as it is apparent in the case of the pollen beetle, we analyze a situation where our approach was lost in translation. The European Union Horizon 2020 program chose to support our vision of ecostacking with a 10million euro grant. Administrative decisions by the coordinating university (not to accept to host the grant), and subsequent failure of the European Commission and its Research Executive Agency to demonstrate leadership on issues of research policy, integrity, and ethics in the handling of the project, resulted in a shift of emphasis away from solutions based on integrative biocontrol.Peer reviewe

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Pohjois-Pohjanmaan lukiolaisten tyttöjen ja poikien halukkuus osallistua ilmastonmuutosta ehkäisevään toimintaan yhteiskunnassa

Tiivistelmä. Ilmastonmuutos on nykypäivän yksi merkittäviä tieteellisiä sekä poliittisia ilmiöitä. Ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämisestä sekä kestävän kehityksen edistämisestä yhteiskunnassa on tullut myös olennainen osa perus- sekä lukiokoulutusta Suomessa. Esimerkiksi vuonna 2021 voimaan astuvassa Lukion opetussuunnitelman perusteissa nämä aihepiirit ovat olennainen osa laaja-alaista osaamista, joiden kautta lukio-opiskelijoita kannustetaan olemaan aktiivisia yhteiskunnallisiin asioihin kantaa ottavia kansalaisia. Tämä pro gradu -tutkielma tarkastelee Pohjois-Pohjanmaan lukiolaisten asenteita ilmastonmuutosta kohtaan yhteiskunnallisena ilmiönä sekä heidän halukkuuttaan toimia yhteiskunnassa sen pysäyttämiseksi. Aineistona tutkimuksessa käytetään Ilmastonmuutos lukioihin! -hankkeen kyselyaineistoa, joka on kerätty 2019 tammikuun lopun ja vuoden 2020 helmikuun 2. päivän välisenä aikana. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat seuraavaa: kyselyaineistossa annettujen kokonaispistemäärien perusteella tytöillä on poikiin verrattuna merkittävästi enemmän halukkuutta toimia ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämiseksi yhteiskunnallisin keinoin. Tämän lisäksi sekä tytöt että pojat katsovat, että ilmastonmuutos on kouluissa hyvin paljon, useimmiten kyllästyttävän paljon esillä. He katsovat, että vastuu ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämisestä on pääasiallisesti suurilla valtioilla, ei Suomella. Ilmastodiskurssit nähdään tyypillisesti epäsivistyneinä ja hedelmättöminä ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämisessä. Tytöt korostavat poikia vastoin ilmastonmuutoksen tärkeyttä, luonnonsuojelua sekä konkreettisia toimia ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämiseksi. Pojat puolestaan korostavat tyttöjä vastoin taloudellisia näkökulmia ja poliittisia puolueita ilmastonmuutokseen liittyen sekä katsovat rikkailla ja vaikutusvaltaisilla olevan merkittävä rooli ilmastonmuutoksen pysäyttämisessä. Tutkimustulosten perusteella ehdotetaan, että lukioissa vähennettäisiin ilmastonmuutoksen käsittelyn määrää, mutta samalla suunniteltaisiin harkiten, missä oppiaineissa sen käsittely olisi tarpeellista. Syvällinen paneutuminen ilmastonmuutoksen opiskeluun voi olla kannattavaa esimerkiksi tutkivan oppimisen tai ongelmalähtöisen oppimisen keinoin, sillä niiden on todettu tutkimuksissa kohentavan opiskelijoiden minäpystyvyyden tunnetta sekä opiskelumotivaatiota, jotka tämän tutkimuksen perusteella ovat keskeisiä kehittämisalueita opiskelijoiden kohdalla

Tieto- ja viestintäteknologian opetuskäytön vaikutukset oppilaan kognitiivisiin taitoihin

Tiivistelmä. Teknologian kehitys on ollut 1990-luvulta lähtien nopeampaa kuin koskaan ennen. Kehityksen myötä tieto- ja viestintäteknologia on vakiintunut osaksi perusopetuksen oppimisvälineitä. Tieto- ja viestintäteknologian avulla suurempia tietomääriä kyetään esittämään helposti ymmärrettävässä muodossa oppilaille, mikä on yksi sen vakiintumisen syistä opetuksessa. Koska tieto- ja viestintäteknologia on vahvistanut asemaansa vuosien aikana opetuksessa, opetushallitus on asettanut siihen liittyviä oppimistavoitteita Perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteissa. Tarkasteltaessa tieto- ja viestintäteknologian vaikutuksia oppilaan kognitiivisiin taitoihin, meidän on tutkittava aiheesta saatavilla olevaa tutkimustietoa. Suomenkielistä tutkimustietoa sen hyödyistä löytyy kohtalaisen hyvin. Tutkimuksia sen mahdollisista haittavaikutuksia ei hyötyihin verrattuna ole suomeksi saatavilla ollenkaan niin paljon. Ulkomaisissa tutkimuksissa myös tieto- ja viestintäteknologian haittavaikutuksista puhutaan. Tutkielman tavoitteena on lähestyä saatavilla olevaa tutkimustietoa liittyen tieto- ja viestintäteknologian vaikutuksista oppilaan kognitiivisiin taitoihin ja siten tarjota objektiivinen, mahdollisimman laajasti tieto- ja viestintäteknologian vaikutuksia kuvaava kokonaisuus. Näitä vaikutuksia reflektoidaan suhteessa Perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteiden asettamiin tavoitteisiin, jotka liittyvät erityisesti, mutta eivät pelkästään matematiikkaan, äidinkieleen sekä laaja-alaisiin osaamistavoitteisiin. Tutkielmassa todetaan, että tieto- ja viestintäteknologian käytöllä opetuksessa voidaan kehittää oppilaan matemaattisia ja lukemisen taitoja, metakognitiivisia ajattelun ja tiedonrakentelun taitoja. Sen haittavaikutuksia ovat muistin heikkeneminen, tarkkaavaisuuden keston lyheneminen sekä kognitiivinen ylikuormitus. Joissain tapauksissa myös kriittisen ajattelun heikentymistä pidetään tieto- ja viestintätekniikan aiheuttamana haittavaikutuksena

Dairy producer attitudes to pain in cattle in relation to disbudding calves

Pain is an important indicator of poor welfare of livestock. Despite this, pain has largely gone unrecognized in farm animals due to attitudes of producers and veterinarians, although they play a key role in monitoring and managing the perception of animal pain. Producer attitudes toward animal welfare influence livestock management and production. The aim was to quantify dairy producer attitudes to the painfulness of various cattle diseases and disbudding, a painful routine procedure performed on farm to ensure safer handling of cattle. A questionnaire on disbudding-related opinions and practices was sent to 1,000 Finnish dairy producers (response rate: 45%). Attitudes toward disbudding were gauged using a 5-point Likert scale and attitudes to cattle pain scored on an 11-point numerical rating scale. Principal components analysis was used to assess the loadings, which were further tested for differences between producer gender and housing systems with Mann-Whitney U-tests, and between herd milk yield, herd size, and age and work experience of producers with a Kruskal-Wallis test. Four main factors were identified: factor I (“taking disbudding pain seriously”), factor II (“sensitivity to pain caused by cattle diseases”), factor III (“ready to medicate calves myself”), and factor IV (“pro horns”). Female producers took disbudding pain more seriously, were more sensitive to pain caused to cattle by diseases, and were more ready to medicate disbudded calves than male producers. Producers with tie-stalls favored horns over producers with freestalls. Male producers with tie-stalls were sensitive to cattle pain and preferred horns over male producers with freestalls. Female producers with freestalls were more ready to medicate calves, but did not prefer horns more than female producers with tie-stalls. Taking disbudding seriously correlated with sensitivity to pain caused by cattle diseases. Producers with low-milk-yielding herds were less willing to medicate calves and more willing to keep cattle with horns than producers with higher-yielding herds. Older producers were more sensitive to cattle pain than middle-aged and younger producers. No effect was established for taking disbudding pain seriously: the pro-horn factor was associated with work experience, age, and herd size. Women rated pain higher and were more positive toward pain medication for animals than men. Maintaining horns are more important for producers with tie-stalls than for those with freestalls.Peer reviewe

Key principle of the efficient running, swimming, and flying

Empirical observations indicate striking similarities among locomotion in terrestrial animals, birds, and fish, but unifying physical grounds are lacking. When applied to efficient locomotion, the analytical mechanics principle of minimum action yields two patterns of mechanical similarity via two explicit spatiotemporal coherent states. In steady locomotory modes, the slow muscles determining maximal optimum speeds maintain universal intrinsic muscular pressure. Otherwise, maximal speeds are due to constant mass-dependent stiffness of fast muscles generating a uniform force field, exceeding gravitation. Being coherent in displacements, velocities and forces, the body appendages of animals are tuned to natural propagation frequency through the state-dependent elastic muscle moduli. Key words: variational principle of minimum action (04.20.Fy), locomotion (87.19.ru), biomechanics (87.85.G-).Comment: Submitted to the Europhysical Letter

Irruptions of crossbills Loxia spp. in northern Europe – patterns and correlations with seed production by key and non‐key conifers

Irruptions by boreal seed-eating and frugivorous birds are assumed to be driven by the production of seeds and fruits, crops of which are highly variable between years. Using data from Sweden, we tested whether irruptions of Common Crossbills Loxia curvirostra were correlated with low Norway Spruce Picea abies seed production in the same year as the irruption and/or high seed production in the year prior to an irruption. Similar tests were made for Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus irruptions in relation to Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris seed production. In northern Europe, these conifers represent the key food species of the two crossbill species, respectively. Despite differing times that seeds take to mature and asynchronous seed production between the two conifer species, including a 3-year cycle for Norway Spruce, the two crossbill species often irrupted in the same year as one another. Analyses showed that irruptions into Britain and other parts of western Europe by both crossbill species were correlated with low seed production by Norway Spruce in Sweden. Low seed production by Scots Pine had a marginally non-significant additive effect on both crossbill species. In a second set of analyses, the best-fitting model was one in which low seed production by both conifers in a given year and high seed production in the previous year were each correlated with large numbers of irrupting Common and Parrot Crossbills. The models indicate that the incidental co-occurrence of low seed production of Norway Spruce and Scots Pine in a given year, after a year of high seed production, may result in an irruption. The seed production of Norway Spruce and Scots Pine in Sweden was correlated with production by the same species in Finland, indicating widespread synchrony of cropping across northern Europe

One-Year Treatment Outcomes of Secukinumab Versus Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Spondyloarthritis : Results From Five Nordic Biologic Registries Including More Than 10,000 Treatment Courses

Objective To describe baseline characteristics and to compare treatment effectiveness of secukinumab versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) using adalimumab as the main comparator. Methods This was an observational, prospective cohort study. Patients with SpA (clinical ankylosing spondylitis, nonradiographic axial SpA, or undifferentiated SpA) starting secukinumab or a TNFi during 2015-2018 were identified from 5 Nordic clinical rheumatology registries. Data on comorbidities and extraarticular manifestations (psoriasis, uveitis, and inflammatory bowel disease) were captured from national registries (data available in 94% of patients) and included in multivariable analyses. We assessed 1-year treatment retention (crude survival curves, adjusted hazard ratios [HRadj] for treatment discontinuation) and 6-month response rates (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS] scorePeer reviewe

Good practice recommendations on add-ons in reproductive medicine

STUDY QUESTION: Which add-ons are safe and effective to be used in ART treatment? SUMMARY ANSWER: Forty-two recommendations were formulated on the use of add-ons in the diagnosis of fertility problems, the IVF laboratory and clinical management of IVF treatment. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The innovative nature of ART combined with the extremely high motivation of the patients has opened the door to the wide application of what has become known as 'add-ons' in reproductive medicine. These supplementary options are available to patients in addition to standard fertility procedures, typically incurring an additional cost. A diverse array of supplementary options is made available, encompassing tests, drugs, equipment, complementary or alternative therapies, laboratory procedures, and surgical interventions. These options share the common aim of stating to enhance pregnancy or live birth rates, mitigate the risk of miscarriage, or expedite the time to achieving pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: ESHRE aimed to develop clinically relevant and evidence-based recommendations focusing on the safety and efficacy of add-ons currently used in fertility procedures in order to improve the quality of care for patients with infertility. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: ESHRE appointed a European multidisciplinary working group consisting of practising clinicians, embryologists, and researchers who have demonstrated leadership and expertise in the care and research of infertility. Patient representatives were included in the working group. To ensure that the guidelines are evidence-based, the literature identified from a systematic search was reviewed and critically appraised. In the absence of any clear scientific evidence, recommendations were based on the professional experience and consensus of the working group. The guidelines are thus based on the best available evidence and expert agreement. Prior to publication, the guidelines were reviewed by 46 independent international reviewers. A total of 272 comments were received and incorporated where relevant. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The multidisciplinary working group formulated 42 recommendations in three sections; diagnosis and diagnostic tests, laboratory tests and interventions, and clinical management. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Of the 42 recommendations, none could be based on high-quality evidence and only four could be based on moderate-quality evidence, implicating that 95% of the recommendations are supported only by low-quality randomized controlled trials, observational data, professional experience, or consensus of the development group. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: These guidelines offer valuable direction for healthcare professionals who are responsible for the care of patients undergoing ART treatment for infertility. Their purpose is to promote safe and effective ART treatment, enabling patients to make informed decisions based on realistic expectations. The guidelines aim to ensure that patients are fully informed about the various treatment options available to them and the likelihood of any additional treatment or test to improve the chance of achieving a live birth. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): All costs relating to the development process were covered from ESHRE funds. There was no external funding of the development process or manuscript production. K.L. reports speakers fees from Merck and was part of a research study by Vitrolife (unpaid). T.E. reports consulting fees from Gynemed, speakers fees from Gynemed and is part of the scientific advisory board of Hamilton Thorne. N.P.P. reports grants from Merck Serono, Ferring Pharmaceutical, Theramex, Gedeon Richter, Organon, Roche, IBSA and Besins Healthcare, speakers fees from Merck Serono, Ferring Pharmaceutical, Theramex, Gedeon Richter, Organon, Roche, IBSA and Besins Healthcare. S.R.H. declares being managing director of Fertility Europe, a not-for-profit organization receiving financial support from ESHRE. I.S. is a scientific advisor for and has stock options from Alife Health, is co-founder of IVFvision LTD (unpaid) and received speakers' fee from the 2023 ART Young Leader Prestige workshop in China. A.P. reports grants from Gedeon Richter, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Merck A/S, consulting fees from Preglem, Novo Nordisk, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Gedeon Richter, Cryos and Merck A/S, speakers fees from Gedeon Richter, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Merck A/S, Theramex and Organon, travel fees from Gedeon Richter. The other authors disclosed no conflicts of interest. DISCLAIMER: This Good Practice Recommendations (GPRs) document represents the views of ESHRE, which are the result of consensus between the relevant ESHRE stakeholders and are based on the scientific evidence available at the time of preparation.ESHRE GPRs should be used for information and educational purposes. They should not be interpreted as setting a standard of care or bedeemedinclusive of all proper methods of care, or be exclusive of other methods of care reasonably directed to obtaining the same results.Theydo not replace the need for application of clinical judgement to each individual presentation, or variations based on locality and facility type.Furthermore, ESHRE GPRs do not constitute or imply the endorsement, or favouring, of any of the included technologies by ESHRE