Metsätuhojen kokonaisvaltainen arviointi : METKOKA-hankkeen loppuraportti

Metsätuhojen kokonaisvaltaiset kustannukset eli METKOKA-hankkeen aikana arvioitiin Suomen metsien tärkeimpien tuhonaiheuttajien aiheuttamat taloudelliset tappiot hyödyntäen saatavilla olevia tietoja metsistä ja tuhoista, sekä Luonnonvarakeskuksessa kehitettyä Motti-metsikkösimulaattoria, jonka avulla ennustettiin puuston kehitystä eri tilanteissa metsikkötasolla, josta ne skaalattiin edelleen laajemmille alueille. Tutkimuksen aikana kuitenkin ilmeni, että lähes kaikkien tarkasteltujen tuhonaiheuttajien (juurikäävät, tervasroso, kirjanpainaja, tukkimiehentäi, mäntypistiäiset, ytimennävertäjät, myyrät, hirvieläimet sekä tuuli- ja lumituhot) osalta tiedot olivat enemmän tai vähemmän puutteellisia. Tässä tarkastelussa taloudellisesti merkittävimmiksi suomalaisten metsien tuhonaiheuttajiksi osoittautuivat kuusenjuurikääpä, hirvieläimet, tuuli ja kirjanpainaja, mutta myös lähes kaikkien muiden tarkasteltujen tuhonaiheuttajien aiheuttamat tappiot olivat merkittäviä. Kaikkien metsätuhojen keskimääräiseksi kokonaiskustannukseksi saatiin noin 100 miljoonaa euroa vuodessa eli viisi prosenttia kantorahatuloista, mutta arviossa on huomattavaa vuosien välistä vaihtelua. Sitä on pidettävä suuruusluokaltaan oikeansuuntaisena, mutta laskennan lähtötietojen puutteellisuuden takia kuitenkin selkeänä aliarviona metsätuhojen aiheuttamista todellisista kokonaiskustannuksista metsänomistajille. Siksi nyt ilmenneet tiedonpuutteet olisi hyvä täydentää uudella tutkimustiedolla sekä tuhotietojen entistä systemaattisemmalla keräämisellä. Lisäksi kansataloudellisen päätöksenteon kannalta tulisi analyysiin sisällyttää tuhojen aiheuttamat metsäsektorin arvonlisäys- ja työllisyysvaikutukset sekä kerrannaisvaikutukset muilla toimialoilla. METKOKA hankkeen aikana päivitettiin myös vuodelta 2014 olevaa Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön varautumissuunnitelmaa metsätuhoihin. Työssä hyödynnetään METKOKA-hankkeen tuloksia ja varautumissuunnitelma julkaistaan erillisenä Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön julkaisusarjassa

The association between chronotype and wages at mid-age

Abstract Sleep has been shown to affect economic outcomes, including wages. The mechanisms by which sleep affects wages remain unclear. We examine the relationship between chronotype — morning larks, evening owls — and wages at mid-age. We propose a novel model relating chronotype to wages in consideration of human, social, and health capital constructs. Empirically, we explore the effects of chronotype mediated through life course choices, such as work experience, trust, and health behaviour. The data come from the 46-year-old follow-up study of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (1966) and from registers of the Finnish Tax Administration. We find evening chronotype to have a significant indirect negative effect on wages, which occurs through accumulating less work experience and through poor health outcomes. The effect is largest for male workers, with a total indirect effect on average wages of − 4%. We also provide evidence that chronotype has a long-term association with wages between 29 and 50 years of age. We conclude that evening-type workers are less suited to typical working hours and accumulate less human, social and health capital which in turn negatively affects their wages. Our findings are of great socio-economic importance because evening chronotypes make up a significant part of the population

An Unusual Developmental Profile of Salla Disease in a Patient with the SallaFIN Mutation

Salla disease (SD) is a disorder caused by defective storage of free sialic acid and results from mutations in the SLC17A5 gene. Early developmental delay of motor functions, and later cognitive skills, is typical. We describe a developmental profile of an unusual homozygous patient, who harboured the SallaFIN (p.R39C) mutation gene. The study involved neurological examination, neuropsychological investigation, and brain imaging. The neurocognitive findings were atypical in comparison with other patients with the SallaFIN mutation. Interestingly, there was no deterioration in the patient's neurological condition during adulthood. Her neurocognitive skills were remarkably higher than those of other patients with a conventional phenotype of SD. Our results suggest that the phenotype of SD is broad. Unidentified genetic or environmental variation might explain the unique SD type of this case

Evening chronotype is associated with poor work ability and disability pensions at midlife:a Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study

Abstract Objectives: This is the first general population study to evaluate whether evening chronotypes (E) have poorer work ability (WA) and higher probability for early disability pensions (DPs) than morning types (M) in middle age. Methods: Among non-retired individuals (n=5831; 2672 men, 3159 women) of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, chronotype was determined at the age of 46 years with shortened Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaires in 2012. The outcomes were poor WA in 2012, indicated by scores 0–7/10 of Work Ability Score, and registered emergence of DPs in 2013–2016. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression analyses were separately adjusted for factors related to sleep, health and behaviours, sociodemographic and economic factors, or working times. Results: E-types represented 10% (n=264) of men and 12% (n=382) of women. Compared with M-types, the unadjusted ORs with 95% CIs of poor WA for E-type men and women were 2.24 (95% CI 1.62 to 3.08) and 2.33 (95% CI 1.74 to 3.10), respectively. The odds remained statistically significant and approximately twofold in all separate adjustment models tested. During 2013–2016, 8 (3.0%) E-type men and 10 (2.6%) E-type women were granted DP, which, compared with M-types, represented a higher HR that was statistically significant for men (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.27 to 7.63) and remained significant except when multiple sleep variables or working times were adjusted for. Conclusions: Eveningness appears a previously unrecognised risk factor for poor WA and early disability. We suggest that individual chronotype be considered in attempts to lengthen work careers

Respiratory brain impulse propagation in focal epilepsy

Abstract Respiratory brain pulsations pertaining to intra-axial hydrodynamic solute transport are markedly altered in focal epilepsy. We used optical flow analysis of ultra-fast functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to investigate the velocity characteristics of respiratory brain impulse propagation in patients with focal epilepsy treated with antiseizure medication (ASM) (medicated patients with focal epilepsy; ME, n = 23), drug-naïve patients with at least one seizure (DN, n = 19) and matched healthy control subjects (HC, n = 75). We detected in the two patient groups (ME and DN) several significant alterations in the respiratory brain pulsation propagation velocity, which showed a bidirectional change dominated by a reduction in speed. Furthermore, the respiratory impulses moved more in reversed or incoherent directions in both patient groups vs. the HC group. The speed reductions and directionality changes occurred in specific phases of the respiratory cycle. In conclusion, irrespective of medication status, both patient groups showed incoherent and slower respiratory brain impulses, which may contribute to epileptic brain pathology by hindering brain hydrodynamics

Cardiovascular brain impulses in Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Accumulation of amyloid-β is a key neuropathological feature in brain of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Alterations in cerebral haemodynamics, such as arterial impulse propagation driving the (peri)vascular CSF flux, predict future Alzheimer’s disease progression. We now present a non-invasive method to quantify the three-dimensional propagation of cardiovascular impulses in human brain using ultrafast 10 Hz magnetic resonance encephalography. This technique revealed spatio-temporal abnormalities in impulse propagation in Alzheimer’s disease. The arrival latency and propagation speed both differed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Our mapping of arterial territories revealed Alzheimer’s disease-specific modifications, including reversed impulse propagation around the hippocampi and in parietal cortical areas. The findings imply that pervasive abnormality in (peri)vascular CSF impulse propagation compromises vascular impulse propagation and subsequently glymphatic brain clearance of amyloid-β in Alzheimer’s disease