National and regional net nitrogen balances in Finland in 1990-2005

Nitrogen (N) balance has been identified as a principal agri-environmental indicator. In addition to national N balances, calculation of N balances for different agricultural regions is also recommended. In this study, national and regional net N balances for Finland were calculated. The net N balance is the result of deducting the NH3-N losses from manure and fertilisers from the gross N balance. The N balance calculation was based on data for Finnish Rural Centres and calculated per cultivated hectare. The main data inputs for the calculations were agricultural and environmental statistics, coefficients of manure excretion and crop N concentrations. Finnish national net N balance decreased from 90 kg ha–1 in 1990 to 50 kg ha–1 in 2005. The decrease in regional N balances was of the same magnitude. The main reason for the lower N balances was reduced use of mineral N fertilisers. Variation in the N balances was due to yield levels varying according to growing season conditions. The Rural Centres with intensive animal production tended to generate the highest N balances

Osallistaminen Uudenmaan maaseudunkehittämisstrategian laadinnassa

Euroopan maaseutualueiden kehittäminen tapahtuu noin kuuden vuoden ohjelmakausissa. Nykyisen ohjelmakauden loppuvaiheessa arvioidaan toteutuneen maaseudun kehittämisohjelman ja -strategian onnistumista. Tähän arviointiin osallistettiin alueen toimijat laajasti. Arvioinnin 2007–2013-ohjelmakauden maaseutustrategiasta teki Uudenmaan maaseudun kehittämisen nykytilan arviointihanke, johon tämä opinnäyte työ myös liittyy. Opinnäytetyössä etsitään teoriapohjan ja käytännön kautta mahdollisimman toimivia keinoja maaseudun kehittämisen toimijoiden osallistamiseen. Opinnäytetyön teoriakehyksenä on käytetty Euroopan Unionin asetuksia ja säädöksiä maaseudun kehittämisestä, strategiaprosessia koskevaa kirjallisuutta sekä osallistamiseen liittyviä selvityksiä, tutkimuksia ja artikkeleita. Osallistamiseen käytettiin sähköistä kyselyä, puhelinhaastatteluja sekä valittujen teema-alueiden ympärille rakennettuja asiantuntijatapaamisia eli teematyöpajoja. Sähköinen kysely toteutettiin 21.5.–3.6., puhelinhaastattelut kesä-elokuussa. ja teematyöpajat elo-syyskuussa 2012. Tuloksena saatiin osallistettua yhteensä 223 Uudenmaan alueen toimijaa.The programme period of the rural development within the European Union lasts six (6) years. At the end of each programme period it is time to evaluate the ongoing programme and it’s strategy. The evaluation of the programme period was performed by Laurea University of Applied Sciences and its project Uudenmaan maaseudun kehittämisen arviointihanke. Within this project as many members of the development work in Uusimaa region was to be taken along to the evaluation process. The main aim of this thesis was to find useable participatory planning methods for evaluation processes. As the theory basis the laws and principles of the European Commission and theories of strategy process and participatory planning were used. There were 223 answerers in online survey, interviews and theme based meetings

Nutrient losses from organic and conventional crop rotations - a case study on fine sand soil

P and N losses were highest from the conventional crop rotation. The losses were most affected by single management practices. The four-year study is, however, too short for soil derived, long-term differences to come fully out in the leaching losses

Smoking Cessation during Pregnancy and Relapse after Childbirth: The Impact of the Grandmother's Smoking Status

Objectives Smoking during pregnancy can result in negative effects in exposed children. It is well established that the smoking status of husbands is a major predictor of smoking among pregnant women. It was investigated whether the smoking status of the women's parents and parents-in-law has an impact on smoking cessation during pregnancy and relapse after birth above the smoking status of the husband. Method An initial sample of 458 women and their husbands was assessed prospectively during a 17-month period after birth regarding smoking habits. Five months after birth the women and their husbands reported the smoking status of their own parents. Results Smoking during pregnancy was related to the smoking status of the women's husband and mother. Women with a husband and mother who smoke were more likely to continue smoking. Relapse after smoking cessation during pregnancy was related to the smoking status of the husband and the mother-in-law. The smoking status of the women's father and father-in-law was not related to smoking cessation or relapse. Conclusion The smoking status of the pregnant women's mothers and mothers-in-law is related to fetal and newborn's nicotine exposure. The findings suggest benefits of taking the smoking status of pregnant women's mothers and mothers-in-law into account in smoking prevention programs for pregnant women and mothers with infant

Possibilities for a Small Country in High Technology Production - The Electronics Industry in Finland

The paper describes the development of the Finnish electronics industry as well as its innovation activities and innovation management. It also clearly points out the special problems of a small country competing in the field of high technology. One of the essential conclusions is that it is extremely important to ensure good contacts between final users and producers, when a specialized product is going to be developed. This has been one of the success factors of the Finnish industrial electronics sector. This is also important conclusion with regard to the capabilities of different countries to produce CIM-technologies

The Course of Subjective Sleep Quality in Middle and Old Adulthood and Its Relation to Physical Health

Objectives. Older adults more often complain about sleep disturbances compared with younger adults. However, it is not clear whether there is still a decline of sleep quality after age 60 and whether changes in sleep quality in old age are mere reflections of impaired physical health or whether they represent a normative age-dependent development. Method. Subjective sleep quality and perceived physical health were assessed in a large sample of 14,179 participants (52.7% women; age range 18-85) from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study across four yearly measurement time points. Results. Subjective sleep quality linearly declined from young adulthood until age 60. After age 60, a transient increase in subjective sleep quality occurred that coincides with retirement. After age 66, subjective sleep quality appears to decrease again. Physical health prospectively predicted subjective sleep quality and vice versa. These relations were similar for participants aged over and under 60. Discussion. Around retirement, a transient increase in subjective sleep quality appears to occur, which might reflect a decrease in work-related distress. Perceived physical health appears to be important for subjective sleep quality in old adults but not more important than at younger ag

Kasvipeitteisyys, eroosio ja ravinnekuormitus : kirjallisuuskatsaus

vokKirjasto Aj-kMK

Surface and Subsurface Phosphorus Discharge from a Clay Soil in a Nine-Year Study Comparing No-Till and Plowing

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Midwives’ engagement in smoking- and alcohol-prevention in prenatal care before and after the introduction of practice guidelines in Switzerland : comparison of survey findings from 2008 and 2018

Background: Evidence suggests that cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption during pregnancy negatively impacts fetal health. Health agencies across countries have developed specific guidelines for health professionals in perinatal care to strengthen their role in smoking and alcohol use prevention. One such example is the “Guideline on Screening and Counselling for prevention of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption before, during, and after pregnancy” introduced by the Swiss Midwives Association in 2011. The current study assesses the changes in midwives’ engagement in smoking and alcohol use prevention before (2008) and after the introduction of the Guideline (2018). Further, the current study examines differences across regions (German vs. French speaking regions), graduation years (before and after the introduction of the Guideline) and different work settings (hospital vs. self-employed). Methods: Survey data were collected in 2008 (n = 366) and in 2018 (n = 459). Differences in how midwives engaged in smoking and alcohol use prevention between 2008 and 2018 were assessed with chi-square tests, as were differences across German and French speaking regions, graduation years (before and after the introduction of the Guideline) and across different work settings (working in hospitals or as self-employed). Results: An increase in midwives’ awareness of the risks of consuming even small quantities of cigarettes and alcohol for the unborn child between 2008 and 2018 is evident. Explaining the risks to pregnant women who smoke or use alcohol remained the most frequently reported prevention strategy. However, engagement with more extensive smoking and alcohol use preventive strategies across the whole course of pregnancy, such as assisting women in the elaboration of a plan to stop smoking/alcohol use, remained limited. Conclusions: Seven years after its introduction, the effectiveness of the Guideline in increasing midwives’ engagement in smoking and alcohol use prevention appears limited despite midwives’ increased awareness