Density-dependent vole damage in silviculture and associated economic losses at a nationwide scale

Voles inflict damage to silviculture by debarking or severing tree seedlings. The large-scale impacts of vole damage to silviculture, both in terms of severity and financial losses are, however, poorly known. In autumn 2005, cyclically fluctuating vole populations were at their highest in Finland for over 15 years, which led to extensive damage to silviculture during the winter 2005/06. We carried out a nationwide assessment of the incidence, spatial extent and economic value of damage and its relation to vole abundance in privately owned forests during this winter. Damage data were obtained with a questionnaire addressed to the directors of all Forest Management Associations (FMAs) operating in Finland, and vole abundance data from 15 long-term monitoring projects across the country. Voles were confirmed to have destroyed ca. 4.7 million tree seedlings, covering a total effective damage area of ca. 2600 ha. The directors of the FMAs estimated that the actual level of damage was likely to exceed 8.5 million seedlings, or 5400 ha. Roughly 80% of all damage was inflicted on Norway spruce (Picea abies), ca. 10% on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and ca. 10% on birch (Betula sp.) and other species. Considering costs of replanting alone, a most likely very conservative estimate of the financial impact of vole damage during the winter 2005/06 lies between 2.2 and 4.0 million €. The occurrence of damage during the winter was positively related to vole abundance in the previous autumn. This validates vole population monitoring as an effective tool for forecasting near-future damage to silviculture. Our results suggest that if vole populations continue to fluctuate as they currently do, levels of damage to Finnish forests will be great also in the future, far exceeding damage levels recorded in earlier decades.     

Predicting probability of A-quality lumber of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) prior to or concurrently with logging operation

Knot properties have a profound influence on the suitability of wood for many wood products leading to significant value differences between different quality grades. It would therefore be rather advantageous to maximise the volume of good quality timber attained from the logs. The objective of this study was to assess how well A-quality lumber of Scots pine derived from log tomography features can be predicted with characteristics measured prior to or concurrently with the logging operation. The study is based on field experiments and X-ray scanning of 204 stems from southern Finland in 2014. We employed mixed logistic regression techniques to model the relationship between the main stem characteristics and probability of A-quality lumber. From the tree characteristics that can be measured or detected from standing trees, the height from the ground level to the lowest dead branch was found to be the best predictor of A-quality lumber. From the characteristics that could, at least in theory, be detected and measured at the moment of harvest, early growth rate and size of tree were found to be the best combination for predicting the probability of A-class quality.     

Soil respiration after slash and stump removal in three clear-cut areas with patch scarification and mounding

We studied the soil carbon dioxide respiration (R_s) at three clear-cut mesic forest sites in south, central and north central Finland, which had been treated with different intensities of stump lifting and slash removal and then patch mounded and planted with spruce. The follow-up period after the initial calibration lasted for five consecutive years. Throughout the study the R_s remained at fairly steady levels according to the study site and soil disturbance level. Based on a split-plot test using the general linear model there were no significant differences in the R_s between the different stump and slash removal treatments at the three study sites, but unaffected and moderately affected soil surfaces had significantly higher R_s than mounds and wheel ruts. We conclude that the removal of stumps and slash have minor direct effects on R_s, but large indirect effects through soil disturbance.     

Interaction of heat–moisture conditions and physical properties in oat processing: II. Flake quality

Product quality is an important determinant of consumer acceptance. Consistent oat flake properties are thus necessary in the mill as well as in the marketplace. The effects of kilning and tempering conditions (30, 60 or 90 min at 80, 95 or 110 °C) on flake peroxidase activity, size, thickness, strength and water absorption were therefore determined. After kilning, some peroxidase activity remained but steaming and tempering effectively destroyed the activity of these enzymes. Thus the supposed protective effect of kilning or groat durability was not confirmed. Kilning resulted in an increase in flake specific weight, but no other significant effect on flake quality was observed. Tempering time and temperature interacted significantly to produce complex effects on flake specific weight, thickness and water absorption. Flake thickness and specific weight were significantly correlated (r = 0.808, n = 54). Longer tempering times resulted in an increased fines' fraction, from 1.45% at 30 min to 1.75% at 90 min. It is concluded that whilst kilning has little effect on flake quality, the heat treatment immediately prior to flaking can be used to adjust flake quality independently of flake thickness.     

The effect of additives on the quality of white lupin–wheat silage assessed by fermentation pattern and qPCR quantification of clostridia

The efficacy of different silage additives on different mixtures of white lupin and spring wheat was investigated in four separate trials. The bicrop was harvested 96 days (trials 1 and 2) and 110 days (trials 3 and 4) after sowing. For each maturity stage, two mixtures of white lupin and spring wheat were reformed in the ratios of 1:2 and 2:1 on fresh matter (FM) basis respectively. The crops were treated with formic acid (FA), sodium nitrite–hexamine mixture (NaHe) or homofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The control silage was made without additive. Additives were not able to improve the quality of white lupin–wheat silage in all trials, compared with untreated silage. The treatment with LAB showed good results only at the first stage of crop maturity with sufficient amounts of water‐soluble carbohydrate in the pre‐ensiling crops. The FA treatment showed elevated butyric acid levels in all trials, which suggests that the FA application level used (4 L t^?1 FM, 100% FA) was insufficient to decrease pH enough for preventing the growth of clostridia and butyric acid fermentation. NaHe was the only additive that was able to inhibit the activity of clostridia in all trials.     

Retrospecting genetic variation of Finnish oat (Avena sativa) landraces and observations on revived lines grown prior to 1957

An aged seed sample of a single oat landrace resulted in four plants when germinated. The plants differed from each other morphologically and genetically. They represented four grain types, three lemma colours, three avenin and three residual grain protein patterns and two molar ratios of C18:C16 fatty acids. These old oats grew high under current conditions and some also had yielding potential. Landraces with wide residual to avenin protein ratios would have been good sources in breeding food cereals for coeliac patients. Literature data since the 1700s indicate that Finnish oat landraces included morphological mixtures. Some were intentionally mixed. As also noted for Finnish barley landraces, oat landraces appear to have approached mixtures of genetically unique plants. Several reasons for the variation are presented. Active replacement of landraces (genetic polymorphism) with only a few pure-line cultivars was encouraged by authorities during the Mendelian period. Genetic variation was lost earliest in oats among Finnish cereal landraces. The proportion of oat landraces declined from 100% in 1902 to 34.4% in 1922 and to 0.2% in 1955. Genetic conservation did not occur in time, resulting from lack of foresight by authorities.     

Effects of processing on availability of total plant sterols, steryl ferulates and steryl glycosides from wheat and rye bran

Rye and wheat bran are excellent natural sources of plant sterols in the diet. Their content, however, may vary according to processing. Thermal (roasting and heating in a microwave oven), mechanical (milling and cryogenic grinding), and enzymatic treatments (hydrolysis with xylanase or beta-glucanase or a mixture of these two enzymes) were performed, and their effect on sterol content, extractability of sterols and the characteristic steryl conjugates of cereals (steryl ferulates, steryl glycosides, and acylated steryl glycosides) were studied. Mechanical and enzymatic treatments increased the apparent sterol content, whereas aqueous processing without enzymes hindered the availability of total sterols, especially from rye bran. Changes were also seen in the amounts of steryl conjugates caused by the enzymatic treatments. On the basis of the results of this study, it can be speculated that a combination of fine particle size and enzymatic processing results in optimal sterol availability in cereal processing.     

Reviewing the undergraduate veterinary curriculum in Finland for control tasks in veterinary public health

To review and develop the undergraduate veterinary curriculum on official control in veterinary public health, an electronic survey was sent to 204 Finnish veterinarians employed in the field of food hygiene in 2005. The response rate was 44%. Most frequently cited as strengths of the current curriculum were extensive education and good knowledge. Respondents considered the main challenges in their work to be a wide field of activity, organizational changes, financial resources, organization of substitutes, and collaboration with decision makers. Of the 23 items to be included in the undergraduate curriculum, therefore, respondents prioritized state and local decision making, the role of the public servant, and leadership and management in the area of social factors; in the field of practical control work, in-house control systems, organizations and responsibilities, control techniques, and planning and targeting of controls were prioritized. Of areas traditionally covered in the undergraduate curriculum, legislation; legal proceedings and implications of controls; risks to human, animal, and plant health; and hazards in feed, animal, and food production were stated to be the most important. Although respondents were generally content with their career choice, veterinary public health tasks were not their first choice of career path immediately after graduation. Based on these findings, more attention should be focused on social aspects and practical training in official control in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum. The survey results also highlight the contrasts between society's needs and veterinarians' motivations and career-path expectations, which pose a significant challenge for future curricula.     

Selektion HgCl2-toleranter Linien aus Zellkulturen der Kartoffel

Zusammenfassung Die spontane Rate selektierbauer HgCl₂-toleranter Zellen in Zellkulturen der Kartoffel betrug 4×10⁻⁶. Nach Applikation von Nitrosoguanidin in Konzentrationen, die die überlebensrate der Zellen um 50% herabsetzen (7×10⁻⁵ mol/l, 30×10⁻⁵ mol/l), war die Anzahl HgCl₂-toleranter Zellkolonien verringert. Das Selektionsverfahren sollte mit subletalen Dosen beginnen und kontinuierlich unter selektiven Bedingungen durchgeführt werden.     

Berry phenolic extracts modulate the expression of p21(WAF1) and Bax but not Bcl-2 in HT-29 colon cancer cells

Previous studies have shown that anthocyanin-rich berry extracts inhibit the growth of cancer cells in vitro. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of berry extracts containing different phenolic profiles on cell viability and expression of markers of cell proliferation and apoptosis in human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Berry extracts were prepared with methanol extraction, and contents of the main phenolic compounds were analyzed using HPLC. Anthocyanins were the predominant phenolic compounds in bilberry, black currant, and lingonberry extracts and ellagitannins in cloudberry extract, whereas both were present in raspberry and strawberry extracts. Cells were exposed to 0-60 mg/mL of extracts, and the cell growth inhibition was determined after 24 h. The degree of cell growth inhibition was as follows: bilberry > black currant > cloudberry > lingonberry > raspberry > strawberry. A 14-fold increase in the expression of p21WAF1, an inhibitor of cell proliferation and a member of the cyclin kinase inhibitors, was seen in cells exposed to cloudberry extract compared to other berry treatments (2.7-7-fold increase). The pro-apoptosis marker, Bax, was increased 1.3-fold only in cloudberry- and bilberry-treated cells, whereas the pro-survival marker, Bcl-2, was detected only in control cells. The results demonstrate that berry extracts inhibit cancer cell proliferation mainly via the p21WAF1 pathway. Cloudberry, despite its very low anthocyanin content, was a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation. Therefore, it is concluded that, in addition to anthocyanins, also other phenolic or nonphenolic phytochemicals are responsible for the antiproliferative activity of berries.