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Social information, acquired through the observation of other individuals, is especially relevant among species belonging to the same guild. The unpredictable and ephemeral nature of carrion implies that social mechanisms may be selected among scavenger species to facilitate carcass location and consumption. Here, we apply a survival-modelling strategy to data obtained through the placement and monitoring of carcasses in the field to analyse possible information transmission cascades within a Neotropical scavenger community. Our study highlights how the use of different senses (smell and sight) within this guild facilitates carcass location through the transmission of social information between species with different carrion foraging efficiencies. Vultures with a highly developed sense of smell play a key role in this process, as they are the first to arrive at the carcasses and their presence seems to serve as a visual cue for other species to locate the resource. Our study supports the local enhancement hypothesis within scavengers, whereby individuals locate carcasses by following foraging heterospecifics, also suggesting the importance of the sense of smell in the maintenance of the community structure. L.N.A., Z.M.R. and E.S.G. were supported by the Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund (grant nos. ACIF/2019/056, APOSTD/2019/016, SEJI/2018/024, respectively). Z.M.R. was also funded by the Junta de Andalucía (grant no. POSTDOC_21_00353). E.S.G. also received the grant RYC2019-027216-I funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF Investing in your future. O.O. was funded by Academy of Finland (grant no. 309581), Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence Funding Scheme (grant no. 223257), and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 856506; ERC-synergy project LIFEPLAN).

(1) Background: Global incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is rising and nearly half occurred in adults. However, it is unclear if certain early-life childhood T1D risk factors were also associated with adult-onset T1D. This study aimed to assess associations between birth order, delivery mode or daycare attendance and type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk in a population-based cohort and whether these were similar for childhood- and adult-onset T1D (cut-off age 15); (2) Methods: Data were obtained from the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) baseline assessment. Self-reported diabetes was classified as T1D if: diagnosis age ≤ 40 years and has been receiving insulin treatment since less than one year after diagnosis. Cox regression was applied for T1D risk analysis; (3) Results: Analyses included 101,411 participants (100 childhood- and 271 adult-onset T1D cases). Compared to “only-children”, HRs for second- or later-born individuals were 0.70 (95% CI = 0.50–0.96) and 0.65 (95% CI = 0.45–0.94), respectively, regardless of parental diabetes, migration background, birth year and perinatal factors. In further analyses, higher birth order reduced T1D risk in children and adults born in recent decades. Caesarean section and daycare attendance showed no clear associations with T1D risk; (4) Conclusions: Birth order should be considered in both children and adults’ T1D risk assessment for early detection.

A big question in behavioral ecology is what drives diversity of color signals. One possible explanation is that environmental conditions, such as light environment, may alter visual signaling of prey, which could affect predator decision-making. Here, we tested the context-dependent predator selection on prey coloration. In the first experiment, we tested detectability of artificial visual stimuli to blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) by manipulating stimulus luminance and chromatic context of the background. We expected the presence of the chromatic context to facilitate faster target detection. As expected, blue tits found targets on chromatic yellow background faster than on achromatic grey background whereas in the latter, targets were found with smaller contrast differences to the background. In the second experiment, we tested the effect of two light environments on the survival of aposematic, color polymorphic wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis). As luminance contrast should be more detectable than chromatic contrast in low light intensities, we expected birds, if they find the moths aversive, to avoid the white morph which is more conspicuous than the yellow morph in low light (and vice versa in bright light). Alternatively, birds may attack first moths that are more detectable. We found birds to attack yellow moths first in low light conditions, whereas white moths were attacked first more frequently in bright light conditions. Our results show that light environments affect predator foraging decisions, which may facilitate context-dependent selection on visual signals and diversity of prey phenotypes in the wild. Light environments are constantly changing and may alter visual appearance of prey, but also bias predators' decision making. Our findings using blue tits in visual search tasks and the wood tiger moth prey under two light environments demonstrate that birds show context-dependent predatory behavior. This suggests that light environments can play a major selective role and influence visual signaling in the wild.

Purpose: To study the association of parents’ reports about their children’s near work and outdoor habits with myopia in their children. Methods: Data from a questionnaire study conducted in 1983 among Finnish schoolchildren were reanalyzed. Vision screening had been performed for all the schoolchildren (n = 4961) in the 1st, 5th, and 8th grades (7-, 11-, and 15-year-olds) in an area of Central Finland. The questionnaire, including information about myopia, was returned by 4305 (86.7%) participants. Items concerned parents’ estimates of their child’s habitual reading distance, time spent indoors as compared with age peers, daily near work, outdoors time, and parents’ myopia. The associations of myopia with these factors were studied. Results: Myopia prevalence in those with a habitual close reading distance vs. others was 14.3% vs. 2.1%, 28.7% vs. 13.1% and 45.8% vs. 24.7% for the 7-, 11- and 15-year-olds (p < 0.001 in all age-groups). Myopia prevalence in children reported by their parents as spending more time indoors than age peers was 10.9% vs. 2.8% (p < 0.001), 25.0% vs. 14.7% (p = 0.004) and 41.9% vs. 25.7% (p < 0.001) in the three age groups. Myopia prevalence among those reported as spending both more time indoors and reading at a close distance vs. others was 44.2% vs. 11.9% (Fisher’s exact t-test, p < 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression models, parental myopia almost doubled the risk of myopia in the 11- and 15-year-olds. ORs (95% CI) for myopia adjusted for parental myopia and sex were for close reading distance 7.381 (4.054–13.440), 2.382 (1.666–3.406), 2.237 (1.498–3.057), (p < 0.001), and for more time spent indoors, 3.692 (1.714–7.954), p = 0.001, 1.861 (1.157–2.992), p = 0.010), 1.700 (1.105–2.615), p = 0.016, in the three age groups. Conclusion: Children, especially 7-year-olds, reported by their parents as having a close reading distance and spending a lot of time indoors were associated with a higher risk for myopia.

To describe the cognitive test battery of the German National Cohort (NAKO), a population-based mega cohort of 205,000 randomly selected participants, and to examine associations with demographic variables and selected psychiatric and neurological conditions. Initial data from 96,401 participants providing data on the cognitive performance measured by a brief cognitive test battery (12-word list recall task, semantic fluency, Stroop test, digit span backwards) was examined. Test results were summarised in cognitive domain scores using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Associations with sociodemographic and psychiatric factors were analysed using linear regression and generalised additive models. Cognitive test results were best represented by two domain scores reflecting memory and executive functions. Lower cognitive functions were associated with increasing age and male sex. Higher education and absence of childhood trauma were associated with better cognitive function. Moderate to severe levels of anxiety and depression, and a history of stroke, were related to lower cognitive function with a stronger effect on executive function as compared to memory. Some associations with cognition differed by German language proficiency. The NAKO cognitive test battery and the derived cognitive domain scores for memory and executive function are sensitive measures of cognition.

Vision is a vital attribute to foraging, navigation, mate selection and social signalling in animals, which often have a very different colour perception in comparison to humans. For understanding how animal colour perception works, vision models provide the smallest colour difference that animals of a given species are assumed to detect. To determine the just-noticeable-difference, or JND, vision models use Weber fractions that set discrimination thresholds of a stimulus compared to its background. However, although vision models are widely used, they rely on assumptions of Weber fractions since the exact fractions are unknown for most species. Here, we test; i) which Weber fractions in long-, middle- and shortwave (i.e. L, M, S) colour channels best describe the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) colour discrimination, ii) how changes in hue of saturated colours and iii) chromatic background noise impair search behaviour in blue tits. We show that the behaviourally verified Weber fractions on achromatic backgrounds were L: 0.05, M: 0.03 and S: 0.03, indicating a high colour sensitivity. In contrast, on saturated chromatic backgrounds, the correct Weber fractions were considerably higher for L: 0.20, M: 0.17 and S: 0.15, indicating a less detailed colour perception. Chromatic complexity of backgrounds affected the longwave channel, while middle- and shortwave channels were mostly unaffected. We caution that using a vision model whereby colour discrimination is determined in achromatic viewing conditions, as they often are, can lead to misleading interpretations of biological interactions in natural – colourful – environments. peerReviewed

Visual distraction by secondary in-car tasks is a major contributing factor in traffic incidents. In-car user interface design may mitigate these negative effects but to accomplish this, design factors’ visual distraction potential should be better understood. The effects of touch screen size, user interface design, and subtask boundaries on in-car task's visual demand and visual distraction potential were studied in two driving simulator experiments with 48 participants. Multilevel modeling was utilized to control the visual demands of driving and individual differences on in-car glance durations. The 2.5” larger touch screen slightly decreased the in-car glance durations and had a diminishing impact on both visual demand and visual distraction potential of the secondary task. Larger relative impact was discovered concerning user interface design: an automotive-targeted application decreased the visual demand and visual distraction potential of the in-car tasks compared to the use of regular smartphone applications. Also, impact of subtask boundaries was discovered: increase in the preferred number of visual or visual-manual interaction steps during a single in-car glance (e.g., pressing one button vs. typing one word) increased the duration of the in-car glance and its visual distraction potential. The findings also emphasize that even if increasing visual demand of a task – as measured by in-car glance duration or number of glances – may increase its visual distraction potential, these two are not necessarily equal. peerReviewed

Electrophysiologically registered visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) is known to represent automatic visual processing in human visual cortex. Since physical activity (PA) is generally beneficial to cerebrovascular function, we wanted to find out if automatic visual processing is affected by PA. We investigated the connection between long-term leisure-time PA and precognitive visual processing in 32 healthy young males. Participants were divided into active (n = 16) and inactive (n = 16) group according to their leisure-time PA records from the past three years. vMMN was recorded with electroencephalogram using passive oddball paradigm with visual bars. Standard (90%) and deviant (10%) stimuli in different orientations were presented randomly while participant’s attention was directed to an audio play. No visual task was involved. vMMN difference waveforms were generated and peak latencies and signal integrals were determined in post-stimulus window of 100–300 ms. vMMN latencies were shorter in active participants compared to inactive ones in the occipital cortex. A trend towards larger integral values in occipital area in active participants was observed, albeit non-significant. Physically active participants showed faster automatic processing of deviant stimuli compared to inactive ones in the occipital area. This may imply enhanced early non-attended visual processing in those individuals who are habitually physically active. peerReviewed

Learning to associate written letters/characters with speech sounds is crucial for reading acquisition. Most previous studies have focused on audiovisual integration in alphabetic languages. Less is known about logographic languages such as Chinese characters, which map onto mostly syllable-based morphemes in the spoken language. Here we investigated how long-term exposure to native language affects the underlying neural mechanisms of audiovisual integration in a logographic language using magnetoencephalography (MEG). MEG sensor and source data from 12 adult native Chinese speakers and a control group of 13 adult Finnish speakers were analyzed for audiovisual suppression (bimodal responses vs. sum of unimodal responses) and congruency (bimodal incongruent responses vs. bimodal congruent responses) effects. The suppressive integration effect was found in the left angular and supramarginal gyri (205–365 ms), left inferior frontal and left temporal cortices (575–800 ms) in the Chinese group. The Finnish group showed a distinct suppression effect only in the right parietal and occipital cortices at a relatively early time window (285–460 ms). The congruency effect was only observed in the Chinese group in left inferior frontal and superior temporal cortex in a late time window (about 500–800 ms) probably related to modulatory feedback from multi-sensory regions and semantic processing. The audiovisual integration in a logographic language showed a clear resemblance to that in alphabetic languages in the left superior temporal cortex, but with activation specific to the logographic stimuli observed in the left inferior frontal cortex. The current MEG study indicated that learning of logographic languages has a large impact on the audiovisual integration of written characters with some distinct features compared to previous results on alphabetic languages. peerReviewed

Epidemiologisissa tutkimuksissa käden puristusvoima on validi lihasvoiman mittari ja ennustaa iäkkäiden ihmisten toimintakykyä. Heikompi puristusvoima on iäkkäillä yhteydessä heikompaan toimintakykyyn. Myös näöntarkkuuden aleneminen voi heikentää toimintakykyä. Näöntarkkuuden ja käden puristusvoiman yhteydestä löytyi vain vähän tutkimuksia. Heikommin näkevien vähäisempi fyysinen aktiviisuus saattaa selittää yhteyttä näöntarkkuuden ja puristusvoiman välillä. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää, onko näöntarkkuuden ja käden puristusvoiman välillä yhteyttä iäkkäillä naisilla, ja välittääkö fyysinen aktiivisuus yhteyttä. Lisäksi tutkittiin, onko puristusvoimassa kolmen vuoden seurannan aikana eroja normaalisti näkevien ja heikommin näkevien välillä. Tutkimus on osa Finnish Twin Study on Aging (FITSA) -tutkimusta, joka tutkii geneettisten ja ympäristötekijöiden merkitystä toiminnanvajauksien synnyssä. Tutkimukseen osallistui 434 hyväkuntoista 63–76 vuotiasta naiskaksosta. Puristusvoimaa mitattiin dynamometrilla tutkimuksen alussa vuosina 2000–2001 sekä seurantakerralla 2003–2004. Mittaus suoritettiin 3–5 kertaa, joista ilmoitettiin korkein tulos. Näöntarkkuutta mitattiin tutkimuslaboratoriossa 5 m etäisyydeltä erikseen oikean ja vasemman silmän osalta. Tässä tutkimuksessa käytettiin parasta mitattua näöntarkkuutta. Aineiston analyysimenetelminä käytettiin Spearmanin järjestyskorrelaatiota, yleistä lineaarista mallia sekä toistomittausten varianssianalyysiä. Käden puristusvoima oli heikompi (179.3 N vs. 198.4 N, p

High functional capacity of muscle strength and balance in older persons promotes independent mobility and prevents functional decline below the disability threshold. This dissertation explored the effects of strength and balance training (SBT) as part of a multimodal geriatric intervention on physical functioning and health-related factors associated with training participation in a community-dwelling population aged 75 years and over. This study is a part of the Geriatric Multidisciplinary Strategy for the Good Care of the Elderly (GeMS) project conducted from 2004 to 2007 in Kuopio, Finland. Participants were randomized into an intervention (n=339) and control group (n=312). The individualized multimodal intervention was based on comprehensive geriatric assessment, and included physical activity counselling and supervised SBT at the gym once a week for 28 months. Controls took part in the annual assessments but not in the intervention. Measurements of health, muscle strength, balance, and mobility were repeated annually. In total, 54% of the intervention group participants started SBT. These SBT adopters (n=182) were younger and had better cognitive status and physical functioning than non-adopters (n=157). Long-term adherence to group-based training was possible for the older adults, despite hospital admissions, comorbidities and functional impairments. Adherence to SBT was 55% (SD 29, range 1-99%) and better physical functioning predicted higher adherence. Training adopters improved their muscle strength and mobility, and maintained their performance in balance. Among the non-adopters, who received physical activity counselling, muscle strength declined, while their balance and mobility performance remained unchanged during the intervention. Controls showed a decline in all the tested parameters. In addition, poor functional vision was related to weaker balance and poorer mobility performance. In conclusion, the results indicate that supervised strength and balance training is an important component of a comprehensive geriatric intervention to maintain independent mobility.

Background: The National Cohort (Nationale Kohorte = NaKo ) will be one of the largest cohort studies in Europe to include intensive physical examinations and extensive information about the socio-demographic background and behavior of the subjects. However, regional selectivity of the study and potential learning effects due to the panel structure of the data present challenges for researchers using it. Methods: We discuss the two problems and show how they might lead to potential biases when trying to obtain result s from the National Cohort that are representative for the total population of Germany. We suggest that the long-running German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) should be used as a reference data set for population means and as a control sample for detection of learning effects (panel effects) induced by information about the results of individual medical examinations. Results : We present a wide range of topics and indicators which are available in both the German Socio - Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and the National Cohort ( NaKo ). These items can be harmonized to make the datasets comparable. The range of topics that overlap between SOEP and NaKo include socio-demographic variables, general indicators, socio-psychological environment, and to a limited extent biomarkers. Conclusion: Harmonizing certain survey item batteries from the NaKo to the SOEP standard can yield a great deal of additional research potential. This holds true both for researchers mainly interested in the NaKo data and for those mainly interested in the SOEP. Key points: Regional selectivity and learning effects in the National Cohort can be analyzed by using a reference data set: the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) Study. Conclusions for healthy policy based on the National Cohort can more easily be generalized to the total population of Germany living in private households. Harmonizing survey items between SOEP and NaKo would make it possible to validate and improve health-related survey questions in the SOEP.

Objectives: To explore whether the accumulation of sensory difficulties predicts fear of falling (FOF), and whether the traits correlate with each other regardless of familial factors. Methods: Self-reported hearing, vision and balance difficulties, and FOF were assessed using structured questionnaires at the baseline and after a 3-year follow-up in 63- to 76-year-old women (n = 434). Results: Among the women without FOF at baseline (n = 245), 41% reported FOF at follow-up. Increasing numbers of sensory difficulties at baseline predicted higher incidence of FOF. The relationship between accumulated sensory difficulties and FOF was not mediated by familial factors. Discussion: The accumulation of multiple sensory difficulties may hinder older people from receiving compensatory information about body position and environment, thus jeopardizing a person’s confidence in maintaining a balanced position. Regular screening of sensory functions followed by appropriate actions may prevent the development of FOF, and thus contribute to prevention of falls and promotion of healthy aging. peerReviewed

Tutkielmassa kartoitettiin katsojan havainnointikyvyn ja näyttöpäätteen kuvanlaadun vaikutuksia kuvanhavainnointiin. Tavoitteena oli selvittää, mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat havainnointitarkkuuteen eniten ja voitaisiinko sitä merkittävästi parantaa teknisin toimenpitein. Kiinnostuksen kohteena oli myös, eroavatko kliinikoiden ja radiologien tulokset toisistaan. Tutkimus toteutettiin Keski-Suomen keskussairaalassa selainpohjaisena kyselytutkimuksena. Katsojan ominaisuuksia selvitettiin taustoittavilla kysymyksillä, näyttöjärjestelmän kuvanlaatua visuaalisilla testeillä ja havainnointitarkkuutta kontrasti-detalji-testeillä. Vastaajia oli 64, joista kliinikkoja 52 ja radiologeja 12. Tuloksista selvisi, että merkittävimpiä havainnointitarkkuuteen vaikuttavia tekijöitä ovat merkitsevyysjärjestyksessä näyttöjärjestelmän luminanssivaste, näytöllä esiintyvä hajaheijastus sekä silmälasien käyttö. Hyvä luminanssivaste vaikutti havainnointiin positiivisesti, kun taas voimakkaan hajaheijastuksen ja silmälasien käytön vaikutus oli negatiivinen. Koska merkittävimmät havainnointitarkkuuteen vaikuttavat tekijät liittyivät näyttöjärjestelmän ominaisuuksiin, pääteltiin että teknisillä toimenpiteillä, kuten kalibroinnilla tai katseluympäristön valon määrää kontrolloimalla, voitaisiin saavuttaa huomattavaa hyötyä. Päätelmää tukee se, että radiologit, joiden näyttöjen suorituskykyä ja katseluympäristön valaistusta kontrolloidaan, suoriutuivat testeissä selvästi kliinikoita paremmin.

Ikääntyneiden näön ja kuulon ongelmat heikentävät toimintakykyä, lisäävät masennuksen riskiä ja altistavat laitoshoitoon joutumiselle. Kaihin, glaukooman ja silmänpohjan ikärappeuman esiintyvyys lisääntyy ikääntyessä. Kuulo-ongelmia on 33%:lla yli 75 vuotiaista. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa avo- ja laitoshoidossa vanhustyötä tekevien hoitajien tietoja ikääntyneen näön ja kuulon heikentyessä. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin mitä hoitajat tiesivät näkö- ja kuulovaikeuksien syistä ja ikääntymiseen liittyvistä sairauksista. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin myös mitä keinoja hoitajat käyttivät ikääntyneen näön ja kuulon heikentymisen tunnistamiseen ja arviointiin sekä miten hoitajat tukivat ikääntynyttä näön ja kuulon heikentyessä. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin vuoden 2009 aikana Rauman kaupungin sosiaalipalvelun ja terveyskeskuksen hoitajilta. Kyselylomakkeita lähetettiin 377 ja kyselyyn vastasi 211 hoitajaa. Aineistoa analysoitiin sekä tilastollisilla että laadullisella menetelmällä. Tutkimuksen tulosten mukaan erittäin pieni osa hoitajista oli saanut näön ja kuulon täydennyskoulutusta viimeisten kahden vuoden aikana. Hoitajien mielestä ikääntyneille ei tehdä säännöllisesti näön ja kuulon tarkastuksia kotona tai laitoksessa. Hoitajat pystyivät tunnistamaan näön tai kuulon heikentymisen, mutta he eivät yleensä osanneet käyttää toimintakykymittareita arvioinnin välineinä. Havainnointi ja tarkkailu olivat tärkeimmät hoitotyön menetelmät heikentyneen näön ja kuulon arvioinnissa. Kotona tai laitoksessa tehtiin harvoin tutkimuksia tai testejä näön tai kuulon heikentyessä. Apuvälineiden huoltaminen oli yleensä ongelmallista. Hoitajat pitivät tärkeänä ikääntyneen motivointia ja kannustamista näön ja kuulon heikentyessä. Näön ja kuulon heikentymiseen liittyvää koulutusta tarvitaan enemmän. Hoitajilla on yleensä melko hyvät tiedot näköön ja kuuloon vaikuttavista sairauksista. Käytännön hoiva- ja hoitotyöhön tarvitaan lisää varmuutta erityisesti apuvälineiden huoltamisesta ja arviointiin liittyvistä menetelmistä.

All diurnal birds studied so far, many reptiles, amphibians, fish and some rodents are able to detect near-ultraviolet light (UV; 320-400 nm) invisible to humans. In many animals, UV cues have been found to play a role in foraging and mate choice. As many fruits reflect UV light, frugivores sensitive to UV may also use these cues in foraging. Fruit colours and their contrast with background coloration may attract frugivores. In this thesis, I studied the fruit colour preferences of both redwings (Turdus iliacus) and small rodents (house mice, Mus musculus and bank vole, Clethrionomys glareolus).