Clustering of unhealthy behaviours and subsequent sickness absence among Finnish municipal employees

Background

Unhealthy behaviours are associated with increased sickness absence (SA), but few studies have explored these associations using person-oriented approach. We aimed to identify latent classes of unhealthy behaviours among female and male employees and examined their associations with subsequent SA.

Methods

Health behaviours (leisure-time physical activity, sedentary behaviour, fruit and vegetable [F&V] consumption, sleep, binge drinking, and use of tobacco products) were derived from the Helsinki Health Study questionnaire survey, collected in 2017 among 19-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The questionnaire data were linked to employer's SA register. Latent class analysis was used to identify underlying profiles of unhealthy behaviours and negative binomial regression was used to examine their associations with subsequent SA (≤7 days, >7 days, and all lengths) among 3228 women and 771 men. The mean follow-up time was 2.1 years.

Results

Among women, we identified 3 latent classes: 1) healthy behaviours (81% of women), 2) binge drinking and tobacco use (12%), and 3) inadequate F&V consumption and insufficient sleep (7%). Classes 2 and 3 showed increased rates for subsequent SA compared to class 1, regardless of the length of SA spells (age-adjusted rate ratios [RR] 1.37-1.42 and 1.35-1.64, respectively). Among men, we identified 3 latent classes: 1) healthy behaviours (51% of men), 2) binge drinking and tobacco use (19%), and 3) inadequate F&V consumption, binge drinking and tobacco use (30%). While classes 1 and 2 were not different in terms of subsequent SA, class 3 had increased rates of subsequent, particularly short-term SA (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.48).

Conclusions

Preventive actions should consider simultaneously several unhealthy behaviours while aiming to reduce employees’ SA. These actions might benefit from regarding potential gender differences in the clustering of unhealthy behaviours and their associations with SA.

Key messages

• Preventive actions to reduce sickness absence should consider clustering of unhealthy behaviours among employees.

• Potential gender differences need to be regarded in these actions.

Using functional traits and phylogeny to understand local extinction risk in dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)

Understanding the risk of local extinction of a species is vital in conservation biology, especially now when anthropogenic disturbances and global warming are severely changing natural habitats. Local extinction risk depends on species traits, such as its geographical range size, fresh body mass, dispersal ability, length of flying period, life history variation, and how specialized it is regarding its breeding habitat. We used a phylogenetic approach because closely related species are not independent observations in the statistical tests. Our field data contained the local extinction risk of 31 odonate (dragonflies and damselflies) species from Central Finland. Species relatedness (i.e., phylogenetic signal) did not affect local extinction risk, length of flying period, nor the geographical range size of a species. However, we found that closely related species were similar in hind wing length, length of larval period, and habitat of larvae. Both phylogenetically corrected (PGLS) and uncorrected (GLM) analysis indicated that the geographical range size of species was negatively related to local extinction risk. Contrary to expectations, habitat specialist species did not have higher local extinction rates than habitat generalist species nor was it affected by the relatedness of species. As predicted, species’ long larval period increased, and long wings decreased the local extinction risk when evolutionary relatedness was controlled. Our results suggest that a relatively narrow geographical range size is an accurate estimate for a local extinction risk of an odonate species, but the species with long life history and large habitat niche width of adults increased local extinction risk. Because the results were so similar between PGLS and GLM methods, it seems that using a phylogenetic approach does not improve predicting local extinctions.

A molecular-based identification resource for the arthropods of Finland

To associate specimens identified by molecular characters to other biological knowledge, we need reference sequences annotated by Linnaean taxonomy. In this study, we (1) report the creation of a comprehensive reference library of DNA barcodes for the arthropods of an entire country (Finland), (2) publish this library, and (3) deliver a new identification tool for insects and spiders, as based on this resource. The reference library contains mtDNA COI barcodes for 11,275 (43%) of 26,437 arthropod species known from Finland, including 10,811 (45%) of 23,956 insect species. To quantify the improvement in identification accuracy enabled by the current reference library, we ran 1000 Finnish insect and spider species through the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) identification engine. Of these, 91% were correctly assigned to a unique species when compared to the new reference library alone, 85% were correctly identified when compared to BOLD with the new material included, and 75% with the new material excluded. To capitalize on this resource, we used the new reference material to train a probabilistic taxonomic assignment tool, FinPROTAX, scoring high success. For the full-length barcode region, the accuracy of taxonomic assignments at the level of classes, orders, families, subfamilies, tribes, genera, and species reached 99.9%, 99.9%, 99.8%, 99.7%, 99.4%, 96.8%, and 88.5%, respectively. The FinBOL arthropod reference library and FinPROTAX are available through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (www.laji.fi) at https://laji.fi/en/theme/protax. Overall, the FinBOL investment represents a massive capacity-transfer from the taxonomic community of Finland to all sectors of society.

Contribution to the knowledge of Limoniidae (Diptera: Tipuloidea): first records of 244 species from various European countries

Background

Limoniidae is one of the most species-rich Dipteran families, with 661 reported species in Europe. Despite the fact that the European limoniid crane fly fauna has been studied ever since Carolus Linnaeus, it is still poorly known.

New information

In this study, we summarise the taxonomic and faunistic studies of European Limoniidae, which described new species and reported first country records, between 2010 and 2020. We also report occurrence data of 244 Limoniidae species which represent the first country records or conformational records from various European countries, as we report ten species from Albania, one from Austria, thirty-seven from Belarus, five from Belgium, two from Bulgaria, two from Estonia, six from Finland, seven from France, fourteen from Greece, sixteen from Hungary, two from Iceland, six from Italy, ten from Latvia, one from Malta, nine from Montenegro, two from The Netherlands, ten from North Macedonia, forty-two from Norway, one from Poland, five from Portugal, twenty from Romania, thirty-eight from Serbia, six from Slovenia, five from Spain and seven species from Sweden for the first time. From the European territory of Russia, we report twenty-eight species from Central European Russia, seventy-two from East European Russia, fifteen from North European Russia, one from Northwest European Russia and seven from North Caucasus for the first time. Confirmatory records and corrigenda are also included.

Chaoborus flavicans Meigen (Diptera, Chaoboridae) is a complex of lake and pond dwelling species: a revision

Chaoborus flavicans (Meigen) is a widespread and much studied lacustrine phantom midge. As larvae, these insects are important aquatic predators. Based on the available type material, morphology of immature stages and adults, their aquatic habitat, and DNA barcodes, C. flavicans is shown to be a composite of at least four species, with three of these named here. Chaoborus flavicans is primarily a lake-dwelling species with a Holarctic range. Chaoborus albipes (Johannsen, 1903 stat. rev.) and C. posio Salmela sp. n. are pond-dwelling Holarctic and north European species, respectively. The position of the larval subordinate mandibular tooth at the vertex of the second and fourth teeth is a synapomorphy of the Chaoborus flavicans species complex. We present an identification key to fourth instar larvae, pupae, and adult males. We also designate the lectotype and paralectotypes of Sayomyia rotundifolia Felt, 1904 (syn. nov. of C. albipes). We hypothesize that a fourth species of the species complex is present in Japan. Our revision indicates that Holarctic shallow ponds contain a hidden diversity of predators (C. albipes and C. posio sp. n.).

Coelosynapha, a new genus of the subfamily Gnoristinae (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) with a circumpolar, Holarctic distribution

Background

The subfamily Gnoristinae is one of the most diverse and taxonomically difficult subfamilies of Mycetophilidae, with new species and genera being described almost every year from various parts of the world. Through inventories of fungus gnats in the Nordic Region and Russia, a genus and species new to science was discovered, yet with links back to an illustration made by the late French entomologist Loïc Matile in the 1980s. DNA barcoding aligned it with yet another species new to science, distributed across Canada and documented through The Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) by Paul D. N. Hebert and colleagues at the BOLD team.

New information

The new Holarctic genus, Coelosynaphagen. n. is described, consisting of two new species, the Palaearctic Coelosynaphaloicisp. n. and the Nearctic Coelosynaphahebertisp. n. DNA-barcodes assign the two new species to distinctly separated (8.27% p-distance) Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) which are most closely aligned to unidentified species of Mycetophilidae from South Australia and Costa Rica on BOLD. The new genus shows morphological characteristics in between the two Holarctic genera Coelosia Winnertz, 1864 and Synapha Meigen, 1818 and further shows affinity to the southern continents genus Austrosynapha Tonnoir, 1929. The Palaearctic Coelosynaphaloicisp. n., for which habitat requirements are best documented, is largely restricted to pristine, old-growth conifer (mostly spruce, Piceaabiesssp.obovata) forests within the boreal vegetation zone, although it is also recorded from hummock tundra along the Anadyr River in Far East Russia.

Healthy behaviours and risk of all-cause mortality

Introduction

Healthy behaviours are associated with better health in general but less is known about the combined associations of multiple healthy behaviours with mortality risk. We aimed to examine the associations of combined healthy behaviours with mortality risk over a 15-year follow-up among middle-aged employees.

Methods

Survey data, collected in 2000–2002 among 40–60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, was linked with complete register data on mortality from Statistics Finland (response rate 67%, written informed consent for register linkages 74%). Healthy behaviours included high leisure-time physical activity, non-smoking, no binge drinking and healthy food habits. Each healthy behaviour were dichotomized and assigned a value of one for healthy and zero for unhealthy. The number of healthy behaviours were summed together (score range 0-4). Cox regression models were fitted, and the follow-up continued until the end of 2015 (n = 6336). Confounders included age, sex, marital status, socioeconomic position and self-rated health.

Results

Of the respondents, 7% reported four healthy behaviours, 27% three, 34% two, 22% one and 9% no healthy behaviours. A total of 281 deaths occurred during the follow-up. Each healthy behaviour was individually associated with a reduced mortality risk, non-smoking having the strongest and healthy diet the weakest association. The combined association showed that those without any of the healthy behaviours (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.51-5.29) and those with only one healthy behaviour (HR 1.89, 95% CI 1.04-3.43) had a higher mortality risk than those with four healthy behaviours. Instead, those with at least two healthy behaviours were not at an increased risk of mortality.

Conclusions

A low number of healthy behaviours predicted mortality among middle-aged employees. Efforts should be made to promote multiple healthy behaviours among the middle-aged to enhance health and prevent premature mortality.

Key messages

Almost one third of the respondents had no or only one healthy behaviour. A low number of healthy behaviours was associated with an increased risk of mortality.

Joint associations of fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity with mortality risk

Background

Fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) are associated with better health outcomes but less is known about their joint associations with the risk of mortality. We examined the joint associations of FVC and LTPA with premature mortality among midlife and ageing municipal employees, adjusting for key covariates.

Methods

Survey data collected in 2000–2002 among 40–60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland, were linked with complete register data on mortality from Statistics Finland (4961 women, 1373 men; response rate 67%; written consent for register linkages 74%). FVC was dichotomised into daily or non-daily, and LTPA into high (>14 MET-hours/week including vigorous exercise) or low. Covariates included age, sex, marital status, socioeconomic position, binge drinking, smoking and self-rated health. Cox regression models were fitted. The follow-up continued until the event of death or the end of 2015.

Results

A total of 281 deaths occurred during the follow-up. The mortality rate was 7.1% in men and 3.7% in women. A gender interaction was found, showing differing associations for women and men. Men with both daily FVC and high LTPA had the lowest mortality risk (HR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.63) after adjusting for covariates. Men with high LTPA and non-daily FVC also had a lower mortality risk (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.90) compared to those with non-daily FVC and low LTPA. Women with daily FVC and high LTPA had a lower mortality risk initially, but after adjusting for covariates no statistically significant associations were observed.

Conclusions

The joint associations of FVC and LTPA with premature mortality differed between women and men. This could be related to gender differences in e.g. the causes of death, and further studies are needed to clarify this. Increasing FVC and LTPA might prevent premature mortality among men.

Key messages

Fruit and vegetable consumption jointly with physical activity decreased the risk of premature mortality among men only. Further studies are needed to clarify the gender difference which could be related to for example death causes.

New and poorly known Palaearctic fungus gnats (Diptera, Sciaroidea)

Background

Fungus gnats (Sciaroidea) are a globally species rich group of lower Diptera. In Europe, Fennoscandian peninsula in particular holds a notable diversity, ca. 1000 species, of which 10 % are still unnamed. Fungus gnats are predominantly terrestrial insects, but some species dwell in wetland habitats.

New information

Eight new fungus gnat species, belonging to the families Keroplatidae (Orfeliaboreoalpina Salmela sp.n.) and Mycetophilidae (Sciophilaholopaineni Salmela sp.n., S.curvata Salmela sp.n., Boletinasasakawai Salmela & Kolcsár sp.n., B.norokorpii Salmela & Kolcsár sp.n., Phroniasompio Salmela sp.n., P.reducta Salmela sp.n., P.prolongata Salmela sp.n.), are described. Four of the species are known from Fennoscandia only whilst two are supposed to have boreo-alpine disjunct ranges, i.e. having populations in Fennoscandia and the Central European Alps. One of the species probably has a boreal range (Finnish Lapland and Central Siberia). Type material of Boletinacurta Sasakawa & Kimura from Japan was found to consist of two species, and a further species close to these taxa is described from Finland. Phroniaelegantula Hackman is redescribed and reported for the first time from Norway. DNA barcodes are provided for the first time for five species.

Pachyneuridae (Diptera): new data on the geographic range and designation of the lectotype of Pachyneura fasciata Zetterstedt, 1838

All available records of two nematoceran flies Pachyneura fasciata and P. oculata were gathered and mapped. P. fasciata is a wide-ranging Palaearctic species, and is here reported for the first time for some regions of the Russian Federation, including the European part of Russia (Leningrad Oblast), Western Siberia (Tomsk Oblast, Altay Republic), Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, Chita Oblast), the Far East of Russia (Kuril islands, Kunashir and Paramushir Islands), and for continental China. Pachyneura oculata has a restricted eastern Palaearctic range. The lectotype of P. fasciata has been designated and a key for the identification of Pachyneura species is provided.

New data on poorly known species of the genus Leia Meigen (Diptera, Mycetophilidae) from the Palaearctic region

New data on four poorly known species of the genus Leia Meigen (L. nigricornis van Duzee, L. flavipennis Laštovka & Matile, L. iturupensis Zaitzev and L. rufiptera Ostroverkhova) are presented. Detailed redescriptions and terminalia figures are provided. Leia nigricornis is reported for the first time from the Palaearctic region and L. automnala Ostroverkhova & Grishina is found to be a junior synonym of L. flavipennis. A variation in the male terminalia of L. bimaculata Meigen is illustrated, based on specimens from several European countries.

New and poorly known Holarctic species of Boletina Staeger, 1840 (Diptera, Mycetophilidae)

BACKGROUND

The genus Boletina is a species rich group of fungus gnats. Members of the genus are mainly known from temperate, boreal and arctic biomes. Phylogeny of the genus is still poorly resolved, dozens of species are insufficiently described and undescribed species are often discovered, especially from samples taken from the boreal zone.

NEW INFORMATION

Four new species are described. Boletina valteri Salmela sp.n. (Finland), Boletina kullervoi Salmela sp.n. (Finland), B. hyperborea Salmela sp.n. (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada) and B. nuortti Salmela sp.n. (Finland). Boletina arctica Holmgren is redescribed and reported for the first time from the Canadian high arctic zone. Boletina borealis Zetterstedt and B. birulai Lundström are reported for the first time from Canada. Boletina subnitidula Sasakawa (syn. n.) is proposed as a junior synonym of B. pallidula Edwards.

Establishing a community-wide DNA barcode library as a new tool for arctic research

DNA sequences offer powerful tools for describing the members and interactions of natural communities. In this study, we establish the to-date most comprehensive library of DNA barcodes for a terrestrial site, including all known macroscopic animals and vascular plants of an intensively studied area of the High Arctic, the Zackenberg Valley in Northeast Greenland. To demonstrate its utility, we apply the library to identify nearly 20 000 arthropod individuals from two Malaise traps, each operated for two summers. Drawing on this material, we estimate the coverage of previous morphology-based species inventories, derive a snapshot of faunal turnover in space and time and describe the abundance and phenology of species in the rapidly changing arctic environment. Overall, 403 terrestrial animal and 160 vascular plant species were recorded by morphology-based techniques. DNA barcodes (CO1) offered high resolution in discriminating among the local animal taxa, with 92% of morphologically distinguishable taxa assigned to unique Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) and 93% to monophyletic clusters. For vascular plants, resolution was lower, with 54% of species forming monophyletic clusters based on barcode regions rbcLa and ITS2. Malaise catches revealed 122 BINs not detected by previous sampling and DNA barcoding. The insect community was dominated by a few highly abundant taxa. Even closely related taxa differed in phenology, emphasizing the need for species-level resolution when describing ongoing shifts in arctic communities and ecosystems. The DNA barcode library now established for Zackenberg offers new scope for such explorations, and for the detailed dissection of interspecific interactions throughout the community.

Additions to the list of Finnish Bibionomorpha (Diptera, Nematocera)

A total of 12 gnat species are reported for the first time from Finland (3 Cecidomyiidae, 1 Keroplatidae, 8 Mycetophilidae), and the occurrence of Macroceranigropicea Lundström in Finland is verified. All material was collected from the Finnish Lapland, mainly from the north boreal ecoregion. Two of the recorded species are likely to be pyrophilous, associated with forest fire sites. A photo of the ventral appendage of the gonocoxite of Brevicornusetigerum Zaitzev is provided for the first time. The male hypopygium of Mycetophilaharuspica Plassmann is redescribed.

Unveiling of a cryptic Dicranomyia (Idiopyga) from northern Finland using integrative approach (Diptera, Limoniidae)

The subgenus Idiopyga Savchenko, 1987 is a northern hemisphere group of short-palped crane flies (Diptera, Limoniidae). In the current article we describe a new species, Dicranomyia (I.) boreobaltica Salmela sp.n., and redescribe the male and female post-abdomen of a closely related species, D. (I.) intricata Alexander. A standard DNA barcoding fragment of 5' region of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene of the new species is presented, whilst the K2P minimum distances between the new species and 10 other species of the subgenus were found to range from 5.1 to 15.7 % (mean 11.2 %). Phylogenetic analyses (parsimony and maximum likelihood) based on COI sequences support the identity of the new species and its close relationship with D. (I.) intricata and D. (I.) esbeni (Nielsen). The new species is known from the northern Baltic area of Finland. The new species has been mostly collected from Baltic coastal meadows but an additional relict population is known from a calcareous rich fen that was estimated to have been at sea level circa 600-700 years ago. Dicranomyia (I.) intricata (syn. D.suecica Nielsen) is a Holarctic species, occurring in the north boreal and subarctic vegetation zones in Fennoscandia.

A new Neoplatyura Malloch from Finland (Diptera, Keroplatidae)

The genus Neoplatyura Malloch is globally represented by 50 species, of which four are European species. In this article a new European Neoplatyura from Finland is described. The new species, Neoplatyuranoorae Salmela, sp. n. is a dark brown species with tibial bristles arranged in rows. The new species is here reported from seven localities in Finnish Lapland. Based on available data, the new species occurs in mires, especially in calcareous rich fens.

Checklist of the familes Chaoboridae, Dixidae, Thaumaleidae, Psychodidae and Ptychopteridae (Diptera) of Finland

A checklist of the families Chaoboridae, Dixidae, Thaumaleidae, Psychodidae and Ptychopteridae (Diptera) recorded from Finland is given. Four species, Dixelladyari Garret, 1924 (Dixidae), Threticustridactilis (Kincaid, 1899), Panimerusalbifacies (Tonnoir, 1919) and Panimerusprzhiboroi Wagner, 2005 (Psychodidae) are reported for the first time from Finland.

Checklist of the infraorder Tipulomorpha (Trichoceridae, Tipuloidea) (Diptera) of Finland

A checklist of the infraorder Tipulomorpha: families Trichoceridae, Pediciidae, Limoniidae, Cylindrotomidae and Tipulidae (Diptera) recorded from Finland.

Recent noteworthy findings of fungus gnats from Finland and northwestern Russia (Diptera: Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Bolitophilidae and Mycetophilidae)

New faunistic data on fungus gnats (Diptera: Sciaroidea excluding Sciaridae) from Finland and NW Russia (Karelia and Murmansk Region) are presented. A total of 64 and 34 species are reported for the first time form Finland and Russian Karelia, respectively. Nine of the species are also new for the European fauna: Mycomyashewelli Väisänen, 1984, Mycomyathula Väisänen, 1984, Acnemiatrifida Zaitzev, 1982, Coelosiagracilis Johannsen, 1912, Orfeliakrivosheinae Zaitzev, 1994, Mycetophilabiformis Maximova, 2002, Mycetophilamonstera Maximova, 2002, Mycetophilauschaica Subbotina & Maximova, 2011 and Trichontapalustris Maximova, 2002.

Risk of local extinction of Odonata freshwater habitat generalists and specialists

Understanding the risk of a local extinction in a single population relative to the habitat requirements of a species is important in both theoretical and applied ecology. Local extinction risk depends on several factors, such as habitat requirements, range size of species, and habitat quality. We studied the local extinctions among 31 dragonfly and damselfly species from 1930 to 1975 and from 1995 to 2003 in Central Finland. We tested whether habitat specialists had a higher local extinction rate than generalist species. Approximately 30% of the local dragonfly and damselfly populations were extirpated during the 2 study periods. The size of the geographical range of the species was negatively related to extinction rate of the local populations. In contrast to our prediction, the specialist species had lower local extinction rates than the generalist species, probably because generalist species occurred in both low- and high-quality habitat. Our results are consistent with source-sink theory.

New records of Paraleptophlebiawerneri Ulmer, 1920 and Paraleptophlebiastrandii (Eaton, 1901) from Finland (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae)

The mayfly species Paraleptophlebiawerneri has been rediscovered from Finland. The species was classified as RE (regionally extinct) in the most recent national red-list assessment. The new locality is close to the Russian border in NE Lapland, Savukoski. Adult males were collected with a sweep net around a pond. Paraleptophlebiastrandii is a rather poorly known but widespread Finnish species. The adults of this species occurred in great numbers in aapamires of central Lapland (Sodankylä). We hypothesize that these leptophlebid species are not dependent on running water but may instead thrive in small lentic water bodies.

Description and DNA barcoding of Tipula ( Pterelachisus) recondita sp. n. from the Palaearctic region (Diptera, Tipulidae)

Tipula (Pterelachisus) recondita Pilipenko & Salmela, sp. n. is described. The new species is collected from two localities: Finland, Kittilä (North boreal ecoregion) and Russia, Primorski kray (Zone of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests). Although variation in the structure of male hypopygium between the Finnish and Russian populations is observed, DNA barcode sequences differ only by three nucleotides (0.2 % K2P distance), supporting presence of one widespread species. K2P minimum distances between the new species and 17 other species of the subgenus range from 5.3 to 15.8 % (mean 8.8 %). The new species is forest-dwelling, known from an old-growth herb-rich forest (Finland) and Quercus mongolica forest (Russia). The new species is perhaps closest to Tipula (Pterelachisus) imitator Alexander and in lesser extent to Tipula (Pterelachisus) pauli Mannheims; the inner gonostylus of both species are illustrated.

Revision of Tipula (Yamatotipula) stackelbergi Alexander (Diptera, Tipulidae), and a short discussion on subspecies among crane flies

All available type material of Tipula stackelbergi Alexander, Tipula usuriensis Alexander and Tipula subpruinosa Mannheims were examined. Tipula (Yamatotipula) stackelbergistat. rev. is elevated from a subspecies of Tipula (Yamatotipula) pruinosa Wiedemann to a valid species. Two new synonyms are proposed: Tipula usuriensissyn. n. proved to be a junior synonym of. Tipula (Yamatotipula) pruinosa and Tipula subpruinosasyn. n. a junior synonym of Tipula (Yamatotipula) freyana Lackschewitz. Tipula (Yamatotipula) stackelbergi is redescribed, male and female terminalia of Tipula (Yamatotipula) pruinosa are illustrated and discussed. Female terminalia of Tipula (Yamatotipula) freyana are described and illustrated for the first time. A key to both sexes of Tipula (Yamatotipula) stackelbergi and Tipula (Yamatotipula) pruinosa, and a key to females of Tipula (Yamatotipula) chonsaniana, Tipula (Yamatotipula) freyana and Tipula (Yamatotipula) moesta are provided. Subspecies are not uncommon among crane flies, but their ranges and traits are poorly known. An interdisciplinary approach (genetics, ecology, taxonomy) is suggested if subspecific ranks are to be used in tipuloid systematics.

The semiaquatic nematoceran fly assemblages of three wetland habitats and concordance with plant species composition, a case study from subalpine Fennoscandia

Semiaquatic flies (Diptera, Nematocera) are an ecologically important and species rich group of insects within the boreal and arctic biomes. Community structure, species richness and abundance of semiaquatic flies were studied in three habitat types (aapa mires, springs and headwater streams), totaling 19 study sites, within the subalpine ecoregion of northern boreal Finland. Concordance of semiaquatic fly species composition with plant assemblages (higher plants and mosses), and geographical and environmental distance matrices were also studied. The collected insect material consisted of 94 species and 9038 specimens. According to non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination (visual inspection), multi-response permutation procedure and analysis of similarity tests, fly assemblages of aapa mires were clearly different from those of springs and headwater streams, but no differences were found between spring and headwater stream assemblages. The cumulative number of species was highest in headwater streams. Alpha diversity varied within the habitat types but was generally highest among headwater streams. Semiaquatic fly communities of headwater streams were the most abundant (number of specimens) and their rank-abundance distributions were relatively skewed; assemblages of aapa mires were less abundant and rather even. Community composition of combined plant material (219 taxa), higher plants (116 taxa) and mosses (103 taxa) were all in concordance with the flies; the strongest matrix correlation was found between higher plants and flies (Mantel test). The influence of geographical distance of the study sites to species composition was statistically significant but rather weak; instead, much stronger concordance was noted with environmental variables (Mantel test). Plants, especially higher plants, may be potential surrogates for semiaquatic fly assemblage composition. However, more studies of community concordance in a larger geographic area and within one habitat type are needed.

Local extinction of dragonfly and damselfly populations in low- and high-quality habitat patches

Understanding the risk of extinction of a single population is an important problem in both theoretical and applied ecology. Local extinction risk depends on several factors, including population size, demographic or environmental stochasticity, natural catastrophe, or the loss of genetic diversity. The probability of local extinction may also be higher in low-quality sink habitats than in high-quality source habitats. We tested this hypothesis by comparing local extinction rates of 15 species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) between 1930-1975 and 1995-2003 in central Finland. Local extinction rates were higher in low-quality than in high-quality habitats. Nevertheless, for the three most common species there were no differences in extinction rates between low- and high-quality habitats. Our results suggest that a good understanding of habitat quality is crucial for the conservation of species in heterogeneous landscapes.

Characterisation of patients treated at the Red Cross field hospital in Kashmir during the first three weeks of operation

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the characteristics of patients treated at a field hospital in the first month after a major earthquake.

METHODS

Age, sex, diagnosis, and operations performed on patients admitted to the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Pakistani Kashmir between 21 October and 10 November 2005 were recorded and the data analysed.

RESULTS

During the three week period of this study, 316 patients were treated at the hospital; 246 were women and children (77.9%). Two thirds were hospitalised, over 90% because of the need for surgery or surgical consultation. Altogether 345 operations were performed on 157 patients. The majority of patients had infected wounds with or without fractures.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients need medical evaluation in consequence of earthquake-related trauma even weeks after the catastrophe, especially in areas difficult of access.

Intraguild predation and interference competition on the endangered dragonfly Aeshna viridis

We examined the effects of intraguild predation (IGP) and interference competition on an endangered dragonfly, Aeshna viridis Eversm. (Odonata: Anisoptera). A. viridis is rare in Europe due to the decrease in suitable habitats harboring the macrophyte Stratiotes aloides L. Stratiotes plants are the principal oviposition substrate for A. viridis females and protect the larvae of A. viridis from fish predation. In our study lakes A. viridis larvae are sympatric with larvae of Aeshna grandis and Aeshna juncea. The susceptibility of A. viridis larvae to IGP by similar-sized larvae of A. grandis and A. juncea was tested in a laboratory predation experiment. Microhabitat use of A. viridis and A. grandis was studied in the laboratory to determine the possible effects of interference competition on the spatial distribution of A. viridis larvae. Our results show that at least in laboratory conditions, A. viridis is susceptible to IGP and interference competition. In competition, A. grandis larvae dominated the middle and outer portion of S. aloides rosettes whereas A. viridis stayed in the inner parts. When A. grandis larvae were absent, A. viridis colonized the middle and outer parts of the rosettes. We conclude that asymmetric predation between odonate larvae of equal size can be intense, and that both IGP and interference competition affect A. viridis. Although natural habitat complexity diminishes their impact, these interactions may nevertheless influence the distribution of A. viridis in S. aloides waters and restrict its microhabitat use in S. aloides rosettes.

Effects of progressive exercise on attentional focus

To replicate 1986 work of Salmela and Ndoye on whether physical arousal from riding a stationary bicycle led to narrowing of attentional focus 17 subjects responded to a verbal 5-choice RT task while pedalling to exhaustion. Increased heart rates with increased physical stress (bicycle resistance increased) was not associated with narrowing of attention. When heart rates were 160 and 180 bpm, RTs to stimuli peripherally located to the right were slower than central ones. Further evaluation is required.

Clostridium septicemia following biliary surgery in a gastrectomized patient

A 75-year-old woman was subjected to biliary surgery 38 years after partial gastrectomy for ulcer. There was a history of gallstones of 10 years duration, pentagastrin-resistant achylia, cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis complicated by stenosis of papilla of vater, cholecystitis and pancreatitis. Peroperative cholangiography and biliary tract surgery were performed. On the third postoperative day heavy jaundice and hemolysis developed, leading to death of the patient. Culture of bile taken at operation revealed strains of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli. Autopsy showed a picture of gas gangraena of the liver and Clostridium septicemia. The role of achylia, blind loop, and biliary obstruction in bile surgery is stressed.