Publications by authors named "HIRVONEN J"

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder, characterized by restricted eating, fear to gain weight, and a distorted body image. Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) functions as a part of complex opioid system and supports both homeostatic and hedonic control of eating behavior. Thirteen patients with AN and thirteen healthy controls (HC) were included in this study.

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Regarding our publication, entitled "Discrepancies between Radiology Specialists and Residents in Fracture Detection from Musculoskeletal Radiographs" [...

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: In this study, we review the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting orbital and intracranial invasion of sinonasal malignancies (SNMs) using histopathological and surgical evidence as the reference standard. : A systematic search of studies in English was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase, limited to articles published since 1990. We included studies using preoperative MRI to detect the intracranial and orbital invasion of SNMs, with histological or surgical confirmation as the reference standard, and reported patient numbers in each class as required to assess diagnostic accuracy.

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Functionalization of polymer nanoparticles (NPs) with targeting peptides is of interest for drug delivery applications to enhance tumor accumulation and penetration. Herein, we evaluated the feasibility of two different methods for the attachment of a tumor-penetrating peptide LinTT1 (AKRGARSTA) to poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG) NPs: (1) "post-conjugation" onto pre-formed nanoparticles, and (2) "pre-conjugation", the synthesis and purification of peptide-polymer conjugates and subsequent nanoprecipitation of the conjugates diluted with non-functionalized polymers. Conjugation of the labelled peptide via maleimide-thiol chemistry was verified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and fluorescence measurements.

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  • Amniotic epithelial stem cells (AEC) have regenerative potential, particularly through their conditioned medium (AEC-CM), which shows immunomodulatory and regenerative effects.
  • A novel hydrogel made from hyaluronic acid and polyethylene glycol was developed to encapsulate AEC-CM, with features like fast cross-linking and sustained growth factor release over 14 days.
  • Studies demonstrate that the encapsulated AEC-CM significantly enhances the suppression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and promotes a shift towards the beneficial M2 macrophage phenotype, suggesting its viability as an immunomodulatory treatment for tissue regeneration.
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Background: Stroke-like episode (SLE) is a subacute evolving brain syndrome in patients with primary mitochondrial diseases. Despite previous research, the understanding of the clinical spectrum, treatment, and outcomes of mitochondrial SLEs is far from complete. In this single centre study, we report the clinical symptoms and radiological findings as well as the medical treatment and outcomes of SLEs in patients with mitochondrial disease.

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Microneedles (MNs) are a prospective system in cancer immunotherapy to overcome barriers regarding proper antigen delivery and presentation. This study aims at identifying the potential of MNs for the delivery of Peptide-coated Conditionally Replicating Adenoviruses (PeptiCRAd), whereby peptides enhance the immunogenic properties of adenoviruses presenting tumor associated antigens. The combination of PeptiCRAd with MNs containing polyvinylpyrrolidone and sucrose was tested for the preservation of structure, induction of immune response, and tumor eradication.

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  • 2'-fucosyllactose (2'-FL) in human milk promotes gut health and immune development in infants, while Bi-26™ is a beneficial bacterium found in breastfed infants.
  • The study used piglets to test the effects of 2'-FL and Bi-26™ on immune development, with results showing increased levels of certain cytokines in the serum of piglets receiving 2'-FL compared to those that did not.
  • Findings suggest that 2'-FL enhances cytokine responses without altering immune cell populations and that Bi-26™ can moderate the pro-inflammatory response in immune cells stimulated by LPS.
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Background: Imaging has an essential role in the diagnostic workup of suspected pediatric spinal trauma. The most suitable imaging method is still being debated and needs to be considered regarding the patient, injury, and local resources. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often performed after computed tomography (CT) in case of neurological symptoms or suspected ligamentous disruption.

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  • Functional neuroimaging reveals that observing others' pain activates a brain network linked to empathetic responses, potentially affecting how people decide to help others.
  • The study explored the influence of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) system on altruistic behavior by measuring MOR levels and examining brain activity during a helping task.
  • Results indicated that while lower MOR availability was linked to responses in emotional brain areas, higher MOR levels correlated with activity in regions associated with decision-making and memory during altruistic acts.
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Background: In Parkinson's disease (PD), postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD) symptoms are associated with a worse prognosis for an unknown reason.

Objective: The objective was to explore the relationship between cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) availability and motor symptoms in PD with [F]FMPEP-d positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: Fifteen individuals with PD underwent [F]FMPEP-d PET to measure cerebral CB1R availability.

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  • Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are being explored as carriers for treating atherosclerosis, but creating more complex and effective versions usually requires complicated synthesis.
  • This study introduces a straightforward method to create a multifunctional platform using a specially designed polymer that can trap different MOFs while boosting their stability and targeting capabilities for macrophages involved in atherosclerosis.
  • Testing showed that this platform significantly improved MRI signal intensity and effectively reduced plaque area by 43% through the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents, demonstrating its potential for treating atherosclerosis and possibly other similar conditions.
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  • A previous study found a specific brain network linked to cervical dystonia (CD), pointing out its potential for treatment, especially with non-invasive techniques like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
  • The study aimed to evaluate how stimulating the somatosensory cortex (S1) affects brain metabolism in CD patients versus healthy controls, using methods like [F]FDG-PET to measure changes.
  • Results showed that cTBS significantly increased metabolism in the S1 and brainstem of CD patients, suggesting abnormal sensory function in CD and supporting future therapeutic trials using this stimulation method.
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Objectives: Sedentary behaviour (SB) is a plausible intervention target for back pain mitigation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a 6-month SB reduction intervention on back pain and related disability outcomes, and paraspinal muscle (ie, erector spinae and transversospinales separately) insulin sensitivity (glucose uptake, GU) and muscle fat fraction (FF).

Methods: Sixty-four adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic syndrome were randomised into intervention (n=33) and control (n=31) groups.

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Demand for emergency neuroimaging is increasing. Even magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often performed outside office hours, sometimes revealing more uncommon entities like brain tumors. The scientific literature studying artificial intelligence (AI) methods for classifying brain tumors on imaging is growing, but knowledge about the radiologist's performance on this task is surprisingly scarce.

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Tendinopathy involves the inflammation and degeneration of the tendon due to repetitive strain injury. Current treatments primarily target inflammation resolution, yet they do not aim at tissue regeneration. In this study, a microfluidics approach is harnessed to develop a platform of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) loaded simultaneously with SMAD3 siRNA and collagen I mRNA, aiming to explore its potential dual antifibrotic and regenerative effects in human tenocytes.

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Aims: This study assessed whether changes associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) evaluated from head computed tomography (CT) images captured for non-related clinical purposes predict overall survival (OS), leg salvage (LS), and amputation-free survival (AFS) after lower extremity amputation (LEA).

Methods: We retrospectively included a cohort of 240 patients who had undergone a lower extremity amputation in Tampere University Hospital between the years 2007 and 2020 and had a head CT scan (within one year before amputation). A neuroradiologist graded the white matter lesions (WMLs) and reported infarcts, and the latter's effects on OS, LS, and AFS were evaluated.

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Background: Obesity is associated with impaired glucose metabolism and hepatic insulin resistance. The aim was to investigate the associations of hepatic glucose uptake (HGU) and endogenous glucose production (EGP) to sedentary behavior (SB), physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness, dietary factors, and metabolic risk markers.

Methods: Forty-four adults with metabolic syndrome (mean age 58 [SD 7] years, BMI ranging from 25-40kg/; 25 females) were included.

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Background: Dysphagia is commonly evaluated using videofluoroscopy (VFS). As its ratings are usually subjective normal-abnormal ratings, objective measurements have been developed. We compared the inter-rater reliability of the usual VFS ratings to the objective measurement VFS ratings and evaluated their clinical relevance.

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Psychopathy is characterized by antisocial behavior, poor behavioral control and lacking empathy, and structural alterations in the corresponding neural circuits. Molecular brain basis of psychopathy remains poorly characterized. Here we studied type 2 dopamine receptor (D2R) and mu-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in convicted violent offenders with high psychopathic traits (n = 11) and healthy matched controls (n = 17) using positron emission tomography (PET).

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Background And Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major source of health loss and disability worldwide. Accurate and timely diagnosis of TBI is critical for appropriate treatment and management of the condition. Neuroimaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and characterization of TBI.

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  • Emergency MR imaging is often used for patients experiencing acute dizziness or vertigo to detect stroke and other serious conditions; a study analyzed outcomes and risk factors over five years in a tertiary hospital.
  • Of the 1169 patients studied, about 17% had acute strokes, 8% had other significant pathologies, and 75% showed no major abnormalities, indicating a challenge in diagnosing these conditions.
  • Key risk factors for stroke included age, sex, cardiovascular issues, and neurological signs, with existing risk scores having moderate success in predicting findings, highlighting the need for careful patient selection for imaging.
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Musculoskeletal diseases involving tissue injury comprise tendon, ligament, and muscle injury. Recently, macrophages have been identified as key players in the tendon repair process, but no therapeutic strategy involving dual drug delivery and gene delivery to macrophages has been developed for targeting the two main dysregulated aspects of macrophages in tendinopathy, i.e.

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