Micronutrient deficiency, dietary diversity, and sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants of dietary diversity among pregnant slum-dwelling women in Pune, India.

Background: Increasing dietary diversity is a sustainable solution to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Given the large slum population in urban India, double burden of malnutrition, nutritional transition among slum-dwellers, and limited studies focusing on dietary intake and diversity among pregnant slum-dwellers, this study aimed to 1) describe macro- and micronutrient intakes and compare them with guidelines, 2) describe dietary diversity and intake of unhealthy foods and, 3) investigate the sociodemographic and lifestyle determinants of adequate dietary diversity among pregnant slum-dwellers in Pune, Maharashtra, India.

Methods: This study presents cross-sectional data of 454 pregnant slum-dwelling women completing mid-pregnancy visit collected from a larger cohort study.

The effect of early life cytomegalovirus infection on the immune profile of children.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has a life-long impact on the immune system, particularly on memory T cells. However, the effect of early life CMV infection on the phenotype and functionality of T cells in infants and especially longitudinal changes occurring during childhood have not been explored in detail. The phenotype and functionality of peripheral blood CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from children infected with CMV in early life (< 6 months of age) was analyzed using high-dimensional flow cytometry.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in urinary tract and blood stream infections: results from a nationwide surveillance network, Finland, 2018 to 2022.

Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a constant increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Escherichia coli, the most common cause of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production in urine and blood E. coli isolates in Finland to improve our understanding on the source attribution of this major multidrug-resistant pathogen.

Temporal Alterations in CD8+ T Cells During the Progression From Stage 1 to Stage 3 Type 1 Diabetes.

CD8+ T cells are perceived to play a major role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, we characterized the function and phenotype of circulating CD8+ memory T cells in samples from individuals at different stages of T1D progression using flow cytometry and single-cell multiomics. We observed two distinct CD8+ T-cell signatures during progression of T1D within the highly differentiated CD27-CD8+ memory T-cell subset.

ChildAugment: Data augmentation methods for zero-resource children's speaker verification.

The accuracy of modern automatic speaker verification (ASV) systems, when trained exclusively on adult data, drops substantially when applied to children's speech. The scarcity of children's speech corpora hinders fine-tuning ASV systems for children's speech. Hence, there is a timely need to explore more effective ways of reusing adults' speech data.

Increasing proportions of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing isolates among from urine and bloodstream infections: results from a nationwide surveillance network, Finland, 2008 to 2019.

Background is the leading cause of urinary tract infections (UTI) and bloodstream infections (BSI), and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in causes concern.AimTo investigate changes in the proportion of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing isolates among isolated from urine and blood in Finland during 2008-2019.MethodsSusceptibility testing of 1,568,488 urine (90% female, 10% male) and 47,927 blood isolates (61% female, 39% male) from all Finnish clinical microbiology laboratories during 2008-2019 was performed according to guidelines from the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute during 2008-2010 and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing during 2011-2019.

DNA methylation differences within , and promoters in lymphocyte subsets in children with type 1 diabetes and controls.

We elucidated the effect of four known T1D-susceptibility associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in three genes (rs12722495 and rs2104286 in , rs689 in and rs2476601 in ) on CpG site methylation of their proximal promoters in different lymphocyte subsets using pyrosequencing. The study cohort comprised 25 children with newly diagnosed T1D and 25 matched healthy controls. The rs689 SNP was associated with methylation at four CpG sites in promoter: -234, -206, -102 and -69.

t-EER: Parameter-Free Tandem Evaluation of Countermeasures and Biometric Comparators.

Presentation attack (spoofing) detection (PAD) typically operates alongside biometric verification to improve reliablity in the face of spoofing attacks. Even though the two sub-systems operate in tandem to solve the single task of reliable biometric verification, they address different detection tasks and are hence typically evaluated separately. Evidence shows that this approach is suboptimal.

Potentially traumatic experiences pre-migration and adverse pregnancy and childbirth outcomes among women of Somali- and Kurdish-origin in Finland.

Background: Women in precarious conditions in their countries of origin, especially those who have left the country as refugees, may have been victims of serious mental and physical violence. These potentially traumatic experiences may threaten women's reproductive health. This study examines the prevalence of potentially traumatic experiences pre-migration and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and their associations with adverse reproductive outcomes among migrant women of Somali- and Kurdish-origin who have been pregnant in Finland.

Pre-pregnancy weight, the rate of gestational weight gain, and the risk of early gestational diabetes mellitus among women registered in a tertiary care hospital in India.

Background: The impact of pre-pregnancy weight and the rate of gestational weight gain (GWG) together on the risk of early GDM (< 24 weeks gestation; eGDM) has not been studied in the Indian context. We aimed to study the influence of (1) pre-pregnancy weight on the risk of eGDM diagnosed in two time intervals; and (2) in addition, the rate of GWG by 12 weeks on the risk of eGDM diagnosed in 19-24 weeks.

Method: Our study utilized real-world clinical data on pregnant women routinely collected at an antenatal care clinic at a private tertiary hospital, in Pune, India.

Technical Validation and Utility of an HLA Class II Tetramer Assay for Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicenter Study.

Context: Validated assays to measure autoantigen-specific T-cell frequency and phenotypes are needed for assessing the risk of developing diabetes, monitoring disease progression, evaluating responses to treatment, and personalizing antigen-based therapies.

Objective: Toward this end, we performed a technical validation of a tetramer assay for HLA-DRA-DRB1*04:01, a class II allele that is strongly associated with susceptibility to type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods: HLA-DRA-DRB1*04:01-restricted T cells specific for immunodominant epitopes from islet cell antigens GAD65, IGRP, preproinsulin, and ZnT8, and a reference influenza epitope, were enumerated and phenotyped in a single staining tube with a tetramer assay.

Evaluation of plasma IL-21 as a potential biomarker for type 1 diabetes progression.

IL-21 is a multifunctional cytokine linked with the pathophysiology of several autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. In this study, our aim was to examine plasma IL-21 levels in individuals at different stages of type 1 diabetes progression. We measured plasma IL-21 levels, as well as levels of other key pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-17A, TNF-α and IL-6), from 37 adults with established type 1 diabetes and 46 healthy age-matched adult controls, as well as from 53 children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, 48 at-risk children positive for type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies and 123 healthy age-matched pediatric controls using the ultrasensitive Quanterix SiMoA technology.

Extent of illicit cigarette market from single stick sales in Ghana: findings from a cross-sectional survey.

Objective: This study aims to measure the extent of illicit cigarette consumption from single stick sales, to determine the nature and types of illicit cigarettes present in Ghana, and to identify the factors associated with illicit cigarette consumption in Ghana.

Design: A cross-sectional study using empty cigarette packs generated by 1 day's single stick cigarette sales collected from cigarette vendors.

Setting: Five large cities (Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale and Bolgatanga) and three border towns (Aflao, Paga/Hamele and Elubo) in the northern, middle and coastal belt of Ghana.

Skin, gut, and sand metagenomic data on placebo-controlled sandbox biodiversity intervention study.

The metagenomic data presented in this article are related to the published research of "A Placebo-controlled double-blinded test of the biodiversity hypothesis of immune-mediated diseases: Environmental microbial diversity elicits changes in cytokines and increase in T regulatory cells in young children" This database contains 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) metagenomics of sandbox sand and skin and gut microbiota of children in the intervention and placebo daycares. In intervention daycares, children aged 3-5 years were exposed to playground sand enriched with microbially diverse soil. In placebo daycares, children were exposed to visually similar as in intervention daycares, but microbially poor sand colored with peat.

Association between legume consumption and the intake of other foods and nutrients in the Finnish adult population.

The role of legumes in healthy and sustainable diets is increasingly of interest. Few studies have investigated the association between legume consumption and the consumption of other food groups and the intake of nutrients. This study examined how legume consumption is associated with the consumption of other foods and the intake of nutrients among Finnish adults.

A Placebo-controlled double-blinded test of the biodiversity hypothesis of immune-mediated diseases: Environmental microbial diversity elicits changes in cytokines and increase in T regulatory cells in young children.

Background: According to the biodiversity hypothesis of immune-mediated diseases, lack of microbiological diversity in the everyday living environment is a core reason for dysregulation of immune tolerance and - eventually - the epidemic of immune-mediated diseases in western urban populations. Despite years of intense research, the hypothesis was never tested in a double-blinded and placebo-controlled intervention trial.

Objective: We aimed to perform the first placebo-controlled double-blinded test that investigates the effect of biodiversity on immune tolerance.

Effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake or anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia - A systematic review of intervention studies.

Introduction: Mobile technology has been increasingly used as part of dietary interventions, but the effects of such interventions have not been systematically evaluated in the South Asian context. The systematic review aimed to determine the effects of technology-based interventions on dietary intake or anthropometrics among adolescents and adults in South Asia.

Methods: Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Global Health Library and Health Technology Assessment).

Birth cohort differences in height, weight and BMI among Indian women aged 15-30 years: analyses based on three cross-sectional surveys.

Objective: To explore long-term trends in height, weight and BMI across birth cohorts among Indian women aged 15-30 years.

Design: Nationally representative cross-sectional surveys.

Setting: Data from three National Family Health Surveys were conducted in 1998-1999, 2005-2006 and 2015-2016.

Single-cell characterization of dog allergen-specific T cells reveals T2 heterogeneity in allergic individuals.

Background: Allergen-specific type 2 CD4 T2 cells are critically involved in the pathogenesis of IgE-mediated allergic diseases. However, the heterogeneity of the T2 response has only recently been appreciated.

Objective: We sought to characterize at the single-cell level the ex vivo phenotype, transcriptomic profile, and T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of circulating CD4 T cells specific to the major dog allergens Can f 1, Can f 4, and Can f 5 in subjects with and without dog allergy.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among women of migrant origin in Finland: A population-based study.

Introduction: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. We studied the prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among women of migrant origin in Finland.

Material And Methods: This study used data from the nationwide Medical Birth Register.

Trends in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Women of Reproductive Age.

Background: Information on trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the high-risk groups helps plan health promotion programmes and health policy. This study examined trends in overweight and obesity from 2006 to 2016 and the associated socio-demographic factors in 2016 among 20 to 49-year-old women in Nepal.

Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional data were used from three Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2006 (n=7809), 2011 (n=4561), and 2016 (n=4904) in Nepal.

Effects of dietary counselling on micronutrient intakes in pregnant women in Finland.

The intake of some micronutrients is still a public health challenge for pregnant women in Finland. This study examined the effects of dietary counselling on micronutrient intakes among pregnant women at increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Finland. This study utilised data from was a cluster-randomised controlled trial (n = 399), which aimed to prevent gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes among women of migrant origin in Finland-a population-based study.

Background: Migrant women may have a higher risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the related adverse outcomes. We studied the prevalence of GDM among migrant-origin women in Finland.

Methods: This study used data from the nationwide Medical Birth Register.

The Datafication of Hate: Expectations and Challenges in Automated Hate Speech Monitoring.

Hate speech has been identified as a pressing problem in society and several automated approaches have been designed to detect and prevent it. This paper reports and reflects upon an action research setting consisting of multi-organizational collaboration conducted during Finnish municipal elections in 2017, wherein a technical infrastructure was designed to automatically monitor candidates' social media updates for hate speech. The setting allowed us to engage in a 2-fold investigation.

Generation of self-reactive, shared T-cell receptor α chains in the human thymus.

The T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is generated in a semistochastic process of gene recombination and pairing of TCRα to TCRβ chains with the estimated total TCR diversity of >10. Despite this high diversity, similar or identical TCR chains are found to recur in immune responses. Here, we analyzed the thymic generation of TCR sequences previously associated with recognition of self- and nonself-antigens, represented by sequences associated with autoimmune diabetes and HIV, respectively.