Intratumor heterogeneity of EGFR expression mediates targeted therapy resistance and formation of drug tolerant microenvironment.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors are commonly used to treat non-small cell lung cancers with EGFR mutations, but drug resistance often emerges. Intratumor heterogeneity is a known cause of targeted therapy resistance and is considered a major factor in treatment failure. This study identifies clones of EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung tumors expressing low levels of both wild-type and mutant EGFR protein.

Sex-driven variability in TSPO-expressing microglia in MS patients and healthy individuals.

Background: Males with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a higher risk for disability progression than females, but the reasons for this are unclear.

Objective: We hypothesized that potential differences in TSPO-expressing microglia between female and male MS patients could contribute to sex differences in clinical disease progression.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of 102 MS patients (mean (SD) age 45.

Fourier-transform infrared study on effects of ageing, oestrogen level and altered dietary loading on rat mandibular condylar cartilage.

Objective: Mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) of the rat was examined with the Fourier-transform infrared (FITR) spectroscopic imaging to study the effects of ageing, oestrogen level and altered dietary loading on the structure of MCC.

Materials And Methods: The Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 96) aged 5 and 14 months were divided into 12 subgroups according to age, oestrogen status (ovariectomized [OVX], non-ovariectomized [non-OVX)]) and diet (hard, normal, soft). Specimens of the MCC were examined with FTIR spectroscopic imaging to quantify the distribution of collagens and proteoglycans.

Early prognosticators of later TSPO-PET-measurable microglial activation in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Factors driving increased innate immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis (MS) brain are not well understood. As higher prevalence of microglial/macrophage activation in association with chronic lesions and diffusely in the normal appearing white matter predict more rapid accumulation of clinical disability, it is of high importance to understand processes behind this. Objective of the study was to explore demographic, clinical and paraclinical variables associating with later positron emission tomography (PET)-measurable innate immune cell activation.

Association of serum neurofilament light with microglial activation in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Translocator protein (TSPO)-PET and neurofilament light (NfL) both report on brain pathology, but their potential association has not yet been studied in multiple sclerosis (MS) in vivo. We aimed to evaluate the association between serum NfL (sNfL) and TSPO-PET-measurable microglial activation in the brain of patients with MS.

Methods: Microglial activation was detected using PET and the TSPO-binding radioligand [C]PK11195.

A serological screening for potential viral pathogens among semi-domesticated Eurasian tundra reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Finland.

Background: Reindeer herding and husbandry is a traditional and important livelihood in Fennoscandia, and about 200,000 semi-domesticated reindeer are herded in Finland. Climatic changes, leading to ice-locked winter pastures, and encroachment of pasture-land have led to changes in reindeer husbandry, increasing the extent of supplementary or full ration feeding, which has become very common in Finland. Keeping reindeer in corrals or gathering them at permanent feeding sites will increase nose-to-nose contact between animals and they may be exposed to poor hygienic conditions.

Early orthodontic treatment in a Finnish public health centre: a retrospective cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aim of this observational cross-sectional one-centre study was to assess whether the previously described national orthodontic treatment practises and international recommendations are implemented in a public health care centre in Finland. We also assessed early treatment practices and appliances used.

Methods: The study group comprised 801 children born in 2011 and 2012 residing in the Riihimäki health centre catchment area in Finland, representing 80% of the age cohort.

No adverse effects on periarticular tissue by intra-articular vitamin D analogue calcipotriol in a reduced-dose zymosan-induced arthritis model in rats.

Calcipotriol, a vitamin D analogue, is an antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory drug currently used in psoriasis. Here, our aim was to analyse the safety of calcipotriol for cartilage and bone in alleviated-dose (0.1 mg instead of usual ≥1mg dose) zymosan-induced arthritis in rats.

Central nervous system distribution of buprenorphine in pregnant sheep, fetuses and newborn lambs after continuous transdermal and single subcutaneous extended-release dosing.

Buprenorphine is used during pregnancy for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Limited data exist on the central nervous system (CNS) permeation and distribution, and on the fetal exposure to buprenorphine. The aim of our study was to determine the extent of buprenorphine distribution to CNS in the pregnant sheep, and their fetus at steady-state, and their newborn lambs postdelivery, using three different dosing regimens.

Wintertime pharmacokinetics of intravenously and orally administered meloxicam in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Objective: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of orally and intravenously (IV) administered meloxicam in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Study Design: A crossover design with an 11 day washout period.

Animals: A total of eight young male reindeer, aged 1.

Pulmonary Asbestos Fiber Burden Is Related to Patient Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is associated with poor prognosis and is strongly associated with occupational asbestos exposure. Given the importance of asbestos exposure in MPM pathogenesis, we retrospectively analyzed the types and concentrations of asbestos fibers within the lung tissues of patients with MPM and investigated their effects on all-cause mortality.

Methods: We formed a national data set of patients with MPM identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry and Statistics Finland.

Evidence for marked underutilization of insurance billing in malignant pleural mesothelioma in Finland.

Background: Substantial variation in health care costs for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has previously been identified.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the changes in health care costs in MPM in Finland during 2002-2012. Finland has low-threshold public health care and a mandatory Workers' Compensation scheme that covers all occupational-related disease expenses.

A single intra-articular dose of vitamin D analog calcipotriol alleviates synovitis without adverse effects in rats.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 and its derivatives have shown anti-arthritic and chondroprotective effects in experimental animal models with prophylactic dosing. The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol, vitamin D analog, as a treatment for a fully-developed knee arthritis in Zymosan-induced arthritis (ZIA) model. Forty 5-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three arthritis groups and a non-arthritic control group with no injections (10 rats/group).

Hunted game birds - Carriers of foodborne pathogens.

Game birds may carry zoonotic bacteria in their intestines and transmit them to hunters through bird handling or through the handling and consumption of contaminated meat. In this study, the prevalence of foodborne bacteria was screened from game bird faeces and mallard breast meat using PCR. The sampling occurred in southern Finland from August to December during the hunting season.

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.

High serum neurofilament associates with diffuse white matter damage in MS.

Objective: To evaluate to which extent serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) increase is related to diffusion tensor imaging-MRI measurable diffuse normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) damage in MS.

Methods: Seventy-nine patients with MS and 10 healthy controls underwent MRI including diffusion tensor sequences and serum NfL determination by single molecule array (Simoa). Fractional anisotropy and mean, axial, and radial diffusivities were calculated within the whole and segmented (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital, cingulate, and deep) NAWM.

Effects of Estrogen Level, Dietary Loading, and Aging on Types I, II, and X Collagen Expression and Structure of Rat Mandibular Condylar Cartilage.

Aims: To investigate how estrogen level, dietary loading, and aging affect cartilage structure and the expression of major collagens (types I, II, and X) in rat mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC).

Methods: A total of 96 outbred Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into two groups by ovariectomy (OVX) at 7 weeks old. One week later, the rats in each group were further divided into three subgroups on the basis of food hardness: hard food (diet board), normal food (pellet), and soft food (powder).

Prognostic role of radiological peritoneal cancer index in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: national cohort study.

Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is a rare cancer of the mesothelial cells of the peritoneum. Computed tomography (CT) is considered the standard for first-line imaging of MPeM, diagnosis and risk stratification remains challenging. Peritoneal cancer index (PCI), as assessed by CT, is utilized in the prognostic assessment of other malignant intra-abdominal conditions; however, there is limited data concerning the utility of PCI in the diagnosis and workup of MPeM.

Range expansion and reproduction of the ectoparasitic deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) in its novel host, the Arctic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), in Finland.

The deer ked (Lipoptena cervi) is a harmful ectoparasite that emerged in the reindeer herding area of Finland in 2006. To understand the current range and the intensity of infestations on its novel reindeer host, we studied deer ked pupae collected from reindeer and moose bedding sites and conducted a questionnaire survey among the managers of 18 reindeer herding cooperatives in the southern part of the reindeer herding area. Our study confirmed that the deer ked can survive and successfully reproduce on reindeer through winter and that flying deer keds had been observed in reindeer wintering areas during several autumns in twelve cooperatives.

Clinical Features in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma With 5-Year Survival and Evaluation of Original Diagnoses.

Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a fatal malignancy strongly associated with previous asbestos exposure. Overall survival remains dismal, partly owing to poor response to available treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate diagnostic accuracy in a group of patients with MPM with an unusually long survival time and to assess the factors related to this prolonged survival.

Histopathological features of epithelioid malignant pleural mesotheliomas in patients with extended survival.

Diffuse malignant mesothelioma (DMM) of the pleura is a rare and aggressive disease, wherein the long-term survival (LTS) rate is low. The epithelioid subtype is the most prevalent form of DMM with the best prognosis. To study prognostic histopathologic factors associated with extended survival in epithelioid DMM, we examined 43 tumors from patients with survival more than five years (LTSs) and compared the findings with 84 tumors from a reference group (RG) with average survival.

Insights into disseminated MS brain pathology with multimodal diffusion tensor and PET imaging.

Objective: To evaluate in vivo the co-occurrence of microglial activation and microstructural white matter (WM) damage in the MS brain and to examine their association with clinical disability.

Methods: 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) brain PET imaging was performed for evaluation of microglial activation by using the radioligand [C](R)-PK11195. TSPO binding was evaluated as the distribution volume ratio (DVR) from dynamic PET images.

Gastrointestinal parasites in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus): A review focusing on Fennoscandia.

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) are known to host a wide variety of parasites, including those in the gastrointestinal system. Here, we review the current knowledge of the main gastrointestinal parasites of reindeer focusing on northern Fennoscandia, which comprises parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia. We explore both the historical baseline data for diversity and distribution and recent advancements in our understanding of parasite faunas in reindeer across this region.

Gastrointestinal parasites in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) calves from Fennoscandia: An epidemiological study.

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) host numerous parasites. Although there is a general knowledge about parasite diversity in reindeer, detailed baseline information about parasitic infections is limited. Detailed knowledge of parasite prevalence and diversity provide a pathway for more targeted parasite control, an increasing need expected in the future.

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Treatment Options and Survival.

Background: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM) is a rare type of cancer with a poor prognosis. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have been shown to improve survival. Treatment and survival of patients with MPeM have not been previously studied in Finland.