Cross-sectional analysis of depressive symptom profiles and serum C-reactive protein levels: data from the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort.

Purpose: Individuals with depression exhibit significantly higher levels of systemic inflammation than those without depression, particularly among those with atypical depression. However, this association has been less convincing at the population level among individuals without a formal depression diagnosis but with suggestive symptoms. Our aim was to clarify this association.

Development of a quantitative North and Central European job exposure matrix for wood dust.

Wood dust is an established carcinogen also linked to several non malignant respiratory disorders. A major limitation in research on wood dust and its health effects is the lack of (historical) quantitative estimates of occupational exposure for use in general population-based case-control or cohort studies. The present study aimed to develop a multinational quantitative Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) for wood dust exposure using exposure data from several Northern and Central European countries.

Effectiveness of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Severe obesity is a major health concern. However, a few patients remain resistant to bariatric surgery and other treatments. Animal studies suggest that weight may be altered by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from a lean donor.

Volatile Organic Compounds in Finnish Office Environments in 2010-2019 and Their Relevance to Adverse Health Effects.

We gathered recent (2010-2019) data on the VOC and formaldehyde levels in Finnish non-industrial indoor work environments. The data comprised 9789 VOC and 1711 formaldehyde samples collected from the indoor air of offices, schools, kindergartens, and healthcare offices. We assessed the health risks by comparing the measured concentrations to the health-based RW I/II and EU-LCI reference values.

Awareness of Smoking as a Risk Factor in Bladder Cancer: Results from the Prospective FinnBladder 9 Trial.

Background: Data regarding patient education and smoking habits among bladder cancer patients are scarce.

Objective: To investigate awareness of smoking as a risk factor for bladder cancer among bladder cancer patients.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This is a substudy of a prospective, randomized, multicenter phase 3 trial (FinnBladder 9, NCT01675219).

Symptoms and diagnostic delays in bladder cancer with high risk of recurrence: results from a prospective FinnBladder 9 trial.

Purpose: To investigate the symptoms and delays in the clinical pathway of bladder cancer (BC).

Methods: This is a substudy of a prospective, randomized, multicenter phase III study (FinnBladder 9, NCT01675219) where the efficacy of photodynamic diagnosis and 6 weekly optimized mitomycin C instillations are studied in pTa bladder cancer with high risk for recurrence. The data of presenting symptoms and critical time points were prospectively collected, and the effect of factors on delays was analyzed.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Increase the Morbidity of Radical Cystectomy: A 10-year Retrospective Nationwide Study.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is underutilized in the treatment of bladder cancer (BC).

Objective: To investigate the effect of NAC on the risk of surgical complications for radical cystectomy (RC) in a population-based setting.

Design, Setting, And Participants: All radical cystectomies performed in Finland during 2005-2014 were included in the study.

The Finnish Interprofessional Medication Assessment (FIMA): baseline findings from home care setting.

Purpose: Medication-related problems and declined functional capacity are closely associated factors among older people. The purpose of this study is to describe the procedure of interprofessional medication assessment in home care context and the baseline characteristics of the study population.

Methods: The FIMA study was a randomized, controlled intervention study comparing general practitioner-led interprofessional medication assessment and usual care.

Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Versus Combination of Epirubicin and Interferon-α2a in Reducing Recurrence of Non-Muscle-invasive Bladder Carcinoma: FinnBladder-6 Study.

Background: Patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) belonging to the intermediate-risk group should be treated with intravesical instillations to prevent recurrence and progression.

Objective: We compared the outcome of a monthly maintenance bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) regimen with that of epirubicin (EPI) and interferon-α2a (IFN) in patients with NMIBC.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Our prospective randomized multicenter study comprised 229 eligible patients with frequently recurrent TaT1 grade 1-2 or low-grade NMIBC enrolled between 1997 and 2008.

Is interpersonal counselling (IPC) sufficient treatment for depression in primary care patients? A pilot study comparing IPC and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT).

Background: Psychotherapeutic treatment is underused in primary care, where even short-term psychotherapy can be perceived as too lengthy and labour-intensive. We tested here for the first time the preliminary efficacy of seven sessions of interpersonal counselling (IPC) by comparison with sixteen sessions of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in regular clinical settings.

Methods: Patients seeking treatment for the first time who met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD, mild/moderate) were randomized to either IPC (n=20) or IPT (n=20).

Promoting Children's Health with Digital Games: A Review of Reviews.

Effective, evidence-based, and interesting methods are needed for children's health promotion. Digital games can be such a method, but there is need for a summary of the evidence on the effectiveness of digital games in promoting children's health. The aim of this review of reviews was to evaluate the quality of systematic reviews, to summarize the evidence in systematic reviews and reviews related to the effectiveness of digital games in children's health promotion, and to identify gaps in knowledge.

Long-term outcome of patients with frequently recurrent non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma treated with one perioperative plus four weekly instillations of mitomycin C followed by monthly bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or alternating BCG and interferon-α2b instillations: prospective randomised FinnBladder-4 study.

Background: Recurrent TaT1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients should be treated with immediate instillation of chemotherapy after transurethral resection of bladder tumour followed by instillation therapy.

Objective: To present long-term results of a study exploring the effect of initial mitomycin C (MMC) instillations followed by two types of immunotherapy for patients with frequently recurring NMIBC.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between 1992 and 1996, 236 patients with frequently recurring TaT1 grade 1-2 NMIBC were enrolled in the prospective randomised multicentre FinnBladder-4 study.

Role of orchiectomy in severe testicular pain after inguinal hernia surgery: audit of the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre.

Purpose: Testicular ischemia and necrosis are uncommon complications after inguinal hernioplasty. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence of severe urological complications related to adult inguinal hernia surgery in Finland with special reference to orchiectomy in relieving intractable chronic testicular pain.

Methods: All urological complications related to inguinal hernia surgery during 2003-2010 were analysed from the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre.

Safety and long-term results of endoscopic transanal resection in treating rectal adenomas: 15 years' experience.

Background: Endoscopic transanal resection (ETAR) is a scarcely used technique to treat large or sessile rectal adenomas not amenable to polypectomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate safety and long-term results of ETAR in treating rectal adenomas in three hospitals over 15 years.

Methods: Patients who underwent ETAR during 1996-2010 were retrospectively analyzed with respect to patient, adenoma, and operative characteristics, earlier operations, complications, follow-up time, recurrence rates, recurrence treatment, and cancer incidence.

Validation of the Whooley questions and the Beck Depression Inventory in older adults.

Objective: To analyse the psychometric properties of the Whooley questions and the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-21) in older adults with depression and chronic health problems.

Design: A population-based study.

Setting: Community.

The association between anxiety and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels: results from the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study.

Background: Anxiety frequently accompanies low-grade inflammation-associated conditions like depression, insulin resistance, coronary heart disease and metabolic syndrome. The association between anxiety and low-grade inflammation is, unlike between depression and low-grade inflammation, a very sparsely studied area in general populations. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether anxiety symptoms as well as comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with low-grade inflammation at population level.

Effect of menopause and use of contraceptives/hormone therapy on association of C-reactive protein and depression: a population-based study.

Objective: Unipolar depression has been found to associate with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in men, but findings among women have been conflicting. It has been hypothesized that this would be explained by a different hormonal environment (compared with men) and its changes throughout the lifecycle in women, but until now, the corresponding evidence has been lacking. We investigated the association between CRP levels and depressive symptoms in a population-based study in pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women and, also, whether this association is affected by the use of exogenous hormones (contraceptives and postmenopausal hormone therapy).

C-reactive protein levels and sleep disturbances: observations based on the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study.

Objective: To investigate whether sleep disturbances are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at the population level. Elevated CRP levels have been found to accompany sleep disturbances, but evidence so far comes only from limited clinical and experimental studies; epidemiological studies are lacking.

Methods: We utilized the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, whose participants have been followed up to the age of 31 years.

No genetic evidence of sex-biased dispersal in a lekking bird, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).

Sex-biased dispersal is often connected to the mating behaviour of the species. Even if patterns of natal dispersal are reasonably well documented for monogamous birds, only a few data are available for polygynous and especially lekking species. We investigated the dispersal of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) by examining sex-specific gene flow among the leks.

The association between C-reactive protein levels and depression: Results from the northern Finland 1966 birth cohort study.

Background: To investigate whether depressive episodes (previous, current single, and recurrent) are associated in both genders with highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, earlier recommended for risk assessment of cardiovascular disease. The impact of the severity of current single and recurrent depressive episodes on this putative association was also investigated.

Methods: The genetically homogeneous Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort was followed until age 31, when, in a cross-sectional setting (n = 5269), the highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay (hs-EIA) method was used to measure CRP concentration.

Occupational exposure to chemical agents in the paper industry.

As part of an International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) international epidemiological study of workers in the pulp and paper industry, previously unpublished exposure measurements were assembled in a database. This article summarizes the results of 3,873 measurements carried out in the production departments of paper and paperboard mills and recycling plants in 12 countries. In the paper and paperboard mills, most of the agents were measured in the pulping and refining departments and in on-machine coating and winding of paper/paperboard.