Polymorphism of the rs1800896 IL10 promoter gene protects children from post-bronchiolitis asthma.

Viral bronchiolitis is a major cause of hospitalization in infancy, with increased asthma risk in later childhood. However, the principal mechanisms behind post-bronchiolitic asthma have remained unclear. Previously, different cytokine polymorphisms have been associated with asthma occurrence, but no previous follow-up study has investigated cytokine polymorphisms in relation to post-bronchiolitic asthma.

Linguistic and spatial skills predict early arithmetic development via counting sequence knowledge.

Utilizing a longitudinal sample of Finnish children (ages 6-10), two studies examined how early linguistic (spoken vs. written) and spatial skills predict later development of arithmetic, and whether counting sequence knowledge mediates these associations. In Study 1 (N = 1,880), letter knowledge and spatial visualization, measured in kindergarten, predicted the level of arithmetic in first grade, and later growth through third grade.

Toll-like receptor 2 subfamily genotypes are not associated with severity of bronchiolitis or postbronchiolitis wheezing in infants.

Aim: Expression of toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 subfamily genes, including genes encoding TLR1, TLR2, TLR6 and TLR10, have been connected to allergy and asthma. This controlled study investigated the association of TLR1, TLR2 and TLR6 gene polymorphisms with clinical characteristics and subsequent wheezing in young infants with bronchiolitis.

Methods: In all, 129 full-term infants hospitalised for bronchiolitis at the age of <6 months were clinically followed up until a mean age of 18 months.

Determination of selected perfluorinated alkyl acids and persistent organic pollutants from a small volume human serum sample relevant for epidemiological studies.

A simple and fast method is presented for the determination of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs), a subgroup of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) from a single 200μl aliquot of serum. Sample pretreatment starts with dispersive solid phase extraction of POPs to dichloromethane-hexane, which is immediately poured to cleanup column. POPs are eluted from column and concentrated for GC-MS/MS analysis.

Patterns of ecosystem metabolism in the Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia with links to capture fisheries.

The Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia is a dynamic flood-pulsed ecosystem that annually increases its surface area from roughly 2,500 km(2) to over 12,500 km(2) driven by seasonal flooding from the Mekong River. This flooding is thought to structure many of the critical ecological processes, including aquatic primary and secondary productivity. The lake also has a large fishery that supports the livelihoods of nearly 2 million people.

Trophic transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in a boreal lake ecosystem: testing of bioaccumulation models.

Understanding the fate of persistent organic chemicals in the environment is fundamental information for the successful protection of ecosystems and humans. A common dilemma in risk assessment is that monitoring data reveals contaminant concentrations in wildlife, while the source concentrations, route of uptake and acceptable source concentrations remain unsolved. To overcome this problem, different models have been developed in order to obtain more precise risk estimates for the food webs.

Use of existing data sources in clinical epidemiology: Finnish health care registers in Alzheimer's disease research - the Medication use among persons with Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ-2005) study.

Memory diseases are the most important determinant of health care service use and quality of life among older individuals. Adverse effects of medication are common among older people, but this age group is underrepresented in clinical trials. Finnish statutory health care and prescription registers, together with personal identification numbers (PINs) and a tax-supported public health plan covering all citizens provide excellent opportunities for epidemiological research.

European Health Examination Survey--towards a sustainable monitoring system.

Background:  Health examination surveys (HESs), including both questionnaire and physical measurements, and in most cases also collection of biological samples, can provide objective health indicators. This information complements data from health interview surveys and administrative registers, and is important for evidence-based planning of health policies and prevention activities. HESs are valuable data sources for research.

[Update on current care guidelines: schizophrenia].

Early recognition and treatment of persons at risk of psychosis is emphasized in the updated Current Care Schizophrenia guideline. Antipsychotic medication is effective in the treatment. To avoid side-effects, the lowest possible effective dosage is recommended.

Alveolar gas exchange, oxygen delivery and tissue deoxygenation in men and women during incremental exercise.

We investigated whether leg and arm skeletal muscle, and cerebral deoxygenation, differ during incremental cycling exercise in men and women, and if women's lower capacity to deliver O2 affects tissue deoxygenation. Men (n=10) compared to women (n=10), had greater cardiac output, which with greater hemoglobin concentration produced greater absolute (QaO2) and body size-adjusted oxygen delivery (QaO2i) at peak exercise. Despite women's lower peak QaO2, their leg muscle deoxygenation was similar at a given work rate and QaO2, but less than in men at peak exercise (Δtissue saturation index -27.

Association between vitamin b12 levels and melancholic depressive symptoms: a Finnish population-based study.

Background: An association between vitamin B12 levels and depressive symptoms (DS) has been reported in several epidemiological studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate vitamin B12 levels in population-based samples with melancholic or non-melancholic DS as the relationship between vitamin B12 levels and different subtypes of DS has not been evaluated in previous studies.

Methods: Subjects without previously known type 2 diabetes, aged 45-74 years were randomly selected from the National Population Register as a part of the Finnish diabetes prevention programme (FIN-D2D).

Preclinical safety, toxicology, and biodistribution study of adenoviral gene therapy with sVEGFR-2 and sVEGFR-3 combined with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.

Abstract Antiangiogenic and antilymphangiogenic gene therapy with soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) and soluble VEGFR-3 in combination with chemotherapy is a potential new treatment for ovarian carcinoma. We evaluated the safety, toxicology, and biodistribution of intravenous AdsVEGFR-2 and AdsVEGFR-3 combined with chemotherapy in healthy rats (n=90) before entering a clinical setting. The study groups were: AdLacZ and AdLacZ with chemotherapy as control groups, low dose AdsVEGFR-2 and AdsVEGFR-3, high dose AdsVEGFR-2 and AdsVEGFR-3, combination of low dose AdsVEGFR-2 and AdsVEGFR-3 with chemotherapy, combination of high dose AdsVEGFR-2 and AdVEGFR-3 with chemotherapy, and chemotherapy only.

Spermidine promotes adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells by preventing interaction of ANP32 with HuR and PP2A.

We have shown previously that the polyamine spermidine is indispensable for differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. In the present study, we examined the mechanism of spermidine function by using the polyamine biosynthesis inhibitor α-difluoromethylornithine in combination with the metabolically stable polyamine analogues γ-methylspermidine or (R,R)-α,ω-bismethylspermine. At the early phase of differentiation, spermidine-depleted 3T3-L1 cells showed decreased translation of the transcription factor C/EBPβ (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β), decreased PP2A (protein phosphatase 2A) activity and increased cytoplasmic localization of the RNA-binding protein HuR (human antigen R).

Disordered semantic activation in disorganized discourse in schizophrenia: a new pragma-linguistic tool for structure and meaning reconstruction.

Background: Disorganized speech, manifested as derailment, tangentiality, incoherence and loss of goal, occurs commonly in schizophrenia. Studies of language processing have demonstrated that semantic activation in schizophrenia is often disordered and, moreover, the ability to use contextual cues is impaired.

Aims: To reconstruct the origins and most plausible intended meanings of disorganized discourse sequences in a clinical interview with a patient with thought-disordered schizophrenia.

Job strain and supervisor support in primary care health centres and glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study investigates associations between healthcare personnel's perceived job strain, supervisor support and the outcome of care in terms of glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design: A cross-sectional study from 2006.

Setting: 18 primary care health centres (HCs) from five municipalities in Finland.

Journal club intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing: perceptions of nursing students.

This study focused on nursing journal clubs as an intervention in promoting evidence-based nursing. Nursing journal clubs refer to arranged meetings where nurses convene to discuss the use of research knowledge in nursing practice. Researchers and directors of a university hospital planned the intervention.

Estimation of arterial baroreflex sensitivity in relation to carotid artery stiffness.

Arterial baroreflex has a significant role in regulating blood pressure. It is known that increased stiffness of the carotid sinus affects mecanotransduction of baroreceptors and therefore limits baroreceptors capability to detect changes in blood pressure. By using high resolution ultrasound video signal and continuous measurement of electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure, it is possible to define elastic properties of artery simultaneously with baroreflex sensitivity parameters.

Analgesic use and frailty among community-dwelling older people: a population-based study.

Background: Frail older people have a decreased ability to respond to stressors and may therefore be more susceptible to adverse events related to inadequately treated pain. Conversely, aging- and frailty-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics may predispose frail older people to adverse events of analgesics.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore whether analgesic use is associated with frailty status and whether there are differences in the types of analgesics used between frailty groups among community-dwelling older people.

Redescription of three species of Filistatidae (Araneae) described by C.F. Roewer from Afghanistan.

Types of three filistatid species described by Roewer (1960, 1962) from Afghanistan are redescribed and two of them transferred to other filistatid genera. The new combinations proposed are: Zaitunia afghana (Roewer 1962) comb. n.

Association between the duration of untreated psychosis and short- and long-term outcome in schizophrenia within the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort.

Background: Long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) may relate to poor outcome in schizophrenia. However, the associations between DUP and outcomes, particularly in later course of illness, remain unclear. Our aim was to explore the associations between DUP and short- and long-term outcomes in schizophrenia.

Low total haemoglobin mass, blood volume and aerobic capacity in men with type 1 diabetes.

Blood O₂ carrying capacity affects aerobic capacity (VO₂max). Patients with type 1 diabetes have a risk for anaemia along with renal impairment, and they often have low VO₂max. We investigated whether total haemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) and blood volume (BV) differ in men with type 1 diabetes (T1D, n = 12) presently without complications and in healthy men (CON, n = 23) (age-, anthropometry-, physical activity-matched), to seek an explanation for low VO₂max.

Altered resting-state activity in seasonal affective disorder.

At present, our knowledge about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is based mainly up on clinical symptoms, epidemiology, behavioral characteristics and light therapy. Recently developed measures of resting-state functional brain activity might provide neurobiological markers of brain disorders. Studying functional brain activity in SAD could enhance our understanding of its nature and possible treatment strategies.

Miscarriage and mental health: results of two population-based studies.

A miscarriage may have a sustained negative effect on mental health. Our aim was to analyze the association of the history and, if any, the number of miscarriages with mental health. The participants were women from two population-based studies, the Finnish Health 2000 survey and the National FINRISK 2002 Survey.

Cardiovascular autonomic nervous system function and aerobic capacity in type 1 diabetes.

Impaired cardiovascular autonomic nervous system (ANS) function has been reported in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. ANS function, evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV), systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), has been linked to aerobic capacity (VO(2peak)) in healthy subjects, but this relationship is unknown in T1D. We examined cardiovascular ANS function at rest and during function tests, and its relations to VO(2peak) in T1D individuals.