Maternal mental disorders, psychotropic drugs, socioeconomic status, and offspring congenital anomalies.

Objective: To evaluate whether there is an association between maternal mental health, purchase of psychotropic drugs, socioeconomic status and major congenital anomalies in offspring.

Methods: A register-based cohort study of 6189 Finnish primiparous women who had a singleton delivery between 2009 and 2015. Data on pregnancy and delivery outcomes, psychiatric diagnosis, prescription drug purchases and offspring congenital anomalies were obtained from Finnish national registers.

Older adults' preferences in the utilization of digital health and social services: a qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions.

Background: While digital health and social services offer promising solutions, they often overlook the perspectives and needs of older adults. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the preferences of older adults regarding the use and development of digital health and social services.

Methods: The survey spanned from 19 March to 31 March 2023.

Effectiveness of Telemonitoring in Reducing Hospitalization and Associated Costs for Patients With Heart Failure in Finland: Nonrandomized Pre-Post Telemonitoring Study.

Background: Many patients with chronic heart failure (HF) experience a reduced health status, leading to readmission after hospitalization despite receiving conventional care. Telemonitoring approaches aim to improve the early detection of HF decompensations and prevent readmissions. However, knowledge about the impact of telemonitoring on preventing readmissions and related costs remains scarce.

Impact of digital services on healthcare and social welfare: An umbrella review.

Background: Digital services can be effective and cost-efficient options for treating non-communicable diseases, but generalizability is limited due to heterogeneous treatment effects. This umbrella review aims to evaluate the impact of digital services on population health, costs, and patient and healthcare professional satisfaction, and to identify facilitators and barriers to using digital services in healthcare and social welfare.

Methods: The protocol of the study was registered on the 4th of September 2022 to the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO (CRD42022355635).

Predictive factors for prolonged sick leave in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant therapies: a retrospective registry study.

Background: Being able to work during and after breast cancer treatments is important for patients to have a sense of normalcy, financial security, and improved quality of life, and for society due to the economic burden of sick leave. Factors influencing the length of sick leave can be sociodemographic factors, workplace adaptations, recurrences, symptoms, and type of treatment. The aim of this study is to analyse factors associated with prolonged sick leave after adjuvant breast cancer treatments.

Adaptive and non-adaptive gene expression responses in prostate cancer during androgen deprivation.

Androgen deprivation therapy is the cornerstone treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Eventually prostate cancer cells overcome androgen deprivation therapy, giving rise to castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) characterized by increased androgen receptor (AR) activity. Understanding the cellular mechanisms leading to CRPC is needed for development of novel treatments.

Early pregnancy particulate matter exposure, pre-pregnancy adiposity and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in Finnish primiparous women: An observational cohort study.

Aims: To evaluate the association between the exposure of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5μm (PM) and with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 10μm (PM) over the first trimester and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to assess whether maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) modified the GDM risk.

Methods: All Finnish primiparous women without previously diagnosed diabetes who delivered between 2009 and 2015 in the city of Vantaa, Finland, composed the study cohort (N = 6189).

Drug purchases prior to conception and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Some drugs have adverse effects on glucose metabolism, but it is unknown whether prescription drugs used prior to conception influence the future risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Our study evaluated whether the purchase of prescription drugs 6 months prior to conception was associated with the occurrence of GDM.

Methods: This cohort study enrolled women with a Finnish background who delivered between 2009 and 2015 in the city of Vantaa, Finland (N = 10,455).

Preconception Mental Health, Socioeconomic Status, and Pregnancy Outcomes in Primiparous Women.

Background: One in four women of childbearing age has some degree of mental disorders and are, therefore, prone to both pregnancy complications and adverse health outcomes in their offspring. We aimed to evaluate the impact of preconception severe mental disorders on pregnancy outcomes in primiparous women.

Methods: The study cohort was composed of 6,189 Finnish primiparous women without previously diagnosed diabetes, who delivered between 2009 and 2015, living in the city of Vantaa, Finland.

Maternal use of sedative drugs and its effects on pregnancy outcomes: a Finnish birth cohort study.

Our aim was to evaluate maternal use of sedative drugs before, during, and after pregnancy and to assess the influence of use of these drugs on pregnancy outcomes. The study cohort (N = 6231) consists of all primiparous women, who lived in the city of Vantaa, Finland, and who delivered a singleton between 2009 and 2015. Data were obtained from Finnish national health registers.

Impact of gestational diabetes mellitus on the duration of breastfeeding in primiparous women: an observational cohort study.

Background: The impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on the duration of breastfeeding varies between shortening and no impact. Breastfeeding seems to reduce both maternal and offspring risk for type 2 diabetes and offspring risk for overweight or obesity later in life. The aim of our study was to evaluate in primiparous women whether GDM had an influence on the duration of breastfeeding, and further, to evaluate the factors that influenced on the duration of breastfeeding.

Signaling pathways in human osteoclasts differentiation: ERK1/2 as a key player.

Little is known about the signaling pathways involved in the differentiation of human osteoclasts. The present study evaluated the roles of the Ras/PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Ras/Raf/MEK1/2/ERK1/2, calcium-PKC, and p38 signaling pathways in human osteoclast differentiation. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood of control persons and patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), and the cells were differentiated into osteoclasts in the presence of signaling pathway inhibitors.

Circulating free DNA in the plasma of individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant syndrome whose characteristic manifestations include benign neurofibromas, yet NF1 is also associated with a high risk of cancer. Measurements of circulating free plasma DNA (cfDNA) are gaining wider applicability in cancer diagnostics, targeting of therapy, and monitoring of therapeutic response. Individuals with NF1 are likely to be followed up using this method, but the effects of NF1 and neurofibromas on cfDNA levels are not known.

Impact of smoking on gestational diabetes mellitus and offspring birthweight in primiparous women.

Introduction: Smoking has been shown to affect glucose homeostasis and increase the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and smoking are known to influence offspring birthweight. The effect of smoking on glucose homeostasis in pregnancy is less studied and the findings are inconsistent.

Facilitators and barriers in implementing medication safety practices across hospitals within 11 European Union countries.

Background: The study was carried out as part of the European Network for Patient Safety (EUNetPas) project in 2008-2010.

Objective: To investigate facilitators and barriers in implementation process of selected medication safety practices across hospitals within European Union countries.

Methods: This was an implementation study of seven selected medication safety practices in 55 volunteering hospitals of 11 European Union (EU) member states.

Impact of sunshine on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in primiparous women.

There is a lack of data about the influence of sunshine hours on the prevalence for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the prevalence of GDM varied according to hours of daily sunshine during the first trimester. The study cohort (N = 6189) consists of all primiparous women with a Finnish background who delivered between 2009 and 2015 living in Vantaa city, Finland.

Use of opioids during pregnancy and effects of pregnancy outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate the use of opioids in pregnant primiparous women and study the effect of opioid use on maternal and offspring delivery outcomes.

Methods: The study cohort (N = 6231) consists of all primiparous women with a Finnish background who delivered a singleton between 2009 and 2015 in the city of Vantaa, Finland. Data on births, maternal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and purchases of prescription drugs were obtained from National Health Registers.

Impact of maternal height and gestational diabetes mellitus on offspring birthweight.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and maternal height on offspring birthweight.

Methods: This is an observational cohort study, encompassing 4 111 Finnish primiparous women from Vantaa city, Finland, with singleton deliveries between 2009 and 2015. Data were obtained from the Finnish Medical Birth Register.

Risk of preterm birth in primiparous women with exposure to antidepressant medication before pregnancy and/or during pregnancy - impact of body mass index.

Introduction: Preterm birth is a major cause of infant mortality. It is unknown whether body mass index (BMI) influences the risk of preterm birth in women, who prenatally use antidepressants.

Materials And Methods: The study cohort (N = 6920) consists of all primiparous European born women without previously diagnosed diabetes from the city of Vantaa, Finland, who delivered a singleton child between 2009 and 2015.

Gestational diabetes in primiparous women-impact of age and adiposity: a register-based cohort study.

Introduction: Data on risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in primiparous women is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GDM and simultaneously evaluate the impact of age and adiposity in primiparous women at risk of GDM risk.

Material And Methods: This observational register-based cohort study from the city of Vantaa, Finland, included all 7750 primiparous women giving birth between 2009 and 2015 without previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus.

The effect of estradiol, testosterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin on the proliferation of Schwann cells with NF1 or NF1 genotype derived from human cutaneous neurofibromas.

Dermal neurofibromas are the hallmarks of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Neurofibromas harbor Schwann cells with two different genotypes: Schwann cells which carry the germline mutation and a healthy NF1 allele (NF1 ), and a subpopulation of Schwann cells which harbor the so-called second hit leading to inactivation of both NF1 alleles (NF1 ). The second hit in the NF1 gene of Schwann cells is considered to be the initial step in the development of neurofibromas.

Diversity of actin architecture in human osteoclasts: network of curved and branched actin supporting cell shape and intercellular micrometer-level tubes.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated bone-resorbing cells with a dynamic actin cytoskeleton. Osteoclasts are derived from circulating mononuclear precursors. Confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) super-resolution microscopy was used to investigate peripheral blood-derived human osteoclasts cultured on glass surfaces.

Additive inhibitory effects of simvastatin and enzalutamide on androgen-sensitive LNCaP and VCaP prostate cancer cells.

We evaluated the effects of simvastatin and antiandrogen enzalutamide on growth and androgen signaling in androgen-sensitive LNCaP and VCaP prostate cancer cells. Simvastatin alone abolished androgen-induced growth in both cell lines but decreased androgen receptor (AR) and prostate-specific antigen protein expression only in LNCaP, indicating that statin-induced growth inhibition is beyond AR transcriptional activity in VCaP. Combination of simvastatin and enzalutamide exerted additive growth inhibition in both cell lines accompanied with strong induction of autophagy in LNCaP.

The effects of metformin and simvastatin on the growth of LNCaP and RWPE-1 prostate epithelial cell lines.

The anti-diabetic drug metformin and cholesterol-lowering statins inhibit prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and have been linked with lowered risk of prostate cancer in epidemiological studies. We evaluated the effects of these drugs on cancerous and non-cancerous prostate epithelial cell lines. Cancer (LNCaP) and normal (RWPE-1) prostate epithelial cell lines were treated with pharmacologic concentrations of metformin and simvastatin alone and in combinations.

In vitro model of bone to facilitate measurement of adhesion forces and super-resolution imaging of osteoclasts.

To elucidate processes in the osteoclastic bone resorption, visualise resorption and related actin reorganisation, a combination of imaging technologies and an applicable in vitro model is needed. Nanosized bone powder from matching species is deposited on any biocompatible surface in order to form a thin, translucent, smooth and elastic representation of injured bone. Osteoclasts cultured on the layer expressed matching morphology to ones cultured on sawed cortical bone slices.