Prevalence of erosive tooth wear and associated dietary factors among a group of Finnish adolescents

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of erosive tooth wear (ETW) among Finnish adolescents and to evaluate how frequency as well as amount of the use of erosive products are associated with ETW. The study population consisted of 328 voluntary, >15-year-old secondary school students (males 49.1%, females 50.9%) in three municipalities in Finland. Clinical examination to measure erosive tooth wear (BEWE index) was carried out by trained and calibrated dentists. Piloted questionnaires included questions on consumption of drinks, fruits and berries, as well as tooth brushing frequency. Means and medians of frequencies and amounts of consumed erosive products were calculated and associations with ETW severity were analysed by logistic regression models. One third (36.9%) of the participants were in need of at least preventive measures for ETW (BEWE sum score ≥ 3), but severe ETW (BEWE sum score > 9) was rare (2.1%). Boys had severe ETW significantly more frequently than girls (p Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of erosive tooth wear (ETW) among Finnish adolescents and to evaluate how frequency as well as amount of the use of erosive products are associated with ETW. The study population consisted of 328 voluntary, >15-year-old secondary school students (males 49.1%, females 50.9%) in three municipalities in Finland. Clinical examination to measure erosive tooth wear (BEWE index) was carried out by trained and calibrated dentists. Piloted questionnaires included questions on consumption of drinks, fruits and berries, as well as tooth brushing frequency. Means and medians of frequencies and amounts of consumed erosive products were calculated and associations with ETW severity were analysed by logistic regression models. One third (36.9%) of the participants were in need of at least preventive measures for ETW (BEWE sum score ≥ 3), but severe ETW (BEWE sum score > 9) was rare (2.1%). Boys had severe ETW significantly more frequently than girls (p < 0.001). Habitual consumption of erosive drinks was common especially among boys compared to girls (p = 0.001). ETW was significantly associated with the amount of consumed erosive drinks, fruits or berries. The prevalence of ETW among adolescences in Finland seems to be at the same level as in other Nordic and European countries. Consumption of erosive products is common and thus, the risk for tooth erosion is high, especially in boys. In addition to erosive drinks, also berries and fruits are associated with ETW and should be included in individual dietary counselling when early signs of ETW are clinically detected

Carbon dioxide and methane gas exchange following sphagnum moss harvesting in boreal peatland

Understanding the impacts of Sphagnum moss harvesting on peatland carbon (C) balance is crucial due to its potential rise as an anthropogenic land use. We studied eight nutrient-poor peatlands in Finland, harvested between 2015 and 2021, focusing on net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) and methane (CH4) emissions. The greenhouse gas fluxes were measured to evaluate the sustainability of harvesting practices. Results showed significant variability in Sphagnum regeneration, with wet strip-harvested sites achieving 2–28% re-establishment in 2–8 years, while drier clear-harvested sites saw minimal spontaneous regeneration in 1–6 years. In addition to vegetation succession, GHG emissions were moisture dependent. In wet sites CH4 emissions increased along with time since harvesting and Eriophorum vaginatum (L.) cover, while dry sites exhibited overall lower CH4 fluxes. Younger (1–2 years post-harvest), dry sites were significant CO2 sources due to low photosynthetic activity. Older dry site with sparse ericoid shrub vegetation acted as CO2 sink. Wet sites initially had lower CO2 sink capacity, but this increased as E. vaginatum spread, and reached a plateau when Sphagnum mosses emerged, highlighting the importance of suitable water table levels for efficient CO2 sequestration

Molecular Monitoring after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation and Preemptive Rituximab Treatment of Molecular Relapse; Results from the Nordic Mantle Cell Lymphoma Studies (MCL2 and MCL3) with Median Follow-Up of 8.5 Years

The main objectives of the present study were to monitor minimal residual disease (MRD) in the bone marrow of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) to predict clinical relapse and guide preemptive treatment with rituximab. Among the patients enrolled in 2 prospective trials by the Nordic Lymphoma Group, 183 who had completed autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and in whom an MRD marker had been obtained were included in our analysis. Fresh samples of bone marrow were analyzed for MRD by a combined standard nested and quantitative real-time PCR assay for Bcl-1/immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IgH) and clonal IgH rear-rangements. Significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was demonstrated for patients who were MRD positive pre-ASCT (54 patients) or in the first analysis post-ASCT (23 patients). The median PFS was only 20 months in those who were MRD-positive in the first sample post-ASCT, compared with 142 months in the MRD-negative group (PPeer reviewe

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

miR-18b overexpression identifies mantle cell lymphoma patients with poor outcome and improves the MIPI-B prognosticator

Recent studies show that mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) express aberrant miRNA profiles, however, the clinical effect of miRNA expression has not previously been examined and validated in prospective, large, homogenously treated cohorts. We analyzed diagnostic MCL samples from the Nordic MCL2 and MCL3 clinical trials, in which all patients had received Rituximab-high-dose cytarabin alternating with Rituximab-maxiCHOP, followed by BEAM and autologous stem cell support. We performed genome-wide miRNA microarray profiling of 74 diagnostic MCL samples from the MCL2 trial (screening cohort). Differentially expressed miRNAs were re-analyzed by qRT-PCR. Prognostic miRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR in diagnostic MCL samples from 94 patients of the independent MCL3 trial (validation cohort). Three miRNAs (miR-18b, miR-92a, miR-378d) were significantly differentially expressed in patients who died from MCL in both the screening- and the validation cohort. MiR-18b was superior to miR-92a and miR-378d in predicting high risk. Thus, we generated a new MIPI-B-miR prognosticator, combining expression-levels of miR-18b with MIPI-B data. This prognosticator improved identification of high risk patients compared to MIPI-B with regard to cause-specific survival (P=0.015), overall survival (P=0.006) and progression-free survival (P<0.001). Transfection of two MCL cell lines with miR-18b decreased their proliferation rate without inducing apoptosis, suggesting miR-18b may render MCL cells resistant to chemotherapy by decelerating cell proliferation. Thus, we conclude that overexpression of miR-18b identifies patients with poor prognosis in two large prospective MCL cohorts and adds prognostic information to MIPI-B. MiR-18b may reduce the proliferation rate of MCL cells as a mechanism of chemoresistance

15-year follow-up of the Second Nordic Mantle Cell Lymphoma trial (MCL2) : prolonged remissions without survival plateau

In recent decades, the prognosis of Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) has been significantly improved by intensified first-line regimens containing cytarabine, rituximab and consolidation with high-dose-therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. One such strategy is the Nordic MCL2 regimen, developed by the Nordic Lymphoma Group. We here present the 15-year updated results of the Nordic MCL2 study after a median follow-up of 114years: For all patients on an intent-to-treat basis, the median overall and progression-free survival was 127 and 85years, respectively. The MCL International Prognostic Index (MIPI), biological MIPI, including Ki67 expression (MIPI-B) and the MIPI-B including mIR-18b expression (MIPI-B-miR), in particular, significantly divided patients into distinct risk groups. Despite very long response durations of the low and intermediate risk groups, we observed a continuous pattern of relapse and the survival curves never reached a plateau. In conclusion, despite half of the patients being still alive and 40% in first remission after more than 12years, we still see an excess disease-related mortality, even among patients experiencing long remissions. Even though we consider the Nordic regimen as a very good choice of regimen, we recommend inclusion in prospective studies to explore the benefit of novel agents in the frontline treatment of MCL.Peer reviewe

Genetic associations at 53 loci highlight cell types and biological pathways relevant for kidney function.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate defines chronic kidney disease and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), combining data across 133,413 individuals with replication in up to 42,166 individuals. We identify 24 new and confirm 29 previously identified loci. Of these 53 loci, 19 associate with eGFR among individuals with diabetes. Using bioinformatics, we show that identified genes at eGFR loci are enriched for expression in kidney tissues and in pathways relevant for kidney development and transmembrane transporter activity, kidney structure, and regulation of glucose metabolism. Chromatin state mapping and DNase I hypersensitivity analyses across adult tissues demonstrate preferential mapping of associated variants to regulatory regions in kidney but not extra-renal tissues. These findings suggest that genetic determinants of eGFR are mediated largely through direct effects within the kidney and highlight important cell types and biological pathways

Verkottumista ja vertaiskehittelyä : 10 vuotta tutkimus- ja aluekehitystyötä

Tutkimus- ja aluekehitystyö on ammattikorkeakoulujen perustehtävää. Tätä varten erilaiset kehittämisen foorumit ja verkottuminen ovat tärkeitä. Keski- Uudellamaalla on jo kymmenen vuoden ajan toiminut yhteistyöverkosto, joka on järjestänyt foorumeita verkottumiseen ja hyvien käytäntöjen edistämiseen ja levittämiseen. Toimijoina ovat koulutusorganisaatiot, Sosiaalialan osaamiskeskus Sosiaalitaito ja useat alueella toimivat järjestöt. Toteutuneita seminaareja ja niiden suhdetta aluekehittämiseen käsittelee tässä julkai¬sussa artikkeli Kymmenen vuotta aluekehittämistä. Se kuvaa kehittämistyön monivaihei¬suutta ja kulloinkin esillä olleita aiheita. Vuonna 2014 seminaari oli valtakunnallinen ja kansainvälinen. Sen teemana oli kulttuuri ja kieli ohjauksessa. Tämä mahdollisti aluekehityksen päivän yhdistämisen Euroopan so¬siaalirahaston rahoittaman Romako -hankkeen päätösseminaariin. Hankkeen tavoitteena oli koota ja levittää romani- ja maahanmuuttajataustaisten ihmisten ohjauksen ja koulu¬tuksen hyviä käytänteitä sekä Suomesta että Ruotsista. Seminaarin avaaja kansanedustaja Pekka Haavisto totesi, että ”voimme tehdä valintoja siitä, mitä haluamme omaksua, mutta meillä ei ole varaa eristäytyä muista kulttuureista”. Hän haastoi näkemään yksilöt yksilöinä eikä ensisijaisesti etnisen ryhmän edustajina. Kohtaamisissa on tärkeää kunnioittaa kunkin etnistä taustaa. Tutkija Jaana Viljarannan mukaan oppijaminäkuvaan vaikuttavat monet sisäiset ja ulkoi¬set tekijät. Aikuisten arviot lasten kyvyistä ovat merkityksellisiä oppijaminäkuvan muo¬toutumisessa. Lapset ja nuoret tarvitsevat tukea valintoihinsa erityisesti siirtymävaiheis¬sa, joissa minäkuvan vahvistuminen on usein mahdollista. Dosentti ja kasvatustieteen tohtori Christina Rodell Olgac Södertörns högskolasta käsitteli romaniväestön moninaisuutta ja sen yhteiskunnalliseen asemaan Ruotsissa liittyviä haasteita ja kehittämistyötä. Esimerkkinä oli sillanrakentajakoulutus, joka on viiden kunnan ja Södertörn hogskolan tekemää uraauurtavaa työtä kulttuurisen ymmärtämyksen lisäämiseksi. Tavoitteena on kehittää inklusiivisia työtapoja. Koulutet-tavat ovat eri romaniryhmistä ja he ovat työsuhteessa kuntaan. Työpajoissa oli esillä romani- ja maahanamuuttajaväetön yhteiskunnallista osallisuutta edistäviä hankkeita ja projekteja eri puolilta Suomea