Introduction : From Solving Mechanical Dilemmas to Taking Care of Digital Ecology

The introduction by the editors aims to present an overview of the ethos of the digital environment, mapping out the scholarly field within which the volume is situated. As such, it lays out the conceptual framework of the book as well as outlines the transformation of the general existential and political situation brought about by the newest digital technologies, including AI. Furthermore, the introduction defines the central concepts used in the volume, such as ethics, ethos, environment(ality), ecology, and digital. It refers to existing theories that frame this discussion, insisting on the necessity of changing ethical paradigms in the context of new technologies. At the end, it presents three principles to summarize the main goals of this book with regard to taking us towards an ethical digital reality.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Genetic analysis reveals novel variants for vascular cognitive impairment

Objectives The genetic background of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is poorly understood compared to other dementia disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic background of VCI in a well-characterized Finnish cohort. Materials & Methods Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was applied in 45 Finnish VCI patients. Copy-number variant (CNV) analysis using a SNP array was performed in 80 VCI patients. This study also examined the prevalence of variants at the miR-29 binding site of COL4A1 in 73 Finnish VCI patients. Results In 40% (18/45) of the cases, WES detected possibly causative variants in genes associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) or other neurological or stroke-related disorders. These variants included HTRA1:c.847G>A p.(Gly283Arg), TREX1:c.1079A>G, p.(Tyr360Cys), COLGALT1:c.1411C>T, p.(Arg471Trp), PRNP: c.713C>T, p.(Pro238Leu), and MTHFR:c.1061G>C, p.(Gly354Ala). Additionally, screening of variants in the 3 ' UTR of COL4A1 gene in a sub-cohort of 73 VCI patients identified a novel variant c.*36T>A. CNV analysis showed that pathogenic CNVs are uncommon in VCI. Conclusions These data support pathogenic roles of variants in HTRA1, TREX1 and in the 3 ' UTR of COL4A1 in CSVD and VCI, and suggest that vascular pathogenic mechanisms are linked to neurodegeneration, expanding the understanding of the genetic background of VCI.Peer reviewe

Genetic analysis reveals novel variants for vascular cognitive impairment

Objectives The genetic background of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is poorly understood compared to other dementia disorders. The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic background of VCI in a well-characterized Finnish cohort. Materials & Methods Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was applied in 45 Finnish VCI patients. Copy-number variant (CNV) analysis using a SNP array was performed in 80 VCI patients. This study also examined the prevalence of variants at the miR-29 binding site of COL4A1 in 73 Finnish VCI patients. Results In 40% (18/45) of the cases, WES detected possibly causative variants in genes associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) or other neurological or stroke-related disorders. These variants included HTRA1:c.847G>A p.(Gly283Arg), TREX1:c.1079A>G, p.(Tyr360Cys), COLGALT1:c.1411C>T, p.(Arg471Trp), PRNP: c.713C>T, p.(Pro238Leu), and MTHFR:c.1061G>C, p.(Gly354Ala). Additionally, screening of variants in the 3 ' UTR of COL4A1 gene in a sub-cohort of 73 VCI patients identified a novel variant c.*36T>A. CNV analysis showed that pathogenic CNVs are uncommon in VCI. Conclusions These data support pathogenic roles of variants in HTRA1, TREX1 and in the 3 ' UTR of COL4A1 in CSVD and VCI, and suggest that vascular pathogenic mechanisms are linked to neurodegeneration, expanding the understanding of the genetic background of VCI.</p

A comprehensive p75 neurotrophin receptor gene network and pathway analyses identifying new target genes

P75 neurotrophic receptor (p75NTR) is an important receptor for the role of neurotrophins in modulating brain plasticity and apoptosis. The current understanding of the role of p75NTR in cellular adaptation following pathological insults remains blurred, which makes p75NTR's related signaling networks an interesting and challenging initial point of investigation. We identified p75NTR and related genes through extensive data mining of a PubMed literature search including published works related to p75NTR from the past 20 years. Bioinformatic network and pathway analyses of identified genes (n=235) were performed using ReactomeFIViz in Cytoscape based on the highly reliable Reactome functional interaction network algorithm. This approach merges interactions extracted from human curated pathways with predicted interactions from machine learning. Genome-wide pathway analysis showed total of 16 enriched hierarchical clusters. A total of 278 enriched single pathways were also identified (pPeer reviewe

Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Triggers, Causes, and Outcome (SECRETO): Rationale and design

Background: Worldwide, about 1.3 million annual ischaemic strokes (IS) occur in adults aged <50 years. Of these early-onset strokes, up to 50% can be regarded as cryptogenic or associated with conditions with poorly documented causality like patent foramen ovale and coagulopathies. Key hypotheses/aims: (1) Investigate transient triggers and clinical/sub-clinical chronic risk factors associated with cryptogenic IS in the young; (2) use cardiac imaging methods exceeding state-of-the-art to reveal novel sources for embolism; (3) search for covert thrombosis and haemostasis abnormalities; (4) discover new disease pathways using next-generation sequencing and RNA gene expression studies; (5) determine patient prognosis by use of phenotypic and genetic data; and (6) adapt systems medicine approach to investigate complex risk-factor interactions. Design: Searching for Explanations for Cryptogenic Stroke in the Young: Revealing the Etiology, Triggers, and Outcome (SECRETO; NCT01934725) is a prospective multi-centre case–control study enrolling patients aged 18–49 years hospitalised due to first-ever imaging-proven IS of undetermined etiology. Patients are examined according to a standardised protocol and followed up for 10 years. Patients are 1:1 age- and sex-matched to stroke-free controls. Key study elements include centralised reading of echocardiography, electrocardiography, and neurovascular imaging, as well as blood samples for genetic, gene-expression, thrombosis and haemostasis and biomarker analysis. We aim to have 600 patient– control pairs enrolled by the end of 2018. Summary: SECRETO is aiming to establish novel mechanisms and prognosis of cryptogenic IS in the young and will provide new directions for therapy development for these patients. First results are anticipated in 2019

Cause of Death and Predictors of All-Cause Mortality in Anticoagulated Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation : Data From ROCKET AF

M. Kaste on työryhmän ROCKET AF Steering Comm jäsen.Background-Atrial fibrillation is associated with higher mortality. Identification of causes of death and contemporary risk factors for all-cause mortality may guide interventions. Methods and Results-In the Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) study, patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were randomized to rivaroxaban or dose-adjusted warfarin. Cox proportional hazards regression with backward elimination identified factors at randomization that were independently associated with all-cause mortality in the 14 171 participants in the intention-to-treat population. The median age was 73 years, and the mean CHADS(2) score was 3.5. Over 1.9 years of median follow-up, 1214 (8.6%) patients died. Kaplan-Meier mortality rates were 4.2% at 1 year and 8.9% at 2 years. The majority of classified deaths (1081) were cardiovascular (72%), whereas only 6% were nonhemorrhagic stroke or systemic embolism. No significant difference in all-cause mortality was observed between the rivaroxaban and warfarin arms (P=0.15). Heart failure (hazard ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.33-1.70, P= 75 years (hazard ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.51-1.90, P Conclusions-In a large population of patients anticoagulated for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, approximate to 7 in 10 deaths were cardiovascular, whereasPeer reviewe

Pyhiinvaellukset ja pyhän maan matkat suomalaisessa matkailuliiketoiminnassa

Pyhiinvaellusten suosio on lisääntymässä. Uskonnollisiksi luokitellut matkat ovat volyymiltään yksi tämän päivän merkittävimmistä matkailutyypeistä. Lähes kaikilla suurilla uskonnoilla on pyhiinvaelluskohteensa. Opinnäytetyössäni keskityn kristittyjen pyhiinvaelluskohteisiiin, joista tunnetuimpia ovat Jerusalem, joka on Jeesuksen ylösnousemuksen paikka, ja Rooma, joka on apostoli Pietarin ja Paavalin marttyyrikuoleman paikka, sekä Santiago de Compostela Espanjassa. Suosittuja matkakohteita ovat myös pyhät paikat, joissa Neitsyt Marian kerrotaan ilmestyneen, kuten Fatima Portugalissa ja Lourdes Ranskassa. Kiinnostuin matkailijoiden motiiveista lähteä satoja kilometreja pitkälle vaellukselle, joka edellyttää hyvää fyysistä ja henkistä kuntoa ja yöpymistä yhteismajoituksissa. Kiinnostavaa oli myös Israelin matkaajien luja luottamus siihen, että tapahtuipa matkalla mitä hyvänsä, se ei ole heidän käsissään, eikä sen tarvitse olla. Tein kaksi asiantuntijahaastattelua ja haastattelin kaksi matkanvetäjää ennen kuin suunnittelin kysymykset ryhmille. Halusin tutkia mitkä asiat tekevät pyhiinvaelluksesta elämyksen tai unohtumattoman kokemuksen. Kartoitin ihmisten matkustusmotiiveja, odotuksia sekä tekijöitä jotka vaikuttavat eniten matkan onnistumiseen. Ensimmäinen ryhmä koostui kolmesta Israelin kävijästä, ja toisessa ryhmässä kaikki olivat kulkeneet Santiagon de Compostelan tien. Tietoperustan mukaan tällaiset matkat muuttavat joitain ihmisiä, mutta kaikille ei välttämättä tapahdu mitään sen kummempaa, vaikka siihen olisi kenties tavallista parempi mahdollisuus. Hengellistä elämystä ei varmasti unohdeta, mutta poikkeukselliset esteetiset elämykset voivat myös tehdä matkasta unohtumattoman. Santiago de Compostelan reitin tehneet kokivat reitin elämykselliseksi hyvin kokonaisvaltaisesti. Israelin matkaajat kuvasivat ystävyyden ja yhteenkuuluvuuden tunteita, jotka tekivät matkoista erityisen arvokkaita. Välillä oli nukuttu puutarhassa pelkällä patjalla, ja kokemusta kuvattiin silti sekä elämyksenä että rakkaana muistona. Vierailut Jad Hashmonan kibbutsilla oli koettu erityisen koskettaviksi kuten myös holokaustista selvinneiden vanhusten kohtaamiset. Tulosten perusteella matkat muuttavat ihmisiä. Haastateltavan elämä oli ottanut konkreettisestikin uuden suunnan vaelluksen jälkeen. Toinen haastateltava taas oli löytänyt itsestään kirjailijan vaelluksella ja on tämän jälkeen julkaissut useita kirjoja. Kolmas haastateltava kuvasi monenlaisia tunteita joita koki matkan aikana

Effectiveness of peer support on health-related quality of life in recently diagnosed breast cancer patients : a randomized controlled trial

PurposeBreast cancer is the most common cancer of Finnish women. Peer support could be a way to help breast cancer patients to deal with the disease but studies on its effectiveness have produced conflicting results. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to study the effectiveness of peer support on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of breast cancer patients.MethodsPatients with recently diagnosed breast cancer at the Helsinki University Hospital were randomly allocated to intervention (n=130) or control (n=130) groups. The intervention group patients received peer support via telephone one to five times according to their preference. The control group received usual care only. HRQoL was assessed with generic (15D) and disease-specific (EORTC QLQ-30 and its breast cancer specific module BR23) instruments at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up points.ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the patients was 60.0 (10.5) years and their baseline mean 15D score 0.922 (0.066). At baseline, the intervention and control groups did not differ from each other. During follow-up, the 15D score deteriorated statistically significantly (pPeer reviewe

Samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv på risk och kris : Uppfattning, kommunikation och organisation.

Forskargruppen KRIHS, Kris och risk i det heterogena samhället, har fått uppdraget att skriva en kunskapsöversikt inom ramen för MSB:s verksamhetsområden skydd mot olyckor, krishantering och civil beredskap. Uppdraget har gjorts i samarbete med Eva-Lena Demarin som stått för stora delar av sammanställningen av tidigare forskning samt delar av övriga avsnitt. Undertecknad ansvarar för översiktens vetenskapliga kvalitet. Kunskapsöversikten är dock ett resultat av forskargruppens gemensamma ansträngningar. Tillsammans med Eva-Lena har gruppen träffats vid fem tillfällen varav vid ett seminarium där texten diskuterats och reviderats. De som varit med och diskuterat, samlat in material och/eller skrivit delar av översikten är förutom ovan nämnda, Erna Danielsson, Sara Ekholm, Linda Eliasson, Roine Johansson, Jörgen Sparf, Erika Wall och Susanna Öhman. Då både tiden och utrymmet har varit begränsat gör vi inga anspråk på att kunskapsöversikten är heltäckande. Den ska snarare ses som en ganska grovkorning bild av de senaste tio årens risk- och krisforskning rörande uppfattningar, kommunikation och organisation. Det huvudsakliga bidraget är att översikten identifierar vissa områden där kunskapsuppbyggnad behövs. På så sätt kan översikten ses som en karta där vissa kompassriktningar markerats utifrån vilka MSB kan välja vilka som passar myndighetens framtida verksamhet

Samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv på risk och kris : Uppfattning, kommunikation och organisation.

Forskargruppen KRIHS, Kris och risk i det heterogena samhället, har fått uppdraget att skriva en kunskapsöversikt inom ramen för MSB:s verksamhetsområden skydd mot olyckor, krishantering och civil beredskap. Uppdraget har gjorts i samarbete med Eva-Lena Demarin som stått för stora delar av sammanställningen av tidigare forskning samt delar av övriga avsnitt. Undertecknad ansvarar för översiktens vetenskapliga kvalitet. Kunskapsöversikten är dock ett resultat av forskargruppens gemensamma ansträngningar. Tillsammans med Eva-Lena har gruppen träffats vid fem tillfällen varav vid ett seminarium där texten diskuterats och reviderats. De som varit med och diskuterat, samlat in material och/eller skrivit delar av översikten är förutom ovan nämnda, Erna Danielsson, Sara Ekholm, Linda Eliasson, Roine Johansson, Jörgen Sparf, Erika Wall och Susanna Öhman. Då både tiden och utrymmet har varit begränsat gör vi inga anspråk på att kunskapsöversikten är heltäckande. Den ska snarare ses som en ganska grovkorning bild av de senaste tio årens risk- och krisforskning rörande uppfattningar, kommunikation och organisation. Det huvudsakliga bidraget är att översikten identifierar vissa områden där kunskapsuppbyggnad behövs. På så sätt kan översikten ses som en karta där vissa kompassriktningar markerats utifrån vilka MSB kan välja vilka som passar myndighetens framtida verksamhet