The first Linguatula serrata case in an imported dog in Finland

Non peer reviewe

Abnormal Brain Responses to Action Observation in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) display various abnormalities in central motor function, and their pain is intensified when they perform or just observe motor actions. In this study, we examined the abnormalities of brain responses to action observation in CRPS. We analyzed 3-T functional magnetic resonance images from 13 upper limb CRPS patients (all female, ages 31-58 years) and 13 healthy, age- and sex-matched control subjects. The functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired while the subjects viewed brief videos of hand actions shown in the first-person perspective. A pattern-classification analysis was applied to characterize brain areas where the activation pattern differed between CRPS patients and healthy subjects. Brain areas with statistically significant group differences (q <.05, false discovery rate-corrected) included the hand representation area in the sensorimotor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, secondary somatosensory cortex, inferior parietal lobule, orbitofrontal cortex, and thalamus. Our findings indicate that CRPS impairs action observation by affecting brain areas related to pain processing and motor control. Perspective: This article shows that in CRPS, the observation of others' motor actions induces abnormal neural activity in brain areas essential for sensorimotor functions and pain. These results build the cerebral basis for action-observation impairments in CRPS. (C) 2016 by the American Pain SocietyPeer reviewe

Food insecurity among Finnish private service sector workers : validity, prevalence and determinants

Objective: To examine the prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among private sector service workers in Finland and assess validity of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) tool. Design: In this cross-sectional study, food insecurity and background characteristics were collected from Finnish private service workers via electronic questionnaires (2019) and national register data (2018-2019). We conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the variables explaining food insecurity. Validity of HFIAS was assessed with rotated principal component analysis and Cronbach's alpha. Setting: Members of the trade union for private sector service workers, Service Union United (PAM), from all municipalities in Finland participated in the study in 2019. Participants: The subjects were 6435 private sector workers that were members of the Service Union United (PAM) in Finland. Mean age of participants was 44 years (sd 12 center dot 7 years). Results: Two-thirds of the participants (65 %) were food insecure with over a third (36 %) reporting severe food insecurity. Reporting great difficulties in covering household expenses and young age markedly increased the risk of severe food insecurity (OR 15 center dot 05; 95 % CI 10 center dot 60, 21 center dot 38 and OR 5 center dot 07; 95 % CI 3 center dot 94, 6 center dot 52, respectively). Not being married, low education, working in the hospitality industry, being male and living in rented housing also increased the probability of severe food insecurity. The HFIAS tool demonstrated acceptable construct and criterion validity. Conclusions: Severe food insecurity was widespread and associated with low socio-economic status, young age and being male among Finnish private sector service workers, emphasising the need for regular monitoring of food insecurity in Finland.Peer reviewe

Non-graduation after comprehensive school, and early retirement but not unemployment are prominent in childhood cancer survivors—a Finnish registry-based study

Survivors had higher frequencies than controls for lacking further education after comprehensive school. Unemployment was not common, but risk for early retirement was significantly increased in each three survivor group.</p

Forty-three years of absolute gravity observations of the Fennoscandian postglacial rebound in Finland

Postglacial rebound in Fennoscandia causes striking trends in gravity measurements of the area. We present time series of absolute gravity data collected between 1976 and 2019 on 12 stations in Finland with different types of instruments. First, we determine the trends at each station and analyse the effect of the instrument types. We estimate, for example, an offset of 6.8 μgal for the JILAg-5 instrument with respect to the FG5-type instruments. Applying the offsets in the trend analysis strengthens the trends being in good agreement with the NKG2016LU_gdot model of gravity change. Trends of seven stations were found robust and were used to analyse the stabilization of the trends in time and to determine the relationship between gravity change rates and land uplift rates as measured with global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) as well as from the NKG2016LU_abs land uplift model. Trends calculated from combined and offset-corrected measurements of JILAg-5- and FG5-type instruments stabilized in 15 to 20 years and at some stations even faster. The trends of FG5-type instrument data alone stabilized generally within 10 years. The ratio between gravity change rates and vertical rates from different data sets yields values between − 0.206 ± 0.017 and − 0.227 ± 0.024 µGal/mm and axis intercept values between 0.248 ± 0.089 and 0.335 ± 0.136 µGal/yr. These values are larger than previous estimates for Fennoscandia

Application of the Red List Index as an indicator of habitat change

For the first time ever, the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Index for habitat types was calculated for an entire country, Finland. The RLIs were based on species threat assessments from 2000 and 2010 and included habitat definitions for all 10,131 species of 12 organism groups. The RLIs were bootstrapped to track statistically significant changes. The RLI changes of species grouped by habitats were negative for all habitat types except for forests and rural biotopes which showed a stable trend. Trends of beetles and true bugs were positive in rural and forest habitats. Other 16 observed trends of species group and habitat combinations were negative. Several trends observed were in accordance with studies focusing on particular taxa and habitats, and drivers for their change. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the RLI as a tool for observing habitat change based on species threat assessment data.Peer reviewe

Private sector service workers’ well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Workers attending to the essential functions of society have been most affected by COVID-19, but the well-being of workers outside the health care sector has scarcely been documented. We describe well-being profiles of Finnish blue-collar workers in private sector services and changes in their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Altogether 6345 members of the Service Union United provided cross-sectional pre-COVID data in April-June 2019, and 2702 provided follow-up data on health-related indicators in November 2020. Job industry-specific profiles (retail, hospitality, and property maintenance) and change patterns were analysed. Regression models appropriate for different response types with a random intercept and time component were used. Results: Before COVID-19, the well-being profile − food security, body mass index, alcohol use, smoking, and self-perceived health, and adequacy of income − was worse among service workers than the population average and it varied by industry sector. During the first year of COVID-19 self-perceived health deteriorated (adjusted OR 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.70-0.87). The proportion of severely food insecure fell from a third to a quarter (OR for improvement 2.66, 95% CI 2.37-2.99). Slight improvements were observed in heavy episodic drinking, smoking, and self-perceived adequacy of income. Employees in property maintenance were the most vulnerable regarding well-being profile and COVID-19-related changes. Conclusions: COVID-19 caused divergent changes, including improved food security and deteriorated self-perceived health. Workers with the lowest socioeconomic position and those facing job uncertainty were the most vulnerable to adverse outcomes. Provision of support to these groups is essential in welfare policy considerations.Peer reviewe

Co-culture of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelial cells and endothelial cells on double collagen-coated honeycomb films

In vitro cell culture models representing the physiological and pathological features of the outer retina are urgently needed. Artificial tissue replacements for patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases are similarly in great demand. Here, we developed a co-culture system based solely on the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cells. For the first time, hiPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and endothelial cells (EC) were cultured on opposite sides of porous polylactide substrates prepared by breath figures (BF), where both surfaces had been collagen-coated by Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) technology. Small modifications of casting conditions during material preparation allowed the production of free-standing materials with distinct porosity, wettability and ion diffusion capacity. Complete pore coverage was achieved by the collagen coating procedure, resulting in a detectable nanoscale topography. Primary retinal endothelial cells (ACBRI181) and umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (hUVEC) were utilised as EC references. Mono-cultures of all ECs were prepared for comparison. All tested materials supported cell attachment and growth. In mono-culture, properties of the materials had a major effect on the growth of all ECs. In co-culture, the presence of hiPSC-RPE affected the primary ECs more significantly than hiPSC-EC. In consistency, hiPSC-RPE were also less affected by hiPSC-EC than by the primary ECs. Finally, our results show that the modulation of the porosity of the materials can promote or prevent EC migration. In short, we showed that the behaviour of the cells is highly dependent on the three main variables of the study: the presence of a second cell type in co-culture, the source of endothelial cells and the biomaterial properties. The combination of BF and LS methodologies is a powerful strategy to develop thin but stable materials enabling cell growth and modulation of cell-cell contact. Statement of significance: Artificial blood-retinal barriers (BRB), mimicking the interface at the back of the eye, are urgently needed as physiological and disease models, and for tissue transplantation targeting patients suffering from degenerative retinal diseases. Here, we developed a new co-culture model based on thin, biodegradable porous films, coated on both sides with collagen, one of the main components of the natural BRB, and cultivated endothelial and retinal pigment epithelial cells on opposite sides of the films, forming a three-layer structure. Importantly, our hiPSC-EC and hiPSC-RPE co-culture model is the first to exclusively use human induced pluripotent stem cells as cell source, which have been widely regarded as an practical candidate for therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine.publishedVersionPeer reviewe