Prevention of HIV and Associated Infections among Adolescents and Young People at High Risk of Infection : Methodology Guide

Methodology Guide on Prevention of HIV and Associated Infections among Adolescents and Young People at High Risk of Infection was prepared as part of project “Building capacity in prevention of HIV and associated infections among youth at high risk in the Northern Dimension area” (cf. www.ndphs.org/?database,view,project,1467) co-funded by the European Union. The project was implemented from September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2015 by the project consortium led by Secretariat of the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS) and including also Regional NGO “Stellit”, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Kaliningrad Regional Non-governmental Youth Organisation “Young Leaders Army” (YLA), Social AIDS Committee and Baltic HIV Association. The Methodology Guide contains overview of theories applicable for addressing the priorities of HIV and associated infections prevention among adolescents and young people at high risk of infection, theories which might be used to evaluate the effectiveness of prevention programs. It provides the results of assessment of needs of children and young people at high risk of infection in prevention programs, overview of prevention programs implemented in Russia, Latvia, Poland, Finland and Germany which might be recommended to be spread to other countries of the NDPHS and examples of tool which might be used in prevention work. The Methodology Guide might be useful for authorities, representatives of governmental organizations, NGOs, international organizations, public health specialists and other experts involved into HIV and associated infections prevention among children and young people. The Methodology Guide is available for downloading at: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2015102715069. Other methodological materials produced within the project can be downloaded at: https://www.thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/about-us/organisation/departments-and-units/administration-and-development/planning/international-affairs-unit/projects

EMMA - A New Underground Cosmic-Ray Experiment

A new type of cosmic-ray experiment is under construction in the Pyh\"asalmi mine in the underground laboratory of the University of Oulu, Finland. It aims to study the composition of cosmic rays at and above the knee region. The experiment, called EMMA, will cover approximately 150 square-metres of detector area. The array is capable of measuring the multiplicity and the lateral distribution of underground muons, and the arrival direction of the air shower. The full-size detector is expected to run by the end of 2007.Comment: Extended and updated TAUP2005 Proceedings contribution. 8 pages, 5 figures (part in colour). Preprint not submitte

A metrological approach to improve accuracy and reliability of ammonia measurements in ambient air

The environmental impacts of ammonia (NH$_3$) in ambient air have become more evident in the recent decades, leading to intensifying research in this field. A number of novel analytical techniques and monitoring instruments have been developed, and the quality and availability of reference gas mixtures used for the calibration of measuring instruments has also increased significantly. However, recent inter-comparison measurements show significant discrepancies, indicating that the majority of the newly developed devices and reference materials require further thorough validation. There is a clear need for more intensive metrological research focusing on quality assurance, intercomparability and validations. MetNH3 (Metrology for ammonia in ambient air) is a three-year project within the framework of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), which aims to bring metrological traceability to ambient ammonia measurements in the 0.5–500 nmol mol$^{−1}$ amount fraction range. This is addressed by working in three areas: (1) improving accuracy and stability of static and dynamic reference gas mixtures, (2) developing an optical transfer standard and (3) establishing the link between high-accuracy metrological standards and field measurements. In this article we describe the concept, aims and first results of the project.EMRP MetNH3 (EURAMET

A metrological approach to improve accuracy and reliability of ammonia measurements in ambient air

The environmental impacts of ammonia (NH$_3$) in ambient air have become more evident in the recent decades, leading to intensifying research in this field. A number of novel analytical techniques and monitoring instruments have been developed, and the quality and availability of reference gas mixtures used for the calibration of measuring instruments has also increased significantly. However, recent inter-comparison measurements show significant discrepancies, indicating that the majority of the newly developed devices and reference materials require further thorough validation. There is a clear need for more intensive metrological research focusing on quality assurance, intercomparability and validations. MetNH3 (Metrology for ammonia in ambient air) is a three-year project within the framework of the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP), which aims to bring metrological traceability to ambient ammonia measurements in the 0.5–500 nmol mol$^{−1}$ amount fraction range. This is addressed by working in three areas: (1) improving accuracy and stability of static and dynamic reference gas mixtures, (2) developing an optical transfer standard and (3) establishing the link between high-accuracy metrological standards and field measurements. In this article we describe the concept, aims and first results of the project.EMRP MetNH3 (EURAMET

The impact of adjuvant therapy on contralateral breast cancer risk and the prognostic significance of contralateral breast cancer: a population based study in the Netherlands

Background The impact of age and adjuvant therapy on contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk and prognostic significance of CBC were evaluated. Patients and Methods In 45,229 surgically treated stage I–IIIA patients diagnosed in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2002 CBC risk was quantified using standardised incidence ratios (SIRs), cumulative incidence and Cox regression analysis, adjusted for competing risks. Results Median follow-up was 5.8 years, in which 624 CBC occurred <6 months after the index cancer (synchronous) and 1,477 thereafter (metachronous). Older age and lobular histology were associated with increased synchronous CBC risk. Standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of CBC was 2.5 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.4–2.7). The SIR of metachronous CBC decreased with index cancer age, from 11.4 (95% CI 8.6–14.8) when <35 to 1.5 (95% CI 1.4–1.7) for ≥60 years. The absolute excess risk of metachronous CBC was 26.8/10,000 person-years. The cumulative incidence increased with 0.4% per year, reaching 5.9% after 15 years. Adjuvant hormonal (Hazard rate ratio (HR) 0.58; 95% CI 0.48–0.69) and chemotherapy (HR 0.73; 95% CI 0.60–0.90) were associated with a markedly decreased CBC risk. A metachronous CBC worsened survival (HR 1.44; 95% CI 1.33–1.56). Conclusion Young breast cancer patients experience high synchronous and metachronous CBC risk. Adjuvant hormonal or chemotherapy considerably reduced the risk of CBC. CBC occurrence adversely affects prognosis, emphasizing the necessity of long-term surveillance directed at early CBC-detection

Identification of co-expression gene networks, regulatory genes and pathways for obesity based on adipose tissue RNA Sequencing in a porcine model

Background: Obesity is a complex metabolic condition in strong association with various diseases, like type 2 diabetes, resulting in major public health and economic implications. Obesity is the result of environmental and genetic factors and their interactions, including genome-wide genetic interactions. Identification of co-expressed and regulatory genes in RNA extracted from relevant tissues representing lean and obese individuals provides an entry point for the identification of genes and pathways of importance to the development of obesity. The pig, an omnivorous animal, is an excellent model for human obesity, offering the possibility to study in-depth organ-level transcriptomic regulations of obesity, unfeasible in humans. Our aim was to reveal adipose tissue co-expression networks, pathways and transcriptional regulations of obesity using RNA Sequencing based systems biology approaches in a porcine model. Methods: We selected 36 animals for RNA Sequencing from a previously created F2 pig population representing three extreme groups based on their predicted genetic risks for obesity. We applied Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to detect clusters of highly co-expressed genes (modules). Additionally, regulator genes were detected using Lemon-Tree algorithms. Results: WGCNA revealed five modules which were strongly correlated with at least one obesity-related phenotype (correlations ranging from -0.54 to 0.72, P <0.001). Functional annotation identified pathways enlightening the association between obesity and other diseases, like osteoporosis (osteoclast differentiation, P = 1.4E(-7)), and immune-related complications (e. g. Natural killer cell mediated cytotoxity, P = 3.8E(-5); B cell receptor signaling pathway, P = 7.2E(-5)). Lemon-Tree identified three potential regulator genes, using confident scores, for the WGCNA module which was associated with osteoclast differentiation: CCR1, MSR1 and SI1 (probability scores respectively 95.30, 62.28, and 34.58). Moreover, detection of differentially connected genes identified various genes previously identified to be associated with obesity in humans and rodents, e.g. CSF1R and MARC2. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply systems biology approaches using porcine adipose tissue RNA-Sequencing data in a genetically characterized porcine model for obesity. We revealed complex networks, pathways, candidate and regulatory genes related to obesity, confirming the complexity of obesity and its association with immune-related disorders and osteoporosis

Laser spectroscopy for breath analysis : towards clinical implementation

Detection and analysis of volatile compounds in exhaled breath represents an attractive tool for monitoring the metabolic status of a patient and disease diagnosis, since it is non-invasive and fast. Numerous studies have already demonstrated the benefit of breath analysis in clinical settings/applications and encouraged multidisciplinary research to reveal new insights regarding the origins, pathways, and pathophysiological roles of breath components. Many breath analysis methods are currently available to help explore these directions, ranging from mass spectrometry to laser-based spectroscopy and sensor arrays. This review presents an update of the current status of optical methods, using near and mid-infrared sources, for clinical breath gas analysis over the last decade and describes recent technological developments and their applications. The review includes: tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, cavity ring-down spectroscopy, integrated cavity output spectroscopy, cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy, and optical frequency comb spectroscopy. A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is presented that describes the laser-based techniques within the clinical framework of breath research and their appealing features for clinical use.Peer reviewe