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(2021)Pään ja kaulan alueen syöpä on maailmanlaajuisesti kuudenneksi yleisin syöpäsairaus ja sen esiintyvyys on länsimaissa lisääntymässä. Pään ja kaulan alueen syövän merkittävimmät riskitekijät ovat ikä, tupakointi ja runsas alkoholinkäyttö. HPV-infektio on pään ja kaulan alueen levyepiteelikarsinoomien itsenäinen vaaratekijä ja sen aiheuttama syyosuus vaihtelee syövän sijainnin mukaan ollen yleisin suunielun syövissä. Tutkielman tarkoituksena oli selvittää kirjallisuuskatsauksen avulla virusten yhteyttä pään ja kaulan levyepiteelikarsinoomien syntyyn. Kirjallisuuskatsaus perustuu Pubmedistä löytyviin, aihetta käsitteleviin tutkimusartikkeleihin vuosilta 1992-2020. Lisäksi lähdemateriaalina käytettiin alan oppikirjoja ja Suomalaisen Lääkäriseura Duodecimin julkaisemia Käypä hoito -suosituksia. 31,5% pään ja kaulan alueen levyepiteelikarsinoomista on HPV-positiivisia. Näistä 82,2% on HPV-tyyppiä 16. Tämän katsauksen prevalenssiluvut perustuvat HPV-DNA:n osoittamiseen, jolloin saadaan selville viruksen mukanaolo syöpäkudoksessa, mutta ei saada todistetta viraalisen onkogeenin ekspressiosta. Nykyisin kultaisena standardina HPV:n osoittamiseen pidetään HPV E6/E7 mRNA qRT-PCR:ää, sillä HPV-positiiviset karsinoomat ovat riippuvaisia HPV E6 ja E7 mRNA:n pysyvästä yliekspressiosta. Epstein-Barrin virus liittyy lähinnä nenänielun karsinooman etiologiaan. Muiden virusten osuudesta pään ja kaulan alueen levyepiteelikarsinoomien synnyssä on toistaiseksi vain vähän näyttöä. Analyysimenetelmien kehittymisen seurauksena HPV:n todellinen yhteys pään ja kaulan alueen levyepiteelikarsinoomiin tulee oletettavasti vielä tarkentumaan. Tulevaisuudessa myös nähdään, ovatko HPV-rokotteet ratkaisu pään ja kaulan levyepiteelikarsinoomien lisääntyneeseen esiintyvyyteen.
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(2023)Visuaalinen asiantuntijuus on keskeistä monella lääketieteen osa-alueella, mutta ymmärrys sen kehittymisestä on puutteellista. Dermatologia eli ihotautioppi on lääketieteen erikoisala, jossa diagnosointi tapahtuu pääasiassa näönvaraisten havaintojen perusteella. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, voidaanko havainto-oppimismoduuleilla edistää ihotautien oppimista, onko oppimisvaikutus pysyvä ja koetaanko havainto-oppimismoduulit hyödyllisinä. Koehenkilöt (N = 105) olivat Helsingin yliopiston lääketieteen koulutusohjelman opiskelijoita, jotka osallistuivat vuosina 2021–2022 dermatologian kurssille. Lisäksi 33 opiskelijaa osallistui seurantaan 5–11 kk kokeen jälkeen. Kokeessa käytettiin ärsykkeenä HUSin opetuskäytössä olevia aitoja potilaskuvia ihotauteihin liittyvistä ihomuutoksista. Koehenkilöt suorittivat kaksi verkkopohjaista havainto-oppimismoduulia kolmena eri ajankohtana, eli toistoja oli kuusi. Jokaisessa niistä koehenkilöiden tehtävänä oli tunnistaa kohteena oleva ihotauti kahdeksan kuvan joukosta. Tunnistettavia ihotauteja oli yhteensä 47, ja ne esitettiin jokaisessa moduulissa kerran. Kokeessa mitattiin oikeita vastauksia, varmuutta, reaktioaikaa ja piirteitä, joihin tunnistaminen perustui. Lisäksi koehenkilöt täyttivät ennen ja jälkeen kurssin lyhyen kyselymittarin. Analyysit toteutettiin toistomittaus-ANOVINA. Seurannan ja kyselymittarin tuloksia arvioitiin laadullisesti. Koehenkilöiden suoritus parani jokaisella osa-alueella kurssin edetessä: oikeiden vastausten osuus ja varmuus vastauksista kasvoi, reaktioaika lyheni ja piirteistä primaarileesio valittiin suhteellisesti useammin kurssin lopussa kuin alussa. Oppimisvaikutus pysyi seurannassa. Lisäksi koehenkilöiden arvio visuaalisista havaintotaidoistaan ja kyvystä kuvata löydöksiä kasvoivat. Tulosten perusteella havainto-oppimismoduulien avulla voidaan edistää ihotautien oppimista, parantaa diagnostista tarkkuutta ja lisätä päätöksenteon nopeutta.
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(2024)Tavoitteet. Visuaalisen työmuistin luonteesta on ollut esillä vaihtoehtoisia näkökulmia: ohjaako visuaalisen työmuistin toimintaa erilliset muistipaikat vai muistin tarkkuus? Visuaalisen työmuistin toimintaa ohjaavia periaatteita ymmärretään jo kattavasti. Työmuistin neuraalista perustaa ei kuitenkaan tunneta vielä täysin, minkä lisäksi työmuistin ja tarkkaavaisuuden välisestä yhteydestä ei ole selkeää käsitystä. Tässä tutkimuksessa tutkittiin visuaalisen työmuistin toimintaa tarkastelemalla muistin kuormituksen ja muistin tarkkuuden sekä tarkkaavaisuuden vaikutusta behavioraaliseen suoriutumiseen sekä fMRI- ja EEG-vasteisiin visuaalisen työmuistitehtävän aikana. Menetelmät. Tutkimuksessa mitattiin koehenkilöiltä (n = 29) fMRI- ja EEG-dataa orientaatiomuutoksen tunnistustehtävän aikana. Lisäksi koehenkilöiden behavioraalista suoriutumista arvioitiin d’-arvoilla. Koeasetelmassa tarkkaavaisuuden roolia arvioitiin ennakkovihjeen (vasen/oikea) avulla. Ärsykkeiden orientaatiomuutosten kokoa (15, 30 tai 60 astetta) pidettiin mittarina työmuistin tarkkuudelle ja kuormituksen määrää (1, 2 tai 4 eri orientaatiota) mittarina kapasiteetille. Koeasetelmassa ärsykkeiden määrä kontrolloitiin ja ainoastaan muistettavien orientaatioiden määrää vaihdeltiin. Tulokset. Koehenkilöiden behavioraalinen suoriutuminen heikkeni systemaattisesti kuormituksen kasvaessa ja orientaatiomuutosten pienentyessä eli tehtävän vaikeutuessa. Visuaaliseen työmuistiin liittyvää fMRI-aktivaatiota havaittiin frontoparietaalisessa verkostossa sekä visuaalisella aivokuorella, mutta aktivaatio ei muuttunut lineaarisesti kuormituksen tai orientaatiomuutosten funktiona.Tarkkaavaisuuteen liittyvä aktivaatio painottui visuaalisille ja parietaalisille alueille. EEG:llä mitattua kontralateraalia viiveaktivaatiota (CDA) on pidetty indeksinä visuaalisessa työmuistissa säilytettävien kohteiden määrälle. Myös tässä tutkimuksessa havaittiin CDA-efekti, mutta CDA-amplitudi ei kasvanut kuormituksen tai orientaatiomuutosten funktiona. Tarkkaavaisuuden vaikutus tuli odotetusti esiin aivopuoliskojen välisenä erona fMRI- ja EEG-vasteissa. Johtopäätökset. Tutkimuksen behavioraaliset tulokset tukevat näkemystä visuaalisen työmuistin luonteesta jatkuvana resurssina, johon vaikuttaa muistin tarkkuus. Behavioraalisesti selkeät vaikutukset eivät suoraan heijastuneet yksittäisten aivoalueiden (fMRI) tai ajanhetkien (EEG) vasteisiin. fMRI-tulokset eivät tue näkemystä aivojen aktivaation muuttumisesta systemaattisesti muistitehtävän vaikeusasteen mukaan. EEG-tulosten perusteella CDA heijastaa ennemmin tarkkaavaisuuden vaikutusta, kuin muistettavien kohteiden määrää. Tulosten perusteella työmuistiverkostoon kuuluvilla aivoalueilla on erilaisia rooleja visuaalisessa työmuistissa. Visuaalisen työmuistin kuormitukseen ja tarkkuuteen ovat yhteydessä osittain erilliset alueet, minkä lisäksi tarkkaavaisuuden vaikutusta ei voida täysin erottaa visuaalisen työmuistin toiminnasta.
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Visualisering av farmakologiska substanser i levervävnad med hjälp av masspketrometrisk bildtagning (2017)Målet för detta forskningsprojekt var att utveckla en metod med vars hjälp det är möjligt att detektera farmakologiska substanser i levervävnad med hjälp av masspektrometrisk bildtagning, så kallad MALDI-MSI. I litteraturen finns beskrivet tillämpningar av MALDI-MSI med vars hjälp det detekterats till exempel lipider i vävnader eller såsom i denna studie farmkologiska substanser. Arbetet bestod av två delmoment. I den första delen isolerades hepatocyter ur råttlever genom att perfusera kollagenas via portvenen. Hepatocyternas funktion analyserades genom att mäta deras metaboliska aktivitet med en analysator som mäter cellernas syrekonsumtion. Med analysen kunde visas att cellernas som isolerats var livsdugliga och där med sker upptagningen av substanser i hepatocyterna på ett fysiologiskt sätt. I den andra delen perfuserades levern på levande råttor genom portvenen med olika farmakologiska substanser. Levern togs tillvara och skars i tunna fryssnitt som sedan analyserades med MALDI-MSI. Kärlstrukturerna i fryssnitten färgades för att kunna urskilja ifall substanserna var belägna inne i själva i vävnaden eller i blodkärlen, ett bevis på metodens spatiala urskiljningsförmåga. Huvudfokus sattes på detektion av metformin i levervävnad eftersom de kliniska tillämpningsmöjligheterna ansågs vara störst för denna substans, då den nyligen börjats användas vid behandling av cancer. I framtiden är det möjligt att metforminets koncentration i tumörvävnaden kan bestämmas med hjälp av metoden och där med få mera detaljerad information om den optimala behandlingsdosen. Utöver att endast identifiera metformin kunde även dess distribution och koncentration i levervävnaden bestämmas med hjälp av den utvecklade metoden. Nu har metoden endast prövats med perfuserade vävnadssnitt, nästa steg skulle vara att mäta koncentrationen efter systemisk behandling.
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(2011)This thesis assesses clinical differences in patients with low and high vitamin D levels. The factors analyzed included the underlying disease, body size, age, ethnic background, use of vitamin D supplements and the season when the blood sample was taken. Fifty patients with the lowest and 50 patients with the highest vitamin D concentrations were selected from a cohort of 1351 chronically ill children and adolescents who had had their vitamin D status assessed at Children's Hospital. Protective factors appeared to be the usage of vitamin D supplements and young age, especially age <2 years. Predisposing factors included non-Finnish ethnic background and older age, especially age 12-18 years. High vitamin D values were more prevalent in the summer and autumn and low values in the winter and spring. Patients with non-Finnish background were overrepresented in the low value group. No differences regarding the underlying diseases could be detected. Conclusions: In the Northern latitudes UVB-radiation is insufficient for vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D recommendations appear to be inadequate to fulfil the needs of chronically ill patients whose requirements for vitamin D are elevated compared to the general population. New guidelines for vitamin D supplementation are needed particularly for those at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
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(2019)Aim. Meaningfulness is an important aspect of well-being. It is closely connected with zest for life and resilience, and in a long run, it is a stronger predictor for psychological well-being than happiness. As self-determination theory applies to meaningfulness, meaningfulness can be seen as satisfaction of the three needs presented by self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Only relatedness has previously been experimentally detected to have an effect on meaningfulness. In this study we examine the relationship between autonomy satisfaction and meaningfulness. We also examine the impact of our intervention on autonomy satisfaction. Experimentally we examine the impact of the intervention on meaningfulness. We also examine the impact of availability of true self-concept on autonomy satisfaction and meaningfulness. Method. The data was collected during spring and summer 2018 using a web based form. The link was distributed in social media, and participating was voluntary. The experiment group received an intervention that increase autonomy satisfaction. Intervention covered a writing task that required the subjects to write as many intrinsically motivating activities as possible in restricted time. The control group received a pseudo-intervention. The respondents filled questionnaires assessing autonomy satisfaction and meaningfulness in life. Both experimental and control forms gathered 248 subjects, altogether 496 subjects. All connections were examined with regression analysis. Results. Autonomy fulfillment was connected to meaningfulness. Intervention was connected to autonomy. Intervention did not have a connection with reported meaningfulness. The accessibility of the true self was not connected to reported autonomy or reported meaningfulness. Conclusions. Even if autonomy was connected to meaningfulness, the experimental results were contradictory with the hypotheses. Availability of the true self was not connected with meaningfulness or autonomy satisfaction. These results are discussed. It seems that the process through which autonomy satisfaction impacts meaningfulness is less straightforward than the hypotheses suggested.
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(2018)Yhä useampi suomalainen noudattaa erityisruokavaliota muusta kun sairaudellisesta syystä. Ortoreksia nervosa on ilmiö, jossa elämää hallitsee pakkomielle syödä terveellisesti. Ortorektisina pidetyt ruokavaliot keskittyvät usein raaka-aineiden puhtauteen, laatuun, alkuperään sekä lisäaineettomuuteen. Lipsahdus ruokavaliosta aiheuttaa ortorektisesti oireilevalle paljon ahdistusta ja usein myös syömisen tiukentamista. Tässä artikkelissa esitän lääkäreille suunnatun yleiskatsauksen ortoreksiasta Pubmedtietokannasta löytyvien artikkeleiden perusteella. Pubmed-tietokannasta löytyy kirjoittamisen hetkellä vajaa sata artikkelia ”orthorexia” hakusanalla. Kyseistä ilmiötä ei ole Suomessa aiemmin käsitelty lääketieteellisestä näkökulmasta, vaikka aiheesta on keskusteltu täällä jo 15 vuoden ajan. Vielä ei löydy vallitsevaa mielipidettä siitä, miten ortoreksiaan tulisi suhtautua - itsenäisenä sairautena, syömishäiriöiden variaationa vai terveen käyttäytymisen äärimuotona. Tunnetuin diagnostinen työkalu ortoreksian suhteen on kiistelty ORTO-15 kysely, joka ei ole vielä Suomessa käytössä. Esiintyvyyden on arvioitu olevan 3,3 % - 74,2 %, yksittäisissä riskiryhmissä jopa 86%. Riskiryhmiin lukeutuu ravitsemustiedettä opiskelevat sekä terveydenhuollon ammattilaiset. Sekä anoreksialla että pakko-oireisella häiriöllä on monta yhteistä riskitekijää ortoreksian kanssa, kuten esimerkiksi pakonomaisuus ja täydellisyyden tavoittelu. Vakavia haittoja on kuvattu ainakin seitsemässä tapausselostuksessa. On kuitenkin huomattavasti yleisempää että ortorektinen oireilu esiintyy lievänä ja useimmiten harmittomana.
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(2017)Aims. People with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) communicate with pre-verbal communication techniques. They have severe difficulties in interaction with other people and building up relationships. Due to the limitations of the physical and mental capacities and the limitations sense organs, sense of touch is a meaningful way to interact with other people. Intensive Interaction is a technique of communication with people who communicate with pre-verbal communication techniques. Intensive Interaction is based on natural interaction between people. Its main goal is to create meaningful interaction and strengthen the basic skills in communication. The purpose of this study is to find out what role does touch play in the interaction between a person with PMLD and a skilled communication partner when the skilled partner uses Intensive Interaction methods. Method. The data of this study were collected in the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Tikoteekki. The data were total 36 videos and collected during Intensive Interaction -Coordinator training process. This study had two participants whose interaction sessions were monitored. The skilled partner used Intensive Interaction methods during these sessions. The data were studied with a large table and transcriptions. The data were analyzed with qualitative and quantitative means. Results and conclusions. The most interesting result of this study was the touching between the partners as it became more complex during the intervention session. Touching was a way to orientate towards communication partner, take turns in interaction, participate in shared activities and strengthen the relationship between the communication partners. The results suggest that when used systematically, Intensive Interaction can help build meaningful inter-action with people with PMLD. Role of the skilled partner is crucial in this meaningful interaction.
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(2017)As graduating medical students in Finland wish for more skills training and lack proficiency in some of the core procedures expected by a graduating doctor or a GP, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Helsinki aims to improve teaching and learning methods based on simulating techniques. The aims of this study were to describe a voluntary skills laboratory course and how students and teachers perceived the experience. We recruited teachers from 11 different specialties to prepare a voluntary skills training session for medical students. The sessions used the faculty skills laboratory equipment and were targeted towards skills that would be needed in clinical rotations and working as substitute for resident doctors at hospitals and as general practitioners in health centers. The sessions were generally open to students from all course levels, and registration was separately carried out for each session. The students could, however, choose to enroll for a voluntary skills course, which required participation in 5 voluntary sessions, 40 hours of independent practice and studying, and a learning diary of the whole experience. We used web-based forms to gather feedback from students and teachers on their perceptions of the sessions. A total of 84/196 (43%) students and 20/21 (95%) teachers were responded. In addition, we analyzed 10 learning diaries from the voluntary course for similarities. Both students and teachers perceived the sessions useful. The average overall rating on a scale of five for a session by the students was 4.27 (IQR: 4-5 n=84). Teachers were motivated in organizing the sessions and felt that the participants were excited, indicating that the sessions were a pleasant experience. The voluntary skills sessions and voluntary skills course were a strong proof of concept and could provide an effective way to promote independent learning in the skills lab.
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(2023)Background and Objectives: It is crucial to identify children's linguistic and communicative challenges as early as possible. Previous research indicates that early vocabulary and gesture-object expression skills are strong predictors of later linguistic and communicative abilities. By assessing these skills, it is possible to identify children in need of support at an early stage. Various methods have been developed to assess early language and communication development, one of which is Finnish version of Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales, Developmental Profile (FinCSBS). It is a screening method where parents evaluate a child's social communication, speech comprehension, and speech production skills between the ages of 6 to 24 months. While the FinCSBS has been standardized up to two years of age, there is limited research on its application in assessing this age group. The aim of this master's thesis was to investigate whether a child's mastery of vocabulary and gestures at the age of one is related to their linguistic and communicative development at the age of two, as assessed using the FinCSBS. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the usability of the FinCSBS in assessing children's linguistic development at two years of age. Participants and Methods: This study included 50 typically developing Finnish-speaking children. The study sample was part of the validation study of short form of the MacArthur Communication Inventories Finnish version (Sanaseula study). Children's mastery of vocabulary and gesture-object functions was assessed at one year of age using the Finnish Long Form version of the Communicative Development Inventories (FinCDI-LF), while their linguistic and communicative skills at two years of age were assessed using the FinCSBS. The connections between one-year-old children's vocabulary and gesture-object skills and two-year-old children's linguistic and communicative skills were initially examined by analyzing the Spearman correlation coefficient. Subsequently, the connections were further explored through linear regression analysis. Results and Discussion: Based on the correlation coefficients, it was found that vocabulary mastery at one year of age was associated with later vocabulary comprehension, and gesture-object functions were related to later social communication skills. More information is needed to understand the connections between these skills in greater detail. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the FinCSBS may not necessarily be suitable for assessing two-year-old children, as its ability to identify children in need of support at this age may be weaker compared to earlier age groups. Therefore, its usage is advisable to be focused on younger age groups. At the age of two, the FinCSBS could be most beneficial when used alongside another method that provides a more detailed assessment of vocabulary. In the future, it is essential to develop a method that allows for a more precise assessment of a two-year-old child's comprehension of vocabulary.
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(2019)Aims. Sleep is very important for brain maturation in adolescence. However, the youth doesn’t often sleep enough. In adolescence evening preference in circadian rhythm becomes more common. This evening-type chronotype is often inconsistent with environment, such as early school mornings. In the long run this can lead into sleep deprivation which can then lead into low vitality, deficits in attention sustaining or some health problems for example. Also, evening-chronotype is associated with lower vitality, depressive and anxiety symptoms or health issues in adolescence. In adolescence it is also common to have unsteadiness of emotions. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between circadian rhythm and chronotype, vitality and emotions in adolescence. Additionally, the differences between genders in chronotype are also examined. Methods. 329 16–19-years old adolescents (69.9% girls) participated in the study for a week. The data used was from a Finnish cohort study SleepHelsinki!. The circadian rhythm and chronotype were assessed with actigraphy. Vitality and emotions were assessed three times in a day with a mobile application PsyMate™ which is based on Experience Sampling Method. The associations were examined with linear mixed models. Results and conclusions. In adolescence the circadian rhythm of girls is on average earlier than boys. Daytime low vitality is associated with less positive and more negative emotions in the same day. The association between low vitality and less positive emotions gets more intense as the study goes further. Chronotype as a continuous variable is not associated with daytime emotions or vitality in adolescence. Chronotype that is divided into three same sized groups is associated with daytime vitality as earlier chronotype is associated with lower daytime vitality. In adolescence the association between vitality and emotions should be paid attention to more, because vitality is something you might influence on with enough sleep. Guaranteeing higher vitality can also in the long run prevent mental health disorders since higher vitality could help stabilize emotions.
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(2021)Objective. Despite the health benefits of physical exercise, several adolescents exercise less than recommended and physical activity decreases from childhood to adolescence. However, there has been quite little research into the factors affecting physical activity. The circadian rhythm shifts later in adolescence, which is linked to problems with schooling, as well as psychological and physical difficulties. However, further objective research is needed of the association of circadian rhythm and physical activity in adolescence. This study examined the association of circadian period length and timing of the circadian rhythm to physical activity in adolescents and whether sex moderates these associations. Methods. The sample consisted of 262 16–19 years old adolescents (70.6 % girls) who participated in the cohort study SleepHelsinki!. Circadian period length was measured by skin temperature and timing of the circadian rhythm was measured with an actigraphs according to the midpoint of sleep, as well as with the reduced version of the MEQ survey, which measures circadian preference. Metabolic equivalents as well as the amount of sedentary behavior, light physical activity and moderate to vigorous physical activity was calculated from the actigraphy data. Relationship between circadian period length and physical activity was analyzed with linear and quadratic regression analyzes, and relationship between midpoint of sleep and physical activity with linear regression analyzes. Relationship between circadian preference and physical activity was analyzed by one-way analyzes of variance. The moderating effect of gender was examined by adding the interaction of gender and independent variable to the models. Results. Circadian period length was in a quadratic relationship to light as well as moderate to vigorous physical activity: shorter and longer than average circadian period associated with lower activity level and a near-average circadian period with higher activity level. Later sleep midpoint associated with lower metabolic equivalent, lower light and moderate to vigorous physical activity and higher sedentary time. Circadian preference was not associated with physical activity. Gender did not moderate associations. Conclusions. Adolescents whose circadian rhythm is delayed or inconsistent with the rhythm of society should be considered when planning ways to support adolescent’s physical activity, because these adolescents are at greater risk for physical inactivity and its adverse health effects. One way could be shifting school start times later, which would reduce adolescent’s social jet lag, sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue, and thus support their physical activity.
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(2019)Aims. Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental stage to develop psychiatric disorders and circadian rhythm regulation difficulties (CRRDs). Studies investigating the associations of them are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the association of CRRDs and psychiatric disorders, and whether the association is mediated by chronotype. CRRDs include late bedtimes, alteration in sleep duration and variation in standard deviations (SD) of bedtimes and sleep duration on weekdays and weekends. Gender differences are also examined. Methods. The data was from a Finnish cohort study SleepHelsinki! Study participants were 16‒18-year-old adolescents (n=317, 69.7% girls). CRRDs and chronotype were assessed with actigraph. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Statistical analyses used were logistic regression and mediation analysis. Results and Conclusions. Variations in means and SDs of bedtimes on weekdays, and alterations in SDs of bedtimes on weekends were associated with increased risk of depression. Alterations in mean bedtimes on weekdays and on weekends were associated with increased risk of suicidality, and alterations in SDs of bedtimes and sleep duration on weekdays were associated with increased risk of suicidality and antisocial personality disorder. CRRDs were not associated with anxiety disorders. Chronotype mediated the association between mean bedtimes on weekends and antisocial personality disorder. Allowing flexible schedules at school and work could support adolescents’ development, help studying and prevent CRRDs and psychiatric disorders in adolescence.
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(2017)Objectives. There are approximately 14,500 new cases of dementia-associated diseases each year in Finland. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD). There are many changes associated with AD that affect the person's ability to participate in interaction. Until now only very few Finnish studies have been conducted on assessing, treating and supporting language and interaction in dementia-associated diseases, and this type of treatment is not widely available in Finland. The purpose of this study is to introduce one indirect group speech therapy intervention aimed at the spouses of persons with AD, and to study its effectiveness in the interaction strategies they apply as well as their perceptions and satisfaction regarding interaction. The participants' experiences of the intervention and its usefulness are also examined. The study also touches the applicability of a recently translated method for assessing the interaction between persons with AD and their spouses. Method. Three couples participated in the study, all of whom had one partner diagnosed with AD. The studied intervention consisted of six group meetings aimed at the healthy spouses. Data was collected at three separate occasions using VNVIS-CG – a method based on analyzing video-recorded material – and a questionnaire. The participants also filled out a feedback form at the end of the intervention. Results and conclusions. The study found that the participants adopted and implemented some of the strategies that were addressed during the intervention. The changes observed in the behavior of the participants were individual. However, the intervention seems to even out the differences in the number of strategies used by the participants. All of the participants found the intervention useful, and felt that it had affected their behavior, but only one of the participants reported greater satisfaction with the couple's interaction after the intervention. The participants' perceptions of interaction varied greatly, so conclusions about possible changes in these perceptions cannot be made. Further research on the matter, with a larger group of participants and a comparison group, is definitely needed. In the future, the methods used to evaluate effectiveness, as well as the content and the execution of the intervention, should also be modified as needed.
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(2022)Tausta: Lihavuuden yleistyessä myös tarve saavutettaville ja taloudellisille painonhallintainterventioille, kuten verkkopohjaisille ohjelmille, kasvaa. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on arvioida Suomen terveydenhuoltojärjestelmän osana toimivan Terveyslaihdutusvalmennuksen tuloksia. Menetelmät: Terveyslaihdutusvalmennus on 12 kuukautta kestävä verkkovalmennus, jolla on hyväksymis- ja omistautumisterapeuttinen pohja. Se sisältää viikoittaisia harjoitteita liittyen elintapoihin, fyysiseen terveyteen ja mielen hyvinvointiin. Jokaiselle osallistujalle nimetään oma etävalmentaja. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan valmennuksen myötä saavutettua painonlaskua, painonlaskuprofiileja sekä tekijöitä, jotka liittyvät ohjelmassa onnistumiseen ja siinä mukana pysymiseen. Tutkimukseen osallistui lokakuun 2016 ja maaliskuun 2019 välillä 1189 henkilöä (963 naista), joiden painoindeksi oli yli 25 kg/m². Tulokset: Kahdentoista kuukauden aikapisteen saavuttaneet osallistujat (N = 173) olivat laihtuneet keskimäärin 4,6 % (SE 0,5 %). Heistä 43,3 % saavutti kliinisesti merkittävän painonlaskun (≥ 5 %). Lähtötilanteen korkeampi BMI (≥ 40 kg/m²) liittyi suurempaan painonlaskuun kuin matalampi BMI (6,6 %, SE 0,9 vs. 3,2 %, SE 0,6; P = 0,02). Myös tiheämpi painon ilmoittaminen liittyi suurempaan painonlaskuun. Merkittäviä eroja painonlaskussa ei ollut sukupuolen, iän, perussairauksien tai peruslääkitysten suhteen. Yhteensä 29,1 % osallistujista jätti valmennuksen kesken. Keskenjättäjät olivat hieman nuorempia kuin jatkajat (47,2 vuotta, SE 0,6 vs. 49,2 vuotta, SE 0,4; P = 0,01) ja ilmoittivat painonsa harvemmin (3,0 ilmoitusta/kk, SE 0,6 vs. 3,3 ilmoitusta/kk, SE 0,1; P < 0,00). Johtopäätökset: Kokonaisvaltainen verkkopohjainen ohjelma, kuten Terveyslaihdutusvalmennus, on lupaava lisä painonhallinnan tukitoimiin terveydenhuollossa. Painavimmat potilaat laihtuivat suhteessa eniten, mutta muuten laihtuminen ei riippunut lähtötilanteesta.
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(2019)Objective. In today’s workplaces an increasing number of tasks is completed in teams. Hence, to understand the psychological processes affecting interaction within and success of teams in different environments is of great importance. To study these processes, a new TT10 questionnaire (84 questions, 10 separate subscales) was created. The aim of this thesis was to study the validity and reliability of the TT10 by studying multiple literature-based hypotheses about connections between the subscales of the TT10 in two separate studies. Methods. In study 1 (n=49) 10 teams from two Finnish technology companies filled the TT10 and basic demographic information online. In study 2 (n=124) there were 62 pairs consisting of an employee of a Finnish insurance company and a customer. The counterparts in each pair were anonymously in contact with each other in an online chat for 20 minutes during which their task was to solve puzzles together. After the experiment they were asked to review the interaction of their pair with a shortened version (27 questions) of the TT10. Results. Almost all of the hypotheses gained support. Different subscales were in connection with each other mostly in the hypothesized ways. Conclusions. The most promising subscales of the TT10 were psychological safety, social cohesion, collaboration, and co-flow. However, limitations such as a very limited number of participants in study 1 made some of the results a bit unclear. However, according to these preliminary results, the TT10 seems to be a promising questionnaire that still needs fine-graining.
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(2023)Tavoitteet: Aiempi tutkimus on osoittanut kuorolaulun olevan yhteydessä parempaan sosioemotionaaliseen hyvinvointiin sekä kognitiiviseen toimintakykyyn. Kuitenkaan kuorolaulun äkillisen ja tahdonvastaisen keskeytymisen vaikutusta kuorolaulajien hyvinvointiin ei ole tutkittu. COVID-19 -pandemian myötä kuorot joutuivat lopettamaan äkillisesti normaalin toimintansa, mikä mahdollistaa keskeytymisen vaikutusten tutkimisen. Tutkielmani tavoitteena onkin tarkastella pandemian vaikutuksia ikääntyneiden kuorolaulajien sosioemotionaaliseen hyvinvointiin ja kognitiiviseen suoriutumiseen. Menetelmät: Tutkimukseen osallistui 89 kuorolaulajaa ja 71 kontrollihenkilöä. Tutkimus koostui kolmesta toistetusta mittauksesta, joissa käytettiin itsearviointikyselyitä. Mittaukset suoritettiin ennen pandemian alkua sekä ensimmäisen ja toisen pandemia-aallon aikana. Masennusoireita arvioitiin Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale - masennusoirekyselyllä, sosiaalista hyvinvointia Social Provisions Scale -kyselyllä, elämänlaatua WHO:n elämänlaatumittarilla ja kognitiivista toimintakykyä Cognitive Failures Questionnaire- sekä Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire -mittareilla. Lisäksi pandemian psykososiaalisia vaikutuksia tarkasteltiin tätä varten erikseen luodulla kyselyllä. Aineiston tilastollisessa tarkastelussa käytettiin yleistettyä lineaarista sekamallia. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset: Pandemialla ei havaittu olleen merkittäviä vaikutuksia tutkimushenkilöiden psykososiaaliseen hyvinvointiin tai kognitiiviseen toimintakykyyn. Kuorolaulamisen havaittiin kuitenkin olevan yhteydessä kontrollihenkilöitä parempaan sosiaaliseen tukeen ensimmäisen ja toisen pandemia-aallon aikana. Tämä voi johtua kuorolaulamiseen liittyvästä sosiaalisesta yhteenkuuluvuudesta, joka voi tuottaa eräänlaisen suojaavan vaikutuksen myös itse laulamisen päätyttyä. Toisaalta tulos voi myös liittyä kuorolaulajien lähtökohtaiseen sosiaalisuuteen.
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(2024)Aims: Speech production involves constrictions made in the vocal tract, and some of them can be seen by the perceiver. Consequently, lipreading is a natural part of human communication. Talker differences in visual intelligibility have been observed, but the features of a clear talker are still poorly known. Previous research on visual speech perception has mainly focused on the dynamic features of the lips, which are key articulators e.g. for labial consonants. For many other consonants, the main articulation happens inside the mouth. The current study investigated the relationship between visual articulatory features and visual speech perception. The study aimed to identify articulatory features that perceivers use to recognize spoken stop consonants visually. It was hypothesized that greater lip opening, longer duration, and hence greater visibility of articulators inside the mouth (teeth and tongue) would be related to recognition. Methods: 52 Finnish adults participated in a syllable recognition test. The stimuli analyzed in the current study were easily confusable visual stop consonants [k] and [t] articulated in CV (consonant-vowel [a]) context by 8 talkers (4 Finnish and 4 Japanese, 2 males and 2 females in both). The following visual features were analyzed from the video clips: (1) maximum mouth opening, (2) timing of the maximum mouth opening, (3) upper teeth visibility, and (4) lower teeth visibility throughout the visual stimulus, as well as (5) mouth opening, (6) tongue visibility and (7) motion blur in the consonant closure frame (when the tongue stopped the airflow in the soft palate for [k] and behind the upper front teeth in [t]). The relationship between visual features and perception responses was examined using hierarchical regression models. The model including the visual features contributing to consonant recognition was formed using forward stepwise regression. Pearson’s correlations between visual features and response proportions were also calculated. Analyses were conducted for correct responses to visual [k] and [t], as well as their confusions with each other. Results and conclusions: Tongue visibility, motion blur, and upper teeth visibility were the best predictors for the recognition of [k]. However, the blur effect finding was unreliable due to heteroscedasticity. Lower teeth visibility predicted the recognition of [t]. Measures of mouth opening correlated with recognition of both consonants but were not significant predictors. The talker’s ethnicity and gender were significant predictors of the recognition, though these differences were likely to be at least partly due to individual differences in a small sample of talkers. This study provides a greater understanding of static articulatory features’ contribution to the recognition of stop consonants in lipreading. The results of this study show that it is not only how open the mouth is during articulation but also what can be seen inside the mouth.
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(2021)Aims. Psychological determinants of work have become ever so relevant over the recent years. According to self-determination theory, the fulfillment of the basic psychological needs, i.e., the experiences of autonomy, relatedness, and competence, is paramount for occupational well-being and vigor. Regardless, psychological need satisfaction has but preliminary been studied from a person-centered perspective. This study aims to differentiate psychological need satisfaction subgroups from a working population, study potential membership predictors and examine the subgroup association with occupational well-being. Method. The participants of this study (n = 2 000) were from a sample of Finnish workers, collected as a part of a research project funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund. Psychological need satisfaction scores were utilized in a bifactor form, formulated with confirmatory factor analysis. With them, psychological need satisfaction profiles were formed with latent profile analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was utilized for studying group membership predictors, including job crafting, workload, and demographic factors. Finally, the subgroups were compared with analyses of variance for work engagement and burnout as determinants of occupational well-being. Results and conclusions. Five distinct psychological need satisfaction profiles could be differentiated from the sample. As in previous studies, the most prevalent profile group was the Globally satisfied profile group, which had superior well-being in terms of work engagement and burnout. The profile group signified by least well-being was the Globally dissatisfied yet competent profile group. Demographic factors, job crafting, and workload all predicted membership to subgroups. The global level of need satisfaction was most clearly associated with occupational well-being measures. The results support the idea that practitioners should pay attention to the balanced satisfaction of the basic psychological needs in work organizations.
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(2022)Rare, yet aggressive Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is commonly found on skin of the elderly or immunocompromised. Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the leading cause of carcinogenesis in most MCC tumors. Cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) protein found on the surface of normal cell’s is commonly upregulated in many cancers, for its ability to prevent the phagocytosis by macrophages. Immunohistochemical staining of CD47 was performed using 161 MCC tumor samples. The expression intensity was correlated statistically with tumor and patient related parameters. CD47 expression was widely expressed in MCC tumor cells. The expression did not correlate with survival. Among markers, PD-L1 and CD8 correlated with CD47. Due to the small amount of samples, random variation may affect our results. However, high expression levels of CD47 were shown in MCC, serving as a potential oncotarget in the treatment of this malignancy.
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