Showing papers by "Academy of Finland published in 2009"
TL;DR: It is concluded that the high model order ICA of the group BOLD data enables functional segmentation of the brain cortex and enables new approaches to causality and connectivity analysis with more specific anatomical details.
Abstract: Baseline activity of resting state brain networks (RSN) in a resting subject has become one of the fastest growing research topics in neuroimaging. It has been shown that up to 12 RSNs can be differentiated using an independent component analysis (ICA) of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) resting state data. In this study, we investigate how many RSN signal sources can be separated from the entire brain cortex using high dimension ICA analysis from a group dataset. Group data from 55 subjects was analyzed using temporal concatenation and a probabilistic independent component analysis algorithm. ICA repeatability testing verified that 60 of the 70 computed components were robustly detectable. Forty-two independent signal sources were identifiable as RSN, and 28 were related to artifacts or other noninterest sources (non-RSN). The depicted RSNs bore a closer match to functional neuroanatomy than the previously reported RSN components. The non-RSN sources have significantly lower temporal intersource connectivity than the RSN (P < 0.0003). We conclude that the high model order ICA of the group BOLD data enables functional segmentation of the brain cortex. The method enables new approaches to causality and connectivity analysis with more specific anatomical details.
368 citations
TL;DR: A review of studies that focused on technology supporting people with dementia and their caregivers covering literature published between January 1992 and February 2007 finds a need for more research in this area, in particular, with people who have a mild stage dementia living in the community.
Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the findings of a review of studies that focused on technology supporting people with dementia and their caregivers. A literature search was carried out in eight scientific literature databases covering literature published between January 1992 and February 2007. A total of 46 studies providing original data and one review were included in this review. Analyses covered the aims of the studies, the technology used, study design, methods, outcome variables, and results. Most studies were carried out in residential care and focused on the needs of formal caregivers. Only a few studies involved people with dementia actively using the technology. The studies are difficult to compare because of the large variety of aims, technologies, design, and outcome measurements. There is a need for more research in this area, in particular, with people who have a mild stage dementia living in the community.
286 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an explication of a concept of economics imperialism, focusing on its epistemic aspects, and criteria for its normative assessment are proposed, and three kinds of constraints are proposed.
Abstract: The paper seeks to offer [1] an explication of a concept of economics imperialism, focusing on its epistemic aspects; and [2] criteria for its normative assessment. In regard to [1], the defining notion is that of explanatory unification across disciplinary boundaries. As to [2], three kinds of constraints are proposed. An ontological constraint requires an increased degree of ontological unification in contrast to mere derivational unification. An axiological constraint derives from variation in the perceived relative significance of the facts explained. An epistemological constraint requires strong fallibilism acknowledging a particularly severe epistemic uncertainty and proscribing against over-confident arrogance.
128 citations
TL;DR: The aim was to present recent studies of alcohol use disorders in patients with schizophrenia, and estimate overall prevalence and characteristics affecting the prevalence of AUDs.
Abstract: Objective: Our aim was to present recent studies of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in patients with schizophrenia, estimate overall prevalence and characteristics affecting the prevalence of AUDs.
Method: We conducted a search using three literature databases and a manual search on articles published in 1996–2008. Meta-regression was used to study how prevalence is affected by different study characteristics. Articles that reported diagnoses according to DSM or ICD diagnostic systems were included.
Results: Altogether 60 studies met our criteria. The median of current AUD prevalence was 9.4% (inter-quartile range, IQR 4.6–19.0, 18 studies) and median of lifetime AUD prevalence 20.6% (IQR 12.0–34.5, 47 studies). In studies using DSM-III-R median prevalence was higher than that in studies using DSM-IV, ICD-9 or ICD-10 (32/17/11/6%).
Conclusion: Approximately every fifth patient with schizophrenia had lifetime AUD diagnosis. When contrasted with the most recent review, there might be a descending trend in AUD prevalence in patients with schizophrenia.
112 citations
TL;DR: To evaluate the risk for developing metabolic syndrome when having depressive symptoms, a large number of patients were found to have depressive symptoms but not to have metabolic syndrome.
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the risk for developing metabolic syndrome when having depressive symptoms.
Method: The prevalence of depressive symptoms and metabolic syndrome at baseline, and after a 7-year follow-up as measured with Beck depression inventory (BDI), and using the modified National Cholesterol Education Program – Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS) were studied in a middle-aged population-based sample (n = 1294).
Results: The logistic regression analysis showed a 2.5-fold risk (95% CI: 1.2–5.2) for the females with depressive symptoms (BDI ≥10) at baseline to have MetS at the end of the follow-up. The risk was highest in the subgroup with more melancholic symptoms evaluated with a summary score of the melancholic items in BDI (OR 6.81, 95% CI: 2.09–22.20). In men, there was no risk difference.
Conclusion: The higher risks for MetS in females with depressive symptoms at baseline suggest that depression may be an important predisposing factor for the development of MetS.
99 citations
TL;DR: Exercise-induced benefits in dynamic balance and rigidity in the tibial shaft may partly be maintained one year after cessation of a supervised 12-month multi-component training in initially healthy elderly women.
Abstract: This study showed that about a half of the exercise-induced gain in dynamic balance and bone strength was maintained one year after cessation of the supervised high-intensity training of home-dwelling elderly women. However, to maintain exercise-induced gains in lower limb muscle force and physical functioning, continued training seems necessary. Maintenance of exercise-induced benefits in physical functioning and bone structure was assessed one year after cessation of 12-month randomized controlled exercise intervention. Originally 149 healthy women 70–78 years of age participated in the 12-month exercise RCT and 120 (81%) of them completed the follow-up study. Self-rated physical functioning, dynamic balance, leg extensor force, and bone structure were assessed. During the intervention, exercise increased dynamic balance by 7% in the combination resistance and balance-jumping training group (COMB). At the follow-up, a 4% (95% CI: 1–8%) gain compared with the controls was still seen, while the exercise-induced isometric leg extension force and self-rated physical functioning benefits had disappeared. During the intervention, at least twice a week trained COMB subjects obtained a significant 2% benefit in tibial shaft bone strength index compared to the controls. A half of this benefit seemed to be maintained at the follow-up. Exercise-induced benefits in dynamic balance and rigidity in the tibial shaft may partly be maintained one year after cessation of a supervised 12-month multi-component training in initially healthy elderly women. However, to maintain the achieved gains in muscle force and physical functioning, continued training seems necessary.
68 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that fisetin perturbs spindle checkpoint signaling, which may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of the compound.
Abstract: Fisetin is a natural flavonol present in edible vegetables, fruits and wine at 2-160 microg/g concentrations and an ingredient in nutritional supplements with much higher concentrations. The compound has been reported to exert anticarcinogenic effects as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity via its ability to act as an inhibitor of cell proliferation and free radical scavenger, respectively. Our cell-based high-throughput screen for small molecules that override chemically induced mitotic arrest identified fisetin as an antimitotic compound. Fisetin rapidly compromised microtubule drug-induced mitotic block in a proteasome-dependent manner in several human cell lines. Moreover, in unperturbed human cancer cells fisetin caused premature initiation of chromosome segregation and exit from mitosis without normal cytokinesis. To understand the molecular mechanism behind these mitotic errors, we analyzed the consequences of fisetin treatment on the localization and phoshorylation of several mitotic proteins. Aurora B, Bub1, BubR1 and Cenp-F rapidly lost their kinetochore/centromere localization and others became dephosphorylated upon addition of fisetin to the culture medium. Finally, we identified Aurora B kinase as a novel direct target of fisetin. The activity of Aurora B was significantly reduced by fisetin in vitro and in cells, an effect that can explain the observed forced mitotic exit, failure of cytokinesis and decreased cell viability. In conclusion, our data propose that fisetin perturbs spindle checkpoint signaling, which may contribute to the antiproliferative effects of the compound.
50 citations
TL;DR: Eight-year-old children with high CRF had lower overall and abdominal fatness compared with children with low CRF, independent of age, sex and BMI.
Abstract: Objective. 1) To examine whether cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with waist circumference (WC) and overall and abdominal fatness in eight-year-old girls and boys. 2) To determine whet...
48 citations
TL;DR: The elevated IL-1RA-levels and IL- 1RA/IL-1 beta ratio suggest a role for cytokines in the pathogenesis of depression, and may reflect an endogenous repairing process against depression.
Abstract: Previous studies with selected patient populations have suggested that cytokines, the immune system messengers, may play a role in the aetiology of depression. However, the data concerning the increase or decrease of the plasma cytokine levels in depression is controversial and the effects of the medications and type of depression are largely unknown. We studied the connections between plasma interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) levels, and depressive symptomatology measured with the Beck Depression. Inventory in a large, middle-aged population-based sample collected from Central Finland. In addition, the effects of various medications and type of depressive symptomatology on the cytokine levels were scrutinized. In the whole study population, IL-1RA levels were higher in the subgroup with depressive symptomatology. In the males with depressive symptomatology, higher IL-1RA levels and lower interleukin-1 beta levels were observed as compared with the non-depressed males. The IL-1RA/IL-1 beta ratio was significantly higher in males with depressive symptomatology. The IL-1RA levels were also higher and IL-1 beta levels lower in the depressed females, but the trend was not significant. The elevated IL-1RA-levels and IL-1RA/IL-1 beta ratio suggest a role for cytokines in the pathogenesis of depression. The higher IL-1RA levels may reflect an endogenous repairing process against depression.
46 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the intake fraction (iF) in the population of Europe for emissions of anthropogenic primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from sources in Europe, with a more detailed analysis of the iF from Finnish sources.
39 citations
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the intake fraction (iF) in the population of Europe for emissions of anthropogenic primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from sources in Europe, with a more detailed analysis of the iF from Finnish sources.
Abstract: The intake fraction (iF) has been defined as the integrated incremental intake of a pollutant released from a source category or region summed over all exposed individuals. In this study we evaluated the iFs in the population of Europe for emissions of anthropogenic primary fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from sources in Europe, with a more detailed analysis of the iF from Finnish sources. Parameters for calculating the iFs include the emission strengths, the predicted atmospheric concentrations, European population data, and the average breathing rate per person. Emissions for the whole of Europe and Finland were based on the inventories of the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) and the Finnish Regional Emission Scenario (FRES) model, respectively. The atmospheric dispersion of primary PM2.5 was computed using the regional-scale dispersion model SILAM. The iFs from Finnish sources were also computed separately for six emission source categories. The iFs corresponding to the primary PM2.5 emissions from the European countries for the whole population of Europe were generally highest for the densely populated Western European countries, second highest for the Eastern and Southern European countries, and lowest for the Northern European and Baltic countries. For the entire European population, the iF values varied from the lowest value of 0.31 per million for emissions from Cyprus, to the highest value of 4.42 per million for emissions from Belgium. These results depend on the regional distribution of the population and the prevailing long-term meteorological conditions. Regarding Finnish primary PM2.5 emissions, the iF was highest for traffic emissions (0.68 per million) and lowest for major power plant emissions (0.50 per million). The results provide new information that can be used to find the most cost-efficient emission abatement strategies and policies.
TL;DR: Three trends emerged: declining inequality for coronary revascularisations, an increase and then a decline in cataract extractions and primary knee replacements among men, and positive relationships between income and treatment for hysterectomy and lumbar disc operations.
Abstract: Aims:Many countries experience persistent or increasing socioeconomic disparities inspecialist care This studyexamines the socioeconomic distribution of elective surgery from 1992 to 2003 in Finland Methods: Administrative registers were used to identify common elective procedures performed in all public and private hospitals in Finland in 1992–2003 Patients’ individual sociodemographic data came from 1990–2003 census and employment statistics databases First coronary revascularisation,hip and knee replacement, lumbar disc operation, cataract extraction, hysterectomy and prostatectomy on residents aged 25–84 years were analysed Age-standardized procedure rates by income quintile were calculated for both genders, and concentration indices were developed and applied to age-standardized procedure rates in 5% income groups for each study yearResults:MostprocedureratesincreasedduringthestudyperiodThreetrendsemerged:declining inequalityforcoronary revascularisations, an increase and then a decline in cataract extractions and primary knee replacements among men, and positive relationships between income and treatment for hysterectomy and lumbar disc operations Conclusions: Our results suggest that structural features – uneven availability, co-payments and plurality of provision – sustain inequity in access; decreasing inequities reflect directed service expansion Increased attention to collective, prospective funding of primary and specialist ambulatory care is required to increase equity of access to elective surgery
TL;DR: In this paper, a 2-μm thick TiN (E = 300 GPa) coating on a high-speed steel substrate with a bond layer at the interface between the coating and the substrate was modelled by micro-level three-dimensional finite element method (3D FEM) in order to optimise a coated surface with regard to coating fracture.
TL;DR: This study supports the involvement of the dopamine pathway in temperament traits, in particular underlining the role of DRD2 in Novelty seeking, Harm avoidance and Persistence, and utilizing a large birth cohort and well established genealogical structure represents an optimal design for studying normally distributed traits.
Abstract: Although the genetic determinants of personality have been intensively investigated especially since Cloninger proposed his psychobiological model of temperament and character, findings to date remain inconclusive and very few studies have addressed the topic in large population cohorts. In the current study we investigated one gene family in its entirety by addressing the role of all known dopamine receptor genes, DRD1-DRD5, on Cloninger's temperament traits in a Finnish population-based birth cohort. The study sample (n = 1,434) was ascertained from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 with over 5,000 study individuals tested at the age of 31 years. We utilized the genetic homogeneity and genealogical structure of this population to uncover putative effects of these genes on temperament traits at the population level. Our strategy utilizing a large birth cohort and its well established genealogical structure represents an optimal design for studying normally distributed traits. We also wished to provide a comprehensive view to one biologically relevant gene family instead of testing single candidate genes. We report evidence of association of several SNPs at the 5' end of dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) with Novelty seeking (low) and Harm avoidance (high), and at the 3' end of DRD2 with Persistence. The strongest evidence of association emerged from females. Our study supports the involvement of the dopamine pathway in temperament traits, in particular underlining the role of DRD2 in Novelty seeking, Harm avoidance and Persistence.
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TL;DR: The notion of model has an uneasy relationship with that of truth, and much of science is heavily dependent on the construction and use of theoretical models.
Abstract: Science is often said to aim at truth. And much of science is heavily dependent on the construction and use of theoretical models. But the notion of model has an uneasy relationship with that of truth.
TL;DR: Brain volume differences in schizophrenia were 2-3% smaller in the schizophrenia subjects, who showed a 7% increase in CSF volume, and linear trends in the associations between whole brain and grey matter volume measures and schizophrenia were found.
Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in schizophrenia have seldom involved a general population birth cohort or other epidemiological samples. We studied the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort and identified all people with psychotic disorders. Along with an unaffected age-matched control sample (n = 100) from the cohort, 54 subjects with schizophrenia underwent MRI brain scan at age 33-35 years from which we defined volumes of whole brain, grey and white matter and intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Whole brain, grey and white matter volumes were 2-3% smaller in the schizophrenia subjects, who showed a 7% increase in CSF volume. These volume changes were independent of the effects of gender, family history of psychosis, perinatal risks or age at onset of illness. Moreover, there was no evidence that the effects were due to particular subgroups of cases having very low or high values. Rather, there were linear trends in the associations between whole brain and grey matter volume measures and schizophrenia. Our study replicates the previous findings of brain volume differences in schizophrenia on a general population level.
TL;DR: On failure mode, unreinforced specimens showed instantaneous failure, whereas reinforced specimens mostly demonstrated elongated failure, unlike other laminate laminate veneers that have shown instantaneous failure.
Abstract: This study compared the initial and final failure loads and failure modes of indirect resin composite laminate veneers with and without fiber reinforcement. Forty intact lower canines received standard laminate preparations and were randomly assigned into four test groups (n=10). In Group 1, indirect resin composite veneers were repaired with two layers of preimpregnated bidirectional glass fiber weave and a restorative composite; in Group 2, with a layer of preimpregnated unidirectional glass fibers and a restorative composite; and in Group 3, with an experimental semi-IPN matrix composed of multidirectional short glass fibers. Indirect resin composite veneers without any fiber reinforcement were used as control (Group 4). All specimens were thermocycled and tested with a universal testing machine. On the final failure load, there were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) among the test groups. Within each group, pairwise comparison of initial and final failure loads revealed statistically significant differences (p 0.05). On failure mode, unreinforced specimens showed instantaneous failure, whereas reinforced specimens mostly demonstrated elongated failure.
TL;DR: Evaluation of hospitalizations in a 70+ population showed that hip fractures (HF) were associated with a significant increase in the utilization of inpatient care for a lengthy period and days attributable to several other causes than HF itself became also more prevalent indicating that HF can steeply decrease patients’ coping capacity and launch a cascade of impairments in the function of different organ systems.
Abstract: Summary
Evaluation of hospitalizations in a 70+ population showed that hip fractures (HF) were associated with a significant increase in the utilization of inpatient care for a lengthy period. Hospital days attributable to several diagnostic classes still exceeded both prefracture and population levels in the second year after HF.
TL;DR: Age‐adjusted mean frequencies of blackouts showed an almost linear increase with the frequency of intoxication, and logarithmic transformations were used in multiple regression analysis, which indicated that the frequencyof blackouts was significantly associated with age, social class and the Frequency of intoxicating drinking, but not with marital status or thefrequency of non‐intoxicating drinking.
Abstract: Of 2,076 Finnish males, 35% reported at interview as having one or more blackouts during the previous 12 months. Age-adjusted mean frequencies of blackouts showed an almost linear increase with the frequency of intoxication. Because of the skewness of the drinking variables, logarithmic transformations were used in multiple regression analysis. This indicated that the frequency of blackouts was significantly associated with age, social class and the frequency of intoxicating drinking, but not with marital status or the frequency of non-intoxicating drinking. Together, the regressors accounted for 21% of the total variance of blackouts.
09 Jul 2009
TL;DR: The developed fully adaptive algorithm is shown to provide superior fault tolerance and the best deadlock-free algorithm is the variation based on the north-last turn model, which provides the highest fault tolerance.
Abstract: The reliability of networks-on-chip can be increased by developing routing algorithms that provide fault tolerance. Distributed routing algorithms are a class of algorithms where the routing decisions are made without knowledge of the global state of the network. The paper presents a distributed routing algorithm, which targets to maximal fault tolerance. Total of 11 different algorithms are analyzed in their fault tolerance and average hop count using a dedicated in-house C++ simulator. Five of the algorithms are variations of the proposed algorithm and the rest are references or algorithms presented in literature. The developed fully adaptive algorithm is shown to provide superior fault tolerance. The best deadlock-free algorithm is the variation based on the north-last turn model. In the class of minimal algorithms the dynamic xy algorithm provides the highest fault tolerance.
TL;DR: The research shows that the current state of data collection in most countries is inadequate to fully address the issue of long-term safety of ART, and the present pooling effort includes expansion of the cohort of children born after ART.
Abstract: Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the process of pooling data from existing cohort studies of children born after assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials & methods: A comprehensive Medline search was performed to identify pertinent studies. Registers that collect follow-up data on children born after ART were identified. All authors and registers were contacted for participation. Results: Of the 48 potential sources of data for this analysis, 17 centers do not collect follow-up data on children born after ART, nor have cancer registries available in their country, two investigators refused to participate, four collaborators have sent their datasets, and six indicated agreement to participate, but have not sent their data yet. Follow-up time of the child was significantly variable between the cohorts, from 4.5 to 12 years. The total number of children enrolled by the studies participating in the pooled analysis is at least 33,981. Conclusion: Our research shows that the current state o...
13 Nov 2009
TL;DR: A personalized long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) classification framework, which can be applied to any Holter register recorded from an individual patient, and which shows the efficiency and the robustness of the proposed system over massive data (feature) collections in high dimensions.
Abstract: In this paper we present a personalized long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) classification framework, which can be applied to any Holter register recorded from an individual patient. Due to the massive amount of ECG beats in a Holter register, visual inspection is quite difficult and cumbersome, if not impossible. Therefore the proposed system helps professionals to quickly and accurately diagnose any latent heart disease by examining only the representative beats (the so called master key-beats) each of which is automatically extracted from a time frame of homogeneous (similar) beats. We tested the system on a benchmark database where beats of each Holter register have been manually labeled by cardiologists. The selection of the right master key-beats is the key factor for achieving a highly accurate classification and thus we used exhaustive K-means clustering in order to find out (near-) optimal number of key-beats as well as the master key-beats. The classification process produced results that were consistent with the manual labels with over 99% average accuracy, which basically shows the efficiency and the robustness of the proposed system over massive data (feature) collections in high dimensions.
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present two possible methods for extrapolation beyond a limiting crack growth by considering the change in tearing resistance with crack growth, and test the realism of these methods on actual tearing resistance data going to large crack growths.
Abstract: Due to the measuring capacity limitation in normal test specimens, it is often necessary to extrapolate the tearing resistance curves beyond the measuring limit of the specimen. There are theoretically two possible limits for extrapolation. A conservative estimate, sometimes used in e.g. the British R6 failure assessment method is to assume crack growth at a constant J, equal to the limiting value. A more realistic, but possibly un-conservative estimate of the tearing resistance is based on the assumption that crack growth will continue with the same slope at the limiting value. The true behavior is likely to lie somewhere between these two extremes. Conservative extrapolation beyond a limiting crack growth can be performed by considering the change in tearing resistance with crack growth. Two possible methods are in this presentation highlighted through a simple hypothetic example. The realism of the two methods is then tested on actual tearing resistance data going to large crack growths.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
01 Nov 2009
TL;DR: In this article, the average temperature rise ΔT due to signaling along the length of the conductor has been found to be around 6.8°C for a global interconnection link and the impact of this temperature rise along the interconnects has been analyzed with two different signal transmission systems namely current-mode and voltage-mode signaling.
Abstract: As the temperature increases, interconnect delay increases due to the linear increase in electrical resistivity. This degrades the performance and shortens the interconnects life time. Package reliability will also be severely affected by the resulting thermal hotspots, thus impacting the overall performance of multicore systems. We approach this challenge by proposing to use thermal management techniques with the help of architectural thermal model of a multicore system running on a network with interconnects spawning across it. In this regard we have analysed the spatial thermal profile of the global Cu nanowire for on-chip interconnects in 65nm CMOS technology from ST microelectronics. The average temperature rise ΔT due to signaling, along the length of the conductor has been found to be around 6.8°C for a global interconnection link. The impact of this temperature rise along the interconnects has been analysed with two different signal transmission systems namely current-mode and voltage-mode signaling.