UTUPub
Not a member yet
55238 research outputs found
Sort by
Development of Root Caries Associated With the Use of Sugar-Free Nicotine Lozenges: A Long-Term Case Report
No full textThe authors present a case concerning an adult male patient who developed multiple sites of root caries adjacent to the area where he habitually held a sugar-free nicotine lozenge that contained mannitol and maltodextrin. The root caries occurred despite the patient's excellent oral hygiene, exemplary dietary habits, and clinically normal salivary flow. Between 1999 and 2008, he had only required two restorations to repair carious lesions. This patient had a 20+-year habit of using smokeless tobacco before switching to a cessation aid nicotine lozenge in May of 2008. A full-mouth series of radiographs taken in November 2009 revealed carious lesions on virtually every posterior tooth. The nicotine lozenge's principal ingredients were mannitol (75.7%) and maltodextrin. According to the United States' current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, manufacturers can advertise these lozenges as sugar-free. Thus, it is assumed by the public that these types of products are incapable of "causing a cavity." However, this case report presents evidence suggesting that frequent use of sugar-free nicotine lozenges may be associated with dental caries
Comparative Analysis of ASEAN Countries Using Sustainability Window and Doughnut Economy Models
No full textThe role of economic growth has been central in the discussion about sustainability. Economic growth has been linked to the social development of societies, to the improvement in welfare and to poverty alleviation. Economic growth has also been seen as a driver of climate change and environmental destruction. Also, the problems related to equity and internal and international inequality are often linked to economic growth. The Sustainability Window (SuWi) -analysis is a novel method that can be used to analyse the sustainability of development simultaneously in environmental, economic and social dimensions. SuWi is used for analysing sustainability using different indicators in order to provide information on the maximum and minimum economic development to maintain the development within sustainability boundaries. The maximum economic development is determined using environmental criteria, not to exceed sustainable environmental stress, and the minimum economic development using social criteria, to guarantee sustainable social development. The Sustainability Window method can be used for comparative analysis because it is possible to use different indicators and different time periods which makes the comparative analysis of different dimensions easy. This novel method makes it also possible to analyse the dynamics of sustainability and changes over time. Sustainability Window analysis can be used for analysing both weak and strong sustainability. Weak sustainability means that the intensity of environmental stress, measured with different indicators, should not increase. Strong sustainability means that environmental stress per se should not increase. Sustainability Window analysis can be used for constructing the Doughnut Economy model for the analysed countries. In the Doughnut Economy model, the SuWi results are organised in a radial diagram to illustrate the possible area for sustainable economic development in relation to environmental and social development. The outer boundary of economic development indicates the maximum economic development not to exceed the environmental boundaries. The inner boundary illustrates the minimum economic development to fulfil the social development needs. The doughnut area between the outer and inner boundaries forms the sustainable development space. This study provides a comparative Doughnut Model analysis based on SuWi analyses of eight ASEAN countries within the time frame of 2006-2016. The data used for the sustainability analysis in the study is taken from the Sustainable Society Index (SSI) database and UN SDGs data, which provide comprehensive data sets for key dimensions of sustainability. This study reveals key challenges and successful cases of sustainable development in eight ASEAN -countries. The results of the analyses illustrate the problematic areas of development and the successful areas in each ASEAN country. The countries perform differently in different areas having both successful and problematic areas where further policy efforts are needed. The results of the SuWi analysis can be used as a basis for developing balanced sustainability strategies in the ASEAN countries. The research results of the comparative analyses can be used for learning processes in the planning of sustainability policies in the different ASEAN countries.</p
Multicenter cohort study on duration of antiarrhythmic medication for supraventricular tachycardia in infants
No full textAntiarrhythmic medication (AM) is commonly used to prevent supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) recurrence in infants. Our aim was to determine whether a shorter duration of AM is sufficient to prevent atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) recurrence and evaluate risk factors for recurrence of SVT after discontinued AM.This multicenter cohort study included all infants diagnosed with SVT in the five university hospitals in Finland between 2005 and 2017. Those diagnosed between 2005 and 2012 received AM for 12 months (group 1), and those diagnosed between 2013 and 2017 received AM for 6 months (group 2). A total of 278 infants presented with AVRT (group 1, n = 181; group 2, n = 97), and the median AM duration was 12.0 months (interquartile range [IQR] 11.4-13.4) and 7.0 months (IQR 6.0-10.2), respectively. Propranolol was the most frequently used first-line AM (92% and 95%). Recurrence-free survival rates were over 88% until 12 months after AM prophylaxis in both groups, without any statistically significant difference between them. Independent risk factors for recurrence of SVT after discontinuation of AM were need of combination AM (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.14-4.20), Wolff-Parkinson White (WPW) syndrome (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.25-4.59), and age over 1 month at admission (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.12-4.48). Conclusion: Shortening AM duration in infants from 12 to 6 months does not seem to lead to more frequent SVT recurrence. The risk factors for recurrence of SVT were WPW syndrome, need of combination AM, and age over 1 month.</p
Interlaboratory study assessing the analysis of supercapacitor electrochemistry data
No full textSupercapacitors are fast-charging energy storage devices of great importance for developing robust and climatefriendly energy infrastructures for the future. Research in this field has seen rapid growth in recent years, therefore consistent reporting practices must be implemented to enable reliable comparison of device performance. Although several studies have highlighted the best practices for analysing and reporting data from such energy storage devices, there is yet to be an empirical study investigating whether researchers in the field are correctly implementing these recommendations, and which assesses the variation in reporting between different laboratories. Here we address this deficit by carrying out the first interlaboratory study of the analysis of supercapacitor electrochemistry data. We find that the use of incorrect formulae and researchers having different interpretations of key terminologies are major causes of variability in data reporting. Furthermore we highlight the more significant variation in reported results for electrochemical profiles showing non-ideal capacitive behaviour. From the insights gained through this study, we make additional recommendations to the community to help ensure consistent reporting of performance metrics moving forward.</p
Language Training, Refugees’ Healthcare Integration, and the Next Generation’s Health
No full textExploiting a policy reform mandating participation in a 300-hour language training course in Norway, I investigate the multigenerational health effects of a comprehensive language training program. I document the significant positive impacts of the program, not only on the long-term integration of refugees into the healthcare system but also on the health of the next generation. The program improves the cumulative use of primary care services for 12 years after arrival by 44%. This increase is proposed to partially work through refugees’ increased labor market attachment and economic success. The program also results in spillover benefits for the health at birth of the children of refugees with 21–49% decreases in premature birth, low birth weight, and short birth length. These intergenerational effects probably operate via significant improvements in the home environment and maternal care during pregnancy.</p
"Like little Helsinki girls in the backseat of a tram"
No full textThis article explores the conceptions and attitudes that non-linguists have towards Finnish spoken by gay men. Combining folk linguistics and feminist theories, the study utilises interview and survey data for content analysis. The study finds that the main characteristics of speech viewed as "gay" - e.g. high pitch, atypical intonation patterns, nasality, non-canonical /s/ quality, use of affective adjectives - align with the speech stereotypes associated with girls and young women. The article suggests that, even though the attitudes explicitly communicated by the participants are mostly neutral, the language features associated with gay men show a strong relation to extra-linguistic gay stereotypes
Enrollment and completion rates of a nationwide guided digital parenting program for children with disruptive behavior before and during COVID-19
No full textOur aim was to study enrollment and completion levels for the internet-based and telephone-assisted Finnish Strongest Families Smart Website (SFSW) parent training intervention, for parents of young children with disruptive behavior before and after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Population-based screening was carried out on 39,251 children during routine check- ups at 4 years of age. The parents of children scoring at least 5 on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were assessed against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Associations with enrollment or completion were analyzed using logistic regression models. The effects of COVID-19 restrictions on these were estimated using interrupted timeseries analysis. Of 39,251 families, 4894 screened positive and met the eligibility criteria. Of those, 3068 (62.6%) decided to enroll in the SFSW program and 2672 (87.1%) of those families completed it. The highest level of disruptive behavior (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.12-1.57, p < 0.001) and overall severity of difficulties (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.91-2.57, p < 0.001) were independently associated with enrollment. Higher parental education was associated with enrollment and completion. Higher paternal age was associated with enrollment, and parent depressive symptoms with non-completion. The SFSW enrollment did not significantly change following the COVID-19 restrictions, while the completion rate increased (COVID-19 completion OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.22-2.50, p = 0.002). Guided digital parenting interventions increase the sustainability of services, by addressing the child mental health treatment gap and ensuring service consistency during crisis situations
Kirja-arvio: Turun kadonneet kylät. Kylistä kasvoi Turku. Kaarinasta, Maariasta ja Raisiosta Turkuun liitettyjen kylien historiaa. Toimittajat Sanna Kupila, Jenna Kostet. 2021. ISBN 978-951-595-218-9
No full textIn-silico drug design for the novel Karachi-NF001 strain of brain-eating amoeba:Naegleria fowleri
No full textNaegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) is a free-living thermophilic amoeba of fresh water and soil. The amoeba primarily feeds on bacteria but can be transmitted to humans upon contact with freshwater sources. Furthermore, this brain-eating amoeba enters the human body through the nose and travels to the brain to cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). N. fowleri has been reported globally since its discovery in 1961. Recently a new strain of N. fowleri named Karachi-NF001 was found in a patient who had traveled from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to Karachi in 2019. There were 15 unique genes identified in the genome of the Karachi-NF001 strain compared to all the previously reported strains of N. fowleri worldwide. Six of these genes encode well-known proteins. In this study, we performed in-silico analysis on 5 of these 6 proteins, namely, Rab family small GTPase, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 11, two Glutamine-rich protein 2 proteins (locus tags: 12086 and 12110), and Tigger transposable element-derived protein 1. We conducted homology modeling of these 5 proteins followed by their active site identification. These proteins were subjected to molecular docking against 105 anti-bacterial ligand compounds as potential drugs. Subsequently, the 10 best-docked compounds were determined for each protein and ranked according to the number of interactions and their binding energies. The highest binding energy was recorded for the two Glutamine-rich protein 2 proteins with different locus tags, and results have shown that the protein-inhibitor complex was stable throughout the simulation run. Moreover, future in -vitro studies could validate the findings of our in-silico analysis and identify potential therapeutic drugs against N. fowleri infections
The spiritual forest: an ethnographic exploration of Finnish forest yoga and the forest landscape
No full textThis article discusses the Finnish forest yoga phenomenon, which incorporates contemporary spiritual discourses on nature, landscape, ‘the self’ and gender. We scrutinise ethnographic fieldwork materials, autoethnographic writings and other materials related to forest yoga. By using the methods of collaborative ethnography, we assert that forest yoga practices partially question and fragment, and partially reconstruct, previous forest-related discourses, practices and imageries in Finland. This results in new interpretations of forest landscapes, in which the local, global and national scales are intertwined and mediated through the body and the experiences of the yogi in the forest space. In these processes, the forest becomes gendered as a feminine and ‘safe’ space for the female body, but it is also experienced as a place for negotiating metaphorical and physical ‘roots’. Thus, previous national discourses on forests as ‘sacred places of Finns’ are brought forth, but also reinterpreted in the transnational spiritual frame.</p