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We assessed the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 at autopsy in 22 deceased persons with confirmed COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was found by PCR (2/22, 9.1%) and by culture (1/22, 4.5%) in skull sawdust, suggesting that live virus is present in tissues postmortem, including bone. Occupational exposure risk is low with appropriate personal protective equipment.

Previous studies have linked higher generativity with better mental well-being. However, most of these studies investigated the predictive role of generativity in well-being, while the converse relation, that is, how mental well-being contributes to generativity, has been ignored. This study first investigated the structure and stability of multidimensional mental well-being, that is, emotional (including happiness, life satisfaction, and positive and negative mood), psychological, and social well-being and the absence of depressive feelings, from age 42 to 61. Second, longitudinal associations between mental well-being and generativity were examined. The data (n = 301) utilized in this study were drawn from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development and were collected using self-report questionnaires and psychological interviews at the ages of 42, 50, and 61. Using structural equation modeling, the multidimensional structure of mental well-being showed partial strong factorial invariance and high stability from age 42 to 61. The associations between mental well-being (both the multidimensional factor and the single indicators) and generativity were tested using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model. Stable, trait-like associations were found between multidimensional, emotional, and psychological well-being and generativity. The longitudinal results showed that social well-being at age 42 predicted generativity at age 50. To conclude, multidimensional mental well-being seemed to remain stable from middle adulthood to the beginning of late adulthood. Furthermore, mental well-being and generativity may be linked at both the between- and within-person levels. In particular, social well-being appeared to be a resource through which individuals could increase their generativity.

The severity of COVID-19 is linked to excessive inflammation. Neutrophils represent a critical arm of the innate immune response and are major mediators of inflammation, but their role in COVID-19 pathophysiology remains poorly understood. We conducted transcriptomic profiling of neutrophils obtained from patients with mild and severe COVID-19, as well as from SARS-CoV-2 infected mice, in comparison to non-infected healthy controls. In addition, we investigated the inflammasome formation potential in neutrophils from patients and mice upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Transcriptomic analysis of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), consisting mainly of mature neutrophils, revealed a striking type I interferon (IFN-I) gene signature in severe COVID-19 patients, contrasting with mild COVID-19 and healthy controls. Notably, low-density granulocytes (LDGs) from severe COVID-19 patients exhibited an immature neutrophil phenotype and lacked this IFN-I signature. Moreover, PMNs from severe COVID-19 patients showed heightened nigericin-induced caspase1 activation, but reduced responsiveness to exogenous inflammasome priming. Furthermore, IFN-I emerged as a priming stimulus for neutrophil inflammasomes. These findings suggest a potential role for neutrophil inflammasomes in driving inflammation during severe COVID-19. Altogether, these findings open promising avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions to mitigate the pathological processes associated with the disease.

Background Partial or complete thymectomy is routinely performed in paediatric open-heart surgeries when treating congenital heart defects. Whether or not thymectomised children require systematic immunological monitoring later in life is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of preoperatively and postoperatively used antibiotics, hospitalisation and surgical complications on self-reported immunological vulnerability in paediatric patients with early thymectomy to better recognise the patients who could benefit from immunological follow-up in the future.Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including 98 children and adolescents aged 1–15 years, who had undergone an open-heart surgery and thymectomy in infancy and who had previously answered a survey regarding different immune-mediated symptoms and diagnoses. We performed a comprehensive chart review of preoperative and postoperative factors from 1 year preceding and 1 year following the open-heart surgery and compared the participants who had self-reported symptoms of immunological vulnerability to those who had not.Results The median age at primary open-heart surgery and thymectomy was 19.5 days in the overall study population (60% men, n=56) and thymectomies mainly partial (80%, n=78). Broad-spectrum antibiotics were more frequently used preoperatively in participants with self-reported immunological vulnerability (OR=3.05; 95% CI 1.01 to 9.23). This group also had greater overall use of antibiotics postoperatively (OR=3.21; 95% CI 1.33 to 7.76). These findings were more pronounced in the subgroup of neonatally operated children. There was no statistically significant difference in the duration of intensive care unit stay, hospitalisation time, prevalence of severe infections, surgical complications or glucocorticoid use between the main study groups.Conclusion Antimicrobial agents were more frequently used both preoperatively and postoperatively in thymectomised children with self-reported immunological vulnerability after thymectomy. Substantial use of antimicrobial agents early in life should be considered a potential risk factor for increased immunological vulnerability when evaluating the significance of immune-mediated symptom occurrence in thymectomised paediatric patients.

Abstract Endangered wild fish populations are commonly supported by hatchery propagation. However, hatchery‐reared fish experience very different selective pressures compared to their wild counterparts, potentially causing genotype‐by‐environment interactions (G × E) in essential fitness traits. We experimentally studied early selection in a critically endangered landlocked Atlantic salmon population, first from fertilization to the swim‐up stage in a common hatchery setting, and thereafter until the age of 5 months in two contrasting rearing environments. Swim‐up progeny were moved either to standard indoor hatchery tanks involving conventional husbandry or to seminatural outdoor channels providing only natural food. After the first summer, sampled survivors were assigned to their families by genotyping. Early survival until the swim‐up stage was mostly determined by maternal effects, but also involved significant variation due to sires and full‐sib families (potential genetic effects). High on‐growing survival in hatchery tanks (88.7%) maintained a more even distribution among families (relative share 1.5%–4.2%) than the seminatural environment (0.0%–5.4%). This heterogeneity was mostly maternal, whereas no independent paternal effect occurred. Heritability estimates were high for body size traits in both environments (0.62–0.69). Genetic correlations between the environments were significantly positive for body size traits (0.67–0.69), and high body condition in hatchery was also genetically linked to rapid growth in the seminatural environment (0.54). Additive and phenotypic growth variation increased in the seminatural environment, but scaling effects probably played a less significant role for G × E, compared to re‐ranking of genotypes. Our results suggest that not only maternal effects, but also genetic effects, direct selection according to the environmental conditions experienced. Consistently high genetic variation in growth implies that, despite its low overall genetic diversity and long history in captive rearing (>50 years), this landlocked Atlantic salmon population still possesses adaptive potential for response to change from hatchery rearing back to more natural conditions.

Abstract Background The beneficial effect of acute physical exercise on cognitive performance has been studied in laboratory settings and in long-term longitudinal studies. Less is known about these associations in everyday environment and on a momentary timeframe. This study investigated momentary and daily associations between physical activity and cognitive functioning in the context of everyday life. Methods Middle-aged adults (n = 291, aged 40–70) were asked to wear accelerometers and complete ecological momentary assessments for eight consecutive days. Processing speed and visual memory were assessed three times per day and self-rated evaluations of daily cognition (memory, thinking, and sharpness of mind) were collected each night. The number of minutes spent above the active threshold (active time) and the maximum vector magnitude counts (the highest intensity obtained) before each cognitive test and at a daily level were used as predictors of momentary cognitive performance and nightly subjective cognition. Analyses were done with multilevel linear models. The models were adjusted for temporal and contextual factors, age, sex, education, and race/ethnicity. Results When participants had a more active time or higher intensity than their average level within the 20 or 60 minutes prior to the cognitive test, they performed better on the processing speed task. On days when participants had more active time than their average day, they rated their memory in the evening better. Physical activity was not associated with visual memory or self-rated thinking and sharpness of mind. Conclusions This study provides novel evidence that outside of laboratory settings, even small increases in physical activity boost daily processing speed abilities and self-rated memory. The finding of temporary beneficial effects is consistent with long-term longitudinal research on the cognitive benefits of physical activity.

Prolonged T cell lymphopenia is common in COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2. While the mechanisms of lymphopenia during COVID-19 remain elusive, it is especially pronounced in a specialized innate-like T cell population called Mucosal Associated Invariant T cells (MAITs). MAITs has been suggested to express Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the well-known cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2. However, it is still unclear if SARS-CoV-2 can infect or affect MAIT cells directly. In this study, we performed multicolor flow cytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from COVID-19 patients to assess the frequencies of CD8+Vα7.2+CD161+ MAIT subsets at acute and convalescent disease phases. The susceptibility of MAITs and T cells to direct exposure by SARS-CoV-2 was analysed using cells isolated from healthy donor buffy coats by viability assays, virus-specific RT-PCR, and flow cytometry. In situ lung immunofluorescence was used to evaluate retention of T cells, especially MAIT cells, in lung tissues during acute COVID-19. Our study confirms previous reports indicating that circulating MAITs are activated, and their frequency is declined in patients with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas an accumulation of MAITs and T cells was seen in the lung tissue of individuals with fatal COVID-19. However, despite a fraction of MAITs found to express ACE2, no evidence for the susceptibility of MAITs for direct infection or activation by SARS-CoV-2 particles was observed. Thus, their activation and decline in the circulation is most likely explained by indirect mechanisms involving other immune cells and cytokine-induced pro-inflammatory environment but not by direct exposure to viral particles at the infection site.

Background: Lymphopenia is common in COVID-19. This has raised concerns that COVID-19 could affect the immune system akin to measles infection, which causes immune amnesia and a reduction in protective antibodies. Methods: We recruited COVID-19 patients (n = 59) in Helsinki, Finland, and collected plasma samples on 2 to 3 occasions during and after infection. We measured IgG antibodies to diphtheria toxin, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis toxin, along with total IgG, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein IgG, and neutralizing antibodies. We also surveyed the participants for up to 17 months for long-term impaired olfaction as a proxy for prolonged post-acute COVID-19 symptoms. Results: No significant differences were found in the unrelated vaccine responses while the serological response against COVID-19 was appropriate. During the acute phase of the disease, the SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were lower in outpatients when compared to inpatients. SARS-CoV-2 serology kinetics matched expectations. In the acute phase, anti-tetanus and anti-diphtheria IgG levels were lower in patients with prolonged impaired olfaction during follow up than in those without. Conclusions: We could not detect significant decline in overall humoral immunity during or after COVID-19 infection. In severe COVID-19, there appears to be a temporary decline in total IgG levels.

BackgroundExercise self-efficacy is a crucial aspect of adopting and maintaining a physically active lifestyle. Regular physical activity may enhance exercise self-efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the baseline associations of physical fitness, physical activity, and body composition with exercise self-efficacy and the effects of military service on exercise self-efficacy. Methods: The sample consisted of healthy young Finnish conscripts (n = 243) undergoing military service. The participants were divided into two groups: an intervention group undergoing a high-intensity functional training program (n = 113) and a control group undergoing traditional physical training within their military service (n = 130). Exercise self-efficacy (adoption and barrier) and aerobic and muscular fitness were measured thrice (baseline, month 3, and month 5). Self-reported leisure-time physical activity and measured fat percentage were collected at baseline.ResultsAdoption and barrier exercise self-efficacy correlated positively with aerobic and muscular fitness and leisure time physical activity (r = 0.33–0.59, p

BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused millions of infections and fatalities globally since its emergence in late 2019. The virus was first detected in Finland in January 2020, after which it rapidly spread among the populace in spring. However, compared to other European nations, Finland has had a low incidence of SARS-CoV-2. To gain insight into the origins and turnover of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Finland in 2020, we investigated the phylogeographic and -dynamic history of the virus.MethodsThe origins of SARS-CoV-2 introductions were inferred via Travel-aware Bayesian time-measured phylogeographic analyses. Sequences for the analyses included virus genomes belonging to the B.1 lineage and with the D614G mutation from countries of likely origin, which were determined utilizing Google mobility data. We collected all available sequences from spring and fall peaks to study lineage dynamics.ResultsWe observed rapid turnover among Finnish lineages during this period. Clade 20C became the most prevalent among sequenced cases and was replaced by other strains in fall 2020. Bayesian phylogeographic reconstructions suggested 42 independent introductions into Finland during spring 2020, mainly from Italy, Austria, and Spain.ConclusionsA single introduction from Spain might have seeded one-third of cases in Finland during spring in 2020. The investigations of the original introductions of SARS-CoV-2 to Finland during the early stages of the pandemic and of the subsequent lineage dynamics could be utilized to assess the role of transboundary movements and the effects of early intervention and public health measures.

Abstract Background Most studies investigating the association of temperament with physical activity and sedentary behavior have examined children or adolescents, employed cross-sectional or longitudinal designs that do not extend from childhood into adulthood, and utilized self- or parent-reported data on physical activity and sedentary behavior. This longitudinal study investigated whether socioemotional behavior in childhood and temperament in middle adulthood predict accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in late adulthood. Methods This study was based on the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (JYLS). Socioemotional behavior (behavioral activity, well-controlled behavior, negative emotionality) was assessed at age 8 based on teacher ratings, whereas temperament (surgency, effortful control, negative affectivity, orienting sensitivity) was assessed at age 42 based on self-rating. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behavior were assessed at age 61 using an accelerometer. Data (N = 142) were analyzed using linear regression analysis. Results In women, behavioral activity at age 8 predicted higher levels of daily sedentary behavior at age 61. The association did not remain statistically significant after controlling for participant’s occupational status. In addition, women’s negative affectivity at age 42 predicted lower daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at age 61, particularly during leisure time. No statistically significant results were observed in men. Conclusions Although few weak associations of socioemotional behavior and temperament with physical activity and sedentary behavior were detected in women, they were observed over several decades, and thus, deserve attention in future studies. In addition to other factors contributing to physical activity and sedentary behavior, health professionals may be sensitive to individual characteristics, such as a tendency to experience more negative emotions, when doing health counseling or planning for health-promoting interventions targeting physical activity and sedentary behavior.

Objectives: The Puumala virus (PUUV) is a hantavirus that causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. Studies showing an increased risk of lymphoid malignancies after hantavirus infection, together with the observation that PUUV infects B cells, motivated us to study the risk of lymphoid malignancies after PUUV infection. Methods: We linked data from the Finnish Cancer Registry and National Infectious Diseases Register for 2009-2019. We used a time-dependent Cox regression model to evaluate the hazard of the lymphoid malignancies grouped according to the HAEMACARE classification. Results: We identified 68 cases of lymphoid malignancies after PUUV infection among 16,075 PUUV-infected individuals during 61,114,826 person-years of observation. A total of 10 cases occurred within 3-

Cold seeps release methane (CH4) from the seafloor to the water column, which fuels microbially mediated aerobic methane oxidation (MOx). Methane-oxidising bacteria (MOB) utilise excess methane, and the MOB biomass serves as a carbon source in the food web. Yet, it remains unclear if and how MOx modifies the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in cold seeps. We investigated MOx rates, DOM compositions and the microbial community during ex-situ incubations of seawater collected from a cold seep site at Norskebanken (north of the Svalbard archipelago) in the Arctic Ocean. Samples were incubated with and without methane amendments. Samples amended with methane (∼1 µM final concentration) showed elevated rates of MOx in both seep and non-seep incubations. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) analyses showed that the number of DOM formulas (i.e., molecular diversity) increased by up to 39% in these incubations. In contrast, the number of formulas decreased by 20% in samples not amended with methane, both from non-seep and seep locations. DOM composition was thus altered towards a more diverse and heterogeneous composition along with elevated methanotrophic activity in methane-amended conditions. In addition to microbial DOM production, abating microbial diversity indicates that elevated DOM diversity was potentially related to grazing pressure on bacteria. The diversity of DOM constituents, therefore, likely increased with the variety of decaying cells contributing to DOM production. Furthermore, based on a principal coordinate analysis, we show that the final DOM composition of non-seep samples amended with methane became more resemblant to that of seep samples. This suggests that methane intrusions will affect water column DOM dynamics similarly, irrespective of the water column’s methane history.

This study shows a comparison and analysis of results from a modelling exercise concerning a field experiment involving the transport and retention of different radionuclide tracers in crystalline rock. This exercise was performed within the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) Task Force on Modelling of Groundwater Flow and Transport of Solutes (Task Force GWFTS).Task 9B of the Task Force GWFTS was the second subtask within Task 9 and focused on the modelling of experimental results from the Long Term Sorption Diffusion Experiment in situ tracer test. The test had been performed at a depth of about 410m in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory. Synthetic groundwater containing a cocktail of radionuclide tracers was circulated for 198 days on the natural surface of a fracture and in a narrow slim hole drilled in unaltered rock matrix. Overcoring of the rock after the end of the test allowed for the measurement of tracer distribution profiles in the rock from the fracture surface (A cores) and also from the slim hole (D cores). The measured tracer activities in the rock samples showed long profiles (several cm) for non- or weakly-sorbing tracers (Cl-36, Na-22), but also for many of the more strongly-sorbing radionuclides. The understanding of this unexpected feature was one of the main motivations for this modelling exercise. However, re-evaluation and revision of the data during the course of Task 9B provided evidence that the anomalous long tails at low activities for strongly sorbing tracers were artefacts due to cross-contamination during rock sample preparation. A few data points remained for Cs-137, Ba-133, Ni-63 and Cd-109, but most measurements at long distances from the tracer source (>10mm) were now below the reported detection limits.Ten different modelling teams provided results for this exercise, using different concepts and codes. The tracers that were finally considered were Na-22, Cl-36, Co-57, Ni-63, Ba-133, Cs-137, Cd-109, Ra-226 and Np-237. Three main types of models were used: i) analytical solutions to the transport-retention equations, ii) continuum-porous-medium numerical models, and iii) microstructure-based models accounting for small-scale heterogeneity (i.e. mineral grains, porosities and/or microfracture distributions) and potential centimetre-scale fractures. The modelling by the different teams led to some important conclusions, concerning for instance the presence of a disturbed zone (a few mm in thickness) next to the fracture surface and to the wall of the slim hole and the role of micro-fractures and cm-scale fractures in the transport of weakly sorbing tracers. These conclusions could be reached after the re-evaluation and revision of the experimental data (tracer profiles in the rock) and the analysis of the different sets of model results provided by the different teams.

Truong Nguyen, Kant, Van den Broeck et al. report the SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Finland in 2020. Phylogeographic analysis suggests that 42 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions into Finland occurred, with a single introduction seeding one third of cases in the spring.

Hydrothermal vents modify and displace subsurface dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the ocean. Once in the ocean, this DOM is transported together with elements, particles, dissolved gases and biomass along with the neutrally buoyant plume layer. Considering the number and extent of actively venting hydrothermal sites in the oceans, their contribution to the oceanic DOM pool may be substantial. Here, we investigate the dynamics of DOM in relation to hydrothermal venting and related processes at the as yet unexplored Aurora hydrothermal vent field within the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean at 82.9∘ N. We examined the vertical distribution of DOM composition from sea ice to deep waters at six hydrocast stations distal to the active vent and its neutrally buoyant plume layer. In comparison to background seawater, we found that the DOM in waters directly affected by the hydrothermal plume was molecularly less diverse and 5 %–10 % lower in number of molecular formulas associated with the molecular categories related to lipid and protein-like compounds. On the other hand, samples that were not directly affected by the plume were chemically more diverse and had a higher percentage of chemical formulas associated with the carbohydrate-like category. Our results suggest that hydrothermal processes at Aurora may influence the DOM distribution in the bathypelagic ocean by spreading more thermally and/or chemically induced compositions, while DOM compositions in epipelagic and mesopelagic layers are mainly governed by the microbial carbon pump dynamics and surface-ocean–sea-ice interactions.

Abstract Threatened fish populations worldwide are relying on stock supplementation by hatchery‐reared fish. Although stocking with non‐native fish may lead to hybridization, thereby disrupting local adaptations, it could also improve the adaptive potential of small populations by increasing variability in essential behavioral traits. In this study, we crossbred the critically endangered Finnish landlocked salmon with a geographically close Baltic anadromous salmon population to compare boldness‐related behavioral traits among the crossing groups. We studied postrelease exploration in seminatural streams and tested stress tolerance of the fish, as reflected by their response during swimming trials and commencement of feeding after the trials. In the stress tolerance experiments, we compared fish with different rearing backgrounds to gain insight into environmentally induced variability in stress tolerance. When compared with the anadromous salmon, the landlocked salmon showed more active postrelease exploration and higher stress tolerance. The hybrids displayed intermediate behaviors compared with the purebred salmon, indicating heritability of these traits. The landlocked salmon showed less variable exploration than the hybrids with anadromous salmon as the maternal strain, but we did not find rearing‐dependent responses in stress tolerance. In summary, our findings suggest that hybridization could help in reversing likely domestication‐related negative behavioral traits in the landlocked salmon.

Objectives: The aim was to characterise age- and sex-specific severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RT-PCR sampling frequency and positivity rate in Greater Helsinki area in Finland during February–June 2020. We also describe the laboratory capacity building for these diagnostics. Methods: Laboratory registry data for altogether 80,791 specimens from 70,517 individuals was analysed. The data included the date of sampling, sex, age and the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test result on specimens collected between 1 February and 15 June 2020. Results: Altogether, 4057/80,791 (5.0%) of the specimens were positive and 3915/70,517 (5.6%) of the individuals were found positive. In all, 37% of specimens were from male and 67% from female subjects. While the number of positive cases was similar in male and female subjects, the positivity rate was significantly higher in male subjects: 7.5% of male and 4.4% of female subjects tested positive. The highest incidence/100,000 was observed in those aged ≥80 years. The proportion of young adults in positive cases increased in late May 2020. Large dips in testing frequency were observed during every weekend and also during public holidays. Conclusions: Our data suggest that men pursue SARS-CoV-2 testing less frequently than women. Consequently, a subset of coronavirus disease-2019 infections in men may have gone undetected. People sought testing less frequently on weekends and public holidays, and this may also lead to missing of positive cases. The proportion of young adults in positive cases increased towards the end of the study period, which may suggest their returning back to social behaviour with an increased risk of infection.

Inborn errors of immunity offer important insights into mucosal immunity. In autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type-1 (APS-1), chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis has been ascribed to neutralizing IL-17 autoantibodies. Recent evidence implicates excessive T-cell IFN-γ secretion and ensuing epithelial barrier disruption in predisposition to candidiasis, but these results remain to be replicated. Whether IL-17 paucity, increased type I inflammation, or their combination underlies susceptibility to chronic mucocutaneus candidiasis in APS-1 is debated. Our aim was to characterize the immunologic features in the cervicovaginal mucosa of females with APS-1. Vaginal fluid was collected with a flocked swab from 17 females with APS-1 and 18 controls, and cytokine composition was analyzed using Luminex (Luminex Corporation, Austin, Tex). Cervical cell samples were obtained with a cervix brush from 6 patients and 6 healthy controls and subjected to transcriptome analysis. The vaginal fluid samples from patients with APS-1 had IFN-γ concentrations comparable to those of the controls (2.6 vs 2.4 pg/mL) but high concentrations of the T H 1 chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 (1094 vs 110 pg/mL [ P <.001] and 4033 vs 273 pg/mL [ P =.001], respectively), whereas the IL-17 levels in the samples from the 2 groups were comparable (28 vs 8.8 pg/mL). RNA sequencing of the cervical cells revealed upregulation of pathways related to mucosal inflammation and cell death in the patients with APS-1. Excessive T H 1 cell response appears to underlie disruption of the mucosal immune responses in the genital tract of patients with APS-1 and may contribute to susceptibility to candidiasis in the genital tract as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy–candidiasis–ectodermal dystrophy (APECED, also called APS-1) is an inborn error of immunity with clear signs of B-cell autoimmunity such as neutralizing anti-IFN antibodies. In APECED, mutations in the AIRE gene impair thymic negative selection of T cells. The resulting T-cell alterations may then cause dysregulation of B-cell responses. However, no analysis of interactions of T and B cells in the germinal centers (GCs) in patients' secondary lymphatic tissues has been reported. This study examined the relationship between B cells and follicular T helper cells (TfH) in peripheral blood and lymph node (LN) GCs in patients with APECED. Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood B cells and TfH was performed for 24 patients with APECED. Highly multiplexed fluorescent immunohistochemical staining was performed on 7 LN biopsy samples from the patients to study spatial interactions of lymphocytes in the GCs at the single-cell level. The patients' peripheral B-cell phenotype revealed skewing toward a mature B-cell phenotype with marked loss of transitional and naive B cells. The frequency of circulating TfH cells was diminished in the patients, while in the LNs the TfH population was expanded. In LNs the overall frequency of Treg cells and interactions of Treg cells with nonfollicular T cells were reduced, suggesting that aberrant Treg cell function might fail to restrain TfH differentiation. GC reactions are disrupted in APECED as a result of defective T-cell control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Personality reflects relatively stable and pervasive tendencies in feeling, thinking and behaving. While previous studies have found higher extraversion and lower neuroticism to be linked to higher self-reported physical activity levels, larger studies using accelerometer-measured physical activity are lacking. This study investigated the cross-sectional associations of extraversion and neuroticism with both accelerometer-measured and self-reported physical activity and the role of these personality traits in possible discrepancies between these two measures of physical activity among Finnish adults. Methods Two community-dwelling samples were used in this study: a) 47–55-yr-old women (n = 1098) and b) 70–85-yr-old women and men (n = 314). In both samples, extraversion and neuroticism were assessed by the 19-item short form of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Physical activity was assessed with hip-worn tri-axial accelerometers and self-reported questions. Regression analyses were adjusted by age, BMI and education. Results In the middle-aged women, neuroticism was negatively associated with accelerometer-measured leisure time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β = −.07, p = .036) and with self-reported physical activity (β = −.08, p = .021), while extraversion was positively associated with self-reported physical activity (β = .10, p = .005). No associations of extraversion or neuroticism with physical activity were found in the older men and women. Older adults who scored high in neuroticism reported less physical activity than what was measured by accelerometers (β = −.12, p = .039). Extraversion was not associated with discrepancy between self-reported and accelerometer-measured leisure time physical activity in either sample. Conclusions Neuroticism was associated with lower leisure-time physical activity levels and extraversion with higher self-reported physical activity among middle-aged women. Neuroticism and extraversion were unrelated to physical activity among older adults, but older adults with high neuroticism seemed to underreport their physical activity level. The role of personality in the discrepancy between self-reported and device-based physical activity warrants further research.

Summary: Background: Isolation precautions are essential prevent spread of COVID-19 infection but may have a negative impact on inpatient care. The impact of these measures on non-COVID-19 patients remains largely unexplored. Aim: This study aimed to investigate diagnostic and treatment delays related to isolation precautions, the associated patient outcome, and the predisposing risk factors for delays. Methods: This observational study was conducted in seven Helsinki region hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. The study used data on all non-COVID-19 inpatients, who were initially isolated due to suspected COVID-19, to estimate whether isolation precautions resulted in diagnostic or treatment delays. Results: Out of 683 non-COVID-19 patients, 33 (4.8%) had delays related to isolation precautions. Clinical condition deteriorated non-fatally in seven (1.0%) patients. The following events were associated with an increased risk of treatment or a diagnostic delay: more than three ward transfers (P = 0.025); referral to an incorrect speciality in the emergency department (P = 0.004); more than three SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests performed (P = 0.022); and where cancer was the final diagnosis (P = 0.018). In contrast, lower respiratory tract symptoms (P = 0.013) decreased the risk. Conclusions: The use of isolation precautions for patients who did not have COVID-19 had minor negative effects on patient outcomes. The present study underlines the importance of targeting diagnostic efforts to patients with unspecified symptoms and to those with a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result. Thorough investigations to achieve an accurate diagnosis improves the prognosis of patients and facilitates appropriate targeting of hospital resources.

Severe COVID-19 is characterized by extensive pulmonary complications, to which host immune responses are believed to play a role. As the major arm of innate immunity, neutrophils are one of the first cells recruited to the site of infection where their excessive activation can contribute to lung pathology. Low-density granulocytes (LDGs) are circulating neutrophils, whose numbers increase in some autoimmune diseases and cancer, but are poorly characterized in acute viral infections. Using flow cytometry, we detected a significant increase of LDGs in the blood of acute COVID-19 patients, compared to healthy controls. Based on their surface marker expression, COVID-19-related LDGs exhibit four different populations, which display distinctive stages of granulocytic development and most likely reflect emergency myelopoiesis. Moreover, COVID-19 LDGs show a link with an elevated recruitment and activation of neutrophils. Functional assays demonstrated the immunosuppressive capacities of these cells, which might contribute to impaired lymphocyte responses during acute disease. Taken together, our data confirms a significant granulocyte activation during COVID-19 and suggests that granulocytes of lower density play a role in disease progression.

Seminal plasma (SP) plays a crucial role in reproduction and contains a large number of proteins, many of which may potentially modify sperm functionality. To evaluate the effects of SP identity and its protein composition on human sperm function, we treated the sperm of several males with either their own or multiple foreign SPs in all possible sperm–SP combinations (full-factorial design). Then we recorded sperm motility and viability in these combinations and investigated whether the sperm performance is dependent on sperm and SP identity (or their interaction). Finally, we studied whether the above-mentioned sperm traits are affected by the abundance of three SP proteins, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), neutral endopeptidase (NEP), and aminopeptidase N (APN). The identity of the SP donor affected sperm swimming velocity, viability, and the proportion of hyperactivated sperm, but males’ own SP was not consistently more beneficial for sperm than foreign SPs. Furthermore, we show that sperm performance is also partly affected by the interaction between sperm and SP donor. Finally, we found that DPP4 and NEP levels in SP were positively associated with sperm swimming velocity and hyperactivation. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of seminal plasma as a potential source of biomarkers for diagnostics and therapeutic interventions for male-derived infertility.

Detailed characterizations of human lung tissue-resident natural killer (trNK) cells, which potentially regulate local immune responses, is still lacking. Here the authors show that lung CD69+ CD16– NK cells express tissue-residency markers, produce effector cytokines, and are distinct, feature-wise, from lung CD8+ memory T cells or trNK in other tissues.

Even though natural phenomena do not abide to borders, Finland has traditionally been considered an alkali-silica reaction (ASR) free country. This is due to exceptional quality of the mostly course crystalline igneous rocks. However, during the last few years dozens of cases of ASR have been reported. The scope of this study was to study the occurrence of ASR, and to find out the initiation time of the reaction in resent investigations of Finnish concrete structures. ASR is found occurring all over Finland. The reacting aggregates consist of rock types, which are considered relatively stable or low reacting in literature.

BackgroundUnderstanding the false negative rates of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing is pivotal for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has implications for patient management. Our aim was to determine the real-life clinical sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR.MethodsThis population-based retrospective study was conducted in March-April 2020 in the Helsinki Capital Region, Finland. Adults who were clinically suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection and underwent SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing, with sufficient data in their medical records for grading of clinical suspicion were eligible. In addition to examining the first RT-PCR test of repeat-tested individuals, we also used high clinical suspicion for COVID-19 as the reference standard for calculating the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR.ResultsAll 1,194 inpatients (mean [SD] age, 63.2 [18.3] years; 45.2% women) admitted to COVID-19 cohort wards during the study period were included. The outpatient cohort of 1,814 individuals (mean [SD] age, 45.4 [17.2] years; 69.1% women) was sampled from epidemiological line lists by systematic quasi-random sampling. The sensitivity (95% CI) for laboratory confirmed cases (repeat-tested patients) was 85.7% (81.5-89.1%) inpatients; 95.5% (92.2-97.5%) outpatients, 89.9% (88.2-92.1%) all. When also patients that were graded as high suspicion but never tested positive were included in the denominator, the sensitivity (95% CI) was: 67.5% (62.9-71.9%) inpatients; 34.9% (31.4-38.5%) outpatients; 47.3% (44.4-50.3%) all.ConclusionsThe clinical sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing was only moderate at best. The relatively high false negative rates of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing need to be accounted for in clinical decision making, epidemiological interpretations, and when using RT-PCR as a reference for other tests.

Digitaalisuus ja esineiden Internet (IoT) edellyttävät rakennemuutoksen yhteiskunnassamme. Rakennemuutos näkyy hoitoalalla muuttuvana työnkuvana ja teknologian käytön lisääntymisenä. Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten osaaminen on jatkuvassa muutoksessa. Osaamistarpeisiin vaikuttavat ammattien tietoperustasta nousevat sisäiset ja ammattien toimintaympäristöissä tapahtuvat lyhyen ja pitkän aikavälin muutokset. Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon palvelurakenneuudistukseen sisältyvä asiakkaan ja potilaan valinnanvapaus sekä palveluiden tarjoajien ja toteuttajien monimuotoistuminen luovat ulkoisia odotuksia ammatilliselle osaamiselle. Tässä artikkelissa Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology -mallin tekijöiden avulla koottiin tietoa hoitajien ja opiskelijoiden asenteista teknologiaa kohtaan kotihoidon kontekstissa. Lisäksi koottiin tietoa odotuksista ja hyödyistä, joita hyvinvointiteknologian odotetaan tuovan iäkkäiden henkilöiden arkeen kotona ja kotihoidon asiakkaina. Tutkimuksessa etsittiin vastausta kysymykseen: Miten sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon opiskelijat ja ammattilaiset asennoituvat hyvinvointiteknologian käyttöön kotihoidossa? Aineistonkeruu toteutettiin WelTech-hankkeen (Hyvinvointiteknologian koulutustuote: käyttöönoton ja käytön koulutus) koulutuksien yhteydessä. Hankkeessa kehitettiin ja toteutettiin koulutuskokonaisuuksia sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollossa työskentelevälle hoitohenkilöstölle ja alan opiskelijoille. Tuloksissa nähdään myönteinen asenne hyvinvointiteknologia kohtaa, vaikka työpaikoilla ei vastaajien mielestä ole kannustettu hyvinvointiteknologian käyttöön. Vastaajat arvioivat hyvinvointiteknologian tulevaisuudessa tehostavan työtä, vaikka konkreettisempien vaikutusten, esimerkiksi virheiden vähenemiseen tai laadun kehittymiseen sen ei arvioitu vaikuttavan. Vastausten perusteella sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon työyksiköissä tulee entistä selkeämmin tukea hyvinvointiteknologian mahdollisuuksien käyttöönottoa tai kehittämistä.

Infertility is assumed to arise exclusively from male- and female-dependent pathological factors. However, recent studies have indicated that reproductive failure may also result from the reproductive incompatibility of the partners. Selection against such incompatibilities likely occurs via female-derived reproductive secretions, including follicular fluid (FF), that mediate gamete-level mate choice towards the sperm of specific males. To facilitate potential development of diagnostic tests for human reproductive incompatibility, we examined whether sperm physiological response to female serum indicate male–female compatibility in the presence of FF. We performed a full-factorial experiment, in which the sperm of 10 males were treated with the FF and serum of 6 healthy females. We found that sperm motility and viability in both biofluids were highly similar and that in 70% of the males, sperm serum treatment predicted male–female compatibility. We also identified male human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and female (FF and serum) anti-HLA antibodies and tested whether the number of allele–antibody matches predict sperm physiological response to female fluids. However, no association was found between measured sperm traits and the number of allele–antibody matches. Overall, the present results may open novel possibilities for the future development of reproductive incompatibility tests and may pave the way towards more accurate infertility diagnostics and treatments.

BackgroundLive viral vaccines are generally contraindicated in patients with combined immunodeficiency including cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH); however, they may be tolerated in milder syndromes. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of live viral vaccines in patients with CHH.MethodsWe analyzed hospital and immunization records of 104 patients with CHH and measured serum antibodies to measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella zoster virus (VZV) in all patients who agreed to blood sampling (n = 50). We conducted a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02383797) of live VZV vaccine on five subjects with CHH who lacked varicella history, had no clinical symptoms of immunodeficiency, and were seronegative for VZV; humoral and cellular immunologic responses were assessed post-immunization.ResultsA large proportion of patients have been immunized with live viral vaccines, including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (n = 40, 38%) and VZV (n = 10, 10%) vaccines, with no serious adverse events. Of the 50 patients tested for antibodies, previous immunization has been documented with MMR (n = 22), rubella (n = 2) and measles (n = 1) vaccines. Patients with CHH demonstrated seropositivity rates of 96%/75%/91% to measles, mumps and rubella, respectively, measured at a medium of 24 years post-immunization. Clinical trial participants developed humoral and cellular responses to VZV vaccine. One trial participant developed post-immunization rash and knee swelling, both resolved without treatment.ConclusionNo serious adverse events have been recorded after immunization with live viral vaccines in Finnish patients with CHH. Patients generate humoral and cellular immune response to live viral vaccines. Immunization with live vaccines may be considered in selected CHH patients with no or clinically mild immunodeficiency.

Summary: Severe disease of SARS-CoV-2 is characterized by vigorous inflammatory responses in the lung, often with a sudden onset after 5–7 days of stable disease. Efforts to modulate this hyperinflammation and the associated acute respiratory distress syndrome rely on the unraveling of the immune cell interactions and cytokines that drive such responses. Given that every patient is captured at different stages of infection, longitudinal monitoring of the immune response is critical and systems-level analyses are required to capture cellular interactions. Here, we report on a systems-level blood immunomonitoring study of 37 adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and followed with up to 14 blood samples from acute to recovery phases of the disease. We describe an IFNγ-eosinophil axis activated before lung hyperinflammation and changes in cell-cell co-regulation during different stages of the disease. We also map an immune trajectory during recovery that is shared among patients with severe COVID-19.

Transportation and storage of vegetables and fruits, including berries, is increasing to meet growing consumer demand for fresh foods. Ripening and softening of plant tissues may be slowed down by hexanal, a safe volatile compound that also has antimicrobial properties. Thus hexanal could be applied during the food distribution chain to slow down the spoilage of plant-based products and reduce food waste. Nonetheless, due to the rapid evaporation of hexanal, a constant supply is needed. Our aim was to develop a concept to incorporate food-grade sunflower oil in a polysaccharide aerogel matrix for controlled in situ production and release of hexanal. We compared enzyme- and light-catalyzed lipid oxidation reactions, determined the release of hexanal at different conditions, and performed storage stability tests of blueberries and cherry tomatoes. The lipid-loaded aerogels assessed here are a potential novel delivery matrix for controlled hexanal formation to extend the shelf life of plant-based products. Keywords: Active packaging, Aerogels, Galactoglucomannans, Hexanal, Lipid oxidation

This study focuses on the use and users of Finnish social science research data archive. Study is based on enriched user data of the archive from years 2015-2018. Study investigates the number and type of downloaded datasets, the number of citations for data, the demographics of data downloaders and the purposes data are downloaded for. Datasets were downloaded from the archive 10346 times. Majority of the downloaded datasets are quantitative. Quantitative datasets are also more often cited, but the number of citations vary and does not always correlate with the number of downloads. Use of the archive varies by user's country, organization, and discipline. Datasets from the archive were downloaded most often for study work, bachelor's and master's theses, and research purposes. It is likely that reusing research data will increase in the near future as more data will become available, scholars are more informed about research data management, and data citation practices are established.

The REPRO-TDE test was performed at a depth of about 400 m in the ONKALO underground research facility in Finland. Synthetic groundwater containing radionuclide tracers [tritiated water tracer (HTO), 36Cl, 22Na, 133Ba, and 134Cs] was circulated for about 4 years in a packed-off interval of the injection borehole. Tracer activities were additionally monitored in two observation boreholes. The test was the subject of a modeling exercise by the SKB GroundWater Flow and Transport of Solutes Task Force. Eleven teams participated in the exercise, using different model concepts and approaches. Predictive model calculations were based on laboratory-based information concerning porosities, diffusion coefficients, and sorption partition coefficients. After the experimental results were made available, the teams were able to revise their models to reproduce the observations. General conclusions from these back-analysis calculations include the need for reduced effective diffusion coefficients for 36Cl compared to those applicable to HTO (anion exclusion), the need to implement weaker sorption for 22Na compared to results from laboratory batch sorption experiments, and the observation of large differences between the theoretical initial concentrations for the strongly sorbing 133Ba and 134Cs, and the first measured values a few hours after tracer injection. Different teams applied different concepts, concerning mainly the implementation of isotropic versus anisotropic diffusion, or the possible existence of borehole disturbed zones around the different boreholes. The role of microstructure was also addressed in two of the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the pyrolysis liquids obtained by slow pyrolysis of industrial hemp leaves, hurds, and roots. The liquids recovered between a pyrolysis temperature of 275–350 °C, at two condensation temperatures 130 °C and 70 °C, were analyzed. Aqueous and bio-oil pyrolysis liquids were produced and analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and atmospheric pressure photoionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (APPI FT-ICR MS). NMR revealed quantitative concentrations of the most abundant compounds in the aqueous fractions and compound groups in the oily fractions. In the aqueous fractions, the concentration range of acetic acid was 50–241 gL−1, methanol 2–30 gL−1, propanoic acid 5–20 gL−1, and 1-hydroxybutan-2-one 2 gL−1. GC-MS was used to compare the compositions of the volatile compounds and APPI FT-ICR MS was utilized to determine the most abundant higher molecular weight compounds. The different obtained pyrolysis liquids (aqueous and oily) had various volatile and nonvolatile compounds such as acetic acid, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 2-methoxyphenol, and cannabidiol. This study provides a detailed understanding of the chemical composition of pyrolysis liquids from different parts of the industrial hemp plant and assesses their possible economic potential.

Public websites offer information on a variety of topics and services and are accessed by users with varying skills to browse the kind of electronic document repositories. However, the complex website structure and diversity of web browsing behavior create a challenging task for click prediction. This paper presents the results of a novel reinforcement learning approach to model user browsing patterns in a hierarchically ordered municipal website. We study how accurate predictor the browsing history is, when the target pages are not immediate next pages pointed by hyperlinks, but appear a number of levels down the hierarchy. We compare traditional type of baseline classifiers’ performance against our reinforcement learning-based training algorithm.