Finnish Group Research Articles

Cryptorchidism: Effects of Maternal Diabetes or PBDEs

Vol. 116, No. 5 PerspectivesOpen AccessCryptorchidism: Effects of Maternal Diabetes or PBDEs Gavin W. ten Tusscher and Janna G. Koppe Gavin W. ten Tusscher Search for more papers by this author and Janna G. Koppe Search for more papers by this author Published:1 May 2008https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.11096AboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit It was with great interest that we read the article by Main et al. (2007) regarding polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and cryptochordism, and we are impressed with the data in humans. Main et al. stated that the concentration of PBDEs in breast milk was significantly higher in boys with cryptorchidism compared with controls. It is certainly possible that there is a link between fetal PBDE exposure and cryptorchidism; however, we noted that the cohort included children of diabetic mothers. Of the 33 boys with cryptorchidism, 4 in the Finnish group and 1 of 28 in the Danish breast milk–sample group had diabetic mothers. It is widely known that diabetes is a major cause of congenital malformations, and these malformations are dependent on the severity of the diabetes. Therefore, you cannot simply match by diabetes between cases and controls. In a study of 173 mothers with diabetes, we found that 10% of the offspring had congenital malformations related to the severity of the diabetes, classified according to the Priscilla White classification (Koppe et al. 1983). Virtanen et al. (2006), together with Main, published a study reporting an increased risk of cryptorchidism following mild gestational diabetes. In our opinion, the cases of mothers with diabetes should be excluded from analysis of congenital malformations, both in the breast milk group and the placenta group reported by Main et al. (2007).The group of mothers with diabetes is in itself an interesting group. Are the placenta and breast milk levels of PBDEs or the fat content different between the diabetic cases and the others?In general, because most PBDEs have phenobarbital-like effects, it seems plausible that they should cause an increase in congenital malformations, such as is seen with phenobarbital (Dessens et al. 1994; Koppe et al. 1973).ReferencesDessens AB, Boer K, Koppe JG, van de Poll NE, Cohen-Kettenis PT. 1994. Studies on long-lasting consequences of prenatal exposure to anticonvulsant drugs. Acta Paediatr Suppl 404:54-647531043. Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarKoppe JG, Bosman W, Oppers VM, Spaans F, Kloosterman GJ. 1973. Epilepsy and congenital anomalies [in Dutch]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 117:220-2244726754. Medline, Google ScholarKoppe JG, Smorenberg-Schoorl ME, van den Berg-Loonen EM, Mills JL, Stern L, Bard H, Friis-Hansen B. 1983. Diabetes, congenital malformations, and HLA-Type. Intensive Care in the Newborn, IVNew YorkMasson Publishing15-18. Google ScholarMain KM, Kiviranta H, Virtanen HE, Sundqvist E, Tuomisto JT, Tuomisto Jet al.. 2007. Flame retardants in placenta and breast milk and cryptorchidism in newborn boys. Environ Health Perspect 115:1519-152617938745. Link, Google ScholarVirtanen HE, Tappanainen AE, Kaleva MM, Suomi AM, Main KM, Skakkebaek NEet al.. 2006. Mild gestational diabetes as a risk factor for congenital cryptorchidism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 91:4862-486517032715. Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 116, No. 5 May 2008Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 May 2008Published in print1 May 2008 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.

The influence of cultural images and other people on young women's embodied agency

Drawing on young Finnish women's group discussions and individual written accounts of their body experiences, this article discusses the role of cultural images and other people in young women's body experiences, and the spaces available for young women's embodied agency. Through using insights from Maurice Merleau-Ponty (1945/2003) and George H. Mead (1934/67), it is shown how other people play a significant role in a young woman's relation to cultural body ideals and to her own body. The situation of a young woman, her own body being often compared by others and by herself to the image of the ideal woman, and as such, becomes an inhabited and presented visual space (Frost, 2005), a spectacle (Tseëlon, 1995), which creates a context of living as an objectified body. However, this context also allows possibilities for particular forms of agency, which are discussed in the article.

Ethnic Identity among Second-Generation Finnish Immigrant Youth in Canada: Some Voices and Perspectives

This study examines the ethnic identity experiences of second-generation Finnish immigrant youth in Canada. The study draws from interviews conducted among second-generation Finnish immigrant youth in Ottawa. How these individuals identify with the Finnish ethnic group and engage in ethnic culture may play a pivotal role in the continuance of Finnish culture in Canada. Therefore, it is necessary to understand not only whether second-generation Finnish immigrants identify with their ethnic group, but also how they do so. We found that the youth identified with their Finnish ethnicity on a symbolic level, participating occasionally in the local ethnic community, but not living within ethnic culture on a day-to-day basis. They identify strongly with being Canadian and have an appreciation of multiculturalism and contrast it with Finnish society when they visit Finland.

Modulation of the mismatch negativity (MMN) to vowel duration changes in native speakers of Finnish and German as a result of language experience

While crucial for phoneme distinctions in the Finnish language, mere vowel duration is of lower relevance as a phonetically distinctive cue in the German language. To investigate the pre-attentive processing of vowel duration between these two languages, the mismatch negativity (MMN), a component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP) that is an index of automatic auditory change detection, was measured in Finnish and German native speakers for vowel duration changes embedded in the pseudoword sasa. Vowel duration changes thereby were presented as a shortening or a lengthening of either the first- or second-syllable vowel. An additional non-speech condition measured the MMN to duration and frequency changes in tones. In both language groups, diminished MMN amplitudes for the shortening of vowel duration in the word-final syllable suggested a generally more difficult discrimination of vowel duration in a word-final position. Further, shorter MMN latencies for the Finns than the Germans for vowel duration as well as tone duration deviants suggested a generally higher sensitivity to duration contrasts in the Finnish language group. No latency difference between the groups was found for tone frequency processing. Moreover, the Finns, but not the Germans, showed a leftward shift of the MMN scalp distribution for changes in vowel duration, whereas the MMN topography was highly similar between both groups in the tone condition. An enhanced phonetic processing of vowel duration changes and possibly an enhanced processing of sound duration in general is thus indicated for the Finns as a result of their extensive linguistic experience with phonetically distinctive vowel duration contrasts in the native language.

Comparison of Two Different Artificial Neural Networks for Prostate Biopsy Indication in Two Different Patient Populations

Different artificial neural networks (ANNs) using total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and percentage of free PSA (%fPSA) have been introduced to enhance the specificity of prostate cancer detection. The applicability of independently trained ANN and logistic regression (LR) models to different populations regarding the composition (screening versus referred) and different PSA assays has not yet been tested. Two ANN and LR models using PSA (range 4 to 10 ng/mL), %fPSA, prostate volume, digital rectal examination findings, and patient age were tested. A multilayer perceptron network (MLP) was trained on 656 screening participants (Prostatus PSA assay) and another ANN (Immulite-based ANN [iANN]) was constructed on 606 multicentric urologically referred men. These and other assay-adapted ANN models, including one new iANN-based ANN, were used. The areas under the curve for the iANN (0.736) and MLP (0.745) were equal but showed no differences to %fPSA (0.725) in the Finnish group. Only the new iANN-based ANN reached a significant larger area under the curve (0.77). At 95% sensitivity, the specificities of MLP (33%) and the new iANN-based ANN (34%) were significantly better than the iANN (23%) and %fPSA (19%). Reverse methodology using the MLP model on the referred patients revealed, in contrast, a significant improvement in the areas under the curve for iANN and MLP (each 0.83) compared with %fPSA (0.70). At 90% and 95% sensitivity, the specificities of all LR and ANN models were significantly greater than those for %fPSA. The ANNs based on different PSA assays and populations were mostly comparable, but the clearly different patient composition also allowed with assay adaptation no unbiased ANN application to the other cohort. Thus, the use of ANNs in other populations than originally built is possible, but has limitations.

CLIL Learning: Achievement Levels and Affective Factors

The aim of the study was to investigate how successfully pupils had learned content in content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and to assess pupils' affective learning factors, such as motivation and self-esteem, in CLIL. Learning was presented in terms of achievement level, which was described as the relationship between measured levels of intelligence and school success. The study indicated that there were no major differences in learning, whether the language used in instruction is the pupils' mother tongue or a foreign language; pupils of different intelligence levels had similar chances to succeed in both cases. However, it was discovered that there may not be as many overachievers among the pupils in CLIL as among the pupils in the Finnish language instruction group. Achievements in the Finnish language, i.e. the mother tongue, were not negatively affected by CLIL. In terms of the affective factors, the study indicated that CLIL pupils had a low self-concept in foreign languages, although pupils had a strong motivation to learn.

Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Based on Mayo Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (mSMART): Consensus Statement

Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Based on Mayo Stratification of Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (mSMART): Consensus Statement

Finnish Breast Cancer Group (FBCG)

This section provides current contact details and a summary of recent or ongoing clinical trials being coordinated by Finnish Breast Cancer Group (FBCG). Clinical trials include: Comparison of vinorelbine versus docetaxel, and trastuzumab versus no trastuzumab as adjuvant treatments of early breast cancer. FinHer studyRandomized phase III study comparing single-agent docetaxel followed by 5-FU, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) to docetaxel plus Xeloda followed by cyclophosphamide, epirubicin and Xeloda (CEX) as adjuvant treatment for early breast cancer. FinXX StudyA multicenter phase III open randomised trial of the efficacy of exercise in the prevention of long-term adverse effects of adjuvant treatments and breast cancer recurrences in women with primary breast cancer. BREX 01-2004 Study

EC Tax Scene: Are Finnish cross-border group contributions tax-deductible for the contributor?

EC Tax Scene: Are Finnish cross-border group contributions tax-deductible for the contributor?

Ultrasound in acute gynecological care—two steps forward, one step back

Ultrasound in acute gynecological care—two steps forward, one step back

Role of the Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome 1 Gene in Familial and Sporadic Prostate Cancer

The Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1 (NBS1) gene, which participates in DNA double strand break repair, has been postulated to be a susceptibility factor for a number of cancers, including prostate cancer. Numerous mutations have been identified in NBS1, including the founder mutation 657del5. In this study, a number of analyses were done to determine whether mutations in NBS1 are associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer. The frequency of the 657del5 mutation in both familial prostate cancer cases (1,819 affected men among 909 families) and sporadic prostate cancer cases (1,218 affected men) collected from five centers participating in the International Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics were compared with that found in 697 normal controls. Seven individuals were identified to carry the mutation among the 3,037 cases screened: four in the familial group (three from one family and one from another) and three in the sporadic cases. The carrier frequency was 0.22% (2 of 909) for the probands and 0.25% (3 of 1,218) for the sporadic cases of prostate cancer. The 657del5 mutation was not detected in either the 293 unaffected members of the prostate cancer families or in the 697 control samples tested. The entire NBS1 gene was also sequenced in 20 of the youngest affected individuals from the Finnish group of familial cases to identify the presence of possible mutations in this high-risk group. One rare (D95N) and one common (E185Q) missense alteration was identified. More detailed analyses of the E185Q polymorphism, along with a third rare variant (R215W), failed to show an association with prostate cancer. Because the 657del5 mutation was absent from the control population, we are unable to determine if this alteration predisposes to prostate cancer. However, our data does suggest that mutations within NBS1, and in particular, 657del5, do not significantly contribute to the overall prostate cancer burden within our patient samples.

Nanobacteria, HIV and Magic Bullets – Update of Perspectives 2005

In 1997 a Finnish group speculated on the presence of nanobacteria in vaccines. In 2001, a report on the identification of nanobacteria in a number of vaccines attracted much attention. Experiments indicated that viable nanobacteria are excreted via urine. Their extreme survivability suggests that prior to discussing any possible contamination of vaccines, sources and routes of natural infection need to be examined. In view of 30,000,000 HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa, the recently reported occurrence of nanobacteria in HIV-infected patients deserves concern. Clearly, it could indicate the origin of a giant reservoir and dissemination cycle. Here we discuss novel therapeutic strategies to prevent or reduce nanobacterial infection. In regard of the rapid progress in this field, we start with a brief introductory summary, and analyze possible implications.

Phytoestrogens and Risk of Lung Cancer

To the Editor: In their study of phytoestrogens and risk of lung cancer, Dr Schabath and colleagues report on the intake of lignans in a US population. Their results, while interesting, are discrepant with those of other studies. In their article, the total intake of lignans was calculated as the sum of the plant lignans secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol and the mammalian enterolignans enterodiol and enterolactone. Enterolignans are not present in foods but can be determined via in vitro fermentation. Enterolignans are formed by bacteria in the colon at the expense of plant lignans. Summing plant lignans and enterolignans counts food contribution to the lignan intake twice. As a result, the estimates of total lignan intakes and the odds ratios based on these (in Tables 2, 4, and 6) may be biased. Apart from secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol, other plant lignans can also be converted to enterolignans. We determined the intake of secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol, lariciresinol, and pinoresinol in a Dutch population using a comprehensive food composition database and found a mean intake of 1240 μg/d. Although we included these additional plant lignans, which made up 75% of the total intake, this intake is still much lower than the 5400 μg/d (or approximately 5000 μg/d not including enterolignans) reported by Schabath et al. Regarding previously published intakes of secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol, daily intakes of 175 to 645 μg/d have been reported in a US population. Similar intakes were reported by us (303 μg/d) and by a Finnish group (434 μg/d). Boker et al reported higher intakes in a Dutch population (1110 μg/d), but they used category scores based on the highest values reported in the literature, which certainly leads to overestimation. In the study by Schabath et al, tea and coffee contributed 80% of the intake of secoisolariciresinol, whereas in the other studies their contribution never exceeded 44%. This high contribution suggests that the secoisolariciresinol contents of tea and coffee that were used are not correct. Pillow at al reported tea to contain 1090 μg/100 mL and coffee 520 μg/ 100 mL, whereas in our laboratory, contents obtained with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry were only 6 μg/ 100 mL for tea and 12 μg/100 mL for coffee. These discrepant lignan contents for coffee and tea may also have led to misclassification of participants and erroneous odds ratios.

High School Students’ Conceptual Coherence of Qualitative Knowledge in the Case of the Force Concept

High School Students’ Conceptual Coherence of Qualitative Knowledge in the Case of the Force Concept

Northern conditions influencing the selection of countermeasures after radioactive fallout in Finland

The paper summarizes an evaluation of practicability of rural countermeasures after radioactive fallout in northern conditions carried out by a Finnish group of experts in the FARMING Network project. Snow and soil frost limit the selection of crops, and the short growing season allows mostly one harvest yearly. Cold climate restricts fruit production to apples and berries. Due to the long indoor feeding period, conserved and stored clean feed is available almost all year round. The use of fertilisers and lime on poor and acidic soils leads to high potassium and calcium intake of cows increasing the incidence of milk fever. The surface soil layer is thin and ploughing deeper than 20 cm is problematic due to stony and compacted soils. It also increases soil acidity and decreases fertility. Cultivation of peatlands limits the selection of plants and increases long-term radiocaesium contamination of crops. Frost and snow delay ploughing and spreading of waste milk on arable land, but removal of snow is a decontamination option. Long distances and high transport costs complicate carrying out the countermeasures. The Finnish stakeholder group considered it vital to be prepared for implementation of practicable measures for the safety of food.

A Longitudinal Study on Social Development as an Impetus for School Reform Toward an Integrated School Day

The Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, in which the same individuals have been studied from the age of 8 to age 42, has warranted the conclusion that children should be encouraged toward prosocial development at an early age, because it helps them to integrate into the school environment and saves them from the cycle of maladaptation. A project was designed at the invitation of a Finnish parliamentary group for the enhancement of children's socioemotional development at school. The project comprises seven subprojects including interventions at three levels: the child's behavior, school as a learning environment, and the school's relationships with the surrounding world. The core of the project is the subproject for the Integrated School Day. It refers to a new learning culture with different learning, care, and leisure activities organized in cooperation between several professions. Finnish children spend long afternoons alone while both parents are working full-time. The project aims at decreasing the amount of time pupils are without adult supervision, facilitating socioemotional development by creating a firm basis for leisure activities, and strengthening the social capital of the school and initial social capital of children. The project began in 2002 in seven schools within four communities, with about 2000 students from grades 1 to 9. Beginning in the fall of 2004, the law will mandate that supervision of children's activities in the morning and afternoon should be available throughout the country for all first- and second-grade children and for special needs children at any grade.

Neuropsychological assessment of a group of UK patients with Cohen syndrome.

Cohen syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome with a distinctive clinical phenotype that includes mental retardation and a characteristic sociable disposition. Variability in the level of learning disability and the behavioural phenotype is seen in the published literature. In a cohort of Finnish Cohen syndrome patients, severe mental retardation and non-maladaptive behaviour were described. Outside of Finland, autistic-spectrum behaviour has been reported in a few isolated Cohen syndrome patients but in a recent UK study was found to be highly prevalent. We report the results of neuropsychological studies in a group of 16 genetically heterogeneous patients, all with the characteristic clinical features of Cohen syndrome. Of the 9 patients who underwent formal neuropsychological testing, all but one was functioning in the severely mentally impaired range. Of the remaining patients, 3 were below the age of formal testing and 4 had such profound learning and behavioural problems that they were deemed unable to participate in testing. Mild maladaptive behaviour was observed in 13 patients and 3 were documented as having significant maladaptive behaviour. In contrast to the Finnish group of Cohen syndrome patients, this UK study identifies significant neuropsychological impairment combined with maladaptive behaviour as a characteristic of Cohen syndrome. Although autistic-type behaviour was observed, an increased prevalence of autism in Cohen syndrome was not confirmed.

An X-chromosome scan reveals a locus for fat distribution in chromosome region Xp21-22.

Several groups have completed autosomal genome scans for human obesity, but only two have examined the X chromosome. A French group reported linkage of BMI to Xp and Xq markers, and a Finnish group reported linkage of BMI to Xq. We scanned the X chromosome in two cohorts, 190 European-American families (940 members) and 43 African-American families (208 members). We examined five correlated obesity phenotypes, BMI, body fat percentage, hip and waist circumferences, and plasma leptin concentration. We also examined leptin resistance (leptin/BMI) and fat patterning (waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]). Variables were adjusted for age within generation, race, and sex. We genotyped 20 markers with average spacing of 10 cM and no interval >22 cM and conducted nonparametric analyses. Suggestive linkage was found for WHR only. Linkage was supported in both family sets, and support was especially strong for females. Z scores for analyses of female phenotypes were 2.69, 1.73, and 2.37 (P = 0.0036, 0.0418, and 0.0089) for African-Americans, European-Americans, and the combined sample, respectively. The peaks were 51-73 cM from the p terminus, 14-34 cM distal of the French report in Xp22. Our results suggest that a quantitative trait locus influencing fat distribution in women may lie in chromosome region Xp21-22; however, the linked interval is large and differs substantially from that of the French and Finnish groups. Given the positive but divergent results, it would be worthwhile for others to examine the X chromosome.

Near nativeness and stylistic lexical competence in Swedish of first and second generation Finnish immigrants to Sweden

The present study aims to characterize the perception of stylistic nuances of lexical items in both Swedish and Finnish among members of the Sweden Finnish minority in Sweden, with special emphasis on Swedish. Data on stylistic perceptions were elicited from 77 bilingual Sweden Finns and from a Swedish and a Finnish control group. The subjects were asked to describe the connotative and stylistic meanings of 14 pairs of synonymous words in Swedish (e.g., polis—snut `police—cop') and in Finnish, using Osgood's semantic differential. The main issue was to discuss to what extent the Sweden Finns show similarity to the Swedes and/or Finns regarding their stylistic perceptions. The results of the analysis indicate that the various Sweden Finnish test groups(divided according to sex and generation) have a different level of competence in Swedish regarding the perception of stylistic nuances. Adult men differentiated significantly less for all word pairs, while adolescents and women perceived these words largely in the same way as the Swedes in the corresponding subgroups. The results are discussed in the context of the ongoing debate on immigrants and integration, and suggest that a more similar language use may indicate a higher degree of integration.

Controversies and Conflicts in the Institution of "Open" Psychoanalysis: Cases from the History of the Therapeia Foundation

The institution of psychoanalysis has included controversies, dissensions and expulsions at both the theoretical-methodological and personal-organizational levels. There have also been several intra- and intergroup conflicts in the history of psychoanalysis, and in constructing and patterning the future of psychoanalytic knowledge. In the context of Finnish psychoanalysis, the Therapeia Foundation (founded in 1958) met from the start with resistance from official psychiatry and also from the IPA. For example, in the mid-1960s, D. W. Winnicott, as the President of the IPA, supported the orthodox Finnish psychoanalytic study group (later to become the Finnish Psychoanalytical Society), and pronounced that the Therapeia group was too loose and was not strictly able to use the IPA-recognized designation "psychoanalytic." The Therapeia Foundation and its Training Seminar combined classical psychoanalysis and its new versions with existentialphenomenological views, anthropological medicine, research on "social pathology" and even modern theological research. On the basis of their Swiss analytic training, three Finnish psychiatrists, Martti Siirala, Kauko Kaila and Allan Johansson, organized Therapeian training to incorporate sciences and arts, and skills involving the therapeutic "carrying" of burdens. The multifacted nature of open psychoanalysis was seen to find its proper organizational expression when the Training Seminar of the Therapeia Foundation became, in 1974, a Member of the IFPS.