A causa dos divertimentos

Texto justificativo para a atribuição da Menção Especial da Crítica 2011 ao actor Miguel Guilherme pela sua interpretação em O senhor Puntilla e o seu criado Matti, de Bertolt Brecht (enc. João Lourenço / Teatro Aberto, 2010).

Lighting conditions and optical filters effects on visual performance of speleologists exposed to cave environments

The aim of this study is to evaluate lighting conditions and speleologists’ visual performance using optical filters when exposed to the lighting conditions of cave environments. A crosssectional study was conducted. Twenty-three speleologists were submitted to an evaluation of visual function in a clinical lab. An examination of visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity and flashlight illuminance levels was also performed in 16 of the 23 speleologists at two caves deprived of natural lightning. Two organic filters (450 nm and 550 nm) were used to compare visual function with and without filters. The mean age of the speleologists was 40.65 (± 10.93) years. We detected 26.1% participants with visual impairment of which refractive error (17.4%) was the major cause. In the cave environment the majority of the speleologists used a head flashlight with a mean illuminance of 451.0 ± 305.7 lux. Binocular visual acuity (BVA) was -0.05 ± 0.15 LogMAR (20/18). BVA for distance without filter was not statistically different from BVA with 550 nm or 450 nm filters (p = 0.093). Significant improved contrast sensitivity was observed with 450 nm filters for 6 cpd (p = 0.034) and 18 cpd (p = 0.026) spatial frequencies. There were no signs and symptoms of visual pathologies related to cave exposure. Illuminance levels were adequate to the majority of the activities performed. The enhancement in contrast sensitivity with filters could potentially improve tasks related with the activities performed in the cave.

Development of electrospun Ion jelly fibers® for drug delivery

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Biotecnologia

Development of ion jelly thin films for electrochemical devices

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Química Sustentável

Public Sector Pay in Finland

This study analyses the forces determining public and private sector pay in Finland. The data used is a 7 per cent sample taken from the Finnish 2001 census. It contains information on 42 680 male workers, of which 8 759 are employed in public and 33 921 in the private sector. The study documents and describes data by education, occupation and industry. We estimate earnings equations for the whole sample as well as for four industries (construction, real estate, transportation and health) that provide an adequate mix of both public and sector workers. The results suggest that the private-public sector pay gap of about one per cent can be accounted for by differences in observable characteristics between the sectors (3.4 per cent) and lower returns from these characteristics (-2.3 per cent). However, the industry-level analysis indicates that the earnings gaps vary across industries, and are negative in some cases. These inter-industry differences in public-private gaps persist even when the usual controls are introduced. This suggests that public sector wage setters need greater local flexibility, which should result in less uniform wages within the public sector.

Burkholderia sartisoli sp. nov., isolated from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil.

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic bacterium, designated strain RP007(T), was isolated from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-contaminated soil in New Zealand. Two additional strains were recovered from a compost heap in Belgium (LMG 18808) and from the rhizosphere of maize in the Netherlands (LMG 24204). The three strains had virtually identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and whole-cell protein profiles, and they were identified as members of the genus Burkholderia, with Burkholderia phenazinium as their closest relative. Strain RP007(T) had a DNA G+C content of 63.5 mol% and could be distinguished from B. phenazinium based on a range of biochemical characteristics. Strain RP007(T) showed levels of DNA-DNA relatedness towards the type strain of B. phenazinium and those of other recognized Burkholderia species of less than 30 %. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and physiological and biochemical tests allowed the differentiation of strain RP007(T) from all recognized species of the genus Burkholderia. Strains RP007(T), LMG 18808 and LMG 24204 are therefore considered to represent a single novel species of the genus Burkholderia, for which the name Burkholderia sartisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RP007(T) (=LMG 24000(T) =CCUG 53604(T) =ICMP 13529(T)).

Prediction of recanalization in acute stroke patients receiving intravenous and endovascular revascularization therapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The study aims to assess the recanalization rate in acute ischemic stroke patients who received no revascularization therapy, intravenous thrombolysis, and endovascular treatment, respectively, and to identify best clinical and imaging predictors of recanalization in each treatment group. METHODS: Clinical and imaging data were collected in 103 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by anterior circulation arterial occlusion. We recorded demographics and vascular risk factors. We reviewed the noncontrast head computed tomographies to assess for hyperdense middle cerebral artery and its computed tomography density. We reviewed the computed tomography angiograms and the raw images to determine the site and degree of arterial occlusion, collateral score, clot burden score, and the density of the clot. Recanalization status was assessed on recanalization imaging using Thrombolysis in Myocardial Ischemia. Multivariate logistic regressions were utilized to determine the best predictors of outcome in each treatment group. RESULTS: Among the 103 study patients, 43 (42%) received intravenous thrombolysis, 34 (33%) received endovascular thrombolysis, and 26 (25%) did not receive any revascularization therapy. In the patients with intravenous thrombolysis or no revascularization therapy, recanalization of the vessel was more likely with intravenous thrombolysis (P = 0·046) and when M1/A1 was occluded (P = 0·001). In this subgroup of patients, clot burden score, cervical degree of stenosis (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial), and hyperlipidemia status added information to the aforementioned likelihood of recanalization at the patient level (P < 0·001). In patients with endovascular thrombolysis, recanalization of the vessel was more likely in the case of a higher computed tomography angiogram clot density (P = 0·012), and in this subgroup of patients gender added information to the likelihood of recanalization at the patient level (P = 0·044). CONCLUSION: The overall likelihood of recanalization was the highest in the endovascular group, and higher for intravenous thrombolysis compared with no revascularization therapy. However, our statistical models of recanalization for each individual patient indicate significant variability between treatment options, suggesting the need to include this prediction in the personalized treatment selection.

Circulating estrogens and progesterone during primiparous pregnancies and risk of maternal breast cancer.

Pregnancy reduces maternal risk of breast cancer in the long term, but the biological determinants of the protection are unknown. Animal experiments suggest that estrogens and progesterone could be involved, but direct human evidence is scant. A case-control study (536 cases and 1,049 controls) was nested within the Finnish Maternity Cohort. Eligible were primiparous women who delivered at term a singleton offspring before age 40. For each case, two individually matched controls by age (±6 months) and date of sampling (±3 months) were selected. Estradiol, estrone and progesterone in first-trimester serum were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) by immunoassay. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated through conditional logistic regression. In the whole study population there was no association of breast cancer with any of the studied hormones. In analyses stratified by age at diagnosis, however, estradiol concentrations were positively associated with risk of breast cancer before age 40 (upper quartile OR, 1.81; CI, 1.08-3.06), but inversely associated with risk in women who were diagnosed ≥age 40 (upper quartile OR, 0.64; CI, 0.40-1.04), p(interaction) 0.004. Risk estimates for estrone mirrored those for estradiol but were less pronounced. Progesterone was not associated with risk of subsequent breast cancer. Our results provide initial evidence that concentrations of estrogens during the early parts of a primiparous pregnancy are associated with maternal risk of breast cancer and suggest that the effect may differ for tumors diagnosed before and after age 40.

Acute imaging does not improve ASTRAL score's accuracy despite having a prognostic value.

BACKGROUND: The ASTRAL score was recently shown to reliably predict three-month functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke. AIM: The study aims to investigate whether information from multimodal imaging increases ASTRAL score's accuracy. METHODS: All patients registered in the ASTRAL registry until March 2011 were included. In multivariate logistic-regression analyses, we added covariates derived from parenchymal, vascular, and perfusion imaging to the 6-parameter model of the ASTRAL score. If a specific imaging covariate remained an independent predictor of three-month modified Rankin score > 2, the area-under-the-curve (AUC) of this new model was calculated and compared with ASTRAL score's AUC. We also performed similar logistic regression analyses in arbitrarily chosen patient subgroups. RESULTS: When added to the ASTRAL score, the following covariates on admission computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging-based multimodal imaging were not significant predictors of outcome: any stroke-related acute lesion, any nonstroke-related lesions, chronic/subacute stroke, leukoaraiosis, significant arterial pathology in ischemic territory on computed tomography angiography/magnetic resonance angiography/Doppler, significant intracranial arterial pathology in ischemic territory, and focal hypoperfusion on perfusion-computed tomography. The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score on plain imaging and any significant extracranial arterial pathology on computed tomography angiography/magnetic resonance angiography/Doppler were independent predictors of outcome (odds ratio: 0·93, 95% CI: 0·87-0·99 and odds ratio: 1·49, 95% CI: 1·08-2·05, respectively) but did not increase ASTRAL score's AUC (0·849 vs. 0·850, and 0·8563 vs. 0·8564, respectively). In exploratory analyses in subgroups of different prognosis, age or stroke severity, no covariate was found to increase ASTRAL score's AUC, either. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of information derived from multimodal imaging does not increase ASTRAL score's accuracy to predict functional outcome despite having an independent prognostic value. More selected radiological parameters applied in specific subgroups of stroke patients may add prognostic value of multimodal imaging.

Insulin-like growth factor-I and C-reactive protein during pregnancy and maternal risk of non-epithelial ovarian cancer: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and C-reactive protein (CRP) may be positively associated with the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) but no previous studies have investigated their associations with non-epithelial ovarian cancers (NEOC). METHODS: A case-control study was nested within the Finnish Maternity Cohort. Case subjects were 58 women diagnosed with sex cord-stromal tumors (SCST) and 30 with germ cell tumors (GCT) after recruitment. Control subjects (144 for SCST and 74 for GCT) were matched for age, parity, and date of blood donation of the index case. RESULTS: Doubling of IGF-I concentration was not related to maternal risk of either SCST (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.58-1.62) or GCT (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.51-2.51). Similarly, doubling of CRP concentrations was not related to maternal risk of either SCST (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.85-1.43) or GCT (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.68-1.28). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-diagnostic IGF-I and CRP concentrations during the first trimester of pregnancy were not associated with increased risk of NEOC in the mother. Risk factors for NEOC may differ from those of EOC.

Circulating insulin-like growth factor-I in pregnancy and maternal risk of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Elevated serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Previously, we reported a similar association in samples obtained during pregnancy. The current study was conducted to further characterize the association of IGF-1 during pregnancy with maternal breast cancer risk. METHODS: A case-control study was nested within the Finnish Maternity Cohort. The study was limited to primiparous women less than 40 years of age, who donated blood samples during early (median, 12 weeks) pregnancy and delivered a single child at term. Seven hundred and nineteen women with invasive breast cancer were eligible. Two controls (n = 1,434) were matched to each case on age and date at blood donation. Serum IGF-1 concentration was measured using an Immulite 2000 analyzer. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).RESULTS: No significant associations were observed between serum IGF-1 concentrations and breast cancer risk in both the overall analysis (OR 1.08 (95% CI 0.80-1.47) and in analyses stratified by histological subtype, lag-time to cancer diagnosis, age at pregnancy or age at diagnosis.CONCLUSIONS: There was no association between IGF-1 and maternal breast cancer risk during early pregnancy in this large nested case-control study.Impact:Serum IGF-1 concentrations during early pregnancy may not be related to maternal risk of breast cancer.

Isä pienen lapsen hoitajana : katsaus isyyteen ja perusasioita isän toimimisesta pienen lapsen hoitajana

Opinnäytetyöni kuuluu Helsingin ammattikorkeakoulun ja Tampereen yliopiston yhteiseen projektiin nimeltään 'Urbaani vanhemmuus', jonka tarkoituksena on tukea vauvaperheiden hyvinvointia loppuraskauden ja vauvan ensimmäisen elinvuoden aikana. Oma työni kuvaa isyyden kehitystä ja muutosta sekä kuvaa isän toimimista pienen lapsen hoitajana sekä siinä huomioitavia seikkoja pääpiirteissään. Opinnäytetyöni on toiminnallinen opinnäytetyö, jossa tämän työn ohella toinen lopputuote on verkkosivut pienen lapsen vanhemmille, jossa oma osioni on kohdistettu isille. 1950-luvun jälkeen isyyden roolimalli ja isyys itsessään on elänyt varsin voimakasta muutoksen ja muutostarpeen aikaa. Vanhakantaisesta patriarkaalisesta isyydestä on luovuttu tai siitä ollaan luopumassa. Sen tilalle on nousemassa uusia isyyden roolimalleja tai pikemminkin miesnäkökulmia, kuten "uusi isyys", joka on noussut varsinaisesti esille Suomessa 1990-luvulla. Sen keskeisenä ajatuksena on isien samanarvoinen sitoutuminen lapsenhoitoon, kotitöihin ja parisuhteeseen kuin aikaisemmin on totuttu näkemään naisen/äidin rooliin kuuluvana. Myös naisten korkeampi kouluttautuminen ja aikaisempaa suurempi osuus työelämässä sekä kasvaneet vaatimukset perhe-elämän ja työnteon suhteen ovat olleet voimakkaasti vaikuttamassa tarpeeseen isien roolin uudelleenmäärittelemiseksi. Merkittävää osuutta myös nykyisessä sukupuoliroolien uudelleenjakautumisessa on näytellyt lisääntyvä individualismi. Se vaikuttaa toisaalta naisten/äitien kautta niin etteivät he halua enää "alistua kodinhengettäriksi" ja lapsen kasvattajiksi, vaan he haluavat toteuttaa enemmän itseään ja omia päämääriään sekä työelämässä että vapaa-ajallaan. Toisaalta isät voivat sen taustavaikuttamana pyrkiä entistä vahvemmin toimimaan omien altruitististen motiiviensa mukaan sekä pyrkiä "toteuttamaan itseään" joko perheen ulkopuolella tai omien tarkoitusperiensä mukaisesti perheessä vanhan patriarkaalisen roolimallin mukaisesti. Isyyttä ei nykyään nähdä samanlaisena ja automaattisena asiana kuin se on totuttu näkemään aikaisemmin. Avioerojen ja uusperheiden sekä yksinhuoltajuuden ja lasten sijoittamisen lisääntyvät määrät ovat muokanneet isyyttä ja antaneet sille uusia mahdollisuuksia biologisen, juridisen, sosiaalisen ja psykologisen isyyden muodoissa sekä niiden toteuttamisen/toteutumisen suhteen. Myös nykyaikaiset perhe- ja kumppanuusmuodot ovat nostaneet perinteisen käsitteen ydinperheen tarpeellisuudesta ja välttämättömyydestä lapselle esille ja tarkasteltavaksi. Myös isä voi niin halutessaan oppia toimimaan hyvänä hoitajana lapselleen. Perushoidolliset asiat ovat hyvinkin yksinkertaisia koskien lapsen fyysistä hoitamista ja henkistä läsnäoloa. Myös vanhempien omaan jaksamiseen tulisi kiinnittää huomiota, jotta tilanne ei muodostuisi kohtuuttomaksi kenellekään..

Hoitohenkilökunnan käsityksiä yhteistoiminnallisesta hoitotyöstä

Opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena oli kartoittaa hoitajien käsityksiä yhteistoiminnallisesta hoitotyöstä. Opinnäytetyömme teoriaosassa on käsitelty psykiatrista hoitotyötä laitosympäristössä, potilastyytyväisyyttä laitoshoidossa, psykiatrisen hoitotyön tarpeen- ja tavoitteiden määrittelyä, sen toteutusta, auttamismenetelmiä, potilaslähtöistä psykiatrisen hoitotyön mallia ja yhteistoiminnallisen hoitotyön kehittämishanketta. Tutkimusaineisto kerättiin Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiirin HYKS:n Psykiatriakeskuksen kahden suljetun osaston hoitohenkilökunnalta essee-vastauksina. Aineisto käsittää 32:n osastolla tutkimuksen ajankohtana työskennelleen hoitajan vastaukset. Vastaukset analysoitiin kvalitatiivisen sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tutkimuksen perusteella moniammatillista yhteistyötä ja potilaan lähiverkoston osaamista hyödyntämällä nähtiin päästävän potilaan hoidossa parhaaseen mahdolliseen lopputulokseen. Tämän avulla potilas voi motivoitua hoitoonsa ja kokea oman hoitonsa mielekkääksi. Hoitohenkilökunnan käsityksen mukaan näin saavutetaan potilaan tilanteessa positiivinen muutos ja hänen selviytymistään voidaan tukea hänen yksilöllisestä elämäntilanteesta käsin. Potilas, hänen omaisensa ja hoitotyön tekijät tuovat oman panoksensa yhteistyösuhteeseen. Potilaan selviytymistä voidaan tukea osallistuvan vuoropuhelun, jaetun vastuun, konsultoivan ohjauksen ja yhteistoiminnallisuuden avulla. Potilaan rooli oman hoitonsa vastuullisena osallistujana muodostui tärkeäksi tekijäksi hoidon onnistumisen kannalta. Toimiva hoitajan ja potilaan välinen yhteistyö edistää luottamuksellisen hoitosuhteen muodostuksessa, jolloin potilaan yksilöllistä hoitoa voidaan suunnitella ryhmätyönä. Tutkimuksen perusteella potilaan selviytymisen tukemisessa voidaan hyödyntää erilaisia yhteisöllisiä elementtejä. Kaikkien hoitoon osallistuvien välinen yhteistyö sekä yhteiskunnan arvot ja asenteet luovat edellytykset pyrittäessä kohti yhteistä tavoitetta eli potilaan yksilöllisessä tilanteessa tapahtuvaa positiivista muutosta ja hänen selviytymistään arkielämästään. Yhteistoiminnalisen hoitotyön tärkeimpänä tavoitteena on potilaan selviytyminen arkielämästään, hoitonsa vastuullisena osallistujana. Tutkimuksen perusteella hoitohenkilökunta omasi varsin laajan tietämyksen yhteistoiminnallisesta hoitotyöstä. Kuitenkin ainoastaan parissa vastauksessa käsiteltiin potilaan selviytymistä arkielämästään. Hoitohenkilökunta luultavasti mielsi potilaan selviytymisen arkielämästään, itsestään selvänä hoidon tavoitteena, jonka vuoksi he eivät maininneet sitä erikseen vastauksissaan.

Intravenous insulin treatment in acute stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Poststroke hyperglycemia has been associated with unfavorable outcome. Several trials investigated the use of intravenous insulin to control hyperglycemia in acute stroke. This meta-analysis summarizes all available evidence from randomized controlled trials in order to assess its efficacy and safety. METHODS: We searched PubMed until 15/02/2013 for randomized clinical trials using the following search items: 'intravenous insulin' or 'hyperglycemia', and 'stroke'. Eligible studies had to be randomized controlled trials of intravenous insulin in hyperglycemic patients with acute stroke. Analysis was performed on intention-to-treat basis using the Peto fixed-effects method. The efficacy outcomes were mortality and favorable functional outcome. The safety outcomes were mortality, any hypoglycemia (symptomatic or asymptomatic), and symptomatic hypoglycemia. RESULTS: Among 462 potentially eligible articles, nine studies with 1491 patients were included in the meta-analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients who were treated with intravenous insulin and controls (odds ratio: 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.89-1.49). Similarly, the rate of favorable functional outcome was not statistically different (odds ratio: 1.01, 95% confidence interval: 0.81-1.26). The rates of any hypoglycemia (odds ratio: 8.19, 95% confidence interval: 5.60-11.98) and of symptomatic hypoglycemia (odds ratio: 6.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.88-20.15) were higher in patients treated with intravenous insulin. There was no heterogeneity across the included trials in any of the outcomes studied. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials does not support the use of intravenous insulin in hyperglycemic stroke patients to improve mortality or functional outcome. The risk of hypoglycemia is increased, however.