University of Eastern Finland

Cervical facet nerve blockade improves head relocation accuracy for sagittal movements, shoulder joint relocation accuracy for shoulder abduction and standing balance in patients with chronic cervical pain

To investigate whether unilateral cervical facet nerve blockade (FNB) is associated with changes in head repositioning accuracy (HRA), shoulder joint relocation accuracy (JRA), and standing balance in patients with chronic neck pain. This retrospective single-center interventiona...

Process evaluation of a school-based sexual health intervention targeting 13–14-year-olds in Finland

Purpose A systematic approach to conducting process evaluations is essential for understanding the implementation of health interventions and their mechanisms of impact. This study aims to describe the process evaluation of a school-based, social-marketing-principles-utilising se...

Handgrip strength and/or Timed Up and Go Test are associated with functional independence and psychological well-being in older women

Abstract Background Handgrip strength (HGS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests are established measures of physical capacity and widely utilized in geriatric assessments. We aimed to assess their independent and combined association with activity of daily living (ADL) and psychologi...

AI4TEN: Fine-Tuning Pre-Trained Audio Transformers (BEATs, AST) for Cross-Dataset Acoustic Vehicle Classification with Domain Adaptation

Acoustic vehicle classification from roadside microphones supports source-specific traffic noise monitoring, but classifiers trained on one dataset generalize poorly to recordings from different environments. This study compares pre-trained audio transformers (BEATs, AST) against...

Orchestrating Anion–π + Interactions to Accelerate Metal‐Free Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence

ABSTRACT Overcoming the long‐standing trade‐off between efficiency and radiative rate in metal‐free phosphorescence remains a central challenge in molecular photophysics and is pivotal for the next‐generation optoelectronic technologies. Here, we demonstrate that tuning the stren...

Pain and Analgesic Doses Versus Free Interleukin 18 (IL-18F) Blood Levels Following Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Study of Patients With Minilaparotomy Cholecystectomy Versus Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background/Aim: Cytokines (CYT) are regulators of the acute phase immune response (APR) to inflammation and trauma. The purpose of this work was to assess blood level correlations of various CYTs; interleukin-18 (IL-18), IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP), free interleukin 18 (IL-18...

Health-related quality of life and the impact of dispositional life orientation in multiple sclerosis or rare neurological diseases

Abstract Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is affected in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sense of coherence (SOC) and optimism/pessimism may be associated with HRQoL. Objective To compare HRQoL in patients with MS and rare neurological diseases (RND), and to evaluate th...

Reimagining Ministry Formation and Leadership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

This article examines how ministry formation and ecclesial leadership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) are being reshaped by 21st-century dynamics such as secularization, pluralism, and post-Christendom cultural change. As increasing numbers of theology studen...

Social Representation and Emotions in the Context of Dance Observation

Emotions are recognized as key components of social representation. However, their roles and the ways in which emotions are entangled in social representation processes are still insufficiently understood. This study employs a visual arts-based approach to deepen our understandin...

Beyond AI Literacy: Exploring Pre-Service Teachers’ Pedagogical and Ethical Reasoning in Generative AI Integration in Education

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers opportunities for innovative teaching but also raises ethical concerns. While pre-service teachers are expected to integrate GenAI responsibly, little is known about how they engage in reasoning processes that guide such integrati...

Depolarization ratio of smoke and volcanic ash aerosol particles at 1565 nm using a HALO Doppler lidar

Abstract. Particle linear depolarization ratio is a widely used parameter in lidar research to distinguish different aerosol types and the thermodynamic phase of water. It is most frequently measured at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths (355 and 532 nm), yet multi-wavelength ob...

Energy Crop Cultivation of Miscanthus × giganteus on Biochar‐Amended Marginal Soils With Conventional and Waste‐Derived Fertilization: Biomass Allocation and Nutrient Dynamics Toward Closing Nutrient Loops

ABSTRACT Sustainable production of lignocellulosic biomass on marginal lands requires strategies that enhance yield while minimizing nutrient losses and supporting circular resource use. In this study, a two‐year (2023–2024) greenhouse meso‐scale experiment was conducted using Mi...

PLCG2 downregulation impairs synaptic function and increases Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks in neuronal cultures

We developed a high-content screening to investigate how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genetic risk factors may affect synaptic mechanisms in rat primary neuronal cultures. Of the target genes identified, we found that Plcg2 downregulation in mouse dentate gyrus neurons consistently d...

Seeing Inequalities: Self-Reported Visual Difficulty and Eye Care Utilization Among Women in Malawi, a Secondary Analysis of the 2024 Demographic and Health Survey Data

Background: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with self-reported visual difficulty and uptake of spectacle/contact lens correction among women of reproductive age in Malawi. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of the 2024 Malawi Demographi...

The change process and implementation of the First-line Therapies model as experienced by nurses - a qualitative interview study

The First-line Therapies model is a national Finnish initiative designed to improve access to mental health services. It comprises a regionally adapted stepped approach to psychosocial treatment, digital tools to support treatment matching and needs assessment, and training for f...

Shotgun Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Taxonomic and Functional Transitions in the Salivary Microbiome During Periodontal Disease Progression

ABSTRACT Aim To characterise multi‐kingdom salivary microbiome profiles across clinically defined periodontal states and identify stage‐specific taxonomic and functional alterations using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Materials and Methods In this cross‐sectional study, 204 adu...

Patients’ experiences of living with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease – a multicentre qualitative study

Aims and objectives To explore the experiences of receiving and living with a diagnosis of prodromal Alzheimer’s disease. Background Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive dementia disorder, with pathology potentially developing years before clinical symptoms. Evidence concerning p...

The Incidence of Sensorineural Hearing Loss Diagnoses in People with and without Parkinson's Disease

Abstract Background Parkinson's disease (PD) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are both prevalent conditions among older adults. Although increasing number of studies have investigated SNHL as a risk factor for PD, it is not well known how diagnosed PD affects the likelihood...

Long-term type 2 diabetes risk prediction using machine learning with childhood, adolescent, and genetic factors

Abstract Late diagnosis of type 2 diabetes increases patient morbidity and healthcare burden, yet current prediction models use adult risk factors to estimate 5–10-year risk. In this manuscript, we evaluate long-term prediction of type 2 diabetes over 38 years using childhood fac...

Soil–plant interactions during early vegetation growth govern HONO, NO and N2O emissions through moisture, temperature, and mineral N pools in boreal agricultural soils

Abstract Background and aims Reactive nitrogen gases (HONO, NO, N 2 O) are key to atmospheric chemistry and climate forcing, yet their simultaneous in-situ emissions from boreal agricultural soils are poorly known. We aimed to quantify these gases during early crop growth, a peri...