Santtu Mikkonen

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Verified

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• PhD
• Research Director at University of Eastern Finland

Longitudinal studies on the resilience of colorectal cancer patients and the counseling they receive are rare. This study’s purpose was threefold: to describe the resilience and received counseling of colorectal cancer patients after 1 year post surgery; the relationships between background characteristics, resilience, and counseling; and the chang...

Background Regular active commuting – that is, walking or cycling to work – can improve cardiometabolic health and physical fitness among employed adults. This study aimed to examine whether regular active commuting is also associated with perceived cognitive function (memory function, learning ability, and concentration) and work ability. To explo...

Background Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation in obesity has been implicated as a key factor in the development of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Apart from lifestyle change interventions, there is no effective therapy against MASLD. In this study, the effect of a novel microbial therapy along with dietary...

The susceptibility of cloud droplet number to cloud condensation nuclei number is one of the major factors controlling the highly uncertain change in the amount of solar radiation reflected by clouds when aerosol emissions are perturbed (the radiative forcing due to aerosol–cloud interactions). We investigate this susceptibility in low-level strati...

Air cleaners are used to remove various pollutants from air in different types of indoor environments. Studies on the air cleaners’ efficiency to remove pollutants are largely performed in chamber and test room settings under controlled conditions, rarely in occupied, real-life environments. The objective of this study was to determine the effect o...

Purpose Photon-counting detectors (PCDs) are cutting-edge technology that enable spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging with a single scan. Spectral imaging is particularly effective in contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) imaging, especially when multiple contrast agents are utilized, as materials are distinguishable based on their unique X-ray absorpti...

Air pollution, particularly exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs) with diameters below 100 nm, poses significant health risks, yet their spatial and temporal variability complicates impact assessments. This study explores the potential of machine learning (ML) techniques in enhancing the accuracy of a global aerosol-climate model's outputs through...

Fuel-operated auxiliary heaters (AH) are potentially significant additional sources of particle and gas phase pollution from vehicles, but information on their emissions is scarce. Especially understanding of AH exhaust−originated secondary aerosol formation is lacking. In this study, we measured the gas and particle emissions, including secondary...

Objective The aim of this study was to conduct a longitudinal investigation of the associations between changes in dietary factors and changes in caries experience among Finnish children and adolescents participating in the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) study. Methods Among 487 children included at baseline at the age of 6 to...

Vaaratapahtumista ilmoittaminen on keskeinen osa asiakas- ja potilasturvallisuuden jatkuvaa kehitystyötä, mutta silti vaaratapahtumat ovat aliraportoituja. Yleisellä tasolla on tiedossa, että vaaratapahtumien ilmoitusjärjestelmät itsessään voivat olla yksi monista vaaratapahtumien ilmoittamisen esteistä. Tästä huolimatta käyttäjien näkemyksiä ilmoi...

The particle number (PN) emissions of both light- and heavy-duty vehicles are nowadays regulated, and are typically measured from a full dilution tunnel with constant volume sampling (CVS). PN measurements for research and development purposes, though, are often taken from the raw exhaust to avoid the high set up costs of CVS. There is, however, a...

Joint injury can lead to articular cartilage damage, excessive inflammation, and post‐traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Collagen is an essential component for cartilage function, yet current literature has limited understanding of how biochemical and biomechanical factors contribute to collagen loss in injured cartilage. Our aim was to investigate s...

Aim To investigate nurses' and other users' perceptions and knowledge regarding patient safety incident reporting software and incident reporting. Design A cross‐sectional online survey. Methods The survey, ‘The Users' Perceptions of Patient Safety Incident Reporting Software’, was developed and used for data collection January–February 2024. We...

Purpose Active commuting, that is, walking or cycling to work, can improve physical health. Yet, few studies have explored whether it could also enhance mental health. We examined cross-sectional associations of active commuting and, for comparison, leisure-time physical activity with depressive symptoms and psychological distress among Finnish adu...

Environmental and lifestyle factors, including air pollution, impaired diet, and low physical activity, have been associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in childhood and adolescence. However, environmental and lifestyle exposures do not exert their physiological effects in isolation. This study investigated associations between an exposome sc...

Climate warming is projected to be particularly pronounced in the northern high latitudes coupled with reduced light availability due to increased cloudiness. The changing climate may alter the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and atmospherically reactive trace gases, which can drive important climate feedbacks. We investigated the individual and...

Climate change is exposing subarctic ecosystems to higher temperatures, increased nutrient availability, and increasing cloud cover. In this study, we assessed how these factors affect the fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) (i.e., methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 )), and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) in...

Aims To examine the relationship between the second victim distress and outcome variables, specifically: ‘turnover intentions, absenteeism and resilience’. Furthermore, this study also assessed how organizational support mediates the relationship between second victim distress and outcome variables. Design Cross‐sectional survey. Methods A cross‐...

Long-term lifestyle interventions in childhood and adolescence can significantly improve cardiometabolic health, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an 8-year diet and physical activity intervention in a general population of children. The research revealed that the intervent...

Residential combustion of brown coal can be an important source of ambient air pollution in areas with abundant brown coal deposits, such as Eastern Europe or China. The exhaust emission contents may vary regionally depending on the fuel composition, calling for detailed characterization of emissions from different coal types. In this work, the org...

Background: Molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of long-term lifestyle interventions on cardiometabolic health during childhood and adolescence remain largely unknown. Such information would provide valuable insights into the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases since childhood. We therefore studied for the first time the effec...

This dataset comprises thorough measurements of light-duty vehicles emissions conducted in Siilinjärvi and Kuopio, Finland, during February 2021, using a mobile laboratory. The measurements focused on subfreezing conditions to capture emissions nuances during cold weather. Measurements were carried out on minimally trafficked roads to diminish exte...

Background With the widespread use of social media, understanding how healthcare professionals, such as dietitians, utilise these platforms for their work has gained interest. The aim of the current study was to describe how Finnish registered dietitians utilise various social media channels for professional purposes. The study also investigated th...

Traffic as an important part of the energy sector significantly contributes to global air pollution. To mitigate the hazardous components of traffic emissions regulations have been implemented resulting in technological solutions such as exhaust after-treatment systems. However, fuels also play a crucial role in emissions and components such as the...

Background The unique life situations of older patients with cancer and their family members requires that health care professionals take a holistic approach to achieve quality care. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of older patients with cancer and family members about the quality of care received and evaluate differences betwee...

Background Nurses are leaving their profession because of poor personal job satisfaction, heavy workload, and unfavorable work environments with low professional autonomy. Professional autonomy involves the possibility to influence one’s work and have a sense of control – the ability to contribute to a workplace culture and influence how decisions...

Background Prenatal urban environmental exposures have been associated with blood pressure in children. The dynamic of these associations across childhood and later ages is unknown. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess associations of prenatal urban environmental exposures with blood pressure trajectories from childhood to early adul...

Background Prior studies suggest that physical activity lowers circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. However, little is known about the association between regular active commuting, i.e. walking or cycling to work, and CRP concentrations. This study examines whether active commuting is associated with lower CRP. Methods We conducted a cross...

TAUSTA: On havaittu, että liikunta voi suojata yleisiltä mielenterveyden ongelmilta, kuten masennukselta ja ahdistukselta, ja toimia tehokkaana hoitomenetelmänä mielenterveysoireiden hoidossa. Liikunnan vaikutukset voivat kuitenkin vaihdella sen mukaan, missä kontekstissa liikkuminen tapahtuu. Lasten ja nuorten osalta aiemmat tutkimukset ovat keski...

Optical properties of biological tissues, such as refractive index, are fundamental properties, intrinsically linked to a tissue’s composition and structure. This study aims to investigate the variation of refractive index (RI) of human articular cartilage along the tissue depth (via collagen fibril orientation and optical density) and integrity (b...

Vehicle chase measurements used for studying real-world emissions apply various methods for calculating emission factors. Currently available methods are typically based on the dilution of emitted carbon dioxide (CO2) and the assumption that other emitted pollutants dilute similarly. A problem with the current methods arises when the studied vehicl...

Purpose To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Finnish version of the Specialist Outcomes and Barriers Analysis Scale. Design This was a cross-sectional survey study. Methods Cultural adaptation of the translation and content validity of the translated instrument were assessed by expert panelists (n = 5) using the content validity index....

Background Active commuting (i.e., walking and cycling to work) could have public health benefits while simultaneously fostering climate change mitigation. Current evidence suggests that regular physical activity decreases circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Yet, it is unclear whether active commuting is associated with lower CRP levels. S...

Objective Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the most prevalent liver disease globally, yet no therapies are approved. The effects of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 expressing aldafermin, an engineered analog of the intestinal hormone FGF19, in combination...

Objectives: Climate change has increased attention to the health effects of high ambient temperatures and heatwaves worldwide. Both cause-specific mortality and hospital admissions are studied widely, mainly concentrating on warmer climates, but studies focusing on more subtle health effects and cold climates lack. This study investigated the effec...

Purpose Physically active pupils may be better and more resilient learners. However, it is unknown whether active school transport (walking or cycling to school) could affect educational and school-related mental health outcomes. We examined the associations of active school transport and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with per...

Background Communication challenges are one of the main contributors for medication incidents in hospitals, but health professionals’ perceptions about variety of the contributing communication factors and the factors’ occurrence frequencies are studied little. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to (1) operationalize a literature-based fr...

Background: Physically active pupils may be better and more resilient learners. However, it is unclear whether walking or cycling to school yields similar educational and school-related mental health benefits as leisure-time physical activity. We examined the associations of active school transport and leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical ac...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nurses and healthcare systems globally and raised major concerns for nurses’ wellbeing and working conditions. This cross-sectional and correlational study design aims to describe nurses’ resilience, job satisfaction, intentions to leave and quality of care, and explain their relationships during the...

Particle number emission factors were determined for hundreds of individual diesel and gasoline vehicles in their real operation on Finnish highways and regional roads in 2020 with one-by-one chase measurements and Robust Regression Plume Analysis (RRPA). RRPA is a rapid way to analyze data from a large number of vehicle chases automatically. The p...

Vehicle chase measurements used for studying real-world emissions apply various methods for calculating emission factors. Currently available methods are typically based on the dilution of emitted carbon dioxide (CO2) and the assumption that other emitted pollutants dilute similarly. A problem with the current methods arises when the studied vehicl...

To assess whether articular cartilage changes in an equine model of post traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), induced by surgical creation of standard (blunt) grooves, and very subtle sharp grooves, could be detected with ex vivo T1 relaxation time mapping utilizing 3-D readout sequence with zero echo time. Grooves were made on the articular surfaces o...

Background & aims: Diet and weight loss affect circulating metabolome. However, metabolite profiles induced by different weight loss maintenance diets and underlying longer term weight loss maintenance remain unknown. Herein, we investigated after-weight-loss metabolic signatures of two isocaloric 24-wk weight maintenance diets differing in satiet...

Background Prenatal urban environmental exposures have been associated with blood pressure in children. The dynamic of these associations across childhood and later ages is unknown. Objectives To assess associations of prenatal urban environmental exposures with blood pressure trajectories from childhood to early adulthood. Methods Repeated measure...

This study investigated the effects of including 5, 10 or 15% of oat bran, wheat bran, or combination of both on the physicochemical properties of extruded pea protein-based meat analogues. The extrudates were analysed for colour, textural properties, microstructure, protein-protein interactions and protein solubility. In vitro protein digestibilit...

This study aimed to investigate the genomics literacy of Finnish and Filipino nursing students as a basis for developing a genomics nursing education course. This is a cross-sectional online survey using the 31-item Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory, IBM SPSS version 27, and item-analysis. A total of 245 nursing students participated in the study;...

Promoting physical activity can improve population health. This study aimed to examine associations of leisure‐time moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity and active school transport with mental health, i.e., symptoms of depression and anxiety, among 15‐ to 16‐year‐old adolescents. We also assessed the relationships with less‐studied outcomes, such...

There is only limited scientific evidence with varying results on the association between hospital admissions and low ambient temperatures. Furthermore, there has been no research in Northern Europe on cold-associated morbidity. Therefore, this study investigated the associations of daily wintertime temperature and cold spells with cardiorespirator...

Background: The responsibilities of nurse managers are diverse and occasionally inadequately organized. Moreover, the role of nurse manager often lacks a clear job description. Few methodologies for evaluating the content of nurse managers' work exist. Purpose: This study was designed to validate the Nurse Managers' Work Content Questionnaire (N...

Small-scale wood combustion is a significant source of particulate emissions. Atmospheric transformation of wood combustion emissions is a complex process involving multiple compounds interacting simultaneously. Thus, an advanced methodology is needed to study the process in order to gain a deeper understanding of the emissions. In this study, we a...

Objective Schools can be an effective arena for food education. The Tasty School is a tailored teacher-driven food education model that provides tools for implementing food education in primary schools. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Tasty School model on pupils’ eating patterns and experiences. We also aimed to assess the imple...

Despite a large number of studies, out of all drivers of radiative forcing, the effect of aerosols has the largest uncertainty in global climate model radiative forcing estimates. There have been studies of aerosol optical properties in climate models, but the effects of particle number size distribution need a more thorough inspection. We investig...

Background No real-world randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have explored the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions based on multiple behaviour change theories and using combined digital and group-based face-to-face delivery to improve risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods We conducted a one-year, multi-centre, unblinded, pragmatic R...

Atmospheric aerosol particle concentrations are strongly affected by various wet processes, including below and in-cloud wet scavenging and in-cloud aqueous-phase oxidation. We studied how wet scavenging and cloud processes affect particle concentrations and composition during transport to a rural boreal forest site in northern Europe. For this inv...

Fuel-operated auxiliary heaters (AHs) are frequent solutions to heat the vehicle engines and cabins in cold areas. Particulate exhaust emissions of AHs are unregulated; therefore, their contribution to local air quality and thus human health and even the global emissions budget is unknown. Experiments for studying the AH-originated emissions were p...

We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of dietary factors with caries experience in a population sample of 487 children aged 6–9 years at baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study. Altogether, 406 of these children attended 2-year follow-up examinations. Food consumption and eating fre...

Tropospheric ozone (O3) concentrations are observed to increase with temperature in urban and rural locations. We investigated the apparent temperature dependency of daytime ozone concentration in the Finnish boreal forest in summertime based on long-term measurements. We used statistical mixed effects models to separate the direct effects of tempe...

Background: The "Tasty School" is a tailored teacher-delivered food education model for primary schools in Finland. The aim of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of the Tasty School model in primary schools. Furthermore, the aim was to assess changes during the intervention in the class teachers' perspectives and experiences rela...

Relations between atmospheric variables are often non-linear, which complicates research efforts to explore and understand multivariable datasets. We describe a mutual information approach to screen for the most significant associations in this setting. This method robustly detects linear and non-linear dependencies after minor data quality checkin...

We aimed to investigate the effects of a long-term, individualised, family-based lifestyle intervention on food consumption and nutrient intake from childhood to adolescence. We conducted an 8-year diet and physical activity intervention study in a population sample of children aged 7–9 years at baseline in 2007–2009. We allocated the participants...

Black carbon (BC) is a component of ambient particulate matter which originates from incomplete combustion emissions. BC is regarded as an important short-lived climate forcer, and a significant public health hazard. These two concerns have made BC a focus in aerosol science. Even though, the toxicity of BC particles is well recognized, the mechani...

Injurious overloading and inflammation perturbate homeostasis of articular cartilage, leading to abnormal tissue-level loading during post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Our objective was to gain time- and cartilage depth-dependent insights into the early-stage disease progression with an in vitro model incorporating for the first time the coaction of (...

Aim To test the psychometric properties and latent structure of the modified Strong Model of Advanced Practice tool. Background The Strong Model of Advanced Practice tool, developed in the United States in 1990s and its Australia modification, has been increasingly used to delineate nursing and advanced practice nursing roles. Few research‐driven...

Atmospheric aerosol particle concentrations are strongly affected by various wet processes, including wet scavenging (below and in-cloud) and aqueous phase oxidation in-cloud. This study employs airmass history analysis and observational data to investigate how wet scavenging and cloud processes affect particle concentrations and composition during...

Despite a large number of studies, the effect of aerosols has the largest uncertainty in global climate model radiative forcing estimates. There have been studies of aerosol optical properties in climate models, but the effects of particle number size distribution need a more thorough inspection. We investigated the trends and seasonality of partic...

Objective: Histochemical characterization of proteoglycan content in articular cartilage is important for the understanding of osteoarthritis pathogenesis. However, cartilage cells may interfere with the measurement of matrix proteoglycan content in small animal models (e.g. mice and rats) due to the high cell volume fraction (38%) in mice compare...

Pre-print. Full published article available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeaoa.2022.100189

The aims of this case‐control study were to: (1) Identify cartilage locations and volumes at risk of osteoarthritis (OA) using subject‐specific finite element (FE) models; (2) Quantify the relationships between the simulated biomechanical parameters and T2 and T1ρ relaxation times of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We created subject‐specific FE...

Eating competence (EC) is characterized by positive attitudes towards food and eating, having regular meals, eating a variety of foods, and internally regulated eating. We investigated the associations of changes in EC with changes in lifestyle, anthropometrics and biomarkers of glucose and lipid metabolism in 2291 adults at increased risk of type...

Aim To identify and differentiate the practice patterns of generalist, specialist and advanced practice nursing roles in specialist and central hospital contexts. Background In Finland, as in other Nordic countries, advanced practice nursing roles emerged around 2000. There are over 60,000 registered nurses/midwives in Finland and the clinical car...

Aerosol particles cool the climate by scattering solar radiation and by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. Higher temperatures resulting from increased greenhouse gas levels have been suggested to lead to increased biogenic secondary organic aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei concentrations creating a negative climate feedback mechanism. Here,...

Fuel-operated auxiliary heaters (AHs) can be notable sources of particle emissions from vehicles. The emissions of AHs are unregulated, and the number of devices is high; therefore, they make considerable contributions to local air quality, and even the global emissions budget. Experiments for studying the emissions were performed in Finland for a...

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis is a degenerative musculoskeletal condition where homeostasis of articular cartilage is perturbated by lesions and inflammation, leading to abnormal tissue-level loading. These mechanisms have rarely been included simultaneously in in vitro osteoarthritis models. We modeled the early disease progression in bovine carti...

Aim To describe and compare the clinical nurse specialist core competency use in Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Background Clinical nurse specialist roles were first developed more than 60 years ago in the United States. Within the Nordic countries, the clinical nurse specialist role emerged around 2000. There is scarcity of clinical nurse speciali...

Aims To describe job satisfaction and multigenerational nursing characteristics between nurses in the United States, Italy, and Finland. Background Job satisfaction and work characteristics may be viewed differently among nurses of different generations and countries. Methods Data were collected on the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction...

Blackcurrant is a healthy, affordable, and traditionally gardened berry that, thus far, has been underused in food applications. From the consumers’ point of view, the acidic taste of blackcurrants is a challenge; therefore, these berries have mainly been utilized for sugary juice production. This research study aimed to develop a frozen vegan blac...

Abstract Background Nurse managers play a critical role in enhancing nursing and patient outcomes. The work of nurse managers, who can be described as middle-managers at health care organizations, is complex and changes on a daily basis. Only a few studies have clarified how nurse managers divide their time across various work activities. This stud...

Long-term statistics of atmospheric aerosol and especially cloud scavenging were studied at the Puijo measurement station in Kuopio, Finland, during October 2010–November 2014. Aerosol size distributions, scattering coefficients at three different wavelengths (450, 550, and 700 nm), and absorption coefficient at wavelength 637 nm were measured with...

PurposeWe studied the effects of a physical activity and dietary intervention on plasma lipids in a general population of children. We also investigated how lifestyle changes contributed to the intervention effects.Methods We carried out a 2-year controlled, non-randomized lifestyle intervention study among 504 mainly prepubertal children aged 6–9...

Aim: To conduct a construct validity test on a clinical nurse specialist core competency scale. Background: Clinical nurse specialists' competency development dates back to the late 20th century; however, there is scarcity of competency descriptions from outside of North America. Furthermore, little knowledge is available on the previous researc...