Uudised

14% of elderly with dementia living at home think about suicide, as revealed by a study carried out in eight European countries, including Estonia, with the participation of researchers from the University of Tartu. It is essential to identify suicidal thoughts to give the patients appropriate treatment and support their caregivers. According to the World Health Organization, suicide and the related ideation and behaviour are a great problem across the globe. Both old age and mental disorders are considered as risk factors.

Studies have shown that a third of adolescents’ close relationships involve violent behaviour patterns, such as checking the other person’s phone, restricting meeting with friends, intimidation and influencing. Researchers of the University of Tartu are launching online courses to help teachers and hence adolescents to recognise different forms of violence as soon as possible and prevent the patterns of dating and relationship violence.

Dear members of the university, To recover from the extraordinary situation that hit the world in spring, a summer holiday is vital for all of us. However, we must remember to exercise caution when returning to work to make sure our life at the university and in the country as a whole could continue as normally as possible.

On 15 February at 12:00, the popular Career Day will take place in the main building of the University of Tartu for the sixth time already. This year the event focuses on traineeships and labour market needs.

The results of the study on coronavirus antibodies KoroSero-EST-1 led by the University of Tartu indicate that the prevalence of the virus notably exceeded the national statistics based on nasal swab testing: by ten times in Tallinn and three and a half times in Saaremaa. Only 20% of people who had coronavirus antibodies in their blood had had a symptom of a viral disease. The population-based study on coronavirus antibodies KoroSero-EST-2 has already started.

The novel coronavirus has been circulating the world for seven months and there is no sign of it subsiding. This means, however, that we will very likely have to coexist with the virus for a very long time and it is up to humans, not the virus, to decide how we want or manage to do that, writes Irja Lutsar, Professor of Medical Microbiology of the University of Tartu. Spread of and infection with the virus In terms of the spread of the virus, countries can be divided as follows:

A joint research study involving Estonian scientists has been published which describes in detail the delicate balance between the paternal and maternal genes during pregnancy. Due to the paternal contribution, the embryo is genetically foreign to the mother’s body, but is nevertheless perfectly capable of developing in the womb and normally does not suffer from any maternal immune attacks. However, this balance is not always ideal and may prove fatal for both the embryo and the mother.

The Faculty of Medicine will celebrate its anniversary on 15 and 16 October with a revised programme and schedule.

Estonian scientists and physicians have developed a preeclampsia screening test that enables to prognose the disease risk at the beginning of the 3rd trimester with a probability of 96.5%. Early accurate identification of high-risk pregnancies enables timely clinical monitoring of concerned women to minimize preeclampsia-related health consequences on the mother and the fetus.

Medical researchers of the University of Tartu and doctors of Tartu University Hospital have an ambitious plan to take their novel combination of stereotactic body radiotherapy and immunotherapy to treatment guidelines and thus reach suitable patients suffering from lung cancer. Up to 20 lung cancer patients will be included in the study SynAct Lung to assess the safety and efficiency of the new combination.

Studying the inflammatory and metabolic markers in the different stages of schizophrenia spectrum disorders is of great importance. At the University of Tartu, a study on this topic was completed and the results will help diagnose the disease, and monitor and avoid the manifestation of side effects of the treatment.

From May 11, family doctors in Saaremaa and Õismäe started to invite volunteers to take part in the study on coronavirus antibodies KoroSero-EST organised by the University of Tartu. Based on random sampling, the vein blood of 1,080 participants from both communities will be analysed for the presence of antibodies to estimate the number of people having been exposed to coronavirus. After the pilot study, a larger study across Estonia is planned.

Admissions to the University of Tartu take place based on the schedule announced in winter. According to current plans, admission requirements will remain largely unchanged. The application period to Estonian-taught master’s programmes runs until 1 July. From 18 June to 1 July, applications are accepted to bachelor’s, professional higher education and integrated curricula, and from 1 May to 15 June, to doctoral programmes.

Teaching and studies at the university continue in online environments until the end of semester. To minimise the movement of students, we ask that all exams and pass/fail assessments be conducted online. If online classes are not enough for students to pass the course, face-to-face sessions are planned. In planning face-to-face learning, the following should be kept in mind:

On Tuesday, 5 May at 13:00, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk talked in a live webcast about when and how the university could resume regular teaching and studies, and what lies ahead of us before the end of the academic year. Among other issues, she discussed everything related to graduations; for example, graduation ceremonies, exams and theses. Watch the video with English subtitles:

A study conducted under the lead of Estonian researchers shows that men with prostatitis-like symptoms (PLS) suffer under more intercurrent diseases than men without any complaints and are characterised by various unhealthy habits and attitudes.

In the current emergency situation where mental health problems are on the rise, services to address these problems are becoming increasingly important. Mindlift is a platform that connects those in need of help with mental health experts. They can communicate with selected experts on the platform either by messaging, phone call or video, without long waiting times or expensive service fees.

With the permission of the Ethics Committee, scientists from the University of Tartu Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine analysed blood plasma samples taken at Tartu University Hospital from patients suffering from COVID-19 and confirmed the effectiveness of their method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In the course of their study, which was carried out with the permission of the Ethics Committee, the scientists gained confirmation of the effectiveness of the method they had developed for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Six tenants of UT residence hall confirmed to have coronavirus. In connection with this we publish the address of the Rector of the University of Tartu in both text and video. Today we have received alarming news both for the University of Tartu and the entire Estonia. Students of the University of Tartu, who are tenants of the residence hall in Raatuse street, have been infected with coronavirus.

The University of Tartu will not hold graduation ceremonies this summer because these events usually attract crowds of people and close contact is impossible to avoid. Graduates receive their diplomas in their institute/unit in the second half of June. Detailed information on the time and place will be sent to all graduates and posted on the university’s website. If necessary, you can authorise another person to collect your diploma, or have the diploma sent to you by mail.