Spectroscopic thermometry for long-distance surveying.

Electronic distance meters are routinely used to accurately determine the distance between two points. To reach relative measurement uncertainties of 10, the average temperature along the beam has to be known within 100 mK since it is a key component in determining the refractive index of air. Temperature measurements at this level are extremely challenging over long distances and especially in an outdoor environment.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 in reducing the risk of infections in early childhood.

Background: Specific probiotic bacteria have proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in early life in at-risk populations. The impact of administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) on the risk of acute infectious diseases was studied in healthy children.

Increased situation awareness in major incidents-radio frequency identification (RFID) technique: a promising tool.

Introduction: In mass-casualty situations, communications and information management to improve situational awareness is a major challenge for responders. In this study, the feasibility of a prototype system that utilizes commercially available, low-cost components, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and mobile phone technology, was tested in two simulated mass-casualty incidents.

Methods: The feasibility and the direct benefits of the system were evaluated in two simulated mass-casualty situations: one in Finland involving a passenger ship accident resulting in multiple drowning/hypothermia patients, and another at a major airport in Sweden using an aircraft crash scenario.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 in reducing the risk of infections in infancy.

The impact of controlled administration of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB-12) on the risk of acute infectious diseases was studied in healthy newborn infants. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 109 newborn 1-month-old infants were assigned randomly to a probiotic group receiving a BB-12-containing tablet (n 55) or to a control group receiving a control tablet (n 54).

Laryngeal tube and intubating laryngeal mask insertion in a manikin by first-responder trainees after a short video-clip demonstration.

Introduction: This study was performed in the Finnish Defense Forces to assess the potential applicability and value of short video clips as educational material to teach advanced airway management and as the first means of introducing the use of a laryngeal tube (LT) or an intubating laryngeal mask (ILMA) to inexperienced, military, first-responder trainees with no prior hands-on experience.

Methods: The 60 non-commissioned medical officers participating in this study were randomly assigned into one of two groups: the LT- and the ILMA-group. After viewing the video clips, the trainees were required to perform 10 consecutive, successful insertions of the given instrument into a manikin.

Defibrillation and the quality of layperson cardiopulmonary resuscitation-dispatcher assistance or training?

Aims Of The Study: To examine whether basic life support-defibrillation (BLS-D) training of laypersons enhances the speed of defibrillation and the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during a simulated ventricular fibrillation scenario compared with a situation where the care provider has no previous BLS-D training but receives dispatcher assistance with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and the performance of CPR.

Methods: Fifty-two military conscripts of the Finnish Defence Forces who without previous medical education had been tested in a simulated cardiac arrest scenario with dispatcher assistance and thereafter received a 4-h BLS-D training. Six months later they were randomly divided to form teams of two and again tested in a similar scenario but without dispatcher assistance.

Implementing RFID technology in a novel triage system during a simulated mass casualty situation.

The purpose of this study is to determine the applicability of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and commercial cellular networks to provide an online triage system for handling mass casualty situations. This was tested by a using a pilot system for a simulated mass casualty situation during a military field exercise. The system proved to be usable.

Can untrained laypersons use a defibrillator with dispatcher assistance?

Objectives: Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) provide an opportunity to improve survival in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by enabling laypersons not trained in rhythm recognition to deliver lifesaving therapy. This study was performed to examine whether untrained laypersons could safely and effectively use these AEDs with telephone-guided instructions and if this action would compromise the performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) during a simulated ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Methods: Fifty-four conscripts without previous medical education were recruited from the Western Command in Finland.

Risk-based early prevention in comparison with routine prevention of dental caries: a 7-year follow-up of a controlled clinical trial; clinical and economic aspects.

BACKGROUND: The results in an earlier study with 2-5-year-old children indicated that, in comparison with conventional prevention, a risk-based prevention programme was effective in reducing dental caries in a low-caries community. The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical and economic findings seven years after the cessation of the targeted programme, from the perspective of public health care. METHODS: The present material was collected from the dental records of the public health care centres, and included all dental visits after the 5-year examination until the 12-year examination.

Assessment of caries risk in preschool children.

The study aimed to assess the additional caries-predictive value of visible plaque, gingival bleeding, and the reported use of fluorides and candies, when combined with the information about mutans streptococci (MS) and incipient carious lesions. The subjects were 2 years of age at the baseline examination (n = 226), and they were all given conventional prevention during the 3-year follow-up period. None of the studied single risk indicators reached an accuracy of 80% in predicting the 3-year caries increment.

Economic evaluation of a risk-based caries prevention program in preschool children.

We have previously reported that, in young children, a risk-based caries prevention program compared with conventional prevention has a good caries-preventive effect. The present study aimed to assess the economic aspects of this program. We used the presence of mutans streptococci in plaque (Dentocult-SM) and/or the presence of incipient carious lesions at 2 years of age for risk assessment, and measured the outcome of caries (yes/no) at the age of 5 years.

Clinical outcomes of risk-based caries prevention in preschool-aged children.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes in young children of risk-based management of dental caries in comparison with routine prevention.

Methods: The study was carried out in two municipal health centers in Central Finland. The risk-based prevention group consisted of 299 children from Vanha Korpilahti, and the routine prevention group of 226 children from Saarijärvi.