Deficient H2A.Z deposition is associated with genesis of uterine leiomyoma.

One in four women suffers from uterine leiomyomas (ULs)-benign tumours of the uterine wall, also known as uterine fibroids-at some point in premenopausal life. ULs can cause excessive bleeding, pain and infertility, and are a common cause of hysterectomy. They emerge through at least three distinct genetic drivers: mutations in MED12 or FH, or genomic rearrangement of HMGA2.

Design parameters for nitrogen removal by constructed wetlands treating mine waters and municipal wastewater under Nordic conditions.

Nitrogen (N) loads from municipal and mine wastewater discharges typically increase N concentrations in recipient water bodies which should get more attention especially in cold-climate regions. This study compared N removal efficiency of six constructed wetlands (CWs) treating mine waters and three CWs polishing municipal wastewater. There were clear impacts of point source N loading to recipient water bodies in all cases studied and >300-fold increase in N was seen in some cases.

Arsenic, antimony, and nickel leaching from northern peatlands treating mining influenced water in cold climate.

Increased metal mining in the Arctic region has caused elevated loads of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), and sulfate (SO) to recipient surface or groundwater systems. The need for cost-effective active and passive mine water treatment methods has also increased. Natural peatlands are commonly used as a final step for treatment of mining influenced water.

Cereal-Based Snack Bar with Added Plant Stanol Ester (Benecol®) Consumed between Meals Lowers Serum Total and LDL Cholesterol Effectively in Mildly to Moderately Hypercholesterolemic Subjects.

The cholesterol-lowering effect of foods with added plant sterols or stanols consumed as snacks might be compromised. The purpose of this study was to confirm the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of a specially formulated cereal-based snack bar with added plant stanol ester (1.6 g plant stanols/day) when consumed between meals twice a day.

Atrial Fibrillation Detection via Accelerometer and Gyroscope of a Smartphone.

We present a smartphone-only solution for the detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which utilizes the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope sensors [inertial measurement unit, (IMU)] in the detection. Depending on the patient's situation, it is possible to use the developed smartphone application either regularly or occasionally for making a measurement of the subject. The smartphone is placed on the chest of the patient who is adviced to lay down and perform a noninvasive recording, while no external sensors are needed.

A Functional MRI Study of Happy and Sad Emotions in Music with and without Lyrics.

Musical emotions, such as happiness and sadness, have been investigated using instrumental music devoid of linguistic content. However, pop and rock, the most common musical genres, utilize lyrics for conveying emotions. Using participants' self-selected musical excerpts, we studied their behavior and brain responses to elucidate how lyrics interact with musical emotion processing, as reflected by emotion recognition and activation of limbic areas involved in affective experience.

The development of aesthetic responses to music and their underlying neural and psychological mechanisms.

In the field of psychology, the first studies in experimental aesthetics were conducted approximately 140 years ago. Since then, research has mainly concentrated on aesthetic responses to visual art. Both the aesthetic experience of music and, especially, its development have received rather limited attention.

Population density and occurrence of accidents in Finland.

Introduction: About one million accidents occur yearly in Finland (population 5.2 million), resulting in over 3,000 deaths, annually. The governmental and municipal authorities are responsible for the healthcare services that respond to these accidents.

Adder bites. A report of 68 cases.

Background And Aims: The adder (Vipera Berus) is the only venomous snake that exists naturally in Scandinavia. The aim of this study is to estimate the severity of adder bites, to form a general picture of symptoms of bites and to find out how effective the present treatment methods of adder bites are.

Material And Methods: 68 true adder bites treated in Turku University Hospital during the years 1995-2000 were reviewed retrospectively.

Isolation and identification of Aspergillus fumigatus mycotoxins on growth medium and some building materials.

Genotoxic and cytotoxic compounds were isolated and purified from the culture medium of an indoor air mold, Aspergillus fumigatus. One of these compounds was identified as gliotoxin, a known fungal secondary metabolite. Growth of A.

Genotoxicity of gliotoxin, a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus fumigatus, in a battery of short-term test systems.

The genotoxic effects of gliotoxin, a known fungal secondary metabolite, were studied. Gliotoxin was purified from cultivation medium of Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from the indoor air of a moisture problem house. The genotoxicity of gliotoxin was assessed both in bacterial test systems including bacterial repair assay, Ames Salmonella assay and SOS-chromotest, and in mammalian cells using single cell gel (SCG) electrophoresis assay and sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) test.

The quality and characteristics of clinical drug study notifications reviewed by the regulatory agency in Finland.

The aim of our study was to investigate the validity of clinical drug study notifications reviewed by the regulatory agency in Finland during the 1990s. (In practice, the notification is equivalent to tacit authorization, which the agency has full powers to revoke before it takes effect.) All clinical drug studies reviewed by the agency during the years 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1998 were studied retrospectively.

Efficient insertion mutagenesis strategy for bacterial genomes involving electroporation of in vitro-assembled DNA transposition complexes of bacteriophage mu.

An efficient insertion mutagenesis strategy for bacterial genomes based on the phage Mu DNA transposition reaction was developed. Incubation of MuA transposase protein with artificial mini-Mu transposon DNA in the absence of divalent cations in vitro resulted in stable but inactive Mu DNA transposition complexes, or transpososomes. Following delivery into bacterial cells by electroporation, the complexes were activated for DNA transposition chemistry after encountering divalent metal ions within the cells.

Acceptability and profile of the clinical drug trials underway in Finnish university hospitals in the 1990s: applications reviewed by ethics committees.

There is scarce information in literature about the decisions made by ethics committees concerning the clinical studies they have reviewed. A retrospective, detailed review of 666 applications, their amendments and the ethics committees' statements was undertaken. All protrocols of clinical studies on medicinal products submitted to and reviewed by the ethics committees of two university hospitals during the years 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1998 were investigated.

Haplotypes of the ApoA-I/C-III/A-IV gene cluster and familial combined hyperlipidemia.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) is the most frequent familial lipoprotein disorder associated with premature coronary heart disease. However, no genetic defect(s) underlying FCHL has been identified. A linkage between FCHL and the apoA-I/C-III/A-IV gene cluster has been reported but not verified in other populations.

Enhancement of intermediate-term memory by an alpha-1 agonist or a partial agonist at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the activation of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors can influence intermediate-term memory. Therefore, the effects of ST 587 (30 or 100 micrograms/kg), a putative alpha-1 agonist, on the retention of the radial arm task using non-matching to sample with a 4-h delay were investigated in rats. The results indicated that the administration of ST 587 (100 micrograms/kg) before a sampling phase increased the time to complete the sampling phase which was due to an increased number of errors of repetition (regarded as working memory errors) and a reduced number of arms visited in a given time (regarded as behavioral activity).

Low field MRI and scaphoid fracture.

18 consecutive patients suspected of and treated for an acute scaphoid fracture were examined by lowfield MRI. This showed 11 fractures while seven scaphoids were considered normal. T1 weighted images showed a fracture as an area of decreased signal intensity.

Transarterial brachial plexus anesthesia for hand surgery: a retrospective analysis of 346 cases.

Study Objectives: To study the safety and efficacy of the transarterial approach to brachial plexus block with 60 to 70 ml of local anesthetic solution, and to compare the success and complication rates of this block performed by experienced or inexperienced anesthesiologists.

Design: Retrospective analysis of 346 records of ASA physical status I-IV patients who underwent elective unilateral orthopedic upper limb surgery with transarterial plexus anesthesia.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Influence of flumazenil on the learning-enhancing effect of ambocarb in rats.

The effects of flumazenil (Ro 15-1788) and a new beta-carboline, ambocarb (AMB), on learning were investigated using the multichoice maze. The drugs, administered either alone or simultaneously, were injected once a day before training for eight days. AMB, administered alone, improved the performance and decreased the working errors, whilst flumazenil had no effect on performance during its sole administration but weakly prevented the learning-improving effect of AMB.

Acute neurobehavioural effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in Han/Wistar rats.

The neurobehavioural effects of a single non-lethal dose (1000 micrograms/kg intraperitoneally) of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were assessed in young male Han/Wistar rats, highly resistant to acute lethality of TCDD. TCDD decreased body weight significantly compared with ad libitum fed controls. TCDD did not change the behaviour or the motility of rats in the open field test 8 days after the treatment nor did it affect the spontaneous motor activity up to 27 days after the exposure.

Amygdala kindling increased fear-response, but did not impair spatial memory in rats.

The behavioral effects of amygdala kindling, a model of experimental epilepsy in rats, are reported. The animals were stimulated twice a day until stage 5 (generalized clonic) seizures were obtained three times. Two weeks later the performance of the amygdala-kindled and sham-operated rats was tested in the open-field test, on the elevated plus maze, elevated bridges, and in the Morris water maze.

Acute neurobehavioural toxicity of trichothecene T-2 toxin in the rat.

The acute effects of single oral doses, 0.4 and 2.0 mg/kg, of trichothecene T-2 mycotoxin on behaviour, motor performance and nociception were studied in male Wistar rats.