Effects of Dispersant on the Petroleum Hydrocarbon Biodegradation and Microbial Communities in Seawater from the Baltic Sea and Norwegian Sea.

Dispersants have been used in several oil spill accidents, but little information is available on their effectiveness in Baltic Sea conditions with low salinity and cold seawater. This study investigated the effects of dispersant use on petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation rates and bacterial community structures. Microcosm experiments were conducted at 5 °C for 12 days with North Sea crude oil and dispersant Finasol 51 with open sea Gulf of Bothnia and coastal Gulf of Finland and Norwegian Sea seawater.

A preliminary study on the ecotoxic potency of wastewater treatment plant sludge combining passive sampling and bioassays.

Sewage sludge is an inevitable byproduct produced in wastewater treatment. Reusing nutrient-rich sludge will diminish the amount of waste ending in soil dumping areas and will promote circular economy. However, during sewage treatment process, several potentially harmful organic chemicals are retained in sludge, but proving the safety of processed sludge will promote its more extensive use in agriculture and landscaping.

A photographic technique for quick assessment of mechanical isocenter of a linear accelerator.

Demands for mechanical accuracy of medical linear accelerators are increased due to the stereotactic and modulated rotational treatments. Mechanical inaccuracies affect the size and shape of the mechanical and radiation isocenters. In practice, the mechanical isocenter is defined by the intersection of rotational axes.

Biomechanical evaluation of bone screw fixation with a novel bone cement.

Background: Bone cement augmentation is commonly used to improve the fixation stability of orthopaedic implants in osteoporotic bone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of novel bone cements on the stability of bone screw fixation by biomechanical testing and to compare them with a conventional Simplex(®)P bone cement and requirements of the standards.

Methods: Basic biomechanical properties were compared with standard tests.

Upregulation of inflammatory genes in the nasal mucosa of patients undergoing endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy.

Background: Epiphora is a common complaint of nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) in adults. The precise pathogenesis of NLDO is still unknown, but inflammatory processes are believed to be predisposing factors. Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR) is an effective surgical technique for treating symptomatic NLDO.

EMG and acceleration signal analysis for quantifying the effects of medication in Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor disabilities that can be alleviated reasonably with appropriate medication. However, there is a lack of objective methods for quantifying the efficacy of treatment in PD. We applied here an objective method for quantifying the effects of medication in PD using EMG and acceleration measurements and analysis.

L-Amino acid oxidase of the fungus Hebeloma cylindrosporum displays substrate preference towards glutamate.

Catabolism of amino acids is a central process in cellular nitrogen turnover, but only a few of the mechanisms involved have been described from basidiomycete fungi. This study identified one such mechanism, the l-amino acid oxidase (Lao1) enzyme of Hebeloma cylindrosporum, by 2D gel separation and MS. We determined genomic DNA sequences of lao1 and part of its upstream gene, a putative pyruvate decarboxylase (pdc2), and cloned the cDNA of lao1.

Symptom score questionnaire for nasolacrimal duct obstruction in adults--a novel tool to assess the outcome after endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy.

Background: The incidence of nasolacrimal pathway obstruction increases with age, and dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is a commonly applied surgical technique to treat severe cases. However, no disease-specific tools to assess the symptoms and the subjective outcome after DCR have been established. We have developed a specific Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Symptom Score (NLDO-SS) questionnaire to evaluate the outcome, and tested it in a prospective clinical trial.

Discrimination of EMG and acceleration measurements between patients with Parkinson's disease and healthy persons.

In this paper, we examine the potential of electromyographic (EMG) and acceleration measurements in discriminating patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) from healthy persons. Two types of muscle contractions are examined: static contractions of biceps brachii muscles and elbow extension movements. Twelve features are extracted from static and ten features from extension measurements.

Pullout strength of a biodegradable free form osteosynthesis plate.

The Inion(®) Free Form Plate is a newly designed biodegradable plate. After drilling through the plate and tapping, a biodegradable screw can be inserted, followed by removal of the screw head. As an alternative a countersink screw can be used.

Cerebellar apparent diffusion coefficient changes in patients with supratentorial ischemic stroke.

Objectives: To evaluate apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in cerebellar subregions in patients with stroke.

Materials And Methods: The total counts and ADCs were bilaterally measured on cerebellar white matter, gray matters of medial (G1), intermediate (G2), and lateral zones (G3) on SPECT and ADC maps from 20 patients with supratentorial ischemic stroke within the first 48 h and on day 8 after onset. ADCs were also obtained from 15 age-matched controls.

Strong expression of HSP47 in metaplastic nasal mucosa may predict a poor outcome after primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy: a prospective study.

Purpose: Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is an effective and safe procedure for patients with post-saccal obstruction of the nasolacrimal pathway. The aim of DCR is to relieve symptoms by creating a bypass between the lacrimal sac and the nasal cavity. The most common reason for failure is stenosis caused by a fibrotic process at the rhinostomy site.

Perfusion differences on SPECT and PWI in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Introduction: The purposes of the present study were to compare the flow defect volumes on perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (PWI) and (99m)Tc-labeled ethylcysteinate dimer ((99m)Tc-ECD) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) at acute and subacute stages of ischemic stroke and to analyze the relationship between the detected flow defects on the two methods and neurological status and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Perfusion defects on PWI and SPECT were measured within 48 h and on day 8 of the onset of stroke from 22 patients with their first-ever acute supratentorial ischemic stroke. The primary neurological status was evaluated prior to the imaging.

Analysis of dynamic voluntary muscle contractions in Parkinson's disease.

A novel method for discrimination of dynamic muscle contractions between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls on the basis of surface electromyography (EMG) and acceleration measurements is presented. In this method, dynamic EMG and acceleration measurements are analyzed using nonlinear methods and wavelets. Ten parameters capturing Parkinson's disease (PD) characteristic features in the measured signals are extracted.

Analysis of dynamic EMG and acceleration measurements in Parkinson's disease.

In this paper, we bring out modern methods that are potential in analysing differences in the dynamic surface electromyographic (EMG) and acceleration measurements between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy persons. These methods are the correlation dimension of EMG, the recurrence rate of EMG, the power of acceleration and the sample entropy of acceleration. In this study, these methods were used to extract features from surface EMG and acceleration recordings measured during elbow flexion and extension movements.

Repeated early debridement does not provide significant symptomatic benefit after ESS.

Objective: Postoperative debridement is considered essential after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), however, its effect on postoperative symptoms is largely unexplored.

Methods: In the present study 90 patients undergoing ESS were randomized to debridement of the nasal cavities either three times during the first postoperative week (intervention group), or once on the 7th postoperative day (control group). Postoperative saline douching was used in both groups.

Cutaneous electrical stimulation treatment in unresolved facial nerve paralysis: an exploratory study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess clinical and neurophysiological changes after 6 mos of transcutaneous electrical stimulation in patients with unresolved facial nerve paralysis.

Design: A pilot case series of 10 consecutive patients with chronic facial nerve paralysis either of idiopathic origin or because of herpes zoster oticus participated in this open study. All patients received below sensory threshold transcutaneous electrical stimulation for 6 mos for their facial nerve paralysis.

Identification of nitrogen mineralization enzymes, L-amino acid oxidases, from the ectomycorrhizal fungi Hebeloma spp. and Laccaria bicolor.

Amino acids are major nitrogen sources in soils and they harbour a central position in the nitrogen metabolism of cells. We determined whether Hebeloma spp. and Laccaria bicolor expressed the enzyme L-amino acid oxidase (LAO), which catalyses the oxidative deamination of the alpha-amino group of L-amino acids.

Surface EMG and acceleration signals in Parkinson's disease: feature extraction and cluster analysis.

We present an advanced method for feature extraction and cluster analysis of surface electromyograms (EMG) and acceleration signals in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the method, 12 different EMG and acceleration signal features are extracted and used to form high-dimensional feature vectors. The dimensionality of these vectors is then reduced by using the principal component approach.

Fixation properties of a biodegradable "free-form" osteosynthesis plate.

The Inion FreedomPlate, a "free-form" osteosynthesis plate, is a biodegradable plate with just pilot holes for drilling. The construction of the plate allows the surgeon a placement of screws in optimal position. The screw heads can either be countersunk into the plate or cut off.

Silicone tubing is not necessary after primary endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy: a prospective randomized study.

Background: Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (EN-DCR) is an effective procedure when treating saccal and postsaccal obstructions of the nasolacrimal pathway. The benefit of silicone tubing after DCR is still controversial. We conducted a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the necessity of bicanalicular silicone tubes after primary EN-DCR.

Physiological noise in MR images: an indicator of the tissue response to ischemia?

Purpose: To determine whether measuring signal intensity (SI) fluctuations in MRI time series data from acute stroke patients would identify ischemic tissue.

Materials And Methods: Prebolus perfusion-weighted MRI data from 32 acute ischemic stroke patients (N = 32) was analyzed as a time series. Ischemic and normal tissue regions were outlined and compared.

Analysis of surface EMG signal morphology in Parkinson's disease.

A novel approach is presented for the analysis of surface electromyogram (EMG) morphology in Parkinson's disease (PD). The method is based on histogram and crossing rate (CR) analysis of the EMG signal. In the method, histograms and CR values are used as high-dimensional feature vectors.

Diseases and motor vehicle fatalities in Finland in 2001 and 2002.

Objectives: The possible connection between diseases among drivers and traffic accidents was examined for traffic safety purposes.

Methods: We studied medical conditions of drivers and passengers in all motor vehicle crashes with fatalities in Finland in 2001 and 2002 by using reports of road accident investigation teams, including autopsy reports. We analyzed a total of 542 crashes with 640 fatalities.