The Effect of a Suspended Radiation Protection System on Occupational Radiation Doses During Infrarenal EVAR Procedures: A Randomised Controlled Study.

Objective: To compare the protective effect of Zero Gravity (ZG) with conventional radiation protection during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Secondly, user experience was surveyed with a questionnaire on ergonomics.

Methods: This was a single centre, prospective, randomised, two arm trial where 71 consecutive elective infrarenal EVAR procedures were randomised into two groups: (1) operator using ZG and assistant using conventional protection (n = 36), and (2) operator and assistant using conventional radiation protection (n = 35).

Occupational radiation dose from gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures with special emphasis on eye lens doses in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures may result in remarkable radiation doses to patients and staff. The aim of this prospective study was to determine occupational exposures in gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures, with a special emphasis on eye lens dose in ERCP. Altogether 604 fluoroscopy-guided procedures, of which 560 were ERCPs belonging to four American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy procedural complexity levels, were performed using two fluoroscopy systems.

Winter condition variability decreases the economic sustainability of reindeer husbandry.

Wild and semidomesticated reindeer are one of the key species in Arctic and subarctic areas, and their population dynamics are closely tied to winter conditions. Difficult snow conditions have been found to decrease the calving success and survivability of reindeer, but the economic effects of variation in winter conditions on reindeer husbandry have not been studied. In this study, we combine state-of-the-art economic-ecological modeling with the analysis of annual reindeer management reports from Finland.

Exploring characteristics of national forest inventories for integration with global space-based forest biomass data.

National forest inventories (NFIs) are a reliable source for national forest measurements. However, they are usually not developed for linking with remotely sensed (RS) biomass information. There are increasing needs and opportunities to facilitate this link towards better global and national biomass estimation.

Staff eye lens dose in interventional radiology and cardiology in Finland.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the eye lens and whole-body radiation doses to interventional radiology and cardiology staff in two Finnish hospitals.

Methods: Simultaneous measurements of personal dose equivalent quantities H(3) and H(10) were conducted in clinical conditions during different radiological and cardiological interventional procedures. In order to study the feasibility to estimate eye lens dose with H(10) measured over the protective apron or thyroid shield, the ratio between measured H(3) and H(10) was investigated.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced Blindsight of Orientation is Degraded Conscious Vision.

Patients with blindsight are blind due to an early visual cortical lesion, but they can discriminate stimuli presented to the blind visual field better than chance. Studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of early visual cortex have tried to induce blindsight-like behaviour in neurologically healthy individuals, but the studies have yielded varied results. We hypothesized that previous demonstrations of TMS-induced blindsight may result from degraded awareness of the stimuli due to the use of dichotomous visibility scales in measuring awareness.

ESTIMATION OF HP(3) AMONG STAFF MEMBERS IN TWO NUCLEAR MEDICINE UNITS IN FINLAND.

The eye lens exposure among 16 technicians in two nuclear medicine departments at university hospitals in Finland was investigated by measuring the operational quantity Hp(3) using EYE-D dosemeters. For all workers, the annual mean Hp(3) was estimated to be 1.1 mSv (max.

ESTIMATION OF OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION EXPOSURE FOR MEDICAL WORKERS IN RADIOLOGY AND CARDIOLOGY IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: NINE HOSPITALS EXPERIENCE.

Purpose: Occupational radiation exposure for medical workers in radiology and cardiology was analyzed in nine hospitals in the UAE between 2002 and 2016. The purpose of the study was to determine the time trend and the differences in occupational radiation exposure among worker groups and hospitals in the country.

Methods: Readings of 5700 thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) were obtained from 1011 medical workers and grouped into 5 worker groups (radiographers, diagnostic radiologists, nurses, cardiologists and physicians).

Potential occupational exposures in diagnostic and interventional radiology: statistical modeling based on Finnish national dose registry data.

Background: Radiation worker categorization and exposure monitoring practices must be proportional to the current working environment.

Purpose: To analyze exposure data of Finnish radiological workers and to estimate the magnitude and frequency of their potential occupational radiation exposure, and to propose appropriate radiation worker categorization.

Material And Methods: Estimates of the probabilities of annual effective doses exceeding certain levels were obtained by calculating the survival function of a lognormal probability density function (PDF) fitted in the measured occupational exposure data.

Parameterization and validation of an ungulate-pasture model.

Ungulate grazing and trampling strongly affect pastures and ecosystems throughout the world. Ecological population models are used for studying these systems and determining the guidelines for sustainable and economically viable management. However, the effect of trampling and other resource wastage is either not taken into account or quantified with data in earlier models.

Maritime transport in the Gulf of Bothnia 2030.

Scenarios for shipping traffic in the Gulf of Bothnia (GoB) by 2030 are described in order to identify the main factors that should be taken into account when preparing a Maritime Spatial Plan (MSP) for the area. The application of future research methodology to planning of marine areas was also assessed. The methods include applying existing large scale quantitative scenarios for maritime traffic in the GoB and using real-time Delphi in which an expert group discussed different factors contributing to future maritime traffic in the GoB to find out the probability and significance of the factors having an impact on maritime traffic.

Safety at work in cold environments and prevention of cold stress.

The questions related to safety at work in cold environments and prevention of cold stress in working life are described in this article. Working in the cold environment is more dangerous than the same type of work in a warmer climate. All researchers have concluded that the frequency of accidents/versus temperature curves follow the U-shape with the minimum near 20 degrees C.

Kinetics of the inhibition of fusarium serine proteinases by barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) inhibitors.

Fungal infections of barley and wheat cause devastating losses of these food crops. The endogenous proteinase inhibitors produced by plant seeds probably defend the plants from pathogens by inhibiting the degradation of their proteins by the pathogen proteases. We have studied the interactions of barley grain inhibitors with the subtilisin-like and trypsinlike proteinases of Fusarium culmorum.

Changes in reindeer herding work and their effect on occupational accidents.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the risk of occupational accidents in reindeer herding work in the long run, and to find out if the changes of work processes caused by joining the European Union in 1995 can be seen in accident statistics.

Study Design And Methods: The information on reindeer herders' occupational accidents was obtained from the Farmers' Social Insurance Institution. The development of accidents, reindeer herders and handled animals was studied in 1991-2004.

Hand preference and risk of injury among the Northern Finland birth cohort at the age of 30.

The aim of this study is to examine two hypotheses. The first hypothesis proposes that left-handers have a higher injury risk than right-handers. The second hypothesis assumes that ambidextrous people have an elevated risk of injury compared with both right- and left-handers.

Purification and identification of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) proteins that inhibit the alkaline serine proteinases of Fusarium culmorum.

It has been proposed that microbial proteinase inhibitors, which are present in abundance in cereal grains, protect the seed against plant pathogens. So far, however, very little is known about the interactions of those inhibitors with the proteinases of phytopathogenic microbes. The increased alkaline proteinase activities of Fusarium head blight (FHB) diseased wheat and barley grain imply that the Fusarium fungi synthesize those enzymes during the colonization of the kernel.

Trypsin-like proteinase produced by Fusarium culmorum grown on grain proteins.

The fungal disease Fusarium head blight occurs on wheat (Triticum spp.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and is one of the worldwide problems of agriculture.

Purification and properties of an alkaline proteinase of Fusarium culmorum.

The disease Fusarium head blight (scab) causes severe problems for farmers and for the industries that use cereals. It is likely that the fungi that cause scab (Fusarium spp.) use various enzymes when they invade grains.

Simplified endoproteinase assays using gelatin or azogelatin.

Endoproteinase assays with gels containing incorporated gelatin have shown that gelatin is an exceptional substrate for studying enzymes from different sources. However, due to its solubility in trichloroacetic acid, gelatin is not suited to "in-solution" assays carried out in the classic manner (by reading the absorbance of supernatants of hydrolysis reactions after the substrate has been precipitated with trichloroacetic acid). In this paper we demonstrate that gelatin can be used for such analyses by using isopropanol as precipitating reagent.

Work ability of young adults.

This paper reviews the themes related to work ability of young adults. Premature working discapacity causes significant economical and social costs in Finland compared to other Nordic countries and has for that reason been studied most intensively there. Work ability is an interaction of social, environmental and individual factors such as physical fitness, coping skills, social support behaviour and health behaviour.

Assessment of Health Risks in Canteen Kitchens.

The ergonomic, occupational hygiene, and safety factors in canteen kitchen work were examined using worksite surveys and a questionnaire. Pain in the shoulders was found to be associated with the raised position of the upper limbs caused by excessively high working surfaces. Temperature, ventilation, and especially drafts caused the greatest disturbance at the workplace.

Service of snowmobiles in the wilderness and villages.

The maintenance of terrain vehicles like snowmobiles has been developed for arctic wilderness use by paying attention to occupational health, safety and quality and efficiency of work. A small tent carried on a snowmobile sledge supplied with heating and lighting equipment was planned, built and tested. It was sized based on an ergonomic survey for the servicing of snowmobiles.

Safety in the use of four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles in Finland.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the use of four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles in Finland and estimate the safety in driving a four-wheeler. According to the importers there are about 3,000 four-wheelers in use in Finland. A questionnaire was sent to the owners of four-wheelers (n = 185), in which questions were asked about their use, protection used when driving, accidents that had occurred and suggestions for developing four-wheelers.

Prevention of accidents in reindeer herding work.

In the northern part of Finland we have about 450,000 reindeer and their raising gives work to about 3,500 reindeer herders. In this study data on the occupational accidents of herders were collected by two questionnaires with an interval of 2 years. Based on the surveys of accident risks in various work phases 34 preventive measures were developed and information about them was passed on to the herders between the questionnaires.

The effect of working height on the loading of the muscular and skeletal systems in the kitchens of workplace canteens.

Arising from the confirmed high incidence of illness and other signs and symptoms, estimations were made of the loading on the muscular and skeletal systems of kitchen workers. The study included a health questionnaire and the ergonomics examination of 11 kitchens. Problems in the neck-shoulders region appeared particularly frequently in short workers.