Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA after global ischemia is regulated by AMPA receptors and glucocorticoids.

Background And Purpose: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is implicated in ischemic neuronal death. In focal ischemia, its mRNA induction is mediated through N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptors and phospholipase A(2). Because mechanisms of neuronal death involving COX-2 in global ischemia are unclear, we studied the time course and regulation of COX-2 expression in rat brain global ischemia.

Oil shale processing as a source of aquatic pollution: monitoring of the biologic effects in caged and feral freshwater fish.

The biologic effects of the oil shale industry on caged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as well as on feral perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) were studied in the River Narva in northeast Estonia. The River Narva passes the oil shale mining and processing area and thus receives elevated amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and sulfates. The effects of the chemical load were monitored by measuring cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A)-dependent monooxygenase (MO) activities [7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH)] as well as conjugation enzyme activities [glutathione S-transferase (GST) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase] in the liver of fish.

Do young women have specific problems in contraceptive use and counselling?

Objectives: To find out if young women have specific problems with the use of contraception or contraceptive services.

Study Design: A national postal survey was conducted, RR 74%. Women aged 18-34 years (with experience of contraceptive use) were included in this report (n=1239).

Predictors of light-limited growth and competition of phytoplankton in a well-mixed water column.

Based on a model of light limited growth, Huisman and Weissing found that in a well mixed water column with constant light supply (energy reaching the water surface), equilibrium growth and competition of phytoplankton for light can be characterised by a critical light intensity at the base of the column (I*out). The present study attempts to give a further insight into this model. We first analyse the dependence of the critical light intensity on four parameters: initial slope of the photosynthesis-intensity (p-I) curve, maximal photosynthetic rate, the light-saturated parameter Ikand specific carbon loss rate.

The role of gynaecologists in women's health care--women's views.

Objective: Reproductive matters are common reasons to use health services, and both primary care providers (general practitioners and public health nurses) and specialists (gynaecologists) can be consulted. The purpose of this study was to find out how Finnish women think about and use specialist care in reproductive matters; gynaecological health checks, contraception, and prenatal care served as examples.

Methods: The data come from a questionnaire survey sent in 1994 to a representative sample (74% response rate) of 18-44-year-old Finnish women (n=2189).

Peronospora sparsa on Cultivated Rubus arcticus and Its Detection by PCR Based on ITS Sequences.

In 1994 to 1996, large yield losses were reported in cultivated arctic bramble (Rubus arcticus) due to berries drying in the middle of the growing season in the entire cultivation area (62° to 66° N) in Finland. Interveinal, angular, purple-red lesions on leaves are associated with the dryberry disease. Cultivations of arctic bramble were inspected in 1995 and 1996, and 69 plant samples and 137 rootstocks were collected and examined for fungi in the laboratory.

A controlled, prospective, 1-year trial of citalopram in the treatment of panic disorder.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of citalopram in the long-term treatment of adult outpatients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia.

Method: Patients in this double-blind, parallel-group trial were assigned to 1 of 3 fixed dosage ranges of citalopram (10 or 15 mg/day, 20 or 30 mg/day, or 40 or 60 mg/day), 1 dosage range of clomipramine (60 or 90 mg/day), or placebo. After the completed 8-week acute treatment period, the eligible patients could continue the treatment for up to 1 year.

Serious adverse events after HPA-incompatible platelet transfusions in an alloimmunized patient with leukaemia.

We describe an alloimmunized female patient who developed serious adverse reactions when receiving HPA-incompatible platelet transfusions. She had received 13 transfusions with random platelets before the first allergic reactions. Antibodies against both the human leucocyte antigens (HLA) and several human platelet antigens (HPA) were detected at the time of transfusions.

ADD1/SREBP-1c mediates insulin-induced gene expression linked to the MAP kinase pathway.

The aim of this study was to define the role of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c, the human homologue to ADD1 (adipocyte determination- and differentiation-dependent factor 1), in insulin-induced gene expression. Transfection studies using SREBP-1-deficient cells and a LDL receptor promoter fragment containing the ADD1/SREBP-1c binding side showed that the effects of insulin and PDGF were abolished compared to control cells and completely reconstituted by overexpressing ADD1/SREBP-1c. Overexpression of upstream activators of MAP kinases, like MEKK1 or MEK1, demonstrated that ADD1/SREBP-1c-mediated effects of insulin and PDGF might be linked to the MAP kinase cascade.

Early developmental differences between DSM-III-R schizophrenics treated with clozapine and typical neuroleptics.

Developmental deviance is known to be associated with schizophrenia. We tested the hypothesis that the most severe schizophrenia requiring treatment with clozapine would particularly show these effects. Therefore, associative factors from pregnancy, delivery, neonatal and socio-demographic characteristics were compared between the clozapine-treated schizophrenic cases (n = 17) and the remaining cases of schizophrenia treated with typical neuroleptics (n = 59) from an unselected, general population North Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, (n = 11,017).

Transplantation of fetal liver tissue suspension into the spleens of adult syngenic rats: effects of beta-naphthoflavone, phenobarbital and dexamethasone on cytochrome P450 isoforms expression and on glycogen storage.

In the present study, the effect of beta-naphthoflavone (BNF), phenobarbital (PB) and dexamethasone (DEX) on the expression of three cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms, 1A1, 2B1 and 3A2, and on glycogen storage was investigated in intrasplenic liver cell explants in comparison to adult liver. Fetal liver tissue suspensions were transplanted into the spleens of adult male syngenic Fisher inbred rats. Four months after surgery, transplant recipients and age matched controls were orally treated with BNF (1 x 50 mg/kg body weight (b.

Developmental expression of cytochrome P450 isoforms after transplantation of fetal liver tissue suspension into the spleens of adult syngenic rats.

In the present study, the developmental expression of three cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms, 1A1, 2B1 and 3A2, and the ability to store glycogen was investigated in intrasplenic liver cell explants in comparison to adult and fetal liver. Fetal liver tissue suspensions were transplanted into the spleens of adult male syngenic Fisher inbred rats. Animals were sacrificed at 3 days, 1, 2, 4 weeks, 2, 4, 6 months and 1 year after transplantation.

Quality of care in abortion services in Finland.

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the quality of abortion services and women's experiences with the care they had received during their abortion.

Methods: A population-based postal survey of 3000 randomly selected 18-44-year old Finnish women in 1994. The response rate was 74% (n=2189).

Long-term efficacy and safety of milnacipran compared to clomipramine in patients with major depression.

Milnacipran is a new antidepressive drug, a combined noradrenaline/serotonin (NA/5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, which has been suggested to be as effective as and better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressants. Since long-term studies are lacking, we compared the efficacy, safety and tolerability of milnacipran and clomipramine in a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study setting during 26 weeks of treatment in patients with major depression. A total of 107 patients were treated with either milnacipran (n=52) or clomipramine (n=55).

Cerebral benzodiazepine receptor binding and distribution in generalized anxiety disorder: a fractal analysis.

Data obtained from animal and human brain imaging studies indicate that frontal cortex and medial temporal lobe are involved in experiencing and controlling fear and anxiety. We tested the hypothesis that benzodiazepine receptor binding is decreased in the left temporal pole and increased in the right prefrontal area among patients suffering from anxiety. We studied 10 drug-naive female patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy controls with MRI and with SPET by using a new (123)I-labelled specific benzodiazepine receptor radioligand, NNC 13-8241.

Citalopram in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: an open pilot study.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common anxiety disorder, which often causes significant impairment of the affected individual's social, occupational or interpersonal functioning. Previous reports suggest that the disorder may be treated with the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine, and also with the more recently introduced selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, sertraline and paroxetine. The present 24-week open pilot study was designed to examine the efficacy, appropriate dose range, side-effects and clinical usefulness of citalopram in OCD.

Finnish public health nurses' experiences of primary health care based on the population responsibility principle.

Implementation of a 'population responsibility' principle in Finnish health centres began in the late 1980s. The aim of this study was to describe public health nurses' (PHNs') experiences of primary health care based on this principle and to identify contextual and personal factors related to their experiences. The sample consisted of PHNs in 10 health centres.

Practice patterns of Finnish public health nurses.

The aim of this study was to: (i) describe the practice patterns of Finnish public health nurses during the development of primary health care based on the 'population responsibility' principle; and (ii) to identify the relation of public health nurses' task division models and types of community (rural/town) to their practice patterns. A detailed recording of public health nurses' home and clinic visits was developed and used during three annual study periods in 8-9 health centers by 93-118 public health nurses. The total number of recorded visits varied annually from 4842 to 6841.

The effect of citalopram in panic disorder.

Background: Citalopram is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor which has been demonstrated to be highly selective and with a superior tolerability profile to the classical tricyclic antidepressants. This study was designed to test whether there was any difference in efficacy in the management of panic disorder (PD) between citalopram and placebo.

Method: This was a double-blind, placebo and clomipramine controlled, parallel group eight-week study.

Quality of contraceptive services in Finland.

Objective: To investigate whether the quality of contraceptive services in Finland varies by the type of care provider.

Design: A cross sectional questionnaire survey.

Participants: A random sample of 3000 Finnish women aged 18-44 years (response rate 74%) in 1994.

Exposure to soluble nickel in electrolytic nickel refining.

Past and present exposure to nickel was studied in an electrolytic nickel refinery, where an increased incidence of nasal cancer had been reported, using nickel analyses in air, blood and urine. Genotoxic effects were studied using analysis of micronuclei from acridine orange-stained smears from the buccal mucosa of the workers. Workers used respirators or masks in tasks where the exposure was expected to be high.

Dopamine reuptake site densities in patients with social phobia.

Objective: It has been suggested that social phobia is associated with dysfunction of the noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems, but there are no published anatomic data on the monoaminergic abnormalities found in the brains of phobic patients. The authors studied the density of dopamine reuptake sites in patients with social phobia.

Method: The study included 11 patients with social phobia and 28 healthy comparison subjects, 11 of whom were age- and gender-matched to the patients for the analyses.