Remifentanil infusion does not induce opioid tolerance after cardiac surgery.

Objective: Remifentanil is being used increasingly during fast-track cardiac surgery. Postoperative hyperalgesia and opioid tolerance have been reported in volunteer studies and in patients after major abdominal surgery with remifentanil infusion. In the present study, the authors evaluated whether high-dose remifentanil infusion induces opioid tolerance in 90 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery with sternotomy.

Bifidobacterium microbiota and parameters of immune function in elderly subjects.

Faecal and serum samples were collected over a period of 6 months from 55 institutionalized elderly subjects, who were enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Participants were randomized in one of the three treatment groups: intervention (two probiotic Bifidobacterium longum strains: 2C and 46), placebo and commercial control (Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12). The faecal Bifidobacterium microbiota was characterized by genus and species-specific PCR.

Hydrophobin (HFBI): A potential fusion partner for one-step purification of recombinant proteins from insect cells.

Hydrophobins play an important role in binding and assembly of fungal surface structures as well as in medium-air interactions. These, hydrophobic properties provide interesting possibilities when purification of macromolecules is concerned. In aqueous micellar two-phase systems, based on surfactants, the water soluble hydrophobins are concentrated inside micellar structures and, thus, distributed to defined aqueous phases.

Collagenase-2 (matrix metalloproteinase-8) plays a protective role in tongue cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue is the most common cancer in the oral cavity and has a high mortality rate. A total of 90 mobile tongue SCC samples were analysed for Bryne's malignancy scores, microvascular density, and thickness of the SCC sections. In addition, the staining pattern of cyclooxygenase-2, alphavbeta6 integrin, the laminin-5 gamma2-chain, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2, -7, -8, -9, -20, and -28 were analysed.

Dosimetric verification of a Monte Carlo electron beam model for an add-on eMLC.

Dosimetric verification of a new Monte Carlo beam model for multi-leaf collimated electrons was performed using experimental data from an add-on electron multi-leaf collimator (eMLC) prototype. The measurements were compared against calculations using an electron phase space sampled from a parameterized electron beam model and the voxel Monte Carlo++ (VMC++) code for in-phantom energy deposition. Verification of the calculations was performed in a water phantom with the developed eMLC attached to a Varian 2100 C/D radiotherapy accelerator with nominal energies 6 MeV, 9 MeV, 12 MeV, 16 MeV and 20 MeV.

N,N-Dimethyl-N-propyl-propan-1-aminium chloride monohydrate.

The title compound, C(8)H(20)N(+)·Cl(-)·H(2)O, has been prepared by a simple one-pot synthesis route followed by anion exchange using resin. In the crystal structure, the cations are packed in such a way that channels exist parallel to the b axis. These channels are filled by the anions and water mol-ecules, which inter-act via O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds [O⋯Cl = 3.

Gold nanoparticle enhanced charge transfer in thin film assemblies of porphyrin-fullerene dyads.

Photoinduced vectorial electron transfer in a molecularly organized porphyrin-fullerene (PF) dyad film is enhanced by the interlayer charge transfer from the porphyrin moiety of the dyad to an octanethiol protected (dcore approximately 2 nm) gold nanoparticle (AuNP) film. By using the time-resolved Maxwell displacement charge (TRMDC) method, the charge separation distance was found to increase by 5 times in a multilayer film structure where the gold nanoparticles face the porphyrin moiety of the dyad, that is, AuNP|PF, compared to the case of the PF layer alone. Films were assembled by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method using octadecylamine (ODA) as the matrix compound.

Structural, thermoanalytical and molecular modeling studies on N-(3-hydroxypropyl) 3 alpha,12 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-amide and its monohydrates.

The synthetic method for preparing N-(3-hydroxypropyl) 3 alpha,12 alpha-dihydroxy-5 beta-cholan-24-amide can lead to formation of at least three different crystal forms - an anhydrous compound and two monohydrates. The structural and thermal properties of these forms have been characterized by 13C-CP/MAS-NMR and IR spectroscopy, thermo- gravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry and by powder and single crystal x-ray crystallography. In addition, theoretical 13C-NMR chemical shift calculations were also performed for the anhydrous compound and for the first monohydrate, starting from single crystal structures and the structures of these species have now been verified.

Risk of retinal microembolism after off-pump and on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Aim: In order to investigate the neuroprotective efficacy of off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB) over conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CCAB), we have performed a prospective randomized study evaluating retinal circulation changes after OPCAB and CCAB.

Methods: Twenty patients were randomized to OPCAB or CCAB. Retinal fluorescein angiography and 60 degrees black-and-white as well as color fundus photographs of both eyes of each patient were taken 1 to 24 h before and 5 to 6 days after the operation.

Effect of caffeine on simulator flight performance in sleep-deprived military pilot students.

Caffeine has been suggested to act as a countermeasure against fatigue in military operations. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the effect of caffeine on simulator flight performance was examined in 13 military pilots during 37 hours of sleep deprivation. Each subject performed a flight mission in simulator four times.

Physical performance of individuals with intellectual disability: a 30 year follow up.

Physical performance of Finnish adolescents (33 females, 44 males) with moderate intellectual disability (ID) was studied over a 30 year period. This study is an extension of Lahtinen's previous work on documenting the performance of individuals with intellectual disabilities over time. This study consisted of analyzing data from a total of four data collection periods (1973, 1979, 1996 and 2003 in which participants ranged in age from 11-16, 17-22, 34-39 and 41-46 years old, respectively.

Preparation and characterization of sodium iron titanate ion exchanger and its application in heavy metal removal from waste waters.

The ion exchange properties of sodium iron titanates, namely, NaFeTiO(4), Na(2)Fe(2)Ti(6)O(16) and iron-doped sodium nonatitanate were investigated. Conventional solid state and sol-gel methods were used in the synthesis of the sodium iron titanates. Structural characterization of the materials was performed with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

Separation of chelating agents as copper complexes by capillary zone electrophoresis using quaternary ammonium bromides as additives in N-methylformamide.

This study presents the use of quaternary ammonium bromides as additives in N-methylformamide (NMF) for the separation and quantification of chelating agents as copper complexes by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). The new quaternary ammonium bromides were synthesized in our laboratory and used for the first time for CZE applications performed in NMF media. The methods were developed and optimized for determination of six chelating agents (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (CDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (HEDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid (TTHA)) as copper complexes.

Spyder aortic connector system in off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Purpose: The Spyder aortic connector (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) is a new, promising connector device and its safety and efficacy have been evaluated in this study.

Description: Twenty-two patients were randomized to proximal vein graft anastomosis with the Spyder aortic connector (Medtronic) or hand-sewn technique.

Evaluation: Twenty patients underwent multi-detector computed tomographic scans of the chest 6 months after surgery to evaluate vein graft patency.

The novel neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis gene MFSD8 encodes a putative lysosomal transporter.

The late-infantile-onset forms are the most genetically heterogeneous group among the autosomal recessively inherited neurodegenerative disorders, the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs). The Turkish variant was initially considered to be a distinct genetic entity, with clinical presentation similar to that of other forms of late-infantile-onset NCL (LINCL), including age at onset from 2 to 7 years, epileptic seizures, psychomotor deterioration, myoclonus, loss of vision, and premature death. However, Turkish variant LINCL was recently found to be genetically heterogeneous, because mutations in two genes, CLN6 and CLN8, were identified to underlie the disease phenotype in a subset of patients.

Characterization of familial and sporadic arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in Finland.

Background: Autosomal dominant inheritance is reported in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) but the prevalence of the familial and sporadic forms in the general population is unknown.

Aim: To evaluate the familial occurrence and clinical features of ARVC in the genetically homogenous Finnish population.

Methods: The study included 29 Finnish ARVC index patients and 135 relatives from 21 families evaluated.

"Medicalisation of falling in love": medical students' responses to Thomas Mann's The Black Swan.

The value of implementing literature in medical education is widely accepted. The initial responses of medical students to Thomas Mann's short story The Black Swan are described and their resources for making sense of the story are presented. Their written responses revealed that the students interpreted the story mainly through a medical framework and were capable of understanding the story's complex and existential issues related to medicine.

Plakophilin-2 missense mutations in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiac disorder characterized by life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and fibrofatty replacement of myocardial tissue. Recent data suggest a dominant mode of inheritance in ARVD due to mutations in desmosomal proteins, plakophilin-2 (PKP2) in particular. We carried out a search for PKP2 mutations in the Finnish population representing a genetic isolate.

Heart rate and performance during combat missions in a flight simulator.

Introduction: The psychological workload of flying has been shown to increase heart rate (HR) during flight simulator operation. The association between HR changes and flight performance remains unclear.

Methods: There were 15 pilots who performed a combat flight mission in a Weapons Tactics Trainer simulator of an F-18 Hornet.

Specific Bifidobacterium strains isolated from elderly subjects inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus.

Cell-free, pH-controlled supernatants of thirty-eight Bifidobacterium strains isolated from healthy elderly subjects were subjected to antimicrobial activity assay. Bioluminescent indicator strains Staphylococcus aureus RN4220, Escherichia coli K-12, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 were used as targets of antimicrobial activity. The effect of nutrient depletion on the inhibition was eliminated with spent-culture controls.

Effect of starch- and lipid-based encapsulation on the culturability of two Bifidobacterium longum strains.

Aims: To assess the applicability of starch- and lipid-based encapsulation methods for improving the viability and culturability of two Bifidobacterium longum strains stored in fermented and nonfermented foods.

Materials And Results: Cells were encapsulated with partially hydrolysed potato starch granules combined with amylose coating, or entrapped in cocoa butter matrix. The tested B.

Microbiological quality of maatjes herring stored in air and under modified atmosphere at 4 and 10 degrees C.

Microbiological and sensory changes of maatjes herring stored in air (experiment I) and under modified atmosphere (MAP) (experiments II and III) were evaluated during storage at 4 and 10 degrees C. Microbial (total and psychrotrophic viable bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae) counts and chemical analyses (chloride content, fat content, dry matter, ash and pH) were performed. A Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme developed for maatjes herring was used for sensory evaluation.

Off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery in high-risk patients (EuroSCORE >/= 6).

Objective: The aim of this study was to review the results of off-pump (OPCAB) versus conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CCAB) in high-risk patients.

Methods: In a cohort of patients with an additive EuroSCORE >/= 6, 67 underwent OPCAB and 112 underwent CCAB.

Results: Thirty-day postoperative death and stroke rates were 7.