Human variation and CYP enzyme contribution in benfuracarb metabolism in human in vitro hepatic models.

Human responses to the toxicological effects of chemicals are often complicated by a substantial interindividual variability in toxicokinetics, of which metabolism is often the most important factor. Therefore, we investigated human variation and the contributions of human-CYP isoforms to in vitro metabolism of benfuracarb. The primary metabolic pathways were the initial sulfur oxidation to benfuracarb-sulfoxide and the nitrogen-sulfur bond cleavage to carbofuran (activation).

Comparative metabolism of benfuracarb in in vitro mammalian hepatic microsomes model and its implications for chemical risk assessment.

In vitro metabolism of benfuracarb in liver microsomes from seven species was studied in order to quantitate species-specific metabolic profiles and enhance benfuracarb risk assessment by interspecies comparisons. Using LC-MS/MS, a total of seven phase-I-metabolites were detected from the extracted chromatograms and six of them were unequivocally identified. Benfuracarb was metabolized via two metabolic pathways, the sulfur oxidation pathway and nitrogen sulfur bond cleavage, yielding carbofuran, which metabolized further.

Optimisation of chemical purification conditions for direct application of solid metal salt coagulants: treatment of peatland-derived diffuse runoff.

The drainage of peatland areas for peat extraction, agriculture or bioenergy requires affordable, simple and reliable treatment methods that can purify waters rich in particulates and dissolved organic carbon. This work focused on the optimisation of chemical purification process for the direct dosage of solid metal salt coagulants. It investigated process requirements of solid coagulants and the influence of water quality, temperature and process parameters on their performance.

Transport of particle-associated elements in two agriculture-dominated boreal river systems.

Transport of particulate pollutants in fluvial systems can contribute greatly to total loads. Understanding transport mechanics under different hydrological conditions is key in successful load estimation. This study analysed trace elements and physico-chemical parameters in time-integrated suspended sediment samples, together with dissolved and total concentrations of pollutants, along two agriculture- and peatland-dominated boreal river systems.

Nurse managers' perceptions related to their leadership styles, knowledge, and skills in these areas-a viewpoint: case of health centre wards in Finland.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurse managers' perceptions related to their leadership styles, knowledge, and their skills in these areas in health centre wards in Finland. The data were collected from nurse managers (n = 252) in health centre hospitals in Finland using a structured questionnaire (response rate 63%). Six leadership styles-visionary, coaching, affiliate, democratic, commanding, and isolating-were reflected on.

Geographical distribution of dental caries prevalence and associated factors in young adults in Finland.

Oral health of the young has been reported to be associated with the place of residence, due to differences in socio-economic status. The results of studies on the effect of fluoride in drinking water on caries prevalence have been contradictory. The main aim of our study was to investigate the geographical distribution of dental caries prevalence in Finland and analyse possible regional, associated factors.

Mouse models for studying angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in cancer.

The formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is required for the growth of most tumors. The tumor microenvironment also induces lymphangiogenic factors that promote metastatic spread. Anti-angiogenic therapy targets the mechanisms behind the growth of the tumor vasculature.

Nuclear spin-spin coupling in a van der Waals-bonded system: xenon dimer.

Nuclear spin-spin coupling over van der Waals bond has recently been observed via the frequency shift of solute protons in a solution containing optically hyperpolarized (129)Xe nuclei. We carry out a first-principles computational study of the prototypic van der Waals-bonded xenon dimer, where the spin-spin coupling between two magnetically non-equivalent isotopes, J((129)Xe - (131)Xe), is observable. We use relativistic theory at the four-component Dirac-Hartree-Fock and Dirac-density-functional theory levels using novel completeness-optimized Gaussian basis sets and choosing the functional based on a comparison with correlated ab initio methods at the nonrelativistic level.

Oxidation and degradation of native wheat starch by acidic bromate in water at room temperature.

Native wheat starch was oxidized by benign acidic bromate in water at room temperature. HPLC-ELSD study indicated that starch degraded in the course of oxidation but it still had a polymeric structure characterized by (1)H, (13)C, HSQC and HMBC NMR measurements. Products were generally water-soluble fragments but the use of a short reaction time and dilute reaction mixture yielded water-insoluble products.

Tetra-bromido-[4-(triphenyl-phosphanyl-oxy)but-yl]tellurium acetonitrile monosolvate.

In the title compound, [TeBr(4)(C(22)H(23)OP)]·CH(3)CN, the Te atom exhibits a square-pyramidal coordination with an apical Te-C bond and four basal Te-Br bonds. The conformation of the aliphatic C-C-C-C chain is gauche [torsion angle = -67.7 (8)°].

Nuclear magnetic resonance predictions for graphenes: concentric finite models and extrapolation to large systems.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data for graphenes are mainly lacking in the literature. We provide quantitative first-principles quantum-chemical calculations of NMR chemical shifts and shielding anisotropies as well as spin-spin couplings and anisotropies for increasingly large, hexagon-like fragments of graphene, hydrogenated graphene (graphane) and fluorinated graphene (fluorographene). Due to the rapid convergence of finite molecular model results, the parameter values in the innermost region of large flakes of these materials approach the bulk limit.

Multimodal emotion recognition by combining physiological signals and facial expressions: a preliminary study.

Lately, multimodal approaches for automatic emotion recognition have gained significant scientific interest. In this paper, emotion recognition by combining physiological signals and facial expressions was studied. Heart rate variability parameters, respiration frequency, and facial expressions were used to classify person's emotions while watching pictures with emotional content.

EEG-based detection of awakening from isoflurane anesthesia in rats.

In animal studies, reliable measures for depth of anesthesia are frequently required. Previous findings suggest that the continuous depth of anesthesia indices developed for humans might not be adequate for rats whose EEG changes during anesthesia represent more of quick transitions between discrete states. In this paper, the automatic EEG-based detection of awakening from anesthesia was studied in rats.

Optimal growth strategies under divergent predation pressure.

The conditions leading to gigantism in nine-spined sticklebacks Pungitius pungitius were analysed by modelling fish growth with the von Bertalanffy model searching for the optimal strategy when the model's growth constant and asymptotic fish size parameters are negatively related to each other. Predator-related mortality was modelled through the increased risk of death during active foraging. The model was parameterized with empirical growth data of fish from four different populations and analysed for optimal growth strategy at different mortality levels.

Reduction in metabolic syndrome among obese young men is associated with exercise-induced body composition changes during military service.

Aims: A population-based study of 1046 young Finnish men was performed to evaluate whether body composition changes observed during military service are associated with a reduction in prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and whether the effect is body mass index (BMI)-dependent.

Methods: A prospective study of 1046 men (mean age 19.2 years, SD 1.

Mild cognitive impairment associates with concurrent decreases in serum cholesterol and cholesterol-related lipoprotein subclasses.

Background And Objective: Accumulating evidence suggests that serum lipids are associated with cognitive decline and dementias. However, majority of the existing information concerns only serum total cholesterol (TC) and data at the level of lipoprotein fractions and subclasses is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the levels and trends of main cholesterol and triglyceride measures and eight lipoprotein subclasses during normal aging and the development of mild cognitive impairment by following a group of elderly for six years.

Rare variations in WNT3A and DKK1 may predispose carriers to primary osteoporosis.

Childhood-onset primary osteoporosis is manifested as reduced bone mineral density, peripheral fractures and/or vertebral compression fractures. Until now, only mutations in LRP5 have been shown to cause the disorder. Candidate gene analyses were performed on 15 patients with primary osteoporosis and 80 healthy controls using CSGE and sequencing.

Reversible stress-induced lipid body formation in fast twitch rat myofibers.

We analyzed the existence of lipid bodies (LBs) in the fast twitch rat flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) myofibers and found that these structures were scarce. However, isolation procedure of the myofibers, heath shock, viral infection or the glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin induced formation of the LBs, which were stationary structures flanking Z lines. We next infected FDB myofibers with recombinant Semliki Forest virus expressing caveolin 3-yellow fluorescent protein (cav3-YFP) since this chimeric protein was targeted to the LBs facilitating their further analysis.

Association between childhood specific learning difficulties and school performance in adolescents with and without ADHD symptoms: a 16-year follow-up.

Objective: The authors investigated whether childhood specific learning difficulties (SLDs) predict later school performance in adolescents with ADHD symptoms (ADHDs) and how SLDs associate with educational aspirations.

Method: In the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 9,432), data about children were collected using questionnaires for parents and teachers at ages 7 and 8 and for parents and adolescents at ages 15/16. Information on school performance was obtained from a national register.

N,N'-Dibutyl-N,N,N',N'-tetra-methyl-ethane-1,2-diaminium μ-oxido-bis-[trichloridoferrate(III)].

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, (C(14)H(34)N(2))[Fe(2)Cl(6)O], contains one complete cation, two half-cations and two anions. The two half-cations are completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry. The Fe(III) atoms adopt fairly regular FeCl(3)O tetra-hedral geometries, although the bridging Fe-O-Fe bond angles differ significantly in the two anions, which both adopt an eclipsed conformation.

Responses of fungal and plant communities to partial humus removal in mid-boreal N-enriched forests.

Partial removal of the forest humus layer was performed in nitrogen-enriched urban Scots pine forest stands in the northern Finland in order to improve soil conditions for ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, important symbionts of trees. Aboveground part of understory vegetation and the uppermost half of the humus layer were removed (REMOVAL treatment) from sample plots in six urban and eight rural reference forest sites at the beginning of the 2001 growing season. During the seasons 2001-2005, we inventoried sporocarp production of ECM and saprophytic fungi, and in 2003 the recovery of understory vegetation.

Association of traumatic brain injury with criminality in adolescent psychiatric inpatients from Northern Finland.

The association of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) with criminality, substance-related disorders and conduct disorders has mainly been studied in adult populations. In our study we examine the association in an adolescent population. We used a population-based clinical sample of 508 psychiatric inpatient adolescents from Northern Finland.

Measurement of aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) in serum.

The aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) in serum is a sensitive indicator of the synthesis of type I collagen. Four assays are available for PINP, two of them (intact PINP assays) measure the intact propeptide and the other two (total PINP assays) also detect a smaller antigen in serum. In many clinical situations, these assays give similar information, but renal insufficiency increases the concentration of the smaller antigen, influencing both the apparent concentration of PINP and assay calibration.

Dowsing can be interfered with by radio frequency radiation.

The soil radiation, watercourses and ores have been located for centuries by sensitive persons, dowsers. An ideomotoric explanation of the dowsing reaction, with no physical interaction, has been accepted. Our present re-analyses of some such results have shown, that there could be a physical phenomenon connecting the human reactions in field experiments, where the test subjects walked or were sitting in a slow-moving car, with the windows covered, and a dowsing rod in their hands was recorded.