A minor role of asparaginase in predisposing to cerebral venous thromboses in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) covers up to a third of all venous thromboses (VTs) detected in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It usually hampers patients' lives and may also endanger efficient leukemia treatment. Although many factors have been suggested to account for an elevated risk of VTs in patients with ALL, there still is a lack of studies focusing on CVTs and especially in the setting of adult ALL patients. We studied in our retrospective population-based cohort the occurrence, characteristics, as well as risk factors for VTs in 186 consecutively diagnosed Finnish adult ALL patients treated with a national pediatric-inspired treatment protocol ALL2000. In the risk factor analyses for VTs we found a distinction of the characteristics of the patients acquiring CVT from those with other kinds of VTs or without thrombosis. In contrast to previous studies we were also able to compare the effects of asparaginase in relation to CVT occurrence. Notably, more than half of the CVTs were diagnosed prior the administration of asparaginase which accentuates the role of other risk factors on the pathophysiology of CVT compared to truncal or central venous line (CVL) VTs in adult ALL patients

External and internal irradiation of a Rural Bryansk (Russia) population from 1990 to 2000, following high deposition of radioactive caesium from the chernobyl accident.

In 1990, a joint Nordic-Russian project was initiated in order to make independent estimations of the effective dose to selected groups of inhabitants in a highly contaminated area around the city of Novozybkov In the western Bryansk region of Russia. The inhabitants were living in six villages with initial contamination levels of Cs-137 between 0.9 and 2.7 MBq m(-2). Some villages had been decontaminated, others not. Both school children and adults participated in the study. The external irradiation of 100-130 inhabitants was determined during 1 month in September-October each year from 1990 to 2000 (except 1999), using individual thermoluminescent dosemeters. The body burden of (137,) (CS)-C-134 was determined by in vivo measurements in about 500 inhabitants annually from 1991 to 2000, and for a subgroup also with analysis of the (CS)-C-137 concentration in urine. The mean effective dose (E) from external and internal irradiation due to Cs-137,Cs- 134 deposition varied between 2.5 and 1.2 mSv per year between 1990 and 2000. The total mean E decreased, on average, by 9% per year, while the mean external dose decreased by 16% per year. The dose rate from internal radiation decreased more slowly than the dose rate from external radiation, and also showed an irregular time variation. The contribution from the internal dose to the total E was 30-50%, depending on the village. Predictions for the long-term changes in the effective dose to people living in the areas are presented. The cumulated E for the 70 years following the accident was estimated to be about 90 mSv with the assumption that both internal and external dose decrease by 2% per year after year 2000. The highest E during a life-time received by single individuals living in the area may amount to around 500 mSv considering the individual variations in E

Long-term external and internal irradiation of inhabitants in an area highly contaminated by the Chernobyl accident

From 1990 to 1998, estimations of the effective dose from external and internal irradiation due to 137Cs and 134Cs were carried out for inhabitants in rural villages in the Bryansk region, Russia, highly contaminated due to the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Yearly expeditions were conducted in autumn. The external effective dose was estimated from measurements with thermoluminescent (TL)- dosemeters worn by the participants during one month each year. The internal effective dose was estimated from measurements of the urinary concentration of caesium radionuclides, together with measurements of the body content using a portable detector. The mean effective dose from external and internal irradiation varied between 1.2 and 2.5 mSv per year between 1990 and 1998. The total mean effective dose decreased, on average, 7% per year, while the mean external dose decreased by 15% per year. The dose rate from internal irradiation decreased more slowly than the dose rate from external irradiation, showing large variations from year to year depending to a great extent on dietary habits. The contribution from the external dose to the total dose was between 50-70%, depending on the village. The cumulated effective dose for the 70-year period after the accident was calculated to be 100 mSv with the assumption that both internal and external dose will decrease by 2% per year

Data and functional models for a european prototype for integrated care

The EPIC project - which belongs to the AIM programme of the European Community - focuses on the development of a prototype of the European integrated care system. The approach adopted in the development of the data and functional analysis for EPIC is presented here. EPIC aims to the technical and logistic organitation of a service for ambulatory and home "intelligence" monitoring. The system based on a computerized database, involves GPs, remote medical strucstures, volunteers or nurses , patients and their relatives. Entity Relation diagrams and Data Flow diagrams have been developed according to a conceptual schema indipendent of data base management system, starting form the requirement specifications. The conceptual scheme adopted is the result of merging conceptual schemes developed in several sites placed in different european countries in order yo obtain a basis for a european prototype for integrated care

Online modelling of heat transfer, solidification and microstructure in continuous casting of steel

Abstract Advanced numerical simulation models for continuous casting of steel were developed in Finland by Casim Consulting and Aalto University in cooperation with the University of Oulu and the steel industry. The aim was to develop models that are scientifically rigorous, but also computationally fast enough to be used in online applications. The models developed are a transient three-dimensional heat transfer model, CastManager, and a solidification and microstructure model, IDS. The computing time of these models are short, and they are integrated together in one online concept. This concept is installed in the automation systems of four slab casters in Finland. Testing and validation work is in progress. The system simulates the important heat transfer, solidification and microstructural phenomena in continuous casting online. The future aim is that this information will be used for online quality control and for optimizing the process conditions to avoid formation of defects. Many quality indices have already been developed. A steady state version of the CastManager tool has also been developed, called Tempsimu