Rotational torque measurement device

A device for measuring torque applied through a rotating member. A first torsion reference member is fixedly coupled to the rotating member at a first axial position and a second torsion reference member is fixedly coupled to the rotating member at a second axial position. A first detector detects the passage of the first torsion reference member past the first detector upon each full rotation of the rotating member and to generate a first signal upon each passage of the first torsion reference member. A second detector detects the passage of the second torsion reference member past the second detector upon each full rotation of the rotating member and to generate a second signal upon each passage of the second torsion reference member. A controller calculates a phase difference between the first signal and the second signal relative during rotation of the rotating member under a torsional load.https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/patents/1003/thumbnail.jp

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in Europe: Health-related and sociodemographic determinants

Aims: The aim of this research was to study health-related and sociodemographic determinants of the use of different complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments in Europe and differences in CAM use in various European countries. Methods: The study was based on a design-based logistic regression analysis of the European Social Survey (ESS), Round 7. We distinguished four CAM modalities: manual therapies, alternative medicinal systems, traditional Asian medical systems and mind-body therapies. Results: In total, 25.9% of the general population had used CAM during the last 12 months. Typically, only one CAM treatment had been used, and it was used more often as complementary rather than alternative treatment. The use of CAM varied greatly by country, from 10% in Hungary to almost 40% in Germany. Compared to those in good health, the use of CAM was two to fourfold greater among those with health problems. The health profiles of users of different CAM modalities varied. For example, back or neck pain was associated with all types of CAM, whereas depression was associated only with the use of mind-body therapies. Individuals with difficult to diagnose health conditions were more inclined to utilize CAM, and CAM use was more common among women and those with a higher education. Lower income was associated with the use of mind-body therapies, whereas the other three CAM modalities were associated with higher income. Conclusions: Help-seeking differed according to the health problem, something that should be acknowledged by clinical professionals to ensure safe care. The findings also point towards possible socioeconomic inequalities in health service use.</p

Immigrants’ use of healthcare in their country of origin: the role of social integration, discrimination and parallel use of healthcare systems.

AimsThe objective of this study was to elucidate the utilisation of Russian health care by immigrants of Russian origin living in Finland (cross-border health care). The study examined the association of cross-border health care with social integration and discrimination. Moreover, it studied whether cross-border health care was used as an alternative to the host-country's healthcare system.MethodsData from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Survey (Maamu) were utilised. The number of respondents of Russian origin was 545. The main analytical method was logistic regression. The outcome variable was based on a survey item on seeking physician's treatment or help abroad during the last 12 months. Social integration was measured multi-dimensionally, and the indicator was extracted by multiple correspondence analysis. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ethical Committee of the Uusimaa Hospital Region.ResultsWe found that 15.4% of the respondents had visited a physician in Russia during the last 12 months. 10.4% had experienced discrimination in Finnish health services during their stay in Finland. Stronger social integration predicted less frequent utilisation of cross-border health care. Experiences of discrimination or unfairness were associated with higher odds for seeking cross-border health care. Cross-border health care was typically used in parallel to the Finnish services.ConclusionsOur findings on integration and discrimination emphasise the importance of general integration policy as well as cultural competence in health care. Parallel use of healthcare systems entails both risks (e.g double medication, problems of follow-up) and opportunities (e.g. sense of agency), which should be further investigated.<br /

PET-tutkimus syövän diagnostiikassa ja levinneisyysselvittelyssä

PET-TT- ja -MK-tutkimukset ovat vakiinnuttaneet asemansa syöpäkuvantamisen työkaluna tavanomaisten anatomisten kuvausmenetelmien rinnalla. Tästä on osoituksena kuvausmäärien tasainen kasvu Suomessa ja uusien kameroiden hankkiminen paitsi yliopistosairaaloissa, myös keskussairaaloissa. PET-kuvantaminen vaikuttaa syövän hoitoon ja hoitomuotojen valintaan. Menetelmä on herkkä, ja sillä voidaan paikantaa aiempaa pienempiä imusolmuke-etäpesäkkeitä tai etäpesäkkeitä jo ennen anatomisia muutoksia, erottaa aktiivisen kasvainkudoksen keuhkojen atelektaasista tai hoitojen aiheuttamista arvista sekä fibroosista. PET-menetelmästä on hyötyä syövän hoidossa hoidon suunnittelusta hoitovastearvioon sekä taudin uusiutumisen osoittamiseen. Oikein kohdennettuna kalliin kuvausmenetelmän käyttö on kustannustehokasta. Syövän tarkka levinneisyysselvittely auttaa potilaalle soveltuvimman hoidon valinnassa. PET-tutkimus ei tuo lisäarvoa kaikkien syöpien levinneisyyden selvittelyyn. Kliininen tutkimusnäyttö tarkentuu koko ajan PET-menetelmän käyttöaiheista, ja nykyään syöpätautien hoitosuosituksissa otetaan aiempaa tarkemmin kantaa, milloin PET-kuvantamisesta on osoitettu olevan kliinistä hyötyä

Estimate of Opportunistic Prostate Specific Antigen Testing in the Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Screening for prostate cancer remains controversial, although ERSPC (European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer) showed a 21% relative reduction in prostate cancer mortality. The Finnish Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, which is the largest component of ERSPC, demonstrated a statistically nonsignificant 16% mortality benefit in a separate analysis. The purpose of this study was to estimate the degree of contamination in the control arm of the Finnish trial. Materials and Methods: Altogether 48,295 and 31,872 men were randomized to the control and screening arms, respectively. The screening period was 1996 to 2007. The extent of prostate specific antigen testing was analyzed retrospectively using laboratory databases. The incidence of T1c prostate cancer (impalpable prostate cancer detected by elevated prostate specific antigen) was determined from the national Finnish Cancer Registry. Results: Approximately 1.4% of men had undergone prostate specific antigen testing 1 to 3 years before randomization. By the first 4, 8 and 12 years of follow-up 18.1%, 47.7% and 62.7% of men in the control arm had undergone prostate specific antigen testing at least once and in the screening arm the proportions were 69.8%, 81.1% and 85.2%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of T1c prostate cancer was 6.1% in the screening arm and 4.5% in the control arm (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.13-1.30). Conclusions: A large proportion of men in the control arm had undergone a prostate specific antigen test during the 15-year followup. Contamination is likely to dilute differences in prostate cancer mortality between the arms in the Finnish screening trial.Peer reviewe

Population transcriptomics reveals weak parallel genetic basis in repeated marine and freshwater divergence in nine-spined sticklebacks

Abstract The degree to which adaptation to similar selection pressures is underlain by parallel vs. non-parallel genetic changes is a topic of broad interest in contemporary evolutionary biology. Sticklebacks provide opportunities to characterize and compare the genetic underpinnings of repeated marine-freshwater divergences at both intra- and interspecific levels. While the degree of genetic parallelism in repeated marine-freshwater divergences has been frequently studied in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), much less is known about this in other stickleback species. Using a population transcriptomic approach, we identified both genetic and gene expression variations associated with marine-freshwater divergence in the nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). Specifically, we used a genome-wide association study approach, and found that ~1% of the total 173,491 identified SNPs showed marine-freshwater ecotypic differentiation. A total of 861 genes were identified to have SNPs associated with marine-freshwater divergence in nine-spined stickleback, but only 12 of these genes have also been reported as candidates associated with marine-freshwater divergence in the three-spined stickleback. Hence, our results indicate a low degree of interspecific genetic parallelism in marine-freshwater divergence. Moreover, 1,578 genes in the brain and 1,050 genes in the liver were differentially expressed between marine and freshwater nine-spined sticklebacks, ~5% of which have also been identified as candidates associated with marine-freshwater divergence in the three-spined stickleback. However, only few of these (e.g., CLDND1) appear to have been involved in repeated marine-freshwater divergence in nine-spined sticklebacks. Taken together, the results indicate a low degree of genetic parallelism in repeated marine-freshwater divergence both at intra- and interspecific levels.Peer reviewe

Human α2β1HI CD133+VE epithelial prostate stem cells express low levels of active androgen receptor

Stem cells are thought to be the cell of origin in malignant transformation in many tissues, but their role in human prostate carcinogenesis continues to be debated. One of the conflicts with this model is that cancer stem cells have been described to lack androgen receptor (AR) expression, which is of established importance in prostate cancer initiation and progression. We re-examined the expression patterns of AR within adult prostate epithelial differentiation using an optimised sensitive and specific approach examining transcript, protein and AR regulated gene expression. Highly enriched populations were isolated consisting of stem (α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(+VE)), transiently amplifying (α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(-VE)) and terminally differentiated (α(2)β(1)(LOW) CD133(-VE)) cells. AR transcript and protein expression was confirmed in α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(+VE) and CD133(-VE) progenitor cells. Flow cytometry confirmed that median (±SD) fraction of cells expressing AR were 77% (±6%) in α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(+VE) stem cells and 68% (±12%) in α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(-VE) transiently amplifying cells. However, 3-fold lower levels of total AR protein expression (peak and median immunofluorescence) were present in α(2)β(1)(HI) CD133(+VE) stem cells compared with differentiated cells. This finding was confirmed with dual immunostaining of prostate sections for AR and CD133, which again demonstrated low levels of AR within basal CD133(+VE) cells. Activity of the AR was confirmed in prostate progenitor cells by the expression of low levels of the AR regulated genes PSA, KLK2 and TMPRSS2. The confirmation of AR expression in prostate progenitor cells allows integration of the cancer stem cell theory with the established models of prostate cancer initiation based on a functional AR. Further study of specific AR functions in prostate stem and differentiated cells may highlight novel mechanisms of prostate homeostasis and insights into tumourigenesis

Helping students to self-care and enhance their health-promotion skills.

Nurses have a public health role, requiring them to promote the health of individuals and communities, and to engage at a political and policy level to improve population health. There is also a professional expectation that nurses will model healthy behaviours and take responsibility for their personal health and wellbeing. However, studies have indicated that undergraduate nurses find the academic and practice elements of their nursing programmes stressful. To manage their stress many use coping behaviours that negatively impact on their health and wellbeing and may influence their ability and willingness to effectively support health promotion in practice. It is widely recognised that environments influence health outcomes and personal health behaviours. This article addresses some of the structural causes of student nurse stress and highlights a recent educational initiative at a UK university that aims to equip student nurses with the practical skills required to engage in health promotion and thereby provide benefits for service users and student nurses alike