Flexible Implantable Thin Film Neural Electrodes

Non

Success Rate and Technical Quality of Home Polysomnography With Self-Applicable Electrode Set in Subjects With Possible Sleep Bruxism

Using sleep laboratory polysomnography (PSG) is restricted for the diagnosis of only the most severe sleep disorders due to its low availability and high cost. Home PSG is more affordable, but applying conventional electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes increases its overall complexity and lowers the availability. Simple, self-administered single-channel EEG monitors on the other hand suffer from poor reliability. In this study, we aimed to quantify the reliability of self-administrated home PSG recordings conducted with a newly designed ambulatory electrode set (AES) that enables multichannel EEG, electrooculography, electromyography, and electrocardiography recordings. We assessed the sleep study success rate and technical quality of the recordings performed in subjects with possible sleep bruxism (SB). Thirty-two females and five males aged 39.6 +/- 11.6 years (mean +/- SD) with self-reported SB were recruited in the study. Self-administrated home PSG recordings with two AES designs were conducted (n = 19 and 21). The technical quality of the recordings was graded based on the proportion of interpretable data. Technical failure rate for AES (both designs) was 5% and SB was scorable for 96.9% of all recorded data. Only one recording failed due to mistakes in self-applying the AES. We found that the proportion of good quality self-administrated EEG recordings is significantly higher when multiple channels are used compared to using a single channel. Sleep study success rates and proportion of recordings with high quality interpretable data from EEG channels of AES were comparable to that of conventional home PSG. Self-applicable AES has potential to become a reliable tool for widely available home PSG.Peer reviewe

The effect of geometry and abduction angle on the stresses in cemented UHMWPE acetabular cups : finite element simulations and experimental tests

Abstract Background Contact pressure of UHMWPE acetabular cup has been shown to correlate with wear in total hip replacement (THR). The aim of the present study was to test the hypotheses that the cup geometry, abduction angle, thickness and clearance can modify the stresses in cemented polyethylene cups. Methods Acetabular cups with different geometries (Link®: IP and Lubinus eccentric) were tested cyclically in a simulator at 45° and 60° abduction angles. Finite element (FE) meshes were generated and two additional designs were reconstructed to test the effects of the cup clearance and thickness. Contact pressures at cup-head and cup-cement interfaces were calculated as a function of loading force at 45°, 60° and 80° abduction angles. Results At the cup-head interface, IP experienced lower contact pressures than the Lubinus eccentric at low loading forces. However, at higher loading forces, much higher contact pressures were produced on the surface of IP cup. An increase in the abduction angle increased contact pressure in the IP model, but this did not occur to any major extent with the Lubinus eccentric model. At the cup-cement interface, IP experienced lower contact pressures. Increased clearance between cup and head increased contact pressure both at cup-head and cup-cement interfaces, whereas a decreased thickness of polyethylene layer increased contact pressure only at the cup-cement interface. FE results were consistent with experimental tests and acetabular cup deformations. Conclusion FE analyses showed that geometrical design, thickness and abduction angle of the acetabular cup, as well as the clearance between the cup and head do change significantly the mechanical stresses experienced by a cemented UHMWPE acetabular cup. These factors should be taken into account in future development of THR prostheses. FE technique is a useful tool with which to address these issues

Improving coarse-textured mineral soils with pulp and paper mill sludges: Functional considerations at laboratory scale

Building up the organic matter content of coarse-textured soils with organic amendments seeks to ameliorate the productivity of these soils, which is limited by plant available water and nutrient supply. Wood fibre-based sludges from the pulp and paper industry have potential for soil conditioning. In this study, the effects of three different pulp and paper mill sludges at application rates of 10 and 20 vol-% on water retention, respiration, and nitrogen (N) dynamics were examined in a series of laboratory studies using coarse field soils. Water retention curves comprising 13 matric potentials revealed that the amendments increased total soil porosity and volumetric water content at matric potentials corresponding to macro- and mesopores size range with pore diameters of >30 μm and 30–0.2 μm, respectively. Volumetric water content at field capacity increased by c. 10–30%, depending on the type (fresh, lime-stabilised and fibre sludge) and application rate of the amendment, with no marked change in the water content at the permanent wilting point. This was reflected as a mean increase of 1.9–3.3 mm in the plant available water content relative to the non-amended soils (17 mm), which corresponds to 19–33 m3 per hectare. At most, an increase of 5.5 mm (55 m3 ha−1) in plant available water was achieved by the fibre sludge amendment at an application rate of 20 vol-%. During a 60-day laboratory incubation, c. 30–40% of the carbon (C) added to soil in the sludge materials was respired as carbon dioxide. Additional N accelerated decomposition without increasing total respired C. Decomposition of the amendments in the soil led to a net N immobilisation of roughly 5–10 mg min-N g−1 added C, which occurred mainly during the first two weeks after soil incorporation. Overall, pulp and paper mill sludge amendments may serve to alleviate water shortages during drought in coarse-textured soils, but may generate a transient plant-microbe competition in N uptake

Low-Dose Doxycycline Treatment Normalizes Levels of Some Salivary Metabolites Associated with Oral Microbiota in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Saliva is a complex oral fluid, and plays a major role in oral health. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), as an autoimmune disease that typically causes hyposalivation. In the present study, salivary metabolites were studied from stimulated saliva samples (n = 15) of female patients with pSS in a group treated with low-dose doxycycline (LDD), saliva samples (n = 10) of non-treated female patients with pSS, and saliva samples (n = 14) of healthy age-matched females as controls. Saliva samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based on the non-targeted metabolomics method. The saliva metabolite profile differed between pSS patients and the healthy control (HC). In the pSS patients, the LDD treatment normalized saliva levels of several metabolites, including tyrosine glutamine dipeptide, phenylalanine isoleucine dipeptide, valine leucine dipeptide, phenylalanine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), urocanic acid, and salivary lipid cholesteryl palmitic acid (CE 16:0), to levels seen in the saliva samples of the HC. In conclusion, the data showed that pSS is associated with an altered saliva metabolite profile compared to the HC and that the LLD treatment normalized levels of several metabolites associated with dysbiosis of oral microbiota in pSS patients. The role of the saliva metabolome in pSS pathology needs to be further studied to clarify if saliva metabolite levels can be used to predict or monitor the progress and treatment of pSS

Metsäteollisuuden kuitulietteiden peltoviljelykäyttö karkeilla kivennäismailla

Viimeaikaiset tulokset massa- ja paperiteollisuuden sivuvirroista ja tehtaan jätevesien puhdistusprosesseista syntyvien kuitulietteiden käytöstä maanparannusaineina hienojakoisilla viljelymailla ovat olleet lupaavia. Kuitulietteiden sato-, hiilisyöte- ja maanparannusvaikutusten selvittämiseksi karkeilla kivennäismailla (KHt) perustettiin Biosfääri-hankkeessa (Biosfääri Pohjois-Savo; Biomassan ja biojalostusteknologioiden hyödyntäminen liiketoiminnan kasvattamisessa) Luke Maaningalle kaksivuotinen, lohkoittain satunnaistettu ja neljänä kerranteena toteutettu kenttäkoe. Timotei-nurminatanurmi perustettiin kesäkuussa 2020 suojaviljan alle. Ennen kylvöä kuitulietteet levitettiin maan pintaan (21–28 tuore-t ha-1, liukoinen-N n. 15 kg ha-1, kokonais-P n. 26 kg ha-1) ja äestettiin noin 7 cm:n syvyyteen. Toinen metsäteollisuuden kuitulietteistä oli tyyppinimeltään kalkkistabiloitu puhdistamoliete (kalkkikuitu Kuopio; Fortum Waste Solution Oy; jatkossa maanparannuskuitu A), kun taas toinen oli hygienisoimaton ja tuotteistamaton (Stora Enso Oyj, Varkaus; jatkossa maanparannuskuitu B). Kuitulietteistä otetuissa näytteissä ei todettu salmonellabakteereita ja Escherichia coli -pitoisuudet (<10 pmy g-1) alittivat raja-arvot. Ennakkotietojen perusteella levitysmäärät suunniteltiin siten, että keskimääräinen kadmiumin enimmäiskuormitus ei ylittyisi ja lisätty hiilimäärä olisi samansuuruinen kuitukoejäsenten kesken (toteuma n. 3100 kg C ha-1). Molemmilla kuitulietteillä oli mukana kaksi mineraalityppilannoitustasoa (40 ja 80 kg N ha-1, lisänä n. 40 kg K ha-1). Mukana oli myös mineraalityppiportaat (0, 40, 80, 120 kg N ha-1, lisänä 10 kg P ha-1, n. 40 kg K ha-1). Tässä raportissa tuloksia esitetään karsitusti seuraaville koejäsenille: 1) typpilannoittamaton 0 kg N ha-1 (jatkossa 0 N), 2) mineraalityppiporras 80 kg N ha-1 (jatkossa 80 N), 3) maanparannuskuitu A + 80 N ja 4) maanparannuskuitu B + 80 N. Nurmivuonna 2021 tarkasteltiin kuitulevitysten jälkivaikutusta. Mineraalitypen lannoitustasot säilytettiin samanlaisina kuin vuonna 2020 (lisänä 1. niitossa: 20 kg P ha-1, n. 25 kg K ha-1; 2. niitossa: 0 kg P ha-1, n. 25 kg K ha-1). Ensimmäisenä koevuonna puimalla korjatun ohran sato (15% kosteus) oli kuitukoejäsenillä 80 kg N     ha-1 -lisäystasolla keskimäärin 3840 kg ha-1, eikä poikennut tilastollisesti merkitsevästi koejäsenestä 80 N. Vuonna 2021 kuitukoejäsenet tuottivat keskimäärin 980 kg ka ha-1 suuremman nurmen kokonaiskuiva-ainesadon verrattuna 80 N -koejäseneen. Tämä satoero oli tilastollisesti merkitsevä molemmilla maanparannuskuiduilla ja selittyi todennäköisesti kuitujen sisältämän typen mineralisoitumisella. &nbsp

34. Rakennuttajakoulutuksen tutkielmat

Julkaisu koostuu kolmestatoista 34. rakennuttajakoulutuksen tutkielmasta: (1) Markus Aaltonen: Suunnitelmien yhteensovittaminen tietomallia hyödyntävässä rakennushankkeessa (2) Tapani Heiskanen: Turvallisuuskoordinaattorin tehtävät (3) Tero Kanervo: Suunnittelun ohjaus allianssiurakassa (4) Seppo Lappalainen: Turvallisuuskoordinaattorin tehtävät - Rakennuttajakonsultti turvallisuuskoordinaattorina (5) Jyrki Latvala: Tietomallinnuksen hyödyntäminen työmaatoiminnassa (6) Juha Lehtonen: Arkkitehtitoimiston rakennuttamispalvelu - Palvelun kehittäminen erilliseksi liiketoiminnaksi (7) Reijo Markkanen: Rakennuttajan sivu-urakoiden alistamismenettelyn mahdollisuuksia ja kehitysehdotuksia rakennusprojektin hallinnassa (8) Janne Pietarinen: Laadunvarmistusmittaukset tietomallipohjaisessa väylärakentamisessa (9) Petri Pirttilahti: Turvallisuuskoordinaattorin työturvallisuustehtävät ja -vastuut (10) Anni Rouvinen: Asiakaslähtöinen hankekehitys ja suunnittelu (11) Pekka Saarnio: Rakennuttajan määrälaskenta: Vaatimukset LVIA -töiden määrälaskenta-asiakirjoille (12) Pekka Salla: Rakennuttajan kustannusarvioiden laadinta (13) Satu Salonsaari: Turvallisuuskoordinaattorin tehtävät kohteessa Fazer Suklaa O

Low-Dose Doxycycline Treatment Normalizes Levels of Some Salivary Metabolites Associated with Oral Microbiota in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome

Saliva is a complex oral fluid, and plays a major role in oral health. Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), as an autoimmune disease that typically causes hyposalivation. In the present study, salivary metabolites were studied from stimulated saliva samples (n = 15) of female patients with pSS in a group treated with low-dose doxycycline (LDD), saliva samples (n = 10) of non-treated female patients with pSS, and saliva samples (n = 14) of healthy age-matched females as controls. Saliva samples were analyzed with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based on the non-targeted metabolomics method. The saliva metabolite profile differed between pSS patients and the healthy control (HC). In the pSS patients, the LDD treatment normalized saliva levels of several metabolites, including tyrosine glutamine dipeptide, phenylalanine isoleucine dipeptide, valine leucine dipeptide, phenylalanine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), urocanic acid, and salivary lipid cholesteryl palmitic acid (CE 16:0), to levels seen in the saliva samples of the HC. In conclusion, the data showed that pSS is associated with an altered saliva metabolite profile compared to the HC and that the LLD treatment normalized levels of several metabolites associated with dysbiosis of oral microbiota in pSS patients. The role of the saliva metabolome in pSS pathology needs to be further studied to clarify if saliva metabolite levels can be used to predict or monitor the progress and treatment of pSS. </p