Left prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenia

In a double-blind, controlled study, we examined the therapeutic effects of high-frequency left prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on schizophrenia symptoms. A total of 22 chronic hospitalized schizophrenia patients were randomly assigned to 2 weeks (10 sessions) of real or sham rTMS. rTMS was given with the following parameters: 20 trains of 5-second 10-Hz stimulation at 100 percent motor threshold, 30 seconds apart. Effects on positive and negative symptoms, self-reported symptoms, rough neuropsychological functioning, and hormones were assessed. Although there was a significant improvement in both groups in most of the symptom measures, no real differences were found between the groups. A decrease of more than 20 percent in the total PANSS score was found in 7 control subjects but only 1 subject from the real rTMS group. There was no change in hormone levels or neuropsychological functioning, measured by the MMSE, in either group. Left prefrontal rTMS (with the used parameters) seems to produce a significant nonspecific effect of the treatment procedure but no therapeutic effect in the most chronic and severely ill schizophrenia patients.Peer reviewe

After-action Analysis of the Magic Maggiore Workshop on Expert Support and Reachback

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) organized a two and a half-day workshop on expert support and reachback entitled Magic Maggiore at the JRC Ispra, Italy in 28-30 March 2017. Through a series of presentations, case studies, panel discussions, and a demonstration exercise, Magic Maggiore helped raise awareness and build commitment towards technical reachback. Furthermore, the workshop presented best practices to address key challenges, and identified areas for future work in this field. The workshop included a real-time detection and reachback exercise of a hypothetical nuclear security incident, put on between the JRC (Ispra) and France (Paris). The demonstration focused on core components of alarm adjudication and information exchange between front line officers, a national reachback centre, and an advanced centralised reachback centre located in Paris. A list of concrete post-workshop activities has been generated. The purpose of the list is to pave the way for the identification of the next steps towards development of European capabilities for nuclear security and in more general, for CBRNE security. Reachback is necessary for alarm adjudication to provide timely information for a balanced response. Information sharing between competent authorities is of vital importance for nuclear security. Due to the variety of responsibilities, Technical, Scientific and Operational support needs to be defined. The Member States should consider developing joint protocols on data structures and data handling to ease the information flow and so the response time.JRC.E.2-Technology Innovation in Securit

Matriisi-ilmaisin taktisen ydinaseen ja muiden radioaktiivisten aineiden havainnointiin

Kyky havaita ydinaineita ja muita radioaktiivisia aineita on tärkeä osa kansallista turvallisuutta. Tehokkaan havaitsemisen mahdollistavalla ilmaisimella tulee olla erittäin hyvä efektiivisyys lähteen tuottamalle neutroni- ja gammasäteilylle, jolloin säteilevä kohde voidaan havaita kaukaa. Samalla ilmaisinjärjestelmän tulee kyetä paikantamaan lähde automaattisesti. Nopea paikantaminen on ensiarvoisen tärkeää tilanteen hahmottamiseksi ja sen hallintaan saamiseksi. Tutkimuksessa osoitettiin, että tehokas, suuntaherkkä säteilyilmaisin voidaan rakentaa kustannustehokkaasti matriisiperiaatteella NaI(Tl)-tuikeilmaisimista. Matriisi-ilmaisimen toiminta demonstroitiin rakentamalla pienikokoinen neljään ilmaisinelementtiin perustuva säteilyilmaisinprototyyppi ja sille ohjelmisto, joka analysoi automaattisesti säteilylähteen tyypin ja suunnan. Prototyyppi kykeni määrittämään gammasäteilylähteiden suunnan alle 5° tarkkuudella ja fissioneutronilähteen suunnan noin 15° tarkkuudella. Simulaatioiden avulla selvitettiin, kuinka ilmaisimen herkkyyttä saadaan parannettua kasvattamalla ilmaisinelementtien kokoa. Simulaatiotulosten perusteella 1 000 000 neutronia sekunnissa lähettävä taktinen ydinase voidaan havaita 100 m päästä neljästä NaI(Tl)-tuikemateriaalista valmistetusta ilmaisinelementistä koostuvalla ilmaisimella, jonka ilmaisinelementtien kokonaismassa on 60 kg. Tällaisella ilmaisimella ydinase voidaan havaita noin viidessä minuutissa. Jos taktinen ydinase lähettää 200 000 neutronia sekunnissa, kasvaa havaitsemiseen tarvittava aika kahteen tuntiin.Tämä julkaisu on toteutettu osana Maanpuolustuksen tieteellisen neuvottelukunnan (MATINEn) tutkimusrahoituksen toimeenpanoa. (www.defmin.fi/matine) Julkaisun sisällöstä vastaavat tiedon tuottajat, eikä tekstisisältö välttämättä edusta puolustusministeriön näkemystä

The effects of added glycerol or unprotected free fatty acids or a combination of the two on silage intake, milk production, rumen fermentation and diet digestibility in cows given grass silage based diets

The addition of glycerol or free fatty acids either alone or in combination to concentrate was studied for the effects on feed intake, milk production, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites and diet digestibility in dairy cows given grass silage ad libitum. The study was conducted on 12 mid-lactating cows, four of them ruminally cannulated. Barley-based concentrate (control diet, C) was given 7 kg/d as fed. In the other three diets, 36 g/kg of barley was replaced by glycerol (G) or a mixture of free fatty acids (FA) or by a combination of the two, making a total of 72 g/kg (GFA). The experimental design consisted of balanced 4 x 4 Latin squares with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of diets: the effects of G, FA and G*FA interaction. The FA diets significantly decreased silage intake, increased milk yield, decreased milk protein content, increased the concentrations of C18:0, C18:1, and C20:1 and decreased those of C8-16, and C18:3 fatty acids in milk fat. The FA diets also increased the concentration of nonesterified fatty acids in plasma, and decreased the digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fibre but increased that of fat. Glycerol decreased the molar proportion of acetate and increased the molar proportions of propionate and butyrate in the rumen, but the addition of glycerol did not have any effect on silage intake, milk yield or milk composition. Milk yield was highest when glycerol and free fatty acids were given together, showing a positive interaction

Broadband Laser-Based Infrared Detector for Gas Chromatography

Cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy coupled with gas chromatography is used to quantitatively analyze a mixture of alcohols in a quasi-online manner. A full identification and quantification of all analytes are achieved based on their spectral fingerprints using a widely tunable continuous-wave laser as a light source. This can be done even in the case of interfering column/septum bleed or simultaneously eluted peaks. The combination of photoacoustic spectroscopy and gas chromatography offers a viable solution for compact and portable instruments in applications that require straightforward analyses with no consumables.Peer reviewe

Intestinal Commitment and Maturation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Is Independent of Exogenous FGF4 and R-spondin1

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling plays a central role in guiding the differentiation of the posterior parts of the primitive gut tube into intestinal structures in vivo and some studies suggest that FGF4 is another crucial factor for intestinal development. The aim of this study was to define the effects of Wnt and FGF4 on intestinal commitment in vitro by establishing conditions for differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) into posterior endoderm (hindgut) and further to self-renewing intestinal-like organoids. The most prominent induction of the well-established intestinal marker gene CDX2 was achieved when hPSC-derived definitive endoderm cells were treated with Wnt agonist molecule CHIR99021 during differentiation to hindgut. FGF4 was found to be dispensable during intestinal commitment, but it had an early role in repressing development towards the hepatic lineage. When hindgut stage cells were further cultured in 3D, they formed self-renewing organoid structures containing all major intestinal cell types even without exogenous R-spondin1 (RSPO1), a crucial factor for the culture of epithelial organoids derived from adult intestine. This may be explained by the presence of a mesenchymal compartment in the hPSC-derived organoids. Addition of WNT3A increased the expression of the Paneth cell marker Lysozyme in hPSC-derived organoid cultures, whereas FGF4 inhibited both the formation and maturation of intestinal-like organoids. Similar hindgut and organoid cultures were established from human induced pluripotent stem cells, implying that this approach can be used to create patient-specific intestinal tissue models for disease modeling in vitro.Peer reviewe

Evaluation of the Finnish National Biodiversity Action Plan 1997-2005

The results of the evaluation of the Finnish National Biodiversity Action Plan 1997-2005 indicate clear changes towards better consideration of biodiversity in the routines and policies of many sectors of the administration and economy. There are many indications that actors across society have recognized the need to safeguard biodiversity and have begun to adjust their practices accordingly. Several concrete measures have been undertaken in forests, agricultural habitats and in other habitats significantly affected by human activities. Biodiversity research has expanded significantly and the knowledge of Finland´s biological diversity has increased. In general, the Action Plan has supported public discussion of the need to safeguard biodiversity and this discussion has resulted in more positive attitudes towards nature conservation.So far, however, the implemented measures have not been sufficiently numerous or efficient to stop the depletion of original biological diversity. Many habitats remain far from their original state. More species will become endangered in the immediate future unless more effective and far-reaching measuresare taken. The objective of the EU to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010 will not be achieved given the current development. Although the deterioration in biodiversity may have slowed down in several cases, many economic activities continue to have a negative impact on biodiversity. The scale of these activities is normally greater than that of the measures taken to manage and restore biodiversity.The evaluation focused on detecting changes in the administration of key sectors, analysing the recent development of biodiversity and observing interlinkages between these two. The analysis of administrative measures was based on interviews and on examining policy documents, reports and other relevant literature. The analysis covered changes in the administration of nature conservation, forestry,  agriculture, land use and regional and development cooperation. The analysis of the development of biodiversity was based on employing 75 pressure, state, impact and response indicators. There were 5 to 15 indicators for each of the nine major habitat types of Finland.Three separate case studies were made to provide further insights into some key issues: 1) A GISanalysis was made of the development of land use patterns in North Karelia and south-west Finland between 1990 and 2000, 2) two scenarios on the development of forest structure in North Karelia until 2050 were developed using a special MELA-model and 3) the cost-effectiveness of the agri-environmental support scheme was examined by comparing different land allocation choices and their effects on biodiversity on an average farm in southern Finland. The evaluation also paid special attention to the role of research in safeguarding biodiversity and reflected Finnish experiences against an international background

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus placebo surgery for a degenerative meniscus tear : a 2-year follow-up of the randomised controlled trial

Objective To assess if arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is superior to placebo surgery in the treatment of patients with degenerative tear of the medial meniscus. Methods In this multicentre, randomised, participant-blinded and outcome assessor-blinded, placebo-surgery controlled trial, 146 adults, aged 35-65 years, with knee symptoms consistent with degenerative medial meniscus tear and no knee osteoarthritis were randomised to APM or placebo surgery. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in the change from baseline in the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) and Lysholm knee scores and knee pain after exercise at 24 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the frequency of unblinding of the treatment-group allocation, participants' satisfaction, impression of change, return to normal activities, the incidence of serious adverse events and the presence of meniscal symptoms in clinical examination. Two subgroup analyses, assessing the outcome on those with mechanical symptoms and those with unstable meniscus tears, were also carried out. Results In the intention-to-treat analysis, there were no significant between-group differences in the mean changes from baseline to 24 months in WOMET score: 27.3 in the APM group as compared with 31.6 in the placebo-surgery group (between-group difference, -4.3; 95% CI, -11.3 to 2.6); Lysholm knee score: 23.1 and 26.3, respectively (-3.2; -8.9 to 2.4) or knee pain after exercise, 3.5 and 3.9, respectively (-0.4; -1.3 to 0.5). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in any of the secondary outcomes or within the analysed subgroups. Conclusions In this 2-year follow-up of patients without knee osteoarthritis but with symptoms of a degenerative medial meniscus tear, the outcomes after APM were no better than those after placebo surgery. No evidence could be found to support the prevailing ideas that patients with presence of mechanical symptoms or certain meniscus tear characteristics or those who have failed initial conservative treatment are more likely to benefit from APM.Peer reviewe

Using the nonlinear control of anaesthesia-induced hypersensitivity of EEG at burst suppression level to test the effects of radiofrequency radiation on brain function

Background In this study, investigating the effects of mobile phone radiation on test animals, eleven pigs were anaesthetised to the level where burst-suppression pattern appears in the electroencephalogram (EEG). At this level of anaesthesia both human subjects and animals show high sensitivity to external stimuli which produce EEG bursts during suppression. The burst-suppression phenomenon represents a nonlinear control system, where low-amplitude EEG abruptly switches to very high amplitude bursts. This switching can be triggered by very minor stimuli and the phenomenon has been described as hypersensitivity. To test if also radio frequency (RF) stimulation can trigger this nonlinear control, the animals were exposed to pulse modulated signal of a GSM mobile phone at 890 MHz. In the first phase of the experiment electromagnetic field (EMF) stimulation was randomly switched on and off and the relation between EEG bursts and EMF stimulation onsets and endpoints were studied. In the second phase a continuous RF stimulation at 31 W/kg was applied for 10 minutes. The ECG, the EEG, and the subcutaneous temperature were recorded. Results No correlation between the exposure and the EEG burst occurrences was observed in phase I measurements. No significant changes were observed in the EEG activity of the pigs during phase II measurements although several EEG signal analysis methods were applied. The temperature measured subcutaneously from the pigs' head increased by 1.6°C and the heart rate by 14.2 bpm on the average during the 10 min exposure periods. Conclusion The hypothesis that RF radiation would produce sensory stimulation of somatosensory, auditory or visual system or directly affect the brain so as to produce EEG bursts during suppression was not confirmed.BioMed Central Open acces

Statistical analysis plan for the 5-year and 10-year follow-up assessments of the FIDELITY trial

Background: The research objectives of the 5-year and 10-year assessments in the Finnish degenerative meniscal lesion study (FIDELITY) are twofold: (1) to assess the long-term efficacy of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) in adults (age 35 to 65 years) with a degenerative meniscus tear and (2) to determine the respective effects of APM and degenerative meniscus tear on the development of radiographic and clinical knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods and design: FIDELITY is an ongoing multi-center, randomized, participant and outcome assessor blinded, placebo-surgery-controlled trial in 146 patients. This statistical analysis plan (SAP) article describes the overall principles for analysis of long-term outcomes (5-year and 10-year follow up), including how participants will be included in each analysis, the primary and secondary outcomes and their respective analyses, adjustments for covariates, and the presentation of the results. In addition, we will present the planned sensitivity and subgroup analyses. Discussion: To assess the long-term efficacy of APM on knee symptoms and function we are carrying out a long-term (5-year and 10-year) follow up of our placebo-surgery-controlled FIDELITY trial according to statistical principles outlined in detail in this document. As our second primary objective, whether APM (resection of torn meniscus tear) accelerates or delays the development of knee osteoarthritis in patients with an arthroscopically verified degenerative tear of the medial meniscus, a pre-registered follow-up is also carried out. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00549172 (Arthroscopy in the Treatment of Degenerative Medial Meniscus Tear). Registered on 25 October 2007 (NCT00549172). ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01052233 (Development of Knee Osteoarthritis After Arthroscopic Partial Resection of Degenerative Meniscus Tear). Registered on 20 January 2010.publishedVersionPeer reviewe