Enhanced surveillance for tuberculosis among foreign-born persons, Finland, 2014-2016

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in foreign-born residents is increasing in many European countries including Finland. We conducted enhanced TB surveillance to collect supplementary information on TB cases among recent immigrants and their children to provide data for revising TB control policies in Finland to take into account the decrease in native cases and increase in foreign-born cases.Methods: TB cases were identified from the National Infectious Diseases Register. Data on foreign-born (if not available, most recent nationality other than Finnish) TB cases notified during 2014-2016 (country of birth, date of arrival to Finland, participation in TB screening, date of first symptoms, and details of possible contact tracing) were requested from physicians responsible for regional communicable disease control through a web-based questionnaire.Results: Questionnaires were returned for 203 (65%) of 314 foreign-born TB cases; 36 (18%) were paediatric cases TB was detected in arrival screening in 42 (21%) and during contact tracing of another TB case in 18 (9%); 143 (70%) cases sought care for symptoms or were identified by chance (e.g. chest x-ray because of an accident). Of cases with data available, 48 (24%) cases were diagnosed within 3 months of arrival to Finland, 55 (27%) cases between 3 months and 2 years from arrival, and 84 (42%) cases after 2 years from arrival. Of all the foreign-born cases, 17% had been in a reception centre in Finland and 15% had been in a refugee camp abroad.Conclusions: In addition to asylum seekers and refugees, TB screening should be considered for immigrants arriving from high TB incidence countries, since the majority of TB cases were detected among persons who immigrated to Finland due to other reasons, presumably work or study. Further evaluation of the target group and timing of TB screening is warranted to update national screening guidance

The metrological traceability, performance and precision of european radon calibration facilities

An interlaboratory comparison for European radon calibration facilities was conducted to evaluate the establishment of a harmonized quality level for the activity concentration of radon in air and to demonstrate the performance of the facilities when calibrating measurement instruments for radon. Fifteen calibration facilities from 13 different European countries participated. They represented different levels in the metrological hierarchy: national metrology institutes and designated institutes, national authorities for radiation protection and participants from universities. The interlaboratory comparison was conducted by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) and took place from 2018 to 2020. Participants were requested to measure radon in atmospheres of their own facilities according to their own procedures and requirements for metrological traceability. A measurement device with suitable properties was used to determine the comparison values. The results of the comparison showed that the radon activity concentrations that were determined by European calibration facilities complying with metrological traceability requirements were consistent with each other and had common mean values. The deviations from these values were normally distributed. The range of variation of the common mean value was a measure of the degree of agreement between the participants. For exposures above 1000 Bq/m3, the variation was about 4% for a level of confidence of approximately 95% (k = 2). For lower exposure levels, the variation increased to about 6%

Compact Azipod(R), potencia y empuje para sistemas de maniobra y pequeños barcos

La propulsión eléctrica en góndola separada viene despertando gran expectación en el sector naval desde que fue introducida en 1990. Denominado Azipod®, este sistema fue creado en Finlandia para aumentar la maniobrabilidad, y por tanto la funcionalidad, de los barcos rompehielos. Esta capacidad la proporciona un motor alojado en una góndola sumergida, orientable en un intervalo de 360°. La última incorporación a esta serie es Compact Azipod®, una versión desarrollada especialmente para sistemas de maniobra y pequeños buques. Actualmente Azipod cubre todo el sector naval, desde los barcos de servicio en alta mar hasta los grandes cruceros y transbordadores para cortas distancias, pasando por los petroleros y barcos pesqueros de arrastre. La utilización del sistema se está generalizando y así lo subrayan las nuevas instalaciones para un buque de aprovisionamiento multifuncional y para barcos de aprovisionamiento naval