University Of Kuopio Research Articles

Heart Rate Variability And Its Association With The Autonomic Response During Jump Performance In Female Soccer Players

Heart rate variability (HRV) has been established as a valid index for examining cardiac autonomic modulation. The eccentric utilization ratio (EUR) is a novel index examining the stretch shortening cycle and is calculated by dividing the jump height of both the squat jump and counter movement jump. The reactive strength index (RSI) is another assessment examining the autonomic response of a muscle contraction when performing a drop jump test. Currently, there remains a paucity of inquiry around the association between heightened cardiac vagal modulation and improvement in jump performance when utilizing the stretch shortening cycle. PURPOSE: To examine the association between cardiac vagal modulation using rMSSD and jump performance assessments utilizing the stretch shortening cycle in healthy female collegiate soccer players. METHODS: Seventeen healthy female collegiate soccer players with an age of (mean ± SD) 18.5 ± 0.75 yr, a weight of 57.3 ± 9.2 kg, a height of 165.4 ± 7.2 cm, and a body fat % of 23.2 ± 7.4 volunteered as participants. HRV was analyzed in the supine position after a 10-min stabilization period. R-R intervals were recorded over 60-seconds using the Polar Team Pro® chest strap and were exported into Kubios HRV 3.4 (University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland) for HRV analyses. Each participant performed three separate squat jumps, counter movement jumps and drop jumps with their hands placed on their hips. Jump performance was assessed using a force plate (Hawkin Dynamics Force Plate, ME, USA). The highest jump was included for each analysis. Normality of each data set was examined using a Shapiro-Wilk’s test for normality (p > 0.05). Linear regression (R2) was utilized to examine the association between rMSSD and both EUR and RSI. This study was approved by and followed the recommendation of the Research Ethics Review board at Langara College. RESULTS: No significant associations were observed between rMSSD and both EUR (R2 = 0.004, p = 0.74) and RSI (R2 = 0.001, p = 0.87). CONCLUSION: HRV may not be suitable for examining the autonomic response when utilizing the stretch shortening cycle during jump performance testing. This investigation was funded by the Langara College ARC-1 grant.

The 100 Most-Cited Articles Focused on Ultrasound Imaging: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Purpose The number of citations that an article has received reflects its impact on a particular research area. The aim of this study was to identify the 100 most-cited articles focused on ultrasound (US) imaging and to analyze the characteristics of these articles. Methods We determined the 100 most-cited articles on US imaging via the Web of Science database, using the search term. The following parameters were used to analyze the characteristics of the 100 most-cited articles: publication year, journal, journal impact factor, number of citations and annual citations, authors, department, institution, country, type of article, and topic. Results The number of citations for the 100 most-cited articles ranged from 1849 to 341 (median: 442.0) and the number of annual citations ranged from 108.0 to 8.1 (median: 22.1). The majority of articles were published in 1990 - 1999 (39 %), published in radiology journals (20 %), originated in the United States (45 %), were clinical observation studies (67 %), and dealt with the vessels (35 %). The Department of Internal Medicine at the University of California and the Research Institute of Public Health at the University of Kuopio (n = 4 each) were the leading institutions and Salonen JT and Salonen R (n = 4 each) were the most prolific authors. Conclusion Our study presents a detailed list and analysis of the 100 most-cited US articles, which provides a unique insight into the historical development in this field.

In Memoriam: Prof. Luka Kovacic, MD, PhD (1940 - 2015)

Luka Kovacic Luka, MD, PhD, passed away in Zagreb on April 21st, 2015. He was specialist in Social medicine and organization of health care. Luka Kovacic graduated from the School of Medicine in Zagreb in the year 1965, and after a few years of medical practice he joined the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health in Zagreb. He earned both, MSc and PhD degree from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in 1972 and 1983, and he advanced in academic career from the assistant position in the Chair for hygiene, social medicine, and epidemiology to full professorship in 2003. He was also trained in Sweden (1964), Scotland (1966), USA (1968 and 1971 when he was trained in Public Health, Epidemiology and Research Methods at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore), Finland (University of Kuopio, 1977) and Alma-Ata (WHO training in Planning and Management in 1985). He paid study visits or served as a consultant in the UK, the USSR, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Cameroon, India, Iran (UNDP), Nigeria (WHO) and elsewhere. At the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health he used to held numerous posts and responsibilities: he was a head of the Department for Hygiene, Social Medicine and Epidemiology 1993-1997 and continued to head the Department for social medicine and organization of health care and was director of the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health till his retirement in 2006; he was deputy coordinator from 1984 and coordinator 1997-2000 of the WHO Collaborating Centre for primary health care; he served as an assistant to the director and deputy director (1984-2004). He served firstly as the coordinator and later as director (1990-1996) of the International 9-week course “Planning and management of primary health care in developing countries” which was held 16 times between 1978 and 1996 at the Andrija Stampar School of Public Health with the support of the Government of the Netherlands and had altogether more than 350 participants coming form 66 countries. His activities and duties were so numerous both within his institution and in the broader Croatian and international public health and medical community that we mentioned only those mostly pronounced or internationally visible. Luka was gifted and dedicated teacher, mentor of six MSc theses and one PhD dissertation as well as altogether more than 200 diploma works for medical and nursing students at the School of Medicine and School of Applied Health Sciences. He was principal investigator in many domestic projects and played a leading role in several international projects and networks. He actively participated in the work of the European network of districts “Tipping the Balance Toward Primary Health Care” (TTB) from 1987, being also its Chairman of the Board and president of the Assembly from 1997 to 2005 and the coordinator of the whole network and the project “TTB Second Decennial Survey of the Health Needs and Health Care for Older People in Europe”, which was implemented in five European countries including Croatia in 2005-2006. He was also a member of the European Society for Public Health and its Scientific Committee since 2000. Professor Luka Kovacic had coordinative role and contributed enormously to the establishment of the Forum for Public Health in South Eastern Europe (FPH-SEE) as a network of academic institutions aimed for the reestablishment of professional cooperation between public health teachers and professionals in SEE. As the result of this cooperation six books were prepared and published between 2004 and 2010 encompassing altogether more than 4300 pages, containing some 250 teaching modules authored by more than 200 authors, among them professor Kovacic co-edited the volume “Management in Health Care Practice” and authored four modules only within it. He has published almost 200 scientific and professional articles and edited several books and authored a few textbooks, among them also a textbook in Social Medicine. He coordinated a number of national and international projects and networks, has organized numerous national and international conferences in the field of public health and health care organization. As Public health expert and educator Luka Kovacic has been a person with great treasure of warmth and experiences. He was right person from whom always you can ask advice for solving a problems. Everybody of us will miss his friendship and honesty and his students will miss his great educational lectures. Sarajevo, September 2015

Pain in hip and knee osteoarthritis.

Q To what extent does pain play a factor in the rehabilitation & treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis? Pain is the most common complaint of individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) and is also the usual reason for seeking advice. Effective pain management is of utmost important for patients with hip and knee OA. Because the natural history of OA is still poorly understood and there is currently no cure or treatment proven to slow OA progression, the main goals of OA treatment are the management and alleviation of pain, as well as the maintenance and improvement of functional capacity. The guidelines on hip and knee OA management emphasize the need for individualized multimodal approaches that involve a combination of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatment modalities [1–3]. Jari Arokoski*: Jari Arokoski is Adjunct Professor in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio and Consultant at the Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in Kuopio University Hospital. He received his medical degree from the University of Kuopio in 1990 and completed his specialisation in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in 1998 at the University of Kuopio. He finished his PhD thesis titled ‘Altered properties of articular cartilage and subchondral bone after long-term joint loading. An experimental study of young beagles’ in 1996. He became Adjunct Professor (docent) of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Kuopio in 2001. He received his Special Competence in Pain Management in 2001, in Rehabilitation Medicine in 2002, in Insurance Medicine in 2007 and in Medical Education in 2008. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications on different aspects of musculoskeletal issues particularly on cartilage structure and function, joint loading, physical function and gait in osteoarthritis and the effects of exercise and rehabilitation in knee and hip osteoarthritis. He is Chairman of the Working group for Current Care Guideline for Treatment of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis in Finland (Finnish Medical Society Duodecim) and President of Finnish OsteoArthritis Research Society (FOARS).

Ontogeny and control of the heart rate power spectrum in the last third of gestation in fetal sheep

Power spectral analysis of fetal heart rate variability has been proposed to provide a non-invasive estimate of autonomic balance. However, there are few systematic data before birth. We therefore examined developmental changes in the frequency power spectrum at very low (0-0.04 Hz), low (0.04-0.15 Hz) and high frequencies (0.15-0.4 Hz), as well as the ratio of low- to high-frequency power (LF/HF), in chronically catheterized, healthy fetal sheep at 0.6 (n = 8), 0.7 (n = 7) and 0.8 gestational age (ga; n = 11). In a second study, 0.8 ga fetuses received either atropine (4.8 mg bolus, then 4.8 mg h(-1) for 30 min, n = 6) or 6-hydroxydopamine (20 mg ml(-1) at 2.5 ml h(-1) for 3 h; n = 9). Data were analysed by sleep state, defined by low-voltage-high-frequency (LV) or high-voltage-low-frequency (HV) EEG. Total spectral power increased with gestational age (P < 0.05), while LF/HF decreased from 0.6 to 0.7 ga. At 0.8 ga, heart rate and LF/HF were significantly higher during HV than LV sleep (P < 0.05). Consistent with this, although total spectral power was not significantly greater during HV sleep, there was a significant interaction between sleep state and frequency band (P = 0.02). Both atropine (P = 0.05) and 6-hydroxydopamine (P < 0.05) were associated with an overall reduction in spectral power but no significant effect on the LF/HF ratio. This study does not support substantial, consistent differences between the frequencies of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in late-gestation fetal sheep.

Comparison between standard short-term, very-short and ultra-short-term heart rate variability analysis in healthy subjects during exercise testing

Purpose: Stepwise exercise testing, with workload increasing every two minutes, determines progressive changes of autonomic nervous system (ANS) adaptations that might affect stationarity during the intervals sampled for Standard Short term (SST) heart rate variability analysis (HRVa) according to ESC guidelines. To quantify such transients short-lasting changes very-short (VST) and ultra-short term (UST) analysis (HRVa) might be more appropriate, but have not been validated so far. The study aimed to evaluate, in healthy subjects (HS), the information provided by VST and UST HRVa in comparison with SSTHRVa, during exercise testing. Methods: 12-lead ECG recorded in 25 HS, before, at each workload step and during recovery after maximal exercise testing with a bicycle ergometer (workload increasing by 25 watts, every two minutes). The coefficients of variation (CV) and of reproducibility (CR) and the Pearson correlation (R2) of the same linear [time-domain (TD) and frequency-domain (FD)] and nonlinear (NL) HRV parameters, computed from SST (5-minutes), VST (60-seconds) and UST (30-seconds) intervals with Kubios HRV 2.1, (Biosignal Analysis and Medical Imaging Group, Department of Physics, University of Kuopio, Finland), were evaluated. VST and UST intervals were selected at the end of each step. Results: SSTHRVa was appropriate only at rest, before exercise and in the recovery phase. A significant correlation was found among parameters estimated from 5-minutes, 60- and 30-seconds time intervals (Pearson R2 range: 0.42 -0.98, p< 0.05 – 0.000001), except for a certain degree of variability of frequency peaks estimated with the Fast Fourier transform. At peak workload only VST and USTHRVa parameters were significantly correlated (R2 range: 0.6 -0.99, p< 0.01 – 0.000001), whereas the 5-minute interval was too long and averaged ther consecutive workload steps. At peak exercise, the CV and the CR of LF/HF, estimated from 60- and 30-seconds time-intervals were 9.3 and 0.54, respectively, thus almost optimal. Among NL methods, only the Poincare plot was calculable in all conditions. Instead recurrence plot, detrended fluctuation, approximate entropy, sample entropy and correlation dimension parameters required at least 40-seconds intervals, unless heart rate exceeded 100 bpm. Discussion: The good correlation among HRV parameters estimated at rest from 5-minutes, 60- and 30-seconds time intervals proves that VST or UST HRVa are a feasible option to evaluate changes of cardiac autonomic modulation induced by stepwise exercise testing when time-variant HRVa is unavailable.

Congratulations Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, its president, its boards and all staff at the secretariat

It is a good habit to congratulate people on their birthdays and wish them many happy returns. When possible, one can even send a postcard or give a small present. When a society like Aquatic Ecosy...

Cardiovascular Effects of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Hypertensive Patients

Background: Several animal and clinical studies have shown that thoracic spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may decrease mean arterial pressure (MAP). A previous study in normotensive participants demonstrated a small reduction in MAP during SCS at the T5-T6 spinal level. It has also been demonstrated that chronic SCS at the subthreshold stimulation level significantly improved angina attacks and 6 minute hall walk distance in drug refractory angina patients. Objectives: To determine if thoracic SCS at 2 different stimulation strengths would decrease blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) during baseline conditions and during activation of the sympathetic system by the cold pressor test (CPT). Methods: Six hypertensive participants and 9 normotensive participants were evaluated. The SCS leads were implanted under sedation (midazolam and fentanyl) 3 days prior to the study. The SCS device was not implanted at the time of lead implantation; the exteriorized leads were connected to an external programmer at the time of the study. MAP was measured at the finger using beat-to-beat photoplethysmographic recordings at rest and during CPT with a Finometer (Model 1, Finapress Medical Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). SCS at threshold (100%, SCS100) and subthreshold (80%, SCS80) intensities were randomly performed in the T5-T6 region of the spinal cord during normal conditions as well as during CPT. Each participant had 3 CPTs with the placebo (control, no SCS) CPT always performed first. CPT was performed by immersing the right hand into ice water for 90 seconds. Thirty seconds of beat-to-beat data prior to starting each CPT (baseline) was analyzed. During the 90 second CPT, the median values of the last 30 seconds of data were used for analysis. Heart rate variability (HRV) during baseline and SCS was computed using Kubios HRV Version 2.0 software (University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland). Since the median values of HR, MAP and their changes did not follow a normal distribution, groups were compared with a non-parametric Friedman’s or Wilcoxon’s signed rank test. The HRV data were normally distributed and a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. Results: SCS did not significantly alter MAP or HR at baseline nor did it appear to blunt changes in MAP or HR in response to CPT. In the normotensive group, MAP was significantly elevated by a median value of 16 mmHg (P&lt;0.001) during the placebo phase, and by 18 and 10.5 mmHg during the SCS80 and SCS100 phases, respectively. In the hypertensive group, an enhanced response to the CPT was observed. In these participants, the MAP was significantly elevated by a median value of 26.8 mmHg (P&lt;0.001) during the placebo phase, and by 20 and 17 mmHg during the SCS80 and SCS100 phases, respectively. There was a non-significant trend for the CPT-induced increase in BP to be attenuated during SCS80. HRV tended to decrease in both the time and frequency domain in hypertensive participants, although this decrease was not statistically significant. Limitations: This was a pilot study including a limited number of participants Conclusions: Acute SCS at the T5-T6 region did not significantly alter MAP or HR compared to baseline (no SCS) in participants without sedation, supporting our previous findings in sedated patients. Hypertensive participants had a heightened response to transient cold stress, consistent with the literature. The observation of the tendency for a reduction in HRV in both the time and frequency domain in hypertensive participants is also consistent with the literature. In contrast to acute SCS, the hemodynamic effects of chronic SCS should be explored in the future. Key words: Spinal cord stimulation, hemodynamics, cold pressor test, heart rate variability, hypertension

Differences in Cortical Thickness in Healthy Controls, Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A Longitudinal Study

In this study, we analyzed differences in cortical thickness (CTH) between healthy controls (HC), subjects with stable mild cognitive impairment (S-MCI), progressive MCI (P-MCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD), and assessed correlations between CHT and clinical disease severity, education, and apolipoprotein E4 (APOE) genotype. Automated CTH analysis was applied to baseline high-resolution structural MR images of 145 subjects with a maximum followup time of 7.4 years pooled from population-based study databases held in the University of Kuopio. Statistical differences in CTH between study groups and significant correlations between CTH and clinical and demographic factors were assessed and displayed on a cortical surface model. Compared to HC group (n = 26), the AD (n = 21) group displayed significantly reduced CTH in several areas of frontal and temporal cortices of the right hemisphere. Higher education and lower MMSE scores were correlated with reduced CTH in the AD group, whereas no significant correlation was found between CDR-SB scores or APOE genotype and CTH. The P-MCI group demonstrated significantly reduced CTH compared to S-MCI in frontal, temporal and parietal cortices even after statistically adjusting for all confounding variables. Ultimately, analysis of CTH can be used to detect cortical thinning in subjects with progressive MCI several years before conversion and clinical diagnosis of AD dementia, irrespective of their cognitive performance, education level, or APOE genotype.

Letters

Letters

Letter to the Editor

AndrologiaVolume 20, Issue 3 p. 274-274 Letter to the Editor Yashpal Agrawal MBBS.D. Med.Sc., Yashpal Agrawal MBBS.D. Med.Sc. Dept. of Anatomy, University of Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author Yashpal Agrawal MBBS.D. Med.Sc., Yashpal Agrawal MBBS.D. Med.Sc. Dept. of Anatomy, University of Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author First published: May‐June 1988 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0272.1988.tb01073.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume20, Issue3May‐June 1988Pages 274-274 RelatedInformation

Cerebrospinal Fluid β-Amyloid 42 and Tau Proteins as Biomarkers of Alzheimer-Type Pathologic Changes in the Brain

There is a clear need to develop an objective diagnostic test for Alzheimer disease (AD). Changes in the levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau protein and beta-amyloid 42 (Abeta42) peptide in patients with AD have been well documented, but the relationship between these biomarkers and neuropathologic changes in the brain is not established. To study the relationship between antemortem CSF biomarker levels and Alzheimer-type neuropathologic changes in the brain. Cross-sectional study to correlate levels of CSF Abeta42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau protein with neuropathologic changes in the brain. Academic research. Patients The study included 123 patients (79 with clinically diagnosed AD, 29 with other dementia, and 15 with other neurologic disease). All underwent clinical evaluation and provided antemortem lumbar CSF samples, and neuropathologic data were collected from September 11, 1990, to March 13, 2003, in the Department of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. Levels of CSF Abeta42, total tau, and phosphorylated tau protein were measured using standard commercial immunoassays. Neuropathologic evaluations included the classic silver impregnation method and immunohistochemistry for Abeta, hyperphosphorylated tau, and alpha-synuclein. Cerebrospinal fluid Abeta42 and tau protein levels were related to amyloid load and the presence of neurofibrillary pathologic abnormalities in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid Abeta42 level correlated inversely with total Abeta load in the brain, and CSF tau level correlated with results of immunohistochemistry for hyperphosphorylated tau and with the presence of neocortical neurofibrillary tangles. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the number of neuritic plaques in the brain remained a significant predictor of decreased CSF Abeta42 level and of increased CSF tau level. Based on the ratio of phosphorylated tau level to Abeta42 level, sensitivity was 91.6%, and specificity was 85.7%, with an overall accuracy of 90.2% for the presence of pathologic neuritic plaque in the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid Abeta42 and tau proteins are biomarkers of AD-associated pathologic changes in the brain. The combination of abnormally low CSF Abeta42 level and abnormally high CSF tau level predicted the presence of AD pathologic features with high accuracy. This combination assay may be helpful in diagnosing the presence of AD pathologic changes in the brain.

HVA, 5-HIAA, GABA AND CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES IN THE CSF OF EPILEPTIC PATIENTS DURING PHTHALIMIDOETHANESULPHON -N-ISOPROPYLAMIDE (MY-I 17) TREATMENT

HVA, 5-HIAA, GABA AND CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES IN THE CSF OF EPILEPTIC PATIENTS DURING PHTHALIMIDOETHANESULPHON -N-ISOPROPYLAMIDE (MY-I 17) TREATMENT

β-ENDORPHIN-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN CSF OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Acta Neurologica ScandinavicaVolume 69, Issue S98 p. 234-235 β-ENDORPHIN-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN CSF OF PATIENTS WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE J. T. Jolkkonen, J. T. Jolkkonen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorH. S. Soininen, H. S. Soininen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Riekkinen, P. J. Riekkinen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author J. T. Jolkkonen, J. T. Jolkkonen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorH. S. Soininen, H. S. Soininen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Riekkinen, P. J. Riekkinen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author First published: April 1984 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.1984.tb02454.xCitations: 6AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume69, IssueS98April 1984Pages 234-235 RelatedInformation

CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PARAMETERS IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE DURING ORG2766 TREATMENT

Acta Neurologica ScandinavicaVolume 69, Issue S98 p. 238-239 CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PARAMETERS IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE DURING ORG2766 TREATMENT J. T. Jolkkonen, J. T. Jolkkonen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorH. S. Soininen, H. S. Soininen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Riekkinen, P. J. Riekkinen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author J. T. Jolkkonen, J. T. Jolkkonen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorH. S. Soininen, H. S. Soininen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this authorP. J. Riekkinen, P. J. Riekkinen Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, FinlandSearch for more papers by this author First published: April 1984 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0404.1984.tb02456.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume69, IssueS98April 1984Pages 238-239 RelatedInformation

RFID and medication care.

Dynamic healthcare needs new IT innovations and applications to be able to treat the rapidly growing number of patients effectively and safely. The information technology has to support healthcare in developing practices and nursing patients without confronting any complications or errors. One critical and important part of healthcare is medication care, which is very vulnerable for different kind of errors, even on fatal errors. Thus, medication care needs new methods for avoiding errors in different situations during medication administration. This poster represents an RFID-based automated identification system for medication care in a hospital environment. This work is a part of the research project MaISSI (Managing IT Services and Service Implementation) at the University of Kuopio, Department of Computer Science, Finland.

Survival of amoebae on building materials

Moisture damage and concurrent microbial growth in buildings are associated with adverse health effects among the occupants. However, the causal agents for the symptoms are unclear although microbes are assumed to play a major role. Fungi and bacteria are not the only microbes inhabiting moist building materials; it was recently revealed that amoebae are also present. As amoebae have the potential to harbor many pathogens and to modulate the characteristics of growing microbes, a better appreciation of the growth and survival of amoebae in moisture damage conditions will add to the understanding of their effects on health outcomes. In this study, we investigated the ability of amoebae to survive on six building materials. Furthermore, both aged and unused materials were tested. Amoebae survived on gypsum board and mineral wool for the whole 2 months experiment even without additional sustenance. When sustenance (heat-killed bacteria) was available, aged pine wood and birch wood also allowed their survival. In contrast, amoebae were quickly killed on fresh pine wood and they did not survive on concrete or linoleum. In conclusion, our data show that amoebae can persist on several common building materials once these materials become wet. Amoebae are able to survive on many building materials should the materials become wet. Amoebae have the potential to increase growth, cytotoxicity, and pathogenicity of other microbes present in moisture damages, and they may carry potentially pathogenic bacteria as endosymbionts and thus introduce them into the indoor air. Therefore, amoebae may have a prominent role in the microbial exposures occurring in moisture-damaged buildings. The presence of amoebae could be usefully included in reporting the microbial damage of material samples.

Imaging of mixing of two miscible liquids using electrical impedance tomography and linear impedance sensor

The objective of this study was to determine whether electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can be used to image the mixing of two miscible liquids in a turbulent flow, using the Trumpjet mixing system of papermaking chemicals and additives. Trumpjet is a jet injection mixer developed and produced by Wetend Technologies Ltd. An EIT system and a linear impedance sensor, developed at the Department of Physics, University of Kuopio, were used as a monitoring system. In EIT, a difference reconstruction approach was used to produce two- and three-dimensional images of the conductivity distribution with a frame rate about of 40 frames/s. In the linear impedance sensor, 8 impedance values can be measured with a speed of 4 s −1. In order to make changes in the conductivity distribution a saline solution was used as chemical. In order to evaluate the quality of the mixing, a mixing index was calculated based on the reconstructed images. Laboratory tests were carried out in a pilot plant. The efficiency of the mixing of the chemical into the main flow using Trumpjet technology and using the conventional chemical injection system was compared. It was found that the Trumpjet technology is more efficient, and that EIT and a linear sensor can be used in mixing studies.

Heart Rate Variability Modulation Produced by a Chiropractic Lumbar Adjustment

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the heart rate variability (HRV) in the presence or the absence of pain in the lower back (L5), while receiving chiropractic care. METHODS: A total of 53 healthy subjects were randomly assigned to a control, 2 treatment or 2 sham groups (n = 10 per group). Subjects underwent an eight-minute acclimatizing period. The HRV tachygram (RR interval) data were recorded directly into a Suunto watch (model T6). We analyzed the five minute pre-treatment and post treatments intervals. The spectral analysis of the tachygram was performed with the Kubios Software (University of Kuopio, Finland). RESULTS: The HF component (0.15-0.40 Hz) in the pain-free group decreased significantly (p<0.05) from (Pre-treatment) 29.26 ± 17.16 Hz to (Post-treatment) 24.95 ± 19.73 Hz, and in the pain group increased significantly from 22.84 ± 16.7 Hz to 23.64 ± 19.44 Hz. The Mean R-R intervals in the pain-free grouping increased significantly from 822.32 ± 127.29 ms to 830.25 ± 127.82 ms and finally the VLF (0.0-0.04 Hz) of the pain grouping increased significantly from 46.71 ± 23.36 Hz to 49.43 ± 22.55 Hz. CONCLUSIONS: We found that pain is a factor in the directional change of the HF component of the HRV.

Smoking behaviour and attitudes regarding the role of physicians in tobacco control among medical students in Kuopio, Finland in 2006

Summary Background The smoking behaviour of medical students may predict their intentions to counsel patients who are smokers about smoking cessation. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of smoking among medical students in Kuopio and whether attitudes towards tobacco control and future smoking cessation advice is related to their own smoking status. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students at the University of Kuopio, Finland in 2006 using a validated self-administered questionnaire about smoking behaviour and smoking cessation developed by the WHO. The final participation rate was 61%. Results Smoking prevalence among the students was 15% (daily smoking 3%, occasional smoking 12%). Smoking prevalence was higher among males than among females (23% vs 11%, respectively, p-value 0.006). Smokers perceived active and passive smoking as being less harmful to health than non-smokers (p-values Conclusion Medical students’ smoking behaviour negatively affects their plans to give smoking cessation advice once they become physicians and their attitudes on the roles of physicians in tobacco control programs. Hence, there is a need to introduce a well structured, compulsory tobacco control program into the medical curriculum at the University of Kuopio in order to prepare students for their future roles in promoting tobacco control initiatives.