Effects of electroacupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on survival of musculocutaneous flap in rats

The effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) were investigated in the musculocutaneous flap in a rat model by measuring the surviving area and blood flow in the flap. Rats were divided into the control group, and groups treated with EA and TENS. Experimental results of this study show that flap survival area did not increase by EA but increased significantly by TENS treatment, and that blood flow in the periphery was significantly larger than that at the base.     

Zero-Rate Output and Quadrature Compensation in Vibratory MEMS Gyroscopes

In this paper, issues related to the zero-rate output (ZRO) of a vibratory microgyroscope are studied. Different sources of the ZRO are discussed and how the effect of each source can be minimized and their stability improved is described. The effects of synchronous demodulation and electrostatic quadrature compensation performed with a dc voltage on the final ZRO are analyzed. Ways to implement the control loop for electrostatic quadrature compensation performed with a dc voltage are described, concentrating on a case where the compensation voltage is generated with a digital-to-analog converter and the controller is digital. In particular, extending the resolution with SigmaDelta techniques is studied. The experimental work shows the feasibility of the implemented quadrature compensation loop and analyzes the ZRO sources of one particular gyroscope implementation. How to perform the ZRO measurements in such a way that the various sources can be distinguished from each other is also described.     

A Review of Finnish-Russian Cooperation in Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry during 1988-20001,2

A review of Finnish-Russian cooperation in nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry during 1988-2000 is presented. A summary of cyclotron production methods of 236Pu, (2.851 years), 237Pu (45.1 days), and 235Np (396 days) tracers via nuclear reactions with protons and ³He ions on 236,238U and 237Np targets in wide energy ranges is given. Chemical methods for separation of the tracers from the irradiated uranium and neptunium targets are described. The yields and radionuclide purities of the tracers produced are presented and discussed. The optimal methods for the production of neptunium and plutonium tracers are suggested.     

Past, present and future of mobile payments research: A literature review

The mobile payment services markets are currently under transition with a history of numerous tried and failed solutions, and a future of promising but yet uncertain possibilities with potential new technology innovations. At this point of the development, we take a look at the current state of the mobile payment services market from a literature review perspective. We review prior literature on mobile payments, analyze the various factors that impact mobile payment services markets, and suggest directions for future research in this still emerging field. To facilitate the analysis of literature, we propose a framework of four contingency and five competitive force factors, and organize the mobile payment research under the proposed framework. Consumer perspective of mobile payments as well as technical security and trust are best covered by contemporary research. The impacts of social and cultural factors on mobile payments, as well as comparisons between mobile and traditional payment services are entirely uninvestigated issues. Most of the factors outlined by the framework have been addressed by exploratory and early phase studies.     

HLA-DQ alleles and human papillomavirus DNA in adult-onset laryngeal papillomatosis

Sixty-two patients with histologically confirmed adult-onset laryngeal papilloma were clinically examined; their HLA class II DQA1 and DQB1 alleles and the presence and type of human papillomavirus (HPV) in their laryngeal papilloma biopsies were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based methods. No differences in the DQA1 or DQB1 frequencies appeared between the patients as a group and the reference population. When the patients were divided into groups according to number of laryngeal procedures performed, no HLA association was noticed with any group, nor did the presence of HPV-6 or HPV-11 DNA in the laryngeal specimen correlate with HLA type. A suggestive association was found between the DQB1 *0501 allele and the 16 patients whose laryngeal biopsy was HPV-negative, but because of the small series, additional patients need to be studied. Earlier, the DQB1 *0501 allele was reported to be protective against cervical cancer, another HPV-associated disease.     

Reorganization of Thalamic Inputs to Lesioned Cortex Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts thalamic and cortical integrity. The effect of post-injury reorganization and plasticity in thalamocortical pathways on the functional outcome remains unclear. We evaluated whether TBI causes structural changes in the thalamocortical axonal projection terminals in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) that lead to hyperexcitability. TBI was induced in adult male Sprague Dawley rats with lateral fluid-percussion injury. A virus carrying the fluorescent-tagged opsin channel rhodopsin 2 transgene was injected into the ventroposterior thalamus. We then traced the thalamocortical pathways and analyzed the reorganization of their axonal terminals in S1. Next, we optogenetically stimulated the thalamocortical relays from the ventral posterior lateral and medial nuclei to assess the post-TBI functionality of the pathway. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TBI did not alter the spatial distribution or lamina-specific targeting of projection terminals in S1. TBI reduced the axon terminal density in the motor cortex by 44% and in S1 by 30%. A nematic tensor-based analysis revealed that in control rats, the axon terminals in layer V were orientated perpendicular to the pial surface (60.3°). In TBI rats their orientation was more parallel to the pial surface (5.43°, difference between the groups p < 0.05). Moreover, the level of anisotropy of the axon terminals was high in controls (0.063) compared with TBI rats (0.045, p < 0.05). Optical stimulation of the sensory thalamus increased alpha activity in electroencephalography by 312% in controls (p > 0.05) and 237% (p > 0.05) in TBI rats compared with the baseline. However, only TBI rats showed increased beta activity (33%) with harmonics at 5 Hz. Our findings indicate that TBI induces reorganization of thalamocortical axonal terminals in the perilesional cortex, which alters responses to thalamic stimulation.     

Stress corrosion and thermal fatigue — Experiences and countermeasures in austenitic SS pipings of finnish bwr-plants

A summary of the existence of pipe cracking in Finnish BWR plants is presented covering both thermal fatigue and IGSCC cases. Countermeasures against cracking are evaluated and the measures applied are summarized. Also the results of a research program to monitor ageing of the weld heat affected zones in a pipeline section of a shut-down cooling system are summarized.