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Biomedical subjects

M Rask

Publications and source records attributed to M Rask.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Temporal coherence in water temperature and chemistry under the ice of boreal lakes (Finland).

Temporal coherence was assessed for 11 limnological variables--water temperature, oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, pH, colour, calcium (Ca), iron, aluminium, total phosphorus and total nitrogen--between 28 boreal lakes in southern Finland for the winter ice-covered period. The lakes were mainly small (<0.2 km2) and brown-coloured, and located within a circle of 10-km radius. A mean Pearson correlation coefficient for all lake pairs and variables averaged 0.37. Temporal coherence of variables across lake pairs was highest for conductivity, Ca, water temperature and alkalinity. The lake pairs with a direct surface water channel connection had a higher coherence than the lake pairs not connected by a stream. The size of the lake or catchment area had little effect on the coherence between the lakes. Temporal coherence was not strongly related to the difference in water colour (dystrophy) between the lakes. However, between polyhumic lakes (colour > 100 g Pt m(-3)) the coherence was generally higher than between less coloured lakes. Year-to-year variation in limnological characteristics could be partly explained by the variation in local weather. In March, water temperature and chemistry were infrequently related to winter weather, rather they correlated with the weather conditions of the previous autumn, while the ambient late winter weather seemed to have a stronger influence on lake conditions in April. Temporal variation in some variables was related to the atmospheric pressure changes over the North Atlantic (the North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO). Our results suggest that the potential effects of climatic change on lakes can be generalised regionally for brown-coloured dystrophic lakes.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2001

Interventions in the nurse-patient relationship in forensic psychiatric nursing care: a Swedish survey.

Nurses (Registered nurses, RN, and Licensed Mental Nurses, LMN) working in five Swedish forensic psychiatric units filled in a questionnaire designed for general psychiatric nursing, but modified for forensic use. In this report, data concerning the extent to which treatment interventions included verbal elements, and the focus of these nurse--patient verbal interactions, were analysed. The most commonly used interventions were 'social interaction', 'regular communication' and 'social skills training'. The most common focus in verbal nurse--patient interaction were 'explaining consequences, confronting and encouraging the patient to talk about his/her crime/behaviour', 'interpretative communications with the patient', and 'communication about functions in daily life'. The salient findings were: (1) seven of the fifteen interventions used by the nurses included verbal elements to a great extent; (2) nurses often used confronting interventions, despite the fact that the large EE (expressed emotion) literature suggest that hostility and critical remarks may provoke a worsening of symptoms among psychotic patients; (3) there was only little correspondence between actual practice and theoretical models; and (4) there were unexpectedly small differences between the two professional groups (RN and LMN), suggesting that the roles are not distinct.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Forensic psychiatric nursing care--nurses apprehension of their responsibility and work content: a Swedish survey.

This questionnaire study aimed to investigate nurses' views regarding the areas of responsibility, work content and the theoretical perspectives found to dominate nursing duties in Swedish forensic care. The sample (n = 350) was chosen randomly from the five forensic units which provide treatment for patients in Sweden and there was a response rate of 70% (n = 246). The role of the nurses consisted mainly of actions related to activities of daily living (ADL)-activities. It is worth noting that, within the area of ADL-activities, practical work on the ward was the nurses' most common responsibility as well as work content. Less dominating aspects, were educating patients' families, leading group discussions with family or patients, co-operating with social authorities as well as activities related to life outside the unit. There were no significant differences with regard to gender but several differences between registered nurses (RNs) and licensed mental nurses (LMNs) were noted. There were mostly weak correlations between areas of responsibility or work content and theoretical perspectives. The results thus suggest that nurses in forensic care view their work to be mainly directed at patients' capacity for ADL-activities, medical psychiatric actions, informing and educating patients and families and assessing patients. An even greater emphasis on these aspects may be warranted because of the patients' serious deficits in social and life skills. It may be useful to consider an increased focus on a psycho-educational approach and to develop and test methods focusing on the development of patients' capacity for activities related to daily living in a broad sense. Further research is needed to investigate whether the aspects that dominate nursing care also coincide with what the patients apprehend as beneficial for their recovery.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The influence of the design of two different bioresorbable barriers on the results of guided tissue regeneration therapy. An intra-individual comparative study in the monkey.

The aim of the present study was to compare two bioresorbable barriers to evaluate whether differences in design influence the result of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) therapy. Twenty-four (24) plaque exposed, recession type defects in 4 monkeys were treated. Contralateral defects were randomized for test or control treatment. During a healing period of 6 weeks, gingival recession resulting in device exposure occurred at 3 test and 10 control sites. One control barrier was exfoliated. Histologically, 9 of the 12 test barriers were completely integrated with the surrounding tissues. At 3 test sites, epithelium had migrated apically outside the barrier to a level not exceeding one-third of the height of the device. Seven of the 11 control barriers were enclosed by dentogingival epithelium. The adjacent connective tissue exhibited local inflammatory cell infiltrates (ICT). At the remaining 4 control sites, the epithelial downgrowth as well as the adjacent ICT areas were limited to the coronal 1/3 of the device. New attachment; i.e., new cementum with inserting collagen fibers, averaged 2.2 mm and 0.8 mm at the test and control sites respectively (P < 0.01). Based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that a bioresorbable GTR device, designed to prevent epithelial downgrowth along the barrier surface, has a higher potential to promote new attachment formation than a device which does not have this property.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Reproductive status, blood chemistry, gill histology and growth of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in three acidic lakes.

Perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) were sampled soon after spawning in three small acidic lakes (pH 4.3-6.1, Al(lab) 5-106 microg litre(-1), Ca2+ 0.01-0.08 mmol litre(-1)) and in one circumneutral lake (pH 5.9-6.4, Al(lab) 4-12 microg litre(-1), Ca2+ 0.06-0.07 mmol litre(-1)) in southern Finland. Due to the delayed spawning of perch in the acidic lakes, sampling in those lakes was performed later than in the reference lake. In spite of that, the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of males in all the acidic lakes was significantly greater than in the reference lake. Of the two lakes with similar low water pH, the effects on reproduction were more prominent in the lake with higher water Al content. The plasma Ca2+ concentrations of females in the acidic lakes were significantly smaller than in the females of the reference lake. The low female:male plasma Ca2+ ratio (1.0-1.32) depicted delay of spawning. Stress in perch in acidic water was also seen in elevated blood haematocrit values, especially in females. On the other hand, a low plasma Cl- level, a common response to acidic water in salmonids, was not detected in perch in the most acidic lakes. The amount of Al accumulated in the gill epithelium was highest in the most acidified lake with high Al concentration, but was also pronounced in a lake with low pH and low Al concentration.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Changes in the density, population structure, growth and reproduction of perch, Perca fluviatilis L. in two acidic forest lakes in southern Finland.

The density of the perch populations decreased rapidly during the 1980s in two acidified lakes in southern Finland. In an acid-humic lake the density of the perch population decreased from 240 to 60 ha(-1) and in an acid clearwater lake from 150 to 20 ha(-1). In both lakes the rapid decrease was mainly due to failures in reproduction, although post-spawning mortality of adult fish was also recorded. The perch spawned annually in both lakes but according to the field exposures of egg strands, most of the eggs died before hatching. Nevertheless, some new recruits appeared in both lakes. These perch, born in 1983-1986, grew faster than those of the more abundant year-classes of the late 1970s, indicating a clear density-dependent growth response. According to the mortality estimate and the age distribution of perch, the latest year-classes that produced more than 100 adult perch ha(-1) were born in 1978 or 1979 in both lakes. It was calculated that the density of both populations was >500 ha(-1) in the early 1980s.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Knee flexion test and sciatica.

Knee flexion of the leg when a patient with sciatica bends to reach the floor is objective evidence of lumbar spinal nerve root compression. Contralateral sciatic scoliotic list usually accompanies the finding, which should be known as a positive knee flexion test for sciatic spinal nerve root compression.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neospora caninum infection and repeated abortions in humans.

To determine whether Neospora caninum, a parasite known to cause repeated abortions and stillbirths in cattle, also causes repeated abortions in humans, we retrospectively examined serum samples of 76 women with a history of abortions for evidence of N. caninum infection. No antibodies to the parasite were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunofluorescence assay, or Western blot.

Abortion, Habitual↗