Assessment of the risk of African swine fever introduction into Finland using NORA-a rapid tool for semiquantitative assessment of the risk.

The NORA rapid risk assessment tool was developed for situations where there is a change in the disease status of easily transmissible animal diseases in neighbouring countries or in countries with significant interactions with Finland. The goal was to develop a tool that is quick to use and will provide consistent results to support risk management decisions. The model contains 63 questions that define the potential for entry and exposure by nine different pathways. The magnitude of the consequences is defined by 23 statements. The weight of different pathways is defined according to the properties of the assessed disease. The model was built as an Excel spreadsheet and is intended for use by animal health control administrators. As an outcome, the model gives the possible pathways of disease entry into the country, an overall approximation for the probability of entry and the subsequent exposure, an overall estimate for the consequences and a combined overall risk estimate (probability multiplied by magnitude of consequences). Model validity was assessed by expert panels. Outside Africa, African swine fever is currently established in Russia and Sardinia. In addition, there have been cases in both wild boar and domestic pigs in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia. Finland has frequent contacts with Russia and Estonia, especially through passengers. The risk of African swine fever (ASF) introduction into Finland was tested with NORA for the situation in December 2015, when ASF was endemic in many parts of Russia, Africa and Sardinia and was present in Baltic countries and in Poland. African swine fever was assessed to have a high probability of entry into Finland, with high consequences and therefore a high overall risk.

Questionable effect of lavage for treatment of painful jaw movements at disc displacement without reduction: a 3-year randomised controlled follow-up.

The present randomised controlled study compared the 3-year outcome of local anaesthetics with anaesthetics and lavage in patients suffering from painful temporomandibular joint (TMJ) locking. The study included 45 patients referred for treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) to the Department of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. All patients received a history questionnaire and clinical examination according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD, panoramic radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging at baseline. Twenty-five patients were randomised to anaesthetics alone and 20 patients to anaesthetics and lavage. Three years after treatment, we sent the 37 patients who were available for follow-up a questionnaire that evaluated pain intensity, physical and emotional functioning, and global improvement. Thirty-four patients responded. The primary outcome was defined as ≥ 30% pain relief. In an intention-to-treat analysis, 28 of 45 patients (62%) reported ≥ 30% pain relief at the follow-up. At 3 years, improvement in pain relief, physical functioning, emotional functioning and global improvement differed non-significantly between local anaesthetics and anaesthetics and lavage. Compared with baseline, significant improvements (P < 0.05) in pain intensity, physical functioning, emotional functioning and global changes had occurred in both groups after 3 years. Because outcome measurements in the local anaesthetics and lavage and the local anaesthetics groups differed non-significantly 3 years after treatment of painful TMJ disc displacement without reduction, use of lavage (50 mL saline) has an equivalent effect as local anaesthetics.

Lavage treatment of painful jaw movements at disc displacement without reduction. A randomized controlled trial in a short-term perspective.

This study compared the short-term efficacy of two treatments (local anesthetics (A) and local anesthetics and lavage (AL)) in patients with permanently displaced discs and temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. 45 patients participated in the single-blind randomized controlled trial. All patients had received: a Research Diagnostic Criteria/TMD diagnosis of disc displacement without reduction; and magnetic resonance imaging confirmation of non-reducing disc displacement. Participants were randomized to treatment with A or AL and were assessed at baseline and at 1 and 3 month follow-ups. The primary outcome measure defining success was reduction in pain intensity of at least 30% during jaw movement. At the 3 month follow-up, the success rate was 76% for A and 55% for AL. Both groups reported similar pain relief with no significant difference between the groups. Similar trends were observed for outcome measures in the physical functioning, emotional functioning, and global improvement domains with no significant difference between the groups. Use of lavage to supplement extra-articular local anesthetic treatment of painful jaw movements at non-reducing discs does not appear to improve TMD pain and mouth opening capacity in the short term.

Salmonella isolated in sewage sludge traced back to human cases of salmonellosis.

AIM: The main aim of this study was to investigate a possible connection between the Salmonella content in sewage sludge and human cases of salmonellosis. An additional aim was to survey the antimicrobial resistance situation in Salmonella isolated from Swedish sewage sludge. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Salmonella strains were compared by restriction enzyme analysis combined with pulsed field gel electrophoresis and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This study suggests a link between Salmonella isolated from sewage sludge and human Salmonella isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that Salmonella spp. isolated in sewage treatment plants (STP) originate from infected humans and survive treatment at STP. It also highlights the risk of spreading resistant Salmonella strains from sewage sludge to the environment. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: As Salmonella spp. originating from infected humans can survive the treatment at STP, the risk of Salmonella spp. being spread with sewage sludge to the environment and then to people and animals is enhanced. The threat to society is even worse if the bacteria are resistant to antimicrobial agents.

Inhibition of brain synaptosomal uptake of choline by some 2-carboxamidostrychnine derivatives with muscle-relaxant properties.

Some 2-carboxamido derivatives of strychnine with a peripheral muscle-relaxant effect in vivo and in vitro were tested for their ability to inhibit choline (Ch) uptake into mouse brain synaptosomes. A non-competitive inhibition of the high affinity Ch uptake by strychnine and some of its derivatives was observed.

Choline acetyltransferase activity in human blood and its diurnal oscillation--an artifact?

Diurnal oscillation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-like activity in human blood has recently been reported in the literature. From studies on the pH-optimum of acetylcholine synthesizing activity in human blood we suggest, however, that this activity is only partly related to ChAT, and that the diurnal oscillation observed might be an artifact resulting from the analytical procedure.

In vivo turnover rate of acetylcholine in rat brain parts at elevated steady-state concentration of plasma choline.

Cortical and striatal turnover rates of acetylcholine TR(ACh) were estimated by applying steady-state tracer kinetics in rats killed by microwave irradiation following a constant i.v. infusion of 3H-Ch. In control rats TR(ACh) was 3.6 nmol . g-1 . min-1 in the cortex and 23.8 nmol . g-1 . min-1 in the striatum. When steady-state plasma concentrations of Ch were increased from 17 to 140 mumol . 1-1 by a 15-min infusion of unlabelled Ch the corresponding TR(ACh) were 3.6 nmol . g-1 . min-1 and 21.4 nmol . g-1 . min-1, respectively. These results indicate that increased plasma levels of Ch are not accompanied by increased synthesis of brain ACh.