Liquid flame spray for generating metal and metal oxide nanoparticle test aerosol.

A flame-based method for generating nanoparticles with production rate in the order of g/min is presented to be used in a variety of applied studies concerning nanoparticle measurements and toxicological tests. In this study, ferric oxide, titanium dioxide, and silver nanoparticles were produced by this technique, as an example of the variety of producible compounds, and number and surface area were measured by state-of-art aerosol instruments. In the primary experiments of this study, the generator was used in a conventional way, in a fume cupboard, and the aerosol was measured from the exhaust duct of the cupboard. It has been shown that this steady, turbulent flame generator is also suitable for producing high-concentration aerosols in a wider concept. The generated aerosol was measured by variety of aerosol instrumentation to show the applicability of the generator. When using the generator intentionally as a source of aerosol in the flame processing room, mean nanoparticle sizes of 5-60 nm and active surface area concentration ranges of 1-10,000 microm(2)/cm(3) were covered for the room aerosol.

Perceptions about human rights, sexual and reproductive health services by internally displaced persons in northern Uganda.

BACKGROUND: About 1.6 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) from northern Uganda have been living in encampments since the late 1980s. In conflict settings such as northern Uganda women are disproportionately affected compared to men. This study explores women and men IDPs' perceptions of their access to information about rights, access to health services and gender-based violence. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kitgum and Pader districts, northern Uganda. We interviewed a total of 1,383 respondents comprising 968 (70%) adults and 415 (30%) adolescents; 60% were females and 40% males, randomly selected from 35 of 67 (52.2%) IDP camps. We held 27 key informant interviews and 52 focus group discussions. Data were entered in EPI data version 3.02 and analysed using SPSS version 12.00 statistical packages. RESULTS: Most (67.5%) of the respondents (68.9% males and 66.6% females) have heard about the notion of human rights. The main sources of information were UN/NGOs 23.7% and radios 23.0%. The right to health (18.8%), freedom of association (16.8%) and the right to education (15.7%) were most known. Although most respondents, 87.3% (88.9% males compared to 85.6% females mentioned preference for delivery in a health unit, main constraints to women's access to health care include lack of money 34.9% males and 37.9% females; lack of information 25.3% males and 23.2% females; and lack of decision power 17.7% males and 17.3% females. Most people (72.7%) (Women: 77.3%; men: 68.5%) perceive gender based violence (GBV) as common in the settings. The main GBV management interventions include treatment of physical injuries 33.9%; testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections 22.4% and counselling 18.9%. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Most IDPs are aware about human rights issues mainly through humanitarian agencies and the media. Although geographic accessibility to health services is high, lack of finances, information and decision power hinder women's access to health care services. Duty bearers need to increase community awareness about human rights, both among men and women in order to ensure women's access to health care services. Similarly they must strengthen health systems to provide equitable health services for all IDPs particularly reproductive health services.

Instrumentation for measuring fluorescence cross sections from airborne microsized particles.

An experimental instrument for measuring a laser-induced fluorescence spectrum from a single aerosol particle is described. As a demonstration of instrument capabilities, the results of monodisperse 4.7 microm sodium chloride particles doped with fluorescent riboflavin, produced with an inkjet aerosol generator, are presented. The fluorescence of the aerosol particles is excited in the wide range from 210 to 419 nm using a pulsed, tunable optical parametric oscillator laser. The maximum of the fluorescence emission of separately measured particles is detected at 560 nm. The dependence of the fluorescence on the excitation wavelength is studied and fluorescence cross sections are estimated. Agreement between the measured fluorescence data and the literature data for riboflavin is observed.

Validation of the Swedish version of the disease-specific Myasthenia Gravis Questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to translate and validate the disease-specific patient-derived Myasthenia Gravis (MG) Questionnaire to enable use among Swedish MG patients. The original Italian version of the MG Questionnaire (MGQ) was translated into Swedish and transculturally adapted. The validity and reliability was tested on 48 Swedish MG patients. We correlated MGQ scores with disease severity and with the Swedish version of the Short-Form 36-item general health survey (SF-36). Reproducibility was assessed on 18 clinically stable MG patients. A significant correlation regarding the MGQ scores was seen when correlated with physical scores of the SF-36 and the overall clinical status. Internal consistency and reproducibility was excellent. We conclude that the evaluation capacities of the Swedish MGQ are equivalent to those of the original Italian version of the MGQ. The questionnaire was successfully validated as an outcome measure also for Swedish MG patients, which is important for international multicentre clinical trials.

Correlation between regional myasthenic weakness and mental aspects of quality of life.

Here we report how the different types of regional muscle involvement, i.e. bulbar, ocular or generalized, in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) influence the mental aspects of quality of life. Clinical examination according to Osserman was performed in 48 MG patients (45 women, three men; mean age 54, SD 12 years). Each patient was at the time for clinical evaluation asked to fill out the disease-specific Myasthenia Gravis Questionnaire (MGQ) and the Short-Form 36-item questionnaire for health survey (SF-36) as patient-oriented tools. We related the regional domains (generalized domain, bulbar domain and ocular domain) of the MGQ and the clinical findings, respectively, with mental quality of life as assessed by SF-36. Bulbar and generalized involvement results in impairment of mental aspects of quality of life, whereas ocular involvement does not.

Predictive value of single-fiber electromyography in the extensor digitorum communis muscle of patients with ocular myasthenia gravis: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To determine if the jitter in the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) muscle in patients with purely ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) predicts the subsequent development of generalized myasthenic weakness-Methods: Included in this retrospective study were patients who initially had purely ocular manifestations and had been followed for at least 2 years after onset of myasthenic symptoms. The group consisted of 50 patients with purely ocular weakness, 26 of whom later generalized. All underwent single-fiber electromyography (SFEMG) studies in the EDC muscle at the initial examination RESULTS: : Statistical analysis did not demonstrate that the amount of jitter in the EDC muscle predicted the development of generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG). Also, there was no threshold jitter value that predicted generalized weakness. CONCLUSIONS: : SFEMG measurement of jitter in the EDC muscle demonstrates abnormal neuromuscular transmission in many patients with OMG but is not useful in predicting generalization in these patients.