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We examined the extracellular vesicle (EV) and RNA composition of pooled normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and CSF from five major neurological disorders: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), low-grade glioma (LGG), glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), representing neurodegenerative disease, cancer, and severe acute brain injury. We evaluated: (I) size and quantity of EVs by nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) and vesicle flow cytometry (VFC), (II) RNA yield and purity using four RNA isolation kits, (III) replication of RNA yields within and between laboratories, and (IV) composition of total and EV RNAs by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and RNA sequencing (RNASeq). The CSF contained ~106 EVs/μL by NTA and VFC. Brain tumour and SAH CSF contained more EVs and RNA relative to normal, AD, and PD. RT-qPCR and RNASeq identified disease-related populations of microRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) relative to normal CSF, in both total and EV fractions. This work presents relevant measures selected to inform the design of subsequent replicative CSF studies. The range of neurological diseases highlights variations in total and EV RNA content due to disease or collection site, revealing critical considerations guiding the selection of appropriate approaches and controls for CSF studies.

There is a great need to accurately assess skin exposure to contact allergens. We have developed a technique for assessment of skin exposure to nickel, chromium and cobalt using acid wipe sampling by cellulose wipes with 1% nitric acid. Chemical analysis was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recovery of nickel, chromium and cobalt from arms and palms was 93%. The analytical result is expressed in terms of mass per unit area (microg/cm(2)). The developed acid wipe sampling technique is suitable for determination of nickel, chromium and cobalt deposited on the skin. The technique may be used in workplace studies, in studies of individuals in the general population, in dermatitis patients, in identification of risk groups, as well as in developing preventive strategies and in follow-up after intervention.

This study presents a review of 961 patients treated in the general intensive care unit (ICU) of Akershus Central Hospital (ACH) from 1978 to 1981, including also a follow-up study of the 419 patients treated in 1978 and 1979 who were observed for an average period of 20 months after admittance to the ICU. The ICU patients represented 1.7% of all the patients admitted to the referring departments. Approximately 2/3 (67.3%) of the patients were surgical patients, representing 2.9% of the patients treated in that department, 19.6% were medical patients, and 8.6% came from the department of pediatrics. Surgery was the main reason for ICU admittance in 48.1% of the patients; in 70% of these, surgery by itself made postoperative intensive care necessary. Acute or chronic cardiovascular or respiratory disorders caused or contributed to ICU admittance in 78% of the patients; disorders of the nervous system (29.0%), gastrointestinal system (25%), and severe infections (28%) came next. The average stay in the ICU was 6.2 days. The patient's need for observation, nursing and therapy was assessed daily according to a care grade scale from 1 to 5, with 5 as maximum effort. The average care grade during the stay, multiplied by the duration of stay in days, gave the care product, which was used as an expression of the patient's need for ICU resources. The sum of care products for all the patients through 1 year thus expressed the total work load on the ICU. The ICU budget for 1 year, divided by the total care product for the same year, and thereafter multiplied by the care product for single patients or patient groups, was used as the basis for calculation of ICU costs. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation required 95% of the total work load in the ICU, and 66.3% of these efforts were directly associated with the ventilator treatment period as judged by the care product. Complications to treatment were recorded in 7.3% of the patients, and four of these patients dies of such complications. Improvement by intensive care was achieved in 81.4% of the patients, 5.2% were unchanged, and 13.4% died while in the ICU. Mortality was 9.5% below and 19.3% above the age of 60 years. Of the 419 patients who were followed for an average period of 20 months after admittance to the ICU, 56 died in the ICU, 28 died later during the same stay in ACH, and another 47 died after discharge from ACH, whereas 288 (68.7%) were still alive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

In 1969 the Scan-Gallup institution interviewed a random sample of 503 women from all parts of Norway who had given birth during the last 24 months. Cesarean sections and forceps deliveries were excluded. The interviews revealed that 69% of the women were left unattended for a considerable part of the delivery, that their husbands were present at only 6% of the births, and only 31% of the women received any kind of analgesia. None were given an epidural block. Nevertheless, 80% of the mothers subsequently said they were satisfied with the treatment and care. Of the 20% dissatisfied, 70% complained of lack of attention, but only 17% drew attention to lack of analgesia. The same investigation has been repeated in 1986 by the same institution and using the same questions. This time the interviews disclosed a completely different picture. 83% of the women were attended by someone all the time during their births, the child's father was present at 86% of the births, 75% of the mothers had received some kind of analgesia, and 14% received epidural block. Nevertheless, the number of satisfied mothers was no greater than in 1969. In 1986 the dissatisfied complained of unfriendly midwives, and lack of sympathy, reassurance and support. Only 15% complained of lack of analgesia, similar to the 1969 finding.