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INTRODUCTION: Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a sensitive technique for detecting white matter (WM) MS lesions, but the relation with clinical disability is low. Because of this, changes in both 'normal appearing white matter' (NAWM) and 'diffusely abnormal white matter' (DAWM) have been of interest in recent years. MR techniques, including quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) and quantitative magnetic resonance spectroscopy (qMRS), have been developed in order to detect and quantify such changes. In this study, qMRI and qMRS were used to investigate NAWM and DAWM in typical MS patients and in MS patients with low number of WM lesions. Patient data were compared to 'normal white matter' (NWM) in healthy controls. METHODS: QMRI and qMRS measurements were performed on a 1.5 T Philips MR-scanner. 35 patients with clinically definite MS and 20 healthy controls were included. Twenty of the patients fulfilled the 'Barkhof-Tintoré criteria' for MS, ('MRIpos'), whereas 15 showed radiologically atypical findings with few WM lesions ('MRIneg'). QMRI properties were determined in ROIs of NAWM, DAWM and lesions in the MS groups and of NWM in controls. Descriptive statistical analysis and comparisons were performed. Correlations were calculated between qMRI measurements and (1) clinical parameters and (2) WM metabolite concentrations. Regression analyses were performed with brain parenchyma fraction and MSSS. RESULTS: NAWM in the MRIneg group was significantly different from NAWM in the MRIpos group and NWM. In addition, R1 and R2 of NAWM in the MRIpos group correlated negatively with EDSS and MSSS. DAWM was significantly different from NWM, but similar in the MS groups. N-acetyl aspartate correlated negatively with R1 and R2 in MRIneg. R2 of DAWM was associated with BPF. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in NAWM and DAWM are independent pathological entities in the disease. The correlation between qMRI and clinical status may shed new light on the clinicoradiological paradox.

In Multiple Sclerosis (MS) the relationship between disease process in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and the development of white matter lesions is not well understood. In this study we used single voxel proton 'Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy' (qMRS) to characterize the NAWM and thalamus both in atypical 'Clinically Definite MS' (CDMS) patients, MRI(neg) (N = 15) with very few lesions (two or fewer lesions), and in typical CDMS patients, MRI(pos) (N = 20) with lesions, in comparison with healthy control subjects (N = 20). In addition, the metabolite concentrations were also correlated with extent of brain atrophy measured using Brain Parenchymal Fraction (BPF) and severity of the disease measured using 'Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score' (MSSS). Elevated concentrations of glutamate and glutamine (Glx) were observed in both MS groups (MRI(neg) 8.12 mM, p<0.001 and MRI(pos) 7.96 mM p<0.001) compared to controls, 6.76 mM. Linear regressions of Glx and total creatine (tCr) with MSSS were 0.16 ± 0.06 mM/MSSS (p = 0.02) for Glx and 0.06 ± 0.03 mM/MSSS (p = 0.04) for tCr, respectively. Moreover, linear regressions of tCr and myo-Inositol (mIns) with BPF were -6.22 ± 1.63 mM/BPF (p<0.001) for tCr and -7.71 ± 2.43 mM/BPF (p = 0.003) for mIns. Furthermore, the MRI(pos) patients had lower N-acetylaspartate and N-acetylaspartate-glutamate (tNA) and elevated mIns concentrations in NAWM compared to both controls (tNA: p = 0.04 mIns p<0.001) and MRI(neg) (tNA: p = 0.03 , mIns: p = 0.002). The results suggest that Glx may be an important marker for pathology in non-lesional white matter in MS. Moreover, Glx is related to the severity of MS independent of number of lesions in the patient. In contrast, increased glial density indicated by increased mIns and decreased neuronal density indicated by the decreased tNA, were only observed in NAWM of typical CDMS patients with white matter lesions.

TRADE FINANCE -PALVELUJEN LAATU JA SEN MITTAAMINEN YRITYSTEN ULKOMAANKAUPASSA Tämä tutkimus tarkastelee Trade Finance -palvelujen laatua ja mittaamista yritysten ulkomaankaupassa. Kirjallisuuskatsaus muodostaa teoreettisen viitekehyksen palvelun laadusta ja mittaamisesta sekä Trade Finance -palvelujen laadun ominaispiirteistä aiempaan tutkimukseen ja kirjallisuuteen perustuen. Empiirinen osio puolestaan käsittelee suomalaisten pankkien Trade Finance -palvelujen laadun mittaamista SERVQUAL -menetelmän avulla. Viitekehyksen perusteella on luotu mittaristo, joka soveltuu nimenomaisesti Trade Finance -palvelujen laadun mittaamiseen. Tutkimuksessa käytetty aineisto kerättiin internet- kyselylomakkeen avulla, joka suunnattiin Trade Finance -palveluja käyttäneille suomalaisten yritysten edustajille. Kyselylomake lähetettiin 300 vastaajalle, joista 95 täytti kyselyn. Kyselylomakkeessa pyydettiin arvioimaan palvelun laadun odotusten ja kokemusten muuttujia SERVQUAL -menetelmän mukaisesti. Lisäksi vastaajilta kysyttiin muutama taustakysymys sekä kolme avointa kysymystä, joiden tavoitteena oli löytää lisätarpeita, palvelun laadun puutteita sekä lisä- ja ristiinmyyntimahdollisuuksia Trade Finance -palveluille. Tutkimuskysymyksiä lähestyttiin kahden monimuuttujamenetelmän avulla. Palvelun laadun odotuksia ja kokemuksia analysoitiin faktorianalyysin avulla, jonka tarkoituksena oli löytää ulottuvuuksia, jotka ovat tärkeitä Trade Finance -palvelujen laadulle. Tämän lisäksi palvelun laadun odotuksista tehtiin klusterianalyysi, jonka tarkoituksena oli löytää erilaisia vastaajaryhmiä, jotka arvostavat samanlaisia Trade Finance -palvelujen laadun omainaisuuksia. Tutkimuksen tuloksena tunnistettiin palvelun laadun odotuksissa viisi faktoriulottuvuutta ja palvelun laadun kokemuksissa kolme faktoriulottuvuutta, jotka ovat tärkeitä Trade Finance -palvelujen laadulle. Klusterianalyysilla saatiin kolme erilaista vastaajaryhmää, jotka arvostavat samanlaisia Trade Finance -palvelujen ominaisuu

Background: Borrelia infections, especially chronic neuroborreliosis ( NB), may cause considerable diagnostic problems. This diagnosis is based on symptoms and findings in the cerebrospinal fluid but is not always conclusive. Purpose: To evaluate brain magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) in chronic NB, to compare the findings with healthy controls, and to correlate MRI findings with disease duration. Material and Methods: Sixteen well- characterized patients with chronic NB and 16 matched controls were examined in a 1.5T scanner with a standard head coil. T1- ( with and without gadolinium), T2-, and diffusion- weighted imaging plus fluid- attenuated inversion recovery ( FLAIR) imaging were used. Results: White matter lesions and lesions in the basal ganglia were seen in 12 patients and 10 controls ( no significant difference). Subependymal lesions were detected in patients down to the age of 25 and in the controls down to the age of 43. The number of lesions was correlated to age both in patients ( rho=0.83, P < 0.01) and in controls ( rho=0.61, P < 0.05), but not to the duration of disease. Most lesions were detected with FLAIR, but many also with T2- weighted imaging. Conclusion: A number of MRI findings were detected in patients with chronic NB, although the findings were unspecific when compared with matched controls and did not correlate with disease duration. However, subependymal lesions may constitute a potential finding in chronic NB.

Background: The multiple sclerosis (MS) severity scale (MSSS) is a new scoring procedure to clinically characterize the rate of disease progression in MS, rather than the disability of the patient. The latter is often characterized using the expanded disability status score (EDSS). The progress rate of the disease, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measures of ‘black hole lesions’, and atrophy have all been shown to be predicted well by MSSS. In this study we investigated possible relationships between brain metabolite concentrations, measured using proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and MSSS. Purpose: Our aims were to quantitatively investigate the metabolite concentrations in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in MS-patients, and also to investigate possible correlations between disease subtype, EDSS and MSSS and metabolite concentrations. To minimize the interference from lesion contamination in the MRS measurement, a refined novel analysis procedure had to be developed in order to correct for partial volume effects in tissues near plaques. Materials and Methods: Forty eight patients with Clinically Definite MS (CDMS), and 18 normal control subjects (NC) were included retrospectively from several MRS studies. T1, T2, and proton density MRI, and four white matter 1H MRS single voxel PRESS (Point-REsolved SpectroScopy) spectra were acquired in each subject using echo time 35 ms and repetition time 6000 ms on a 1.5 T MR-scanner. A total of 108 examinations were acquired from patients and 18 from NC. Absolutely quantified NAWM metabolite concentrations were determined using a mixed linear model (MLM) analysis that included the degree of T2 lesion contamination in each voxel. The T2 lesion contamination of the MRS voxels was also used as an estimate of ‘lesion load’ at each exam. The corrected metabolite concentrations were then correlated with clinical measures of the patients’ status, including EDSS and MSSS. Results: The axonal marker N-acety