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Background/aim: Reliable and valid measures evaluating imbalance during walking are important for targeting rehabilitation efforts. This study aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) in people with peripheral vestibular disorder. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and tested the reliability and validity of the FGA in 43 participants with peripheral vestibular disorder. The participants' performance on the FGA was filmed. To test intra-rater reliability, three raters reassessed 39 of these participants using the video uptakes. Interrater reliability was assessed by five raters analysing the video uptakes. Concurrent validity was investigated using timed measures of dynamic balance and the Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale. Results: The intra-rater reliability for the FGA score was high, with a intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (model 2,1)=0.94 (95% CI=0.85; 0.97). The intra-rater percentage of agreement for all raters for separate items was moderate to high, and weighted kappa was good to very good, ranging from 0.61 for change in speed to 0.95 for stair climbing. The inter-rater reliability was ICC (model 2,1)=0.73 (95% CI=0.49; 0.86). Agreement for two random raters was 45-92%. Weighted kappa was fair to very good, ranging from 0.27 for change in speed to 0.87 for walking with a narrow base of support. The internal consistency was high (α=0.88). Gait with eyes closed had the lowest item-to-total (0.33) and item-to-item (<0.30) correlation. Concurrent validity was moderate to strong (rho=0.50-0.76) with the highest correlation coefficient for the Timed Up and Go test. Conclusions: The FGA is a reliable and valid measure in people with peripheral vestibular disorder. For improving internal consistency, removal of the item 'gait with eyes closed' may be considered.

Principles and guidelines will become more important, due to the development of accessibility policies and the harmonization with Europe in Sweden is discussed. Public policy is the body of principles that underpin the operation of legal systems in a state, which address the social, moral, and economic values that tie a society together. Accessibility policies often start at the international level. Many countries currently have different regulations for interface accessibility. In Sweden the transparency of the public sector is one of the foundations of democracy and the development of an accessible society and is manifested by a duty to publish and promote openness. Public policy and legislation play an important role in contributing to increased accessibility. Sweden is a country of negotiation and transparency, not binding legislation. Involving groups with impairments may not only provide increased accessibility but also increase innovation., QC 20120210

The effects of left and right unilateral cervical vagotomy on the content of several neuroendocrine peptides were studied in different parts of the murine gastrointestinal tract, known to receive vagal innervation. The neuroendocrine peptides investigated were secretin, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), gastrin, motilin, peptide YY (PYY), somatostatin, substance P, VIP, neurotensin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), and galanin. The neuroendocrine peptide concentration was affected after both left and right vagotomy, and that the changes in the concentrations of the neuroendocrine peptide levels occurred in all the gastrointestinal segments investigated, namely antrum, small and large intestine. However, these changes varied, depending on which side was vagotomized and the interval after vagotomy. It is concluded that the vagus nerve had an important impact on the neuroendocrine system in the murine gut. It is suggested, furthermore that the contradictory results obtained earlier on the effect of vagotomy on the gastrointestinal peptides may depend on differences in the vagotomy methods used and on differences in observation time after vagotomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is presumed to induce a reduction in diaphragmatic activity. Indirect indices of diaphragmatic function based on tidal changes in pressures and cross-section area measurements can be unreliable in the postoperative phase. The present study evaluates diaphragmatic activity by directly recording diaphragmatic EMG (EMGdia) data, along with indirect indices. METHODS: Thirteen adult patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II) undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were examined preoperatively for inspiratory tidal changes in gastric (Pgas-insp) and esophageal (Peso-insp) pressures, and tidal changes in ribcage (Vthor) and abdominal (Vabd) cross-section areas and then again at 1, 6, and 24 h postoperatively combined with EMGdia recordings. Variations in inspiratory gastric (deltaPgas-insp) and inspiratory transdiaphragmatic (deltaPdi-insp) pressures were derived from the above. RESULTS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy induced a significant reduction in mean deltaPgas-insp, mean deltaPdi-insp, and mean Vabd indicating a reduction of diaphragmatic activity postoperatively. DeltaPdi-insp decreased from 11.8+/-4.0 cm H2O preoperatively to 5.7+/-5.7 cm H2O at 1 h and 6.6+/-5.1 cm H2O at 6 h postoperatively (mean +/- SD; P < 0.05). Vabd decreased from 327.0+/-113.0 ml preoperatively to 174.0+/-65.0 ml at 1 h and 175.0+/-98.0 ml at 6 h postoperatively (mean +/- SD; P < 0.05). These values had partially recovered at 24 h. CONCLUSION: The direct and indirect indices of diaphragmatic activity taken together confirm the presence of reduction in diaphragmatic activity after laparoscopic cholecystectomy followed by its partial recovery at 24 h., Sharma, R R Axelsson, H Oberg, A Jansson, E Clergue, F Johansson, G Reiz, S United states Anesthesiology Anesthesiology. 1999 Aug;91(2):406-13.

The effect of right or left unilateral cervical vagotomy on the intestinal endocrine cells was studied in 23 mice at 2 and 8 weeks after operation, respectively. The results were compared with that from 10 sham operated mice. Various types of endocrine cells in duodenum and proximal colon were detected by immunohistochemistry and quantified by computerized image analysis. In mouse duodenum, chromogranin-, CCK/gastrin-, GIP- and somatostatin-cells were significantly decreased at 2 weeks after right vagotomy, but returned to the control levels at 8 weeks. Serotonin-cells were reduced at both 2 and 8 weeks after right vagotomy. The amount of the duodenal endocrine cells did not change after left vagotomy with the exception of secretin-cells, which were diminished at 8 weeks after both right and left vagotomy. In the proximal colon, chromogranin-cells were also decreased at 2 weeks after right vagotomy. Serotonin-cells were reduced at 8 weeks after left vagotomy but not right vagotomy. There was no significant difference between the unilaterally vagotomized and the sham operated mice with regard to PYY- and glucagon-cells. It was concluded that vagotomy affected the intestinal endocrine cells in mouse. The influence was more pronounced in the small intestine than the proximal colon. The right vagus nerves seemed to exert more effect on the intestinal endocrine cells than the left ones.

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of unilateral cervical vagotomy on the antral endocrine cells in mouse. Fifty-four mice were randomly divided into three groups, 18 in each, for left or right cervical vagotomy, or sham operation as controls. The animals were sacrificed 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the operation, respectively. Chromogranin-, gastrin/CCK-, serotonin-, and somatostatin-cells were detected by immunohistochemistry and quantitated by computerised image analysis. The results showed that the number of chromogranin-cells was decreased in both left and right vagotomized mice after 4 weeks and remained at the same level after 8 weeks. The numbers of gastrin-, serotonin- and somatostatin-cells did not change after right vagotomy. However, the numbers of gastrin- and somatostatin-cells were decreased after left vagotomy, whereas no change was found in serotonin-cells. Endocrine cells with vacuolated cytoplasm and pyknotic nuclei were also observed during the course of time. The alteration in the antral endocrine cells observed in this study seemed to be dynamic and depended on the observation time after the operation as well as the denervated branches of the vagus nerve. This may explain, at least partially the contradictory results obtained earlier by different investigators.

Results of studies using fines such as calcite and kaolin show that a disc-stack nozzle centrifuge is capable of classifying the micronised-size material (about 60% less than 2 micrometres) at 40 wt% solids concentration. The product size distribution becomes finer and steeper after removal of the undesired coarser particles from the feed. Parameters such as G-force, disc geometry, nozzle size, feed rate and the volumetric ratio of overflow rate to feed rate have been analysed and evaluated using statistical methods. The experimental results were empirically correlated to the key parameters influencing particle classification in the centrifuge., Results of studies using fines such as calcite and kaolin show that a disc-stack nozzle centrifuge is capable of classifying the micronised-size material (about 60% less than 2 micrometres) at 40 wt% solids concentration. The product size distribution becomes finer and steeper after removal of the undesired coarser particles from the feed. Parameters such as G-force, disc geometry, nozzle size, feed rate and the volumetric ratio of overflow rate to feed rate have been analysed and evaluated using statistical methods. The experimental results were empirically correlated to the key parameters influencing particle classification in the centrifuge.

Long-path DOAS (differential optical absorption spectroscopy) in the ultraviolet spectral region has been shown to be applicable for low-concentration measurements of light aromatic hydrocarbons. However, because of spectral interferences among different aromatics as well as with oxygen, ozone, and sulfur dioxide, the application of the DOAS technique for this group of components is not without problems. This project includes a study of the differential absorption characteristics, between 250 and 280 nm, of twelve light aromatic hydrocarbons representing major constituents in technical solvents used in the automobile industry. Spectral overlapping between the different species, including oxygen, ozone, and sulfur dioxide, has been investigated and related to the chemical structure of the different aromatics. Interference effects in the DOAS application due to spectral overlapping have been investigated both in quantitative and in qualitative terms, with data from a field campaign at a major automobile manufacturing plant.

The differential absorption structure of the ozone spectrum between 250 and 330 nm has been investigated in order to determine the optimal wavelength region to be utilized for active differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) measurements. Considering aspects of atmospheric attenuation and interference from other species as well as the magnitude of the differential absorption cross section, an interval around 283 nm was found to be a good candidate for this application. This result was also verified during 12 months of continuous ozone monitoring in an urban environment.