Prevalence and severity of the dementia syndrome in homes for the aged and nursing homes. A study in elderly from a rural area near Zwolle

In the Netherlands both nursing homes and homes for the aged serve as a residence for demented elderly. Although these institutions differ considerably regarding financing and care facilities, specific functions of each institute concerning demented elderly have not been clearly defined. In order to know to what extent residential facilities serve demented elderly, the prevalence and severity of dementia among residents aged 65 and over was studied as part of a prevalence study among elderly people in a rural area of the Netherlands. The target population existed of all persons aged 65 and over who were registered in eight general practices. Patients who had to leave the practice on account of ill-health and were admitted to nursing homes were included in the study. In a two stage study the MMSE was applied as a screening instrument. Based on MMSE-score a non-proportional stratified random sample was drawn for the second, diagnostic stage, which existed of the CAMDEX. Prevalence estimates for DSM-III-R-dementia were 21% among residents of homes for the aged, 48% among residents of somatic wards of nursing homes and 100% among those admitted to psychogeriatric wards of nursing homes. Severity of dementia was highest among residents of psychogeriatric wards of nursing homes and lowest among those living in homes for the aged. Prevalence of dementia among residents of homes for the aged can be fully attributed to the age-distribution. The high frequency of dementia among residents of somatic nursing home wards can be explained in several ways: First, admission can be necessary due to a combination of dementia and somatic illness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A high proportion of novel mutations in BRCA1 with strong founder effects among Dutch and Belgian hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families

We have identified 79 mutations in BRCA1 in a set of 643 Dutch and 23 Belgian hereditary breast and ovarian cancer families collected either for research or for clinical diagnostic purposes. Twenty-eight distinct mutations have been observed, 18 of them not previously reported and 12 of them occurring more than once. Most conspicuously, a 2804delAA mutation has been found 19 times and has never been reported outside the Netherlands. A common haplotype spanning > or = 375 kb could be identified for each of the nine examined recurrent mutations, indicating the presence of multiple BRCA1 founder mutations in the Dutch population. The 2804delAA mutation has been estimated to have originated approximately 32 generations ago. No specific breast or ovarian cancer phenotype could be assigned to any of the common mutations, and the ovarian cancer incidence among 18 families with the 2804delAA mutation was heterogeneous.     

An 8-b 650-MHz folding ADC

An 8-b 650-MHz folding analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with analog error correction in the comparators is presented. With an input frequency of 150 MHz, 7.8 effective bits are obtained. The ADC is implemented in a 1-μm 13-GHz triple-level interconnect bipolar process, requiring 850 mW from a single -4.5 V supply. The die size is 4.2 mm²     

Porphyromonas (Bacteroides) endodontalis: its role in endodontal infections

Porphyromonas endodontalis (formerly Bacteroides endodontalis) is a black-pigmented anaerobic Gram-negative rod which is associated with endodontal infections. It has been isolated from infected dental root canals and submucous abscesses of endodontal origin. The presence of P. endodontalis in infected dental root canals has been correlated with symptoms of an acute infection. It is occasionally found on oral mucous membranes and periodontal pockets. P. endodontalis has shown relatively low virulence in experimental monoinfections. In anaerobic mixed infections it can play an essential role. Differences in virulence between strains have been related to capsular material. On the basis of different types of capsules, three serotypes have been described. P. endodontalis is sensitive to a wide range of antibiotics, including the penicillins, the tetracyclines, and metronidazole.     

A three-dimensional iterative scheme for an electromagneticinductive applicator

An efficient iterative method for solving quasi-static electromagnetic field problems is presented. The electromagnetic field is generated by an inductive applicator and is represented as a superposition of two constituents, viz. a primary field in absence of the tissue configuration and a secondary field generated by the presence of the tissue. Then, for the secondary field a quasi-static approximation is employed. In the quasi-static field equations a relaxation function is introduced, such that the resulting equations can be solved iteratively. For a realistic three-dimensional model of a human hand numerical results are presented.