From psychiatric science to folk psychology: an ordinary-language model of the mind for mental health nurses

In this paper it is argued that, if mental health nurses are to integrate the skills necessary to accomplish the diverse tasks that comprise their professional role, then what is required is a conception of mind independent of any particular paradigm in the biophysical and psychosocial sciences. This is proposed as a necessary condition of articulating the professional autonomy of mental health nurses. A four-part model of mental functioning is presented and developed, drawing on the ordinary language of folk psychology. Objections to this strategy are anticipated and answered. The utility of the model is demonstrated by deploying it to analyse emotional states and to show how subjective experience is a necessary component of mental ill-health, which is why empathic understanding is a necessary skill for mental health nurses. Finally, the major research paradigms associated with scientific approaches to the care and treatment of mental ill-health are aligned with the elements of the model to demonstrate the potential of that model for clarifying the rationale of theoretically divergent treatment approaches for the benefit of both nurses and their clients. It is emphasized that the proposed model is 'theory' only in the weak sense of being a 'systematic account' of the mental life.     

Ethical issues regarding study designs used in serotonin-antagonist drug development

The time has come to develop new methods for the evaluation of antiemetic compounds. The well-established tenet that combination antiemetic therapy is superior to that achieved with any single agent for severely emetogenic cisplatin-containing chemotherapy does not warrant reevaluation with future cancer patients whenever a new antiemetic enters Phase II and III evaluation. New trials should instead focus on the more important issues of whether the new agent in combination offers comparable or superior efficacy to that achievable with the current standard antiemetic regimen for both acute and delayed nausea and vomiting. While proof of efficacy is crucial in drug trials, adequacy of patient care needs to be the first and foremost priority in any trial.     

Multispecies in situ monitoring of a static internal combustion engine by near-infrared diode laser sensors

A multispecies near-infrared diode laser spectrometer has been constructed for measurements of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane directly in the exhaust of a static internal combustion engine. A wavelength modulation-division multiplexing scheme was implemented for the two distributed feedback diode lasers. Gas concentration variations were observed for changes in operating conditions such as increasing and decreasing the throttle, adjusting the air-fuel ratio, and engine start-up.     

Improved field scanner incorporating parabolic optics. Part 2: Experimental verification and potential for volume scanning

We investigated the experimental performance of an afocal scan engine employing two off-axis parabolic reflectors and it was found not to introduce astigmatism when compared to a freely propagated beam. The performance of the new afocal engine is very similar to an ideal single-mirror scan engine in terms of spot size and beam spot profile (or point spread function) and has an improved flatness of field over other two-dimensional laser scan engines. The parabolic scan engine is contrasted with a comparable spherical mirror arrangement and found to produce superior performance at the intermediate image plane when focused through a scan lens. Further modeling and experimentation point toward volume scanning applications. The significant performance improvement provided by this design, now verified experimentally, will result in superior image quality for fast scanning confocal and two-photon microscopy in particular.