The validity of new memory complaints in the elderly

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of new subjective memory complaints (MCs) from individuals who previously, when without dementia, denied having MCs. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. SETTING: Longitudinal, community-based study of aging and dementia. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty-three community-dwelling elderly individuals who were part of a registry for the study of conditions related to aging in North Manhattan, NY. Patients were selected if they were initially without dementia and had completed at least 2 successive annual clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided their own medical history. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Performance on memory tests--the Buschke Selective Reminding Test and a visual memory task--and global performance on a neuropsychological test battery and clinical evaluation, by which questionable dementia or dementia was diagnosed according to a well-defined paradigm. RESULTS: Fifty-three subjects with MCs at the initial evaluation performed no worse on the memory test than the 80 subjects who denied MCs initially. There was a weak association between MCs and the diagnosis of questionable dementia at baseline (P = .04), but this was nonsignificant after adjusting for age and education. At 1-year follow-up, 21 of the 80 without baseline MCs now reported MCs. At the follow-up evaluation, these 21 subjects performed significantly worse on the memory tests, were 5 times more likely to have significant cognitive impairment, and had shown significantly greater decline over the preceding year on several of the cognitive measures than the 59 who continued to deny MCs. CONCLUSION: New MCs from individuals, who when without dementia recently denied MCs, may suggest the presence of significant impairment of memory or cognition.     

The development and creating of new-generation full-scope simulator and new technology of simulation

Set out is a brief account of the two major accomplishments by the Russian Research Center ‘Kurchatov Institute’ in creating the full-scope simulators and mathematical modeling technologies. Presented are the basic specifications of one of the world's largest simulators—the full-scope simulator for the Leningrad NPP which is the new-generation one. Owing to the extended modeling scope accomplished is the possibility of training personnel to act in terms of not only the design-basis but rather beyond the design-basis accidents. To minimize the expenditures for creating the simulators, analyzers and other modeling and control means, the RRC ‘Kurchatov Institute' has created the unique technology of mathmodeling automation. Thanks to its versatility and application at its creation of the ELUD philosophy (easy to learn, use and develop) good use is made of this technology both in nuclear and thermal power engineering, as well as in gas industry.     

Hand, space and attentional asymmetries in goal-directed manual aiming

Two experiments were conducted to explore the interaction of the two cerebral hemispheres in motor control, by examining hand, space and attentional asymmetries in goal-directed aiming. In Experiment 1, right-handed subjects moved to targets more quickly with their right hand than their left hand. In addition, each hand was faster when moving in its own hemispace. Although in a control condition, movements were initiated more quickly with the left hand, visual distractors disrupted left hand performance more than right hand performance. For contralateral aiming, ipsilateral distractors caused the greatest interference. In Experiment 2, when targets and distractors were all presented at the midline, a right hand advantage was found for movement time along with a left hand advantage for reaction time, independent of target and distractor location. Our findings are discussed in terms of a right hemisphere role in movement preparation and the allocation of attention in space, and greater left hemisphere involvement in movement execution.     

Community life support training: does it attract the right people?

We first performed autogenous bone grafting for lesions of the hallux sesamoid in 1984. During the next 9 years, 21 patients (11 men and 10 women with an average age of 34 and 32 years, respectively) underwent this surgical procedure for symptomatic tibial hallux sesamoid non-unions. Successful bony union was achieved in all but two patients. The majority of patients obtained concomitant relief of preoperative symptomatology and returned to their preinjury level of activity. We believe that this procedure serves as an alternative to hallux sesamoid excision in selected cases.     

Contact dermatitis from cetostearyl alcohol

Emulsifiers are an uncommon cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Five cases of allergic contact dermatitis to cetostearyl alcohol are presented. In all five cases, multiple positive reactions to other allergens were present, usually topical corticosteroid creams.     

A new erasing method for a single-voltage long-endurance flashmemory

A new method to erase a standard (double-poly, stacked-gate NOR-type) flash cell is proposed. The method, still using the tunneling mechanism to extract electrons from the floating gate, is based on the concept of keeping the electric field constant during the whole erasing operation. The new method has two main advantages with respect to the conventional one: (1) it does not depend on the supply voltage variation and (2) it allows a better reliability in terms of endurance-induced stress. Results have shown that flash device performances are greatly improved in terms of stability and endurance reliability up to one million cycles     

Ultralow-voltage boron-doped diamond field emitter vacuum diode

A boron-doped diamond field emitter diode with ultralow turn-on voltage and high emission current is reported. The diamond field emitter diode structure with a built-in cap was fabricated using molds and electrostatic bonding techniques. The emission current versus anode voltage of the capped diamond emitter diode with boron doping, sp² content, and vacuum thermal electric (VTE) treatment shows a very low turn-on voltage of 2 V. A high emission current of 1 μA at an anode voltage of less than 10 V can be obtained from a single diamond tip. The turn-on voltage is significantly lower than comparable silicon field emitters