Diagnostic sleep testing in the evaluation of snoring and sleep apnea

The dilemma frequently encountered by the dentist wishing to offer an appliance for treatment of snoring or sleep apnea is whether there is a need for extensive testing of patients who present with a complaint of snoring. This article describes diagnostic sleep testing in the evaluation of patients with snoring and sleep apnea.     

Experimental studies on substituted copper phthalocyanine Langmuir-Blodgett films

Using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, novel copper bis(3-hydroxypropyloxy-hexaisopentyloxy)phthalocyanine molecules were deposited on quartz substrates. It is argued on the basis of pressure-area isotherms that films are deposited as monolayers. Optical absorption spectroscopy suggests that the deposited films were uniform. A.c. measurements were performed on LB films in a planar configuration at different temperatures. The power-law dependence of the conductivity on frequency is explained in terms of electronic conduction through hopping over a coulombic barrier 0.66 eV high. The Debye relaxation time is estimated to be of the order 811 µs at room temperature.     

High-density micromachined polygon optical crossconnects exploitingnetwork connection-symmetry

Optical-layer crossconnects with high port count appear to be emerging as key elements for provisioning and restoration in future wavelength-division-multiplexed networks. We demonstrate here a means of achieving high-density optical crossconnects utilizing free-space micromachined optical switches that exploit connection-symmetry in core-transport networks. The micromachined polygon switches proposed here are strictly nonblocking. Measured insertion losses of 3.1-3.5 dB for a 16×16 (8×8 bidirectional) switch suggest the promise of scaling to large port count     

Findings in gunshot wounds from tandem projectiles

Tandem projectiles are unusual events which can cause erroneous case interpretations if one is unfamiliar with them. This paper presents two such cases. The first case involved three .32 caliber bullets, two of which became lodged in a revolver barrel because of faulty ammunition. A third fired bullet subsequently pushed itself and the lodged bullets out of the barrel resulting in a single entrance wound with three bullets in the body. The second case involved a 20 gauge shotgun shell which apparently was inadvertently loaded into a 12 gauge shotgun. This resulted in an unusual entrance wound and unusual X-rays with fragments of the 20 gauge shotgun shell, as well as 12 gauge shotgun shell wadding, being removed from the same wound. The pertinent findings in such cases are discussed so that they may be correctly identified when they occur.     

Perceptions of diabetes among rural Maori elders and spokespersons

AIMS: To assess knowledge and opinions of diabetes among rural Maori elders and spokespersons. METHODS: Interviews were conducted in rural South Auckland. Subjects were identified through their affiliation with one marae (meeting house), residence near the marae and being recognised locally as either male (kaumatua) or female (kuia) elders or spokespersons. The main researcher was a kuia chosen by and from within the local community. Interviews were conducted with 43/44 (98%) subjects identified. RESULTS: While specific diabetes knowledge was low, diabetes was seen, along with cancer, as one of the two major health issues for Maori. Results need to be understood in the context of the holistic understanding of health by Maori. CONCLUSION: The recognition of diabetes as a major health problem was accompanied by a call for diabetes education in a form that will generate interest and participation by Maori. It is timely for the introduction of marae based diabetes awareness and sustained exercise programmes as part of a diabetes prevention and control strategy among Maori communities where diabetes risk is high.     

Validation of a measure of excessive drinking: frequency per year that BAL exceeds 0.08%

Although self-report data are generally evaluated as reliable, validity estimates for self-reported drinking behavior are not as favorable. A new method of measurement addressing problems currently associated with the questionable validity of self-report drinking information is introduced. Study 1 tests the correspondence between the new measure (occasions per year blood alcohol level exceeded 0.08%), traditional self-report measures, and laboratory alcohol consumption. The novel measure correlated most strongly with volume of alcohol consumed in the laboratory compared to the traditional measures. In Study 2 the novel measure was favored over a traditional measure when discriminating between the presence and absence of problem-drinking symptoms.