Efficacy of two behavioral treatment programs for comorbid geriatric insomnia.

Older adults with comorbid insomnia and medical illness have been excluded from behavioral treatment research, but recent evidence suggested that such treatments would be effective with this population. In this study, 38 older adults with comorbid insomnia were randomized to 1 of 3 conditions: classroom cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), home-based audio relaxation treatment (HART), or delayed-treatment control. Compared to the control group, the CBT group had significant changes in 5 of 7 self-report measures of sleep at the 4-month follow-up. The HART group obtained significant outcomes on 3 of 7 measures. Wrist actigraphy measures and secondary-outcome measures did not yield significant findings for either treatment. Clinically significant changes at follow-up were obtained for 54% of patients in CBT, 35% in HART, and 6% in the control group when treatment dropouts were included. Although not as effective as in-person CBT, home interventions may have utility as a first-line, low-cost treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A trinucleotide deletion in the transthyretin gene (delta V 122) in a kindred with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy

A 63-year-old white man of Ecuadorian origin had a subarachnoid hemorrhage at age 57 followed by numbness and paresthesia in his lower extremities. He subsequently developed sexual impotence, alternating constipation and diarrhea, urinary frequency, and difficulty in walking. Rectal biopsy revealed amyloid deposits immunohistochemically reactive with antitransthyretin antisera. Direct DNA sequencing of the transthyretin gene of the patient showed a trinucleotide deletion in exon 4. This deletion resulted in the loss of one of two valines at position 121 or 122. DNA analysis on 11 family members at risk revealed four mutant gene carriers. Plasma transthyretin levels in the mutant gene carriers measured by nephelometry were very low. Peptide sequence analysis revealed that most of plasma transthyretin was normal with only a small amount of variant protein. This is the first report of a DNA deletion in the transthyretin gene. We speculate that the loss of valine in the carboxyl terminal region of the transthyretin monomer alters stability of the tetrameric protein, which leads to rapid clearance from the plasma and amyloid deposition in the tissue.     

Microwave field-detecting element based on pyroelectric effect in PVDF

A microwave field-detecting element based on the pyroelectric effect in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) has been developed. Characterisation of the response of a half-wavelength structure etched on 25 ?m PVDF film has been modelled and validated by measurements. The sensitivity, linearity and dynamic range are sufficient for array applications.     

Factors in the current adjustment of young adult daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers.

The adjustment status of women whose fathers were alcoholic, psychiatrically disturbed, or normal was compared to determine the extent of daughters' vulnerability and whether family climate and social support variables moderated the development of symptomatology. The 240 respondents, who were either university staff members or students, comprised four groups: women with normal fathers (n?=?81), women with alcoholic and problem drinking fathers (n?=?114), women with psychiatrically disturbed fathers (n?=?30), and women with both parents who were alcoholic or problem drinkers (n?=?15). Daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers reported more neurotic and acting-out symptoms than did daughters of normal fathers. However, a similar elevation of neurotic and acting-out symptoms was found among the daughters of psychiatrically disturbed fathers, who in addition had significantly higher depression scores than did the daughters of alcoholic and problem drinking fathers. Daughters' rates of alcohol use did not distinguish the groups. Family climate and social support variables were found to be related to daughters' current adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predominance of slow acetylators of N-acetyltransferase in a Hmong population residing in the United States

Pharmacogenetics can be an important determinant of pharmacologic response. To learn more about interpopulation differences in drug metabolism between ethnically diverse populations of subjects cared for by an International Clinic, a study was conducted to describe the prevalence of fast or slow acetylators of N-acetyltransferase (NAT2) in a population of Hmong residing in Minnesota. Ninety-eight healthy Hmong refugees from Laos volunteered to take caffeine as an oral probe drug to establish acetylator phenotype. Participants were classified as either rapid or slow acetylators based on the urinary molar ratio of select metabolites of caffeine. Assignment of phenotype was based on results from analysis of urine collected subsequent to ingestion of caffeine. The ratio of 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyluracil (AFMU) to the combined products of the 7-demethylation pathway of paraxanthine (AFMU, 1-methylxanthine (1X), and 1-methylurate (1U)] formed the basis for this determination. A probit plot of the data collected in our subjects qualified a metabolic ratio of 0.34 as an acceptable cut point for phenotype assignment. Participants with an AFMU/(AFMU + 1X + 1U) ratio of < 0.34 were classified as slow acetylators and all others as rapid acetylators. Analysis of the data suggested a bimodal distribution with an excess (74.5%) of slow acetylators in the population. The predominance of slow acetylators found in the Hmong contrast with the prevalence of slow acetylators seen in other ethnic groups. These findings may have important clinical implications given the large number of Hmong treated each year in our International Clinic and the increasing use of medications metabolized by NAT2 in this population.     

High Dielectric Breakdown Strength Nanoplatelet-Based Multilayer Thin Films

Dielectric materials that can withstand high voltages are of great interest due to the growing need for high-performance insulation systems in electronics. Polymer nanocomposites have gained popularity as electrical insulators due to their processability, high operating voltage, and tortuous paths for current flow created by the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The dielectric breakdown strength of a relatively thick multilayer thin film containing polyethylenimine (PEI) and vermiculite clay (VMT), thickened with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (tris), is evaluated as a function of bilayers (BL) deposited. The resulting nanobrick wall structure of this clay-based assembly is ideal for protective insulation. An 8 BL PEI+tris/VMT film achieves a dielectric breakdown strength of 245 kV mm⁻¹, with a thickness of 5 µm. With increasing bilayers, the breakdown strength gradually decreases, but 20 BL of PEI+tris/VMT achieves a breakdown voltage of 2.36 kV. This nanoplatelet-based system is the first “thick growing” layer-by-layer deposited film to be used as an insulating layer. Its unusually high breakdown strength can be useful for the protection of various high voltage electronics.     

Measuring up [UK national measurement programme]

A recent government-sponsored survey found that barely one UK company in ten was aware of the national measurement services available, The author outlines a new programme set up to change that statistic     

Catalytic effects of carbon sorbents for mercury capture

Activated carbon sorbents have the potential to be an effective means of mercury control in combustion systems. Reactions of activated carbons in flow systems with mercury and gas stream components were investigated to determine the types of chemical interactions that occur on the sorbent surface. The effects of carbon type, particle size, temperature, and reactive gases were studied. Sorption kinetics and capacities for lignite- and bituminous-based carbons were compared with those for catalytic carbons at temperatures of 107 degrees C, 150 degrees C, and 163 degrees C. In the air and baseline gas studies, the catalytic carbons exhibited far better sorption than the lignite- and bituminous-derived carbons. With the catalytic carbons, the greater sorption kinetics and capacity in an air stream or baseline gas composition compared with nitrogen provides a clear demonstration that O(2) is required in the gas stream for higher reactivities and capacities. Thus, a catalytic chemisorption mechanism predominates for the sorption of mercury at these conditions. The reaction kinetics are inversely proportional to the temperature, indicating that a preliminary physisorption step with mercury associating with a surface site is rate-determining. In synthetic flue gas streams containing HCl (50 ppm), the sorption kinetics of the catalytic carbon are slightly inferior to those of lignite-based carbon. Thus, the reaction is dominated by a different interaction, where HCl reacts with mercury on the carbon surface and the oxidation sites on the catalytic carbon apparently have no advantage. Granular and fine-particle carbons gave similar results in flue gas streams.     

Gender-related differences in susceptibility of A/J mouse to benzo[a]pyrene-induced pulmonary and forestomach tumorigenesis

A commercial patient dose verification system utilizing non-invasive metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) dosimeters originally designed for radiotherapy applications has been evaluated for use at diagnostic energy levels. The system features multiple dosimeters that may be used to monitor entrance or exit skin dose and intracavity doses in phantoms in real time. We have characterized both the standard MOSFET dosimeter designed for radiotherapy dose verification and a newly developed "high sensitivity" MOSFET dosimeter designed for lower dose measurements. The sensitivity, linearity, angular response, post-exposure response, and physical characteristics were evaluated. The average sensitivity (free in air, including backscatter) of the radiotherapy MOSFET dosimeters ranged from 3.55 x 10(4) mV per C kg(-1) (9.2 mV R(-1)) to 4.87 x 10(4) mV per C kg(-1) (12.6 mV R(-1)) depending on the energy of the x-ray field. The sensitivity of the "high sensitivity" MOSFET dosimeters ranged from 1.15 x 10(5) mV per C kg(-1) (29.7 mV R(-1)) to 1.38 x 10(5) mV per C kg(-1) (35.7 mV R(-1)) depending on the energy of the x-ray field. The high sensitivity dosimeters demonstrated excellent linearity at high energies (90 and 120 kVp) and acceptable linearity at lower energies (60 kVp). The angular response was significant for free-in-air exposures, as illustrated by the sensitivity differences between the two sides of the dosimeter, but was excellent for measurements within a tissue equivalent cylinder. The post-exposure drift response is a complicated but reproducible function of time. Real-time monitoring requires little if any corrections for the post-exposure drift response. The MOSFET dosimeter system brings some unique capabilities to diagnostic radiology dosimetry including small size, real-time capabilities, nondestructive measurement, good linearity, and a predictable angular response.