EEG spectral abnormalities and psychosis as predictors of cognitive and functional decline in probable Alzheimer's disease

We examined whether either psychotic features (e.g., delusions and hallucinations) or EEG abnormalities are associated with more rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD patients with psychosis have exhibited more EEG abnormalities than those without psychosis, and both abnormal EEG and psychosis have been noted to be predictors of functional and cognitive decline in AD. Ninety-five probable AD patients participating in a longitudinal study of dementia had an EEG and a semistructured psychiatric interview at baseline. Using EEG spectral analysis, we classified records as normal/abnormal based on the parasagittal mean frequency. Patients with abnormal EEGs were more functionally (e.g., Blessed Rating Scale for activities of daily living) and cognitively (e.g., Mini-Mental State) impaired than patients with normal EEG. AD patients with psychosis were only more functionally impaired than patients without psychosis. A two-factor analysis showed no interaction between abnormal EEG and psychosis. In addition, using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age and education, the presence of an abnormal EEG or psychotic symptom at study entry was associated with higher risk of reaching severe cognitive and functional impairment during follow-up. Neither abnormal EEG nor the presence of psychosis predicted death. These results indicate that both abnormal EEG and psychosis are independent predictors of disease progression but not of physical survival.     

Robustness of classification rules that incorporate additional information

The discrimination problem for two normal populations with the same covariance matrix when additional information on the population is available is considered. A study of the robustness properties against training sample contamination of classification rules that incorporate this additional information is performed. These rules have received recently attention where their total misclassification probability (TMP) is proved to be lower than Fisher's linear discriminant rule. The results of a simulation study on the TMP which compares the behaviour of the new rules against Fisher's rule and some of its robustified versions under different types of contamination are presented. These results show that the rules that incorporate the additional information not only have lower TMP, but they also prevent against some types of contamination. In order to achieve prevention from all types of contamination a robustifed version of these rules is recommended.     

Evaluation of the completion of influenza vaccination

OBJECTIVE: To find the reasons which determine failures to comply with anti-flu vaccinations, so that these can be corrected and the coverage of this preventive action be increased. DESIGN: Observational crossover study, done by means of a telephone survey of people over 65. A questionnaire with closed questions, composed after a pilot study and validated by Cronbach's alpha. SETTING: Primary Care Centre (PCC). PATIENTS: We calculated a population sample for qualitative variables (_ = 0.05; p = 0.60; e = 0.05) of 294 people over 65, chosen from the PCC records, by means of random sampling (K = 4) stratified for age and discounting the telephone selection bias. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The proportion of vaccinated patients (60.9%) obtained in our study did not significantly differ from that in the general population. The percentage of patients included in the programme for the first time was 14%. Level of satisfaction among those vaccinated was 89.4%, with 8.9% of problems detected being light. Main causes of non-vaccination were: thinking that they didn't need it (63.5%), ignorance of the campaign (35.7%), fear of the reaction (24.3%), forgetting (10.4%). The main form of access to the campaign information was from the PCC, both through individuals and posters. Lack of information was statistically significant (p < 0.00001) as a determinant of non-vaccination, without other factors (age, sex, associated pathologies...) explaining these differences. CONCLUSIONS: Individualised and on-going health education by the PCC is fundamental. This would enable the identification of the group not vaccinated due to their express refusal and the recovery of non-vaccinated patients.     

Effect of calmodulin on the activity of NAD-kinase from rabbit liver

It has been shown that rabbit liver NAD-kinase is a Ca(2+)-dependent, calmodulin-regulated enzyme. Differences were found between the sensitivity of the alpha- and beta-forms of the enzyme to calmodulin. The maximal activation of the NAD-kinase alpha-form was observed at a calmodulin/NAD-kinase ratio equal to 2, that of the beta-form--at 4. Further increases in the above parameter (up to 10) had no effect on the activity of the alpha-form, whereas that of the beta-form dropped down to the initial (basal) level.     

Veterinary practice and occupational health. An epidemiological study of several professional groups of Dutch veterinarians. I. General physical examination and prevalence of allergy, lung function disorders, and bronchial hyperreactivity

The prevalence of allergy, lung function disorders, and bronchial hyperreactivity was studied in 102 Dutch veterinarians, subdivided into five professional groups (predominantly working with either swine, cattle, poultry, companion animals, or as a non-practitioner). The mean age of the participants was 43 years; 6 participants were females. Twenty-two per cent of the participants were overweight, and relatively more non-practitioners than practitioners were overweight. Approximately 23% of the vets reported complaints of prolonged fatigue. The data suggest a relationship between complaints of prolonged fatigue and a more than average number of daily working hours. Only a small proportion of vets were sensitized against several allergens. There were no significant differences in prevalence of distinct lung function disorders or bronchial hyperreactivity between professional groups. It is hypothesized that the respiratory complaints (chronic coughing, chronic phlegm production, stuffed nose, sneezing) reported by the vets predominantly working in swine and/or poultry practice could be caused by irritation and/or inflammation of the first part of the trachea-bronchial tree that has no measurable and permanent consequences for changes in lung function or increased bronchial hyperreactivity. The results of a skin test against allergens and determination of allergen-specific IgE in blood indicated that the respiratory complaints were probably not related to allergy against the panel of allergens tested.     

High-frequency radio-wave ablation of osteoid osteoma in the lumbar spine

This report describes a presumed choroidal granuloma with vitreous hemorrhage resembling choroidal melanoma. A healthy 31-year-old man, who had progressive vision loss in the right eye during 1 month, was found to have a yellow-white juxtapapillary choroidal mass. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated a choroidal neovascular membrane over the lesion. There was focal persistent hypofluorescence in the late phase of fluorescein angiography. The thickness of the lesion increased from 3.0 mm to 7.1 mm during 1 month. Subretinal and vitreous hemorrhage developed. The patient was suspected to have a choroidal granuloma and choroidal neovascular membrane, and was treated with oral steroids. Ten months later, the vitreous blood cleared completely with an attached retina. Control of inflammation may have a role in the treatment of idiopathic choroidal granulomas and some choroidal neovascular membranes secondary to ocular inflammation.     

Improving the testability of switched-capacitor filters

A design-for-test methodology for SC filters is presented, based on an architecture using some additional circuitry and providing extra capabilities for both off- and on-line tests. The approach uses a comparison (voting) mechanism to indicate whether or not two copies of a filter element (a biquad, for instance) have a similar response during their actual operation. The design and implementation of a few filter examples are included to assess the potential usefulness of this new approach.