Temperament and substance abuse in schizophrenia: is there a relationship?

Dyspnea may be easily appreciated during exercise with dyspneic scales, but methodological standardisation still needs to be specified. Authors review the basic physiological mechanism relating dyspnea to indices obtained during a stress test. They propose to use the dyspnea/VE relationship. With the concept of dyspneic threshold (close to the ventilatory threshold) and the ramp that both could be modified (for instance by rehabilitation programmes including exercise training). Interpretation of dyspnea during an exercise test obviously needs to be integrated with other parameters studied during exercise.     

The Cartwright Report ten years on: the obligations and rights of health consumers and providers

It is ten years since the Cartwright report was published, three years since the code of health and disability services consumers' rights was promulgated and two years since the code came into force which makes it due for review next year. This paper reviews the issues identified by Cartwright and the effect that her investigation into the "Unfortunate Experiment" has had on the provision of health services. Issues of clinical freedom, peer supervision and informed consent are discussed in relation to the Health and Disability Commissioner Act, the Privacy Act and concepts of partnership in health care. Some comments on the present state of the relationships between consumers and providers in the health system are included.     

Lactobacillus gasseri [corrected] CHO-220 and inulin reduced plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol via alteration of lipid transporters

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel-designed study was conducted to investigate the effect of a synbiotic product containing Lactobacillus acidophilus CHO-220 and inulin on lipid profiles of hypercholesterolemic men and women. Thirty-two hypercholesterolemic men and women with initial mean plasma cholesterol levels of 5.7 ± 0.32 mmol/L were recruited for the 12-wk study. The subjects were randomly allocated to 2 groups; namely the treatment group (synbiotic product) and the control group (placebo), and each received 4 capsules of synbiotic or placebo daily. Our results showed that the mean body weight, energy, and nutrient intake of the subjects did not differ between the 2 groups over the study period. The supplementation of synbiotic reduced plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol by 7.84 and 9.27%, respectively, compared with the control over 12 wk. Lipoproteins were subsequently subfractionated and characterized. The synbiotic supplementation resulted in a lower concentration of triglycerides in the very low, intermediate, low, and high-density lipoprotein particles compared with the control over 12 wk. The concentration of triglycerides in lipoproteins is positively correlated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Our results showed that the synbiotic might exhibit an atheropreventive characteristic. Cholesteryl ester (CE) in the high-density lipoprotein particles of the synbiotic group was also higher compared with the control, indicating greater transport of cholesterol in the form of CE to the liver for hydrolysis. This may have led to the reduced plasma total cholesterol level of the synbiotic group. The supplementation of synbiotic also reduced the concentration of CE in the LDL particles compared with the control, leading to the formation of smaller and denser particles that are more easily removed from blood. This supported the reduced LDL-cholesterol level of the synbiotic group compared with the control. Our present study showed that the synbiotic product improved plasma total- and LDL-cholesterol levels by modifying the interconnected pathways of lipid transporters. In addition, although Lactobacillus acidophilus CHO-220 could deconjugate bile, our results showed a statistically insignificant difference in the levels of conjugated, deconjugated, primary, and secondary bile acids between the synbiotic and control groups over 12 wk, indicating safety from bile-related toxicity.     

Growth of Tl-2201 Superconducting Thin Films on Single Crystal LaAlO3

The growth of Tl-2201 films on LaAlO₃ single crystal substrates has been investigated. The synthesis involved precursor films made by laser ablation that were treated with Tl₂O(g) in near-equilibrium conditions. By optimising the method of preparation, we obtained films that were highly smooth, c-axis oriented and epitaxial. The rocking curve of the (0010) reflection had a FWHM of 0.27°. A T_c of 92K was achieved without post-annealing.     

Ex-situ probing of PEFC liquid droplet dynamics in the presence of vibration

PEFC performance degradation when exposed to vibration has been attributed to liquid water redistribution; however, fundamental liquid droplet behavior under such conditions is not well understood. As this technology continues to penetrate automotive, aerospace, and marine markets, where vibration and mechanical shock may be common, it is necessary to characterize droplet dynamics under such conditions. This work uses ex-situ experimental techniques to study the effects of sinusoidal vibration on water and gas-diffusion layer interactions for open cathode and flow channel based designs. Parameters such as contact angle, key droplet dimensions, adhesion force, and detachment velocity were measured for a range of frequencies and amplitudes. Vertical and horizontal oriented cells were investigated. The results show that vibration can significantly impact wetting; in some cases, increasing the barrier for liquid removal. Sessile droplet contact angle and dimensions such as height and wetting diameter, shifted toward more hydrophilic wetting under elevated frequency. Droplet detachment velocities were measured to be higher at 100 Hz then at 0 Hz for air speeds up to 10 m s^?1. These results may be of interest to PEFC modelers and flow-field designers.     

Dynamic Networks of Cellulose Nanofibrils Enable Highly Conductive and Strong Polymer Gel Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Tunable dynamic networks of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are utilized to prepare high-performance polymer gel electrolytes. By swelling an anisotropically dewatered, but never dried, CNF gel in acidic salt solutions, a highly sparse network is constructed with a fraction of CNFs as low as 0.9%, taking advantage of the very high aspect ratio and the ultra-thin thickness of the CNFs (micrometers long and 2–4 nm thick). These CNF networks expose high interfacial areas and can accommodate massive amounts of the ionic conductive liquid polyethylene glycol-based electrolyte into strong homogeneous gel electrolytes. In addition to the reinforced mechanical properties, the presence of the CNFs simultaneously enhances the ionic conductivity due to their excellent strong water-binding capacity according to computational simulations. This strategy renders the electrolyte a room-temperature ionic conductivity of 0.61 ± 0.12 mS cm⁻¹ which is one of the highest among polymer gel electrolytes. The electrolyte shows superior performances as a separator for lithium iron phosphate half-cells in high specific capacity (161 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1C), excellent rate capability (5C), and cycling stability (94% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 1C) at 60 °C, as well as stable room temperature cycling performance and considerably improved safety compared with commercial liquid electrolyte systems.     

Performance of Meteor-Burst Communication Channels

In this paper, we briefly describe the physical characteristics of a meteor-burst (MB) communication channel, and then present the results of an analysis showing the expected throughput and the probability of completing a given message under two different scenarios. In the first scenario, the transmitter is presumed to have knowledge (obtained by appropriate probe signals) of the entire duration of a given MB. In the second, only the starting time of each MB is known. Numerical results based on the analysis are provided, and it is shown what types of delays must be tolerated in order to achieve a given degree of reliability of having the transmitted message correctly received at its destination.     

A clinical sample of Maori being treated for alcohol and drug problems in New Zealand

AIMS: To document key clinical characteristics of a group of Maori being treated for alcohol and drug problems; compare the characteristics of Maori accessing dedicated Maori alcohol and drug treatment services with Maori accessing non-dedicated services; and investigate these clinical characteristics in relation to patient satisfaction. METHODS: A sample of 105 Maori with alcohol and drug problems, accessing the range of treatment services in the Canterbury area, undertook a semi-structured interview. RESULTS: Overall this sample of Maori were socially disadvantaged. Their main drug of use was alcohol, followed by cannabis, opioids and sedatives/hypnotics. There were no significant differences between the subjects who attended Maori dedicated services and those who attended non-dedicated Maori services in terms of demographic variables, alcohol and drug use history, current level of dependence, or anxiety/depression state. Subjects in dedicated Maori services were more likely to have had greater than 21 days of treatment compared to those in non-dedicated Maori services and were more likely to have been to their home marae than those in non-dedicated services. In multivariate analysis, Maori in dedicated Maori services were significantly more likely to be satisfied with treatment than those in non-dedicated services (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.81-16.78). CONCLUSION: Further research is required to investigate the relationship between high patient satisfaction by Maori with alcohol and drug problems attending dedicated Maori treatment services, treatment effectiveness and the components of dedicated Maori services that may contribute to higher retention rates, greater patient satisfaction and increased positive treatment outcome.     

What is the psychiatrist's role in drugs and alcohol?

OBJECTIVE: This article describes a consensus view of the role of psychiatrists in respect of alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems, in response to the view expressed by Wodak [1]. METHOD: The data were selected on the basis of the knowledge and experience of the authors. RESULTS: Psychiatrists have made major contributions in the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of AOD problems over many years in Australia and New Zealand. In recent years there has been an explosion of new knowledge in the AOD area and a shift from mental health to primary and public health care for these patients. Substance use disorders (SUD) are highly prevalent in all areas of psychiatric practice, requiring treatment in their own right as well as complicating the treatment of coexisting psychiatric illness. CONCLUSION: It is argued that psychiatrists have important roles in harm reduction, prevention and policy development; brief and early intervention in SUD in liaison and child psychiatry; and systematic treatment for those with dependence and other psychiatric comorbidity. A research and collaborative approach to AOD services and patients should be encouraged, rather than engaging in divisive debate over "ownership' of this area of clinical practice.